practice that highly conduces towards our performance of all other Duties 't is alwayes observable that the best men are those that most strictly devote this day to Religion You cannot possibly have a religious Family unless you keep those that are under you to the publick and private exercises of religious Worship on the Sabbath This is to give up one day in seven to the consideration of divine things and 't is consideration which must give them impression and force upon the minds of men those most important things revealed from Heaven will have no influence upon us if we do not allow them a serious contemplation On other dayes other lawful and necessary employments will often interrupt you in doing this Take then the appointed time and improve it as well as you can for this purpose give your Servants as little other imployment on that day as you can and keep them as close as you can to this spend the time that remains besides what the publick Worship will take up in some private exercises of Religion in the Family 3. Further Those that are great and rich men thô not in the Magistracy may promote Religion among their Tenants and poor Neighbours by encouraging and countenancing those that incline to it protecting them from Injuries preferring them to your Service and by frequent commendation of them in the hearing of others You that have so many Tenants have perhaps so many Families that are in some dependance upon you whom you have opportunity to oblige and can encourage or discourage so many will value your favour or displeasure and may therefore be influenced to the outward practice and profession of Religion at least by your carriage towards them 'T is an useful exercise of Charity towards the promoting Religion when you will give Bibles and good Books among your poor Neighbours and to assist them in the Education of their Children such as are very poor set their Children at the best to work as soon as they are able to do any Service that they may earn somewhat towards their own maintenance and they can neither afford them time nor spare any cost towards the teaching them so much as to read and so do many poor Souls live and dye in a miserable ignorance of those things which concern their Salvation Oh pity these Wretches and endeavour that as many as you can may have at least this Instruction 4. You may yet more largely serve the Interest of Religion by endeavouring as far as in you lies that there may be a learned and pious Ministry It were a very publick Service and benefit if you should chuse some poor Lad that appears to have a very good Wit and sober Inclinations and send him to the School and the University you may entertain in your Family a deserving person 'till he can obtain a more publick employment you may out of your abundance spare some yearly allowance to assist and encourage a man of mean fortunes who with good assistance you have reason to think might be very useful in the service of Religion You may add to the Revenues of small Benefices for the encouragement of an able Minister 5. When persons are admitted to a part in the Government 't is certain that they have great opportunity to promote Religion they can force men to at least an outward practice of it they can punish Vice and Profaneness and make it uneasie to Men they can make it ashamed of its self when 't is grown bold or prevent its growing so they can reward protect and countenance effectually those that will be good Men they can command a general and strict observation of the Sabbath and force men to assemble to one or other of the places of publick Worship whereby they will be under the means to make them good men 't is in their power to restrain at least from appearing in publick that profane liberty of Fancy so much affected under the name of Wit which lies in finding out improbabilities in the clearest and most important truths and matter of ridicule in the gravest rules of Morality and Religion a practice which tends to make men Scepticks and Atheists to overthrow Religion and civil Order and Government Good Principles are the foundation of good Order and this humour destroyes all Principles in the minds of Men and leaves no foundation at all whereon to build Virtue or Piety in them This destroyes the power of Conscience serves to justifie the grossest wickednesses and hardens Men in their sins 'T is much in the Power of the Magistrate to procure an able faithful Ministry to protect them from Injury and Contempt and encourage them in their work But I desire to be understood to intend these things only for a little direction to those young Persons that may hereafter be Magistrates Thus I have given you a brief account of those Duties towards God which are required of all men to be regarded in their use of present enjoyments 2. Further to show wherein the right use of the things of this World consists I proceed in the next place to suggest The Duties towards men which this requires included under the name of Righteousness And this includes all the Duties of the second Table of the Divine Law required to be observed in our carriage towards our Neighbours it commands both Justice and Mercy in that 2 chap. of Tit. To do to others as we would be done by which is the great rule of Righteousness is a rule both of Equity and Charity he that exercises Charity to the Poor and shews Mercy to the miserable does to them what he himself would desire that others should do for him if he were in their Condition But I shall not mention all the particulars under this Head because I study brevity but only will lay down a few general rules which shall include all the particulars 1 Let every man endeavour to be of some good use to the Community he lives in It should be the hopes of a young man that he may in the time of his Life be able and have opportunity to do some good service to Mankind 'T is generosity and good nature to be unwilling to live to himself alone Prepare and fit your self for employment and then readily accept it when it offers it self thô 't is not wisdom for a man hastily to rush into publick business before he is well accomplisht and rightly called to it yet when he is so called and fitted he ought not to decline or refuse it unless the circumstances happen to be such as that you cannot with a safe Conscience undertake it 'T is too great selfishness to consider the trouble danger cost or pains of an employment wherein you may do great service to the publick so as to be thereby discouraged from undertaking it There is nothing great and glorious that is not hazardous and painful and the more difficulties and dangers attend any good Office 't is the more
according to his place and power to encrease and spread it 1. You that are great that have many eyes upon you should promote Religion by a good and pious Example You are more largely known in your persons than common men and yet more known by Name and Report and as far as this goes your Example may do good or hurt to Religion There is a great propensity in mankind to imitate those whom they respect their Superiors if you practise Religion you give it esteem and repute in the World and if you neglect it 't is exposed to contempt and scorn 't is you that must bring it into fashion and retrieve it from the too general contempt that it now lies under Consider that you do not only disparage your selves by a vicious conversation but you infect others too you contract to your selves much guilt from the sins of other men from all those which your bad example does encourage And if you are bad men you are the Pests of the World great causes of sin and consequent misery How much more are those liable to the blame of other mens sins and the infection of the World who tempt others to wickedness who promote the kingdom and interest of the Devil and subserve the grand Apollyon in his design of destroying mankind they may be reckon'd a sort of inferior incarnate Devils who strive to introduce vertuous and sober persons into the wicked practices and customs of the Age. 2. Further Private persons may promote Religion by the well ordering of their own Families So far they may command and they ought to command the practice of this The greater any of these are the further may he that is the head of it promote Religion your Children and Servants will help to debauch and infect the rest of the World if they are not religious for men will take their Examples from the families of great men as well as from their Persons Keep up the constant Worship of God in your Families in Prayers in reading the Holy Scriptures in singing Psalms and in a strict observation of the Sabbath Are those Families fit to be called assemblies of Christians where there is no constant Worship of God maintain'd how can you expect any Blessing upon your Society unless you Worship God together The happiness of a Family lyes in the Love the Suitableness the Faithfulness the Serviceableness of all the Members of it towards one another and these things he alone can bestow The Governour of the Family cannot know whether those under him do Worship God at all or not if they do it not together If you would have those of your own Family Religious you must be so your self thus far at least your Example will have great influence it will have greater influence upon your Domesticks either towards good or ill than any other can The Poet speaks a great deal of truth in that sentence Velocius citius nos Corrumpunt vitiorum exempla domestica magnis Cum subeant animos autoribus The Examples of Vice which we dwell with if they are in our Superiours too do corrupt us sooner than any The nearness and daily converse with you is added to your Superiority to make your bad example fatal to those of your own House The sharpest Rebuke that can be exprest in words is due to the folly of those Parents who take no care how they behave themselves before their Children who after they have given them a Nature infected and disposed to ill that they may not fail to ruine them give them a bad Example too Again to make your Family Religious you must restrain those under you from all manner of Wickedness by reproving the least errours and punishing others Give them also encouragement to do well let this alwayes purchase your manifest favour and good-will But further to effect this you should carefully Instruct your Children and Servants in the matters that concern their Salvation if you do not betimes take care to possess your Children with good and vertuous principles the adversary of their Souls will early sow in their minds the tares of Vices and should you be less industrious for the happiness of your own flesh and blood than the malicious Devil is for their destruction should any one hate them more than you Love them they will have cause to curse you hereafter for having given them being if they miâ—carry through your neglect Train up a Child in the way wherein he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Prov. 22. 6. Let them be accustomed to do well The constant exercise of Piety and Vertue from tender years will make it easie and familiar Instruct them in the matter of their Duty and labour to convince them of the reasons that perswade to the practice of it tell them how honourable it is to be good and holy what a lustre and beauty it has in the eyes of men that this is approved beyond any thing even in a wicked World no man is so universally commended and esteemed as he that is stedfastly and strictly vertuous tell them what a fragrant odour it leaves behind how it embalms the memory of the dead with what applause the Histories of all Ages do mention brave and good men The most partial Histories do never offer to commend any man without ascribing true Vertues to him The Memory of the just is blessed Prov. 10. 7. Learn them to put a high value upon the esteem of wise and good men let them account it mean and base to be valued only amongst those whose Vices make them the Scum of the Earth who will only applaud Confidence and Wit in doing foolish and shamefull things there is no applause of any men worthy to be valued but that of such men who are themselves worthy of Praise Learn them to stand in great awe of their Creator to remember him in their Youth to be more concern'd to please him than men to be most ambitious of his approbation in what they do Let them know that his pure Omniscience does continually observe them that no darkness no secrecy can hide them from his view that 't is of no advantage to conceal their crimes from the Friends that would reprove them since the righteous Judge of all the World observes and will at one time or other severely reprove them They only hinder themselves by secrecy from enjoying that admonition which might be a means to cure their follies Thus endeavour to convince their reason that they must be good endeavour by all great and good allurements as they grow capable to apprehend them to perswade and incline their wills to Religion Be not contented only with your restraining them from wickedness but learn them as much as may be to restrain themselves fasten in their minds such Principles as may have power to keep them regular As the observation of the Lords day is one part of our duty towards God so 't is a
prove a sharp Sword to stab and wound you Recreations must not be used as Pastimes there can be no need of any such thing to us who have but a little while to live and much to do can you not tell what to do with your time is it so easie a matter to conquer vicious inclinations to wean your affections from their propensity to sensible things to furnish your minds with every Virtue that you can do all this and have too much time if besides this you have any publick business to attend you have more need to redeem your time than to throw it away if you may hereafter have such business 't is your wisdom to improve the opportunity of your present leisure for the preparing your self to manage it to your comfort and honour Let the Recreations you chuse be only such as are lawful there are as many allowed as you can want enow to spend more time about than you can well afford do not venture therefore upon any that have certainly sin in them Rejoyce not in Iniquity make not any sins of other men the matter of your delight or diversion 't is contrary to the rule of Charity to be pleased with that which is so hurtful and mischievous to the guilty person 't is the Pleasure of a Devil to tempt and draw men into sin and then laugh at them do not make your selves merry with sacred things they are not matters to be jested with which ought to be reverenced it is not necessary either to the Mind or the Body nor certainly safe and therefore not prudent to use those Recreations concerning which Divines are in dispute whether they be lawful or no such as they are which rely wholly upon chance as Dice and the like in a doubtful Case where no necessity compells 't is too great a boldness not to abstain from such things Chuse those Recreations that are least offensive to the Pious and Wise and avoid all that are not of good Report They I think are justly censur'd who frequent publick Dancing Schools and Balls and especially Masqueraders 'T is no precise moroseness to censure those who need not disguise or conceal themselves if they intended to do nothing shameful You must value and be concerned to maintain a Reputation or you are lost there is little hope of that man that he will ever be good and truly honourable who is grown regardless of this 't is a wonder if he does not run into all manner of wickedness when the restraint of Shame is taken off 'T is great imprudence to use those Recreations that are dangerous temptations to wickedness Since our power to resist sin is very weak and we are naturally more inclined to comply with than resist it we ought by flying the temptations and occasions to seek that safety which our own strength cannot give us To young persons the description and representation of some sins is a Temptation especially is it mischievous when in the representation the guilty person is introduced wittily pleading for his sin and justifying or extenuating it for thô what is wittily spoken is not alwayes the truth yet it is generally apt to impose upon young persons that are inconsiderate and have not resolutely fixed in themselves good Principles You cannot say there is no harm in going often to the Play-house if you become thereby more addicted to sensual Pleasures which are there represented with all possible advantages to charm and allure unhappy Youth is too much inclined to these without such help You do actually receive hurt by seeing Playes if Lust be inflamed or Pride in Apparel encreas'd or you learn Dissimulation and become stronger inclined to any of the Vices of the Age if you learn there to despise Morality Government Laws and Religion by seeing the errours and defects of Magistrates and wise and good men represented and derided Humane nature is in all instances unperfect and the greatest and best men are not without some faults but to represent those of Magistrates and Ministers upon a publick Theater to be scorn'd and laught at has commonly the mischievous event of making Magistracy and Ministry vile and the Age licentious Do not play out of Love to Money or meerly to win of others this is the Trade of common Cheats and tends to make you such this gratifies a covetous humour and cherishes it and is a relaxation that binds you faster in the bonds of Iniquity Avoid too the contrary extream to this and be not willing to lose more than is convenient you must not neglect to provide things necessary and convenient and decent for your self and your family Be not so unjust and cruel as to throw away your Creditors money your Servants wages your Childrens bread and Inheritance or your Wives Portion to enjoy so small so unnecessary a pleasure as that of play How barbarous is he that will make so many miserable without any necessity or real advantage to himself That you may not thô unwillingly throw away too much at play it should be your resolution not to venture too much Venture no more than you may be willing to lose and if that be gone command your self at that time to proceed no further Gaming does often insensibly entice men into excess in the time they spend at it and in the Money they expose If they win they are encouraged to both these in hopes that good luck will still favour them If they lose they are tempted to go on with hope to turn their fortune and recover their losses To recover a great deal at once they are tempted to expose a great deal more and so frequently lose more to too much lost already It requires more wisdom for a man to govern himself well in these matters than is commonly found in those that are much addicted to them Take heed that you be not transported with passion in your play All excess in it may follow if you have once given the Reins to passion and besides you will be apt if you are crost to blaspheme God and quarrel with your Neighbour That is too dear a recreation and much more sad in the consequence than it can be pleasant in the enjoyment wherein you offend God and hurt your Neighbour and your own Soul Thus I have finisht the first and chief part of this design and shown you wherein the right use of the things of this World does consist I now proceed to the second thing intended which is to urge those Motives included in the Apostles argument here to perswade you so to use this world as not abusing it His Argument for this is The fashion of this World passes away and the Motives this includes are these following 1. 'T is possible your present enjoyments may fail and be lost before the end of your life There is hardly any good thing of this World that men enjoy which they can be assured to retain in possession all their days We cannot be certain of