Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A86479
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A letter from Sr Matthew Hale, Kt. sometime Lord Chief Justice of England: to one of his sons, after his recovery from the small-pox
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Hale, Matthew, Sir, 1609-1676.
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1684
(1684)
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Wing H247A; ESTC R228016
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15,415
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40
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whether you have not been guilty of intemperance excess of drinking wantonness uncleanness idleness mispending your time and those supplies which have been allowed you for your maintenance whether you have not too much delighted in vain and sinful and disorderly Company vanity and expence in Apparel And if any such or the like faults have been repent of them be sorry for them resolve against them and let the future course of your Life be amended in relation thereunto I have before told you that your heavenly Father hath forgiven you and I have forgiven you neither do I mention these things to upbraid you for them but that you upon the consideration of what hath been amiss may be thereby the better enabled to rectify and set in order your future Life If this be done and practised I will reckon your late sickness and distemper one of the greatest blessings that ever befel you 2. I would have you always keep a habit of the fear of God upon your heart Consider his presence order your Life as in his presence Consider that he always sees you beholds and takes notice of you and especially whether you carry your self answerable to this great deliverance it is one of those Talents for which he will expect an Account from you 3. I would have you frequently and thankfully consider of the great Love of God in Jesus Christ whom he hath given to be the Instructor and Governour and Sacrifice for the sins of you and all Mankind through whom upon Repentance you have assurance of the remission of your sins and eternal Life and frequently consider how great an ingagement this is upon you and all Mankind to live according to such a hope and such a mercy 4. I would have you every morning read a portion of the Holy Scriptures 'till you have read the Bible from the beginning to the end Observe it well read it reverently and attentively set your heart upon it and lay it up in your memory and make it the direction of your life it will make you a wise and a good man I have been acquainted somewhat with Men and Books and have had long experience in Learning and in the World There is no Book like the Bible for excellent Learning Wisdom and Use and it is want of understanding in them that think or speak otherwise 5. Every morning and every evening upon your knees with all reverence and attention of mind return hearty thanks to God for his mercy to you and particularly for this deliverance desire his Grace to enable you to walk in some measure answerable to it beg his Providence to protect you his Grace to direct you to keep you from evil Actions and evil Persons and evil occurrences beg his pardon for your sin and the continuance of his favour always concluding with the Lords Prayer 6. Observe conscionably the Lords day to keep it Holy avoid idle Company idle Discourse Recreations and secular imployments upon that day resort twice that day to the publick Prayers and Sermon come early to it be attentive at it keep your Eyes and Mind from roveing after vain thoughts or objects and spend the rest of that day that is free from necessary occasions in Reading the Scriptures or some good Books of Divinity 7. Once ever Term at least come preparedly and reverently to the Holy Communion receive it with great reverence and thankfulness and due Consideration of the end of its institution Renew your Covenant with Almighty God that you made in Baptism and to live Soberly Righteously and Godly before him and beg his Grace and Strength to perform it And as those directions before do more specially relate to Almighty God and your deportment immediately towards him so these that follow more especially relate to your self and others and your moral Conversation Therefore 8. Be very moderate in Eating and Drinking Drunkenness is the great vice of the time and by Drunkenness I do mean not only gross Drunkenness but also Tipling Drinking excessively and immoderately or more than is convenient or necessary avoid those Companies that are given to it come not into those places that are devoted to that beastly Vice namely Taverns and Alehouses avoid and refuse those devices that are used to occasion it as Drinking and Pledging of Healths Be resolute against it and when your resolution is once known you will never be sollicited to it The Rechabites were Commanded by their Father not to drink Wine and they obeyed it and had a blessing for it my Command to you is not so strict I allow you the moderate use of Wine and strong Drink at your meals I only forbid you the excess or unnecessary use of it and those Places and Companies and Artifices that are Temptations to it 9. Avoid Wanton and Lascivious Speeches and Company Read Proverbs 2 5 6 7.9 A Whore hunts for the precious Life of a man and that vice brings a ruine with it to the Body Soul and Estate If you cannot Conveniently contain your self in a single Life and be of Competent health Marry but with the Advise and Counsel of your Father while he lives 10. Be frugal of your time it is one of the best Jewels we have and to that end avoid Idleness it consumes your time and lays you open to worse inconveniences let your Recreations be healthy and Creditable and Moderate without too much expence of time or money Go not to Stage-plays they are a most profuse wasting of time value time by that estimate we would have of it when we want it what would not a sick-man give for those portions of time of health that he had formerly improvidently wasted 11. Bee diligent in your Study and Calling it is an Act of duty to Almighty God that requires it and it will be your wisdom and benefit it will be a good expence of time a prevention from a Thousand inconveniences and temptations that otherwise will befall a man it will furnish you with knowledge and understanding give you the advantage and means of a comfortable and plentiful subsistence and make you a support comfort and benefit to your Friends and Country 12. Be frugal in your expences live within the Compass of that Exhibition that Gods Providence and your Father's abilities shall supply you withall it is enough to maintain an honest provident man and ten times more will not be enough for a profuse mind A frugal man will live Comfortably and Plentifully upon a little and a profuse man will live beggerly necessitously and in continual want whatever his supplies be 13. In all your expences consider before hand Can I not be well enough without this that I am about to buy Is there an absolute necessity of it Can I not forbear 'till I am in a better Condition to compass it If I buy or borrow can I pay And when And am I sure will this expence hold out How shall I bring about the next Quarter or the next