overcome evil by doing of good If another strike us we may not strike again if he rail upon us and revile us we must not return the same ill Language but either by silence or by gentle and soft answers endeavour to appease his wrath For the Rule is not to deal with others as they deal with me but as I in reason desire to be dealt with and another Man's fault will not excuse mine If he do me an injury I must not be judge in my own Cause nor take upon me to revenge it but in weighty Cases may fly to the Magistrate for relief But upon no account whatever may we bear any grudge or hatred in our Hearts against any Man though never so wicked or never so much our enemy but we must pity him and pray for him that God would give him a better mind If ever we hope to find mercy with God and have our trespasses forgiven we must forgive those that offend us as we learn from the Lord's Prayer and many most plain places of Scripture See Matth. 5. 44 c. Matth. 18. 21. to the end Rom. 12. 14. to the end We must shew meekness and gentleness to all men and never willingly say or do any thing to provoke another to anger nor should we be easily provoked but very easily appeased and reconciled It 's very sad to consider what wretched and miserable Lives many of the poorer sort lead by their continual brawling and scolding quarrelling and contending with one another and sometimes when they have scarce Money to buy Bread they 'l throw it away in vexatious Law-Suits meerly out of Spite and Revenge And the People of this Rank ought especially to beware of envying those that are in better Condition than themselves We ought to have that true kindness and good will for all Men that we should be glad of their prosperity though we our selves be in affliction as on the other hand we ought to have great compassion for those in misery though we be in prosperity And let such that are in want take heed that their Necessities put them upon no unlawful Course for their Relief Particularly beware of stealing any thing though of a small value By degrees it 's to be feared you will go on to greater matters and so may bring your selves to shame and punishment in this World as well as that to come The best way to avoid this is to be very diligent in your lawful Calling as the Apostle directs in that place before named Eph. 4. 28. If you are not able to work it 's lawful to beg But by no means betake your selves to this lazy unprofitable Life of begging if you are able to subsist by any other lawful course He that will not work when he can deserves not to eat But rather than either steal or starve you may seek for Relief from your Neighbour's Charity But do not go about to deceive him by borrowing what you know you are never like to pay for this is downright cheating Rather deal plainly and make known your Necessities If you trust in God and do your duty he will take care of you And though you may be in straits sometimes yet still you will find a supply And to prevent your poverty let me especially warn you against that common bruitish sin of Drunkenness which brings both this and many other mischiefs along with it as I have before told you Indeed it hinders every thing that 's good and leads Men into all manner both of sin and misery This Vice it is that makes more Beggars than any other cause Wherefore if you have any regard to your Families any love to Soul or Body avoid all riot and excess Eat and drink moderately as may tend to keep you best in health and make you most fit for the service of God and your own Callings And lastly beware of that filthy sin of Whoredom which very often goes along with Drunkenness and as often brings the curse of God both upon Men's Bodies and Estates And to keep you innocent avoid idleness as well as intemperance And flie from all lewd and wicked company where you are in danger of being enticed and ensnared and do not so much as allow your selves in any unclean thoughts or desires nor in filthy Discourses or in any wanton carriage and behaviour For the preventing of all wickedness in this kind God hath allowed Marriage which is said to be honourable in all but Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Hib. 13. 4. Wherefore let them who are in that state keep strictly true to their Marriage Vow And all both Married and Single preserve both Body and Soul so chast and pure that the holy Spirit of God may now dwell in their hearts and they may be fit to dwell for ever in the presence of the most holy God And thus I have briefly given you an account wherein consists that holiness of life to which all Christians are obliged by the Precepts of our Blessed Saviour and by their Baptismal Vow which binds them to keep his Precepts and to follow his Example who himself lived in the same holy manner that he taught and hath commanded all that say they abide in him to walk as he walked 1 Joh. 2. 6. The summ of all you have in few words which the Gospel teaches even that we should deny ungodliness and all wordly lusts and live soberly righteously and piously in the World Tit. 2. 11 12. And now let me again beseech you seriously to consider whether it has been your care to live such holy and good lives yea or no. And whereinsoever your Conscience does accuse you that you have neglected the duties God has commanded or committed those sins which he hath forbidden do you humbly acknowledge and confess the same to Almighty God with true godly sorrow for the same earnestly begging Mercy and Pardon for Christs sake who dyed on the Cross for sinners and through whom all that confess and forsake their sins shall find mercy Wherefore do you henceforward resolve by his Grace that you will forsake your sins and amend your lives and make it your chief business to keep Consciences void of offence toward God and Man not allowing your selves in any known sin nor in the wilful neglect of any known Duty Do not object against this and say that it is impossible to lead such an holy Life For thousands in the World of all Ranks and Conditions have done it in all Ages by the assistance of God's Grace which you shall never want if you seek it earnestly and improve it diligently And though there may at first be some difficulty in leaving an ill course yet by degrees it will grow easie and you will then find nothing so sweet and pleasant as Religion and Vertue And do not I beseech you fancy that it is not for poor people to think of being so Religious and godly that this is only for the Rich who have
follow his wholsom Counsel and desire his Prayers to God for you I know in large Parishes Ministers are not able to have a particular knowledge of every Person but yet all that know the worth of Souls and the price that was paid for them will be ready to give attendance to the meanest of their People that shall apply themselves to them for Advice and Comfort and will be glad of all opportunities to promote the Honour and Interest of their Saviour and the good of precious Souls committed to their Care And thus have I as plainly and as fully as I well could in so little room directed you in that holy way which leads to eternal Glory and have shewn you what great Reason you have to walk in that way and to continue therein to the end As to those who desire larger Directions next to the holy Scriptures which I beseeeh you to read frequently with humility and seriousness especially the New Testament next to them I shall referr you only to that pious and most useful Book The whole Duty of Man And heartily I wish that every poor Family in the Kingdom was furnished with one of those Books together with a Bible and Common Prayer Book which might all be purchased for much less than five Shillings and therefore it 's great pity they should be any where wanting Though alas I know there are many Families of poor People where none of them can read and so Books to them are useless Great Charity therefore it would be for rich Landlords and Gentlemen to see that the Children of their poor Tenants and Neighbours be put out to School and then to bestow at least Bibles upon them that the knowledge of God and Religion may be promoted amongst them which would make greatly for the good and welfare both of Church and State For though Brain-sick Opinions and false Principles may make Men proud and head-strong and troublesome to their Governours yet solid Knowledge and sincere Godliness will make Men humble and meek quiet and peaceable obedient to Magistrates and Ministers full of Charity to their Neighbours and ready to every good Work And I am sure an increase of this truly Religious Temper would be one of the greatest Blessings that can be bestow'd upon this Earth and would settle Kingdoms and Churches Towns and Families in Peace and Concord which almost every where are divided amongst themselves as well as against one another And by such blessed effects of true Religion something of Heaven would be brought down upon Earth and our Souls would be well fitted for Heaven when we are called off from this Earth into those happy Regions above where there is nothing else but Peace and Holiness and Love and Joy And may it please God to bless these plain and short Instructions for the enlightning of any minds with that Wisdom from above which is thus pure and peaceable then shall I obtain my Design and have great cause to be thankful And that the Reader may joyn with me in these Wishes I have annexed hereto a Prayer for Grace to lead an Holy Life And if he will but add diligent endeavours to frequent and servent Prayers neither his Labour nor mine will be in vain through the Grace and Blessing of Almighty God from whom comes every good and perfect Gift to whom be given all Honour and Glory both now and for ever Amen A PRAYER Chiefly for the assistance of God's grace in order to the leading an Holy Life O Most holy and ever blessed Lord God I do humbly cast down my self before thee acknowledging and lamenting my own sinfulness and earnestly begging thy grace and mercy through the Lord Jesus our only Mediatour and Advocate I confess O God I am a vile sinner polluted from the very Womb but since I came to the use of my Reason I have defiled my self with many wilful and hainous transgressions I have sadly neglected thy Service and dishonoured thy Name and have been greatly wanting in those Duties which I owe to thee my God to my Neighbour and to my own Soul and have not lived in such a godly righteous charitable and sober manner as I ought to have done But have often acted contrary to my own Reason and Conscience and to the plain Precepts of thy Word and contrary to my own Promises and Vows for better Obedience O Lord give me a clear sight of my sins and such a deep sense of the evil of my ways that my Heart may be truly humbled and broken in the remembrance thereof And for the Lord Jesus sake who died for Sinners be merciful to me O Father of Mercies pardon all my Iniquities and let them not be remembred against me to my Condemnation either in this World or that to come Nor is it only Pardon that I beg but most earnestly I beseech thee by thy Holy Spirit to sanctifie me both in Body and Soul that being made pure and holy on Heart and Life I may serve thee diligently all my days on Earth and so may enjoy thee for ever in Heaven I am fully convinced that it is both my duty and my happiness to fear and serve thee the great and glorious God who hast made me and redeemed me and hitherto graciously preserved me I acknowledge thy Service to be perfect freedom and all thy Laws to be holy just and good Wherefore I desire utterly to renounce and forsake every evil way and most entirely devote my self to serve and please thee in newness of Life But thou O Lord knowest the weakness and corruption of my Nature and how by evil customs I have made my self more prone to sin more backward to that which is good O do thou throughly change my Nature by thy Grace that I may hate and abhor all wickedness and take delight in the ways of Piety and Holiness Let no unmortified just remain in my Soul but do thou purifie and cleanse me from Pride and Covetousness from Envy and Malice and from all impure and sensual affections and desires and enrich me with all the Graces of thy holy Spirit Give me such a clear knowledge of thy infinite goodness and of all thy glorious perfections that I may ever humbly admire and adore thee and love thee with all my Heart and Soul and cleave to thee as my only portion preferring thy favour before all the enjoyments of this World Help me always firmly to trust in thee and freely to leave all my Affairs to thy wise and gracious Providence absolutely resigning my Will to thy holy Will in all things Make me truly thankful for all thy mercies and patient under afflictions By thy teaching let me learn to be content in all Estates and Conditions And good God suffer me not in the greatest difficulties and dangers to distrust thy mercies or take any unlawful course for my Relief I beg from thee my daily Bread and beseech thee to give me an Heart well satisfied with what thou seest
of Perfections If we believe that Je 〈…〉 Christ is the Son of God and the Redeemer of mankind who died for us and rose again and ascended to Heaven and will thence come to judge the quick and the dead and will grant to all penitent and obedient Believers the forgiveness of their sins and everlasting life but will sentence the wicked to everlasting misery Our belief of this must lead us to true Repentance and amendment of Life and to an humble dependence on the mercies of God and the merits of Christ for Pardon and Salvation And if we believe that it is the Office of the Holy Ghost to sanctifie us and all the elect People of God then ought we to pray to God for his holy Spirit and we must comply with his good motions and submit to his working upon our Souls that he may sanctifie us and make us holy that so we may be living members of Christ's Holy Catholick Church And in this Church are we bound to continue that so in the Communion of Saints we may enjoy the benefit of the Word Sacraments and Prayer by which means the Holy Ghost works Grace in us and encreases the same till it be perfected in eternal Glory to which good Men shall be advanced both in Soul and Body at the Resurrection as their Souls made entrance upon it presently after their death Thus you see how a right Belief leads a Man to holiness of Life And therefore in holy Scripture do we find so much mention made of Faith or of believing in God and in Christ. This in many places is highly extolled and most strictly required of us as the very summ of our Duty insomuch that we are often said to be justified or pardoned on account of our Faith and to be saved by Faith and all this chiefly as I suppose because true Faith produces Obedience and makes a Man become an humble and sincere Disciple of Jesus Christ and so makes us fit for the mercies of God in and through our Blessed Saviour But when faith does not bring forth the fruit of Holiness and good Works it 's of no value with God nor will stand us in any stead as you may see at large in the second Chapter of St. James to name no other places Wherefore you know we are engag'd by our Baptism not only to believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith but also to keep God's Commandments which I am to speak of next Now these Commandments are also plainly contained in the Holy Scriptures and therefore there is still more Reason why you should diligently read and study the same that you may know the Will of God and do it And all that is to be done by us I reckon is contained in the Ten Commandments as they are explained to us and urged upon us both by the Prophets in the Old Testament and by our Saviour and his Apostles in the New Especially in our Saviour's Sermon in the Mount in the fifth sixth and seventh Chapters of St. Matthew And therefore often read over these three Chapters There you will find what manner of persons the Disciples of Jesus ought to be even like their Master of an humble lowly Spirit meek and gentle pure and peaceable merciful and patient and the like Such as these he pronounces blessed in the beginning of that heavenly Sermon and these alone are they whom he will make most blessed with himself for ever But if you would have the summ of your Duty to God and to your Neighbour as required by the Ten Commandments briefly represented take it in the very words of our Church Catechism My duty towards God is to believe in him to fear him to love him with all my heart with all my mind with all my soul and with all my strength to worship him to give him thanks to put my whole trust in him to call upon him to honour his holy Name and his Word and to serve him truly all the days of my life My duty towards my Neighbour is to love him as my self and to do to all men as I would they should do to me To love honour and succour my Father and Mother To honour and obey the King and all that are put in authority under him To submit my self to all my Governours Teachers Spiritual Pâ—stours and Masters To order my self lowly and reverently to all my betters To hurt no body by word or deed To be true and just in all my dealings To bear no malice nor hatred in my heart To keep my hands from picking and stealing my tongue from evil-speaking lying and slandering To keep my body in temperance soberness and chastity Not to covet and desire other mens goods but to learn and labour truly to get my own living and to do my duty in that state of life into which it shall please God to call me Here you have your Duty in a little room which you may easily keep in memory but especially beg of God to write his Laws in your heart that you may freely and chearfully obey them in your Life and Conversation And for your further assistance I shall a little enlarge upon the chief of these Duties especially the love of God and your Neighbour and so conclude with some short and general Directions for the guiding of your steps more readily and constantly in the ways of Holiness all the days of your Life To love God with all our Heart and Soul is the first and great Commandment as our Saviour himself teacheth us Matth. 22. 37 38. This makes us more easily to obey all the rest of his Commands For if we truly love God we shall be very fearful to offend him and very careful to please him in all our ways And then do we truly love God with all our Heart when we love him more than all other things in the World more than Riches Pleasures Honours Friends or any other Enjoyments yea more than our very Lives so that we will part with all rather than lose the favour of God in which we account our happiness chiefly to consist This I take to be the very Essence of Religion and 't is that without which our Saviour tells us we cannot be his Disciples Matth. 10. 37 38. But when once we are got to this blessed temper we shall find it no very hard matter to deny our selves and take up our Cross and follow our Lord and Master both in well-doing and in patient suffering Wherefore let us earnestly beg of God by his holy Spirit to work this love in our Hearts And to our Prayers let us add our own diligent Endeavours and especially let us be much in thinking of all the goodness and loving-kindness of God manifested to us and to all the World Let us consider what he has done for us already both for Soul and Body and what he has promised to do in the Life to come And never let our Hearts be at rest till they
and inspired by the Holy Ghost to be a light to our feet and a lantern to our path to direct us in the plain way to everlasting life 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. And the holy Sacraments were appointed for the encrease of grace to all that make a right use of them And our Blessed Saviour did at fâ—rst send abroad his Apostles to Preach the Gospel to all the World and hath ever since continued a successâ—on of Ministers in his Church whose standing office it is to administer the word and Sacraments to watch over the Souls of the people to instruct and admonish them both in publick and private and to use their utmost diligence to bring them to the knowledge and love of God and of his Son Jesus And God is ever ready to accompany their endeavours with his blessing Do you not often find his good Spirit putting good thoughts and motions into your mind inclining you to that which is holy and good checking and restraining you when you are running into evil But on the other hand it 's the evil Spirit even the Devil himself that tempts you to sin and would hinder you from your Duty It 's the Devil that tempts Men to pride and malice and to all manner of wickedness For he being a proud malicious and most wicked Spirit would have Men to be like himself that so they may be for ever miserable with him Will you not then resist the Devil the great enemy of your Souls and be led and guided by Gods good Spirit and follow his Motions and the directions of his word which lead to happiness O do not grieve this Blessed Spirit who alone can give us true comfort do not resist and quench his motions nor provoke him to depart from you and leave you to your own lusts and to the power of Satan who seeks your ruin Moreover as the Devil has his instruments to draw Men to wickedness one ill man tempting another so Ministers are sent from God to draw you to righteousness and holiness They are the Embassadors and Messengers of Christ and do in his name bescech you to be reconciled to God who is most willing to be reconciled to you if you will but cast away those wicked works which provoke him to anger 2 Cor. 5. 20. O how will it rejoyce the hearts of your Ministers that truly love your Souls to see the success of their labours to have you come to them enquiring what you must do to be saved declaring your repentance for your former evil Courses and your resolution henceforth to become new Creatures Certainly we exhort you to nothing but what is highly reasonable and for your own benefit whilst we perswade you to return to the favour of God Why then will you not hearken to us If a message of mercy should be sent you from the King when you were in danger of death for Rebellion would you not most gladly and thankfully receive it And will you not be as thankful and obedient to the King of kings and as wife to save your Souls as to preserve your Bodies And beside his Word and Ministers God also pleads with you by his providences to bring you to repentance Sometimes he sends afflictions to correct you for your faults to shew you the evil of sin and draw you home to himself and at other times he sends many mercies as I have told you to soften your hearts to engage and allure you to his service And such good use we ought to make of all Gods dealings with us 4. Consider further what engagements you ly under to an holy life by your own profession promises and vows You profess and call your selves Christians the Disciples and followers of Christ Ought you not then to follow his example and obey his Commands if you will make good that name You would think it a great disgrace not to be taken for a Christian but for a Turk or Jew Beware then lest you bring this disgrace upon your selves by an unchristian temper of mind and ill course of life If you are false or cruel Covetous or Lustful like a Turk or Jew it matters little what you call your selves He is not a Christian that 's one outwardly but he that has the same mind and spirit that was in Christ Jesus God will not at the last day judge of men by their names and titles but by their hearts and lives Only it will go much worse with a man that calls himself a Christian and yet lives like an Heathen or Infidel And pray consider how by your Baptism you are solemnly listed under Christs banner to fight against the Devil the World and the Flesh and by the keeping this vow you shew your selves to be Christians indeed But if you are led away by the temptations of Satan and do his works and are ensnared by the vanities of the World the lusts and pleasures of the Flesh you do in effect renounce your Baptism Besides this have you not renewed this same vow at the Holy Communion there openly professing your belief in Christ crucified and promising obedience to him If you have not received this Holy Sacrament though you have long been at years of discretion you then shew your selves by this neglect to be no obedient Disciples of Christ since you do not obey his plain command to do this in remembrance of him Luk. 22. 19. And indeed I fear that many careless people will not come to the Communion because they think it would bind them to lead such a strict and holy life as they have no mind to But do not they cast off Jesus Christ from being their Master who look upon his commands as too strict and severe and will not promise to obey him Yea do they not thereby even disown their Baptism by which they were bound to this obedience So that the same reason which keeps them from the Communion it 's like would keep them from being Baptized if it were yet to be done And what sort of Christians are they that would reject Christian Baptism because it engages them to an holy life If you are not guilty of this neglect but do sometimes come to the Lords Supper to keep up the remembrance of his death and sufferings Then pray consider that by receiving this holy Sacrament you do solemnly renew your vows to be Christ's faithful Servants and Disciples and to walk in sincere obedience to all his holy Laws as you hope for Salvation by his death Wherefore may I not well beseech you to use all due care to live according to this your promise and engagement What a shame is it for a Man to be false to his word much more to his Oath O do not then break that Oath which you have made to God himself by taking this holy Sacrament And call to mind if you have not sometimes on a Sick-bed or in some great danger made the same promise and vow And has not God spared you
Men in the life to come And as the Lord Jesus is gone before to prepare it for them so now by his holy Spirit he prepares them for that blessed place by working in them that grace which fits them for glory and is the very first-fruits and beginnings of it in their Souls True holiness is the most certain pledge of eternal happiness and makes us meet for it Eph. 1. 13 14. Col. 1. 12. Since then such a glory there is so infinitely great so sure and certain shall we not all be perswaded to seek after it by walking in those holy ways that lead thereto Surely we shall if we have any belief of Gods word any regard to our own interest Must our Souls live for ever in another World and shall we not use our utmost care and diligence to make them happy for ever there Are they not our own Souls And do they not then deserve our love and care If we be wise and good is it not for our selves for our own happiness And is there any other way to make our selves happy but by gaining the love of God and eternal life Do we not see that all worldly comforts are short and uncertain They wither in our hands and perish in the using Our Neighbours and acquaintance are daily dying round about us many of our dearest Friends and Relations are already gone before us and we our selves are swiftly following after We are just upon the borders of eternity liable to a thousand diseases and mischances that may soon stop our breath and then we are gone Since then we cannot make sure of this life nor the enjoyments of it O let us see to make sure of eternal glory which we may do by Gods assistance even the poorest Man on Earth if he will become sincerely pious and good For God is no respecter of persons Christ died for poor Men as well as rich and they that have no inheritance on Earth may be Heirs of the heavenly Kingdom if they be rich in faith and love to God Jam. 2. 5. And methinks they that have so much trouble and sorrow in this life should be moved to seek after riches and glory in the life to come There the poorest Lazarus shall have a thousand times more pleasure and joy than any of the proud Dives's or rich Gluttons and Epicures have now in their delicious fare and gorgeous Apparel Nay the very hopes of this glory may fill the good Mans mind with so much joy that he will even forget his poverty and not count his afflictions worthy to be compared with the happiness he hopes for nor would he change Estates with the greatest Prince upon Earth who is a stranger to these hopes Thus it was with the holy Apostles and their followers 2 Cor. 6. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 6 7 8. Thus have I briefly told you somewhat of the happiness of the godly in the world to come But on the other hand consider what will be the portion of the wicked who despise the mercies of God and the offers and promises of the Gospel these will at last fall under his heavy Wrath and Vengeance and there must remain for ever in the most intolerable terments of Soul and Body set out by the most dreadful things such as Fire and Brimstone and a never dying Worm that perpetually gnaws and stings their hearts They are cast into outer darkness where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth not the least glimmering of hope or comfort to all eternity Matt. 25. 30. 41 46. Mark 9. 43. to the end 2 Thes. 1. 7 8 9. These are the Goats that being set on the left hand must hear that doleful sentence Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels An heavy doom and yet most just For they departed from God and neglected his service here on Earth and therefore now must they depart from his presence in which their corrupt minds can take no delight They preferr'd the Tavern and the Ale-house before the house of God and took more pleasure in Feasting and Drinking in Roaring and Revelling amongst their wicked Companions than in worshipping of God in the communion of Saints they loved not prayers and praises in the assemblies of his people nor had any mind to come to the Lords Table though often invited thereto and therefore must they now be shut out from such holy company and from such high and heavenly employments for which they are altogether unfit They were many of them greatly given to Cursing and now it 's come upon them That curse of God which they in their rage often wished to their Neighbour is now fallen upon themselves Nay did not many of these prophane wretches even call for this curse upon their own heads in that hellish Language of God damn me And what wonder if their petition be now granted and they sentenced to that damnation which they thus called for By the Devil they were led and guided and by his wicked instruments and their own brutish lusts and therefore now they must have the Devil and his Angels and damned sinners like themselves to be their companions in torment who are so far from pitying or comforting each other that rather they curse one another now in their misery who before tempted one another to sâ—n O sad meeting of the Drunkards the Whoremongers and the Harlots there together in those scorching flames Where in vain they cry out for a drop of water to cool their Tongue It must not be granted their good things are all past and gone And the remembrance of all their riot and lewdness serves but to encrease their torment And now also they may remember how God did again and again call upon them and they would not hear neither therefore will he now hear their cries when pain and anguish is come upon them Prov. 1. 24. to the end And though they may cry out against their companions and accuse the Devil and in their rage blaspheme God himself yet will their consciences fly with greatest fury upon themselves who in spite of all the warnings that were given them did by their own wilfull and impenitent continuance in sin plunge themselves into this misery from whence they must never be released O dreadful word Everlasting fire Eternal torment How does the thought of this sink and break their hearts and fill them with deepest horrour and despair Who can dwell with everlasting burnings Who can And yet the damned sinner must though in the most raging and impatient manner After they have lain thousands and millions of years in that place of torment yet is there not a moment less to come there is a whole eternity still behind The worm never dies the flame is never quenched Nor is God to be accused of severity in all this since it was the sinners own doing the fruit of their own choice For they knew that sin would sink them into Hell and yet