man turning all his desires and his will towards his GOD GOD should fill his mind with his Divine knowledge and his Soul with His Joy and with His Felicitie and Eternal Glory but man having turned away his desire and his will from GOD and so having rendred his mind ignorant and his Soul unhappy and miserable for Eternitie GOD did assume our humane nature and live and die amongst us not only to merit for us the pardon of our wickedness and the Divine Grace but also to demonstrate unto us by his Doctrine and by the examples of his Life of his Death and of his Resurrection how we ought to renounce our evil desires to forsake and make to cease and die our own will and to resume new and Divine desires a will Holy and living unto GOD the which the Holy Spirit imparts unto the soul together with an illuminated Vnderstanding and a Divine Peace and Joy whereby we are reunited with all that which is Holy as well on Earth as in Heaven enjoying in this Holy Society and Communion the Spiritual Grace and benefites of JESUS CHRIST here in time to the end that after the death of the body and then after its Resurrection we may live together Eternalie and Gloriously with GOD. § 46. 2. A second thing which we ought to oblige them particularly to remember 46. 2. Another thing they must be made seriously to observe is the conversation of Jesus Christ in our humanitie as designed for our imitation is how JESUS CHRIST in His Birth in His Actions in His Life and His Death hath managed and conducted the faculties of his Soul and particularly his desires and his Will as well in turning them from evil from the natural inclinations of our mortal humanitie from the esteem of himself from the search of pleasures of the commodities and good things of this World by self denyal by disgrace by lowness by povertie by sufferings and an unrepining acquiescence in all as in turning and yeelding unto GOD these same Desires and will of his not desiring any thing but GOD doing nothing but his Divine will in every thing and adhering alwayes to him by praises and continual Prayer by which his Vnderstanding obtained all the Divine Lights which he demanded of his Father in whose good pleasure he also placed all his Joy 47. They must be taught that the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost mentioned in the Belief are but one GOD and that this Glorious mystry is incomprehensible § 47. We may in the third place on the subject of the Holy Trinity tell them in a few words that the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost whereof mention is made in the Belief and in the Scripture are not but One only and the same GOD as in us to give some resemblance of this great Mystrie the desire the understanding and the Joy or pleasure of the Soul are but one only Soul and not three That the difference that is among them doth not hinder the Unity of the Divine Nature which is the same and one in all but that this difference is such in GOD that no reason nor humane light neither can nor ought to endeavour to comprehend it That we must believe it with reverence on the Testimony of the word of GOD without knowing it otherwayes waiting untill it please GOD to make us see something of it that will be more clear whether in this life or the other and in the mean time contenting our selves to represent unto us according to our weak capacity GOD the Father as the Author of all good things the Father and Just Judge of our Souls GOD the Son as the Redeemer of the World and the inlightener of our Souls that are ignorant and fallen into darkness and the Holy Spirit as GOD the Sanctifier of hearts and filling with the love of GOD the Souls which had been corrupted by self-love and by sin Or yet moreover GOD the Father as good and the principle of goodness who hath Created all things by the communication of his goodness GOD the Son as Just and the principle of Justice who was incarnat to render us Just who were made unjust by sin GOD the Holy Ghost as the principle of Truth who opens and who illuminates the mind that it may comprehend the truth of Spiritual and Divine things 48. What it is to know the Holy Trinity in a Divine saving maneer § 48. In fine they ought to be made remember on this occasion that the true knowledge of Divine things depends on the living operations of the Holy Spirit in the inward man as hath been already asserted and consequently that the knowledge of the Holy Trinity to the end that it may be Divine and saving must be produced by him in us after the same manner And such it shall certainly be if this knowledge issues in a living representation of the most Holy Trinitie after the image of which we were likewise Created as also if the same knowledge terminates and results in the love and imitation of GOD so vigorously recommended by St. Paul Be ye followers of GOD as being his dear Children and walk in love even as CHRIST hath loved us Eph. 5.1 2. For every one that loveth saith St. John is born of GOD and knoweth GOD But he that loveth not knoweth not GOD nor consequently the Holy Trinity for GOD is love 1 Joh 4.7 8. So that whosoever saith that he knoweth JESVS CHRIST and keepeth not his Commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him saith the same Apostle Chap 2. V. 4. So then an infallible mark that we truely know the Holy Trinity and that we confess savingly the Father the Creator the good and the powerful is when we love him with fear obedience and respect when we confidently resign our selves to his Power and divine providence and when we represent and follow his Goodness towards all and in every thing We know and confess savingly the Son the Redeemer and the Just one when we live as being delivered by him from this present evil world Gal 1.4 And when we give up our selves to the practice of Righteousness 1 Joh 2.29 And we know and confess savingly the Holy Spirit the Sanctifier and the Spirit of Truth when we give up our selves to Holiness without which none shall see nor consequently ever know livingly the LORD Heb. 12.14 And when we follow the truth in Love Eph. 4.15 Such a knowledge of the Holy Trinity as this is is not an ideal operation of our Humane Reason but a true and real production of the Holy Spirit since the fruits of the Spirit saith St. Paul are goodness Righteousness and Truth Eph. 5.9 But when we reject either all these things or even some of them we do then in effect deny GOD and his Divine Trinity which we do not confess but with the mouth only or by some vain and dead acts of barren reason so as the
precaution and wariness give Physick and cure to such as are yet on the Breasts prescribe that the Nurse do take it first to the end that having incorporated it in her self she may afterwards communicat it to the Sucklings in a Nutritive manner seasonably and in what measure she shall judge convenient sect 2. The chief mistake in the Education of Children condescended on namely too great regard had to the Improvement of the Mind without taking care of the heart and Affections § 2. I am of Opinion that the Capital and Chief Errour which is committed in the Education of Children is that Men greatly endeavour to improve their Mind without taking care of their heart unless perhaps in furnishing it with some Rules of Agreeableness and Civilities with respect to the conduct of the World As to the Mind which they would have awakened and stirred up in them before the heart they content themselves with giving it some Knowledges and notices after a manner which as it is ordinarly mannaged makes Children much more like Parrats than intelligent Creatures they only load their memory with a quantity of Questions and Answers which it is sufficient that they rehearse word for word without comprehending any thing of them after which they are commended for this Recital as if thereby they had sufficiently discharged themselves of that which they owe unto GOD And thus it is that we learn from our Infancy to draw near unto GOD with our Lips while the Heart and the Soul is far from Him As GOD complains of his people by his Prophet Isa 29. § 3. §. 3. A necessary qualification of the Instructers of Young Ones they must in some measure know God and themselves It were to be wished that such as have Children to be educated had some fundamental Knowledge both of GOD and of themselves and especially of their Souls and of what concerns them to the end they may know from thence that which is principally to be inculcated on Children and to be cultivated and improven in them §. 4 What they ought to know of GOD. § 4. Now in my Opinion here are presented to them some Instances of those principal Notices which it is necessary for them to have 1. Concerning GOD. THey ought to consider GOD as an Eternal Beeing or Spirit without Beginning and without end Incomprehensible and Invisible Good and the Cause of all Good Powerfull to do whatsoeve◠He pleases Wise knowing and doing every thing well Happy and full of Divine Joyes a Lover of all that which He hath made and especially of Men most willingl◠to make these Eternally happy and Joyfull who do His Will and leaving the rest the Disobedient and Incorrigible miserable and destitute of all Good Just to render to every man according to His Works True in His Promises and in his Threatnings and Merciful in pardoning the evil to such who cease to do evil and seek from Him the pardon of it with Love and Humility of heart § 5. §. 5. Passages of Scripture are to be taught and explain'd to Young Ones with respect to the Divine Attributes as their Capacities will allow It would be proper to make a Child learn some passages of Scripture with respect to each of these Articles and to let him see the Application of them according to his Capacitie For instance with respect to that which sayes that GOD is an Invisible and Incomprehensible Spirit St. John tells us chap 1. verse 18. No man hath seen or comprehended GOD at any time the Only Begotten Son which is in the Bosom of the FATHER He hath declared Him To the same purpose is that of JESUS CHRIST Matt. 11 verse 27. No man knoweth the SON but the FATHER neither knoweth any Man the FATHER save the SON and He to whom the SON will reveal him Whereupon Endeavours must be used to inculcate on them from thence betimes that all our Readings all these things which we hear at Church or else where all our Studies our Meditations and our reasonings are not capable to derive unto us by themselves the least spark of the True and Living Knowledge of GOD and of his Secrets but that it is GOD alone who can communicat it in putting his Good Spirit and Divine Grace and Light into the heart of such as shall uncessantly pray unto Him for them with a deep Humility and an entire Resignation and shall endeavour to do His Will as far as He hath made it known to them With respect to the Goodness of GOD JESUS CHRIST hath said There is none Good but GOD alone From this you are to inculcate on them that all Good comes from GOD only both in Heaven and in Earth within Man and without Man and that He only ought to have the Glory of it that all which we do without him without his Grace and Assistance is evil and that who soever doth not possess GOD hath no Good but is infinitely miserable With respect to the Power of GOD I know whom I have believed and am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day saith St. Paul 2 Tim 1.12 Oblige them to think on this head that since we are all corrupted wholly undone by sin none can restore us to our first perfect state but the Almighty GOD and that if we confide in him and resign our Soul our Life and our Conduct unto Him to the end that he may do with them what shall please Him He can keep us by his Pow'r against whatsoever shall oppose our Felicity He can deliver us from all danger and re-establish at the last day in an estate of Perfection of Salvation and Glory our Bodys our Souls and that which we have recommended to his Direction and Conduct This same may be done with respect to all other Attributes of GOD which have been touched I leave it to the care of these who educate Children to make the like improvements of them by some passages of Scripture and by some little reflections of the same nature with these § 6. 11. As to our Souls there follow here some of the most important notions that respect them 6. 11. The knowledge of themselves The view that men are to have of the Soul and such as are most accommodate to our design We have a Soul which is immortal and invisible the which GOD hath Created with design to inhabite and take up his residence in it and so by himself who is the source of all good to make it good able to do well wise Virtuous Just True full of Love and Charity Happy and Joyous Tha◠being Adorned with such Divine qualities as these he might Eternally and Holily delight and entertain himsel◠with it It is for this that we were Created 7. The Principal Faculties or Capacities of the Soul § 7. It is also for this that GOD hath given to our Soul three or four Principal
pride our vanity in one word our old man of which we ought to demand from the LORD the ruine and extermination otherwise we should change the Psalms into pernicious poyson in applying the Imprecations that are in them to our Neighbour whom we ought to love We may also very profitably imploy the Imprecations of the Psalms and the ardent Prayer that are there made that GOD would confound destroy and root out our enemies against the evil spirits our mortal and invisible enemies who as St. Peter sayes Go round about us like roaring Lions seeking to devour us 1 Pet. 5 8. And who by their fiery darts Eph. 6.16 That is to say by their villanous inspirations endeavour to kindle in us all sorts of wicked desires and sinful inclinations that they may make us perish eternally When we find our selves tempted to evil especially when it is against our will these sorts of Psalms and Prayers against the tempter and enemie of our Souls come in very seasonably and are the true weapons of our defence § 24. 24. Parents must make up the defects and weaknesses of Infancie by their own serious Piety and Devotions for which GOD will be sure to reward them and bless their Off-spring In fine because that Young Ones have as yet their Faculties almost all asleep and but very little Active it will be necessary here that their Parents come to their Assistance and supply their Impotency and all these duties as well in turning from evil their own desires as in offering alwayes to GOD in behalf of their Children these same Holy desires and these true and genuine Prayers whereof we have spoken For GOD accepting then the desires of Fathers and Mothers in Name and behalf of and as coming from their Children and being willing to recompense the Piety of the Parents He will not fail to answer them by the saving Operations of his Good Spirit on the hearts of all their posterity and so Shewing Mercy unto thousand Generations of those that love Him Exod 20 6. 25. The sad Consequences of not beginning the Education of young Ones from the Improvement of their desire § 25. The Improvement of the Desire or of the heart of Young Ones is a point so fundamental and so essential to their Good Education that if we either absolutely neglect this or if we do not begin their Instruction by it but by things which only concern their Understanding we cannot choose but miserably ruine their Souls in leaving in them and even planting in them by this negligence the fatall seeds of Irreligion of Spiritual carelesness of forgetfulness and disrespect of GOD of vanity of pride in a word of death Eternal Notwithstanding this is it whereof Men do but little think The whole World saith St. John lyeth in wickedness and that we may not be conform to the miserable World in this point it can be never enough recommended to those who would educat their Children Christianly not so much to cultivat their mind as to make their heart 1. Pious towards GOD. 2. Humble in themselves 3 Meek and Charitable towards their Neighbour And 4. Content with regard to all that which may happen them and which may be done unto them On such a Foundation as this GOD builds great things and even takes in his Hand the whole conduct of the Soul § 26. 11. 26. 11. Truth that is God his word works the object of our Vnderstanding The second and the principal of the Faculties of our Souls is the power of Knowing or our Vnderstanding It hath been made for the Truth that is to say for God himself who is the Truth and for his Word and his Works which are the streams of this Soveraign and Original Truth § 27. 27. The consequences of this And so we ought not to desire to know any thing but God and that which he hath said and done for His Glory 28. 1. Consequence a lie and whatever is contrary to Truth depraves the Vnderstanding and must not be induced in Children § 28. 1. And therefore falshood or a lye which is opposite to Truth is the most abominable of all things because it corrupts and perverts the most noble of the Faculties of our Soul we ought not to tolerat it in the least in young ones nor suffer them to unpunished when they bewray in any measure this diabolical enormity the devil being which is the first and chief of all his qualities a liar and the father of lies saith the Scripture 29. 2. We must not stuff our minds with the knowledge of useless things but seasonably check our vain curiositie § 29. 2. For the same reason we ought not to apply our selves to the knowledge of the unprofitable discourses vanities inventions cnimeras and fictions and the deeds of vain and corrupted Men we must betimes resist curiositie and distraction which fill the mind with obscuritie and darkness and render it insensible and unsuitable to solid Truth and to the Light of God how great a loss it is to fill with dirt and impurities a precious vessel which was made for no other end but to lodge and contain God and his most pure Lights which are incompatible with the impure fictions of the depraved minds of corrupted and worldly men § 30. 30. How the faculty of knowing is exercised in Man The faculty of knowing is exercised in Man 1. By the Vnderstanding or the Pure Mind 2. By reason 3. By the Imagination assisted by the Senses especially these of Seeing and Hearing § 31. 1. 31. 1. The Vnderstanding since the Fall is blind as to Divine things GOD only can cure this blindness of both which Young Ones must be early made sensible The Vnderstanding or the Pure Mind which is designed for Divine Things is intirely shut up in all men since the entrance of sin We are and are born all blind as to Divine Things and it is God only that is able to heal to open and to enlighten the eye of our Soul so as to capacitat us to know Spiritual Things As we could not see nor know the Sun the Earth the Trees nor the other things of this World if GOD had not given us bodily eyes So neither can we able ever to know the things of GOD if he do not restore to our Soul its Spiritual Eves which it hath broken and which GOD doth not reim part no◠open but to those only whose Heart i◠withdrawn from sin and inclined and carried to good This ought to be inculcate on al◠from their Infancy to the end that the mind may tend betimes towards GOD and that by the Goodness of its Desires and Purity of Heart it may be disposed for his Divine Light For GOD doth not discover his Secrets but to such as fear to do evil and he gives not his Light but to those who will make a good use of it as David who said to him Give me O
others by a Spirit of Humility without design or desire that men should esteem or Honour us and by a Spirit of Penitence without regarding our own satisfaction whither of Soul or of Body but aspiring after a conformitie to the Crucified JESVS and dying in our own account on the Cross without any consolation This is the true Spirit of the Christian Life and practice and of true Christianity a Spirit wholly opposite to that of corrupted nature by which alas Men suffer themselves to be drawn sweetly and as it were laughing unto Eternal perdition without ever thinking on it The will of GOD is that we should do nothing but in order to please him His pleasure is to be glorified by our Salvation His Glory ought to be our Soveraign absolute Universal end and we ought to look on our Salvation as a mean to advance this end of Blessing Praising and Glorifying for ever his Divine Majestie The Glory of GOD is advanced in this life when we give place in our hearts to the force and vertue of JESVS CHRIST and when we suffer his Power and his Energie to beget by us a great many Holy actions for which we have Just ground to Honour Bless and Praise the Divine cause that is the Power and the Efficacie of GOD whence such excellent things do issue which contains in it self infinitly more of them He who abides in me saith JESUS CHRIST and in whom I abide brings forth much Fruit for without me ye can do nothing And herein is my Father Glorified that ye bring forth much fruit Jo. 15.5 8. And elsewhere Let men see your good works that they may Glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Matt. 5 16. This may and ought to be extended to all sorts of actions and things because whatever we do ought to be done for the Glory of GOD and because nothing can be well done but in the Name that is by the Power by the Blessing and by the Direction of JESUS CHRIST Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the Glorie of GOD. 1. Cor. 10.31 And whatsover ye do in word or in deed do all in the Name of our LORD JESVS CHRIST Col. 3.17 Thus for instance we eat and drink for the Glorie of GOD in the Name of JESUS CHRIST when we do it from a Principle and in a way communicate and taught us by him and which prompts us to say from our very heart Suffer me not O LORD To eat and drink only as do the Beasts by a meer brutal appetite and for a life only natural And much less in following the disorders of our corrupted natures But grant that by the Power and by the direction of the Holy Spirit of Thy Son JESVS CHRIST I may eat and drink according to thine appointment so much as is necessary for the maintaining of a life which I will imploy in loving thee in blessing thee and in obeying thee in following by thy grace the life of our Redeemer Just so we speak to the Glory of GOD and in the Name of JESUS CHRIST when we seek from him and receive from him the force and grace to say nothing but what is regulated by him but what is necessary and what is proper to suggest good thoughts to men and to turn them from evil and vain things In a word we do all in the Name of Jesus Christ and to the Glory of GOD when having sought before all things the Divine Grace and Vertue of Jesus Christ we do by it and according to the Will of GOD from a Divine Motive and to a Divine End whatsoever we have to do following that admirable lesson of St. Peter Let every one of you according as he hath received the Grace Gift of GOD make use of it for the Good of others as being faithful dispensers of the manifold Grace of GOD. If any man speak let him do it as delivering words flowing from the Virtue of GOD if any one doth service to others let him do it as acting by the Power which GOD gives To the end that in every thing we do God may be glorified by Jesus Christ to whom be Praise and Dominion for ever and ever 1 Pet. 4.10.11 § 63. The Will of GOD is marked in his Commandments 63. The Will of GOD which is the Rule of our Obedience is made known to us on his Precepts which must be taught Young Ones first in the literal then in the more Sublime and Spiritual Import of them which we must cause Young Ones learn and which we must explain unto them at first according to the Letters and as their Capacities will allow And afterwards when they are capable of it we must make them understand that the Law being Spiritual God by his Commands enjoyns us 1. That we love nothing but Himself alone and for His sake only 2. That we do not think that GOD is like to the thoughts and the imaginations that our dark reason and judgement make us apprehend of him Nor that the way of serving and pleasing of him is the work of our own will and of our own fancie 3. That we do not make use of his Name of his Covenant of his Knowledge of his Grace of being the Children of GOD in vain and without profiting by them and bringing foth Fruits agreeable to them and that we take head that we do not cloak our self will our passions our designs our carnal ways and even our wickedness and crimes under the sacred preteâ—ts of the Name of GOD of His Truth of His Justice of His Glory and of his Interest 4. That we must cease labouring acting and living by our own will to the End that GOD may Labour and Work and Live in us and by us 5. That we ought to Honour the Word the Will and the good Inspirations of GOD by which He would beget us Spiritually and make us new Creatures who may live long on the Land which He shall give us that is enjoy Life Eternal 6. That we ought not to Kill in us the Image of GOD take away the spiritual Life from our Souls by our sins nor kill the Soul of our neighbours by the examples of an Heathenish worldly and wicked life 7. That we ought not to serve our selves of any creature for meer pleasure without necessity and without having allowance from the will of GOD This is that which constitutes the Whooredom of of the heart Jam 4.3 4. 8. That we ought not to steal from GOD to whom every thing doth appertain either our affections or our life or our time or goods or labour in imploying them any other way then for him 9. That of our selves and without the Light of GOD we ought not to Judge of any person For otherwayes being as we are in darkness we will Judge falsly and sin grivously against GOD. 10. That being content with what we have we ought not to desire any more for