things be with Prudence and Discretion admit them to a copartnership with your selves in the administration of domestical and familiar affairs Let them have Power over Children and Servants Gen. 16.6 Make use of their advice and assistance in common concerns Gen. 21.12 Correct their misdemeanours with gentle and seasonable admonitions If any difference happen let there be a speedy reconciliation study one anothers tempers and bear with one anothers infirmities 7. Give Honour unto them as unto the weaker Vessels and as being Heirs together of the Grace of Life that your Prayers be not hindred 1 Pet. 3.7 It s duty to pray together as Husbands and Wives and consequently your demeanour in all things should be such that you may be ready upon all occasions to go Hand in Hand to Heaven and to the Throne of Grace together 8. If you are providentially Yoaked with carnal and ungodly Wives you are not to leave them nor put them away how cross or untoward soever if they are willing to continue with you The same also I say or rather the Apostle concerning Godly Wives that have wicked Husbands 1 Cor. 7.12 13. If any Brother hath a Wife that believeth not and she be pleased to dwell with him let him not put her away and the Woman which hath a Husband that believeth not if he be pleased to dwell with her let her not leave him for the unbelieving Husband is sanctified by the Wife and the unbelieving Wife is sanctified by the Husband But if the unbelieving depart let him depart a Brother or Sister is not under Bondage in such cases But God hath called us to peace for what knowest thou O Wife whether thou shalt save thy Husband Or how knowest thou O Man whether thou shalt savâ— thy Wife 9. Get your Hearts every day more and more weaned from such dear Relations that when ever God shall be pleased to cause a divorce you may be able to bear it with such patience and contentation as becometh Christians 1 Cor. 7.29 This I say Brethren the time is short it remaineth that they that have Wives be as tho' they had none and they that weep as tho' they wept not for the Fashion of this World passeth away 1 Thes 4.13 14. I would not have you ignorant Brethren concerning them which are asleep that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope for if we believe that Jesus dyed and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him Duties of Wives 1. Let it be your great care as to answer the end of your Creation so also of this institution of Marriage which was that you should be meet helps in all things and hindrances in nothing to your Husbands Gen. 2.18 The Lord said it is not good that Man should be alone I will make him an help meet for him Be helpful to them in their Souls Bodies Families and Estates 2. Let your Husbands have a reverential respect from you being studious how to please and loath to displease them Eph. 5.33 And the Wife see that she reverence her Husband 1 Pet. 3.6 Sarah called her Husband Lord 1 Cor. 7.34 The unmarried Woman careth for the things of the Lord that she may be Holy both in Body and Spirit But she that is Married careth for the things of the World how she may please her Husband 3. Be subject and obedient to all their Lawful commands Tit. 2.4 5. Teach the Young Women to be Sober to Love their Husbands to Love their Children to be Discreet Chast keepers at home obedient to their own Husbands that the Word of God be not Blasphemed Col. 3.18 Submit your selves to your own Husbands as it is fit in the Lord Ephes 5.22 23 24. The Husband is the Head of the Wife even as Christ is Head of the Church therefore as the Church is subject to Christ so let the Wives be to their own Husbands in every thing 1 Pet. 3.1 Likewise ye Wives be in subjection to your own Husbands that if any obey not the Word they may be won by the conversation of the Wives while they behold your Chast Conversation coupled with fear v. 5.6 For after this manner in the old time the Holy Women who trusted in God were in subjection unto their own Husbands even as Sarah obeyed Abraham 4. Be of a quiet and meek Spirit counting that your chief Ornament rather than costly Attire or gaudy Apparel according to the Fashion of the World 1 Pet. 3.4 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the Hair and wearing of Gold or putting on of Apparel but let it be the hidden Man of the Heart in that which is not corruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in the sight of God of great price 1 Tim. 2.9 10. Let Women adorn themselves in modest Apparel not with broidered Hair or Gold or Pearls or costly Aray but which becometh Women professing godliness with good works Read Isa 3 from v. 16. to the end Duties of Parents to Children 1. Instill Scripture-principles into them from their Infancy be teaching them according to their capacities to know God and themselves Instruct them of the Works of God of Man's original happiness before the Fall of his misery now by Sin of Redemption by Christ and the glory of the World to come Psal 75.3 4 5 6. which we have heard and known and our Fathers have told us we will not hide them from their Children shewing to the Generation to come the praises of the Lord and his strength and his wonderful works which he hath done For he established a Testimony in Jacob and appointed a Law in Israel which he commanded our Fathers that they should make them known to their Children that the Generation to come might know them even the Children which should be Born who should arise and declare them to their Children 2 Tim. 3.14 15. Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them and that from a Child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus Deut. 6.6 7. These words which I commend thee this Day shall be in thine Heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children Psal 34.12 Prov. 4.1 2 3 4. Psal 44.1 2. 2. Use the Rod in Love and with discretion when no other means will make them mend Prov. 13.24 He that Spareth his Rod hates his Son but he that Loveth him chasteneth him betimes And 19.18 Chasten thy Son while there is hope and let not thy Soul spare for his crying And 23.13 14. And 29.15 17. Heb. 12.9 10. 3. Bestow Breeding and Education upon them at School and otherwise if you are able that so they may be fitted for some calling whereby to serve their Generation being useful both to Church and State Observe their Genius
raised from the Dead according to my Gospel wherein I suffer as an evil-doer even unto bonds but the word of God is not bound Therefore I endure all things for the elects sake that they may also obtain the Salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal Glory Phil 2.17 Yea and if I be offered up upon the Sacrifice and service of your Faith I joy and rejoyce with you all 1 Tim. 12 13 14. 2 Tim. 1.8 Be not ashamed of the Testimony of our Lord nor of me his Prisoner but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the Power of God Are you now Members of a Gospel-Church and in Communion with Saints Consider the Duties of this relation 1. In Reference to God and the dignity of a Church state 2. To those that are over you in the Lord. 3. One to another Duties of the first sort are these 1. God hath made over himself by a most solemn covenant-engagement unto you put a high estimate upon this more than ordinary privilege and make a due improvement thereof let the thoughtful remembrance of this overaw you to a constant walking in his Holy ways and observation of his Statutes Deut. 26.17 18 19 20. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his ways and the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar People and that thou shouldest keep all his Commandments and to make thee high above all Nations in Praise and in Name and in Honour that thou mayest be a Holy People unto the Lord thy God Let the memory of this be always recent and fresh upon your Spirits and it will much influence persiverance in Holiness and prove an excellent Antidote against Apostasy 2. The Gospel Church is often called the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 3.2 and 5.19 and 11.12 and 13.14 and 16.19 And if God hath made you Members hereof it is a vertual declaration of his Mind and Counsel concerning your Election from Eternity and Salvation to all Eternity which calls aloud upon you for Spiritual Rejoycing more than if you had been made Earthly Kings and Queens Luke 10.20 In this rejjoyce not that the Spirits are Subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your Names are written in Heaven 2 Thes 2.13 14 15. We are bound to give thanks unto God alway for you Brethren Beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth whereunto he called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the Glory of our Lord Jesus Ephes 1.4 5 6. 2 Tim. 1.9 10. 3. Though once ye were Darkness yet now ye are all the Children of Light and of the Day Therefore sleep not as others but watch and be sober 1 Thes 5.5 6 7. They that sleep sleep in the Night and they that are Drunken are Drunken in the Night but let us who are of the Day be sober putting one the Breast-plate of Faith and for a Helmet the hope of Salvation Rom. 13.12 13. The Night is far spent the Day is at hand let us therefore cast off the works of Darkness and put on the armour of Light let us walk honestly as in the Day not in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambering and Wantonness not in Strife and Envying but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the Flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof 1 Pet. 2.9 10. Ye are a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation a Peculiar People that ye should shew forth the praises of him that hath called you out of Darkness into his marvellous Light which in time past were not a People but are now the People of God which had not obtained mercy but have now obtained mercy Dearly beloved I beseech you as Strangers and Pilgrims abstain from Fleshly Lusts which war against the Soul having your conversation honest among the Gentils that whereas they speak against you as evil doers they may by your good works which they shall behold Glorifie God in the day of visitation Math. 5.16 4. You are made sharers and copartners with Christ in all the Privileges and Precious things which he has purchased with his Blood 1 Pet. 1.18 19 20. And wherein will you testifie your thankfulness to him Has he Died for you and will not love constrain you to live unto him 2 Cor. 2.5 14. As he Died for your sins so he Rose for your justification Rom. 4.25 And will not you Dye to Sin and ascend in your Hearts after him Will not you study to know the Power of his Resurrection and the Fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his Death Phil. 3.10 11 Rom. 6.10 11 12 13. In that he Died he Died unto sin once but in that he Liveth he Liveth unto God Likewise ye also reckon your selves to be Dead unto Sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord Let not Sin therefore reign in your Mortal Bodies that ye should obey it in the Lusts thereof neither yield your Members as Instruments of unrighteousness unto Sin but yield your selves unto God as those that are alive from the Dead and your Members as Instruments of Righteousness unto God He hath now broke the Serpents Head triumphed over Principalities and Powers taken away the Hand-Writing of the Old Covenant that was against you Nailing it to his Cross has conquered the World and delivered you from it Has made Death stingless and has swallowed up the Grave in victory has abolished the condemning Power of the Law himself being made a curse for you What hinders then but that you take up that Apostical Triumph Rom. 8. to the end Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ that Died Yea rather that is risen again who is even at the Right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Who shall separate us from all the Love of Christ shall tribulation who are the Enemies and what are the evils which the Church redeemed with the Blood of God should be afraid of Heb. 10.19 21 22. Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he has consecrated for us though the Veil that is to say his flesh and having a high Priest over the House of God let us draw near with a true Heart in full assurance of Faith having our Hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our Bodies washed with pure water with the thing it self that was signified by legal washings 5. God has reposed this great trust in you to be Instrumental conservators of his Truths and Ordinances Rom. 3.2 1 Tim. 3.15 Shew fidelity in preserving truth among your selves keeping your Understandings and Judgments untainted with errours and heresies Acts 20.19 30 31. Eph. 4.14 Heb. 13.9 Be not carried about with strange Doctrines
for it is a good thing that the Heart be established with Grace not with Merits which have not profited them that have been occupied therein 2 Cor. 2.11 2 3 4. I am zealous over you with a Godly jealousie for I have espoused you to one Husband that I may present you as a chast Virgin to Christ but I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his Subtilty so your Minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ For if he that cometh perceiveth another Jesus whom we have not prepared or if ye receive another Spirit which ye have not received or another Gospel which ye have not accepted ye might well bear with him Gal. 1.8 Though we or an Angel from Heaven Preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have Preached unto you let him be accursed Contend for the truth against all that shall corrupt or oppose it Jude 1. Let no Ordinance be lost or adulterated with your good will restore all to their primitive purity and keep them in it Let the word of the Lord also go forth from you unto others that you being the Lord 's Holy Mountain may be a rich Blessing to all places round about Ezek. 34.26 Psal 110.2 Think your selves of some expedient how to propagate the Gospel according to your capacities abilities and as present Providences will permit after the pattern of the Church of Thessalonica 1 Ep. 1 Chap. v. 6 7 8. Yea become followers of us and of the Lord having received the Word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost so that ye were examples to all that were at Macedonia and Achaia for from you sounded out the word of the Lord. 6. God has fenced you with many Hedges and strong Fortifications to wit with his own Power Providence Spirit Word Angels and other Creatures insomuch that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against you Let therefore Mount Zion be glad and the Daughters of Judah be glad walk about Zion go round about her tell the Towers thereof mark well her Bulwarks consider her Palaces that ye may tell it to the Generations following for this God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide unto Death Ps. 48. to the end Isa 4.5 6. The Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion and upon the Assemblies a Cloud and Smoke by Day and shining of a Flaming Fire by Night for upon all the Glory shall be a defence and there shall be a Tabernacle for a Shadow in the Day-time from the Heat and for a place of Refuge and for a covert from the Storm and Rain And 41.10 11 12. Fear not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the Right Hand of my Righteousness behold all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded They shall be as nothing and they that strive with thee shall perish Thou shalt seek them and shalt not find them even them that contended with thee they that were against thee shall be as nothing and as a thing of nought 7. As God has made many Promises to you my indeed all Promises are Yea and Amen to you that believe 2 Cor. 1.20 So suck the Breasts of these Consolations and let the Word of Christ dwell Richly in you in all Wisdom Col. 3.16 Chuse Promises as a part of your Portion Psal 119.111 Acting Faith and Patience for the accomplishment thereof and comforting your selves therewith in all your Affictions Distresses and Tribulations Get some compendious Catalogue not only in your Heads but also in your Hearts of such promises especially which may afford you some comfortable relief against the temptations and troubles that do ordinarly attend a Church-state â—â—le instance in a few to shew you how to make improvement of the rest 1. Are you at any time under perturbation of Mind fearing the Rage and Rejection of the Men of the World for your separation not walking with them in the same way of visible Worship Let that of 2 Cor. 6.17 18. be ready at hand as a present remedy Come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and will be a Father to you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord God Almighty It s true this Scripture is principally understood of separation from Idolatry and Idolaters but not exclusive of other separations where there is visible Righteousness and Unrighteousness Light and Darkness Christ and Belial Piety and Tolerated Profaness As you may see v. 14.15 2. Is the want of able Officers or being de prived of such as ye had your grief Make use of Ezek. 34.15 16. I will feed them in a good Pasture and upon the high Mountains of Israel shall the Fold be I will seek that which was lost and bring again that which was driven away and will bind up that which was broken and strengthen that which was sick Jer. 3.14 15. I will take you one of a City and two of a Family and I will bring you to Zion and I will give you Pastores according to mine Heart which shall feed you with Knowledge and Understanding If it be for God's Glory and your good you may believe that some time or other that of Isa 30.20 21. shall be fulfilled I limit not the Holy One to Days Weeks Months or Years Though the Lord give you the Bread of Adversity and the Water of Affliction yet shall not thy Teachers be removed into a Corner any more but thine Eyes shall see thy Teachers and thine Ears shall hear a Word behind thee saying this is the way walk ye in it when ye turn to the Right Hand and to the Left 3. Are you a reproach to Neighbours vile and contemptible in the Eyes of all that are round about See Isa 28.5 The Lord of Hosts shall be for a Crown of Glory and for a Diadem of Beauty to the residue of his People And 62.3 Thou shalt also be for a Crown of Glory in the Hand of the Lord and a Royal Diadem in the Hand of thy God 〈◊〉 Thou shalt no more be termed forsaken neither shall thy Land any more be termed desolate but thou shalt be called Hephzibah and thy Land Beulah for the Lord delighteth in thee and thy Land shall be Married Isa 51.7 Hearken un to me ye that know Righteousness the Peoplâ— in whose Heart is my Law Fear ye not the reproach of Men neither be afraid of their Revilings for the Moth shall eat them up as a Garment and the Worm shall eat them as Wooll but my Righteousness shall be for ever and my Salvation from Generation to Generation Isa 54.4 5. Ezek. 36.15 â— 4. Is it so that Ordinances do you but little good your Souls are still Barren and Unfruitful
in sparing me this one day more And what is the work carved out for this day And how shall I manage it When you are putting off or on your Cloaths have these or the like thoughts O that I could cast off the works of Darkness and put on the Armor of Light O that I might be devested of the Old Man and invested with the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus When you are Washing your Hands send up this or some such Ejacluation to Heaven O that all my sinful pollutions may be done away this Morning by the Blood and Spirit of the Lord Jesus 2. Drive some Trade with Heaven oftner than once every Day by Private Prayer Ps 55.17 Evening and Morning and at Noon will I pray and cry aloud First Chuse the most seasonable times for it and what time is thus spent account it no hinderance but rather a furtherance to your oher Business Secondly Shun Formality and Pharisaicalness in it Mat. 6. begin 3ly Let the whole Heart be engaged in it with all possible seriousness and Spirituality without Distracting Carnal Roving Wandering and Worldy thoughts 4ly Consider your Soul-wants before-hand that you may know what to say to God when you go to him 5ly Go in a most humble self-abasing Sense of your own vileness and unworthiness but with some Holy confidence upon the account of Divine precepts and promises Christ's Death and Intercession Look upon God in Christ as a Fountain of all supplies 6ly Do not give over wrestling till you can say that more or less your Soul has found something of God in this duty 7ly Rest not on the Duty done but study to keep your Heart from Morning to Night in a praying temper Luke 18. begin Thess 8. O for the Lord's sake let me engage you to perseverance in this so Soul-concerning an exercise Eighthly Take heed of frequent intermissions upon pretence of Business present indisposition or any other account whatsoever He or She that will leave off Praying for one or two whole Days together may come to do so for Months together I have known some professors my self that have sadly smarted under the experience of laying side Private Prayers 3. Be diligent in the duties of some Lawful Calling Prov. 10.4 The Hand of the diligent maketh Rich Be just and honest in it Make conscience of following it close because of God's command to work Six Days This you will experience to be an excellent preservative from many evils and inconveniencies which Idleness would expose you unto An Idle Person lies open to all temptations he is a cushion for the Devil to sit down on and a Horse ready Sadled to Ride to Hell on 4. Be critical in the observation of every Days Sins for exciting an assiduous renual of repentance for the same and of every Days mercies not forgetting to give thanks unto God for them Say thus towards the close of the Day O that I might not go to Bed with guilt upon my Conscience this Night whatever in me has been offensive to thy Holy Majesty in Thought Word or Action pardon for Christ's sake the carnality of my thoughts When first Ia woke in the Morning my backwardness formality and deadness in Private Prayer the Earthliness Vanity Frothiness and Levity of my Spirit all Day long And so for mercies say thus O Blessed be God for Food and Rayment Health and Strength and Liberty and Relations Protection and Preservation O Blessed be God that I have been keept from the actual commission of such sins as many others are wallowing in and I my self might have been if not restrained by Grace 5. Take heed of the first rising and beginning of every the least sin Keep a continual strict watch over your Hearts take present notice of what you discover amiss within check your selves for it dally not with any temptation without making some vigorous resistance That which may be easily nipt in the Bud may cost you Thousands of Prayers and Tears afterwards Custom in sin is not conquered with a wet Finger Have a Holy jealousie of your selves as to every sin otherwise you know not what height of impiety you may come to ere you be aware Luke 21.34 1 Cor. 10.12 1 Pet. 4.7 And 5.8 6. Study mortification especially of your Beloved Sins and Lusts such as your Natural temper or education or strong temptations with which you are continually haunted or such as your Calling most prompts you unto that so you may approve your Hearts unto God in something beyond what is attainable by the most refined Hypocrite Ps 18.23 Keep under your Bodies make no Provision for the Flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof Deny your selves of carnal pleasures rather than suffer an interruption of your inward peace and communion with God Rest not satisfied with a bare cessation from the external acts of sin for a season with the silence of a secure Conscience ceasing to trouble you with the removal of temptation or the exchange of one sin with another But get the unclean Spirit totally dispossessed lay the Ax to the Root of the Tree and strike at the most inward close unmortified corruptions of the Heart Pray for the fin-mortifying Spirit of Jesus Christ and draw virtue from him whereby you may be enabled to mortifie the deeds of the Body Rom. 8.13 7. Look well to the government of your affections First Never desire things sublunary but with submission to the Will of God but let your desires after God and Christ Grace and Glory know no bounds or limits being enlarged to a kind of infinitness Secondly Lay not out your Love so inordinatly upon any Creature Person or thing so as to bereave the Lord of Glory of his due Love Creatures for what of God is in them for what of God you may have from or by them and so as contentedly to part with them when Providence would have it so Thirdly Hare the Persons of none in the World but so as that you can cordially pity and pray for the vilest Sin is to be the only object of your hatred in whatsoever Subjects your selves or others Fourthly Moderate your joy for outward enjoyments and also your Sorrow for outward Crosses and Losses all excess in carnal mirth and melancholy is discommendble 1 Cor. 7.29 Phil. 4.4 Fifthly Give not way to servile fear where there is no cause of fear neithere be too Foolishly bold or venturous when there is just cause of fear Sixthly be Angry at no thing but sin and sin not in being Angry at sin Eph. 4.26 27. If at any time you are Angry let not the Sun go down upon your wrath lest by that time you have slept a little upon it it turn into malice Labour to subdue your Passions so as that you can patiently bear with affronts and indignities without a Passionate retribution of like for like Seventhly Be never too hotly zealous in pleading for your own Private Personal concerns but be zealous in the cause of God