THE PARENTS PRIMER AND THE MOTHERS LOOKINGGLASSE OR Counsel for Parents in the Education of CHILDREN for their Temporal Spiritual and Eternal HAPPINESSE In a DIALOGUE between A MINISTER and a FATHER To which is added A Second Dialogue of the DECALOGUE And to that A Third DIALOGUE concerning The SABBATH-DAY By J WAITE Minister of Gods Word LONDON Train up a Child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Prov. 22.6 The Father to the Children SHALL Make known thy Truth Isa 38.19 Bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the LORD Eph. 6.4 London Printed by J. A. for the Author and are to be sold by N. Ponder at the Peacock in the Poultrey and R. Janeway in Queens-head-Alley in Pater-noster-row 1681. To the Unskilfull Reader WHether I speak with Tongue or Pen I respect Them most who want my Help If you do so and can own Unskilfull for a Fit Title they say I am the Person for whose sake this Epistle is written And for your sake Let us desire the Expert Reader to dispense with your Passage through this Porch In which I desire You will remain my Scholar one hour and learn these Three Lessons First To know the Points used in Print 1 Lesson which are these Seven 1 A Comma It 's a Point at end of a Short Part of a Sentence without Perfect Sense And it 's a note of some little Pause Stop or Breathing in Reading It 's marked Thus 2 A Semicolon It 's a Pause a little longer than a Comma It 's marked Thus 3 A Colon. It 's a longer Pause than the former and it s a part of a Sentence that makes Sense without the Full Sentence yet so as the rest is expected to compleat it It 's marked Thus 4 A Period It 's a full perfect Point put at end of a compleat Sentence It 's marked Thus. Observe the Sense contained in a Sentence or you Read Confusion 5 A note of Exclamation or Admiration It 's put at end of an Expression uttered by way of Out-cry or Wonder It 's marked Thus As O how lofty are their eyes Pro. 30.13 6 A note of Interrogation It 's put at end of a Question It 's marked Thus As Why should we die in thy presence Gen. 47.15 7 Parenthesis It 's a Clause included or shut in with two Semicircles or half Moons though it give some Strength to a Sentence yet if left out the Sense remains Sound It 's marked Thus As Let me I pray thee drink a little water of thy pitcher Gen. 24.17 Second To know where the Emphasis layeth in a Sentence Emphasis is an Expression of the Mind by a Word expressed with some Earnestness or Force This Word I begin with a Capital or Great Letter Here note words which must alway begin with Capitals 1 The first Word of every Sentence Pro. 9.10 As The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom So if the Sentence begin with a Single Letter Pro. 1.5 Joh. 10.11 As A wise man will hear I am the good Shepherd O that they were wise Deu. 32.29 c. 2 The first Word of the Saying of an Other Related though it do not begin a Sentence As Joh. 7.46 The officers answered Never man spake like this man And many of them said He hath a Devil Chap. 10.20 21. and is mad Others said These are not the words of him that hath a Devil 3 The first Word or Letter of every Verse or Line in Poety As A man without learning Cato doth say May be compared to an Image of Clay 4 Proper Names 1 Of God as Jehovah Of Christ as Jesus Of an Angel as Gabriel Of Men and Women as Adam Abel Daniel Dorcas Of Countries as Asia England Spain Of Cities as London Jerusalem Of Towns as Barnet Bethany Of Places or Hills as Eden Sinai Of Rivers as Thames Jordan Cedron Of Months as Jan Feb Abib Of the four Winds as East W N S. Proper Names I put in Italian Different Letters and so to put other Names is Improper 5 Appellatives or Common Names which are common to all of that Kind 1 Of People as Jew Hebrew Gentile Heathen Christian Protestant Papist Pagan Indian Names of Arts as Printer Painter Mercer Grocer Of Dignity as Emperour King Q Prince Pope Duke Of Offices as Ambassador Priest Prophet Pastour Apostle Elder Deacon Judge General Captain Of Dayes as Sabbath Of Spirits as Angel Cherub Seraphim Devil Satan Note god if a false god must begin with a small letter But the true God with a Capital And Father Son Spirit Lord Christ Ghost when they Signifie the True God or the Persons in the Holy Trinity To which I adde Names of Books so many as are not Proper Names of Men and Women as Gen Exod And of Tongues as Hebrew Greek Latine English Most of these Names Proper and Appellative stand Thin in this Book In all these Words which always begin with Capitals the Emphasis seldom layeth when it doth I put that Word all in Capitals that you know it at ease When an other Word is all in Capitals it signifies the Greater Emphasis Now for Emphatical Words The Emphasis is tied to no Word whatever It is sometime in a Substantial Word Sometime in two or three such words together Sometime in a small Word as be do so no to at of off on in out as I will No more have mercy on the house of Israel In other place no hath no Emphasis as Pro. 3.30 Strive not with a man if he have done thee no harm In other place it 's in the Substantial word Mercy Mat. 15 22 as Have Mercy on me O Lord As when Sea-men are Sinking with this cry Mercy Mercy There is the Emphasis In other place by reason of the Excellent Emphaticalness of the Expression you may put it in This or That Word as you Will as I Will surely have mercy I will Surely have mercy I will surely have Mercy upon him saith the Lord Sometime the Emphasis Jer. 31.20 Is and is Not in the Same Word Pro. 31.2 in the Same Sentence as What my Son and what the son of my Womb To misplace it makes it give an unpleasant senseless sound as what the Son of my womb It 's in Vain to put Force upon a Wrong Word it 's like a Stroke at a Wooden Bell. These Emphatical Words observed will help you to understand the Sense And if besides the Words which constantly begin with Capitals there Be ever a Capital that is not Emphatical yet it 's Substantial and serves to shew the Sense as all Emphatical Words do Emphatical Words begun with Capitals avoids that Hodge Podge they make who put Half their Words in Different Letters Third To understand Abbreviation 3 Lesson or Shortning of Words which for Brevity Sake is used in Books Some of them are the First Letters of Latine Words which many Authors use but Explain not for their
Christ was preached to them not only Ceremonially but also Doctrinally but yet Mystically He was called a Rod a Branch †Isa 11.1 Water Wine Milk * Ch. 55.1 a Fountain †Zec. 13.1 this was mystical Doctrine their ignorance of which is sometime bewailed Ah Lord God! they say of me Doth he not speak Parables * Ezek. 20.49 N B The Gospel to the Jews was like an inestimable treasure in a dark gay Glasse Simile overlaid with fair Flowers painted with Pictures to signifie the Substance within but they like children were apter to eye the Out-side than the Inside The Gospel to Us is like the same treasure in a Clear glasse Simile plain without gays and pictures so that we can see the inside Simile Or it 's like the same treasure in an open earthen vessel or Shell as the word signifies †2 Cor. 4.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Testa A Shell Moses put a vail over his Face and when Moses is read the vail is upon their Heart i e their minds were blinded * Ch. 3.13 Hence little Faith much Fear darknesse and dread dwell together Zion said The Lord hath forsaken me †Isa 49.14 they would conclude it from a crosse Providence e g The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour and Gideon said Oh my Lord if the Lord be with us why then is all This befallen us but now the Lord hath forsaken us * Judg. 6.12 13. Thus subject were they to slavish fear and a spirit of bondage But we being under a clear Gospel have much light light and joy are joyned together †Ps 97.11 peace cometh by the knowledge of God * 2 Pet. 1.2 If a fearful child meets his father in the Dark Simile he dreads him as Death for thinks he that man will Kill me but if he meet him in the Light he runs into his Arms. Hence Christians under clear Gospel light are said to have the Spirit of Adoption crying Abba Father †Rom. 8.15 i e Father Father child-like with much freedom from fear This is called the Spirit of the Son God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father * Gal. 4.6 The excellency of which Spirit appears in this viz it acts a Soul to own God as a Father under the most Dismal dispensation like the Spirit of the Son under the Fathers wrath crying My God my God though as forsaken in that dismal Dooms-day of his Death which made the air Dark and the earth Quake Howbeit some Persons at Times did Act faith very Nobly under the Law also e g When death is at the Door if Esther the Queen will not speak a word to the King for life Noble Acts. yet Mordecai will beleeve Deliverance shall arise for the Jews from another place †Est 4.14 David will not fear when his Sins compasse him about * Ps 49.5 nor when all Nations compasse him about like Bees †Psal 118.10 nor if the Earth be removed and the Mountains into the midst of the Sea * Ps 46.2 If Gods Zeal Strength Bowels Mercies and all are restrained yet Evangelical Isaiah will say to God Doubtlesse thou art our Father †Isa 63.15 16. Shadrach Meshach and Abed-nego will believe in their God in the very Face of the furious King and at the Mouth of the Seven-fold fiery furnace * Dan. 3.16 And Daniel will do the like in the lions den †Ch. 6. And some did Noble acts by faith a Catalogue of which we have upon record * Heb. 11. ¶ 6 The Jews were under the M L as pointing at Christ to Come to justifie by blood not then in Being e g If a man sin against any of the ten commandments of the Lord and his sin come to his knowledge by the law is this knowledge of sin and by it is the Conscience troubled he shall bring his Sin-offering a Kid of the goats a Male without blemish and kill it and his sin shall be forgiven him †Lev. 4. Thus the M L by its Scourge sent the Sinner to the C L the Sacrifice and Type of Christ and the Type pointed to Christ himself then to come for they drank of that Spiritual Rock that followed them †1 Cor. 10.4 Before faith came i e faith in Christ actually crucified we were kept under the Law shut up to the faith which should afterwards be revealed * Gal. 3.23 i e when Christ the Object of faith should be revealed as manifest in the Flesh and So believed on in the world †1 Tim. 3.16 faith in Christ actually crucified Christ was Virtually crucified from the foundation of the World And under the Law they were Virtually redeemed from the Curse of the Law but not Actually redeemed but when the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the law Actually to redeem them that were under the law * Gal. 4.4 5 ¶ 7 The Jews were under many and great Promises of temporal Blessings annexed to their obedience to the Law even a full land flowing with Milk and Honey the glory of all Lands †Ezek. 20 6. Thus we are not under the Law as the Jews were Of the great judgments they were under the execution of for their Disobedience to the M L I say nothing but they happened to them for Ensamples or Types and they are written for OVR admonition upon whom the Ends of the world are Come * 1 Cor. 10.11 ¶ N B A threefold Affirmation Under the Ministry of the Gospel the C W requires as perfect obedience of them that are under it as it did under the ministry of the Law 2 Under the ministry of the Gospel there is as high a degree of Holiness required of justified Persons as there was under the ministry of the Law It 's a Mad mistake to think the Law requires obedience to the law A mad mistake but the Gospel requires no obedience to the law 3 Under the Ministry of the Gospel the Law is to be preached to prick the Heart and prepare for Christ as Peter did by charging the Jews with the Murder of Jesus †Act. 2.36 37. They that say Nay in effect say Peter Paul Jesus himself James and John whom he Surnamed the sons of Thunder * Mar. 3.17 were all a company of Dunces in their Doctrine Therefore to say Before Christs death the Jews were all by nature under the law as a C W A 3 fold Folly but we are all freed from it since Christs death under the Gospel Or 2 They in a State of nature or in a justified State were under the law for a rule of life but not we Or 3 They were under the law to humble and prepare them for Christ but not we these are false foolish
all the Ten to signifie that Faith and a New Heart are necessary Antedecents for both Negative and Positive obedience to follow for a man must Be good before he can Do good Eight Note 8. Negatives include Positives Every Negative command includes a Positive command i e when God forbiddeth evil Expressely he biddeth good Implicitly e g Thou shalt have no other gods before me †Exo. 20.3 there is the evil of idolatry forbid Expressely thou shalt have Me for thy God there is the good of choosing God commanded Implicitly Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain * Ver. 7. this is the evil forbid thou shalt talk Vertuously and Graciously of thy God this is the good commanded Thou shalt not Kill commit Adultery Steal c †Ver. 13 14 15. these are evils expressely Forbid thou shalt Prevent murder adultery theft in Others by good counsel if thou canst this is good implicitly Commanded Positives include Negatives And Positive commands include Negative commands e g Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy * Ver. 8. there is good expressely Commanded remember it not to Prophane it with thy Own works words thoughts there is evil implicitly Forbid Honour thy father and thy mother †Ver. 12. is good Commanded dishonour them not is the evil Forbid Ninth Note 9. A negative includes negatives A Negative command includes Many negative commands The sin forbid is forbid in Act Word and Thought and the Occasion of it and whatsoever hath a Tendency to it And these Inclusive commands are Expressed as they are Branched out in the Bible e g Thou shalt have no other gods before me q d No National god imaginable no Personal or private god of wood to worship in thy House no god of Gold in thy Heart thy Self Wife Child House Land Friend Goods Gold shall not be thy gods as they will Be if loved more than Me. And see with what Caution the Occasion of idolatry is forbid in these Texts * Deu. 12.30 Thou shalt not Kill not with Hand Ch. 13.1 3. Mouth murder nor with Tongue to be a Mouth-murderer as some call a Slanderer and so we may call an evil Counceller Not with Heart to be a Heart-murderer he that hates his brother is a murderer †1 Joh. 3.15 Kill not by evil Counsel or bad Example neither Do nor Say any thing that may Tend to or Occasion thy neighbours death in Body or Soul Thou shalt not kill thy Self Not with violent Hands nor with Words spoken against thy own life nor by Carelesnesse of deaths and dangers nor by ill Diet not by Drunkennesse nor by Gluttony Plures periere Gula quam Gladio more die by the Board than by the Sword Thou shalt not commit adultery Not in Act nor in Heart whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his Heart * Mat. 5.28 Christ calleth a Thought an Act to signifie that Smal sin in Mans sight is Great sin in GOD's sight Thou shalt not occasion it by unclean Cogitations and Contemplations nor by adulterous Discourses with Delilahs Remove thy way F AR from her and come not nigh the door of her house †Pro. 5.8 Simile As he that carrieth Gun powder about him had need keep far from Fire so he that carrieth Corruption had need keep far from Temptation As when children meet a Horse Simile Cart or Cow they will if timerous run Ten times farther out of the way than need so let men learn to flee from Sin Keep thee Far from a false matter * Exo. 23.7 Avoid it passe not by it turn from it and passe away †Pro. 4.15 The law is Spiritual * Ro. 7.14 it forbids the Least evil motion and First carnal conception it commands our Spirits and Hearts to be holy it condemneth for the most Secret sin in the Soul It is called the Royal law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Kingly law †Jam. 2.8 it is the law of the King of Kings No earthly Kings law can condemn a man for a secret thought against the King Dissimile but this Divine Law of the King of Heaven can and doth it condemneth a man for the most Secret thought against the Law-giver Tenth Note 10. A positive includes positives A Positive command includes Many positive commands e g Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy q d Remember it to Prepare for it to begin it Early to spend it in holy duties in holy discourses in holy meditations to be in the Spirit to cause all under you to keep it holy Honour thy Father and thy Mother Honour them in Deed in Word in Thought in their Presence in their Absence in their Old Age when tempted by the Devil and by the disobedient to dishonour them when they Please thee when they Displease thee Rebuke and Correct thee N B A Negative command inclusively commands All lawfull means to avoid the evil forbid and a Positive command inclusively commands All lawfull means to perform the good commanded On these things I have but Harped and Touched for One of these Ten Words is a great Text and to shew what is contained in a Commandment would make a long Sermon for thy commandment is Exceeding Broad †Psal 119.96 ¶ This tenth Note having some respect to the Sabbath A lesson for the Lords day leads me to leave this Lesson with you viz Fail not to learn your children to Reverence the Sabbath day FAR be it from you to follow our English Heathens Hatefull Heathens who let their children Loose to serve Satan on the Sabbath day Tell them of the Sore judgments God hath sent upon Sabbath-breakers for which Search the Scriptures and See the Practice of Piety Practice of Piety preferred one of the Best Books but one that ever was written and is like to rise up in judgment against many N B God delivered no other commandment as he delivered this for the Sabbath e g. 1 It hath a Memento presixt viz Remember 2 It is amplified with Arguments more than all the rest except the Second 3 It is delivered Positively keep it holy and Negatively thou shalt not do any work and so is no other commandment delivered FAIL not in this for the Fear of God this Glorious and Fearfull name THE LORD THY GOD * Deu. 28.58 Eleventh Note 11. Heaven and Earth made in Six dayes The GREAT GOD that was but Six dayes in making Heaven and Earth was twice Forty dayes and Forty nights in writing and delivering these Ten Words †Ex. 24.18 to remain a Law and Rule for mans life And Moses was as long waiting Ch. 34.28 prostrate on his Face fasting to receive them * Deu. 9.9 10 11 18. he did neither eat bread nor drink water but did uncessantly attend this Heavenly