set in with your Education to crown your endeavours with success to make the means effectual to the attaining of the end Say Lord that my Child my Servant may be the better for all this I instruct Lord sanctifie instruction I exhort Lord do thou set Exhortation home upon the heart Lord I correct let Correction fetch out pride c. Let me ask you Do you thus pray over your Education Do you pray over and for your Children as Abraham Job and others us'd to do Do you in secret pour out your Souls your Sighs your Tears for your poor Children Do you sometimes nay often plead their case at the Throne of Grace Lord here 's an Ishmael O that he might live Gen. 17.18 here 's a Child O that Christ might be formed in him Gal. 4.19 here 's a child of wrath wilt thou make him an heir of Grace shall my child be thy child thou hast given him Feature Limbs Lineaments Reason Wit wilt thou give him Grace too 't is not the things of the world that I so much design or desire for him but 't is Christ a Covenant Interest a renewed Heart that I breathe after I say do you thus plead with God for your Children Surely if you do God will hear A child of Prayers and Tears shall not perish as Ambrose comforted Monica concerning her Son Augustine O Pray pray thus for them this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Sophocles calls it Sophocl in Ajax this treasure or this stock of Prayers is the best portion or estate that you can leave them And in special when you are at praying-work beg of God that holy Education may be blessed to them Thirdly Compleat your good Education at home by your special care when you are to send them abroad and to dispose of them in the world Surely such as are Conscientious in the former will be very careful in the latter This is like the laying of the Roof in a building He that builds an House will not only lay his foundation and see that that be firm and strong nor only carry up the Superstructure but he will also look to the laying of the roof for without this the foundation it self will be endangered That 's your case here I suppose as to Education you have laid the foundation well and have built well upon it whilst your Children were at home with you Now that which further lies upon you is the laying of the Roof that you dispose well of them abroad which if you do not do the foundation which you have laid will be in danger and all that you have done with so much pains will presently be undone again And therefore I earnestly commend this to Parents not only to be careful of theirs whilst they are with them and under their eye but also to be careful how they dispose of them upon their removal from them Are Children to to go to School or to the Vniversity or to a Trade or are they to enter upon a married state First beg direction of God how and where to dispose of them as Manoah did Judg. 13.8 O my Lord let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us and teach us what we shall do unto the Child that shall be born And then steer your course by Religious Considerations As near as you can place them with such as fear God with such as will clench the nail which you have driven in as one expresses it with such who will build upon that foundation which you have laid and further that good work which you have begun This is a matter of great importance and that which is very necessary we do too often see a good Education spoiled for want of care in this All that was gained at home is lost abroad all that was done by the godly Parent is undone by the careless School-master or Tutor or Master or New Relation Much here might be spoken even from Scripture especially as to that Branch of disposing of Children in Marriage in which the Patriarchs See Gen. 24.3 4. 26.34 35. 27.46 did exercise a singular care as many places show us but I will rather leave further enlargements upon this to your own thoughts I have all along in this tedious Discourse directed my self to Parents and Masters must nothing be said to Children and Servants to show them how they are to carry it with respect to this Religious Education Should I say something upon this I am sure it would not be unnecessary and I hope it would not be unprofitable But yet this being a Digression as to what I propounded at first I shall pass it by The truth is I have made so many Apologies already that I am ashamed to make more CHAP. IX The Fourth Branch of the Exhortation urged THat which I have spent so much Time upon is this to excite such as are Heads of Families to be zealous for the advancing of Religion in their Houses In order to which I have urged three things upon them 1. That they would as far as 't is possible fill up their Houses with such as fear God 2ly That Holy Duties be in them daily duly performed 3ly That they would Religiously educate those who are under their charge There is yet one thing more to be enforced viz. That they would keep sin out of their Houses and instead thereof keep up piety and holy walking with God I might as much enlarge upon this Head as I have done upon any of the former but I resolve to contract You then who have Houses and are in Authority there keep sin out of them shut the doors upon sin barr it out give it no admittance let not sin dwell where you dwell 't is the worst guest that you can harbour or give entertainment to You have excellent Promises made to them who will not admit of sin in their Houses Job 22.23 If thou return to the Almighty thou shalt be built up thou shalt put iniquity far from thy Tabernacles Then shalt thou lay up Gold as the dust c. Yea the Almighty shall be thy defence c. So Job 11.14 If iniquity be in thy hand put it far away and let not wickedness dwell in thy Tabernacle Then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot Are you in your old Habitations O remember how graciously they were preserved when the flames were just seizing upon them The knife was laid to the throat as it were and yet they were spared You were saved from fire yet so as by fire if I may allude to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 3.15 that is with a great deal of danger and difficulty God knows Now after such a deliverance as this shall sin be in your Houses Ezra 9.13 Deut. 32.6 will you thus requite the Lord for so eminent a mercy Are your Habitations continued to be Habitations of Sin After such mercy to your selves and such judgment to your Neighbours shall
down before thee I resign up my self to thee do with me what seems good unto thee not my will but thy will be done Let my work be what it will I 'll submit Let my rank and station be what it will I 'll submit Let my condition be what it will I 'll submit Be it health or sickness fulness or want relations or no relations mercy or affliction this or that I 'll submit I say this we do in effect speak whenever we enter upon this dedication and without this either we are not true in our dedication or not true to our dedication O the blessed examples that we have in the word of the excellent carriage of dedicated persons in this particular if the Lord would help us who profess the same dedication to practise the same submission what a dreadful message was sent to good old Eli 1 Sam 3.18 but saith he It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good What grievous trials did holy * Quanta adversus eum jacula missa Quanta admota tormenta Iaclur a rei familla◠is infligitur numerosae sobolis orbitas irrogatur c. Nec Dcminus repentè nec Paterest Accedit vulnerum vastitas c. Nec tamen Job gravibus densi◠conflictationibus frangitur quò minus inter illas anguscias pressur as suas Dei benedictio victrice patientiâ praedicetur Cvpr de Bono Patient Nihil in dcmo remanserat c. Certè pauper est certe nihil haber si nihil remansit de quo thesauro istae gemmae laudis Dei proferuntur O virum putrem integram O foedum pulchrum c. Aug. Serm. 105. de Temp. Job undergo but how submissively nay how thankfully did he carry it Job 1.21 The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. David had his smarting afflictions too Psal 39 9. but saith he I was dumb and opened not my mouth because thou Lord didst it When he fled from Absalom 2 Sam. 15 25 26. he was in great straits but though his son rebels against him he quietly refers himself to God And the King said unto Zadok carry back the Ark of God into the City if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me again and shew me both it and his habitation but if he thus say I have no delight in thee a sad word for God to speak if he speaks this word will not David fret and murmur O no Behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good unto him Isa 39. ult 'T was a dismal message that the Prophet brought to Hezekiah but he receives it with much calmness Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken The highest of all was our precious Lord and Saviour 't was a bitter Cup indeed that he was to drink of and he prayed earnestly to be freed from it Matth. 26.39 Father if it be possible c. yet he submits his will to his Fathers will Nevertheless not my will but thy will be done Here are excellent copies God enables us to write after them To close up this Head subjection to Gods preceptive will submission to his providential will are great ingredients into self-dedication Do you say to God with respect to his preceptive will 2 Kings 10.5 what once the rulers of Jezreel and the Elders said to Jehu We are thy servants and will do all that thou shalt bid us And do you also say to God with respect to his providential will what once Hezekiah said to the King of Assyria 2 Kings 18.14 What thou puttest upon me I will bear If this be the frame of your souls then surely you are sincere in your self-dedication and know what it is to be a people dedicated to God and are not now to enter upon this great work 3. Self-dedication is the firmness and fixedness of resolution for God and his ways This act of the will is essentially requisite to it the dedication is false when the resolution is not firm when the soul is once come to this to be fixed resolved for God and holiness against sin the world the flesh and all opposers there is the truth of dedication That subjection which I spoke to under the former Head is indeed the act of the will and that is very good but that is not enough there must be resolution also here the will is peremptory here it acts with the greatest intenseness and vehemence and this is brought about by the understanding this is the leading faculty it lays before the will such and such dictates then the will resolves O says the understanding God is good then says the will I 'll love him cleave to him pursue after him never forsake him The ways of God are good then says the will I 'll walk in them and I will not depart from them sin is evil then says the will I 'll shun it I 'll have nothing to do with it and so in other things the intellective faculty presents its dictates then the will frames its practical and peremptory decrees Now I say this is our dedication to God when the will thus resolves for God when we are set for God and duty never to be altered our hearts are fixed as David said his was Psal 57.7 let Satan and the world do what they can to take us off from an holy God and an holy course yet they shall not do it O happy souls with whom 't is thus Self-dedication makes a person unmovable 1 Cor. 13.58 he is not to be altered his purpose and resolution is so high Ruth would not leave her mother Naomi Ruth 1.14 16 17. whatever came on 't Orpah was soon taken off she kisses her mother and parts from her but Ruth clave to her O says she Intreat me not to leave thee whither thou goest I will go where thou lodgest I will lodge where thou diest I will die c. All the Kings dainties were nothing to Daniel Dan. 1.8 He had purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the Kings meat c. Thus 't is with a man as to God and Christ and godliness when he hath sincerely dedicated himself to God Self-dedication is always attended with firmness of resolution nay indeed the very essence of it lies in this I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress Psal 17.3 Psal 119.8 106. I will keep thy statutes I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgments Moses had dedicated himself to Christ Hebr. 11.24 26. and therefore he was resolved for Christ He refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt All this is come upon us Psal 44.17 yet have we not forgotten thee nor dealt falsly in thy Covenant Here
creature holiness for sin Are the things of time to be weighed in the ballance with the things of eternity What is it to secure earth and to lose Heaven Can you secure the soul future blessedness unless you keep steddy to God Why will you forsake that God Hebr. 13.5 who will never forsake you Will you find any where a better master a better friend a better portion a better God Till you can do this pray keep where you are if you be in Gods way and be fixed and resolute Resolve for God and then act resolution in your whole course Herein is your self-dedication He that is not resolved for God come what will come hath not truly dedicated himself to God when a person upon mature deliberation determines for God and then is firm and stedfast hee 's the person who hath dedicated himself in a right manner 4. Fourthly As you desire to dedicate your persons to God set your selves apart for God and carry it as a people who are separated from the world Dedication necessarily implies separation this hath been spoke to I will not actum agere let me only perswade you to live in the world as becomes those who have passed under a solemn dedication or consecration let it be seen you are no ordinary or common persons but such as have separated and set themselves apart for spiritual purposes Impropriate your selves to God self-dedicating persons they profess themselves to be Gods Impropriation they give up themselves to God to be appropriated to his use O Christians that you would do thus Do not prostitute your selves to common uses I do not speak this to take you off from your callings or your lawful affairs in the world but lay out your selves in special for God you must not be as ordinary vessels that are put to any use but you must be as the vessels of the Sanctuary 1 Chron. 22.19 that were dedicated to the service of God You are taken out of the common of the world and are as Gods inclosure and therefore he expects some singular fruit and service from you But I run out upon a truth which is not so much in my eye that which I aim at is the notion of separation to press that upon you And I shall only speak to one branch of it and that is this separation from the sinful course and practises of evil men Self-dedication calls upon you for this If you would indeed dedicate your selves then you must separate your selves from the ordinary ways and courses of graceless men you must not live as they do act as they do be as they are but you must carry it as a separated people I meddle not with separation from Church-communion far be it from me to urge that upon any 't is only separation from mens vices and sins that I am furthering and surely the Scripture will bear me out in this 2 Cor. 6.17 Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you Eph. 5.11 Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them Eph. 4.17 This I say therefore that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind c. Rom. 12.2 Be not conformed to this world c. Christians must not walk according to the course of this world Eph. 2.2 Tertullian tells us of a souldier that was a Christian when his fellow souldiers who were Heathens wore Lawrel upon their Heads he would not do so Being asked why O says he I am a Christian and therefore I must in habit in every thing differ from others O Christians where is your zeal for God in holy singularity Would you dedicate your selves to God and yet do as others do O that cannot be Be singular therefore and let there be a real difference betwixt you and others They are swearers drunkards Sabbath-profaners deriders of godliness despisers of holy duties c. you must be quite other men of a different constitution and conversation Especially you who have really dedicated your selves you must set your selves apart Eadè nos faciemus quae caeteri Nihilinter nos illos intererit Plurimum Senec. Ep. 5. and differ from the course of the world Shall there be no difference betwixt Saints and sinners Shall the two seeds be confounded Shall the children of God live just as the children of Satan God forbid You have another spirit as 't is said of Caleb Numb 14.24 and therefore you must live another life you have differing principles profess to walk by a differing rule are invested with differing priviledges and all these call for differing practices You are children of light and must walk as the children of light Eph. 5.8 You must be as the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom ye should shine as lights in the world Phil. 2.15 When others mind earthly things your conversation must be in Heaven Phil. 3.19 20. when others work all uncleanness with greediness you have not so learned Christ Eph. 4.19 20. O let it appear to the world that you are persons of another make and constitution that those that know not God You are to convince the world 1 Pet. 3.16 to condemn the world Heb. 11.7 how shall you do this but by the holiness and singularity of your conversations Do not do the same which others do in that which is evil do more than others do in that which is good for Christ expects a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something more from you than he doth from others Matth. 5.47 Christians dedicate your selves to God and make good your dedication evidence the reality of it by your being separated from the course of wicked men he that lives the common life is but a common person an unconsecrated person Whereever there is dedication there must be impropriation and separation 5. Fifthly Enter into Covenant with God Give the hand to the Lord as Hezekiah expresses it This is a very weighty point making of covenant and keeping of covenant with God are the summe of all the two poles upon which all religion moves You have many excellent Treatises written by our own Divines upon these two Heads I shall refer you to them for the full and large handling of them for I must contract How shall I speak to men to make them willing to covenant with God to enter into the Bond of the Covenant Ezek. 20.37 and so to bind themselves to the Lord for ever This is the work that I have now before me the Lord prosper me in it O that some poor souls might be wrought upon by what I shall say not only to give up themselves to God but to do this in a federal way that there might be binding as well as giving and stipulation as well as resignation Let me allude to that in the 2 Kings 9.5 you read there
the spirit Galat. 3.3 will you end in the flesh Will you draw back from God to the perdition of your precious souls Hebr. 10.39 I trust you will not 'T is observed both by Papists and Turks also for the latter have their religious Orders as well as the former that persons who have once entred themselves into such Orders and so dedicated themselves to God if they leave these they never prosper O Christians have you dedicated your selves in a regular scriptural way If you relinquish your dedication do you think to prosper Farewel peace joy Heaven farewel all when you forsake God and Apostatize from him That you may be thus faithful and constant and in every thing make good your dedication be much in begging of God the special assistance of his grace Praevenient grace made you true in your dedication Subsequent grace must make you true to your dedication O let none relye upon their own strength we may give resolve covenant but if we be left to our selves we shall soon leave God and undo as much as in us lies all that we have done The heart is deceitful grace is weak corruption strong Voluntate suâ cadit qui cadit voluntate Dei stat qui stat Angust temptations impetuous you need assisting and stablishing grace very much David joyned prayer with his resolution I will keep thy statutes O forsake me not utterly Psal 119.8 You have given the hands to God in stipulation lift up the hands to God in supplication for fidelity for perseverance The God of all grace who hath called us into his eternal glory by Jesus Christ after that ye have suffered a while make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you 1 Pet. 5.10 Self-dependance doth much endanger self-dedication 3. Thirdly Often renew your dedication though the first sufficiently obliges you yet all obligations are little enough to bind these treacherous hearts of ours the oftner this is renewed the greater awe it leaves upon conscience And though the command of God and the nature of duty are highly obligatory yet fresh and renewed dedications lay a farther superadded obligation upon the person O tye the knot as fast as may be many knots are not so easily loosened After repeated reiterated dedications you 'l be ashamed to be false to God There are some special cases and seasons wherein 't is good for you to renew your dedication Do you fall into some great sin Recover your selves by speedy repentance and renew your dedication These make great wounds and gashes in the soul get them healed presently These endanger the very vitals and strike at the foundation there 's no dallying in this case Great breaches must immediately be made up great sins make a great breach upon conscience upon your dedication and therefore make it up speedily Doubtless David that would renew the dedication of his house after Absaloms sins would also renew the dedication of his person after his own gross and scandalous sins Are you afflicted reduced into great straits Renew your dedication give all again to God at such a time for then you need him most to give to you When Jacob was in great straits and knew not what to do then he said If God will be with me in the way that I go and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on so that I come again to my Fathers house in peace then shall the Lord be my God Gen. 28.20 21. O be so wise as to renew your gift and your bond in a day of trouble and so ingenious as to make all good in a day of comfort Do you receive some eminent mercy from God Renew your dedication Say Lord thou hast renewed thy mercy and therefore I here renew my duty thou hast given me a very choice and seasonable mercy here I give thee my self for it Do you attend upon the Sacrament before and at and after that ordinance solemnly renew your dedication that 's a duty very proper at this time Indeed in every prayer we virtually do this but in sacramental work we must do it in a more solemn and explicit manner Are you cast upon times wherein there is much Apostacy professors fall off from God like leaves from the trees in Autumn Now renew your dedication that you may bind your selves the faster to God now take up new and stronger resolutions for God saying Though all forsake God you will never forsake him Other cases and seasons might be mentioned but I pass them by 4. Fourthly Adore and admire the infinite goodness of God In your giving your selves to God you do not oblige him but he obliges you when you give most you receive most first grace is given to you and then you are given to God you could not give if first you did not receive O have you devoted your selves to the Lord 'T was he that framed your hearts to this and wrought you up to it Time was when you were just as others are but God who is rich in mercy Eph. 2.4 7. for his great love wherewith he loved you even when you wholly gave up your selves to sin effectually drew you to himself That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards you through Christ Jesus O admire that distinguishing love of God which hath so freely taken hold of you And let this heighten your admiration that the great God is so willing to accept of that poor pitiful self which you tender to him 't is but the paying of a debt and yet God accepts of it as a gift Were you Angels it would be a condescension in God to accept of you but Lord What is man Psal 144.3 that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou so regardest him And that which is highest of all and which may put the soul into extatick admiration that for such a poor self given such a glorious self should be received you give your self to God and in lieu of this God gives his self to you O Saints what have you to do but to lose your selves in the admiring of God 5. Fifthly Further Personal Dedication in others You have done it your selves do what in you lies that others may do so too Do not you rejoyce in your own act Would you have it to do again for millions of worlds Where then is your zeal to further it in others who have not yet dedicated themselves to God Do you not pity such in their state and will you not endeavour to bring them out of it Can you be content to go to Heaven alone Shall the Devils factors be more diligent for him to the ruin of souls than you for God to the salvation of souls O do not let sinners alone till you have been instrumental for conversion and Personal Dedication to them So live that you may win them to God So instruct exhort perswade convince that they may
rare Piscat in Gen. 18.19 in Observ So for the works of God Psal 78.4 c. 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 that 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 That they might set their hope in God and might not forget the works of God but keep his Commandments Deut. 4.9 Only take heed to thy self lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen c. but teach them thy Sons and thy Son's Sons Josh 4.21 22. When your children shall ask their Fathers in time to come saying What mean these Stones Then ye shall let your children know saying Israel came over this Jordan on dry land c. Exod. 12.26 And it shall come to pass When your children shall say unto you what mean you by this service That ye shall say It is the sacrifice of the Lord 's Passeover who passed over the Houses of the children of Israel in Egypt c. Menochius relates That the Jews the night before the Passeover They were wont to discourse with their children thus Why is it called the Passeover the Father answered Because the Angel passed over us when it slew the Egyptians and destroy'd us not Why do we eat unleavened bread the Father answered Because we were forced to hasten out of Egypt Why do we eat sowre grapes To mind us of our afflictions in Egypt So again Psal 44.1 We have heard with our ears O God Our Fathers have told us what work thou didst in their days in the times of old You see how in special the Scripture instances in these two things wherein Children are to be instructed God's word and works and is not all comprehended under these two Is not here a large field for Instruction and Information Let me intreat you to be speaking much of these unto your Children Do what in you lies to acquaint them with the Holy Scriptures and those great Truths which are therein revealed especially those which do more nearly concern Salvation Tell them what there you find concerning God Christ mans fall and recovery the Covenant of Grace the conditions thereof Faith and Repentance c. Be often opening these things to them The Eagle carries her young ones to the Sun O bring your young ones to the Light of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joseph lib. 3. contra Appion and help them to look upon it and into it The Children of the Jews were very well vers'd in the Scriptures even when they were young because their Parents did frequently herein instruct them so * Josephus tells us What a shame is it that 't is so long before the Children of Christians come to any considerable knowledg of them O do not only read the Scriptures to them but often be discoursing of Matters therein disclosed and put them themselves upon the reading of them also and call them often to an account of what they read as Hierome advised Laeta in order to the religious Education of her Daughter Reddat tibi pensum quotidiè die Scripturarum floribus excerptum Hieron ad Laetam Here as an excellent way for the instructing of Children and Servants let me advise you to set up Catechising in your Families O set some time apart for Catechising Prater publicam Doctrinam etiam privato Catechizatio Domesticorom vigere debet inter nos ex Dei mandato Parcus in Gen. 18.19 't is one of the best means that I know for the advancing of Scripture-knowledg In Catechisms you have a Summary of Divinity both Doctrinal and Practical in a plain and familiar way set before you there Matters of Faith and Practise are succinctly handled and brought down to the weakest capacity There 's no such compendious way for the attaining of Heavenly knowledg as this is Whence is it that persons are so ignorant when they are men but from this they were not well Catechiz'd when they were children And whence is it that so many leave the way of Truth and desert that true Religion wherein they were bred and turn Papists and what not but because the foundation was not well laid at the first in Catechetical exercises The * Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est imbuere prima rudimenta dare erudire Frequens est apud Doctores in Piel pro instituere paulatim assuefacere quod Graeci 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicunt Pagn It nearly concerns every Parent as they will free themselves from the guilt of their Childrens undoing that they be careful to see them instructed in all necessary things To which purpose it will be fit early to teach them some short Catechism Whole Duty of Man p. 49. But above all the best way of Institution especially as to the younger sort may be performed by Catechisms Platforms of sound words by Question and Answer in a short and compendious method whose Terms being clear and distinct might be phrased out of Holy Scripture and fitted to their Capacities by a plain though solid stile and to their memories by brief expressions Morn Lect. Serm. 8. p. 196. which signifies to Catechise signifies also to teach and instruct as in 1 Cor. 14.19 Luk. 1.4 Act. 18.25 Gal. 6.6 Catechising is the best way of instructing If I could but prevail with you once a week to call your Families together and to spend some time in this exercise O how would Gospel knowledg encrease amongst us Secondly To Spiritual instruction add holy admonition exhortation good advice and counsel You must not only let them know by instruction what their duty is but you must press urge enforce this duty upon them by admonition good counsel O my child thus and thus the word speaks O do thou do accordingly O my child do not lie do not swear do not profane the Lord's day do not associate with wicked persons but fear God walk in the good ways of God keep the commandments of God I say thus admonish advise counsel those that are under your charge What abundance of good might you do by this what a prevailing influence hath good counsel when 't is duly appli'd How many are there now rejoicing in Heaven and blessing God for good Parents and Masters upon earth who gave them pious admonitions from time to time Whereas there are others burning in everlasting flames who are cursing the day that ever they had to do with those who altogether neglected this duty This also is included in that * Proprie significat Admonitionem non simpliciter sed talem quam in mentem pueri ponas ingeras quae sunt ad salutem necessaria Zanch. in Eph. 6.4 admonition