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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	day_n	lord_n	sabbath_n	6,348	5	9.8380	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A23775	The whole duty of man laid down in a plain way for the use of the meanest reader divided into XVII chapters : one whereof being read every Lords day, the whole may be read over, thrice in the year, necessary for all families : with private devotions.; Whole duty of man	Allestree, Richard, 1619-1681.; Fell, John, 1625-1686.; Sterne, Richard, 1596?-1683.; Henchman, Humphrey, 1592-1675.; Pakington, Dorothy Coventry, Lady, d. 1679.	1659 (1659)	Wing A1170_PARTIAL; Wing A1161_PARTIAL; ESTC R22026	270,427	508

see what the gains of this robbery amounts to Ye are cursed with a curse A curse is all is gotten by it and common experience shewes us that GODS vengeance doth in a remarkable manner pursue this sin of Sacriledge whether it be that of with holding tithes or the other of seizing on those possessions which have been voluntarily consecrated to God Men think to enrich themselves by it but it usually proves directly contrary this unlawful gain becomes such a Canker in the estate as often eats out even that we had a just title to And therefore if you love I will not say your souls but your estates preserve them from that danger by a strict care never to meddle with any thing set a part for God 17. A Third thing wherein we are to expresse our Reverence to God is the hallowing of the times set apart for his service He who hath given all our time requires some part of it to be paid back again as a rent or tribute of the whole Thus the Jews kept holy the seventh day and we Christians the Sunday or Lords day the Jews were in their Sabbath especially to remember the Creation of the World and we in ours the Resurrection of Christ by which a way is made for us into that better world we expect hereafter Now this Day thus set apart is to be imployed in the Worship and Service of God and that first more solemnly and publickly in the Congregation from which no man must then absent himself without a just cause and Secondly privately at home in praying with and instructing our families or else in the yet more private duties of the closet a mans own private prayers Reading Meditating and the like And that we may be at leisure for these a Rest from all worldly business is commanded therefore let no man th●nk that a bare rest from labour is all that is required of him on the Lords day but the time which he saves from the works of his calling he is to lay out on those spiritual duties For the Lords Day was never ordained to give us a pretence for idleness but only to change our unployment from worldly to heavenly much less was it meant that by our rest from our callings we should have more time-free to bestow upon our sins as too many do who are more constant on that day at the Alehouse then the Church But this Rest was commanded first to shadow out to us that Rest from sin which we are bound to all the dayes of our lives And secondly to take us off from our worldly business and to give us time to attend the service of God and the need of our souls 18. And surely if we rightly consider it it is a very great benefit to us that there is such a set time thus weekly returning for that purpose We are very intent and busie upon the world and if there were not some such time appointed to our hands it is to be doubted we should hardly allot any our selves And then what a starved condition must these poor souls of ours be in that shall never be afforded a meal whereas now there is a constant diet provided for them every Sunday if wee will conscionably imploy it may be a festival day to them may bring them in such spiritual food as may nourish them to eternal life We are not to look on this day with grudging like those in Amos 8. 5. Who ask When will the Sabbath be gone that we may set forth wheat As if that time were utterly lost which were taken from our worldly business But we are to consider it as the gainfullest as the joyfullest day of the week a day of harvest wherein we are to lay up in store for the whole week nay for our whole lives 19. But besides this of the weekly Lords day there are other times which the Church hath set apart for the remembrance of some special mercies of God such as the Birth and Resurrection of Christ the Descent of the Holy Ghost and the like and these dayes we are to keep in that manner which the Church hath ordered to wit in the solemn worship of God and in particular thanks giving for that special blessing we then remember And surely whoever is truly thankful for those rich mercies cannot think it too much to set apart some few dayes in a year for that purpose But then we are to look that our Feasts be truly spiritual by imploying the day thus holily and not make it an occasion of intemperance and disorder as too many who consider nothing in Christmass and other good times but the good cheers and jollity of them For that is doing despight in stead of honour to Christ who came to bring all purity and soberness into the world and therefore must not have that coming of his remembred in any other manner 20. Other dayes there are also set a part in memory of the Apostles and other Saints wherein we are to give hearty thanks to God for his graces in them particularly that they were made instruments of revealing to us Christ Jesus and the way of salvation as you know the Apostles were by their Preaching throughout the World And then farther we are to meditate on those Examples of holy life they have given us and stir up our selves to the imitation thereof And whoever does uprightly set himself to make these uses of these several Holy dayes will have cause by the benefit he shall finde from them to thank and not to blame the Church for ordering them 21. Another sort of dayes there are which we are likewise to observe and those are dayes of fasting and humiliation and whatever of this kinde the Church injoynes whether constantly at set times of the year or upon any special and more sudden occasion we are to observe in such manner as she directs that is not onely a bare abstaining from meat which is only the bodies punishment but in afflicting our souls humbling them deeply before God in a hearty confessing and bewailing of our own and the nations sins and earnest prayers for Gods pardon and forgivenesse and for the turning away of those judgements which those sins have called for But above all in turning our selves from our sins loosing the bands of wickedness as Isaiah speaks Chap. 58. 6. and exercising our selves in works of mercy dealing our bread to the hungry and the like as it there followes 22. Fourthly we are to expresse our reverence to God by honouring his Word and this we must certainly do if we do indeed honour him there being no surer signe of our despising any person then the setting light by what he sayes to us as on the contrary if we value One every word he speaks will be of weight with us Now this Word of God is expresly contained in the holy Scriptures the Old and New Testament where he speaks to us to shew us his Will

state of triumph and bliss in thy Kingdome through Jesus Christ. For JUSTICE O Thou King of righteousness who hast Commanded us to keep judgment and do Justice be pleased by thy grace to cleanse my heart and hands from all fraud and injustice and give me a perfect integrity and uprightness in all my dealings O make me ever abhor to use my power to oppress or my skill to deceive my brother and grant I may most strictly observe that sacred rule of doing as I would be done to that I may not dishonour my Christian prof●ssion by an unjust or fraudulent life but in simplicity and godly sincerity have my conversation in this life never seeking to heap up treasures of wickedness but preferring a little with righteousness before great revenues without right Lord make me exactly careful to render to every man what by any sort of obligation becomes his due that I may never break the bond of any of those relations that thou hast placed me in but may so behave my self towards all that none may have any evil thing to say of me that so if it be possible I may have peace with all men or however I may by keeping innocency and taking heed to the thing that is right have peace at the last even peace with thee through Jesus Christ our Lord. For CHARITY O Merciful Lord who hast made of one blood and redeemed by one ransome all Nations of men let me never harden my bowels against any that partake of the same nature and redemption with me but grant me an universal charity towards all men Give me O thou father of compassions such a tenderness and meltingness of heart that I may be deeply affected with all the miseries and calamities outward or inward of my brethren and diligently imploy all my abilities for their succour and relief O let not an unchristian self love possess my heart but drive out that accursed spirit and let thy Spirit of love enter and dwell there and make me seek not to please my self but my neighbour for his good to edification even as Christ pleased not himself Lord make me a faithful steward of all those talents thou hast committed to me for the benefit of others that so when thou shalt call me to give an account of my stewardship I may do it with joy and not with grief Grant this merciful Lord I beseech thee for Jesus Christ his sake For PERSEVERANCE O Eternal and unchangeable Lord God who art the same yesterday and to day and for ever Be thou pleased to communicate some small Ray of that excellence some degree of that stability to me thy wretched creature who am light and unconstant turned about with every blast my understanding is very deceivable O establish it in thy truth keep it from the snares of seducing spirits that I may not be led away with the error of the wicked and fall from my own stedfastness my will also O Lord is irresolute and wavering and doth not cleave stedfastly unto God my goodness is but as the morning cloud and as the early dew it passeth away O strengthen and confirm me and whatever good work thou hast wrought in me be pleased to accomplish and perform it until the day of Christ. Lord thou seest my weakness and thou knowest the number and strength of those temptations I have to struggle with O leave me not to my self but cover thou my head in the day of battel and in all spiritual combates make me more then conquerour through him that loved me O let no terrors or slatteries either of the world or my own flesh ever draw me from my obedience to thee but grant that I may continue stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord by patient continuance in well doing seek at last obtain glory and honour and Immortality and eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. A Brief Paraphrase of the LORDS PRAYER To be used as a Prayer Our Father which art in Heaven O LORD who dwellest in the highest heavens thou art the Author of our being thou hast also begotten us again unto a lively hope and carriest towards us the tenderness and bowels of a compassionate father O make us to render to thee the love and obedience of children and that we may resemble thee our father in heaven that place of true delight and purity give us a holy disdain of all the deceitful pleasures and foul pollutions of this world and so raise up our minds that we may always have our conversation in heaven from whence we look for our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. 1. Hallowed be thy Name STRIKE such an awe into our hearts that we may humbly reverence thee in thy Name which is great wonderful and holy and carry such a sacred respect to all things that relate to thee and thy worship as may express our reverence of thy great Majesty Let all the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee 2. Thy Kingdome come Establish thy Throne and rule for ever in our souls and by the power of thy grace subdue all those rebellious corruptions that exalt themselves against thee they are those enemies of thine which would not that thou shouldst reign over them O let them be brought forth and slain before thee and make us such faithful subjects of this thy Kingdome of Grace that we may be capable of the Kingdom of Glory and then Lord Jesus come quickly 3. Thy will be done in earth c. ENABLE us by thy grace chearfully to suffer thy will in all thy inflictions and readily to perform it in all thy commands give us of that heavenly zeal to thy service wherewith the blessed Angels of thy presence are inspired that we may obey thee with the like fervor and alacrity and that following them in their obedience we may be joyned with them to sing eternal praises in thy Kingdom to God and to the Lamb for ever 4. Give us this day our dayly bread GIVE us that continual supply of thy grace which may sustain and nourish our souls unto eternal life And be thou pleased also to provide for our bodies all those things which thou seest fit for their support through this our earthly pilgrimage and make us cheerfully to rest on thee for them first seeking thy Kingdome and the righteousness thereof and then not doubting but all these things shall be added unto us 5. Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them c. HEAL our souls O Lord for we have sinned against thee let thy tender mercies abound towards us in the forgiveness of all our offences And grant O Lord that we may never forfeit this pardon of thine by denying ours to our brethren but give us those bowels of compassion to others which we stand in so much greater need of from thee that we may forgive as fully and finally upon Christs command as we desire to be forgiven for his merits

The Whole DUTY of MAN laid down IN A PLAIN WAY for the use of the MEANEST READER Dwided into XVII CHAPTERS One whereof being read every LORDS DAY the whole may be Read over thrice in the Year Necessary for all Families With PRIVATE DEVOTIONS London Printed for T. Garthwait at the little North Door of S. Pauls 1659 Mr. GARTHWAIT YOu needed not any Intercession to recommend this task to me which brought its Invitations and Reward with it I very willingly read over all the sheets both of the Discourse and the Devotions annext and finde great cause to bless God for both not discerning what is wanting in any part of either to render it with Gods blessing most sufficient and proper to the great End designed the Spiritual supplies and advantages of all those that shall be exercised therein The Subject matter of it is indeed what the Title undertakes The Whole Duty of Man Set down in all the Branches with those advantages of brevity and Partitions to invite and support and engage the Reader That Condescension to the meanest capacities but with all That weight of Spiritual Arguments wherein the best Proficients will be glad to be assisted that it seems to me equally fitted for both sorts of Readers which shall bring with them a sincere desire of their own either present or future advantages The Devotion part in the Conclusion is no way inferiour being a seasonable aid to every mans Infirmities and hath extended it self very particularly to all our principal concernments The Introduction hath supplyed the place of a Preface which you seem to desire from me and leaves me no more to add but my Prayers to God That the Author which hath taken care to convey so liberal an Alms to the Corban so secretly may not miss to be rewarded openly in the visible power and benefit of this Work on the hearts of the whole Nation which was never in more need of such supplyes as are here afforded That his All-sufficient Grace will blesse the seed sown and give an abundant encrease is the humblest request of March 7. 1657 Your assured Friend H. HAMMOND A PREFACE To the ensuing TREATISE shewing the Necessity of Careing for the Soul Sect. 1. THE only intent of this ensuing Treatise is to be a short and Plain Direction to the very meanest Readers to behave themselves so in this world that they may be happy for ever in the next But because 't is in vain to tell men their Duties till they be perswaded of the necessity of performing it I shall before I proceed to the Particulars required of every Christian endeavour to win them to the practice of one general Duty preparatory to all the rest and that is the Consideration and CARE of their own SOULS without which they will never think themselves much concern'd in the other 2. MAN We know is made up of two parts a BODY and a SOUL The Body only the husk or shell of the Soul a lump of flesh subject to many diseases and pains while it lives and at last to Death it self and then 't is so far from being valued that 't is not to be endured above ground but layed to rot in the Earth Yet to this viler part of us we perform a great deal of Care all the labour toil we are at is to maintain that But the more precious part the Soul is little thought of no care taken how it fares but as if it were a thing that nothing concern'd us is left quite neglected never consider'd by us 3. This Carelesness of the Soul is the root of all the sin we commit therefore whosoever intends to sit upon a Christian course must in the first place amend that To the doing whereof there needs no deep learning or extraordinary parts the simplest man living that is not a natural fool hath understanding enough for it if he will but act in this by the same Rules of cōmon Reason whereby he proceeds in his worldly business I will therefore now briefly set down some of those Motives which use to stir up our care of any outward thing and then apply them to the Soul 4. There be FOUR things especially which use to awake our care the first is the Worth of the thing the Second the Usefulness of it to us when we cannot part with it without great damage and mischief the Third the great Danger of it and the Fourth the Likelihood that our care will not be in vain but that it will preserve the Thing cared for 5. For the First we know our care of any worldly thing is answerable to the worth of it what is of greatest Price we are most watchful to preserve most fearful to lose no man locks up dung in his chest but his money or what he counts precious he doth Now in this respect the Soul deserves more care then all the things in the world besides for t is infinitely more worth First in that it is made after the Image of God it was God that breathed into man this breath of life Gen. 2. 7. Now God being of the greatest Excellency and worth the more anything is like him the more it is to be valued But 't is sure that no Creature upon the earth is at all like God but the Soul of man and therefore nothing ought to have so much of our care Secondly the Soul never Dies We use to prize things according to their Durableness what is most Lasting is most Worth Now the Soul is a thing that will last for ever when Wealth Beauty Strength nay our very bodies themselves fade away the Soul still Continues Therefore in that respect also the Soul is of the greatest worth and then what strange madness is it for us to neglect them as we do We can spend Days and Weeks and Moneths and Years nay our whole lives in hunting after a little wealth of this world which is of no Durance or continuance and in the mean time let this great durable treasure our Souls be stollen from us by the Divel 6. A second Motive to our care of any thing is the USEFULNES of it to us or the great Mischief we shall have by the loss of it Common Reason teaches us this in all things of this life If our Hairs fall we do not much regard it because we can be well enough without them But if we are in danger to lose our Eyes or Limbs we think all the care we can take little enough to prevent it because we know it will be a great misery But certainly there is no Misery to be compared to that misery that follows the Loss of the Soul 'T is true we cannot Lose our Souls in one sense that is so lose them that they shall cease to Be but we may lose them in another that we shall wish to lose them even in that That is we may lose that happy estate to which they were created and plunge them

our Love 39. But I fear there are not many have this to shew for it as appears by the common backwardness and unwillingness of men to come to these and their negligence and heartlesness when they are at them and can we think that God will ever own us for lovers of him whilest we have such dislikes to his company that we will never come into it but when we are drag'd by fear or shame of men or some such worldly Motive It is sure you would not think that man loved you whom you perceived to shun your company and to be loath to come in your sight And therefore be not so unreasonable as to say You love God when yet you desire to keep as far from him as you can 40. But besides this there is another Enjoyment of God which is more perfect and compleat and that is our perpetual enjoying of him in heaven where we shal be for ever united to him and enjoy him not now and then only for short spaces of time as we do here but continually without interruption or breaking off And certainly if we have that degree of love to God we ought this cannot but be most earnestly desired by us so much that we shall think no labour too great to compass it The seven years that Jacob served for Rachel Gen. 29. 20. seemed to him but a few dayes for the love that he had to her surely if we have love to God we shall not think the service of our whole lives too dear a price for this full Enjoyment of him nor esteem all the Enjoyments of the world worth the looking on in comparison thereof 41. If we can truly tell our selves we do thus long for this enjoyment of God we may believe we love him But I fear again there are but few that can thus approve their love For if we look into mens lives we shall see they are not generally so fond of this Enjoyment as to be at any pains to purchase it And not only so but it is to be doubted there are many who if it were put to their choice whether they would live here alwayes to enjoy the profit and pleasure of the world or go to heaven to enjoy God would like the children of Gad and Reuben set up their rest on this side Jordan Num. 32. and never desire that heavenly Canaan so close do their affections cleave to things below which shews clearly they have not made God their treasure for then according to our Saviours Rule Mat. 6. 21. their heart would be with him Nay further yet it is too plain that many of us set so little value on this Enjoying of God that we preser the vilest and basest sins before him and chuse to Enjoy them though by it we utterly lose our parts in Him which is the case of every man that continues wilfully in those sins 42. And now I fear according to these Rules of Trial many that prefess to love God will be found not to do so I conclude al with the words of S. John 1 Ep. 3. 18. Which though spoken of the love of our brethren is very fitly appliable to this love of God let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth 43. A Fourth duty to God is FEAR this arises from the consideration both of his Justice his Power his Justice is such that he will not clear the wicked his Power such that he is able to inflict the sorest punishments upon them and that this is a reasonable cause of fear Christ himself tells us Mat. 10. 18. Fear him which is able to destroy both body and soul in hell Many other places of Scripture there are which commend to us this duty as Ps. 2. 11. Serve the Lord with fear Psal. 34. 9. Fear the Lord ye that be his Saints Pro. 9. 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and divers the like and indeed all the threatnings of wrath against sinners which we meet with in the Scripture are only to this end to work this fear in our hearts 44. Now this fear is nothing else but such an awful regard of God as may keep us from offending him This the wise man tells us Pro. 16. 17. The fear of the Lord is to depart from evil so that none can be said truly to fear God that is not thereby withheld from sin this is but answerable to that common fear we have towards man who ever we know may hurt us we wilbeware of provoking therefore if we be not as wary of displeasing God it is plain we fear men more then we do him 45. How great a madness this is thus to fear men above God will soon appear if we compare what man can do to us with that which God can And first it is sure it is not in the power of man I might say Devils too to do us any hurt unless God permit and suffer them to do it so that if we do but keep him our friend we may say with the Psalmist The Lord is on my side I fear not what man can do unto me For let their malice be never so great he can restrain and keep them from hurting us nay he can change their mindes toward us according to that of the wise man Prov. 16. 7. When a mans wayes please the Lord he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him A notable example of this we have in Jacob Gen. 32. who when his brother Esau was coming against him as an enemy God wonderfully turned his heart so that he met him with all the expressions of brotherly kindness as you may read in the next Chapter 46. But secondly suppose men were left at liberty to do thee what mischief they could alas their power goes but a little way they may perhaps rob thee of thy goods it may be they may take away thy liberty or thy credit or perchance thy life too but that thou knowest is the utmost they can do But now God can do all this when he pleases and that which is infinitely more his vengeance reaches even beyond death it self to the eternal misery both of Body and Soul in hell in comparison of which death is so inconsiderable that we are not to look upon it with any dread Fear not them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do saith Christ Luke 12. 4. And then immediately adds But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell yea I say unto you Fear him In which words the comparison is set between that greatest ill we can suffer from man the loss of life and those sadder evils God can inflict on us and the latter are found to be the onely dreadful things and therefore God only to be feared 47. But there is yet one thing farther considerable in this matter

instructions and advices we there meet with and use them faithfully to that end of overcoming our sins Therefore when ever thou comest to the Physician of thy Soul do as thou wouldst with the Physician of thy Body thou comest to him not only to hear him talk and tell thee what will cure thee but also to do according to his directions and if thou dost not so here thou art as vain as he that expects a bare receipt from his Doctor shall cure him though he never make use of it Nay thou art much more vain and ridiculous for that though it do him no good will do him no harm he shall never be the worse for having been taught a medicine though he use it not but in these Spiritual Receipts it is otherwise if we use them not to our good they will do us a great deal of harm they will rise up in judgement against us and make our condemnation so much the heavier Beware therefore not to bring that danger upon thy self but when thou hast heard a Sermon consider with thy self what directions there were in it for enabling thee to eschew evil or to do good And if there were any thing especially concern'd thine own bosome sin lay that close to thy heart and all the week after make it matter of meditation think of it even whilst thou art at thy work if thou wantest other time and not only think of it but set to the practice of it do what thou wert advised to for the subduing sins and quickning grace in thee Finally look carefully to practice the counsel of the Apostle Jam. 1. 22. Be ye doers of the Word not hearers only deceiving your own souls To hope for good from the Word without doing of it is it seems nothing but a deceiving our selves Let us never therefore measure our godliness by the number of Sermons which we hear as if the hearing many were the certain mark of a good Christian but by the store of fruit we bring forth by them without which all our hearing will serve but to bring us into that heavier portion of stripes which belongs to him that knowes his Masters will and does it not Luke 12. 47. But this reverence which is due to Preaching we must not pay to all that is now a dayes called so for God knows there are many false Prophets gone out into the world as the Apostle speaks 1 John 41. And now if ever is that advice of his necessary To try the spirits whether they be of God But what I have said I mean only of the Preaching of those who first have a lawful calling to the Office and secondly frame their doctrine according to the right rule the written Word of God But if any man say He is not able to judg whether the Doctrine be according to the Word or no let him at least try it by the common known rules of duty which he doth understand and if he find it a Doctrine giving men liberty to commit those things which are by all acknowledged sins such as rebellion injustice unmercifulness uncleanness or the like he may conclude it is utterly contrary to God and his Word and then abhorrence and not reverence belongs to it 31. Fifthly we are to express our honouring of God by Reverencing his Sacraments those are two Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. And this we are to do First by our high esteem of them Secondly by our reverent usage of them we are first to prize them at a high rate looking on them as the instruments of bringing to us the greatest blessings we can receive The first of them Baptism that enters us into covenant with God makes us members of Christ and so gives us right to all those precious benefits that flow from him to wit pardon of sins sanctifying grace and heaven it self on condition we perform our parts of the Covenant And as for the Lords Supper that is not only a signe and remembrance of Christ and his death but it is actually the giving Christ and all the fruits of his death to every worthy receiver and therefore there is a most high estimation and value due to each of them 32. And not only so but in the second place we must shew our reverence in our usage of them and that First before Secondly at and Thirdly after the time of receiving them It is true that the Sacrament of Baptism being now administred to us when we are Infants it is not to be expected of us that we should in our own persons do any thing either before or at the time of receiving it those performances were strictly required of all persons who were baptized when they were of years But for us it suffices to give us this right to Baptism that we are born within the pale of the Church that is of Christian parents and all that is required at that time is what we can only perform by others they in our stead promising that when we come to years we will perform our parts of the Covenant But by how much the less we are then able to do so much the greater bond lies on us to perform those after-duties required of us by which we are to supply the want of the former 33. Now if you would know what those duties are look over those promises which your Godfathers and Godmothers then made in your name and you may then learn them I cannot give you them in a better form then that of our Churches Catechism which tells That our Godfathers and Godmothers did promise and vow three things in our names first that we should forsake the Devil and all his workes the pomps and vanities of this wicked world and all the sinful lusts of the flesh Where by the Devil is meant first the worshipping of all false gods which is indeed but worshipping the Devil A sin which at the time of Christs coming into the world was very common most part of mankinde then living in that vile Idolatry And therefore when Baptism was first ordained it was but needful to make the forsaking of those false gods a principal part of the vow And though those false worships are now much rarer yet there was one special part of them which may be feared to be yet too common among us and that is all sorts of uncleanness which though we do not make Ceremonies of our Religion as the Heathens did of theirs yet the committing thereof is a most high provocation in Gods eyes such as drew him to destroy whole Cities with fire and brimstone as you may read Gen. 19. Nay the whole World with water Gen. 6. and will not fail to bring down judgments and strange ones on any that continue therein and therefore the forsaking them well deserves to be look't on as an especial part of this promise Besides this all dealing with the Devil is here vowed against whether it be by practising witchcraft our selves or consulting

with those that do upon any occasion whatever as the recovery of our health our goods or whatever else for this is a degree of the former sin it is the forsaking of the Lord and setting up the Devil for our God whilst we go to him in our needs for help 34. But we also renounce all the works of the Devil and those are either in general all those which the Devil tempts us to or else those particular kinds of sin which have most of his image on them that is those which he himself most practises such are pride which brought him from being an Angel of light to the accursed condition he is now in and lying he is as our Saviour saith John 8. 44. A lyar and the Father of it and such also are malice and envy especially killing and destroying of others for he was a murderer from the beginning John 8. 48. But above all there is nothing wherein we become so like him as in tempting and drawing others to sin which is his whole trade and business and if we make it any part of ours we become like that roaring Lion that goes about seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5. 8. 35. The second thing we vow to forsake is the pomps and vanities of this wicked world By the pomps and vanities there are several things meant some of them such as were used by the Heathens in some Unlawful sports of theirs wherein we are not now so much concern'd there being none of them remaining among us but besides that there is meant all excess either in diet or sports or apparel when we keep not those due measures which either by the general rules of sobriety or the particular circumstances of our qualities and callings we are bound to Next by the wicked world we may understand first the wealth and greatness of the world which though we do not so totally renounce that it is unlawful for a Christian to be either rich or great yet we thus far promise to forsake them that we will not set our hearts upon them nor either get or keep them by the least unlawful means Secondly by the wicked world we may understand the companies and customes of the world which so far as they are wicked we here renounce that is we promise never to be drawn by company to the commission of a sin but rather to forsake the most delightful company then be ensnared by it nor yet by custome but rather venture the shame of being thought singular ridiculous persons walk as it were in a path by our selves then put our selves into that broad way that leads to destruction by giving our selves over to any sinful custome how common soever it be grown If this part of our vo● were but throughly considered it would arm us against most of the temptations the world offers us company and custome being the two special instruments by which it works on us 36. A third thing we renounce is all the sinful lusts of the flesh where the flesh is to he understood in that sense wherein the Scripture often uses it for the fountain of all disordered affections For though those unclean desires which we ordinarily call the lusts of the flesh are here meant yet they are not the only things here contained there being divers other things which the Scripture calls the works of the flesh I cannot better inform you of them then by setting down that list S. Paul gives of them Gal. 5. 19 20 21. Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness idolatry witchcraft hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murders drunkenness revellings and such like This with those other descriptions you will finde scattered in several places of Scripture will shew you there are many things contained under this part of your vow the forsaking all the sinful lusts of the flesh 37. The second thing our Godfathers and Godmothers promised for us was that we should believe all the Articles of the Christian faith These we have summed up together in that which we call the Apostles Creed which since we promise to believe we are supposed also to promise to learn them and that not only the words but likewise the plain sense of them for who can believe what he either never heard of or knows not any thing of the meaning of it Now by this believing is meant not only the consenting to the truth of them but also the living like them that do believe As for Example our believing that God created us should make us live in that subjection and obedience to him which becomes Creatures to their Creator the believing that Christ Redeemed us should make us yield up our selves to him as his purchase to be disposed wholly by him and imployed only in his service The believing a judgment to come should give us care so to walk that we may not be condemned in it And our believing the life everlasting should make us diligent so to imploy our short moment of time here that our everlasting life may be a life of joy not of misery to us In this manner from all the Articles of the Creed we are to draw Motives to confirm us in all Christian Practice to which end it is that our learning and believing of them tends and therefore without it we are very far from making good this part of our vow the believing all the Articles of the Christian faith 38. The last part of our vow is that we should keep Gods holy will and Commandments and walk in the same all the dayes of our lives Where by our keeping of Gods holy will and commandments is meant our doing of all those things which he hath made known to us to be his will we should perform wherein he hath given us his holy Word to instruct us and teach us what it is that he requires of us and now he expects that we should faithfully do it without favouring our selves in the breach of any one of his commands And then in this entire obedience we must walk all the dayes of our lives That is we must go on in a constant course of obeying God not onely fetch some few steps in his wayes but walk in them and that not for some part of our time but all the dayes of our lives never turn out of them but go on constantly in them as long as we live in this world 39. Having now thus briefly explained to you this vow made at your Baptism all I shall adde concerning it is only to remember you how nearly you are concern'd in the keeping it and that first in respect of justice secondly in respect of advantage and benefit That you are in justice bound to it I need say no more but that it is a promise and you know justice requires of every man the keeping of his promise But then this is of all other promises the most solemn and binding for it

is it seems so burdensome a thing that even this vilest employment is preferred before it But this is in many a very false plea. For they often spend time at the pot not only when they have nothing else to do but even to the neglect of their most necessary business However it is in all a most unreasonable one for there is no man but he may finde somewhat or other to imploy himself in If he have little worldly business of his own he may yet do somewhat to the benefit of others but however there is no man but hath a Soul and if he will look carefully to that he need not complain for want of business where there are so many corruptions to mortifie so many inclinations to watch over so many temptations whereof this of drunkenness is not the least to resist The Graces of God to improve and stir up and former neglects of all these to lament sure there can never want sufficient imployment for all these require time and so men at their deaths find for then those that have all their lives made it their business to drive away their time would then give all the world to redeem it And sure where there is much leisure from wordly affairs God expects to have the more time thus imployed in Spiritual exercises But it is not likely those meaner sort of persons to whom this book is intended will be of the number of those that have much leisure and therefore I shall no farther insist on it only I shall say this that what degrees of leisure they at any time have it concerns them to imploy to the benefit of their souls and not to bestow it to the ruine of them as they do who spend it in drinking 8. A sixth end is said to be the preventing of that reproach which is by the world cast on those that will in this be stricter then their neighbours but in answer to this I shall first ask What is the harm of such reproach sure it cannot equal the least of those mischiefs drunkenness betrayes us to Nay if we will take our Saviours words it is a happiness Blessed saith he are ye when men shall revile you and say all manner of evil against you for my sake Mat. 5. 11. And S. Peter tells us 1 Peter 4. 14. If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye and sure to be reproached for obedience to any command of Christs is to be reproached for his Name Secondly Let it be remembred that at our Baptism we solemnly renounced the world and shall we now so far consider it as for a sew scoffs of it to run our selves on all the temporal evils before mentioned and which is much worse the wrath of God and eternal destruction But Thirdly If you fear reproach why do ye do that which will bring reproach upon you from all wise and good men whose opinion alone is to be regarded And it is certain drinking is the way to bring it on you from all such And to comfort thy self against that by thinking thou art still applauded by the foolish and worst sort of men is as if all the mad men in the world should agree to count themselves the only sober persons and all others mad which yet sure will never make them the less mad nor others the less sober Lastly consider the heavie doom Christ hath pronounc'd on those that are ashamed of him and so are all those that for fear of reproach shall shrink from their obedience to him Mat. 8. 38. Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of the Father with the holy Angels There is none but will at that day desire to be owned by Christ But whoever will not here own him that is cleave fast to his commands notwithstanding all the scornes nay persecutions of the world shall then certainly be cast off by him And he that will adventure thus to maintain his credit among a company of Fools and Madmen deserves well to have it befal him But after all this it is not sure that even these will despise thee for thy sobriety it is possible they may seem to do so to fright thee out of it but if their hearts were searched it would be found they do even against their wills bear a secret reverence to sober persons and none fall more often under their scorn and despising then those that run with them to the same excess of riot for even he that sticks not to be drunk himself will yet laugh at another that he sees so 9. There is a seventh end which though every man think too base to own yet it is too plain it prevails with many And that is the bare pleasure of the drink but to these I confess it will not be fit to say much for he that is come to this lamentable degree of sottishness is not like to receive benefit by any thing can be said Yet let me tell even this man that he of all others hath the most means of discerning his fault for this being such a ground of drinking as no body will own he is condemned of himself yea and all his fellow drunkards too for their denying it is a plain sign they acknowledge it a most abominable thing And if Esau were called a profane person Heb. 12. 6. for selling but his birth right for a mess of pottage and that too when he had the necessity of hunger upon him what name of reproach can be bad enough for him who sells his health his reason his God his soul for a cup of drink and that when he is so far from needing it that perhaps he hath already more then he can keep I shall say no more to this sort of persons but let me warn all those that go on in the sin on any of the former grounds that a little time will bring them even to this which they profess to loathe it being daily seen that those which first were drawn into the sin for the love of the company at last continue in it for love of the drink 10. I can think but of one end more that is that of Bargaining Men say it is necessary for them to drink in this one respect of trading with their neighbours bargains being most conveniently to be struck up at such meetings But this is yet a worse end then all the rest for the bottom of it is an aim of cheating and defrauding others We think when men are in drink we shall the better be able to over-reach them and so this adds the sin of cousenage and defrauding to that of drunkenness Now that this is indeed the intent is manifest for if it were only the dispatch of bargains were aimed at we should chuse to take men with their wits about them therefore the taking them when drink