PARTITION I.

THE Incarnation of our Blessed Lord, is with­out doubt a sufficient warrant for the Salva­ [...]n of our Souls, if we perform the [Page 2] Conditions annext to it; which [...] in general to use our honest endea [...] ­vours to obey the whole Will [...] God, according as we have it co [...] ­vey'd to us, by the Light of Na­ture, and the Light of the Hol [...] Scriptures.

The Light of Na­ture in the first pla [...] Of the Light of Nature. is a Light which Go [...] has stampt upon o [...] very Souls, by the guidance [...] which, without the help of Scri [...] ­ture mere Natural Conscience wou [...] direct us in the performance [...] several Duties. Such as are [...] Worship a God, to be Just one [...] another, and to Honour our P [...] ­rents, and the like.

The Light of Scri [...] ­tures is a far mo [...] Of the Light of Scripture. Divine Light, whe [...] in God hath laid b [...] ­fore us both his Commands, a [...] Precepts, to be the general Rul [...] and Grounds of our Duty.

The general Rules of the Du [...] of every Christian are brie [...] [Page 3] comprehended under these three Heads; The three great Bran­ches of Mans Duty. our Duty to God, our Selves, and our Neighbours, and those three I intend for the Subject of the following Dis­course.

The Foundation of our Duty to God, is Duty to God grounded chiefly up­on our acknowledging him to be God, and then admitting of no o­ther.

And first by ac­knowledging Acknowledg­ing him to be God. him to be a God, we are to believe him to be an Infinite Glorious Being, without either beginning or end, both Fa­ther, Son, and Holy Ghost, God blessed for ever.

We are likewise to To believe him in his Attributes. believe him in his Attributes; to be a God of Mercy, Ju­stice, and Power, that he sees and knows all things, and disposes eve­ry [Page 4] Event, according to his Will, and that he can never cease to be other than perfectly Good, Merci­ful and Just.

The believing him to be our God signifies yet more, it means by Faith we should believe the Ho­ly Scriptures to be his Word, and that all that he speaks to us by them, are most true; that all that he affirms is Indubi­table, that his Com­mands Of Faith, of God's Affir­mations, Commands, Threatnings, and Promises are Just, and Equal, his Threat­nings and Punish­ments certain and un­avoidable, and that all his Promises are Yea and Amen, and will most cer­tainly be made good to all those that faithfully depend upon him.

This is the summ of our Faith, or Belief of those things God has been pleased to reveal to us in the Holy Scriptures.

The next Duty to God is Hope, which is a comfortable Expectation of his Promises, and should be al­ways [Page 5] preserv'd from the dangerous ex­tream Of Hope, Presumption, and Despair. of Presumpti­on or Despair; We should neither de­pend to much, nor too little upon his. Mercies, but rely upon his Ju­stice, and Integrity for our Re­wards and Punishments.

A Third Duty we owe to God is Love, Of Love and the Motives, i. e. Gods Goodness, Excellence, and his kind­ness to Men. a Duty which with­out doubt he has the the greatest right to, both upon the account of his Goodness and Compassion to us, his Innate Excellence, and his particular Kindness to all Man­kind.

God is most Good, Just and Ex­cellent, he is perfectly Holy, Kind, and Compassionate, and cannot be charg'd with any Impurity, or the least mixture of any thing that is evil; his Goodness and Kindness are Immence and Infinite, and have been so abundantly demonstrated [Page 6] both to our Bodies and Souls, that we cannot refuse him our Love without the greatest Injustice.

The Scripture abound with Holy Invitations, endearing Promises and affectionate Offers, by which he endeavours, as it were, to woo us into good Lives, and to entreat us to accept of Happiness here and E­ternal Happiness hereafter.

The two great To­kens of our true The Fruits of Love, a de­sire to please [...] and enjoy him. Love to God are First, An earnest de­sire to please him [...] and Secondly, To enjoy him. This is the common Indication of true Love in all ordi­nary Cases; and above all othe [...] things doth best approve us to thos [...] we have a real value for.

The reality of ou [...] Affections to Go [...] Of pleasing God. are best declar'd, b [...] a steady Conformit [...] to the Divine Will, a readiness t [...] obey his Commandments, and a [...] awful regard to his Precepts; the [...] [Page 7] are indeed Arguments of our real Love, and Affection, and the only way we can make use of, either to please him, or to shew the sinceri­ty of our Hearts.

Next to pleasing Of enjoying him. God, a desire to en­joy him is consistent with our Love; if we love God in earnest we shall covet to be always in his Company, conversing with him in Prayers and Meditations, hearing his Word and receiving his Sacraments, which is the only means of enjoying God in this World.

Our enjoyment of God in the next is far more permanent and compleat; there we shall be conti­nually with him in eternal fruition of Joy and Happiness, in compari­son of which all our advantages in [...]his Life are but empty Baubles and Trifles.

A Fourth Duty to Fear. God is Fear, which [...]rises from the consideration of his Power and Justice; and those in Conjunction, do both enable, and [Page 8] oblige him to punish the Wicked an awful regard and belief of which is the only means that can restr [...] us from offending him.

God is the chiefes [...] Object of Fear, and We ought not to fear Man more than God. therefore we ough [...] not to fear Man mor [...] than God. I will no [...] fear, says the Psal [...] ­mist, what Man can do unto me. Me [...] have no Power to do us hurt unles [...] by God's Permission, and then the [...] Malice can reach no further neithe [...] than our Goods, Names, Liberties or our Lives; the Destruction o [...] Soul and Body together is Gods Pre [...] ­rogative only.

'Tis God alone that knows a [...] our secret Thoughts and Transact [...] ­ons, all our Sins though committe [...] with never so much Privacy, lie al [...] ­ways open before him, and he'll b [...] sure to find us out, and punish [...] unless we repent, which indeed i [...] the greatest Argument that can b [...] to awaken our Fears and engage ou [...] Apprehensions.

A Fifth Duty to God is Trust, that is, Trust. a depending and rest­ing upon him in all our Dangers. Wants and Extremities, whether Spiritual or Temporal.

In our Spiritual Dangers, we are to Spiritual Dangers. throw our selves up­on God's Assistance, and to implore him to strengthen us with the Grace of his Holy Spi­rit, that we may be able to with­stand, or at least to remove the Temptation.

In our Temporal Temporal Dangers. Dangers we are to rest and depend up­on him, to commit our selves to the shadow of his Wings, under the Royal Prophets Assurance, Psalm [...]4. 22. That the Lord delivereth the Souls of the Saints, and all that put their trust in him shall not be destitute.

In all our Dangers and Distresses, with Prayers and Tears we are to implore his aid, and not attempt to deliver our selves by any wicked [Page 10] Act; we must never use sinful means, not We must not seek to deli­ver our selves by Sin. even the Preservati­on of our Lives and Liberties can make any the least pre­tence for the doing an unjust thing; Christ himself has told us, that if we gain the whole World and loose our own Souls, we are great loosers by the Bargain; if therefore things should ever come to that unhappy Issue, that we must part with our Estates, perhaps our Lives, or else commit Sin, we should then re­member that that's the proper sea­son to fight under the Banner of the great Captain of our Salvation, the Crucify'd JESƲS.

In our spiritual Necessities we are to Spiritual wants. fly to God with Tears in our Eyes and in­voke his Assistance, we are to pour out our Souls before him, and then we may depend upon it, that as he has commanded us nothing that he has not given us Power to perform, [Page 11] so he will suffer us to want nothing that we ask of him with a holy and devout Integrity of mind.

We are likewise to rely upon him in all Temporal wants. our Temporal and Bodily Wants; he has oblig'd himself to take care of all his faithful Servants, his Eye is upon them that fear him, and them that hope in his Mercy, to deliver their Souls from Death, and to feed them in the time of Famine.

If we do our Duty honestly and religi­ously The Benefits of trusting in God. in our several Places and Callings, then as the Apostle adviseth we may cast all our Care upon God who careth for us, and he who is subject to no sort of De­ceit or Impoverishment, that best knows our wants, and is best able to supply 'em, will be sure in the proper season, to relieve us against all Dangers and Necessities whether Spiritual or Temporal.

I conclude this with the words of [Page 12] the Apostle, Phil. 4. 6. Be careful in nothing, but in every thing by Prayer and Supplication, with thanks­giving, let your Request be made known to God.

PARTITION II.

A Sixth Duty to Humility. God is Humili­ty, which from an humble sence of our own Meanness and his Excel­lency should work in us a twofold Submission, the first to his Will, the second to his Wisdom.

A Submission to the Will of God con­sists Submission to God's Will, with respect to Obedience. chiefly in our O­bedience or Patience, in the first by urging [Page 13] us to a ready Complaisance to his Commands, by melting down our stubborn haughty Minds, without which we can never come to know, worship, or obey him, with that profound Distance and Submission which the greatness of his Majesty, and the importance of his Com­mands require.

To promote our O­bedience, The great distance be­tween God and Man. we should often reflect upon that vast distance that is between God and our Selves, that we are but pollu­ted Dust and Ashes, wretched Creatures but of a few Hours, and that he's without Beginning or End, Immortal and Eternal.

That our best Works and Perfor­mances The unwor­thiness of our best Works. are utterly unworthy of him, or at least unworthy of our own Commendation, the best we can do when we come to com­pare it with the Perfection and Pu­rity of Almighty God, as the Pro­phet [Page 14] expresses it, Is but as filthy Rags, and therefore we ought by no means to boast of our own Works or to attribute any of them to our selves, but to give God the Glory and preheminence in all our Acti­ons.

The Second kind of Submission to Gods Submission with respect of Patience. Will is Patience, which consists in an humble acquiescence to all the Afflictions which HE is pleas'd to lay upon us. This will make us ea­sie under all his Dispensations, and entitle us to a kind of Repose even in the midst of our Troubles, and is indeed the pure effect of that Hu­mility that does so highly recom­mend us to Almighty God.

A patient Submis­sion to the Will o [...] Thankfulness for Gods cor­rection. God will give us [...] right notion of our Af­flictions rather than encline us to murmurs and com­plaints, will convince us, that God chastizes us out of Friendship, and [Page 15] so consequently that we are oblig'd to thank him for his Correction, as indeed we are upon many extraor­dinary Accounts, but especially as they are Marks of his Care and Love.

Our quiet, and Fruitfulness under Affli­ctions. thankfulness under Afflictions is not all neither, the Fruit of 'em should be Repentance, that's God's chief Design in laying them upon us; that they should force us to call our selves to an account, and enquire diligently what it is that has engag'd him to deal with us in so rough a method.

In all our Suffer­ings In all sorts of Sufferings. and Afflictions we ought to look up­on God's permissive Power as the Principle Agent, and with Holy Job's Patience, let them be deriv'd to us either from God or Man; and in his Words, bless the Name of the Lord for giving us warn­ing.

Secondly, I told you that Humi­lity [Page 16] contain'd likewise a Submission to God's Submission to Gods Wisdom Wisdom, as well as his Will; God being infinitely Wise and Just, we are to submit to him in all his Commands and Dispensations.

We are to submit to him in his Com­mands, In his Com­mands. by making our Understanding [...]end to his Will and Word, how opposite soever it may be to our own carnal Reason or Humours, for when we consider that his Wisdom is Infinite and cannot Err, we own an Obligation to believe and obey every thing he speaks or commands.

We are likewise to submit to the Wis­dom In his Dis­posals. of God in all his Dealings and Dispen­sations, and tho many Events hap­pen contrary to the ordinary Course of things, and are utterly above the reach of our narrow Capacities to comprehend, yet being all cho­sen and determin'd by the unerring [Page 17] Wisdom of God, we ought to sub­mit to them, with the greatest Satisfaction and Humility.

The next Duty to God is Honour, which Honour. consists in the paying him such a respect and Reverence as belongs to the greatness of his Majesty, and this may be either in­wardly in our Hearts, or outward­ly in our publick Actions, and Be­haviour towards him.

Besides, the gene­ral, there are parti­cular Several ways of honouring God, in his House and Possessions. Ways of honou­ring God, as First, By approaching his House, the Church with Reverence, and behaving our selves there with De­votion and Attention; Secondly, In his Possessions by paying our Tithes and Just, Dues which God has appointed for the maintenance of his Ministers.

The Sin of Sacriledge and defrau­ding the Ministry, is a very great and crying Sin; 'tis the downright [Page 18] robbing of God, an [...] indeed his Vengean [...] The great sin of Sacrilege and the Pu­nishment of it. is in nothing mo [...] discernable then in h [...] Punishment of it; u [...] ▪ ­on which account w [...] should have a ve [...] strict Care never to medle with [...] ­ny thing set a part for God.

The Third Thin [...] whereby we are t [...] The Lords Day and Feasts of the Church to be kept Holy. express our reverenc [...] to God, is by keepin [...] Holy the particula [...] Times set a part fo [...] his Service, such a [...] are the Sunday's, or Lords-days and other solemn Festivals appoint▪ ­ed by the Church; this he ha [...] strictly requir'd of us, and herei [...] we must not disappoint him upo [...] any pretence.

Days of Fasting an [...] Humiliation are like wise The Fasts. to be solemnl [...] observ'd, that according to the De­sign of the Church, we may mee [...] together, and humble our selve [...] [Page 19] [...]eeply before God, and with Pray­ers and Tears bewail our own and [...]he Sins of the Nation.

Fourthly, We are [...]o express our Ho­nour God's word the Holy Scriptures. to God, by pay­ [...]ng an awful Reve­ [...]ence and respect to [...]is Word, by frequent reading the Holy Scriptures, and by collecting [...]he measures of a good Life from those lively Oracles; by attending upon the Duties of Religion, and [...]y being present as often as we may at the publick Catechizings and Ser­mons.

Catechizing in the Of Catechi­zing. first Place is the Foun­dation upon which the whole Christian Practice must be built, 'tis therefore the Duty of every Parent to have his Children early instructed in the Church Ca­techism, and for this end they are to call in the help of their respective Ministers; and for those that have been so unhappy to want these In­structions in their Youth, it con­cerns [Page 20] 'em as nearly as their Sou [...] to have their minds Principl'd wi [...] the Conditions of their Salvati [...] as soon as they can, which neith [...] the Consideration of their Age, [...] any other pretence should perswa [...] them to defer for one Moment.

After they are i [...] ▪ ­structed in the Pr [...] ­ciples Of Preach­ing. of their Relig [...] ▪ ­on, they ought th [...] to apply themselves to the heari [...] of Sermons, which they ought [...] attend too, not out of Custome Formality, but for the true ends f [...] which they were first intende [...] The Doctrines are to be lockt up our Hearts, that we may have 'e [...] in a readiness to combate all o [...] Lust and Follies, and to beat off a [...] our Temptations; this is the gre [...] end of Preaching, and unless [...] make this use of it, it signifies litt [...] towards the Salvation of our Souls.

Fifthly, We are [...] Honour God in [...] strict Of the Sa­craments. Reverence [...] the two Sacraments [Page 21] [...]. Baptism, and the Lords Sup­ [...]r; the first we are to respect a particular Covenant between [...]d and our selves, the first and [...]lie [...]t Sign of our Salvation; and [...]e second as a remembrance of [...]rist's Death, and the Priviledges [...]riv'd to us upon that account.

The Sacrament of [...]ptism being admi­ [...]tred Of Baptism. to us in our [...]ancy. It is not expected from to perform the Covenants which [...] engage our selves to by our [...]reties, but then this lays the [...]eater Obligation upon us when [...]e come to Years of Discretion, to double our Duty, that we may [...]ake the best amends we can, for [...]e defects of our Minority.

To come to a true Knowledge of [...]e Duties we Promise at our Bap­ [...]m; the right way will be to con­ [...]er what our God fathers and God­ [...] others Vow in our [...]ames, and that we The Vow of Baptism. all find to be, to re­ [...]unce the Devil and [Page 22] all his Works, by which is meant t [...] Worshipping all false Gods, whi [...] is indeed the worshipping the D [...] ▪ ­vil; Secondly, The Pomps and Va [...] ­ties of the World, that is, all inor [...] ­nate desires of Riches and Gre [...] ­ness, all unlawful Sports and Ex [...] ­ses in Meat or Apparel, and all [...] ­ther sinful things wherein t [...] World is apt to deceive us; a [...] Thirdly, The sinful Lust of t [...] Flesh, by which is understood [...] inordinate Appetites, and all u [...] clean and carnal Desires, and t [...] is the first part of our Covenant.

The second general Thing o [...] God-fathers and God-mothers p [...] ­mis'd for us in our Baptism; [...] that we should believe all the A [...] ­cles of the Christian Faith, as th [...] are summ'd up to us in the Ap [...] ­stles Creed, and not barely belie [...] them neither, but to have all [...] Principles so deeply impress'd a [...] engraven in our Minds, that fr [...] thence we may be able to draw s [...] ­ficient Motives to the Practice Vertue and Piety.

The last part of our Vow is, that we should keep Gods Holy Will and Commandments, and walk in the [...]ame all the Days of our Lives; [...]hat is, that according to the Di­ [...]ections of Gods word, we should [...]alk all our Days in the Paths of [...]rue Religion, Honesty and Sobri­ [...]ty.

This being in short The strict ob­ligations of this Vow of Baptism. [...]he Substance of our [...]ow, the next thing [...] the Obligations we all under to perform [...]t, and herein I need only tell you, [...]tis a Vow of the most solemn and [...]inding Nature, and that you cannot [...]reak it without being not only un­ [...]ust, but forsworn; besides, 'tis [...]ur Interest to keep it upon many Accounts, but especially upon the Account of the great Priviledges it [...]titles us to, from the Promises of God convey'd to us in that Sacra­ [...]ent.

PARTITION III.

THE Reverenc [...] The Lords Supper. due to the S [...] ­crament of the Lord [...] Supper is the next thing, which ac­cording to my first Division, I sha [...] consider by laying down what is t [...] be done before, at, and after th [...] Receiving.

The first thing t [...] be done before th [...] Things to be done before Receiving. The first is Examinati­on. Sacrament is Exami­nation, which is [...] strict enquiry into th [...] state of our Souls and the Condition o [...] our Lives, and thi [...] in the Judgment of St. Paul is so [Page 25] essentially necessary, that we ought not to presume to make any ap­proaches towards the Holy Table without it.

For the perfecting your Exami­nation, you are to consider the Na­ture of your Covenant, which is a renewal of your Baptismal Vow, and since that is the chief end, three things follow in Course; First, That we be well Instructed in the Cove­nant it self. Secondly, What have been our Breaches? And Thirdly, Then that we resolve upon a bet­ter Performance for the Future, [...]nd these Three are to be the ge­ [...]eral Grounds of our Examination.

And First, You'll find that, this [...]s a Covenant made by God with [...]is Son Christ Jesus for the Re­ [...]emption of all Mankind, and that [...]e Conditions on our side, are an [...]ire Obedience to all his Com­ [...]ands, and the state of our Know­ [...]dge in this, is the first part of our [...]xamination.

The next is con­ [...]erning Sins. our Breaches [Page 26] of this Covenant, which we can ne­ver know with that exactness as w [...] ought, without comparing them with the Law of God, which as i [...] is the truest rule and measure [...] our Duty; so 'tis the best means t [...] lead us to the Knowledge and Foun­tain of our Sins.

Our Sins alas! a [...] of many sorts and d [...] grees, Several sorts and degrees. and require great deal both of o [...] Judgment and Deliberation to en­quire aright into their Causes, an [...] Consequences. It requires a grea [...] deal of Skill to heighten and aggra­vate the Circumstances of our Guil [...] to that degree, till we come at la [...] to a true Sence of the hainousne [...] of them.

The end of Exami­nation is to bring [...] to Humiliation and Contri­tion. this, and to a rig [...] Knowledge of o [...] Sins, to humble us [...] the sight of God, and to melt o [...] Hearts into a deep Sorrow and Co [...] ­trition upon the Consideration [...] [Page 27] our Demerits and Injustice towards him; we are likewise to Pray for the Assistance of God's Spirit in the discovery of all our Sins, and for his Grace that we may throughly be­ [...]ail and lament them.

After we have wrought our selves, Confession and Faith. by the assistance of our Examination to a [...]ixt hatred and aversion against all our Sins, then we are humbly to confess 'em to Almighty God, who by the precious Blood of his Son Je­sus Christ, we are faithfully to be­lieve, will be reconcil'd to us, and upon the account of our intire Obe­dience will vouchsafe us the Salva­tion of our Souls.

And then, when Resolutions of Obedience. we have thus exa­min'd and prepar'd our selves with respect to our Hu­miliation and Contrition, our Con­fession and Faith, the next thing is our Resolution of Obedience, which must not be only in general, but with a particular regard to every [Page 28] individual Commandment of Go [...] deriv'd from a fixt and solid hatr [...] against all manner of Sins.

The means of t [...] new and intire Ob [...] ­dience Of the means and of pre­sent renoun­cing of Sin. must be o [...] next Care, which w [...] be best perfected [...] an impartial retr [...] into our own Minds; there [...] may discover the Springs and Fou [...] ­tains of our Sins, and what Tem [...] ­tations we are expos'd to, and [...] be in a capacity to shun and avo [...] them; and this must be done i [...] mediately too, without any ma [...] ­ner of Delay or Pretence; for t [...] it be done, and a Bill of Divorce g [...] ­ven to every Lust, we are in no r [...] ­spect fit to meet our Redeemer [...] the Holy Table.

Beside this, we a [...] to put our Souls in [...] Of imbracing Vertue and quickning Graces. the best posture th [...] we can, by imbracin [...] all the Vertues of [...] good Life, and [...] possessing them with all those Gr [...] ­ [...]es [Page 29] that may render them accepta­ble in the Eyes of God, and this we may do effectually, by contempla­ting the Promises and goodness of God, and by meditating upon the exemplary Life and Doctrine of our blessed Lord.

His Life will put us Charity and Devotion and the ne­cessity of those Graces. [...]n mind of that Cha­rity and forgiving temper, which is so often, and solemnly requir'd of us, and so essentially necessary in our Sacra­mental Preparations; 'tis Death for us to approach God's Feast of Love, with any manner of Ranchor or Malice; we are to bring no other Dispositions thither, but what are dictated to us from a devout Mind. A fixt and settled Devotion, ear­nest and frequent Prayers, and a Soul disentangled from the World, are our properest Companions for this Sacrament, and for these we are earnestly to implore God's As­sistance, without whose help in as­sisting us with the Graces afore­mentioned, [Page 30] we can never expect [...] compleat our Preparations.

And for the better perfecting a [...] this, we are to apply our selves [...] our spiritual Guide, to the Mini­ster of our own Parish, who is th [...] properest Person in this Case; [...] him without any manner of reserv [...] we are to declare our Doubts an [...] Jealousies, and to take his Assi­stance and Directi­ons; and herein [...] sort The useful­ness of a spi­ritual Guide. We should not be a­sham'd to discover our selves. of shame to dis­cover ourselves ough [...] to deter or disincou­rage us; we ough [...] to open our Case fair­ly and Impartially that he may know perfectly how matter stand between God and our Soul [...] and then he will be able to give u [...] Advice how to cure both ou [...] Doubts and our Sins the doubtful an [...] As necessary to the Confi­dent as the Doubtful. the confident are e­qually oblig'd to this our own Judgment [Page 31] are not intirely to be relied upon, in a Concern where there is so much weight and difficulty, nor is the Advantage of a spiritual Guide to be rejected, when it can be of use in the Improvement of our Prepa­ration.

These are the Duties before the Sacrament. The next thing is, what is to be done at the Time of Receiv­ing; At the time of Receiving to meditate upon our un­worthiness and Christ's Sufferings. and here, First, Consider thy own un­worthiness, and how unfit thy Sins and Frailties, and the re­peated breach of thy Vows, have render'd thee for such a Holy Table; from hence, let thy Meditations lead thee to the Sufferings of Christ. When we see the Bread broken, and the Wine pour'd out, we should reflect that his blessed Body was torn, and his Blood split, and that it was our Sins that was the Cause of both.

Consider likewise that the Suffer­ings of Chrst were the only means [Page 32] to attone the wrath of God, and then The Atonement wrought by them; thankful­ness for them, the Love of Christ in them. consider what un­expressible thanks are due to him for preserving thy Sou [...] that must have perish'd eternally without his help; this great Love of Christ for us, should stir up in us a love for him, and engage us immediately to take up solemn Re­solutions to Sin no more, and that we may indeed perform these Reso­lutions, we ought earnestly to beg of this crucified Saviour, that he will by the Power of his Death, mortifie and kill all our Corrupti­ons.

Just as we are a­bout to receive the The Benefits of the new Cove­nant seal'd in the Sacrament. Consecrated Bread and Wine, we should remember that then God is entring into a New Covenant with us, that he's now giving us fresh Assurances of the Pardon of our Sins, if we per­form [Page 33] our part of the Condition; as soon as we have re­ceiv'd, we ought to Ʋpon recei­ving, give thanks, and Pray. offer him our devou­test Praises for that great Mercy, and should be sure never to forget to send up our Prayers to him, not more for our selves than for the good Estate of the Church, and for the Conversion of all Man­kind.

After the Sacra­ment After the Sacrament, private pray­ers and Thanksgi­vings. is over, then we ought as soon as Pos­sible, to retire our selves, and to repeat again our Prayers and Praises, and to renew our Promises, and to beg the Assi­stance of God's Grace to enable us to make 'em good, and to pursue our present Purposes to the end of our Lives.

The Day we re­ceive Not present­ly to fall to worldly Af­fairs. the Sacrament should be kept void of all worldly Cares [Page 34] and Business; we should spend that Day especially in Prayers and Me­ditations; and indeed no Day should pass, but we should call to mind the Pro­mises To keep our Resolutions, and the dan­ger of break­ing them. we make to God at the Sacrament, and consider seriously the danger we expose ou [...] selves to in breaking them.

In breaking ou [...] Vows at the Sacra­ment, Making God and our Con­science our E­nemy. we make God our Enemy, and en­gage him to with­draw from us all man­ner of Kindness and Compassion; nay, we raise an Enemy within ou [...] own Bosom; our Conscience must needs fly in our Face, and upbraid us with the breach of such solemn Vows and Covenants.

Gods Mercies in pardoning us heretofore should not give us the least encouragement to provoke him again; to presume upon this is a very high abuse of his goodness; [Page 35] The obligation of our Sacramental Vows are God's form­er pardons n [...] incourage­ment, the vow perpetu­al, yet often to be renew­ed. perpetual, and can never be violated without the breach of our Oaths; 'tis per­petual, 'tis true, and yet 'tis to be renew'd often, We are to do it as often as we have opportunity in remembrance that Christ died for us. And thus I have shew'd you the Reverence we are to pay to God in his Sacrament.

PARTITION IV.

THE last thing Honour due to God's Name. wherein we are to express a Reve­rence to God is in ho­nouring [Page 36] his Name, and what this is, will be best understood by con­sidering what are the Things by which it is chiefly dishonoured.

The first Sin against the Honour of God's Sins against it Blasphemy and Swear­ing. Name is Blasphemy, the highest Degree of which is Cursing him either by our Words or in our Thoughts, and next to that, Swearing either by false Oaths or else by rash and light ones.

A false Oath may be of two kinds; as Assertory Oaths and Promissory. First, That by which I affirm some thing; or, Secondly, That by which I Promise; the one we call an [...] Assertory, and the other a Promis­sory Oath, and are both a very great dishonour to God's Name, when they are not taken with Sin­cerity and Truth, and perform'd with reality.

An Oath is the strongest Tie that can Ʋnlawful Oaths. be between Man and [Page 37] Man, but yet if it be unlawful in it self and contradictory, and im­practicable in the Nature of it, in such a Case, though the breach e­ven of such an Oath be a very great Sin, yet 'tis better to repent hear­tily of our Folly and Wickedness in making such a sinful and inconsi­derate Oath, then to attempt with greater Sin and Danger in the per­formance of it.

There is nothing God greatly dishonoured by Perjury, and the Pu­nishments of it. by which the Name of God is more disho­noured then by Perju­ry, 'tis the highest affront can be offer'd to him, and indeed we find him resenting nothing with more just severity, then this kind of Violation of his Honour, He will not hold him guiltless, he has de­clar'd that taketh his Name in vain, which is so dreadful a menace, that methinks it should engage every one that has any value for his Sal­vation, to keep them most strictly from this Sin.

All vain and light Oaths, such as are s [...] Vain Oaths and the Sin of them. common in our Dis­courses, are likewise [...] very high offence a­gainst the Majesty of the Name [...] God. Our Saviour has forbidde [...] us to swear, even by mere Crea­tures, to shew us, I presume the Reverence we ought to have fo [...] the Name of their Creator; and sure whatever this prophane Ag [...] may think of it, there is nothing does more argue a Contempt o [...] God, then to hear his Name inter­mix'd in every Period of loose Dis­course. and violated every Momen [...] with horrid and impertinent Oaths.

This sort of vain and rash Swearin [...] They lead to Perjury, and are liable to no Temptati­on. leads directly to Per­jury, we grow at la [...] so Familiar with th [...] Name of God, tha [...] at length we can us [...] it upon any occasion, without con­sidering whether we sware true [...] false to things doubtful or certain [Page 39] beside this too there is no manner of Temptation for this sort of leud Swearing, there is no kind of Plea­sure or Profit in it, nor any thing else to recommend it, and so con­sequenely 'tis a base Sin, which we wilfully commit without any manner of excuse or Pretence.

'Tis a dangerous Vice, and therefore The Necessi­ty of abstain­ing from them; the means; the Sence of the Guilt and Danger. every Man that va­lues the Salvation of his Soul, ought to re­nounce it with the greatest Caution and Concern; the means are always ready be­fore him, viz. the Sence of the Guilt and Danger of it, when he considers the great dis­honour that his rash Oaths offer to the Name of God, and that Eter­nal Misery must be his Punishment; unless he repents, he must needs sure be toucht with a Sence of his Guilt and Danger, and these must certainly argue very strongly with him to renounce 'em.

Speaking Truth is likewise a very great Truth in speaking, for­saking occasi­ons. means to restrain us from rash Oaths when Men once come to be observable fo [...] their Truth and Integrity, there [...] no need of an Oath to confirm th [...] Veracity of what they say; we ought also to avoid all occasions that are most liable to betray us to this Vice, to preserve constantly a deep and profound Veneration for the Reverence to God. Name of God, which we should never men­tion without Respect, and that wil [...] be an excellent means to prevent us against the prophaning it with ou [...] Oaths.

Another great means to restrain us from rash Oaths, is to keep [...] strict and consta [...] Watch over o [...] Watchful­ness and Prayer. Words, and then t [...] use the great reme­dy of all Prayer, tha [...] God would enable thee to avoid [...] [Page 41] overcome this wicked Custom. And thus by these several ways of dishonouring God's Name, we may easily perceive what it is to Honour it, What it is to Honour God's Name. which is all founded upon an awful Re­spect and Reverence, which is due to that sacred Name, [...]hat is Great, Wonderful and Ho­ [...]y.

PARTITION V.

THE next great Worship. Duty to God is [...]orship, a Duty only peculiar to [...]mself, and therefore of a very [...]reat Importance; and is to be per­ [...]rm'd, First, By our Souls; and [...]econdly, By our Bodies, the Souls [Page 42] part is Praying, an [...] of that there are di­vers Prayer its Parts. Parts, according to the different thing for which we ask.

Confession is th [...] first, and may be ei­ther Confession. general or pa [...] ­ticular, the former is a necessar [...] part of our solemn Prayers, wh [...] ­ther Private or Publick; and th [...] latter more proper for the Private and the intent of it is, that [...] should humble our selves before God, and with a deep and hear [...] Sorrow bewail the Sins we confess.

The second part [...] Prayer is Petition, [...] Petitions for our souls and bodies. which we beg of Go [...] whatsoever we wa [...] either for our Soul or Bodies. For our Souls, we b [...] the Pardon of our Sins, and the A [...] ­sistance of his Grace to enable [...] to obey his Will. For our Bodie [...] we beg the necessaries of Life, su [...] outward things I mean, that he his Wisdom sees most fit and nee [...] ful for us.

A third part of Prayer is Deprecati­on, Deprecation of Sin and Punishment. by which we in­treat God that he would turn away from us the evil of our Sins, and the Pu­nishments due to them; that he would prevent us from all Sin, and enable us against all Tempta­tions, and that he would forbear to chastize us with Spiritual or Temporal Punishments.

The next part of Prayer is Intercession, Intercession. which consist in Pray­ing for others, both for Strangers and Acquaintance, but in a parti­cular Manner for the Governours of the Church and State, and for our Relations and Friends.

Another Part of Prayer is Thanksgi­ving, Thanksgiv­ing for spiri­tual Mercies and tempo­ral. which is the praising and magni­fying God for all his Mercies both Spiritu­al and Temporal; for the blessings of our Souls and Bodies, [Page 44] but above all for the sending his Son to redeem us, and the Holy Ghost to comfort us, and for all o­ther his Favours vouchsaf'd to us in his Word and Sacraments.

These are the several sorts of Prayer to be used both Publick and Private, Publick Prayer in the Church, and in the Family. The Publick use of them is first in the Church, from whence we must not absent our selves without some necessary Cause; and Second­ly, In our own Families, where e­very Master is strictly bound to call his Children and Servants to th [...] daily exercise of them.

Private Prayer, is call'd so, because we Private Prayer. use it in Secret, where we have an oppotuni­ty to be more particular than [...] convenient in Publick, and upon n [...] account or pretence whatsoever [...] to be omitted.

Prayer is a Duty, that require [...] a frequent performance by none sel­domer [Page 45] then Evening and Morning; we Frequent Prayer very advantage­ous. should always begin and end the Day with our Addresses to Al­mighty God, oftner if we have any conveniency, and in­deed did we consider the advanta­ges of Prayer, we should think it great Wisdom to use it as frequent­ly as possible.

For First, 'Tis a Its Honour, Benefit and Pleasantness great Honour, that such mean and con­temptible Wretches as we are, should be admitted but to speak to the great God of Hea­ven and Earth; and then 'tis a Be­nefit, the highest that can be Ima­gin'd Prayer being that immediate [...]ource of all the Advantages we ei­ther want or wish, besides 'tis a [...]leasant Duty in it self, and to a [...]ruly Pious and Devout Mind, it [...]ffords abundance of substantial De­ [...]ight and Satisfaction.

The Carnal Minds indeed can [...]iscover none of these Advantages, [Page 46] the Pleasures of the the Flesh, and the Carnality and want of use the Cau­ses that makes it seem other­ways. dross of the World li [...] in the way, and those have so vitiated their Pallates, that they ca [...] taste none of the plea­santness in it; other think it unpleasant for want of a frequent usage, and be­side these two, there is nothing ca [...] dissuade us from the real Pleasure and Advantage of it.

The next thing is, how well w [...] perform this Duty, and herein w [...] are chiefly concern'd for the Mat­ters of our Prayer we are to ask nothing To ask no­thing unlaw­ful, but with Faith, Hu­mility and Attention. unjust or unlawfu [...] but all with Faith, an [...] Humility, and wit [...] the most profou [...] and deliberate Atte [...] ­tion.

Opposite to Attention in Praye [...] is all wandring thoughts; the Co [...] ­sequence of which are very dang [...] ­rous. To suppress these, we should [Page 47] consider the greatness of that Majesty to Help against Wandering the Conside­ration of Gods Maje­sty and our own needs. whom we are speak­ing, the worth of those things we ask for, and our own ex­traordinary Wants together.

We must likewise [...]nvoke God's Assi­ [...]tance, To pray for God's aid with Watch­fulness, Zeal Purity; and for proper ends. and set a care­ [...]ul Watch over our Hearts to keep all [...]andring thoughts [...]ut of our Minds, [...]hilst we are conver­ing with Him; all [...]ur Petitions should be put up to [...]im with the highest Zeal and Ar­ [...]ency of Soul; Our Prayers should [...]e abstracted from all manner of in and Impurity, and be constant­ [...] directed to right and proper ends.

This is the first part of Worship, [...]he next is Bodily Worship, and this con­ [...]st, Bodily Wor­ship. in humble and re­ [...]erend Gestures in [Page 48] making our approaches to God, i [...] such a decent lowliness of Body, tha [...] may best declare with what a Pro [...]stration of Soul, we make our Addre [...]ses before the Throne of Grace.

Repentance is th [...] next Duty we owe [...] Repentance a turning from Sin to God, this Duty to be done dai­ly. God, and is in sho [...] nothing else but a ge­neral Resolution t [...] forsake our Sins, an [...] to implore his Grace the times for th [...] great Duty are as often as we thin [...] upon our Sins; every Day at lea [...] we ought to call our selves to a [...] account.

At some particula [...] times indeed, we a [...] At set times, at the time of Affliction, at Death. oblig'd to redoub [...] our Repentance, a [...] those Times we oug [...] to fix for our selve [...] at least once a Week. We ought [...] have a set time of Evening our Ac­counts with God and our Cons [...] ­ences, the time of Affliction an [...] Calamity is a very proper seaso [...] [Page 49] [...]or it, and at our Death we are the [...]ost solemnly oblig'd to renew it.

But 'tis dangerous [...] defer it till Death, The danger and disad­vantage of Death-bed Repentance. [...] should not hazard [...] Souls upon such [...]certainties; beside, [...] Death-bed Repen­tance must conse­ [...]uently want several Qualifications [...]hich the Nature of true Repen­ [...]nce requires; the [...]ustom of Sin is not The Custom of Sin hard to be van­quish't. Pain the Cause of Insincerity. [...] be destroy'd in a [...] days, or hours, [...]haps moments, [...]sides too, our Pains [...]d Agonies most [...]obably disturb our [...]houghts, and then our Repen­ [...]nce can never be dress'd up with [...]at strict Sincerity, which God re­ [...]ires of us for the Salvation of [...] Souls.

To Repentance, the Duty of Fast­ [...]g may with great Reason be an­ [...]ex'd which is a Duty we find so­ [...]mnly recommended by God him­self, [Page 50] the Church and the Practice of goo [...] Fasting, a re­venge upon our selves, acceptable to God, yet no satisfaction for Sin. Men; by Fasting, w [...] in some measure r [...] ­venge the Injuri [...] done to God up [...] our selves, and su [...] Holy Revenge upo [...] our selves for o [...] Sins, is doubtless very acceptable t [...] God, and yet we ought not [...] think them sufficient without th [...] Merits of Christ's Blood to atton [...] for our Offences.

The Scripture h [...] indeed given no pa [...] ­ticular Times of Fasting. Direction, ho [...] often this great Du [...] of Fasting is to be perform'd, b [...] the oftner the better; for being great Instrument of our Humilia [...] ­on, we ought to take all opportu [...] ­ties to perform it, which our Heal [...] and Circumstances will admit.

And thus I have pass'd throu [...] the the first Branch of our Duty [...] God to wit, the acknowledg i [...] him to be our God; the second [Page 51] the having no other, and of this I need say no more, then that by it we are forbid all kind of Idolatry and Superstitious Worshipping of [...]mages of Creatures, and all in­ [...]ard Idolatry of the Mind.

PARTITION VI.
Duty to our Selves.

THis Duty to our Duty to our Selves. Selves, is by St. [...]aul summ'd up in [...] word SOBERLY, by which [...] meaning must be our keeping [...]ithin those bounds which God has [...] us, both with respect to our [...]ouls and Bodies; and this sober [...]overnment of the Soul requires a [Page 52] great many Vertues, of which I place Humili­ty Humility. in the first Rank.

Humility gives us low and hum­ble thoughts of our selves, direct us to behave our selves easily und [...] the mean Opinion of others, an [...] withal is directly opposite to [...] kind of Pride, and vain Glory; tw [...] of the most dangerous Enemies [...] Mankind.

Pride in the fir [...] Place, is a very gre [...] Pride a great Sin, betraies us to other Sins, fru­strates all Remedies. Exposes us to Punish­ment. and provoking Sin, [...] has been often she [...] by God's severe P [...]nishments of it, it [...] in some respects, [...] ther a Parent or Nurse to most oth [...] Vices, by betrayi [...] us first, and then [...] drawing us in to reject all Remed [...] and by frustrating all the desi [...] and overtures of Gods Mercies; a [...] beside this too, it betrays us to [...]nishments, God having all al [...] declar'd himself the proud Ma [...] particular Enemy.

'Tis likewise a very foolish Vice, a Vice The Folly of Pride in re­spect of the Goods of Na­ture, Fortune or Grace. that argues the great­est Folly that can be, because there can be nothing either in the Goods of Nature, Fortune or Grace, that with any reasonable pretence we can be proud of.

That this dangerous and foolish Sin is to be avoided, I suppose we may take for granted, and the chief Means to do it, are by applying our selves to God for the Grace of Humility; Means of Humility. which may be best ac­quir'd by a Reflecti­on upon our own Sins, Follies, Meanness and Imperfections; to which we ought to joyn our hearty Prayers, that God would make us some of those poor in Spirit to whom the Blessings of Heaven are pro­mis'd.

Secondly, Vain Glory; that is, an empty thirst after the Praise of Men, is likewise opposite to Humi­lity, [Page 54] and a very great Sin; for it betraies Vain Glory; the Sin, Dan­ger, and Fol­ly of it. Men into several dan­gers, but more espe­cially erraces Christ out of their Heart [...]. 'Tis an Indication of Folly too, which every one must be satisfied in, that would but consider what 'tis he hunts for, only a little emp­ty Applause, a little popular Air▪ which can never bring him any so­lid advantage; the Means to help this Helps a­gainst Vain-Glory. are to consider o [...] selves in the first place and then the true state of things in the second, and [...] weigh both in the Ballance of Wis­dom and Sobriety.

Meekness; that is a Calm and peacef [...] Meekness and the ad­vantages of it. Temper is another great Vertue, and may be exercised both with respect to God and our selves, that towards God falls under the Head of Humility [Page 55] and is already spoken to; as it re­spects our selves, 'tis an Advantage in a great many Particulars; more especially as it promotes our Ho­nour and Reputation, enables us to bear the Sufferings of Humane Life with Ease and Moderation, and with Prudence and a good posture of Mind; and the proper Means to ob­tain Means of ob­taining it this most admi­rable Vertue, are by comparing the Loveliness and Bene­fits of it, with the ugliness and mis­chiefs of Rage and Anger, but a­bove all, by contemplating the Life and Example of that great Pattern of all Meekness Jesus Christ.

Consideration is a third Vertue, that re­lates Considerati­on of our state, 'tis the rule to try our State. to the Soul, and directs us to prepon­derate both our State and our Actions; to weigh our State first, and to consider both the Grounds of our Faith, and the Case of our Souls; and accordingly to prepare [Page 56] our selves against the Day of Deat [...] and Judgment; an [...] the neglect of thi [...] The Danger of Inconside­ration. most excellent Ver­tue has been the ru­ine of thousands, and is the general Cause of all our Sin [...] and Misfortunes.

It directs us too i [...] our Actions; teache [...] Of our Acti­ons before, and after we do them. us to advise with ou [...] Consciences, and t [...] debate the probabl [...] good or ill of every thing we do before we do it, and t [...] examine likewise those things tha [...] we have already done, whether they may be warranted by the Law [...] of God, and the Rules of Religio [...] and Sobriety; upon many Account [...] therefore we are to employ it often both with respect to our State an [...] Actions, and to mak [...] up our Accounts fre­quently; Frequency of Considerati­on and Dan­ger of omit­ting it. and the plain Reason for it i [...] this, because ou [...] Lives are so waver­ing [Page 57] and uncertain, that we hazard our Salvation, when ever we lie down to sleep in an unrepented Sin.

PARTITION VII

THE next Duty Contentment to our selves is contentedness, which consists in an evenness and an humble acquies­cense under any State it shall please God to allot for us; and without this, 'tis impossible we should be in any tolerable Conditi­on of Happiness. The The contra­ries, murmu­ring, Ambi­tion and Co­vetousness. Contraries to it, are Murmurings and Im­patience under God's Dispensations, all Am­bitious [Page 58] Thoughts and Desires, an [...] all sorts of Covetousness, Griping [...] and Extortions.

Covetousness is a very great and high Covetousness contrary to our Duty to God, our Selves, and our Neigh­bours. Offence, and direct­ly opposite to the great Duties we owe to God, our Selves and our Neighbours▪ 'tis opposite to our Duty to God, by ta­king our Minds off from him, and embarasing them with the Cares and Troubles of the World; 'tis opposite to our Duties to our Selves, both with regard to our Souls and Bodies by urging us to sacrifice the first to a little Pelf and Dross, and the latter to Pains and Disappoint­ments, and so 'tis opposite to our Duties to our Neighbours, both in our Justice and Charity, by forcing us upon unlawful Means, and by set­ting us upon false and indirect measures; con­tentedness Contented­ness contrary to Envy. is also con­trary to all kind of [Page 59] Envy and Malice, and can never in­habit in any Breast, that is the least tinctur'd with Prejudice or Re­venge.

Helps for Content­ment Helps to con­tentment. are the Consi­deration of God's Goodness, Power, and Justice, and his universal Care of the World, that all our Affairs are in his hand who knows our Wants better than our selves; Secondly, We should consider the Vanity of all earthly things, by comparing them with the essential Joys of Heaven; that we are here but as Strangers and Pilgrims, and that whatever our outward Condition may be, there's a time coming when we shall be de­liver'd from the burthen of all our Sins and Sorrows. and be enstated in a Happiness large as our Wish and lasting as our Souls.

A Fifth Duty is Di­ligence, which is a Diligence. It consists in Watchfulness and Industry to improve the Gifts of Nature and Grace. Duty which we like­wise owe to our Souls by watching carefully [Page 60] over them, and dili­gently guarding the [...] against all Dangers, and then improving them industriously in every Vertue, and in all the Gift [...] of Nature, and the accomplishments of Grace.

We must likewise improve and cherish Good Moti­ons to be im­prov'd, the danger of de­fe [...]ing them all good Motions, and make the most of eve­ry Holy Suggestion, lest upon our dispising the overtures of Grace, God withdraws from us all manner of kindness, and turns us up to a reprobate Sence; and thus far of the Vertues which belong to our Souls, I come next to those that be­long to our Bodies.

In the front of these I place Chastity, a Chastity, for­bids all man­ner of un­cleanness. Vertue which strictly forbids all manner of wantonness and un­cleanness, not only the grosser Acts of Adultery and [Page 61] Fornication, but likewise all impure Thoughts, and all unchast Looks and Gestures.

The Beauty of Cha­stity The mischief of it, both to Body and Soul, and God's Judg­ments against it. can be no how better describ'd, then by comparing it with the loathsomeness of Lust, and the many E­vils and mischiefs that spring from it. Lust defaces the Dignity of our very Souls, and sinks the rational Crea­ture into a Bruit; it makes our Minds foul and filty, and loads our Bodies with Diseases and Deformi­ty, and what's worst of all, does generally call down Gods great and hea­vy It shuts us out from Heaven. Judgments upon us, and shuts the Gare of Heaven against us Eternally.

These and many other are the sad effects of Uncleanness, against which we Helps to Chastity. ought to fortifie our selves, by avoiding I­dleness, [Page 62] and improving our Mind in all kind of active Vertue; by a­voiding all manner of Temptation and all leud Company, but above all, by praying earnestly, that God would give us a Spirit of Purity.

The second Vertue relating to our Bodie [...] Temperance in Eating. is Temperance, and the Exercises of tha [...] are divers, i. e. in Eating, Drink­ing, Sleeping, Recreation, and Ap­parel; I shall speak of them sepa­rately, and begin with Eating.

Temperance in Eat­ing, is then observed The ends of it to preserve Life and Health. when we make it a­greeable to the end for which God and Nature design'd i [...] to wit, the Preservation of Life and Health; those are the sole end of it, and he that proposes it either to gratifie his Taste, or Pamper h [...] Body, Crosses Gods original Pur­pose in it, and breaks all the Rule of Temperance by which it should be regulated; nay, he Sacrifice [Page 63] [...]ll his other Sences to his Taste, exposes Rules for Temperance, and the means of it. himself to the Chara­cter of a Glutton, and what's worst of all, to the Fate of that rich Glutton, that after all his Dainties wanted at last a drop of Water to cool his Tongue.

PARTITION VIII.

THE next thing Drinking directed to false Ends. is Temperance in Drinking; the right Ends whereof are the very same with Eating, viz. the preserving our Lives and sup­porting our Healths, but this like the former has been sadly subvert­ed and directed to Purposes strange­ly distant from the Original intent of it.

Men now drink themselves into Beast False end of Drinking, Good-Fel­lowship. under the common but false Notion of Good-Fellowship; o­thers drink to exces [...] under the pretence that 'tis a gre [...] means to maintain a mutual Friendship Preserving Kindness. Chearing the Spirits, and putting away Cares. and Corresponden [...] amongst Men; some will have it, that 'tis highly useful to che [...] the Spirits, and [...] correct and disp [...] Melancholy; that [...] drives away the Cares and Perple­xities of Humane Life; that 'tis very fit for the passing away time and filling up empty Intervals, na [...] some will tell us 'tis Reproach not to d [...] Preventing Reproach. it, and argues a great deal of sowreness and disingenuity, man there are that drink Pleasure of Drinking. for drinking sake that love the Liquor [Page 65] and so are Sots without any of the former Pretences; but these are all great mistakes, and truly upon a fair State of the Matter, 'tis a subject fit both for our Wonder and Sorrow, how this unaccountable Practice of excessive Drinking should have so unluckily encroach'd upon all Societies; that no Bargain can be made Bargaining. (which is another pretence for it) nor nothing of a­ny Moment transacted, but the Tavern, or the Ale-house must be the Place fixt upon for the doing of it.

The unreasonable­ness Degrees of this Sin. of these Motives is too plain to admit of a Dispute, they are all so ridicu­lous, absurd and inconsistent, that upon a short Appeai to common Ex­perience we find 'em exploded and condemn'd; every Degree of this Sin is a high breach of Temperance; every drop we drink beyond what is convenient for moderate Refresh­ment, is an Offence both against [Page 66] God and Man, and the strong Drinke [...] The great Guilt of strong drink­ers: above all the rest both from the evi [...] of his Example, and Practice the most un­accountable.

A Man would think that the many Mis­chiefs The great Mischiefs of the Sin, an Exhortation to forsake it. that attend this Sin should be a warn­ing to us to avoid it when we consider 'tis a dishonour to God a reproach to Christianity, and a Destruction both to our Souls and Bodies; sure a few Exhortations may serve to prevail with us to for­sake it.

And why should any seeming diffi­culties Difficulties of forsaking it con­sider'd, viz. Ne­cessity of drink, want of employ and Reproaches and Persuasions of Men. dissuade us against parting with so dangerous a Vice; why should we plead Custom [...] or the Necessity of Drink, or why [Page 67] should we betray so much Folly, nay so much Wickedness to make drinking the business of our Lives. Alas! 'tis a mistake, and let the vain deluded Drunkard say what he will, it can be no Reproach to us to reject all Intemperances of this kind, and all the Persuasions of Men upon that Account.

The Means to re­sist these, and all o­ther Means to re­sist this Sin, by weighing the advan­tage with the hurt, and re­jecting the Temptations. Temptations for intemperate Drink­ing, are to weigh the Good with the Ill, and the pretended Advantages with the real Losses and Dan­gers, and to reject them at their very Security to do so. Love of the Sin hinders the means, makes Men loath to be­lieve the danger. beginnings, and to a­void all manner of Occasions and Oppor­tunities, this we may do, if it be not our own fault, and these and such like means will effectually do the [Page 68] Business, if our mistaken Love t [...] Vice does not hinder it, and make us unwilling to believe it, either dangerous or destructive.

PARTITION IX:

SLeep is a Thin Sleep. part of Tempe­rance, which is like­wise, The Rule of Temperance therein; ma­ny Sins fol­low the Transgression of it, with o­ther inconve­niencies. if measur'd b [...] the end for which God ordain'd it, only for [...] Refreshment; and [...] support for our frai [...] Bodies; and in this we are likewise to take Care not to in­dulge our selves to far least at length it encline us to Sloth which is ordinarily attended with a whole train of dangerous Sins, and [Page 69] with abundance of other great In­conveniencies.

We should likewise Temperance in Recreati­ons. have a very high re­gard to Temperance in our Recreations, and be perpetually Cautions to be observ'd. Cautious, that they are lawful in their kind, and no ways dishonourable to God, or Injurious to our Neigh­bour; we should be very careful too, that they never [...]end to undue Ends, Ʋndue Ends of Sports. but are all exactly In­nocent, harmless and inoffensive.

The last part of Temperance in Apparel. Temperance is that of Apparel, and this as well as the rest is to be measured according to the Ends for which Cloathing was ordain'd; which were first to provide a modest and decent covering to hide our Naked­ness, this was the first and great End of it; the second was to fence our Bodies from the Severities of [Page 70] the Cold, and secure to us such a conveni­ent Apparel de­sign'd for a covering of shame. Warmth that is necessary for the Pre­servation of our Health; and the third for the distinguishing Fencing from Cold. Persons both with re­spect to their Sex, and Qualities. Now these are the three grand Ends of our Apparel, which we should always be careful to preserve i [...] Distinction of Persons. the middle, between the extreams of gau­diness and contempt.

And thus I have pass'd through the several Branches of Temperance and herein I would in no respect seem to advance a contrary ex­tream; i. e. too much sparingness, which is Too much sparing, a fault as well as Excess. indeed a fault as well as Excess. A Cove­tous griping Temper is no more to be ac­counted for, then any of the form­er; and is in many Particulars a [Page 71] high breach of our Duty both to God, our Selves, and our Neigh­bours.

PARTITION X.
Duties to our Neighbours.

IN the Word Righ­teousness Duties to our Neighbour—Justice. are con­tain'd in gross the Duties to our Neigh­bour; and in the larger Sence it contains all kind, both of Justice and Charity. I begin with Justice, [...]f which there is two sorts, Nega­tive and Positive.

By Negative Ju­stice, Negative Justice. we are forbid to do any wrong to [Page 72] any Man; either in respect to hi [...] Soul, Body, his Possessions, or his Credit; and first we must not do a­ny manner of Injury to the Soul, either in To the Soul in the Natu­ral and Spi­ritual Sence. a Natural and Spiri­tual Sence; we mu [...] take great Care that we give no occasion [...] Grief or Sadness to the Mind of an [...] Man, in which Sence the Soul [...] said to be naturally injur'd; and [...] alike diligent not to administer [...] him the Cause, either of Sin or Pu­nishment, in which Case the So [...] may be spiritually wrong'd.

Sin is the Disea [...] and Wound of t [...] Drawing in­to Sin, a great Injury. Soul, and the sed [...] cing us to it is t [...] greatest Injury th [...] can be done us. There are sever [...] Means for this, both direct and [...] direct; the direct Means are [...] commanding us, coun­selling, enticing Direct and indirect means of it. assisting us; the [...] direct Means by she [...] ­ing [Page 73] us ill Examples, or by incoura­ging us in any Wickedness; by ju­stifying Vice, and by throwing Re­proach upon the Duties, and strict­ness of Religion, and by these, and [...]ch like Means, both direct and [...]direct, Men bring upon them­selves the great guilt of injuring [...]d wounding their Brethrens [...]ouls.

It would be too This sort of Injury Men ought sadly to consider, to bewail and repair. [...]ng to instance, the [...]veral Sins by which [...]en ensnare others: will therefore leave with this Caution, [...]at it concerns them [...] near as their Souls, to consider that Injuries they have done of [...]is kind, and to bewail them with [...]e deepest Concern and Sorrow; [...]id not only that neither, but as a [...]ore particular Testimony of their [...]pentance, to do their best by all [...]e means they can to make Repa­ [...]tion.

Negative Justice in the second [...]ce binds us against all kind of [Page 74] Injury to the Bodies more especially a­gainst Negative Justice in re­spect of the Life. the Life of our Brethren. Murth [...] is a Sin of the de [...] ­est Dye, and may [...] committed either openly and [...] rectly, or else secretly and treach [...] rously. It may [...] done, either by op [...] Several ways of being guil­ty of Mur­ther. and Publick Violen [...] or else effected und [...] the Coverture of con [...] ceal'd Malice and [...] ­venge, but which way soever it [...] the Sin is of that [...] alted hainousness, th [...] The hainous­ness of the Sin, and the Punishments of it. it provokes God to higher degree of A [...] ­ger in the Execut [...] of his Vengeance [...] Punishments upon than any other Vice in all the b [...] and dreadful Catalogue.

It is worth our [...] ­tice by what mira [...] ­lous The strange discoveries of it. Means God been pleas'd to di [...] [Page 75] ver it; and indeed would we but take [...] to our serious Thoughts, it must needs possess us with the greatest Horrour and Abomination of it, and engage us to watch and guard We must Watch a­gainst all ap­proaches. our selves against the most distant approach­es of this Vice.

Next to the Murthe­ring, the maiming and Maiming, an Injury which every Man dreads. disabling our Neigh­bour is a very great Sin, this we must grant, by reflecting [...]ow precious our Limbs are, and [...]ow miserable a thing the want of any of 'em is; especially, if it be [...] poor Man; in such [...] Case, though we Worst in a poor Man. can never make him a full Satisfaction, we are [...]he most solemnly A necessity of Satisfacti­on. [...]ound to provide for his own, and his Fami­ [...]ies wants.

Unlawful Wounds and Stripes are likewise highly inconsistent with [Page 76] that golden Rule of Loving our Neigh­bour Wounds and Stripes inju­rious also. as our Selves and indeed our Cru­elty to others, argu [...] not only a great de [...] Cruelty to others the ef­fect of Pride of Pride and In [...] ­lence, but withal [...] savageness and brui­tishness of mind, much below the common tenderness and compassion that becomes the humane Nature.

PARTITION XI.

THE next part His Possessi­on. Negative Ju­stice, relates to the Possessions of our Neighbours, [...] the front of which we may wit [...] great Reason place the Wife. O [...] [Page 77] Wives, are the Princi­ple part of our Posses­sions, The Wife; the enticing her, great in­justice to the Woman and the Man. and the cor­rupting Her to defile Her Husbands bed, is the worst and highest part of Injustice both to the Man and the Woman; this is an ir­reparable The most Ir­reparable. sort of In­jury. A Vice that God has declar'd that he himself will Judge, and we may depend upon't, without Repentance that Judgment of his will be the most severe and dreadful.

Next to this, we owe a Nega­tive Justice to our Neighbour with [...]spect to his Goods; such as are his House, His Goods. Land, Cattel, Money, [...]c. and the two ordinary Causes that engages Men to break it, are [...]ther Malice or Covetousness.

That Part of Injustice that is [...]unded upon pure Malice, is commonly Malicious Injustice. [...]cted upon the De­vils [Page 78] Principle, like him they seek to destroy others; not so much, as 'tis any good to themselves, but out of a natural desire to do mis­chief, the other part that is found­ed upon Covetousness, though indeed it may Covetous In­justice. have something of a base and sordid De­sign in it; yet when 'tis considered, 'tis always attended by Oppression Theft and Deceit, it wants very little to come up to the wickedness of the former.

Oppression is an in­solent bare-fac'd Rob­bery, Oppression and Gods Vengeance a­gainst it. and so much the worse still, because the Poor are general­ly the Persons injur'd we have many. Lectures against e­very kind of it, in Holy Scripture [...] but especially against that which affects the Fatherless and Widdow [...] 'tis indeed a most crying guilt, and God's heavy Vengeance is no one instance more exemplary, he that has oppresst the Poor; saith the [Page 79] Prophet, shall surely die, and his Blood shall be upon him.

Theft is another kind of this Injustice, Theft; not paying what we borrow, are bound for, or Pro­mise. which in general is twofold, the first is the withholding what we should pay, and the last the taking from our Neighbour what we have no Right too; the first as well as the last, is a plain Act of Robbery, and let the present Pra­ctice of the World argue never so much for it, it can never prove, but that by common Justice and Hone­sty we are strictly engag'd, to the utmost of our Abilities, to discharge all the debts we are oblig'd to, ei­ther by Bond, Promise, or any o­ther lawful Obligation.

PARTITION XII.

THE next Par [...] Stealing the Goods of our Neighbour. of Theft is; ei­ther by open Violen [...] or private Fraud, th [...] Robbing our Neighbour of tha [...] which he is in Possession of. This a Vice that wants no Aggravation it need not be disputed, but th [...] both the High-way Man and Hous [...] breaker, as well as the sly, injurio [...] Pilferer are two Ranks of degen [...] ­rate Creatures so odious to God that they are unfit for humane S [...] ­ciety. There are a great ma [...] Branches of this sort of Robber [...] as the Concealing of stol'n Good [...] the buying them at cheap Rate with many others, which I need n [...] mention any further, they being best but a kind of Robbery. God [Page 81] will be sure to deal severely with us upon that account, although perhaps we may escape the Cogui­ [...]ance of the Law.

A third Part of In­justice is Deceit, of Deceit. which the Acts are so numerous, that 'tis morally impos­sible to Name 'em all: I shall Rank them therefore under these two ge­neral Heads, viz. The Deceits of Trust, and Traffick.

He that deceives a Man in a Matter of In Trust. Trust that is commit­ted to him, is guilty of the most treacherous and base Injustice; in such a Case we are to behave our selves with the utmost Fidelity; especially, when any thing for the [...]ses of Piety or Charity are com­mitted to our Charge; he that vi­ [...]lates his Faith in these particulars, [...]dds Sacriledge to Fraud and Trea­ [...]hery, and entails upon him all the Curses that are due to those Sins.

As to Matters of Traffick, there [Page 82] may be deceit both in the Buyer and Seller; In Traffick. By the Sel­lers conceal­ing the faults, and over-rating their Wares. the Seller Sins great­ly, when by a Con­nection of Lies, per­haps Oaths and Exe­crations, he conceals or excuses the faults in his Commodities, or what's as bad, sells by false weights and measures, or impose [...] an extravagant unreasonable Price upon the Buyer; these are indeed grown very common and practic [...] faults, but yet never the more ex­cusable, the great Judge of Truth and Equity has often declar'd his solemn displeasure against 'em, and will be sure, sooner or later, to pu­nish them to the utmost.

The Buyer may be guilty of Fraud too Fraud in the Buyer. and though indeed h [...] does not fall under s [...] many Temptations as the Seller yet when ever he makes an advan­tage of his Neighbours Wants, and Purchases his Commodities at un­der [Page 83] Rates, without doubt he offends the Justice of God, by thus insult­ing upon, and making his Advan­tage of his Brothers Necessities.

The Temptations to Deceit in Traffick, Many Temp­tations to de­ceit in Traf­fick. are so interwoven with all Trades, that it behoves every deal­ing Man to have a great Care to guard himself against them, this way of Cheating is be­come a perfect Trade it self, and Men boast of it, and value them­selves upon it, but for all that the Eyes of God are too pure to behold such Iniquity; nay, The common­ness, a Re­proach to Christianity. 'tis even a scandal to our Christian Profes­sion, a very high and solemn breach of those common Rules of Ju­stice and Equity laid down in the Precepts of the Gospel to be the Stan­dard and Guide of our Actions.

Besides all this, 'tis but a mista­ken Principle neither, Fraud and Undermining, deceitful measures [Page 84] and false ballances are not the right way to It is no way to make a Man Rich, but ruines the Soul. make us Rich, there goes a secret Curse a­long with such kind of Practice which is generally executed in this Life; which though it may by chance fail here, it never fails in the next; there the Deceiver will be fatally deceiv'd in the loss of his Soul, the Consideration of which should methinks put him upon the grand Restitution. Remedy, Restitution, without which he can never make any tolerable Attonement for the Injury he has done either to God or his Neighbour.

PARTITION XIII.

THE Credit of His Credit. our Neighbour is another Part of Negative Justice, which should be as dear to us as his Possessions, and should in no respect be impair'd either by false Reports or malicious Surmizes and Conje­ctures, from both which our Repu­tation, the dearest thing we have, next our Souls, is liable to great In­jury.

False Reports may False Wit­ness. be spread divers ways, both Publick and Pri­vate, the Publick way is ordinari­ly, by bearing false Witness either with regard to our Lives or Estates; [Page 86] this is a most grievous Wound in­deed to our Credit, a sort of out­ragious Injustice to our Neighbour, that we are hardly ever able to make him amends for.

The second open way of spread­ing these Reports is by Publick Slander, Publick Slander. and herein our Repu­tation is also liable to a great deal of Injury. Reproaches, Lying, Scandal and Railing make up the base Composition, which as the Apostle long ago observ'd were amongst other Works of the Flesh, fit only to shut Men out of the Church here, and the Kingdom of Heaven hereafter.

The Private way of spreading such Reports is Whis­pering, this is a way as Whispering. dangerous if not worst then the former, and is by St. Paul mention'd in the Catalogue of great Crimes, which are the effect of a Reprobate Mind; this is a kind of Slander that like secret Poyso [...] destroys us insensibly; 'tis Solomon [...] [Page 87] Observation; that the Wisperer se­parates chief Friends, than which nothing can argue louder for the suppressing of it.

The several Steps Several Steps toward this Sin. of this Vice are to be carefully avoided, as First, We should be so far from encouraging it, that we should rather reject the very first approaches of the Tale-bearer: Secondly, We should be very Cau­tious how we believe false Reports, or rather we should never give any Credit at all to them: And Third­ly, We should be sure never to re­port any thing we here from such kind of People, but look upon 'em no less Enemies to us, then to those of whom they are speaking.

Besides, this open way of impair­ing our Neighbours Credit, there is▪ yet another, which though it may seem to be a little more plausi­ble, is yet in all respects as bad as the former; I mean Scoffing and Reviling, Scoffing and Reviling. which indeed is not [Page 88] only an Injury to our Neighbour, but even to God himself.

The three Things for which Men are For Infirmi­ties, Cala­mities, and Sins. commonly revil'd, are either for their Infir­mities, their Calami­ties or their Sins; and why should Men be despis'd for that which they cannot help, this is calling God's Providence to an Account, especially with respect to the two former; indeed for our Sins they have more of our Wills, 'tis true, but then considering they make us the most miserable of any thing else, without doubt they re­quire a great deal of our Pity and Compassion.

We owe likewise a Negative Justice to Destroying the Credit, a great Injury, and irrepa­rable. the Credit and Repu­tation of our Neigh­bour; his Credit is the most valuable thing he has, and therefore to Rob him of that, is the highest Injury we can do him [Page 89] 'tis the highest, because his Damage is irreparable; the utmost we can do, can never make him amends, and yet Every guilty Person to do all he can in Order to it. we must do our best, because without it we can never expect God's Pardon for the Sin.

Thus I have past through the four Branches of Negative Justice to our Neighbour, and yet must further observe, that this Justice binds our Justice in the Thoughts. Thoughts as well as our Words and Acti­ons; nay, it confines even our Wi­shes and Affections. Our whole Hearts should be intent upon his Good, and our Minds constantly taken up, which way we may best promote the Happiness both of his Soul and Body.

I come now to speak Positive Ju­stice. of Positive Justice, by which is intended the giving to every Man his proper dues, whether General, or Particu­lar; [Page 90] as First, The speaking Truth in ge­neral Speaking Truth, a due to all Men. of all Mankind; this is a common debt we owe to every one, and indeed we are bound to th [...] strict performance of it, by many strong and weighty Obligations, but the greatest of all is, because Lying is a Vice so scandalous and o­dious in it self, and so solemnly condemn'd in many parts of Holy Scrip­ture; Lying forbid in Scripture. but then whats very strange, notwith­standing 'tis the most Lying a com­mon and foo­lish Sin. foolish and ridicu­lous, 'tis become so common, that 'tis a great Rariety (to use the Words of the Royal Prophet) to find a Man that speaks the Truth from his Heart.

Next to this we owe to all, Humanity [...] Courtesie due to all, yet un­paid by the Proud. and a courteous and affable Behaviour, a Vertue which a Proud [Page 91] Man can never arrive to; he is so busie in admiring himself, that he overlooks all the Perfections of o­thers.

Meekness is like­wise Meekness, a due to all Men. a Debt we owe to every Body, and indeed a very great accomplishment, and highly neces­sary for the Preservation of the Peace of the World; whilst on the contrary, all sorts of Brawlings and Con­tentions, Brawlingve­ry unsuffera­ble, and leads to the Sin of Cur­sing. tend to Dis­order and Confusion, nay, what's worse, they tend to a great many Sins too, but especial­ly to that most pro­voking Sin, Cursing and Execra­tion.

Having thus far Particular Dues. spoken of Dues in Ge­neral, I come now to the Particular, which Men are or­dinarily entitl'd to upon some spe­cial Qualification, the three chief are, that of Excellency, that of Want, and that of Relation.

And first a Man is entitl'd to our Respect A respect due to Men of extraordina­ry Gifts. upon the Account of his Excellency. I mean for his extraordinary Gifts and Endow­ments, such as are Wisdom, Learn­ing, Grace, and the like; and such a Person we are in no respect either to Envy or Revile, or to grudge at God's We are not to Envy them, nor de­tract from them. Blessings and Kindness to him; we should not attempt to de­tract from his Worth, or to cloud or dark­en his Merits, but rather do our best to make 'em as conspicuous as we can, and this we should do not only as it is a Debt which we owe to him, but because the contrary is an Act The Folly of both these. of extream folly, as well as ill Nature and Injustice.

Beside the Excellencies of the Mind, we owe a regard to the Quality and outward Advantages. [Page 93] God for the due go­verning of the World, A respect due to Men in regard of their Ranks and Quali­ties. [...]as decreed several Orders and Classes of Men, to each of which in Proportion to their respective Dignity we are to pay a due Re­spect.

We are also Deb­tors Dues to those that are in any sort of Want, to the Poor. to Persons under any kind of Want, whether Spiritual or Temporal, but more especially to the Poor, who by Gods particular Appoint­ment, have a solemn Right to our superfluities; and then it can be nothing else but an arrant Robbery to bestow that upon our Lust or Vanity, which is assign'd for their Portion. In the Case of the Poor we are Gods Stewards, and 'tis the same unjustice and fraud for us to embezle that which he has entrust­ed with us, as it is for any Steward to misemploy that which was in­tended for the use of his Masters [Page 94] Family, and common­ly too meets with the God with­draws those Abilities, that are not thus em­ploy'd. Doom of the unjust Steward in the Go­spel, to cause us to he put out of our Stew­ardship, and have those Abilities taken away, that have been so unfaith­fully employ'd.

The third Qualifi­cation is that of Re­lation, Duties in respect to Re­lation. and of this there are divers sorts, as First, that of a Debtor to a Creditor, and of an oblig'd Person to his Benefactor, and in both these Particulars we are bound by the strictest ties of Justice and Gratitude Not to pay our just Gratitude to Benefactors, the contrary too common. Debts when we are able, is a Vice almost unpardonable, and [...] be ungrateful to a Be­nefactor, however common it may be in this unthankful Age, is an Act the most sordidly base and dis­ingenieus.

PARTITION XIV.

I Come now to the Duty to Pa­rents. nearest kind of Re­lations, and in the first Rank of those I place our Du­ty to Parents, whether Civil, Spi­ritual or Natural.

The Civil Parent is To the Su­pream Magi­strate, Ho­nour. he who by a just right possesses the Throne, and to him we owe Honour and Reve­rence; we are to look upon him, as a Person upon whom God has stamp'd a great deal of his own Power and Authority, and upon no Account to speak evil of him or revile him.

Next we owe him our Tribute, which we are to pay him with the [Page 96] utmost, both of Justice and Freedom; Third­ly, Tribute, Prayers and Obedience. We are to Pray for him, that God would direct and as­sist him in all his Undertakings. And Fourthly, We owe him a so­lemn and strict Obedience; which both the Laws of God and Nature have commanded us to observe wi [...] the most awful and religious Sub­mission.

The second sorts of Parents a [...] the Spiritual, viz. th [...] Ministers of God [...] Duties to our Pastors. Word, and such a [...] are entrusted with the Salvation of Souls; to them we owe the highest Love and Kindness we are oblig'd to esteem and value them as our best and truest Friends we are likewise to con­tribute to their Main­tenance, Love, Esteem Mainte­nance, Obedi­ence, and Prayer. and witha [...] to look upon them a [...] Gods Messengers, and upon that Account t [...] behave our selves [...] [Page 97] them with a great deal of distance and respect, and to put up our ear­nest Prayers to God for them, that he would grant them the assistance of his Spirit, to enable them right­ly to discharge their Holy Calling.

The third sort of Parent is the Natu­ral, Duties to our Natural Parent. by which is meant the Fathers of our [...]lesh. Towards these [...]e are to demean our Reverence, Love, &c. [...]lves with Reverence and Humility, and [...]pon no Account to contemn or [...]spise them, either in our outward [...]ehaviour or in our Hearts; we we them our most ardent Love and [...]nderest Affection, and ought to [...]hor every thing that can give them the least Cause of Grief or [...]isquiet.

We owe likewise Obedience. [...]r Obedience to all [...]e Commands of our Parents, that [...]e not opposite to the Laws of [...]od, and cannot violate them, [...]thout exposing our selves to the [Page 98] Punishments he has so often de­nounc'd in Scripture against diso­bedient Children.

Children are not to Marry without the Children not to Marry without the Consent of their Parents Consent of their Pa­rents, every Child is so much the Right and Possession of his Parent, that he mu [...] be guilty of Theft to dispose [...] himself without his Consent. We are likewise bound according to [...] Abilities, to supp [...] their Wants, and [...] To provide for their Wants. Duties to the worst of Parents. administer to them [...] any kind of Extremi­ty: and all this is [...] be done, even to th [...] worst of Parents.

But as there a [...] many things due fro [...] Duties of Parents to Children. the Child to the [...] ­rent, so there are so [...] from the Parent [...] the Child. The Parent is oblig [...] to nourish and sustain the Chi [...] till he comes of Age to do it [Page 99] himself, he is likewise to take Care for his Soul, by bring­ing him early to the To bring them to Bap­tism; to edu­cate them. Sacrament of Baptism; and by having him timely instructed in the Principles of Re­ligion, and educated in the true Faith, and Fear of God; and as a Means to improve his Education too; he is Means to­wards their Education. to encourage and cor­rect him, and to use all wise and gentle Means in order to impress upon him a timely Sence of Vertue, and good Morals.

Thirdly, The Pa­rent The Parent to watch o­ver the Childs Soul. is to watch over the Soul of his Child after he comes to years of Maturity, and as often as he finds occasion, to ex­hort, encourage and reprove him; he is likewise to take Care of his outward To provide for their Su­stenance. State, by providing him with a suitable [Page 100] Condition of Life; but above all, he is to lay before him a good Example, To give them good Exam­ple. and to make his own Life a fit Pattern for him, from whence he may transcribe the true Rules of Vertue, Honour, Honesty and God­liness; and then he is to Bless him, and Pray To Bless them, and to give them no unreasonable Commands. for him, and to re­commend him often to God's Care and Protection: And be­sides, all this too, he must be extreamly careful, that all the Commands he laies upon him are just and reasonable, and in all respects utterly distant from all sorts of harshness or severity.

PARTITION XV.

THE second sort Duties to Brethren: Natural Love. of Relation is that of a Brother, which we may take in a double Sence, ei­ther Natural or Spiritual. I be­gin with the First, the Duties be­tween Natural Brethren, I mean such that are of the same immedi­ate Parents. And the Duty of these is to have united Hearts and Affections, to love one another with great Tenderness and Since­rity, and to do their utmost to pro­mote their mutual Good and Hap­piness; This is a Du­ty so necessary in all The necessity of Love a­mong Bre­thren. Points, that without [...]t no Family, where there is any number [Page 102] of Brothers, and Sisters, can pro­pose any tolerable Ease or Satisfa­ction.

The second sort are Spiritual Brethren, Spiritual Brethren. under which Notion are comprehended all those that are baptiz'd in the same Faith, and Church with our selves, and to all these our Compassion is to be the most melting and affecti­onate; with these we are to profess and defend the Faith of Christ Cru­cify'd, and to com­municate with 'em in Our Duty to hold Commu­nion with them. To bear their Infirmities, to restore them after falls, and to sympathize with them. all Holy Offices, we are to bear with their Infirmities, and in a friendly manner to admonish and reprove 'em, and by fair and gentle Methods to en­deavour to bring them to Repentance after they are fall'n. We are to sympathize with them in all their Agonies and Distresses, whether of Soul, Mind, or Body.

The third Relation is that between Hus­band The Wife owes to the Husband O­bedience, Fi­delity and Love. and Wife, this is the nearest Relati­on of all, and yet there are several re­spective Duties which they owe to each o­ther, for the Wife in the first Place, she owes her Husband Obedience, which God has strictly commanded her to pay him in all things that are Just and Lawful; she owes him Fi­delity both to his Bed and his world­ly Affairs, she owes him likewise her Love, and is bound to behave her self to him with the greatest friendliness and sweet­ness. And this she is The faults of the Husband acquit her not from these Duties. to do notwithstand­ing his faults, which will by no means ac­quit her of any of these Duties.

There are likewise Duties from the Husband to the Wife: Love, several Duties owing from the Husband to the Wife; the First, [Page 104] Is Love, by which he is enjoin'd to treat her with the utmost Tender­ness and Compassion, not to behave himself to her with any manner of harshness or severity, but to use her in all respects as a part of himself.

Secondly, He owes Fi­delity to her Bed, this Faithfulness to her Bed, is as much the Hus­bands Duty as the Wife's, and the breach of it in ei­ther, is an Act of Uncleanness, and Perjury. Thirdly, He is bound to do his en­deavour To maintain and instruct her. to provide for her, and to suffer her freely to partake of all his outward Blessings; and a­mongst the rest of his Duties, he is chiefly to take Care of the Salvati­on of her Soul, and to instruct her as far as her need requires in the Principles of Honesty and Religion.

In brief, Husbands and Wives are mutu­ally Husbands & Wives bound to pray for, and assist each other. bound to Pray for each other, and to their utmost to pro­pagate [Page 105] their Reciprocal Good and Happiness.

The true Ends of The true Ends of Marriage to be consulted, and unlaw­ful Marria­ges to be a­voided. Marriage are likewise to be consulted; in which Case the Orna­ments of the Mind are sooner to be cho­sen, then either Wealth, or Beauty, or any other outward Appendage; above all the rest, unlawful Marriages are to be avoided, 'tis a Holy State and should never be enter'd into, but according to the Direction of the Church, Reverently, Advisedly, Soberly, and in the Fear of God.

The next thing is Friendship, which is Friendship with its Du­ties. of that common good and concern, that hu­mane Life would be but a wretched thing Faithfulness, Assistance, Admonition, Prayer, Con­stancy. without it; the Du­ties of it are many, but the most material are Faithfulness in our [Page 106] Trusts; Assistance, either with re­spect to our Souls, or Bodies; to our Souls, especially in admonish­ing us of our faults; which is the highest and most exalted Act of Friendship that can pass between Man and Man. Prayer is the next Duty, and after that Constancy, and all these together render a Friend an inestimable Jewel.

The Last Relation is that be­tween Masters, and Servants, and these too are mutually engag'd to each other. The Ser­vant is bound to obey Servants owe to their Masters, Obe­dience, Fide­lity, Submis­sion, Dili­gence. his Master's just Com­mands, and to exe­cute them with Free­dom and Satisfaction; he owes him likewise an universal Fidelity in all his Concerns; and is oblig'd by all the Rules of Mode­sty, and good Manners, to bear his Rebukes, and Reprehensions, with Submission, and to discharge his Trust, in every Particular, with Diligence, and Application.

The Masters on the other side, owe to Masters owe to their Ser­vants: Ju­stice, Ad­monition, Means of In­struction, Moderation in Command, Encourage­ment. their Servants Justice, in providing them with convenient Food, and paying them their Wages; as also Admonitions and Re­proofs, with regard as well to their Sins and Offences against God, as Faults against them­selves. They owe 'em likewise good Example, that is, they are to make their own Lives and Actions a fit President for them to walk by; they are to allow them opportunities for Instruction, and convenient time for the Publick Worship of God; moreover they are to command them with Pru­dence and Moderation; to encou­rage their well doing, and to treat their Faithfulness, Diligence, and Piety with a great deal of Kindness and Bounty.

PARTITION XVI.

THE next Duty Charity in the Affecti­on. to our Neigh­bour is Charity, this is a Duty which the Blessed JESUS himself has solemn­ly enjoyn'd in his Holy Gospel, and may be considered two Ways, ei­ther in our Affections, or Actions; and First, The Charity of Affecti­ons, is such an universal Kindness, that inclines us to wish well to the Soul, Body, Goods, and Credit, of all Mankind.

To their Souls in the first Place, and to To Men's Souls, Bo­dies, Goods, and Credit. them we cannot sure but wish well, when we consider, that Christ thought their Ran­some worth the Price of his own [Page 109] Blood; we owe next all the good we can to the Bodies of Men; this is an high Article of our Charity, and without it, we can never come up to that golden Rule, of loving our Neighbour as our selves. His Goods, and his Credit, are like­wise to be very dear, and precious to us, and we are bound to propa­gate his Interest, and Reputation, and to esteem them upon all Ac­counts equal to our own.

This kind of Cha­rity naturally begets The Effects of this Cha­rity. in us a quiet and peaceable Mind, and a Compassion and Tenderness towards others; it cre­ates in us a Joy for their Prosperi­ty, and excites us to Pray for 'em, and to importune Al­mighty God in their It casts out Envy, Pride, Censorious­ness, Dissem­bling, Self­love and Re­venge. behalf; besides all these too, it guards our Minds against all sort of Envy or Re­venge, keeps down our Pride, and im­presses [Page 110] deep upon us the Grace of Humility; it destroys Censorious­ness, and curbs the rashness of our Judgment, suppresses Dissimulati­on, and banishes, and subverts, all feign'd, and pretended Kindness; it casts away all Self-love, and mer­cenary Designs, and intirely roots out of our Minds all manner of Ran­chor and Malice.

Nay, this Charity goes further, accord­ing The Motives to it, Christ's Commands, and the ex­ample of God to the Doctrine and Example of our Blessed Lord, it ex­tends it self even to our Enemies; and what can be a greater Motive to it, then to find it so solemnly com­manded and enforc'd by God's own President.

This is a Subject well becoming our This Charity to extend e­ven to Ene­mies. serious Consideration, and should put us in mind methinks, to ballance our Sins a­gainst God, with the Offences of our [Page 111] Brethren against our selves, and would we do that, we should find the first so much outweigh the last, that from a fair Comparison, we must needs judge our selves very unworthy to expect God should Pardon us The Dispro­portion of our Offences against God compar'd with Men's against us. for so many great of­fences, and yet at the same time we refuse to forgive our Bre­thren for some, per­haps, trivial faults; besides this too, there's a great deal of Plea­sure Pleasantness of this Duty. and Satisfaction in the forgiving our Enemies; 'tis true, this may seem a Paradox at first sight, but then, if we examine the Truth of it by Experience, we shall find it really so, and this sort of forgiving Tem­per, the most delightful as well as the most Christian.

Beyond this likewise, there is a­nother Consideration strong enough to engage us to forgive our Ene­mies, I mean the danger of it; God [Page 112] has made our Com­passion to others, the If we forgive not, God will not forgive us. Standard by which he intends to measure his to us. If ye for­give not Men their Trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your Trespasses, nay, he has made it a part of our daily Prayers, so that when a revengeful Person says this Prayer, he lays up­on himself a Curse, and does in ef­fect beg God not to forgive him.

This is a Duty we are oblig'd to in Point of Gratitude too; God has shew'd Gratitude to God. us wonderful Mer­cies, and can we be so base to think, we are not oblig'd to some returns. Peace and Unity was one of the last things our Sa­viour recommended to the World, and indeed he has press'd no single Pre­cept The first ri­sing of Ran­chor to be supprest. with greater con­cern than this of uni­versal Charity and forgiving Enemies, a [Page 113] Consideration methinks, that should engage us to suppress all Degrees of Ranchor and Revenge, and to check and curb them in their very first Motions.

I come now to the Charity in the Actions, to the Mind, Soul, Body, &c. Charity in the Acti­ons, which is the tru­est way to prove the former, I mean by a sincere and cordial Love, distributed without Hypo­crisie, or Reserve, to the Soul, Bo­dy, Goods, and Credit of our Neighbour; to his Soul and Mind, we should acquit our selves with the utmost tenderness and concern, and omit no means that might any ways promote the Happiness or Ad­vantage of either; to his Body we should exercise all the Offices of true Christian Friendship and Kind­ness and upon all occasions be con­stantly ready to promote his Inte­rest, and defend his Reputation.

PARTITION XVII.

THE next thing Charity in respect of the Goods, both to the Rich and Poor. is our Charity, towards the Goods and Estate of our Neighbour, and here­in we are to assist and further him in all honest and friend­ly Offices, and this we are to do to the Rich as well as the Poor on­ly with this difference, that the Poor are the more immediate Ob­jects of our Alms.

This great Duty of Alms-giving is en­forc'd Motives of Alms-giving by many strong and powerful Mo­tives, but the three greatest of all are with respect to God, our Neigh­bour, [Page 115] and our Selves, God has commanded it, and expects it both as an Argument of our Obedience and Thankfulness. Secondly, True Love and Compassion, and a Fel­low-feeling of our Neighbours Wants and Sufferings engage us to it. Thirdly, In respect of our Selves, the Motive is, that there is an Eter­nal Reward annext; the manner is likewise Manner of Alms-giving to be carefully con­sulted, which will add much to the Grace it self, and to the Advantage of those we re­lieve.

And First, We are Chearfully without the Apprehension of Want, sea­sonably, pru­dently, and liberally. to do it always with the greatest chearful­ness and satisfaction to exercise a kind of Holy Joy in dealing our Bread to the hun­gry; we must not en­tertain any vain Fears, or impious Apprehensions, that our admini­string to the Wants of the Distrest will be any means to Impoverish us [Page 116] or consume our Estates. We are likewise to observe a due season and order of Time, and a Prudent and Religious Care in the regular Di­stribution of our Charity, and with­al to do it pursuant to the Princi­ples of Liberality and true Christi­an Generosity.

Our Charity like­wise obliges us to pre­serve Charity in respect of our Neighbours Credit. and propagate the Credit of our Neighbour, to be our selves very tender and careful of his Reputation, and to defend and promote it among o­thers, with all the Caution that we are able; to be unwilling to be­lieve his Faults, and to conceal them as far as 'tis lawful from the Publick, and to use all friendly means to advise and reclaim him.

This is the summ of that Active Chari­ty Acts of Cha­rity in some respects, Acts of Justice. we owe to the se­veral Capacities of our Brethren, and this indeed according [Page 117] to the true meaning of it, is a kind of Justice we owe to him. Likewise Justice and Charity are so near al­ly'd, that they are not to be sepa­rated, the one constantly depends upon the other, and they can never be devided without Injury to both.

To improve this excellent Ver­tue, we can do nothing better, then by laying The great Rule of Cha­rity. always before us that great Rule of Loving our Neighbour as our Selves, this the Apostle makes the summ of our Duty; and indeed we can hardly erre if we make that the Standard whereby to measure our Actions.

Peace-making is a­nother Peace-ma­king. Act of Chari­ty, and may be of great use both to his Soul, Body, Goods, and Credit. God himself has pronounc'd the Peace-maker bless'd, an encouragements sufficient to en­gage us to lay hold on all opportu­nities of setting upon this extraor­dinary Work of Charity; but first [Page 118] every Man ought to have a special regard to his own Temper; he that will undertake in such an excellent Office, He that un­dertakes it, must be peaceable himself. has need to be qua­lified with all th [...] Graces of Peace, Meekness, and Cha­rity.

Contentions, and Quarrels, and Litigious Suits and Controversies ought to be appeas'd and taken up with all the Caution that can be.

The going to Law i [...] the Cause be Just has Of going to Law. commonly so many unhappy Appendages, that according to the Judgment of St. Paul, the tender regard we ought to have for Peace, should ra­ther encline us to take Wrong and suffer our selves to be defraud­ed then make use of it.

All that remains now, is the ex­tent of this Charity; which is to reach to all Order [...] and Degrees of Men even Charity to Enemies. to our very Ene­mies; [Page 119] this was our Blessed Lord's own Example, then which, there can be nothing greater to recom­mend it to us.

And thus I have run through the several Parts of our Duty to our Neighbour, towards the right Per­formance of which there is nothing certainly can more conduce then the root­ing Self-love an hinderance to this Chari­ty. out of our Hearts all kind of inor­dinate Love of our selves; this is an un­happy Principle indeed, and where it once takes root it soon choaks both our Charity and our Justice; if therefore, we ever intend our Charity should grow in our Minds, we must first weed out of 'em this Sin of Self-love, for 'tis impossible they can prosper together, and then, when this and all other hinderances are remov'd, we are to fly to our grand Remedy, Pray­er, that God would Prayer a means to pro­cure it. frame our Hearts in­to such a galless Tem­per, [Page 120] that we may be enabled right­ly to perform this great Duty.

And now I have done with those seve­ral Christian Duties, both possible and pleasant. things I at first propos'd, in shewing what is our Duty to God, our Selves, and our Neighbour; and surely, through the whole, there seems nothing of Impossibility; the things themselves are all reasonable Just and Practica­ble, and what's more delightful and pleasant too; even those that may seem to expose us to Persecutions and Even when they expose us to Suffer­ing. Suffering from their Ends and Consequen­ces are the Objects of more Joy then Grief. There is such a Power in Vertue, such a Satisfaction in a good Con­science, and such a Secret and constant Pleasure in the Perfor­mance of the Christian Duties, that there is no Apology to be made for our Neglect; beside, 'tis a dange­rous thing to defer our return to [Page 121] God, the Particulars I have set down in The danger of delaying our turning to God. the Discourse of Re­pentance, and thither I refer you; with the Wise Kings most ra­tional Advice, Eccles. 5. 7. Make no tarrying to turn to the Lord, and put not off from Day to Day.