IN regard you have own'd me your God-father, I think therefore you do not doubt but that I per­formed that Office for you in the Face of the Christian Con­gregation. So that if that kind of Right and Interest I have [Page 10] in you, do it not, yet at least, the Obligation of Christian Du­ty, puts me upon this present Trouble of tendering to you my Christian Advice and Coun­sel; which being out of my Love to you, I hope it will not be ungrateful and unpleasing; (for none but ill Natures can be so unworthy, as to reject the Advices of an affectionate Friend.) You are to know, God-son, That I was your Proxie in your place and stead, to an­swer for you, (you being not able to answer for your self) That you did renounce the De­vil and all his Works, the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World, the sinful Lusts of the Flesh: That you did be­lieve all the Articles of the Christian Faith; And that you would keep God's holy Will and [Page 11] Commandments, and walk in the same all the Days of your Life, as you have acknowledged in your Catechism, in which I was instrumental, in the solemn Dedication of you to God and his Service, to be the Disciple of the ever blessed Jesus; to your Entrance upon your ho­ly Christian Profession, and the initiating you in his ho­ly Catholick Church, of which the present Church of England is a Part; in which Church you being born, were baptized. Now, God son, although I question not, but by the Chri­stian Care of your Parents, you have been already instructed in the First Principles of your ho­ly Religion contained in our Church-Catechism (who, doubt­less are no less obliged to pro­mote your Christianity, than if [Page 12] you had had no God-fathers and God-mothers:) But never­theless it many times falls out, that our Parents are remiss and negligent herein, therefore our Mother, the Church of Eng­land, hath strictly imposed this Duty of catechising and in­structing all young Persons her Children, in their Christianity, upon all her Priests and Mi­nisters. Therefore for your Welfare, God-son, after my hearty Prayers to God for you, give me leave, with Freedom and Earnestness, to exhort you to account this happy Privilege of your Christianity, to be the greatest Blessing and Happiness that a Man or Woman (born into the World) are capable of; for the Gospel, or glad Ti­dings of Salvation by Jesus Christ, was the great Redemp­tion [Page 13] and Happiness to a sin­ful, degenerate and miserable World: Now you must know, God son, That God (having created Man) made a Covenant and Agreement with him, to this purpose; That if he con­tinued in Obedience to God, That both that Knowledge of his Duty, and that Strength of Soul and Mind he then enjoyed (in his Estate of Innocency and Happiness) should be con­tinued to him, and that he should never die, but be hap­py for ever: But on the other side, if he sinn'd and disobeyed God, then both he and all his Posterity should lose that Knowledge, and that perfect Strength, and be subject to Death, both Temporal and E­ternal. But our First Parent Adam disobeyeth God, and so [Page 14] brings a Curse on himself and all his Posterity, (they losing both their Knowledge of, and Strength to perform their Du­ty; being both ignorant and weak, having a Backwardness to all Good, and an Aptness to all Evil) and also Death Tem­poral and Eternal at last. All Mankind being now in this mi­serable Condition of Bondage and Slavery, to Sin and Sa­tan, Death and Hell; God was pleased to make a Second Co­venant of Grace and Mercy with lost Man, and therein pro­mises to send his Son (that Seed of the Woman which should break the Serpents Head) who should be a King, Priest, and Prophet to us: A King to rule us, a Priest to make an A­tonement for us with his Fa­ther, and to intercede for us; [Page 15] and a Prophet to teach and instruct us in all things neces­sary to our Happiness, in the whole Will and Mind of God. Accordingly the Blessed Jesus, in fulness of Time was sent into the World from Heaven, to take our Nature upon him, to become Man, and so in our stead, as our Surety, then paid the Price of our Redemption, by shedding his most precious Blood upon the Cross, offering up his Soul, a Sacrifice to God, to satisfy his Father's Justice, (of which great Sacrifice all the legal Sacrifices were Types, and as such were acceptable with God, for he was the Lamb of God slain from the Beginning of the World) and by this means to reconcile us to God, to pro­cure to us the sinful Offspring of sinful Adam (upon our true [Page 16] Repentance) a Pardon of all our Sins: (For he purchased a general Pardon to all the Re­bellious Sons of Adam, upon their Submission and laying down their Arms, and ceasing their Hostilities against Hea­ven, and becoming dutiful and obedient Subjects) and of the Servants of Sin and Slaves of Sa­tan (the greatest Slavery in the World) to be made the Sons and Servants of God (whose Service is perfect Freedom) to be in some Measure restored to their first State of Innocence and Happiness, to be made vertuous and holy, conformed to the Image of their heaven­ly Father; to enjoy his Friend­ship and Favour, and to be blessed by him here in this Life, and at Death to be tran­slated into the blessed Regions [Page 17] of Happiness above in Heaven; there to behold, love, contem­plate, praise and admire Him to all Eternity, with all his holy Angels.

Now, consider seriously, God-son, Was not this great Love and good Will of God, in this great Contrivance and Work of our Redemption? And in his sending his beloved Son into the World for the effecting the same? And was it not also great Love and condescending Goodness in the Son of God, the blessed Jesus, to stoop from Heaven to Earth, to take up­on him the Nature of sinful Man? To be born of a Woman, to live here upon Earth a mean and despicable Life, to be ha­ted, reviled, persecuted (even while he went about designing and doing all the Good he [Page 18] could, both to the Bodies and Souls of Men, and publishing the glad Tydings of Salvation to all the World, and by his divine Doctrine rectifying the great Errors, Mistakes and De­lusions that the World lay un­der making a clear and full Discovery of what was Truth, and being the great Exemplar of all Vertue, Holiness, true Worth and Goodness to all the World,) Being, notwithstanding, herein exposed to all the Malice and Rage of Men and Devils: And at last to lay down his precious Life by a shameful, ignomi­nious, painful and cruel Death of Crucifixion: Hereby per­fecting the Work of our Re­demption; That whosoever would accept of this Salvation, and would believe in him, re­pent and be baptized, and so [Page 19] become his faithful Disciple, should be saved.

Now, God-son, you being happily born of Christian Pa­rents, were according to the holy Institution of this bles­sed Jesus our Lord and Ma­ster, and the constant Practice of his Church, baptized, and thereby initiated in his Church, and made a Member of the same (as I mentioned before) and so made not only capable of, but really partaker of this great Redemption and Salvati­on. It very much concerns you, now you are come to a competent Age of Understand­ing, to consider how you stand obliged to God, and to be true and faithful to your baptismal Vow and Covenant, which now you must renew in your own Person (except you will [Page 20] renounce your Christianity) and think that you were obliged also to them who were assistant and instrumental in this chari­table Work of bringing you to this holy Baptism, and devo­ting and dedicating you to God, and to be the Disciple of the blessed Jesus Christ, you being thereby Partaker of all the Privileges and Benefits of the Gospel. Now I beseech you, with all Chearfulness and Ala­crity of Soul, resolve forthwith to ratify and confirm this Ad­vantageous Contract and Vow, made for you (by your God-fathers and God-mothers) in your Minority and Nonage, and perform the same in your own Person, now you are of Capa­city, and abhor to profess, what you do not intend to practise.

In pursuance thereof be mo­dest, [Page 21] and humble, and teachable, be very sollicitous to know and understand fully what your Christianity means, and also what it requires of you: And abhor to be of the Number of them (too many in the World) who neglect that most where­in their chiefest and greatest Care should be, viz. Their Re­ligion; and by that means know little more of their Christianity but the Name.

First therefore, God-son, have recourse, with humble Reve­rence of Heart and Body, to God in Prayer, and with great Fervency beg the Guidance of his Grace and Spirit, wherein your blessed Lord and Saviour hath furnished you with the most excellent Form compo­sed by himself, which should be a Pattern to all our Prayers, [Page 22] and always to accompany them: But herein also your Mother the Church hath furnished you, as also other pious Men, especially that most excellent Book, the whole Duty of Man, which, now I have men­tioned to you, let me recom­mend it to you as an Atten­dant to the sacred Scriptures, in which, in the next place, I would advise you to be very Conver­sant, I mean the Scriptures, with a spiritual Guide to direct you, and take you by the Hand, e­specially in doubtful and diffi­cult places, and hearkening to good Sermons, and the learning and understanding the Princi­ples of your Religion, contain­ed in our Church Catechism; in which you should request your Parents and Friends to as­sist and help you.

[Page 23]And consider, God-son, Where­as in your Baptismal Vow you renounced The Devil and all his Works, the Pomps and Va­nities of this wicked World, and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh, That is to say, all Acts of Sin and Disobedience to the Divine Laws (for Sin is the Transgression of God's Law) as also all the vain and evil Customs of the World, the Pride, Excess and Vanity of worldly and wicked Men, to­gether with the gratifying of your carnal and sensual De­sires and Appetites, in opposi­tion to those Restrictions and Rules God hath set us. And whereas, in the next place, you promise to believe all the Ar­ticles of the Christian Faith, briefly summed up in the Apo­stles Creed, in which is com­prehended [Page 24] the Knowledge and Belief of all those Truths of Christianity, necessary to be known by us, to be the Guide of our Lives, it being the Foun­dation of all Christian Practice. It is very needful to have your Mind well instructed therein: For without this Foundation be well laid, the Superstructure thereupon can never stand, but will come to nothing; Igno­rance herein is the Mother of Error: He that understands a­miss, concludes worse, and Er­ror is endless, as one speaks, and as Dr. Sibs long since well ob­served, Whosoever is corrupt in Faith, is corrupt in Obedience in that Degree. Evil Opinions hreed evil Life: For as Truth is from above, the Offspring of God, so Error is from beneath from the great Deceiver, the [Page 25] Father of Lyes the Devil. There­fore nothing is so much worth as a Mind well instructed, saith the Son of Syrach, Eccles. 26.14.

And Mistakes in things of Religion are of most dreadful Danger to you, wherefore it very much concerns you to be well instructed with good and sound Principles: True Piety being the Consequent of a sound and orthodox Faith. And whereas you promise to keep God's holy Will and Com­mandments, and therein to per­sist to your Lives end: It is most necessary you should know them and their true Sence and Meaning, that so you may avoid the Ill they forbid, and do the Good they command you, which are briefly, yet ful­ly contained in the Exposition [Page 26] set down in your Catechism, which deserves your frequent and serious Consideration.

And as soon as convenient Opportunity is offered have Re­course to Confirmation by the Hands of the Bishop, there to renew solemnly your baptismal Vow and Covenant, and re­ceive the Benefit of the Pray­ers of the Congregation, and of his Prayers and Blessing also. For as a worthy Divine ob­serves, When Men have so­lemnly addicted themselves to the Christian Religion, and made it their own Act by a voluntary and publick Choice, it will ordinarily have a great Influence upon them in Mo­desty, Honour and Reputation as well as Conscience, that they shall not easily go back from it and renounce it.

[Page 27]And if you have not a con­venient Opportunity for Con­firmation, take the greater Care to fit your self the sooner for the holy Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Savi­our, and there renew solemnly you baptismal Vow and Co­venant, and as soon as you have so renewed your Covenant and Vow, either at Confirmation or at receiving the Sacrament, I would advise you to enter it down in Writing in your Bible, or some other Book of Devo­tions and Prayers, in which you are often, if not daily conver­sant: In Manner following.

BE it remembred that I [...] did this [...] Day of [...] Anno Domini 16 solemnly renew my bap­tismal Vow and Covenant with [Page 28] God, and did then seriously de­vote and resign up my self to his Service, from which, I am resolved, by his Grace, never to depart, but to persist in the same, and be a faithful Disci­ple of my dear Saviour unto my Lives end; in Witness whereof (and that I may be mindful of it, and not forget it) I have here set down the same, and subscribed my Name.

And then subscribe your Name thereunto: And often afterwards have recourse to this Contract, Vow and Covenant you have made with God, and consider it seriously, and often renew it at the holy Sacrament, as also at convenient times read both the Church Office and Prayers at Baptism, and at Confirmation.

[Page 29]But here let me advise you to have a great Care that your religious Warmth and early Seriousness, do not carry you beyond the plain and known Measures of your Duty. Let your baptismal Vow, your Du­ty to God and your Neigh­bour, as set down in the Cate­chism, be chiefly in your Mind, and suffer not your self (mark it and remember) I say, suffer not your self to devise some new and particular Rules to your self, which, in your Zeal, you'll be apt to think necessary, and then be ready to tie your self up by a solemn Vow to ob­serve them. This Forwardness in making Vows is ordinary in all beginners in Religion, and especially in young People. And such Vows (which are no part of Duty, but proceed usually [Page 30] from too much Heat, and too little Consideration: I have heard, to become afterwards great Snares to those who made them, robbing them of the Comforts of sincere Indeavours to keep a good Conscience, by being brought under an Obli­gation, which they had better have avoided, of doing such and such particular Acts of Religion, and with such Cir­cumstances as in themselves are not necessary, and perhaps not convenient for them, when their own Condition of Life is altered, nay, perhaps were not so when they made their Vow. This I the rather caution you against, both for the Reason a­bove mentioned, That I con­ceive an early Piety is very apt to lead you this way; and be­cause I have heard some, whose [Page 31] Scruples have been so great up­on the breaking of these Vows, and coming short of that Strictness and height of Reli­gion in those particular Tasks which they had imposed upon themselves, as to be ready to fall into Despair: Whereas had their Souls been free from such a Bondage, they would have made great Progress in vertu­ous Living, and not have wanted the unspeakable Com­fort of a good Conscience. Wherefore I advise you hear­tily that in all these Religious Warmths, you never bind up your self by any hasty Vows, but consult your spiritual Guide, and take his Directions. For such Assistance is every whit as necessary for the well govern­ing our Fits of Heat, as it is for curing our Coldness in the [Page 32] Duties of Religion. And do not think my Advice in these Matters to be needless or su­perfluous: For Religion is the grand Concern of our Lives, and therefore not to be trifled and played with, as (it is to be feared) most do among us now a-days in the World. I hope I need not use many Ar­guments or Motives to per­swade you to that which is the grand Concern of your Life, and in which consists your greatest Interest and Advan­tage. I need not use many Words to perswade you to be an honest Man, and to be as good as your Word, as your solemn Vow and Oath made to God. I hope you will say with holy David, Psal. 101.4. I hate the sin of Ʋnfaithfulness, there shall no such thing cleave [Page 33] unto me; and when your faith­fulness herein, is to be true to your own highest and greatest Interest and Advantage. Fur­ther, consider seriously the Worth and Excellency of the Rules and Precepts of the Christian Religion; which, in short, you know, is, the loving God with all our Hearts and Minds, with all our Souls, and with all our Strength. And in the next place, loving our Neighbours as our selves, as you are taught in our Church Ca­techism. Now one would think there should need no Argu­ment to perswade you to be in Love with God, the most ex­cellent, amiable, soul-satisfying Object in the World, the great­est and most resplendent Beau­ty you can ever have your Mind fixed upon in the whole [Page 34] Universe; yea, The Beauty of all the Beauties and Excellen­cies in the World, Wisdom 13.3. For the first Author of Beau­ty hath created them: And as the Prophet Zachariah speak Zach. 9.17. How great is his Goodness, and how great is his Beauty? And as the Author of the Book of Wisdom, Chap. 11. Verse 23, 24, 26. sets forth the Goodness and Excellency of God. But thou (saith he) hast Mercy upon all, and winkest at the Sins of Men, because they should amend: for thou lovest all things that are, and abhorrest nothing which thou hast made. How could any thing have en­dured if it had not been thy Will, or been preserved by thee? But thou sparest all, for they are thine, O Lord, thou lover of Souls. Now if under the Law [Page 35] God appeared so good and Gracious, that he was stiled the Lover of Souls, how Re­splendent and Illustrious must needs appear the divine Good­ness to us under the Gospel, when God spared not his own Son, but hath given him up for us all, Rom. 8.32. Yea, so loved the World, that he sent his only begotten Son into the World, that whosoever believ­eth in him should not Perish, but have eternal Life. How should we Christians love God with the strongest and greatest Affections imaginable? And in an ecstacy of Joy loudly pro­claim him to be the Lover of Souls indeed; and cry out with holy David, O love the Lord ye his Saints, &c. Psal. 31.23.

In the next place, as to our Neighbour, our Religion teach­es [Page 36] us to do unto all Men, as we would they should do to us; (that is to say) to honour and reverence our Parents, to be Humble towards all our Supe­riours, to be Loyal and Faith­ful to our Prince and Sove­reign, obedient to his Laws and Government; to submit our selves to all our Governours, Teachers, spiritual Pastors and Masters: To be Just and Ho­nest in all our Dealings, friend­ly and peaceable towards all our Neighbours; to be Chari­table and ready to do all the Good we are able both to the Bodies and Souls of those who stand in need of it: To be So­ber, Temperate and Chast, and to follow Peace with all Men, and Holiness: And in respect to the Duties both of the First and Second Table, to follow [Page 37] the Apostles comprehensive Di­rection, Philip. 4.8. Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good Report; if there be any Ver­tue, and if there be any Praise think on these things. So that this most excellent Religion, must needs make its Votaries the best, the most lovely Persons in all the Earth, even like unto their Lord and Master, the e­ver blessed Jesus, who himself was the express Image of his Father, God blessed for ever: For this is the great End of Re­ligion (as a late Author dis­courseth) viz. The purifying and refining the Nature of Man, correcting the wild Ex­orbitances of Passion and Lust, [Page 38] by which he is so estranged from God, and disabled to ar­rive at the Life of Vertue and Goodness, it restores us to that primitive State of Happiness that we lost in Adam.

Thus, in short, you have the true Representation of the Christian Religion, than which nothing can be more excellent, as to its Laws and Rules of Life: And altho' it is true, it is a Yoke and Restraint, yet (as our Lord and Master testifies) his Yoke is easy, and his Bur­then light. His excellent Re­ligion is not a sowre melancho­ly Thing, as is falsly repre­sented by ignorant and wicked Men: It is not an Enemy to your Mirth, Pleasure and De­light in this Life (as one hath well observed) you may Sing, Rejoice and be Merry, God de­nies [Page 39] you nothing but Sin, which spoils your Joys and dasheth your Mirth, and sooner or later must be sadly accounted for: As the Pious Mr. George Herbert used to say, Religion doth not banish Mirth, but only moderates and sets Bounds to it; it is the only way to render our Delights pure and real, and satisfactory: For do you imagine that any one can so heartily sing and re­joice as he that hath God his Friend, who lives under the Smiles of Heaven: Indeed it is the Voice of all Men, who will shew us any Good? Omnes tendunt ad gaudium, sed unde magnum & stabile consequan­tur ignorant, saith the Heathen Seneca. Every Man would ar­rive at Joy and Contentment, but how to obtain that which is great, stable and lasting, they [Page 40] know not. All Men seek Hap­piness and Satisfaction, and Tranquility of Mind in this Life: Now behold, here it is only to be had, in a vertuous and christian Life; for if we search the whole Universe, where else shall we find it? For we see by daily Experience that when Men have run through all the Felicities this World can afford them, Riches, Ho­nours, Pleasures; at last, when they come to be Wise and Se­rious at their Deaths, (for Death being a serious thing in­deed, it makes them that have played the Fool all their Lives to become then serious & wise:) Then they all (if they have their Senses) loudly proclaim with Solomon, That all is Vani­ty and vexation of Spirit. And as the wise Man discourseth, [Page 41] Wisdom 5.7, 8, 9. They will say, We alas! wearied our selves in the Way of Wickedness and Destruction. What hath Pride profited us; Or what good hath Riches with our Vaunting brought us? All these things are passed away like a Shadow, and as a Post that hasteth by, &c. And they repenting and groaning for Anguish of Spi­rit, shall say within themselves (of the Righteous Man) This is he whom we had sometimes in Derision and a Proverb of Re­proach, we Fools accounted his Life Madness, and his End to be without Honour: How is he numbred among the Children of God, and his Lot is among the Saints? 3, 4, 5. Verses of the same Chapter. But certain­ly true Happiness, and Satis­faction and Pleasure is to be had [Page 42] only in a good, vertuous and christian Life, which leads us to, and fixeth us upon that summum bonum, God: A good Conscience being a continual Feast, that only a good Man, a good Christian always carries about him: For as Solomon says truly, God's Ways are Ways of Pleasantness, and all his Paths are Peace, Prov. 3.17. A good Christian is the only Man that can with an humble and chearful Confidence look up to God as his almighty Protector and Defender, as his gracious Father, under the Light of whose Countenance he doth e­very day Rejoice: For as one well observes, Vertue is the Tenure by which we hold of Heaven, without this we are but as Out-laws, who cannot claim Protection. Thus as to [Page 43] the Provision for a Christian's Welfare in this World. And as the Wicked at their latter End see (altho' too late) their Folly, and then Lament and Bewail their Rebellions and Wickedness against God, with great Horrour and Consterna­tion of Heart, and then not being able to fly from them­selves, lie down in Sorrow, forewarning others of their Fol­lies. So, on the other Hand, these faithful Disciples of their blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, when they come to die, if you should then ask them whe­ther ever they repented of their faithful serving God, in walk­ing in that seeming streight and narrow Way of Vertue and true Christianity? And they will presently tell you, That he was the best Master in the [Page 44] World, and that his Service was perfect Freedom; That there is no such Life of Pleasure, Joy and Satisfaction, and true Tran­quility and Peace of Mind, as in an honest sincere Christian Life. Ecclesiast. 2.10, 11. They will say with the Son of Syrach, Look at the Generations of old, and see, did ever any trust in the Lord and was confounded? Or did ever any abide in his Fear and was forsaken? Or whom did he ever despise that called upon him?

For the Lord is full of Com­passion and Merciful, long Suf­fering and very pitiful, and forgiveth Sins, and saveth in time of Affliction. You will hear even the best of them be­wailing much their own Un­profitableness, and that they have done so good a Master so [Page 45] little Service; and you will find them rejoicing in God, even when grim Death looks them full in the Face, and they re­turning him a Smile of Disdain for his Frowns: And to speak the Truth, they are so full of Joy they are not able to express it in Words, it being better felt than expressed, and what they have all along met with in their holy Christian Course. For what great Encouragements have they had daily also from their clear and full Prospect of a glorious celestial Crown a­waiting for them in the other World? But this future, great and transcendent Felicity (that neither Eye hath seen, nor Ear hath heard, nor ever entered into the Heart of Man to con­ceive) how can they, or I, re­present it to you? O how great [Page 46] is thy Goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, &c. Psal. 31.19.

Now, God-son, you are enter'd into their Christian Race, and may become as Happy as they, if you will but follow their Example, and walk in their Steps, you may assuredly par­take of their Satisfactions and Comforts in this Life, and also of their Reward and Crown in the other World. Consider the seasonableness of the time of your Youth, which is the most acceptable time with God, now you may assure your self the golden Scepter is held forth: How pleasing must it needs be to the Divine Majesty of Hea­ven, the supreme Lord the Cre­ator, to have the First Born of his Creatures, their Youth and Strength, their First virgin [Page 47] Thoughts and Affections de­voted and dedicated to him and his Service? O how rejoi­cingly will he now receive you, yea embrace you in the Arms of his tenderest Affections? And how may you now exspect the all-powerful Assistances of his Grace, the strongest Gales of his Spirit to assist your In­deavours? Now, what wise Man (think you) who having a long and difficult Voyage to take, wherein he is like to meet with a strong Tide and Cur­rent against him, but will be very ready to take the Advan­tage of Wind and Weather for his Help and Furtherance in his Voyage? Now God hath assured to you the Gift of his Spirit, if you earnestly beg it of him, and make diligent use of it, both to encourage, assist [Page 48] and comfort you in your Chri­stian Race, that at last you may gain the Celestial Crown.

How seasonable also will this Time of your Youth, Health, Strength and Vigour be to your self, for the easy effecting and accomplishing this great Work? Now before you have tasted the Pleasures of Sin, or however, before you have taken too deep Draughts of that poysonous and perni­cious Potion of Vice, and Sin before you have contracted E­vil Habits (those Customs in Sin, which are as a Second Nature) and before you are immersed in the Cares and Troubles of this Life, now to receive the Impression (on your tender and pliable Minds) of Heaven, of Vertue and the Love of God.) O, have therefore [Page 49] a more especial Care at this time, of those dangerous Rocks of Ease and Pleasure, and ill Example, upon which so many are daily shipwreck'd in their Youth and tender Years; here­in take the Advice lately gi­ven by a worthy Author to young Persons. The chiefest Instances of Vice (saith he) con­sist in the extravagant Affecta­tion of sensual Delights and Pleasures. The Judgment of Youth is raw, nor hath its Rea­son attained to any Consistency, is easily imposed upon by Shews and Appearances of things, it sees but the Surface of them, the Inclinations of Sense are strong and prevalent, and the Powers of Reason weak and im­perfect, are easily fired and captivated by any thing that proposeth present Gratification [Page 50] and satisfying its carnal Ap­petites. It therefore very much concerns you, not to trust to your own Judgment, but take in the Advice of wiser Heads than your own, and now to labour to mortify and subdue your Lusts and carnal Appe­tites and Passions, and to get the Conquest over them be­times, as the Son of Syrach adviseth thee, Ecclesiast. 18.30, 32. Go not after thy Lusts, but refrain thy self from thine Ap­petites. Take not Pleasure in much good Chear, &c.

Now let it be your great care to break off such sinful Customs you have contracted especially those of lying and swearing (too much abound­ing in young Persons in our days.) Use not to make any manner of Lyes, for the Custom [Page 51] thereof is not good, as the Son of Syrach adviseth thee, Ec­clesiast. 7.13. And accustom not thy Mouth to swearing, neither use thy self to the naming of the Holy one: As he further adviseth; For a Man (saith he) that useth much swearing shall be filled with Iniquity, and the Plague shall never depart from his House, &c. Ecclesiast. 23.9, 11. I pray you consider it well, and abominate and detest this horrible Sin of swear­ing and cursing, this blasphe­mous Contempt of the divine Majesty of Heaven, which in young Persons may be well looked upon as the Seed of all Vice and Wickedness in them, to end in that Plague and Curse before mentioned.

And in the next place en­gage and fix your Affections [Page 52] strongly upon God and things above; now a quarter part of the Pains and Labour will do the Business, which you must be forced else to use afterward, if you let pass this best time; now strike while the Iron is hot.

In respect of your Mortality. How seasonable is this time to do this great and necessary Bu­siness of Life? Consider the Frailty and incertainty of your Life, which may more especial­ly be compared in Youth to a Bubble, a Vapour, a Flower, quickly nipt in the Bud, when least expected by your self: Death is your great Enemy, who awaits for your Life every day, be therefore beforehand with him, and prepared against his Assaults, which only can be by making use of the present [Page 53] time (which is only yours) to make your Peace with God, and to secure to your self eter­nal Happiness, that you may be made Holy and fit for Hea­ven; that when Death comes it may not be able to hurt you, but advantage you, in transla­ting you from this sinful and troublesome World into the Mansions of eternal Pleasures and Delights above. This true Wisdom of being Religious and Vertuous, will, in short, make you live comfortably and die bravely.

God-son, you remember that saying in your Grammar, Mul­tum scire est vita Jucundissima, Wisdom and Knowledge is the sweetest Life of all. And the Son of Syrach, Ecclesiast. 40.20. will tell you, Wine and Mu­sick rejoice the Heart, but the [Page 54] Love of Wisdom is above them both.

Improve your Mind therein, now take Pains to acquire it: As one hath well observed, All Men desire Knowledge, but they are unwilling to be at the Pains to get it. The wise Heathen Se­neca will tell you, The greater any Man's Knowledge is the greater and more perfect is his Mind. It's Knowledge makes us Men and not Years; and he goes on and extolleth the Knowledge and Contemplation of God, above all other Know­ledge. The Knowledge of God (saith he) is the most excellent Knowledge: He is the most ex­cellent Object; and therefore the Knowledge of him must needs be so. Nothing so much delights and perfects the Minds of Men as the Knowledge of [Page 55] God; that's most Pleasant, and ministers greatest Satisfaction to them; that quiets and lays to Rest the Motions, and sa­tisfies the Appetites of them, it also perfects and compleats them.

I need not recommend to you the knowledge of God and Religion, for he hath (you see) prevented me, done it to my hands: And not only get your Mind well instructed in your Christian Religion, but consider also that our Happi­ness lies not in bonorum cogni­tione, but fruitione, not in knowing but in living answer­able to our Knowledge: As a great and learned Man saith, Veritatem Philosophia quaerit, Theologia invenit, Religio possi­det: Religion Consists in Pra­ctice. If ye know these things [Page 56] happy are you if you do them as the holy Scripture teacheth us. If you love me (saith our blessed Lord and Master) keep my Commandments. Let me exhort you to live answerable to your holy Christian Reli­gion in Communion with the Church of England (she being a sound part of the Catholick Church of Christ) and beware of such as would seduce you from her Communion, for herein lies your Safety, to obey and be guided by them that have the Oversight of you, and are over you in the Lord, Heb. 13.17. and to esteem them highly for their Works sake, as the Apostle exhorts us 1 Thes. 5.13. And tell them that shall at any time attempt to pervert you, That by an hear­ty Practice of the Religion as [Page 57] you have been taught in the Church of England; you find you have attained to a Tem­per so like that of good Men, and even of our Lord Jesus himself, as it is set down in Scripture; you find such a suitableness in it, with all the Wants and Desires of your Soul, such Helps against your Infirmities, such Comfort from discharge of your Duty, such a Fear of doing any Ill either to Friend or Stranger, such an hearty Inclination to do Good to all: As that if they should teach you any other ways they must needs make you a worse Man: Both more uneasy to your self, and more trouble­some, and perhaps, dangerous to others. And that therefore you resolve, by God's Grace, to continue in the said Holy [Page 58] Church, which, as far as you can discern, by a Tryal of your own (and I am sure Practice will convince you of this) makes Men as Happy in them­selves as useful to others, as they can be in this World. And that any other Communi­on which requires Men to pra­ctise otherwise must, as far as you understand, make them worse. And therefore you can­not but think that you have more reason to hearken to the Advice of, and be guided by your Mother the Church of England, and her Pastors she hath appointed and set over you, than by any Strangers whatsoever. And in this hum­ble Submission to the Church (wherein you were born and baptized, and from whom you received your Christianity) and [Page 59] in your Fidelity to her (if you should happen by this means to be led into any Error, or Mistake, as to Matters of Dis­pute) it will be doubtless a very venial, or pardonable Crime in you, it being in an humble Submission to the best Guide you have next the Scri­ptures. An Error, or Mistake arising from Humility of Heart, and Diffidence in your self, is a far less Crime than what a­rises from Pride and self-Con­fidence in Opposition to your spiritual Governours & Guides, which God hath placed, and given them Authority over you; which our Sectaries have reason seriously to consider of in our days.

God-son, Since the penning of the precedent Discourse, meeting with these following [Page 60] Verses of a late Author, some­thing pertinent to my Dis­course, I thought fit to add them to it, considering that with Youth the same Matter being cloathed in Verse may be more acceptable than in Prose.

Unto which let me add what a worthy Divine speaks, as very remarkable. It is ob­servable (saith he) that for the most part of good Men and Women, they are such as had the Foundations of Piety laid in their Youth, and very few are found who were effectually reclaimed afterwards.

Doubtless, God-son, there is nothing makes a Man honest, upright, ingenious, useful and truly recommends himself to the World and Society of Man­kind as Religion, and above all Religions the Christian; which truly makes us like to God.

[Page 63]St. Chrysostom (as a late Au­thor presents him) doth con­firm what I have said herein. In one of his Homilies or Ser­mons, he speaks thus. None labours so much that we should be approved Great and Ingeni­ous, as God who made us, and therefore he doth us good often­times even against our Wills, and gives us many good things which we know not of, &c.

In the next place it will not be improper to give you a short Description of Ingenui­ty of Mind, to let you know what it is, as a worthy Person hath described it, viz.

We cannot (saith he) suppose the divine Wisdom so much short of humane, as not in his Intention to assign it to purpo­ses worthy of it, these must re­late to God, our selves, or our Neighbours.

[Page 64]In Respect of God, it ren­ders us more capable of Con­templating his Perfections, dis­covering the Equity of his Laws, and our Obligation to Obedience: In regard of our selves, it makes us apprehend our own Interest in that Obe­dience, Makes us tractable and perswasible, contrary to that brutish Stubbornness of the Horse and Mule, which the Psalmist reproacheth wicked Men with; besides it accom­modates us in all Concerns of humane Life, forms it self in­to all those useful Contrivan­ces which may make our own Being here more Comfortable, especially it renders a Man Company to himself, and in the greatest Dearth of Society entertains him with his own Thoughts.

[Page 65]Lastly, As to our Neigh­bours, it renders us useful and assistant; all these Discoveries and Experiments, those Arts and Sciences, which are now the common Treasure of the World, took their first Rice from the Ingenuity of parti­cular Persons, &c. Now all these are Imployments com­mensurable to the Faculty from whence they flow, and that answer its Excellency and Value, and he that so bestows his Talent gives a good Ac­count of his Trust.

This very Description of In­genuity is enough (one would think) to make us all to fall in Love with it. To conclude all in the Words of that ex­cellent and wise Heathen Se­neca: Wealth, Honour and Fa­vour may come upon a Man [Page 66] by chance; nay may be cast up­on him without so much us look­ing after; but Vertue is the Work of Industry and Labour; and certainly 'tis worth the la­bour to purchase that good which brings all others along with it.

The most miserable of all Mortals are they that deliver themselves up to their Palates, or to their Lusts.

I could out of my Christian Affection to you (God-son) have said a great deal more upon this Subject, but I am unwilling to cloy your tender Mind. Read now and then a lit­tle of this Discourse as you have convenient Time, and consider seriously of it: What I have herein done, is out of Sense of my Duty, and that I might not be your God-father for no­thing, [Page 67] but that you might be somewhat benefitted and pro­fitted by the same. And that this and all other Helps in this kind, in tendency to promote your Welfare both in Soul and Body, may prove successful, shall be the hearty Prayers of your Christian Friend.

Let us heartily pray, as our Church directs in the Col­lect for the 6^th Sunday af­ter the Epiphany.

O God, whose blessed Son was manifested, that he might destroy the Works of the Devil, and make us the Sons of God, and Heirs of eternal Life; Grant us, we beseech thee, that having this [Page 68] Hope, we may purifie our selves even as he is Pure; that when he shall appear again with Power and great Glory, we may be made like unto him in his eternal and glorious King­dom, where with thee, O Fa­ther, and thee, O holy Ghost, he liveth and reigneth ever one God World without end. Amen.