A threefold Alphabet of Rules concerning Christian Practice, &c.
A
1. AWake with God in the morning, and before all things give him your first fruits and calves of your lips, in 1 Confession of sin, 2. Petition of necessaries for body, and soul. 3. Thankfulness for mercies received; especially your late preservation, rest, and protection of you and yours.
2. Account it not enough that your self serve God,Josh. 24.15. Ps. 101.2. Gen. 14.14. & 18.19. unless that you see all in your charge do the same.
3. Arm your self against whatsoever the day may bring forth;Est. 4.15. and upon all occasions think on your happy Redemption, with much thankfulness for so happy conjunction of Iustice and mercy,
B
1. Beware of occasions of sin, and wisely inure your self in subduing the least, that at length the greater may be foiled.
2. Believe all that God speaketh unto you out [...]f his word,1 Sam. 16.16. Eccles. 3.7. but not all that man [...]elleth you: nor tell to any other [...]ll that you hear, but only the [...]uth, and that neither all, nor always.
3. Before you take in hand any [...]ing counsel with Gods Word it be lawful,Luke 2.19. 2 Sam. 2.1. 1 Sam. 30.8. and then perform with prayer, that it my be as [...]ccessful as lawful.
C.
1. Carefully set your self in Gods presence all the day long, that setting him at your right hand you may not fall.
1 Cor. 10.32. Col. 4.5:2. Carry your self unto all as the weak may be won, the strong comforted, and the Wicked ashamed.
Mat. 15.10. Ep. 4.23.31: Col. 3.5.8.3. Consider the dignity of you [...] soul, how beautiful it is to Go [...] and his Angels, so long as yo [...] keep it unspotted, that so you ma [...] cleanse your heart from the first motions of sinful thoughts, as lust, anger, envy, pride, ambition, covetousness, sullenness: and the rather, because the least sin deserveth death.
D.
1. Dayly, morning and evening at least, solemnly on your knees make confession and requests with thanksgiving: first preparing your heart to seek the Lord: In the morning thin [...] that ye day may be your last day, & when you g [...] to bed, you know not whether you shall rise, unless it be to Iudgement. It is safe therefore t [...] use prayer as a Key to open the morning, and as a bar or lock to shut in the evening.
Gal. 6.10.2. Delight to do all the good you can to Gods Children; and to receive all the good you can from them.
2 Chr. 16:3.9.12. 2 Cor: 3.5. 1 Cor. 3 7. Rom. 1.25.3. Distrust not Gods providence in any matter, although you see the means wanting, neither when you have them, let them be relied on more than God himself, but let him be praye [...] unto for the prosperous use of them.
E.
1. Exercise your mind in meditating often on the works of God,Jer. 12.2. Hab. 1.13. Mat. 25.31. as his creating and governing of the World, his prospering and punishing the wicked, his blessing and correcting his children, his preparing of unspeakable Ioy for the one, and unutterable torment for the other; but especially on the Sabbath day,Exodus 20.8. add to these meditations the holy exercises of prayer, preaching, Sacraments, holy conference, and such like.
2. Esteem of every one better than your self,Rom. 12:16. Phil. 2.3. and the more you excel another, be so much the more humbled.
3. Examine your thoughts well,Rom. 14.23 Prov. 6.14. Z [...]ch. 8.17. Psal. 49.3. whether they tend, before you fulfill your own desires; if you find them unprofitable, curious, vain, or such as you cannot yield a sufficient reason to God or man for, kill them in the shell, let them not live or breath longer in you.
F.
1. Fear God and keep his commandments;Eccl. 12.13. for this is the whole dutie of man.
2. Fly and avoid places and persons,Pov. 5.8. & 6.27.28. infectious, wanton, idle, unthrifty and bad company, which are to the soul as poysoned & infected air to the body.
3. Follow with faithfulness and diligence your own business,Eccl. 1.13. Gen. 3.19. 2 Thes. 3.6. in the lawful and particular calling wherein God hath placed you; only be careful in your earthly business to carry an heavenly mind.
G.
Ps. 92.13.14.1. Grow up dayly in the practice of every commandment, and in the Faith of every promise of God; seeing God would have the planted in his house, thrive, well liking and more fruitful in their age: he that is not best at last, may fear whether ever he were good.
1 Cor. 10.31. Rom. 14.13. [...]. Give no offence justly unto any man whether within or without: for wo to them by whom offences come.
Rom. 7.18.19.243. Grieve for nothing in the World so much as for your own sins, and in them for nothing so much as for offending so loving a God, and that not only in committing of evil, but also in omitting of good.
H.
1 Cor 11.31.1. Humble your self for your sins, that the Lord may raise you up; for he that judgeth himself aright, shall never be judged of the Lord,
1 Pet. 2.17.2. Honour all men in their places, but no man [...]o much for his greatness as for his goodness, and thus shall you imitat the Lord himself,Act. 10.35. who accepteth not persons, but in every Nation accepteth him that feareth him.
3. Have special care to avoid the sins which you have found your self most inclined unto, and which have in times past most prevailed: for sin is loth to be said nay, and Satan seeketh reentry.
I.
1. Iustifie Gods wisdom in all his proceedings concerning your self and others; his Power in [Page 7] sustaining, his providence in maintaining, his Iustice in punishing, his Love in correcting, his Faithfulness in performing, his Grace in giving, his, bounty in promising his Mercy in taking a way; every thing say from the heart,Job 1.21. blessed be the Name of the Lord.
2. In every company receive some good, and do some also to your power; leave no ill savour behind you, neither do hurt by speech, silence, countenance, or example: in your praises be discreet, in saluting courteous, in admonishing brotherly; and wise in moving and entertaining speech or conference.
3. It is fearful to sin,Psal. 51.3: Eph. 4.26. but much more to ly in it: and therefore register all your sins dayly, bewail them at fit times, pray for pardon of them, and strength against them: contemn none as counting it little, because Gods law hath condemned it; and Christ hath died for it, or else must you eternally.
K.
1. Know God in Christ,Joh. 17.3. Psal. 2.12. which is life everlasting, kiss the Son of God lest he be angry, and know your self to be a Believer, and that Christ is in you, and you in him.
2. Keep as your vows with God,Psal. 15.4. so your lawful promises with men: for faith and truth must kiss each other in Christian conversation.
3. Keep out wandring and worldly thoughts as much as possibly may be, narrowly watching your heart; for, such as you suffer that to be, such will be your words, deeds, and whole conversation.
L.
1. Love all things for Gods sake, and God [Page 8] only for his own; and look you make him your friend, whosoever be your enemy for it: this you shall do, if as an obedient child, you live in the eye of your heavenly Father.
2. Look upon the lives and behaviour of the wicked to avoid them; of the godly to imitate them; upon the life and death of them both, as also your own not far of, to make you loath this world, and long after the life to come.
Luke 11.34. Rom. 13:13:3. Let your meat, drink, apparel, recreation, be lawful, needful, and moderate.
M.
Deut. 28.58. Matth. 7.12.1. Make not mention of God, or any word or work of his, but with fear and reverence: nor of any man but with love and carefulness, using his name, as you would have him to use yours.
2. Mark other mens profiting in Religion to provoke your self, their slips, to make your self more wary, their risings, to be thankful to God for them.
3. Meditat [...] often upon the four last things, 1. Death 2. Iudgement. 3. Heaven. 4. Hell.
N.
1. Never make shew of more holiness outwardly, than inwardly you have in your heart which God seeth,Rom. 12. in which h [...] desireth truth; nor please your self with your unprofitableness, unfitness or unwillingness to good.
2. No man is owner, but steward of tha [...] he hath, you must therefore impart of the blessings you have, to those that stand in need, wisely, heartily, and in due season.
3. Note your own special corruptions whether they grow stronger or weaker,1 Cor. 11.28. and [Page 9] how your self can resist them:Ro. 12.12. and if any assault you more strongly, pray, and make the matter known to God: The best way for a Woman sollicited to folly, to be red of the tempter is, to tell her husband.
O.
1. Often speak to the praise of God,Pr. 27.2. & 10.19. never of your self. For other things, because many words want not iniquity, speak as few as you can, or rather none than unprofitable.
2. Open not your mouth to speak of other mens infirmities,Jam. 1.19. especially behind them;Ps. 15.3. nor before them without grief and sorrow.
3. Of every idle word account must be given, and much more of every wicked word,Mat. 12.36; Col. 4.6. and therefore let your speech be gracious, poudred with salt, and tending to edification.
P.
1. Praise the Lord for every new benefit bestowed,1 Thes. 5.18. and then by it promote his glory, the Churches good, and your own salvation; esteeming of graces given as spurs to godliness, and pledges of eternal life.
2. Prevent anger before it kindle;Eccl. 7.9. Pr. 14.17. it is wisdom to quench the lest sparkle of fire before it begin to flame. Consider 1. The original of anger, being pride or self love. 2. The cursed fruits by giving place to the devil. 3. Gods patience. 4. Gods image in your Brother. 5. Your own weakness in the same kind. 6. The wrong is not remedied by revenge, but enlarged; nor the wrong doer amended, but imitated.
3. Prepare your self for death,1 Cor. 15.56. [Page 10] and pull out his sting by 1. Bewailing sins past. 2. Turning to God in time to come. 3. Purposing a new life. None can die ill, that hath had a care to live well. Perswade your self, if you live well, you shall die well; but if you die well, doubt not but you shall do better.
Q.
1. Quiet your heart, and be still under the correcting hand of God, because 1. He doth it.Psal. 39.9. 2. For your best. 3. He will moderate it. 4. Supply strength. 5. Seasonably deliver out of it.
Mat. 5.44. Rom. 12.20.2. Question not whether others should do you good, or you them first: it is praise worthy, to be first in well doing: and if you do good to your enemies, your reward is with God.
3. Quench not the Spirit, nor suffer any good motion arising in your heart to pass away,1 Thes. 5.19. but feed it by reading, meditation, prayer and practice.
R.
Psal. 1.2. Deut. 6.6.1. Read daily something of Gods Book for the encrease of knowledge and conscience; and add hereto meditation and prayer; for these three saith Luther, make a Divine: all time thus spent, is well redeemed. As for lascivious and idle Books, shun them as rocks.
2. Rejoyce in the good you know by another; praise God for it, pray for the encrease of it, but if you know any evil by any, mourn for it, and if you can by brotherly admonition amend it.
3. Refrain your ears, eyes, mouth and hands,Job 11:1. Ps. 119.37. from hearing, seeing, speaking or performing any wicked and vain thing; knowing that death often entereth in at the windows.
S.
1. Stick to God as well in adversity as prosperitie;Ja. 1:2. the one being as necessary as the oth [...]r. If you want necessaries, humble your self for them; if you have them, be humble with them; and use them well, lest you surfeit them.
2. Seek reconciliation with your neighbour,Mat. 5.23. Psal. 35.14. freely forgiving those that have offended you, and earnestly desiring to be forgiven of all that have been offended by you.
3. Study to approve both your heart to God,Mat. 23.25. Jer. 7.9.10. and your life to Gods Children in your particular calling, and especially to such as to whom God hath joined you;Eph. 5.33. and 6, 5, 6. as if a servant in obeying, if a master in ruling, if a Husband in loving, if a wife in reverence; for a good conscience, a good name, and good manners must go together.
T.
1. Take heed of performing holy duties for fashions sake,Heb: 3:12: Isa: 1:1 [...]: Mat: 15:8:9 or without feeling and profit, for this is Hypocrisie or prophaness.
2. Thankfully requite, at least with 1. Acknowledgement. 2. Hearty affection.Rom: 1:12: & 12:10: 1 Cor: 11:25 3. Prayer, the good you get by any man, for there is no member in the Body, but standeth in need of other mens gifts.
3. Think it the greatest work in the World to die well: which to do, you must inure your self to die before hand. 1. By dying to your sins. 2. Leaving the World in affection, before it actually leave you. 3. In your last leaving of it, do it willingly, yea joyfully, whensoever, wheresoever, or howsoever God shall call you.
V.
Eccl 35:34: Ps: 116:14:1. Vow to God and keep it; esp [...] cially strive in performing the s [...] lemn vow of your Baptism, and the Covena [...] which you renew in the Lords Supper.
2. Variance and discord wi [...] men will not stand with your pea [...] with God.1 Joh: 4:20: If you love God, yo [...] will love men also, for Gods Image; or else f [...] his Commandments sakr.
3. Vsed the worl as not using it, and yo [...] prosperity and liberty to be bettered by them. That is not gained,1 Cor: 7:3 [...] Mat: 16:2 [...] which is gotten with the loss of your soul, and then is the soul exchanged with an handfu [...] of the world, when it is not gotten and held. [...] In Christ restoring it. 2. With Christ the chi [...] gain. 3. For Christ the Lord of it.
W.
1. Wait upon the Lord, and he will direct you [...] way;Psal: 37:7: become his servant, for this is [...] way to attain your truest liberty.
2. Weep with them that weep, and fellow fee [...] the afflictions of the brethren yt are in the world Christ in heaven accounteth the sufferings of hi [...] Saints his own, and we his members upon earth must do the same Religion and mercy are well matched by God,Rom. 12:15: Jer: 24; 17: Psalm 69:9: and must not b [...] man be divorced; as for the miseries and sins of the Age wherein you live,Ezekiel 9:4: mourn also for them, and pray to God for remedy.
3. Wish not a long life, so much as a good life; he hath lived long, who hath lived Well A short life in grace, setteth into the everlasting life of glory.