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 Theological Seminary 
 
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 BV 4500 .P8 1845 " 
 C Allestree, Richard, 1619- 
 1681. 
 The practice of Christian 
 i crraces 
 
r 
 
THE 
 
 PRACTICE OF CHMSTIAN GRACES; 
 
 OR, 
 
 v/'' 
 
 THE WHOLE DUTY OF MAN. 
 
 FIRST PUBLISHED, 
 
 1G58. 
 
 A NEW EDITION, WITH A PREFACE. 
 
 BY THE 
 
 REV. WILLIAM BENTINCK HAWKINS, M.A., F.R.S. 
 
 OF EXETEK COLLEGE, OXFORD. 
 
 (1) 
 
THE 
 
 rRACTIGE OF CHllISTIAN GRACES; 
 
 OR, 
 
 ®l)c tUljolc Sluiii of Mian, 
 
 LAID DOWN 
 
 A PLAIN AND FAMILIAR WAY, 
 
 THE USE OF ALL. 
 
 WITH 
 
 PEIYATE DEVOTIONS 
 
 FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 
 T. WARDLE, lU CHESTNUT STREET. 
 1815. 
 
EDITOR'S PREFACE. 
 
 Few books have obtained a more general circulation, or 
 have passed through more editions than The Practice of 
 Christian Graces, or. The Whole Duty of Man, and perhaps 
 it may safely be said, few have possessed such well founded 
 claims on the esteem and approbation of the public. From 
 the time of its first appearance* in 1658, to the end of the 
 seventeenth and during the early part of the eighteenth cen- 
 tury, it retained the popular character which it had originally 
 acquired. So great, indeed, was the estimation in which it 
 was held, that not long after its publication it was translated 
 into the Latin, French, and Welsh languages. t We are 
 also told, that it was the custom of the learned and excellent 
 Bishop Bull, one of the greatest ornaments of our church, to 
 read a chapter out of the Whole Duty of Man in addition to 
 the performance of family prayers in his house on Sunday 
 evenings. We cannot do better than give the account of 
 this circumstance in the words of the Bishop's biographer, 
 the amiable and pious Robert Nelson, a name equally emi- 
 nent amongst the lay members of the church ; since they 
 supply an additional testimony to the merit of the work in 
 question, from one who was well qualified to appreciate its 
 real value. " Upon Sunday evenings, there was the addition 
 of a chapter out of that excellent book. The Whole Duty of 
 Man, than which we have none more fit for general and con- 
 stant use ; and this was for the further instruction of his family, 
 
 * London, Printed for T. Garthwaite, at the Little North Door of St. 
 Pauls, 1658. 
 
 t The translation published in France in the year 1669 is dedicated to 
 the Duchess of York. It is anonymous, but the translator appears to 
 have been a female, and a native of France. She compliments the 
 Duchess on having "une connoissance achevee de la delicatesse de 
 notre langue,"and speaking of herself says, " car comme je ne suis ni 
 de la sexe ni de I'honneur a ecrire pour le public." 
 
 1* (v) 
 
VI EDITOR S PREFACE. 
 
 particularly of those who had been deprived of going to 
 church by reason of the necessary services of the house."* 
 
 Isaak Walton bears a like testimony of Bishop Sanderson, 
 and says, that " He, in his retirement, had the church prayers 
 read in his chamber twice every day ; and at nine at night 
 some prayers read to him and to a part of his family out of 
 * The Whole Duty of Man.' " 
 
 Another eminent divine of our church, the celebrated Dean 
 Stanhope, esteemed this work so highly, that he recommend- 
 ed it as a model for style in the composition of sermons, in 
 a letter addressed by him to a young relation who had en- 
 tered into holy orders. " As to other books which may fit 
 you for the discharge of your duty, Mr. Hooker, Bishops 
 Sanderson, Pearson, and Stillingfleet, Dr. Jackson, and 
 Archbishop Tillotson, cannot be read too often. Happy is 
 the man who can form his style upon the last of these ; and, 
 in plain practical preaching, upon the rational, instructive, 
 and familiar way of the Whole Duty of Man."t 
 
 If during a later period new editions of this work have 
 appeared at longer intervals of time, it is the taste of the 
 public, and not the credit of the book itself, which must be 
 called in question. It is a singular circumstance, and one 
 which we believe has seldom attended any other literary 
 production, that up to the present time, when nearly two 
 centuries have elapsed since the publication of " The Whole 
 Duty of Man," the real authorship of that work has never 
 yet been settled on strong or decisive grounds, and the name 
 of the writer of a book more generally read, and more ex- 
 tensively admired than most others, has remained unknown 
 to the present day. Whatever may be the cause assigned. 
 
 * Nelson's Life of Bishop Bull, p. 102, Oxford, 1840. 
 
 t Nichols's Anecdotes, vol. iv. p. 168. A writer in the Edinburgh 
 Review (vol. xliv. p. 5,) remarks, speaking of the style of The Whole 
 Duty of Man, and that of the other works by the same author, " After 
 the lapse of a hundred and seventy years, they contain scarcely a word 
 or a phrase which has become superannuated." 
 
EDITOR S PREFACE. 
 
 whether it is to be imputed to a natural modesty on the part 
 of the author, an unwillingness to be brought too prominently 
 before the notice of the public, or whether we may ascribe 
 it to a desire on his part to ascertain the possible reception 
 which a Avork, not bearing on its title-page the name of any 
 author, and depending on its own merits alone, might expe- 
 rience from the public ; — it is at least a curious, and we may 
 say, an extraordinary circumstance, allowing the author dur- 
 ing his lifetime to have been desirous to preserve his name 
 a secret, that after his death he should have imposed the 
 same obligation of secrecy on his survivors ; or supposing 
 this not to be the case, that no one of his friends or con- 
 nexions should have been willing to draw aside the veil. 
 Such a circumstance, perhaps, can only be ascribed to ca- 
 price, certainly a very harmless kind, or to actual ignorance 
 arising from the ingenious manner in which the mystery had 
 been preserved. It was scarcely, however, to be expected, 
 notwithstanding this studied concealment, that a book so 
 much read and so much admired should be permitted to pass 
 without question as to its authorship ; and accordingly we 
 find that several individuals, more or less eminent, were at 
 different times brought forward as possessing claims to this 
 distinction. Among those whose pretensions to the honour 
 were more specious, may be named Bishop Fell, Dr. Alles- 
 tree. Bishop Chappel, Archbishop Sterne, and Lady Paking- 
 ton.* Dr. Henry Hammond has also been mentioned as 
 
 * The authorship of this work is also attributed to Dr. Frewen, Arch- 
 bishop of York (Aubrey's Letters, vol. ii. p. 129), but without the sHght- 
 est reason, as he died in 1G64, and it is evident the author of the Whole 
 Duty of Man was living after that period. The following persons also 
 have been mentioned as possessing some claim, viz. Abraham Wood- 
 head, Obadiah Walker, and Mr. Fulnian. Anthony Wood says, 
 "some have attributed ' The Whole Duty of Man' to Mr. Abraham 
 Woodhead, others to Mr. Obadiah Walker, both of whom became 
 papists ; but most apparent it is that that book was written by a true 
 and sincere friend of the Church of England, and one who held that to 
 be the Catholic Church." In Oldfield's Divine Discourses, p. 74, it is 
 
viu editor's preface. 
 
 having some title to the authorship, with but little reason, 
 however, as in that case he would scarcely have introduced 
 a work to the public purporting to be written by an un- 
 known person, in a preface to which he subscribed his own 
 name. The same reason will also apply to the claim made 
 for Bishop Fell, who also wrote a preface to the folio edition 
 of the entire works of the author of the Whole Duty of Man, 
 published in 1684, from which it is evident that he was not 
 himself the author. 
 
 " Many," he says, " I doubt not, will now expect 
 an account of the person and condition of the author; 
 but, besides that it is an ill-mannered thing to pry into 
 what is studiously concealed, the gratifying this curiosity 
 would be an injury to the design of these writings, by 
 robbing them of one efficacious motive of conviction. As 
 the case now stands, all men must see and allow, that nei- 
 ther faction, nor interest, nor pride, nor covetousness, nor 
 other temporal advantage, was sought for by the time and 
 pains employed in these discourses. If the reader shall 
 please, instead of useless inquiries, to bring the same devo- 
 tion and sincerity to the perusal of these discourses, as was 
 employed in the writing of them ; if he print in his mind, 
 and transcribe into his practice what he reads, his pains will 
 be answered by suitable advantage. Let him be wise and 
 humble, temperate, chaste, patient, charitable, and devout: 
 live a whole age of great austerities, and maintain an undis- 
 turbed serenity in the midst of them : and then he wdll him- 
 self become a lively picture of our Author." 
 
 It is singular enough that Bishop Atterbury, who was so 
 thoroughly versed both in ancient and modern literature, and 
 
 said, that Mr. Fulman, a native of Penshurst in Kent, and amanuensis 
 to Dr. Hammond, was the author. Fulman however was born in 1632, 
 and the work in question was put into the hands of Dr. Hammond in 
 1657, and was, as it appears, written some years before. It is also attri- 
 buted to Dr. Chaplin, of University College, Oxon, by Evelyn, vide 
 Memoirs, vol. iii. p. 318. 
 
EDITOR S PREFACE. IX 
 
 SO well acquainted with the Oxford press, and the works 
 which issued from it, (Bishop Fell's edition was printed at 
 Oxford), should have been ignorant of the name of the au- 
 thor of this excellent book. In his sermon on 1 Tim. vi. 1, 
 speaking of the best Christians being least known, he says, 
 " And of this there is one, though a very late, yet so remark- 
 able an instance, that, for the honour of our holy faith, I 
 think it may deserve to be particularly mentioned — the in- 
 stance I mean of the author of ' that excellent book. The 
 Whole Duty of Man,' who took not more care to do good 
 to the world than he did to conceal the doer of it, being 
 contented to approve himself to Him, and Him only, who 
 seeth in secret, and resolved that the praise of men, whe- 
 ther in his life or after his death, should be no part of his 
 reward." 
 
 With regard to the claim set up for Dr. AUestree, we be- 
 lieve it rests on little more than the following passage in 
 Granger's Biographical History of England, in which, 
 speaking of Bishop Fell, he says, " He and Dr. AUestree 
 are supposed to have written almost all the books attributed 
 to the author of The Whole Duty of Man."* Such evi- 
 dence as this, it will at once be perceived, is of very insuffi- 
 cient character to establish a claim of authorship.! Bishop 
 
 * Vol. iii. p. 252, ed. 1804. 
 
 t In the Life of Dean Prideaux, published in 1748, it is said that the 
 Dean always considered Bishop Fell as the author of The Decay of 
 Christian Piety, and that his reasons for this supposition were, that his 
 uncle, Sir William Morrice, whilst in attendance at court a little after 
 the Restoration, had heard Bishop Fell preach a sermon in the King's 
 Chapel, which pleased him so much that he desired to have a copy of it. 
 This was given to him; and on comparing it with the Decay of Chris- 
 tian Piety, which was pubUshed some years afterwards, he found it in 
 the very same words in the pages of that publication. It is also stated 
 that Dr. Prideaux was afterwards confirmed in this opinion, for as he 
 attended the press in the Theatre at Oxford, whilst another of the books 
 ascribed to the same author was printing, he often found whole hnes, 
 and sometimes two or three together, blotted out, and interluieations in 
 their stead, which he knew to be in Bishop Fell's handwriting, and this 
 was a Uberty it was unlikely any one but the author would have taken. 
 
X EDITOR S PREFACE. 
 
 Chappel* also has been named as the writer of this work. 
 In the Biographia Britannica it is stated, " The author of 
 this most excellent book, ' The Whole Duty of Man,' was 
 Bishop Chappel, who, dying in 1648 at Derby, was buried 
 at Dilstrop in Notts. The MS. of it was transmitted by Dr. 
 Sterne, afterwards Archbishop of York, to Dr. Fell, Dean 
 of Christ Church, who having read it beforehand to his pu- 
 pils, occasioned several to say that the said Dr. Sterne was 
 the author ; as also others did, by means of a copy of Bishop 
 Chappel's MS. being found in Lady Pakington's closet after 
 her death, that she wrote it." The claim of Bishop Chap- 
 pel, if it depends only upon the statements contained in the 
 
 So that his opinion on the whole was, that the book called the " Whole 
 Duty of Man" was written by an author still unknown ; but that all the 
 other books assigned to the same author were written by Bishop Fell and 
 Dr. Allestree ; and that when the first of them, either by design or mis- 
 take lof the Bookseller, came forth under the name of the author of 
 " The Whole Duty of Man," they suffered all the others to come out 
 under the same disguise, the better to conceal what they intended should 
 be a secret. And as to what Bishop Fell says in a preface to a folio edi- 
 tion at Oxford, in which all these books are comprised together, where 
 he mentions the author as lately dead, it was generally understood to be 
 meant of Dr. Allestree, who was then lately deceased. Dr. Lort 
 (whose opinion is cited in Nichols's Anecdotes) observes on this state- 
 ment, " This is indeed a very singular account from Dr. Prideaux by an 
 anonymous author." 
 
 * Bishop of Cork : Peck, (Disiderata Curiosa,) in a note to the Life 
 of Chappel, gives the following extract from a letter written by Mr. 
 Beaupre Bell: " 'Tis certain The Whole Duty of Man was written by 
 one who suffered by the troubles in Ireland ; and some lines in that 
 piece give great grounds to conjecture that Bishop Chappel was the au- 
 thor." " Thus we see," observes Peck, " that prelate, as well as many 
 other great and good persons, comes in for part of the credit of that ex- 
 cellent book ; yet there is no explicit evidence of his having been the 
 author of it. It appears indeed to have been written before the death of 
 Charles I., although it was not pubUshed till 1657, (this is a mistake, 
 arising doubtless from confounding the date of the Preface with that of 
 the book itself, which was not published until 1658), and the manner of 
 it is agreeable enough to that prelate's plain and easy way of writing ; 
 but then there can be no reason given, why his name should be sup- 
 pressed in the title-page, when a posthumous work of his was actually 
 published with it but a few years before." 
 
EDITOR S PREFACE. XI 
 
 foregoing extract, can scarcely be termed very well founded, 
 since we learn from them that out of the same train of cir- 
 cumstances which gave origin to the claim of Bishop Chap- 
 pel, sprung also a similar claim for two other individuals, 
 Archbishop Sterne and Lady Pakington.* The pretensions 
 
 * It is stated in a passage in Aubrey's Letters, vol. ii. p. 125, that a 
 MS. copy of the Whole Duty of Man, in the handwriting of Lady Pa- 
 kington, was found amongst her papers after her death ; this, however, 
 is saying but httle towards estabhshing a claim of authorship, if we recol- 
 lect that this lady was a very devout person, possessing much acquaint- 
 ance with the divines of the day, and therefore very hkely to have been 
 favoured with a sight of the work in question before it was printed, and 
 also to have been allowed to take a copy of it for her own use whilst in 
 that state. The following circumstances, however, render it still more 
 unUkely that this lady was the author. The celebrated Dr. H. Ham- 
 mond, for several years previous to his death, and during the very time 
 of the publication of The Whole Duty of Man, was residing in the house 
 of Lady Pakington ; he lived on terms of the greatest friendship with 
 her, and acted also as a spiritual adviser ; it is therefore utterly improba- 
 ble that if she really composed the work in question, she should not have 
 told him ; and yet it is very evident, from the Preface prefixed to it of 
 which he was the author, that he was unacquainted with the name of 
 the person who wrote The Whole Duty of Man. 
 
 And if we are reminded that Dr. Hickes, in the Dedication of his 
 Saxon Grammar to the grandson of this lady, says, " She deserved to he 
 called and to be esteemed the Authoress of The Whole Duty of Man," 
 we reply, that it was perfectly natural for the zealous friends of Lady 
 Pakington to endeavour to found a claim of authorship on the single cir- 
 cumstance, however slight and insufficient it might be in itself, of a copy 
 of the work having been discovered in her handwriting. 
 
 The strongest evidence in favour of Lady Pakington is in the follow- 
 ing note : 
 
 Oct. 13, 1698.— Mr. Thomas Caulton, Vicar of Worksop, in Notting- 
 hamshire, in the presence of Wm. Thornton, Esq. and his lady, Mrs. 
 Heathcote, Mrs. Ashe, Mrs. Caulton, and John Hewit, Rector of Hart- 
 hill, declared the words following : 
 
 " November 5th, 1689. 
 
 "At Shire-Oaks, Mrs. Eyre took me up into her chamber after din- 
 ner, and told me that her daughter Moyser, of Beverly, was dead. 
 Among other things concerning the private affairs of the family, she told 
 me who was the author of the ' Whole Duty of 3'Ian,'' at the same time 
 pulling out of a private drawer a MS. tied together, and stitched in octavo, 
 which she declared was the original copy written by Lady Pakington 
 her mother, who disowned ever having written the other books imputed 
 
Xll EDITOR S PREFACE. 
 
 of the last named person are overthrown by the single fact, 
 that the author is spoken of by Bishop Fell, who was evi- 
 dently acquainted with him, in the masculine gender. With 
 regard to Archbishop Sterne, the case to be made out is 
 somewhat stronger, and although it must be confessed that 
 the evidence collected in favour of his claim is only circum- 
 stantial, yet the chain of reasoning is far from incomplete. 
 From the nature and character of this evidence, we prefer 
 giving it in the form of an Appendix, rather than inserting it 
 in the body of the Preface, which we shall conclude with a 
 character of the Whole Duty of Man drawn by one of the 
 most distinguished writers of our own time, one who has 
 not only thoroughly explored the richest mines of the litera- 
 ture of his own country, but has himself also opened new 
 veins equally rich and valuable. We must, however, protest 
 against the assertion contained in the last clause of the ex- 
 tract, and we hope our readers will join us in the protest, 
 when they have examined the evidence in favour of the 
 claim of Archbishop Sterne, which is offered in the following 
 Appendix. Speaking of this work,* Dr. Southey observes, 
 " A good old book, which contains the substance of a course 
 of sermons, addressed in the plainest language to plain peo- 
 ple, and setting before them those duties which they are 
 called upon to perform in the ordinary course of life. The 
 author was a person of sound judgment and sober piety, who 
 sought to make his parishioners practical Christians and not 
 professing ones ; and that he was humble minded himself 
 there is conclusive proof ; for he concealed his name, and no 
 inquiries have ever yet been able to ascertain it." 
 
 to be by the same author, excepting ' The Decay of Christian Piety.'' 
 She added too, that it had been perused in MS. by Dr. Covel, Master 
 of Trinity College, Cambridge, Dr. Stamford, Prebendary of York, 
 and Mr. Banks, Rector of the Great Church at Hull. 
 
 Mr. Caulton declared this upon his death-bed, two days before his 
 decease. " W. T. 
 
 J. H." 
 
 * Life of Cowper, vol. i. p. 117. 
 
APPENDIX TO EDITOR'S PREFACE. 
 
 We shall first present our readers with a catalogue of the different 
 pieces written by the author of the Whole Duty of Man, with the dates 
 of the first editions. 
 
 I. Whole Duty of Man. The first edition is entitled The Practice of 
 Christian Graces, or the Whole Duty of Man, and printed for T. Garth- 
 waite, 1658, with frontispiece by Hollar, to which is prefixed a letter by 
 Dr. H. Hammond, dated March 7, 1657. 
 
 II. The Gentleman's Calling, printed for T. Garthwaite, 1660, with 
 a letter prefixed by Dr. Humphrey Henchman, dated October 27, 1659. 
 
 III. The causes of the Decay of Christian Piety, written by the Au- 
 thor of the Whole Duty of Man, 1667. The MS. was conveyed to 
 Garthwaite by H. E. in a letter prefixed, dated June 7, 1667. In the 
 Preface to this work the Author quotes the Syriac and Septuagint ver- 
 sions of the Old Testament, and also the original Hebrew. 
 
 IV. The Ladies' Calhng, printed at Oxford, 1673. The editor of this 
 work is said to be Dr. John Fell, who prefixed an Address to the Reader, 
 from which it appears that he was then totally unacquainted with the 
 author. 
 
 V. The Government of the Tongue, printed at Oxford, 1674. Pro- 
 bably at this time the author was known to Dr. Fell. 
 
 VI. The Art of Contentment, printed at Oxford, 1675. ■" 
 
 VII. The Lively Oracles given to us, &,c, Oxford, 1678. '^" 
 
 A collected edition of the Genuine Works of the Author of the Whole 
 Duty of Man was printed at Oxford, 1684. It appears from the Preface 
 to this edition, that the editor, Dr. Fell, was then acquainted with the 
 author, for he gives a character of him, and speaks of him as being dead. 
 
 The following are the circumstances which seem to throw an air of 
 probability over the claim of authorship alleged for Archbishop Sterne. 
 Some of these, it will be seen, have already been alluded to : 
 
 The Author of the Whole Duty of Man was the author of all the six 
 subsequent pieces, which were collected together in one volume, folio, 
 printed at Oxford, 1684. 
 
 The advocates for Lady Pakington attribute only two works to her, 
 the Whole Duty of Man, and the Decay of Christian Piety. 
 
 Bishop Fell states, that the Author was then dead, 1684. 
 
 Archbishop Sterne died June 28, 1683. 
 
 He is spoken of by Bishop Fell in the masculine gender. 
 
 Therefore not Lady Pakington. 
 
 The Author was acquainted with the learned languages, Greek, He- 
 brew, Syriac. 
 
 So was Archbishop Sterne, who assisted Walton in the publication of 
 the Polyglot Bible. 
 
 2 (xiii) 
 
XIV 
 
 Timothy Garthwaite was the pubhsher of the first edition of the Whole 
 Duty of Man; the Gentleman's Calling; the Causes of the Decay of 
 Christian Piety ; and was also the pubhsher of Walton's Polyglot. It is 
 therefore probable that he (Archbishop Sterne) would send his own MS. 
 to the same publisher. 
 
 Mr. Pickering, the publisher of the last London edition, (1842), has in 
 his possession a copy of the edition of The Whole Duty of Man, Lond. 
 1659, in which is written in a cotemporary hand as follows : " The Au- 
 thor of this is Dr. Sterne, Master of Jesus College in, Cambridge^ 
 
 We are perfectly aware that the foregoing circumstances, considered 
 separately, can possess but little weight, and even when taken collec- 
 tively, perhaps cannot avail much towards estabUshing the claim brought 
 forward in favour of Archbishop Sterne ; but nevertheless, in the ab- 
 sence of better evidence, with regard to the production of so remarkable 
 a work, the few and trifling circumstances which we have mentioned 
 may prove, in some degree, interesting. However, we have not yet 
 exhausted the evidence on this subject. The following extract from a 
 number of the Gentleman's Magazine of rather early date, may perhaps 
 be considered to possess testimony of a stronger character, a supposition, 
 on our part, which has induced us to place it as the last link in our chain 
 (we wish it were stronger) of evidence. — The Article is entitled ^^Dis- 
 covery of the real Author of the Whole Duty of Man. Some time ago 
 was put into my hands an half sheet of paper, containing (as it is there 
 expressed in the title), ' A Brief paraphrase on the Lord's Prayer, the 
 author, Dr. Sterne, now Archbishop of York,' Upon my perusal of it, 
 I found it to be word for word exactly the same with that which is pub- 
 Ushed in the Whole Duty of Man. The invocation, petitions, and con- 
 clusion, distinct, separate, and the title of each inclosed in hooks, thus: 
 
 < Our Father which art in Heaven. > 
 
 It is so in the best printed editions of that work. The hand an old se- 
 cretary, which was much used an age or more ago. The spelling the 
 same likewise, different in many words from the present spelling of 
 them. The appearance of the paper and writing give assurance of their 
 long standing, not improbably as long ago as the time, or very near it, 
 when the Whole Duty of Man was first pubhshed. There were, at 
 that time, strong reasons why the author of that work desired to conceal 
 his name. Those reasons have long since ceased. The work would 
 now do credit to the memory of the author, if known ; nor would the 
 knowledge of the author give any one prejudice to the work. The time 
 when Archbishop Sterne lived answers very well to the time when that 
 work was pubhshed ; he died a very old man, a. d. 1683. And if piety 
 and zeal for true religion, which strongly characterise the author of that 
 work, was also the character of Archbishop Sterne, I think we may, 
 with high probabihty, conclude him to have been the author of that, and 
 the other works under that name." Gent's. Mag. 1772, p. 611. 
 
APPENDIX TO EDITOR S PREFACE. XV 
 
 We subjoin a short account of the Life of Archbishop Sterne, extracted 
 with some few aherations, from Walker's Sufferings of the Clergy. It 
 will be seen by it what cruelty and persecution he suffered on account 
 of his loyalty to his sovereign, and devotion to our holy church, at the 
 hands of the atrocious and sanguinary partj^ who consummated their 
 guilt and wickedness by murdering their king, and overthrowing the 
 Church of their native land. 
 
 Richard Sterne, D.D. descended from a family of that name in Suffolk, 
 was born at Mansfield ui Notts : became scholar of Trinity College in 
 the University of Cambridge, was afterwards elected Fellow of Bennet 
 College in the same University, and ultimately Master of Jesus College. 
 Upon the breaking out of the rebellion he was very active in sending the 
 University plate to the king, for which act of loyalty he was seized by 
 Cromwell, together with Dr. Beale, Master of St. John's, and Dr. Martin, 
 Master of Queen's, and conveyed to London. On their arrival in the me- 
 tropolis in express defiance of an order issued by the House of Lords for 
 their immediate imprisonment in the Tower, they were paraded in inso- 
 lent triumph by Cromwell and his myrmidons through Bartholomew Fair, 
 and as far as Temple Bar, and from thence back to the Tower, "on 
 purpose that they might be hooted at, or stoned by, the rabble rout." 
 Since which time, now above three years together (says an account 
 hereof then written) they have been hurried up and down, from one 
 prison to another, at excessive and unreasonable charges and fees exacted 
 from them, far beyond their abiUties to defray, having all their goods 
 plundered, and their masterships and livings taken from them, which 
 should preserve them from famishing. And though in all this time there 
 was never any accusation brought, much less proved against any of them, 
 yet have they suffered intolerable imprisonment ever smce, both by land 
 and water, especially that in the ship, where for ten days together, they 
 with many other gentlemen of great rank, were kept under deck, with- 
 out liberty to come to breathe in the common air, except at the courtesy 
 of the rude sailors, which oftentimes was denied them. In which con- 
 dition they were more like galley-slaves than freeborn subjects, and men 
 of such quahty and condition, and had been so indeed, might some have 
 had their wills, who were bargaining with the merchants to sell them to 
 Algiers, or as bad a place, as hath been since notoriously known upon no 
 false or fraudulent information. Besides which, there are some other 
 circumstances which rendered their usage of Dr. Sterne and his fellow- 
 sufferers in a peculiar manner barbarous and inhuman. For when they 
 were first seized, they were used with all possible scorn and contempt ; 
 Cromwell was more particularly insolent towards them, and when one 
 of them desired a little time to put up some hnen, told him, that it was 
 not i7i his commission. 
 
 In the villages, as they passed from Cambridge to London, the people 
 were called by some of their agents to come and abuse and revile them. 
 They were also led leisurely through the midst of Bartholomew Fair; 
 
XVI APPENDIX TO EDITOR S PREFACE . 
 
 as they passed along, they were entertained with exclamations, reproaches, 
 scorns, and curses ; and it was a great providence, considering the pre- 
 judice which the people had to them, that they found no worse usage. 
 After their confinement, though they often petitioned to be heard, yet 
 they could never obtain either a trial or their liberty. They had been a 
 full year under restraint in other prisons, when they were at length, 
 August 11, 1643, by order of the parliament, sent on board the ship, the 
 name of which was the Prosperous Sailor, then lying at Wapping. As 
 they went to Billingsgate to take water, a fellow was like to have been 
 committed for saying, that they looked hke honest men. But another 
 of the true stamp, looking these grave, learned divines in the face, re- 
 viled them, saying, that they did not look hke Christians ; and prayed, 
 that they might break their necks as they went down the stairs to take water. 
 This harsh usage they found by land, but yet they found far worse by 
 water. Being come on shipboard, they were instantly put under hatches, 
 where the decks were so low that they could not stand upright, and yet 
 were denied stools to sit on, or so much as a burthen of straw to lye on. 
 Into this Little Ease, in a small ship, they crowd no less than eighty pri- 
 soners of quahty ; and that they might stifle one another, having no more 
 breath than what they sucked from one another's mouth, most mali- 
 ciously, and (certainly) to a murtherous intent, they stop up all the small 
 auger-holes, and all other inlets which might reHeve them whh fresh air. 
 An act of such horrid barbarism that nor age, nor story, nor rebellion can 
 parallel ! Whilst Dr. Sterne thus continued in durance, and if I do not 
 mistake the day, March 13, 1643, he was by a warrant from the Earl of 
 Manchester ejected from the Mastership, and one Mr. Laing substituted 
 in his room, whom that Earl coming in person to the College Chapel put 
 into the master's seat, and with some other formalities gave him the in- 
 vestiture of this Headship, April 12, 1644 ; of which he was afterwards 
 himself dispossessed, Nov. 14, 1650, for refusing the engagement. After 
 this Dr. Sterne was removed from the ship, but still kept under confine- 
 ment in some other prison ; only when the blessed martyred Archbishop 
 (whose chaplain he was) suffered on Tower Hill, he was allowed to at- 
 tend him on the scaffold, and perform the last offices of piety about him. 
 At length having lost all he had, and suffered to the last degree for his 
 loyalty, he was permitted to have his liberty. After which he lived ob- 
 scurely until the Restoration, upon which he became Bishop of Carhsle, 
 and in 1664 was from thence translated to the see of York, in possession 
 of which he died in 1683, in the 87th year of his age. He was a man of 
 eminent worth and abiUties, a person of unshaken loyalty, and had the 
 honour to assist in the noble undertaking of the Polyglot." Walker's 
 SuflTerings of the Clergy, Pt. 2, 147. 
 
 The following interesting Letter, addressed by Archbishop Sterne to 
 a former pupil who had relieved his necessities, and giving an account of 
 his sufferings during his confinement, confirms the relation of Walker, 
 and presents a striking picture of the insatiate rapacity and unrelenting 
 
APPENDIX TO EDITOR S PREFACE. XVii 
 
 cruelty of that execrable party, who, during the rebellion, endeavoured 
 to gratify their thirst for plunder, and hatred of all that was good, and 
 righteous, and holy, by violating every law of God and man. 
 
 " Good Mr. Sayer, 
 
 ** Upon Saturday last I received your letter by the same hand to which 
 you delivered it : in it I read that loving and good affection which I ever 
 found in you and from you ; and together with it, I received the real ex- 
 pression of it, whereby I am more ways than one become your debtor. 
 The seasonableness, and especially the freeness, of the courtesy made it 
 double and triple to itself, and would have bound me to entertain it, 
 though I had less occasion than at this time I have, as things are and 
 have been with me. This is now the fourteenth month of my imprison- 
 ment ; nineteen weeks in the Tower, thirty weeks in the Lord Peter's 
 House, ten days in the ships, and seven weeks here in Ely House. The 
 very dry fees and rents of these several prisons have amounted to above 
 jEIOO, besides diet and all other charges, which have been various and 
 excessive, as in prisons is usual. For the better enabling me to maintain 
 myself in prison, and my family at home, they have seized upon all my 
 means which they can lay their hands on. At my Living near Cam- 
 bridge, they have not only taken the whole crop, that is, in a manner the 
 whole benefit of the Living, (for the rest is very little) but plundered and 
 sold whatever goods of mine they found there, even to the poultry in the 
 yard ; allowing me not so much as to pay for his dinner that served the 
 cure. They have robbed also the child that is yet unborn of the clothes 
 it should be wrapped in. But upon my wife's address to the committee 
 at Cambridge, they had so much humanity, as to make the sequestrators 
 (though with much ado) restore them to her again. They have also for- 
 bidden our College Tenants (all within their verge) to pay us any rents, 
 (for the better upholding of learning and the nurseries thereof) If I have 
 anything else that escapes theii* fingers, it is in such fingers out of which 
 I cannot get it ; and that also I owe to the same goodness of the times. 
 So that if my friends' love had not made my credit better than it deserves 
 to be, and supplied my occasions, I should have kept but an hungry and 
 cold house both here and at home. And all this while I have never been 
 so much as spoken withal, or called either to give or receive an account 
 why I am here. Nor is any thing laid to my charge, (not so much as the 
 general crime of being a malignant) no, not in the warrant for my com- 
 mitment. What hath been wanting in human justice, hath, been (I 
 praise God) supphed by Divine mercy. Health of body, and patience, 
 and cheerfulness of mind, I have not wanted, no, nor on shipboard ; 
 where we lay (the first night) without any thing under or over us, but 
 the bare decks, and the clothes on our backs : and after we had some of 
 us got beds, were not able (when it rained) to lie dry in them ; and when 
 it was fair weather, were sweltered with heat, and stifled with our own 
 breaths ; there being of us in that one small Ipswich coal-ship (so low built 
 
 2* 
 
XVm APPENDIX TO EDITOR S PREFACE. 
 
 too, that we could not walk, nor stand upright in it) within one or two 
 of threescore ; whereof six Knights and eight Doctors of Divinity, and 
 divers Gentlemen of very good worth, that would have been sorry to 
 have seen their servants (nay, their dogs) no better accommodated. Yet 
 among all that company, I do not remember that I saw one sad or de- 
 jected countenance all the while, so strong is God, when we are weakest. 
 But to return to yourself, you see what a good debtor you are hke to 
 have of me, though of that I gave your friend fair warning when he was 
 first with me, telling him (and that truly) that I was never in a condition 
 less deserving to be trusted with money. I have only given him a note 
 of my hand for the receipt of so much borrowed of you. As you have 
 limited me no time of payment ; so nehher have I prescribed you a 
 lime of forbearance, but do acknowledge it due upon demand. If you 
 please to set any time, or to require any further obligation, (for mor- 
 tality's sake) I shall, upon notice from you, observe and perform accord- 
 ingly, I have nothing more to add, but my loving respects to yourself, 
 and your best wife, (though unknown) your good mother, and all yours 
 (God bless them !) so praying God to send us a happy meeting, and a 
 speedy good end to these miserable distractions of our Church and king- 
 dom ; I shall still subscribe myself (seeing you still acknowledge that 
 relation).* 
 
 " Your loving Tutor, &c, 
 
 " Rich. Sterne." 
 Ely Hoicse, Oct. 2, 1643. 
 
 After his release from confinement, Dr. Sterne retired to Stevenage in 
 Hertfordshire, where he kept a private school for the support of his 
 family, until the Restoration. Soon after this event, he was nominated 
 to the Bishopric of Carhsle, Oct. 9, 1660. Bishop Kennet says of him, 
 " He was promoted to the Bishopric of Carlisle on account of his piety, 
 and great learning, and prudence, as being indeed not less exemplary in 
 his notions and conversation, than if he himself had expected martyrdom 
 from the hour of his attendance upon his patron Archbishop Laud." In 
 the succeeding year, it appears that he was one of the three Bishops (o 
 whom the convocation committed the task of revising the Book of Com- 
 mon Prayer. In the year 1664, on the death of Archbishop Frewen, he 
 was promoted to the see of York, where he continued until his death, 
 June 18, 1683, which took place at Bishopsthorp, in the 87th year of his 
 age. " He left behind him," says Le Neve, " the character of a man 
 of eminent worth and abilities ; a person of unshaken loyalty ; his be- 
 haviour worthy of his high station ; he distinguished himself by his accu- 
 rate book of Logic, and had particularly the honour to assist in the noble 
 undertaking of the Polyglot Bible." He was also the author of some 
 
 * Lc Neve's Lives of the Bishops, vol. i. p. 247. 
 
APPENDIX TO EDITOR S PREFACE. xix 
 
 Latin verses published in several different collections, and wrote a Com- 
 ment upon Psalm 103, Svo. London, 1649. He appears to have been a 
 considerable benefactor to the University of Cambridge, having given 
 ^£40 per annum for the foundation of four scholarships in Jesus College, 
 of which he was master, and having also founded two scholarships of 
 jCIO per annum each at Bennet College, of which he was once a Fellow. 
 He also contributed largely towards the rebuilding of St. Paul's Cathe- 
 dral, liOndon. It is perhaps not unworthy of remark, that the celebrated 
 Laurence Sterne is said to have been his great-grandson. 
 
 There is extant a finely engraved mezzotint portrait of the Archbishop, 
 by F. Place ; for more particulars of him, vide Querela Cantab rigiensis 
 at the end of the Mercurius Rusticus, and Master's History of Corpus 
 Christi College, Cambridge. 
 
 DR. HAMMOND'S LETTER 
 
 to mr. garthwait, the publisher of the first edition. 
 
 Sir: 
 You needed not any intercession to recommend this task 
 to me which brought its invitations and reward with it. I 
 very willingly read over all the sheets, both of the Discourse 
 and the Devotions annexed, and find great cause to bless 
 God for both, not discerning what is wanting in any part of 
 cither, to render it, with God's blessing, most sufficient, and 
 proper to the great end designed, the spiritual supplies and 
 advantages of all those that shall be exercised therein. The 
 subject matter of it is indeed what the title undertakes. The 
 Whole Duty of Man, set down in all the branches, Avith 
 those advantages of brevity and partitions, to invite, and sup- 
 port, and engage the reader, that condescension to the mean- 
 est capacities, but withal, that weight of spiritual arguments, 
 wherein the best proficients will be glad to be assisted, that 
 it seems to me equally fitted for both sorts of readers, which 
 shall bring with them a sincere desire of their own, either 
 present or future advantages. The Devotion part in the 
 
XX DR. HAMMOND S LETTER. 
 
 conclusion is no way inferior, being a seasonable aid to every 
 man's infirmities, and hath extended itself very particularly 
 to all our principal concernments. The Introduction hath 
 supplied the place of a Preface, which you seem to desire 
 from me, and leaves me no more to add, but my prayers to 
 God, " that the Author which hath taken care to convey so 
 liberal an alms to the Corban so secretly, may not miss 
 to be rewarded openly, in the visible power, and benefit of 
 this work, on the hearts of the whole nation, which was 
 never in more need of such supplies as are here afibrded." 
 That his all-sufiicient Grace will bless the seed sown, and 
 give an abundant increase, is the humblest request of 
 
 Your assured Friend, 
 
 H. Hammond. 
 March 7, 1657. 
 
A PREFACE 
 
 TO THE ENSUING TREATISE, SHOWING THE NECESSITY OF 
 CARING FOR THE SOUL. 
 
 1. The only intent of the ensuing treatise is, to be a short 
 and plain direction to the very meanest readers, to behave 
 themselves so in this world, that they may be happy for 
 ever in the next. But because it is in vain to tell men their 
 Duty, till they be persuaded of the necessity of performing 
 it, I shall, before I proceed to the particulars required of every 
 Christian, endeavour to win them to the Practice of one ge- 
 neral Duty preparatory to all the rest ; and that is, the Con- 
 sideration and Care of their own Souls, without which they 
 will never think themselves much concerned in the other. 
 
 2. Man, we know, is made up of two parts, a body and a 
 soul ; the body only the husk or shell of the soul, a lump of 
 flesh, subject to many diseases and pains while it lives, and at 
 last to death itself; and then it is so far from being valued, 
 that it is not to be endured above ground, but laid to rot in 
 the earth. Yet to this viler part of us we perform a great 
 deal of care ; all the labour and toil we are at, is to maintain 
 that. But the more precious part, the Soul, is little thought of, 
 no care taken how it fares, but as if it were a thing that nothing 
 concerned us, is left quite neglected, never considered by us. 
 
 3. This carelessness of the Soul is the root of all the sin 
 we commit, and therefore whosoever intends to set upon a 
 Christian course, must in the first place amend that. To the 
 doing whereof, there needs no deep learning, or extraordinary 
 parts ; the simplest man living (that is not a natural fool) 
 hath understanding enough for it, if he will but act in this by 
 the same rules of common Reason, whereby he proceeds in 
 his worldly business. I will therefore now briefly set down 
 some of those Motives, which use to stir up our care of any 
 outward thing, and then apply them to the soul. 
 
 (xxi) 
 
XXll PREFACE. 
 
 4. There be four things especially, which use to awake our 
 care ; the first is the worth of the thing, the second the use- 
 fulness of it to us, when we cannot part with it without great 
 damage and mischief, the third the great danger of it, and the 
 fourth the likelihood that our care will not be in vain, but 
 that it will preserve the thing cared for. 
 
 5. For the first, we know our care of any worldly thing is 
 
 answerable to the worth of it ; what is of 
 greatest price, we are most watchful to pre- 
 
 THE SOUL. ^ 1 r r n 1 
 
 serve, and most fearful to lose ; no man locks 
 up dung in his chest, but his money, or what he counts pre- 
 cious, he doth. Now in this respect the Soul deserves more 
 care than all the things in the world besides, for it is infinitely 
 more worth ; first, in that it is made after the image of God, 
 it was God that breathed into man this breath of life, Gen. ii. 7. 
 Now God being of the greatest excellency and worth, the more 
 any thing is like him, the more it is to be valued. But it is 
 sure that no creature upon the earth is at all like God, but the 
 Soul of man, and therefore nothing ought to have so much of 
 our care. Secondly, the Soul never dies. We use to prize 
 things according to their durableness ; what is most lasting is 
 most worth. Now the Soul is a thing that will last for ever ; 
 when wealth, beauty, strength, nay, our very bodies them- 
 selves fade away, the Soul still continues. Therefore in that 
 respect also, the Soul is of the greatest worth ; and then what 
 strange madness is it for us to neglect them as we do ! we 
 can spend days, and weeks, and months, and years, nay, our 
 whole lives in hunting after a little wealth of this world, which 
 is of no durance or continuance, and in the mean time let this 
 great durable treasure, our Souls, be stolen from us by the devil. 
 
 6. A second motive to our care of any thing, is the useful- 
 
 ness of it to us, or the great mischief we 
 
 THE misery of gh^U have by the loss of it. Common rea- 
 
 LosiNG THE ^^^ tcachcs US this in all things of this life. 
 
 SOUL. 
 
 If our hairs fall, we do not much regard, 
 because we can be well enough without them ; but if we are 
 
PREFACE. XXlll 
 
 in danger to lose our eyes or limbs, we think all the care we 
 can take little enough to prevent it, because we know it will 
 be a great misery. But certainly there is no misery to be 
 compared to that misery that follows the loss of the Soul. It 
 is true, we cannot lose our Souls, in one sense, that is, so 
 lose them, that they shall cease to be ; but we may lose them 
 in another, that we should wish to lose them even in that ; 
 that is, we may lose that happy estate to which they were 
 created, and plunge them into the extremest misery. In a 
 word, we may lose them in hell, whence there is no fetching 
 them back, and so they are lost for ever. Nay, in this consi- 
 deration our very bodies are concerned, those darlings of ours, 
 for which all our care is laid out ; for they must certainly 
 after death be raised again, and be joined again to the Soul, 
 and take part with it in whatever state ; if then our care for 
 the body take up all our time and thoughts, and leave us none 
 to bestow on the poor Soul, it is sure the Soul Avill for want 
 of that care be made for ever miserable. But it is as sure, 
 that that very body must be so too. And therefore, if you 
 have any true kindness to your body, show it by taking care 
 for your Souls. Think with yourselves, how you will be 
 able to endure everlasting burnings. If a small spark of fire, 
 lighting on the least part of the body be so intolerable, what 
 will it be to have the whole cast into the hottest flames ? 
 And that not for some few hours or days, but for ever ? so 
 that when you have spent many thousands of years in that 
 unspeakable torment, you shall be no nearer coming out of it, 
 than you were the first day you went in ; think of this, I say, 
 and think this withal, that this will certainly be the end of 
 neglecting the Soul, and therefore afibrd it some care, if it be 
 but in pity to the body, that must bear a part in its miseries. 
 7. The third motive to the care of any thing is its being in 
 danger ; now a thing may be in danger two 
 
 ^ , , . r -^x. 4. *i^- THE DANGER THE 
 
 ways : first, by enemies trom without ; this 
 
 •^ . . SOUL IS IN. 
 
 is the case of the sheep, which is still in 
 
 danger of being devoured by wolves ; and we know that 
 
XXIV PREFACE. 
 
 makes the shepherd so much more watchful over it. Thus it 
 is vrith the Soul, which is in a great deal of danger, in re- 
 spect of its enemies ; those we know are the world, the flesh, 
 and the devil ; which are all such noted enemies to it, that 
 the very first act we do in behalf of our Souls, is to vow a 
 continual war against them. This we all do in our baptism ; 
 and whoever makes any truce with any of them, is false not 
 only to his Soul, but to his vow also ; becomes a forsworn 
 creature : a consideration well worthy our laying to heart. 
 But that we may the better understand what danger the soul 
 is in, let us a little consider the quality of these enemies. 
 
 8. In a war, you know, there are divers things that make 
 an enemy terrible : the first is subtilty and cunning, by which 
 alone many victories have been won ; and in this respect the 
 devil is a dangerous adversary ; he long since gave sufficient 
 proof of his subtilty, in beguiling our first parents, who yet 
 were much wiser than we are ; and therefore no wonder if 
 he deceive and cheat us. Secondly, the watchfulness and 
 diligence of an enemy makes him the more to be feared ; and 
 here the devil exceeds : it is his trade and business to destroy 
 us, and he is no loiterer at it, he goes up and down seeking 
 whom he may devour, 1 Pet. v. 8, he watches all opportunities 
 of advantage against us, with such diligence, that he will be 
 sure never to let any slip him. Thirdly, an enemy near us is 
 more to be feared than one at a distance : for if he be far off, 
 we may have time to arm, and prepare ourselves against him, 
 but if he be near, he may steal on us unawares. And of 
 this sort is the flesh, it is an enemy, at our doors, shall I say ? 
 nay, in our bosoms, it is always near us, to take occasion of 
 doing us mischiefs. Fourthly, the baser and falser an enemy 
 is, the more dangerous. He that hides his malice under the 
 show of friendship, will be able to do a great deal the more 
 hurt. And this again is the flesh, which, like Joab to Abner, 
 2 Sam. iii. 27, pretends to speak peaceably to us, but wounds 
 us to death ; it is forward to purvey for pleasures and delights 
 for us, and so seems very kind, but it has a hook under that 
 
PREFACE. XXV 
 
 bait, and if we bite at it we are lost. Fifthly, the number of 
 enemies makes them more terrible ; and the world is a vast 
 army against us ; there is no state or condition in it, nay, 
 scarce a creature which doth not at some time or other fight 
 against the Soul : the honours of the world seek to wound us 
 by pride, the wealth by covetousness, the prosperity of it 
 tempts us to forget God, the adversities to murmur at him. 
 Our very table becomes a snare to us, our meat draws us to 
 gluttony, our drink to drunkenness, our company, nay, our 
 nearest friends often bear a part in this war against us, whilst, 
 either by their example or persuasions, they entice us to sin. 
 
 9. Consider all this, and then tell me whether a Soul thus 
 beset hath leisure to sleep : even Delilah could tell Samson, 
 it was time to awake when the Philistines were upon him. 
 And Christ tells us. If the good man of the house had knoivn 
 in what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, 
 and not have suffered his house to be broken up, Matt. xxiv. 
 43. But we live in the midst of thieves, and therefore must 
 look for them every hour, and yet who is there among us 
 that hath that common providence for this precious part of 
 him, his Soul, which he hath for his house, or indeed the 
 meanest thing that belongs to him ? I fear our Souls may 
 say so to us, as Christ to his disciples. What I could ye not 
 laatch with me one hour ? Matt. xxvi. 40. For I doubt it 
 would pose many of us to tell when we bestowed one hour on 
 them, though we know them to be continually beset with most 
 dangerous enemies. And then, alas ! what is like to be the 
 case of these poor Souls, when their adversaries bestow so 
 much care and diligence to destroy them, and we will afford 
 none to preserve them ? surely the same as of a besieged 
 town, where no watch or guard is kept, which is certain to 
 fall a prey to the enemy. Consider this ye that forget God, 
 nay, ye that forget yourselves, lest he pluck you away, and 
 there be none to deliver you. Psalm 1. 22. 
 
 10. But I told you there was a second way whereby a 
 thing may be in danger, and that is, from some disorder or 
 
 3 
 
XXVI PREFACE. 
 
 distemper within itself. This is often the case of our bodies, 
 they are not only liable to outward violence, but they are 
 within themselves sick and diseased. And then we can be 
 sensible enough that they are in danger, and need not to be 
 taught to seek out for means to recover them. But this is 
 also the case of the Soul, we reckon those parts of the body 
 diseased, that do not rightly perform their office ; we account 
 it a sick palate that tastes not aright, a sick stomach that di- 
 gests not. And thus it is with the Soul when its parts do 
 not rightly perform their offices. 
 
 11. The parts of the Soul are especially these three : the 
 Understanding, the Will, and the Affections. And that 
 these are disordered, there needs litde proof; let any man 
 look seriously into his own heart, and consider how little it 
 is he knows of spiritual things, and then tell me whether his 
 understanding be not dark ? How much apter is he to will 
 evil than good, and then tell me whether his wiU be not 
 crooked ? And how strong desires he hath after the plea- 
 sures of sin, and what cold and faint ones towards God and 
 goodness, and then tell me whether his affections be not dis- 
 ordered, and rebellious even against the voice of his own rea- 
 son within him ? Now, as in bodily diseases, the first step to 
 the cure is to know the cause of the sickness, so likewise here 
 it is very necessary for us to know how the Soul first fell into 
 this diseased condition, and that I shall now briefly tell you. 
 
 12. God created the first man, Adam, without sin, and 
 
 endued his Soul with the full knowledge 
 THE FIRST ^£ j^.g -Qy. ^^^ ^-^1^ g^^l^ ^ strength, 
 
 covenant. , , / ' .^ ^ ,, n 
 
 that he might, it he would, perform all 
 
 that was required of him. Having thus created him, he 
 makes a covenant or agreement with him to this purpose, 
 that if he continued in obedience to God without committing 
 sin ; then first, that strength of Soul, which he then had, 
 should still be continued to him ; and secondly, that he should 
 never die, but be taken up into heaven, there to be happy for 
 ever. But on the other side, if he committed sin and dis- 
 
PREFACE. XXVil 
 
 obeyed God, then both he and all his children after him 
 should lose that knowledge and that perfect strength which 
 enabled him to do all that God required of him : and secondly, 
 should be subject to death, and not only so, but to eternal 
 damnation in Hell. 
 
 13. This was the agreement made with Adam and all man- 
 kind in him (which we usually call the First Covenant) upon 
 which God gave Adam a particular commandment, which was 
 no more but this, that he should not eat of one only tree of that 
 garden wherein he had placed him. But he by the persuasion 
 of the devil eats of that tree, disobeys God, and so brings that 
 curse upon himself, and all his posterity. And so by that one 
 sin of his, he lost both the full knowledge of his Duty, and 
 the power of performing it. And we being born after his 
 image, did so likewise, and so are become both ignorant in 
 disqerning what we ought to do, and weak and unable to the 
 doing of it, having a backwardness to all good, and an apt- 
 ness, and readiness to all evil ; like a sick stomach, which 
 loathes all wholesome food, and longs after such trash as 
 may nourish the disease. 
 
 14. And now you see where we got this sickness of Soul, 
 and likewise that it is like to prove a deadly one, and there- 
 fore I presume I need say no more, to assure you our souls are 
 in danger. It is more likely you will from this description 
 think them hopeless. But that you may not from that conceit 
 excuse your neglect of them, I shall hasten to show you the 
 contrary, by proceeding to the fourth motive of care. 
 
 15. That fourth motive is the likelihood that our care will 
 not be in vain, but that it will be a means 
 
 , ii, ^i.- J r 1, THAT OUR CARE 
 
 to preserve the thmg cared for ; where 
 
 , . . . f . , WILL NOT BE IN 
 
 this IS wantmg, it disheartens our care. vain. 
 
 A physician leaves his patient when he 
 sees him past hope, as knowing it is then in vain to give him 
 any thing; but on the contrary, when he sees hope of re- 
 covery, he plies him with medicines. Now in this very re- 
 spect we have a great deal of reason to take care of our Souls, 
 
XXVIU PREFACE. 
 
 for they are not so far gone, but they may be recovered, nay, 
 it is certain they will, if we do our parts towards it. 
 
 1 6. For though by that sin of Adam all mankind were under 
 the sentence of condemnation, yet it pleased God so far to 
 pity our misery, as to give us his Son, and in him to make 
 a new Covenant with us, after we had broken the first. 
 
 17. This second Covenant was made with Adam and us in 
 
 him, presently after his fall, and is briefly 
 THE SECOND ^^jj^^ij^g^j i^ those words. Gen. iii. 15, 
 
 where God declares, that the seed of the 
 woman shall break the serpenfs head; and this was made 
 up, as the first was, of some mercies to be afforded by God, 
 and some duties to be performed by us. 
 
 18. God therein promises to send his only Son, who is 
 God equal with himself, to earth, to become man like unto 
 us in all things, sin only excepted, and he to do for us these 
 several things. 
 
 19. First, to make known to us the whole Will of his Fa- 
 ther ; in the performance whereof we shall be sure to be ac- 
 cepted and rewarded by him. And this was one gi-eat part of 
 his business, which he performed in those many sermons and 
 precepts we find set down in the Gospel. And herein he is 
 our Prophet, it being the work of a Prophet of old not only to 
 foretell, but to teach. Our duty in this particular is to hearken 
 diligently to him, to be most ready and desirous to learn that 
 will of God which he came from Heaven to reveal to us. 
 
 20. The second thing He was to do for us, was to satisfy 
 God for our sins, not only that one of Adam, but all the sins 
 of all mankind that truly repent and amend, and by this 
 means to obtain for us forgiveness of sins, the favour of God, 
 and so to redeem us from Hell and eternal damnation, which 
 was the punishment due to our sin. All this he did for us by 
 his death. He offered up himself a sacrifice for the sins of 
 all those who heartily bewail, and forsake them. And in this 
 He is our Priest, it being the Priest's office to offer sacrifice 
 for the sins of the people. Our duty in this particular is, first. 
 
PREFACE XXIX 
 
 truly and heartily to repent us of, and forsake our sins, with- 
 out which they will never be forgiven us, though Christ have 
 died. Secondly, steadfastly to believe, that if we do that, we 
 shall have the benefits of that sacrifice of his ; all our sins, 
 how many and great soever, shall be forgiven us, and we 
 saved from those eternal punishments which were due unto 
 us for them. Another part of the priest's office was blessing 
 and praying for the people ; and this also Christ performs to 
 us. It was his special commission from his Father to bless 
 us, as St. Peter tells us. Acts iii. 26 : God sent his Son Jesus 
 to bless you ; and the following words show wherein that 
 blessing consists, in turning aivay every one of you from his 
 iniquity: those means which he has used for the turning us 
 from our sins are to be reckoned of all other the greatest 
 blessings ; and for the other part, that of praying, that he not 
 only performed on earth, but continues still to do it in Hea- 
 ven, He sits on the right hand of God, and makes request 
 for us, Rom. viii. 34. Our duty herein is, not to resist this 
 unspeakable blessing of his, but to be willing to be thus blest 
 in the being turned from our sins, and not to make void and 
 fruitless all his prayers and intercessions for us, which will 
 never prevail for us whilst we continue in them. 
 
 21. The third thing that Christ was to do for us, was to 
 enable us, or give us strength to do what God requires of us. 
 This he doth, first, by taking ofiffrom the hardness of the Law 
 given to Adam, which was, never to commit the least sin, 
 upon pain of damnation, and requiring of us only an honest 
 and hearty endeavour to do what we are able, and where we 
 fail, accepting of sincere repentance. Secondly, by sending 
 his holy Spirit into our hearts to govern and rule us, to give 
 us strength to overcome temptations to Sin, and to do all that 
 He under the Gospel requires of us. And in this he is our 
 King, it being the office of a King to govern and rule, and to 
 subdue enemies. Our duty in this particular is to give up 
 ourselves obedient subjects of his, to be governed and ruled 
 by him, to obey all his laws, not to take part with any rebel, 
 
 3* 
 
XXX PREFACE. 
 
 that is, not to cherish any one sin, but diligently to pray for 
 his grace to enable us to subdue all, and then carefully to 
 make use of it to that purpose. 
 
 22. Lastly, He has purchased for all that faithfully obey 
 him, an eternal glorious inheritance, the kingdom of Heaven, 
 whither he is gone before to take possession for us. Our 
 duty herein is to be exceeding careful, that we forfeit not our 
 parts in it, which we shall certainly do, if we continue impe- 
 nitent in any sin. Secondly, not to fasten our affections on 
 this world, but to raise them according to the precept of the 
 Apostle, CoL. iii. 2, set your affection on things above, and 
 not on things on the earth; continually longing to come to the 
 possession of that blessed inheritance of ours, in comparison 
 whereof all things here below should seem vile and mean to us. 
 
 23. This is the sum of that Second Covenant we are now 
 under, wherein you see what Christ hath done, how he exe- 
 cutes those three great offices of King, Priest, and Prophet : 
 as also what is required of us, without our faithful perform- 
 ance of which, all that he hath done shall never stand us in 
 any stead ; for he will never be a Priest to save any, who 
 take him not as well for their prophet to teach, and their king 
 to rule them ; nay, if we neglect our part of this covenant, 
 our condition will be yet worse than if' it had never been 
 made ; for we shall then be to answer, not for the breach of 
 law only, as in the first, but for the abuse of mercy, which is 
 of all sins the most provoking. On the other side, if we 
 faithfully perform it, that is, set ourselves heartily to the 
 obeying of every precept of Christ, not going on wilfully in 
 any one sin, but bewailing and forsaking whatever we have 
 formerly been guilty of, it is then most certain, that all the 
 forementioned benefits of Christ belong to us. 
 
 24. And now you see how little reason you have to cast 
 off the Care of your Souls, upon a conceit they are past 
 cure, for that it is plain they are not ; nay, certainly they are 
 in that very condition, which of all others makes them fittest 
 for our care. If they had not been thus Redeemed by Christ, 
 they had been then so hopeless, that care would have been in 
 
PREFACE. XXXI 
 
 vain ; on the other side, if his redemption had been such that 
 all men should be saved by it, though they live as they list, 
 we should have thought it needless to take care for them, be- 
 cause they were safe without it. But it hath pleased God so to 
 order it, that our care must be the means by which they must 
 receive the good even of all that Christ hath done for them. 
 
 25. And now if after all that God hath done to save these 
 Souls of ours, we will not bestow a little Care on them our- 
 selves, we very well deserve to perish. If a physician should 
 undertake a patient that were in some desperate disease, and 
 by his skill bring him so far out of it, that he were sure to re- 
 cover, if he would but take care of himself, and observe those 
 rules the physician set him, would you not think that man 
 weary of his life that would refuse to do that ? So certainly 
 that man is weary of his Soul, wilfully casts it away, that will 
 not consent to those easy conditions by which he may save it. 
 
 26. You see how great kindness God hath to these Souls 
 of ours, the whole Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost 
 have all done their parts for them. The Father gave his only 
 Son, the Son gave himself, left his Glory, and endured the 
 bitter death of the Cross, merely to keep our Souls from pe- 
 rishing. The Holy Ghost is become as it were our attend- 
 ant, waits upon us with continual offers of his grace, to enable 
 us to do that which may preserve them ; nay, he is so desirous 
 we should accept those offers of his, that he is said to be 
 grieved when we refuse them, Ephes. iv. 30. Now, what 
 greater disgrace and affront can we put upon God, than to de- 
 spise what he thus values ? that those Souls of ours, Avhich 
 Christ thought worthy every drop of his blood, we should not 
 think worth any part of our care ? We use in things of the 
 world, to rate them according to the opinion of those who are 
 best skilled in them ; now certainly God, who made our Souls, 
 best knows the worth of them ; and since he prizes them so 
 high, let us (if it be but reverence to him) be ashamed to ne- 
 glect them. Especially now that they are in so hopeful a 
 condition, that nothing but our own carelessness can possibly 
 destroy them. 
 
XXXU PREFACE. 
 
 27. I have now briefly gone over those four motives of care 
 I at first proposed, which are each of them such as never 
 misses to stir it up towards the things of this world ; and I 
 have also showed you how much more reasonable, nay, neces- 
 sary it is they should do the like for the Soul. And now what 
 can I say more, but conclude in the words of Isaiah, xlvi. 8, 
 Remember this, and show yourselves men. That is, deal 
 with your Soul as your reason teaches you to do with all 
 other things that concern you. And sure this common justice 
 binds you to ; for the Soul is that which furnishes you with 
 that reason, which you exercise in all your worldly business ; 
 and shall the Soul itself receive no benefit from that reason 
 which it affords you ; this is, as if a master of a family, who 
 provides food for his servants, should by them be kept from 
 eating any himself, and so remain the only starved creature 
 in his house. 
 
 28. And as Justice ties you to this, so Mercy doth likewise ; 
 you know the poor Soul will fall into endless and unspeak- 
 able miseries, if you continue to neglect it, and then it will be 
 too late to consider it. The last refuge you can hope for, is 
 God's mercy, but that you have despised and abused. And 
 with what face can you in your greatest need beg for his 
 mercy to your Souls, when you would not afford them your 
 own ? No not that common charity of considering them, of 
 bestowing a few of those idle hours, you know not (scarce) 
 how to pass away upon them. 
 
 29. Lay this to your hearts, and as ever you hope for 
 God's pity, when you most want it, be sure in time to pity 
 yourselves, by taking that due care of your precious Souls 
 which belongs to them. 
 
 30. If what hath been said have persuaded you to this so 
 necessary a duty, my next work will be to tell you how this 
 Care must be employed ; and that, in a word, is in the doing 
 of all those things which tend to the making the Soul happy, 
 which is the end of our Care, and what those are I come 
 now to show you. 
 
CONTENTS, 
 
 SUNDAY I. 
 
 Of the Duty of Man by the Light of Nature ; by the Light of Scripture. — 
 Duty to God. — Of Faith, Commands, Threatenings ; Promises. — 
 Hope, Presumption, Despair. — Love of God. — Fear of God. — Trusting 
 in God ; in all Wants, spiritual and temporal 37 — 56 
 
 SUNDAY II. 
 
 Of Humility, of Submission to God's Will in respect of Obedience ; Of 
 Patience ; in all sorts of Sufferings. — Of Honour due to God m several 
 ways ; in his House ; Possessions ; his Day ; the Feasts and Fasts of 
 the Church ; his Word. — Of Catecliizing. — Preaching. — Sacraments, 
 Baptism 57—76 
 
 SUNDAY. III. 
 
 Of the Lord's Supper, and Preparation before receiving ; of Duties at the 
 receiving ; and afterwards 77 — 94 
 
 SUNDAY IV. 
 
 Honour due to God's Name : Sins against it ; Blasphemy ; Sweanng, 
 Assertory Oaths, Promissory Oaths ; Unlawful Oaths ; Of Perjury ; 
 of Vain Oaths, and the Sin of them 95 — 102 
 
 SUNDAY V. 
 
 Of Worship due to God's Name ; of Prayer and Confession. — Of Public 
 Prayers m the Church ; in the Family. — Of Private Prayer. — The 
 Advantages of Prayer. — Of Repentance. — Of Fasting . . 102 — 118 
 
 SUNDAY VI. 
 
 Of Duties to Ourselves ; Of Sobriety ; Humility ; the great Sin of Pride ; 
 the Danger ; the Folly of this Sin. — Of Vain-glory ; Helps against it. — 
 Of Meekness; the Means to obtain it.— Of Consideration 119—133 
 
 xxxiii 
 
XXXIV CONTENTS. 
 
 SUNDAY VII. 
 
 Of Contentedness, and the Contraries of it : Murmuring ; Covetousness ; 
 Envy, and Helps to Contentedness. — Diligence ; Industry in improv- 
 ing Gifts; of Nature or Grace. — Of Chastity ; Helps to it. — Temper- 
 ance ; its Rules in Eating, &c 132 — 144 
 
 SUNDAY VIII. 
 
 Of Temperance in Drinking: False Ends of Drinking; viz. Good-Fel- 
 lowship, Preserving of Kindness ; Cheering of Spirits, putting aw^ay 
 Cares ; Passing away Time ; Preventing Reproach ; Pleasure ; Bar- 
 gaining, &c. — The Guilt of Strong-Drinkers; Exhortations from 
 it, (fee 144—156 
 
 SUNDAY IX. 
 
 Temperance in Sleep; Mischiefs of Sloth: of Recreation. — Of Apparel, 
 and of the Ends for which Clothing should be used . . . 156 — 161 
 
 SUNDAY X. 
 
 Of Duties to our Neighbours : of Justice, Negative, in doing no Wrong 
 or Injury to any, and Positive, to do Right to all. — Of the Sin of Mur- 
 der ; the Heinousness of it ; the Punishment of it ; and the strange 
 Discoveries thereof — Of Maiming. — Of Wounds, Stripes, and Injuries 
 to others 162—174 
 
 SUNDAY XI. 
 
 Of Justice about the Possessions of our Neighbour ; against Injuring 
 him as concerning his Wife ; his Goods. — Of Malice. — Covetous Injus- 
 tice. — Oppression. — Theft. — Of Paying Debts; what we are bound 
 for, and what we have promised 174 — 181 
 
 SUNDAY XII. 
 
 Of Theft ; Stealing the Goods of our Neighbour.— Of Deceit in Trust; 
 in Traffic ; Concealing the Faults of his Ware ; his Overvaluing 
 it. — Fraud in the Buyer. — Of Restitution, and the Necessity 
 thereof 181—189 
 
CONTENTS. XXXV 
 
 SUNDAY XIII. 
 
 Of False Reports ; of the Credit of our Neighbour ; False Witness. — 
 Slanders, Whisperings. — Of Despising and Scoffing ; for infirmities. — 
 Positive Justice, or the yielding to every man that which, by any kind 
 of right, he may challenge from us. — Of Speaking truth ; of Lying. — 
 Of Humility and Courteous Behaviour. — Of Meekness and Pride. — 
 Brawling; and Cursing. — Of Envy ; Detraction. — Respect to Men of 
 Extraordinary Gifts ; in regard to their Ranks and Qualities. — Dues 
 to those in any sort of Want. — Duties in respect of Relation. — Oi 
 Gratitude to Benefactors 189—206 
 
 SUNDAY XIV. 
 
 Of Duty to Parents and Magistrates ; Pastors, Love and Esteem of 
 them ; Maintenance, Obedience. — Of the Duty of Children to Parents : 
 Reverence ; Love ; Obedience ; especially in their Marriage ; Minister- 
 ing to their Wants. — Duty to the worst of Parents. — Duty of Parents 
 to their Children 206—222 
 
 SUNDAY XV. 
 
 Of Duty to our Brethren and Relations. — To a Husband Obedience ; 
 Fidelity ; Love. — The Faults of the Husband acquit not from these 
 Duties. — Dues to the Wife : Love ; Faithfulness, Maintenance, In- 
 struction. — Husbands and Wives mutually to pray for and assist 
 each other in all Good. — Virtue the chief Consideration in Mar- 
 riage. — Unlawful Marriages. — Friendship, — Servants' Duty. — Mas- 
 ters' Duty 223—237 
 
 SUNDAY XVI. 
 
 Other Branches of our Duty to our Neighbour: the Duty of Charity; to 
 Men's Souls ; Bodies, Goods, Credit, &c 237—255 
 
 SUNDAY XVII. 
 
 Of Charity in respect of our Neighbour's Goods. — Alms-giving. — Of 
 Charity in respect of our Neighbour's Credit. — Of Peace-making. — 
 Of going to Law. — Of Charity to our Enemies. — Christian duties 
 both possible and pleasant. — The Danger of delaying our turning to 
 God 255—272 
 
XXXVl CONTENTS. 
 
 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 Prayers for Morning 276 
 
 Prayers for Night 280 
 
 Collects for Several Graces 284 
 
 A Paraphrase on the Lord's Prayer 292 
 
 Pious Ejaculations out of the Book of Psalms .... 294 
 
 Brief heads of Examination before the Sacrament .... 296 
 
 Prayers before the Sacrament 307 
 
 Ejaculations at the Lord's Table, &c 310 
 
 Prayers after the Sacrament 312 
 
 Prayer of Intercession 313 
 
 Prayers in time of Persecution and Affliction .... 315 
 
 A Thanksgiving for Deliverance 317 
 
 Prayers for the Sick 318 
 
 Ejaculations for the Sick 323 
 
 Prayers in time of Public Calamities 326 
 
 A Prayer for this Church 328 
 
 A Prayer for the Peace of the Church 329 
 
SUNDAY I. 
 
 Of the Duty of Man by the Light of Nature, by the Light of Scripture : 
 the three great Branches of Man's Duty — to God, Ourselves, our 
 Neighbour: oui* Duty to God; of Faith, the Promises, of Hope, of 
 Love, of Fear, of Trust. 
 
 The benefits purchased for us by Christ are such as will 
 undoubtedly make the Soul happy ; for Eternal Happiness 
 itself is one of them : but because these benefits belong not 
 to us till we perform the condition required of us, whoever 
 desires the happiness of his Soul must set himself to the 
 performing of that condition. What that is, I have already 
 mentioned in the general. That it is the hearty, honest en- 
 deavour of obeying the ivhole will of God. But then that 
 will of God containing under it many particulars, it is neces- 
 sary we should also know what those are ; that is, what are 
 the several things that God now requires of us, our perform- 
 ance whereof will bring us to everlasting happiness, and the 
 neglect to endless misery. 
 
 2. Of these things there are some which God hath so 
 stamped upon our Souls, that we naturally 
 
 know them ; that is, we should have known 
 them to be our Duty, though we had never ^ ^^^' 
 
 been told so by the Scripture. That this is so, we may see 
 by those Heathens, who having never heard of either Old 
 or New Testament, do yet acknowledge themselves bound 
 to some general Duties, as to worship God, to be just, to 
 honour their parents, and the like ; and as St. Paul saith, 
 RoM. ii. 15, Tlieir Consciences do in those things accuse 
 or excuse them ; that is, tell them, whether they have done 
 what they should, in those particulars, or no. 
 
 3. Now though Christ hath brought greater light into the 
 world, yet he never meant by it to put out any of that natu- 
 ral light, which God hath set up in our Souls : therefore let 
 me here, by the way, advise you not to walk contrary even 
 to this lesser light. I mean not to venture on any of those 
 acts, which mere natural conscience will tell you are sins. 
 
 4. It is just matter of sadness to any Christian heart, to 
 see some in these days, who profess much of Religion, and 
 yet live in such sins, as a mere heathen Avould abhor, men 
 
 4 (37) 
 
38 THE LIGHT OF SCRIPTURE. [sUNDAY I. 
 
 that priBtending to higher degrees of light and hoUness than 
 their brethren do, yet practise contrary to all the rules of 
 common honesty, and make it part of their Christian liberty 
 so to do ; of whose seducement it concerns all that love their 
 Souls to beware : and for that purpose let this be laid as a 
 foundation, That that Religion or opinion cannot he of 
 God, which allows men in any wickechiess. 
 
 5. But though we must not put out this light which God 
 hath thus put into our Souls, yet this is not the only way 
 whereby God hath revealed his will ; and therefore we are 
 not to rest here, but proceed to the knowledge of those other 
 things which God hath by other means revealed. 
 
 6. The way for us to come to know them is by the Scrip- 
 
 tures, wherein are set down those several 
 commands of God which he hath ffiven to 
 
 SCRIPTURES. 1. *!, r> 1 f t^ . ^ 
 
 be the Kule oi our Duty. 
 
 7. Of those, some were given before Christ came into the 
 world ; such are those precepts we find scattered throughout 
 the Old Testament, but especially contained in the Ten 
 Commandments, and that excellent book of Deuteronomy : 
 others were given by Christ, who added much, both to the 
 law implanted in us by nature, and that of the Old Testa- 
 ment ; and those you shall find in the New Testament, in 
 the several precepts given by him and his Apostles, but espe- 
 cially in that Divine Sermon on the Mount, set down in the 
 fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of St. Matthew's Gospel. 
 
 8. All these should be severally spoke to, but because that 
 would make the discourse very long, and so less fit for the 
 meaner sort of men, for whose use alone it is intended, I 
 choose to proceed in another manner ; by summing up all 
 these together, and so, as plainly as I can, to lay down what 
 is now the duty of every Christian. 
 
 9. This I find briefly contained in the words of the Apos- 
 
 THE THREE GREAT '^' '^/^^ V' ,f ' P«' «"^ */'««« ««« 
 
 BRANCHES OF '"^^''^^Z '-^shtcousy and godly m tins 
 , present loorld : where the word Soberly, 
 
 MAN S DUTY. ^ , • t^ * * i n- iJ 
 
 contams our Duty to ourselves ; Right- 
 eously, our Duty to our Neighbour ; and Godly, our Duty 
 to God. These therefore shall be the heads of my discourse, 
 our Duty to Goix, Ourselves, and our Neighbour. I be- 
 gin with that to God, that being the best groundwork whereon 
 to build both the other. 
 
 10. There are many parts of our Duty to God ; the two 
 
SUNDAY I.] OF FAITH. 39 
 
 chief are these : first, to acknowledge him to be God : se- 
 condly, to have no other. Under these 
 are contained all those particulars which 
 make up our whole Duty to God, which shall be showed 
 in their order. 
 
 11. To acknowledge him to be God, is to believe him 
 to be an infinite glorious Spirit, that was 
 
 e , . ^ n ^ u • • A ACKNOWLEDG- 
 
 irom everlastmg, without beginning, and 
 shall be to everlasting, without end. That 
 he is our Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier, 
 Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, one God, blessed for ever. 
 That he is subject to no alteration, but is unchangeable ; that 
 he is no bodily substance, such as our eyes may behold, but 
 spiritual and invisible, whom no man hath seen, nor can 
 see, as the Apostle tells us, 1 Tim. vi. 16. That he is 
 infinitely great and excellent, beyond all that our wit or 
 conceit can imagine ; that he hath received his being from 
 none, and gives being to all things. 
 
 12. All this we are to believe of him in regard of his 
 essence and being : but besides this, he is set forth to us in 
 the Scripture by several Excellences, as that he is of Infinite 
 Goodness and Mercy, Truth, Justice, Wisdom, Power, All- 
 sufficiency, Majesty ; that he disposes and governs all things 
 by his Providence ; that he knows all things and is present 
 in all places ; these are by divines called the Attributes of 
 God, and all these we must undoubtingly acknowledge : that 
 is, we .must firmly believe all these Divine Excellences to 
 be in God, and that in the gi'eatest degree, and so that they 
 can never cease to be in him, he can never be other than 
 infinitely Good, Merciful, True, <^c. 
 
 13. But the acknowledging him for our God signifies yet 
 more than this ; it means that we should perform to him all 
 those several parts of Duty which belong from a creature to 
 his God ; what those are I am now to tell you. 
 
 14. The first is Faith, or Belief, not only that fore- 
 mentioned of his Essence and Attributes, but of his Word, 
 the believing most firmly that all that he 
 
 saith is perfectly true. This necessarily 
 arises from that Attribute, his truth, it being natural for us 
 to believe whatsoever is said of one of whose truth we are 
 confident. Now the Holy Scriptures being the Word of 
 God, we are therefore to conclude, that all that is contained 
 in them is most true. 
 
40 OF FAITH. [SUNDAY I. 
 
 15. The things coittained in them are of these four sorts : 
 first, affirmations, such are all the stories of the Bible, when 
 
 it is said, such and such things came so 
 
 OF HIS AFFIRMA- ^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^ . Qj^^-g^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^f ^ yj^. 
 
 TiONS. g-j^^ ^^^g j^- J -^^ ^ manger, &c. And such 
 
 also are many points of doctrine, as that there are three Per- 
 sons in the Godhead, that Christ is the Son of God, and the 
 like. All things of this sort thus delivered in Scripture we 
 are to beUeve most true. And not only so, but because they 
 are all written for our instruction, we are to consider them 
 for that purpose, that is, by them to lay that foundation of 
 Christian knowledge, on which we may build a Christian life. 
 
 16. The second sort of things contained in the Scripture, 
 
 are the Commands ; that is, the several 
 COMMANDS. ^j^.^^gg enjoined us by God to perform: 
 these we are to believe to come from him, and to be most 
 just and fit for him to command : but then this belief must 
 bring forth obedience, that what we believe thus fit to be 
 done, be indeed done by us ; otherwise our belief that they 
 come from him serves but to make us more inexcusable. 
 
 17. Thirdly, the Scripture contains Threatenings ; many 
 
 texts there are which threaten to them that 
 
 THREATENINGS. ^^ ^^ .^^ ^^^.^ ^.^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^f ^^^ . ^^^ 
 
 under that are contained all the punishments and miseries 
 of this life, both spiritual and temporal, and everlasting de- 
 struction in the life to come. Now we are most steadfastly to 
 believe, that these are God's threats, and that they will cer- 
 tainly be performed to every impenitent sinner. But then 
 the use we are to make of this belief, is to keep from those 
 sins to which this destruction is threatened ; otherwise our 
 belief adds to our guilt, that will wilfully go on in spite of 
 those threatenings. 
 
 18. Fourthly, the Scripture contains Promises, and those 
 
 both to our Bodies and our Souls. For 
 PROMISES. ^^^ bodies there are many Promises that 
 God will provide for them what he sees necessary, I will 
 name only one. Matt. vi. 33. Seek ye first the kingdom 
 of God and his righteousness, and all these things, that 
 is, all outward necessaries, shall be added unto you: but 
 here it is to be observed, that we must first seek the king- 
 dom of God and his righteousness, that is, make it our 
 first and greatest care to serve and obey him, before this 
 Promise even of temporal good things belong to us. To 
 
SUNDAY I.] OF FAITH. 41 
 
 the Soul there are many and high Promises, as first, that of 
 present ease and refreshment, which we find, Matt. xi. 29. 
 Take my yoke iqion you, and learn of me, aiid ye shall find 
 rest unto your Souls : but here it is apparent that, before 
 this rest belongs to us, Ave must have taken on us Chrisfs 
 yoke, become his servants and disciples. Finally, there are 
 Promises to the Soul even of all the benefits of Christ ; but 
 yet those only to such as perform the condition required ; 
 that is, pardon of sins to those that repent of them, increase 
 of grace to those that diligently make use of what they have 
 already, and humbly pray for more ; and eternal salvation to 
 those that continue to their lives' end in hearty obedience to 
 his commands. 
 
 19. This belief of the Promises must, therefore, stir us up 
 to perform the condition ; and till it do so, we can in no 
 reason expect any good by them : and for us to look for the 
 benefit of them on other terms, is the same mad presumption 
 that it would be in a servant to challenge his master to give 
 him a reward for having done nothing of his work, to which 
 alone the reward was promised ; you can easily resolve 
 what answer were to be given to such a servant, and the 
 same we are to expect from God in this case. Nay, farther, 
 it is sure, God hath given these promises to no other end, 
 but to invite us to holiness of life ; yea, he gave his Son, in 
 whom all his promises are, as it were, summed up for this 
 end. We usually look so much at Christ's coming to satis- 
 fy for us, that we forget this other part of his errand. But 
 there is nothing surer, than that the main purpose of his 
 coming into the world was to plant good life among men. 
 
 20. This is so often repeated in Scripture, that no man 
 that considers and believes what he reads can doubt of it. 
 Christ himself tells us. Matt. ix. 13, He came to call sin- 
 ners to repentance. And St. Peter, Acts iii. 26, tells us. 
 That God sent his Son Jesus to bless us, in turning every 
 one of us from, our iniquities ; for it seems the turning us 
 from our iniquities was the greatest special blessing which 
 God intended us in Christ. 
 
 21. Nay, we are taught by St. Paul, that this was the 
 end of his very death also, Titus ii. 14. Who gave him- 
 self for our sins, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, 
 and purify to himself a pecidiar people, zealous of good 
 works. And again. Gal. i. 4. Who gave himself for us, 
 that he might deliver us from this present evil ivorld, that 
 
 4* 
 
42 OF FAITH. [SUNDAY I. 
 
 is, from the sins and ill customs of the world. Divers other 
 Texts there are to this purpose ; but these I suppose suffi- 
 cient to assure any man of this one great truth, that all that 
 Christ hath done for us was directed to this end, the bring- 
 ing us to live Christianly : or in the words of St. Paul, To 
 teach us, that denying imgodliness and worldy lusts, ive 
 should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present 
 world. 
 
 22. Now we know Christ is the foundation of all pro- 
 mises ; In him all the promises of God are yea, and Amen, 
 2 Cor. i. 20. And, therefore, if God gave Christ to this end, 
 certainly the Promises are to the same also. And then how 
 great an abuse of them is it, to make them serve for purposes 
 quite contrary to what they were intended ? viz. to the en- 
 couraging us in sins ; which they will certainly do, if we 
 persuade ourselves they belong to us, how wickedly soever 
 we live. The Apostle teaches us another use of them, 2 Cor. 
 vii. 1, Having therefore these promises, let us cleanse our- 
 selves from cdl filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting 
 holiness in the fear of God. When we do thus, we may 
 justly apply the Promises to ourselves, and with comfort 
 expect our parts in them. But, till then, though these 
 Promises be of certain truth, yet we can reap no benefit 
 from them, because we are not the persons to whom they 
 are made, that is, we perform not the condition required to 
 give us right to them. 
 
 23. This is the Faith or belief required of us towards the 
 things God hath revealed to us in the Scripture, to wit, such 
 as may answer the end for which they were so revealed, 
 that is, the bringing us to good lives ; the bare believing the 
 truth of them, without this, is no more than the Devils do, 
 as St. James tells us, Chap. ii. 19. Only they are not so 
 unreasonable as some of us are, for they will tremble, as 
 knowing well this Faith will never do them any good. But 
 many of us go on confidently, and doubt not the sufficiency 
 of our Faith, though we have not the least fruit of obedience 
 to approve it by : let such hear St. James' judgment iiji the 
 point, chap. ii. 26. As the body ivithout the spirit is dead, 
 so Faith if it have not ivorks is dead also. 
 
 24. A second duty to God is Hope, that is, a comfortable 
 
 expectation of these good things he hath 
 
 promised. But this, as I told you before 
 
 of F^aith, must be such as agrees to the nature of the pro- 
 
SUNDAY 1.3 OF DESPAIR. ^ 
 
 mises, which being such as requires a condition on our part, 
 we can hope no farther than we make that good ; or, if we 
 do, we are so far from performing by it this duty of Hope, 
 that we commit the great sin of Presumption, 
 which is nothing else but hoping where 
 God hath given us no ground to hope : this every man doth, 
 that hopes for pardon of sins and eternal life, without that 
 repentance and obedience to which alone they are promised ; 
 the true hope is that which purifies us, St. John saith, 1 
 Epist. iii. 3, Every man that hath this hope in himpuri- 
 Jieth himself, even as he is pure ; that is, it makes him leave 
 his sins, and earnestly endeavour to be holy as Christ is, and 
 that which doth not so, how confident soever it be, may 
 well be concluded to be but that hope of the hypocrite, which 
 Job assures us shall perish. 
 
 25. But there is another way of transgressing this Duty, 
 besides that of Presumption, and that is 
 
 by Desperation, by which, I mean not that 
 which is ordinarily so called, viz. the despairing of mercy, so 
 long as we continue in our sins, for that is but just for us to 
 do : but I ^lean such a Desperation as makes us give over 
 endeavour ; that is, when a man that sees he is not at the 
 present such a one as the promises belong to, concludes he 
 can never become such, and, therefore, neglects all duty, and 
 goes on in his sins. This is indeed the sinful desperation, 
 and that which, if it be continued in, must end in destruction. 
 
 26. Now the work of Hope is to prevent this, by setting 
 before us the generality of the promises, that they belong to 
 all that will but perform the condition. And, therefore, though 
 a man have not hitherto performed it, and so hath yet no 
 right to them, yet hope will tell him, that that right may yet 
 be gained, if he will now set heartily about it. It is there- 
 fore strange folly for any man, be he ever so sinful, to give 
 up himself for lost, when if he will but change his course, 
 he shall be as certain to partake of the promises of mercy, 
 as if he had never gone on in those former sins. 
 
 27. This Christ shows us in the Parable of the Prodigal, 
 Luke xv. where we see that Son, which had run away 
 from his Father, and had consumed the portion given him, 
 in riotous living, was yet, upon his return and repentance, 
 used with as much kindness by the Father, as he that had 
 never offended, nay, with higher and more passionate ex- 
 pressions of love. The intent of which Parable was only to 
 
44 OF LOVE. [SUNDAY I. 
 
 show US how graciously our heavenly Father will receive us, 
 how great soever our former sins have been, if we shall re- 
 turn to him with true sorrow for what is past, and sincere 
 obedience for the time to come ; nay, so acceptable a thing 
 is it to God, to have any sinner return from the error of his 
 ways, that there is a kind of triumph in heaven for it. There 
 is joy in the presence of the angels of God, over one sinner 
 that repenteth, Luke xv. 10. And now Avho would not 
 rather choose by a timely repentance to bring joy to heaven, 
 to God and his holy Angels, than by a sullen desperation to 
 please Satan and his accursed spirits ; especially when by the 
 former we shall gain endless happiness to ourselves, and by 
 the latter, as endless torments ? 
 
 28. A third Duty to God is Love. There are two 
 
 common motives of Love among men. 
 
 ' The one the goodness and excellency of 
 
 the person, the other his particular kindness 
 
 and love to us ; and both these are in the highest degree in God. 
 
 29. First, he is of infinite goodness, and excellency in 
 , himself; this you were before tauMit to 
 
 GOD S EXCEL- it c i ■ i ii.^-x 
 
 believe or him, and no man can doubt it 
 ^ * that considers but this one thing, that there 
 
 is nothing good in the world, but what hath received all its 
 goodness from God : his goodness is as the sea, or ocean, 
 and the goodness of all creatures but as some small streams 
 flowing from the sea. Now you would certainly think him 
 a madman, that should say, the sea were not greater than 
 some little brook : and certainly it is no less folly to suppose 
 that the goodness of God doth not as much (nay, infinitely 
 more) exceed that of all creatures. Besides, the goodness 
 of the creature is imperfect, and mixed with much evil ; but 
 his is pure and entire, without any such mixture. He is 
 perfectly holy, and cannot be tainted with the least impunity, 
 neither can be the author of any to us ; for, though he be the 
 cause of all the goodness in us, he is the cause of none of 
 our sins. This St. James expressly tells us. Chap. i. 13. 
 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; 
 for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he 
 any man. 
 
 30. But secondly, God is not only thus good in himself, 
 
 but he is also wonderful good, that is, kind 
 
 HIS KINDNESS i -n ^ ^ j r^ 
 
 and merciful to us : we are made up oi two 
 parts, a Soul and a Body ; and to each of 
 
SUNDAY I.] OF LOVE. 45 
 
 these God hath expressed infinite mercy and tenderness. 
 Do but consider what was before told you of the Second 
 Covenant, and the mercies therein offered, even Christ 
 himself and all his benefits, and also that he offers them so 
 sincerely and heartily, that no man can miss of enjoying 
 them but by his own default. For he doth most really and 
 affectionately desire we should embrace them and live ; as 
 appears by that solemn oath of his, Ezek. xxxiii. II. ^s 1 
 live^ saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the 
 ivicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live: 
 whereto he adds this passionate expression, Turn, ye, turn 
 ye from your evil ways, for ivhy will ye die ? To the 
 same purpose you may read Ezek. xviii. Consider this, I say, 
 and then surely you cannot but say, he hath great kindness 
 to our souls. Nay, let every man but remember with him- 
 self the many calls he hath had to repentance and amendment ; 
 sometimes outward by the Word, sometimes inward by the 
 secret whispers of God's Spirit in his heart, which were 
 only to woo and entreat him to avoid eternal misery, and to 
 accept of eternal happiness ; let him, I say, remember these, 
 together Avith those many other means God hath used to- 
 ward him for the same end, and he will have reason to 
 confess God's kindness, not only to men's souls in general, 
 but to his own in particular. 
 
 31. Neither hath he been wanting to our bodies ; all the 
 good things they enjoy, as health, strength, food, raiment, 
 and whatever else concerns them, are merely his gifts : sd 
 that indeed it is impossible we should be ignorant of his 
 mercies to them, all those outward comforts and refresh- 
 ments we daily enjoy, being continual effects and witnesses 
 of it ; and though some enjoy more of these than others, yet 
 there is no person but enjoys so much in one kind or other, 
 as abundantly shows God's mercy and kindness to him in 
 respect of his body. 
 
 32. And now surely you will think it but reasonable we 
 should love him, who is in all respects thus lovely : indeed 
 this is a duty so generally acknowledged, that if you should 
 ask any man the question, whether he loved God or no, he 
 would think you did him great wrong to doubt of it ; yet for 
 all this, it is too plain, that there are very few that do indeed 
 love him ; and this will soon be proved to you by examining 
 a little what are the common effects of love, which we bear to 
 
 4*' 
 
US OF LOVE. [SUNDAY I. 
 
 men like ourselves, and then trying whether we can show 
 any such fruits of our love to God. 
 
 33. Of that sort there are divers, but for shortness I will 
 
 name but two. The first is a Desire of 
 FRUIT OF LOVE, pj^^g^ ^hc sccoud a Desire of Enioyment. 
 
 These are constantly the fruits of Love. 
 PLEASING. -p^^ ^j^g ^^g^^ .^ .g i^jjQ^^jj i^y aii^ tJ^g^j he 
 
 that loves any person is very desirous to approve himself to 
 him, to do whatsoever he thinks will be pleasing to him ; and 
 according to the degree of love, so is this desire more or 
 less ; where we love earnestly, we are very earnest and 
 careful to please. Now if we have indeed that love to God 
 we pretend to, it will bring forth this fruit, we shall be care- 
 ful to please him in all things. Therefore as you judge of 
 the free by its fruits, so may you judge of your love of God 
 by this fruit of it; nay indeed, this is the way of trial 
 which Christ himself hath given us, John xiv. 15. Jf ye 
 love me, keep my Commanchnents : and St. John tells us, 
 1 Epist. v. 3. That this is the love of God, that loe 
 walk after his Commandments ; and where this one proof 
 is wanting, it will be impossible to testify our love to God. 
 
 34. But it must yet be farther considered, that this love 
 of God must not be in a low or weak degree ; for besides 
 that the motives to it, his excellency and his kindness, are in 
 the highest; the same commandment which bids us love 
 God, bids us love him ivith all our hearts, and with all our 
 strength, that is, as much as is possible for us, and above 
 any thing else. And therefore, to the fulfilling this com- 
 mandment, it is necessary we love him in that degree ; and 
 if we do so, then certainly we shall have not only some 
 slight and faint endeavours of pleasing, but such as are 
 most diligent and earnest, such as will put us upon the most 
 painful and costly duties, make us willing to forsake our 
 own ease, goods, friends, yea life itself, when we cannot keep 
 them without disobeying God. 
 
 35. Now examine thyself by this : hast thou this fruit of 
 love to show ? Dost thou make it thy constant and greatest 
 care to keep God's Commandments ? to obey him in all 
 things ? earnestly labouring to please him to the utmost of 
 thy power, even to the forsaking of what is dearest to thee 
 in this world ? If thou dost, thou mayest then truly say thou 
 lovest God. But on the contrary, if thou wilfully continuest 
 in the breach of many, nay, but of any one command of his, 
 
SUNDAY I.] OF LOVE. 4t 
 
 never deceive thyself, for the love of God abides not in thee. 
 This will be made plain to you, if you consider what the 
 Scripture saith of such, as that they are enemies to God hy 
 their wicked works, Col. i. 21. That the carnal mind 
 (and such is every one that continues wilfully in sin) is en- 
 mity with God, Rom. viii. 7. That he that sijis wilfully, 
 tramples underfoot the Son of God, and doth despite unto 
 the Spirit of Grace, Heb. x 29, and many the like. And 
 therefore unless you can think enmity, and trampling, and 
 despite to be the fruits of love, you must not believe you 
 love God, whilst you go on in a wilful disobedience to 
 him. 
 
 36. A second fruit of love, I told you, was Desire of En- 
 ioyinof. This is constantly to be seen in 
 
 •' -^ 1*= ^ a ^yn 1, DESIRE OF EN- 
 
 our love to one another. It you have a 
 
 friend whom you entirely love, you desire 
 
 his conversation, wish to be always in his company : and 
 
 thus will it be also in our love to God, if that be as great 
 
 and hearty as this. 
 
 37. There is a twofold enjoying of God, the one imperfect 
 in this life, the other more perfect and complete in the life to 
 come : that in this life is that conversation, as I may call it, 
 which we have with God in his ordinances, in praying and 
 meditating, in hearing his word, in receiving the sacrament, 
 which are all intended for this purpose, to bring us into an 
 intimacy and familiarity with God by speaking to him, and 
 hearing him speak to us. 
 
 38. Now if we do indeed love God, we shall certainly 
 hugely value and desire these ways of conversing with him ; 
 it being all that we can have in this life, it will make us with 
 David esteem 07ie day in God's courts better than a thousand, 
 Ps. Ixxxiv. 10 ; we shall be glad to have these opportunities 
 of approaching to him as often as it is possible, and be care- 
 ful to use them diligently, to that end of uniting us still more 
 to him ; yea, we shall come to these spiritual exercises with 
 the same cheerfulness we would go to our dearest friend. 
 And if indeed we do thus, it is a good proof of our love. 
 
 39. But I fear there are not many have this to show for 
 it, as appears by the common backwardness and unwilling- 
 ness of men to come to these ; and their negligence and 
 heartlessness when they are at them ; and can we think that 
 God will ever own us for lovers of him, whilst we have 
 such dislike to his company, that Ave will never come into 
 
48 OF LOVE OF GOD. [^SUNDAY 1 
 
 it but when we are dragged by fear, or shame of men, or 
 some such worldly motive ? It is sure you would not think 
 that man loved you, whom you perceive to shun your 
 company, and be loath to come in your sight. And therefore 
 be not so unreasonable as to say, you love God, when yet 
 you desire to keep as far from him as you can. 
 
 40. But besides this there is another enjoyment of God, 
 which is more perfect and complete, and that is our perpe- 
 tual enjoying of him in Heaven, where we shall be for ever 
 united to him, and enjoy him not now and then only for 
 short spaces of time, as we do here, but continually without 
 interruption, or breaking off. And certainly if we have 
 that degree of love to God we ought, this cannot but be most 
 earnestly desired by us so much, that we should think no 
 labour too great to compass it. The seven years that Jacob 
 served for Rachel, Gen. xxix. 20, seemed to him hut a 
 few days for the love that he had to her: and surely if we 
 have love to God, we shall not think the service of our 
 whole lives too dear a price for this full enjoyment of him, 
 nor esteem all the enjoyments of the world worth the look- 
 ing on in comparison thereof. 
 
 41. If we can truly tell ourselves we do thus long for 
 this enjoyment of God, we may believe we love him. But 
 I fear again there are but few that can thus approve their 
 love. For if we look into men's lives, we shall see they 
 are not generally so fond of this enjoyment, as to be at any 
 pains to purchase it. And not only so, but it is to be doubt- 
 ed, there are many who, if it were put to their choice, 
 whether they would live here always to enjoy the profit and 
 pleasure of the world, or go to Heaven to enjoy God, would, 
 like the children of Gad and Reuben, set up their rest 
 on thi^ side Jordan, Numb, xxxii. and never desire that 
 heavenly Canaan ; so close do their affections cleave to 
 things below : which shows clearly they have not made God 
 their treasure, for then according to our Saviour's Rule, 
 Matt vi. 22, their heart would be with him. Nay, farther 
 yet ; it is too plain that many of us set so little value on this 
 enjoying of God, that we prefer the vilest and basest sins 
 before him, and choose to enjoy them, though by it we utter- 
 ly lose our parts in Him, which is the case of every man 
 that contines wilfully in those sins. 
 
 42. And now I fear, according to these rules of trial, many 
 that profess to love God, will be found not to do so. I 
 
SUNDAY I.] OF FEAR OF GOD. 4$ 
 
 conclude all with the words of St. John, 1 Epist. iii. 18, 
 which, though spoken of the love of our brethren, is very 
 fitly appliable to this love of God, Let us not love in wordy 
 neither in tongue, hut in deed and in truth. 
 
 43. A fourth duty to God is Fear ; this arises from the 
 consideration both of his justice and his 
 
 power. His justice is such that he will 
 not clear the wicked, and his power such that he is able to 
 inflict the sorest punishments upon them ; and that this is a 
 reasonable cause of fear, Christ himself tells us. Matt. x. 
 28. Fear him ivhich is able to destroy both soul and body 
 in hell. Many other places of Scripture there are, which 
 commend to us this duty, as Psalm ii. 11. Serve the Lord 
 with fear. Psalm xxxiv. 9, Fear the Lord ye that be his 
 Saints. Pro v. ix. 10, The fear of the Lord is the begin- 
 ning of wisdom, and divers the like ; and indeed all the 
 threatenings of wrath against sinners, which we meet with 
 in the Scripture, are only to this end, to work this fear in 
 our hearts. 
 
 44. Now this fear is nothing ,else but such an awful 
 regard of God as may keep us from offending him. This 
 the wise man tells us. Pro v. xvi. 6, The fear of the Lord 
 is to depart fiom evil: so that none can be said truly to 
 fear God, that is not thereby withheld from sin ; and this is 
 but answerable to that common fear we have towards men ; 
 whoever we know may hurt us, we will beware of provok- 
 ing ; and therefore if we be not as wary of displeasing God, 
 it is plain we fear men more than we do him. 
 
 45. How great a madness this is, thus to fear men above 
 
 God, will soon appear, if we compare what 
 
 1 . a \i, 4 1 • I. n A THE FOLLY OF 
 
 man can do to us with that which God can. 
 
 And first, it is sure, it is not in the power 
 
 c /r • i,j. J -A J. \ ^ J MORE THAN 
 
 of man (1 might say devils too) to do us 
 any hurt, unless God permit and suffer 
 them to do it : so that if we do but keep him our friend, we 
 may say with the Psalmist, The Lord is on my side, I fear 
 not lohat man can do unto me. For let their malice be 
 never so great, he can restrain and keep them from hurting 
 us : nay, he can change their minds towards us, according 
 to that of the wdse man, Prov. xvi. 7, When a man'^ ways 
 please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace 
 ivith him,. A notable example of this we have in Jacob, 
 Gen. xxxii. who when his brother Esau was coming against 
 
50 OF FEAR OF GOD. [sUNDAY I. 
 
 him as an enemy, God wonderfully turned his heart, so that 
 he met him with all the expressions of brotherly kindness, 
 as you may read in the next chapter. 
 
 46. But secondly, Suppose men were left at liberty to do 
 thee what mischief they could ; alas ! their power goes but a 
 litde way : they may perhaps, rob thee of thy goods, it may 
 be they may take away thy liberty or thy credit, or, per- 
 chance, thy life too ; but that thou knowest is the utmost 
 they can do. But now God can do all this when he pleases, 
 and that which is infinitely more, his vengeance reaches 
 even beyond death itself, to the eternal misery both of body 
 and soul in hell ; in comparison of which, death is so incon- 
 siderable, that we are not to look upon it with any dread. 
 Fear not them that kill the body, and after that have no 
 more that they can do, saith Christ, Luke xii. 4. And 
 then immediately adds. But I will forewarn you whom you 
 shall fear : fear him which, after he hath killed, hath power 
 to cast into hell ; yea, I say unto you, fear him. In which 
 words, the comparison is set between the greatest ill we can 
 suffer from men, the loss of life, and those sadder evils God 
 can inflict on us ; and the latter are found to be the only 
 dreadful things, and therefore, God only to be feared. 
 
 47. But there yet is one thing farther considerable in this 
 matter, which is this : It is possible we may transgress 
 against men and they not know it : I may perhaps steal my 
 neighbour's goods, or defile his wife, and keep it so close 
 that he shall not suspect me, and so never bring me to 
 punishment for it : but this we cannot do with God ; he 
 knows all things, even the most secret thoughts of our 
 hearts ; and, therefore, though we commit a sin never so 
 closely, he is sure to find us, and will as surely, if we do not 
 timely repent, punish us eternally for it. 
 
 48. And now surely it cannot but be confessed, that it is 
 much safer displeasing men, than God ; yet, alas ! our 
 practice is as if we believed the direct contrary, there being 
 nothing more ordinary with us, than for the avoiding of 
 some present danger we fear from men, to rush ourselves 
 upon the indignation of God. And thus it is with us, when, 
 either to save our estates, or credits, or our very lives, we 
 commit any sin ; for that is plainly the choosing to provoke 
 God, rather than man. 
 
 49. But God knows this case of fear of men is not the 
 only one wherein we venture to displease him ; for we 
 
SUNDAY i.] OF TRUST IN GOD. 51 
 
 commit many sins, to which we have none of this tempta- 
 tion, nor indeed any other ; as for instance, that of common 
 swearing, to Avhich there is nothing either of pleasure or 
 profit to invite us. Nay, many times, we, who so fear the 
 mischiefs that other men may do to us, that we are ready to 
 buy them off with the greatest sins, do ourselves bring all 
 those very mischiefs upon us by sins of our own choosing. 
 Thus the careless prodigal robs himself of his estate, the 
 deceitfal and dishonest man, or any that lives in open 
 notorious sin, deprives himself of his credit, and the drunkard 
 and glutton brings deseases on himself, to the shortening his 
 life. And can we think we do at all fear God, when that 
 fear hath so little power over us, that though it be backed 
 with the many present mischiefs that attend upon sin, it is 
 not able to keep us from them ? Surely such men are far 
 from fearing God, that they rather seem to defy him, resolve 
 to provoke him, whatsoever it cost them, either in this world 
 or the next. Yet so unreasonably partial are we to ourselves, 
 that even such as these will pretend to this fear : you may 
 examine multitudes of the most gross scandalous sinners, 
 before you shall meet with one that will acknoAvledge he 
 fears not God. It is strange it should be possible for men 
 thus to cheat themselves ; but, however, it is certain we can- 
 not deceive God, he will not be mocked, and, therefore, if 
 we will not now so fear as to avoid sin, we shall one day 
 fear when it will be too late to avoid punishment. 
 
 50. A fifth duty to God, is that of Trusting in him, that 
 is, depending and resting on him : and that 
 
 is, first, in all dangers ; secondly, in all 
 wants. We are to rest on him in all our dangers, both 
 spiritual and temporal. Of the first sort, are all those 
 temptations by which we are in danger to be drawn to sin. 
 And in this respect he hath promised that 
 if we resist the Devil, he shall flee from , ^ 
 
 us, James iv. 7. Therefore our duty is 
 first to pray earnestly for God's grace to enable us to over- 
 come the temptation, and secondly, to set ourselves manfully 
 to combat with it, not yielding or giving consent to it in the 
 least degree ; and whilst we do thus, we are confidently to 
 rest upon God, that his grace will be sufficient for us, that 
 he will either remove the temptation, or strengthen us to 
 withstand it. 
 
 51. Secondly, in all outward and temporal dangers we 
 
52 OF TRUST IN GOD. [sUNDAY I. 
 
 are to rest upon him, as knowing that he is able to deliver 
 us, and that he will do so if he see it best 
 for us, and if we be such to whom he hath 
 promised his protection, that is, such as 
 truly fear him. To this purpose we have many promises 
 in Scripture, Psalm xxxiv. 7, The angel of the Lord tar- 
 rieth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them: 
 and Psalm xxxiv. 22, The Lord delivereth the souls of his 
 saints, and all that put their trust in him shall not be desti- 
 tute ; and divers the like. 
 
 Also we have many examples, as that of the three child- 
 ren in the furnace, Dan. iii.; that of Daniel in the lion's den, 
 Dan. vi.; and many others : all which serve to teach us this 
 one lesson, that if we go on conscionably in performing our 
 duty, we need not be dismayed for any thing that can befall 
 us, for the God whom we serve is able to deliver us. 
 
 52. Therefore, in all dangers we are first humbly to pray 
 
 for his aid, and then to rest ourselves 
 
 SEEK TO E- (jj^ggpfy^iy Qn him ; and assuring ourselves 
 
 LIVER OURSELVES ^i ^ r n • i • i n i. 
 
 that he will give such an issue as shall be 
 BY ANY SIN. ^^g^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ -g^^ above all things, 
 
 we must be sure to fix our dependence wholly on him, and 
 not to rely on the creatures for help ; much less must we 
 seek to deliver ourselves by any unlawful means, that is, by 
 the committing of any sin ; for that is like Saul, 1 Sam. 
 xxviii. 7, to go to the witch, that is, to the Devil, for help. 
 Such courses do commonly deceive our hopes at the present, 
 and instead of delivering us out of our straits, plunge us in 
 greater, and those much more uncomfortable ones, because 
 then we want that which is the only support, God's favour 
 and aid, which we certainly forfeit when we thus seek to 
 rescue ourselves by any sinful means. But supposing we 
 could by such a way certainly free ourselves from the present 
 danger ; yet, alas, we are far from having gained safety by 
 it ; we have only removed the danger from that which was 
 less considerable, and brought it upon the most precious 
 part of us, our Souls ; like an unskilful physician, that to re- 
 move a pain from the finger strikes it to the heart ; we are, 
 therefore, grossly mistaken, when we think we have played 
 the good husband in saving our liberties or estates, our lives 
 themselves, by a sin ; we have not saved them, but madly 
 overbought them, laid out our very souls on them : and 
 Christ tells us how little we shall gain by such bargains, 
 
SUNDAY I.] OF TRUST IN GOD. 53 
 
 Matt. xvi. 26, What is a man profited if he shall gain 
 the whole loorld and lose his own soul? Let us therefore 
 resolve never to value any thing we can possess in this 
 world at so high a rate, as to keep it at the price of the least 
 sin ; but, whenever things are driven to such an issue, that 
 we must either part with some, perhaps all, our worldly 
 possessions, nay, life itself, or else commit sin, let us then 
 remember, that this is the season for us to perform that great 
 and excellent duty of taking up the Cross, which we can 
 never so properly do as in this case ; for our bearing of that 
 which we have no possible way of avoiding can at most be 
 said to be but the carrying of the Cross ; but then only can 
 we be said to take it up, when, having a means of escaping 
 it by a sin, we rather choose to endure the Cross than com- 
 mit the sin ; for then it is not laid on us by any unavoidable 
 necessity, but we willingly choose it : and this is highly ac- 
 ceptable with God, yea, withal so strictly required by him, 
 that if we fail of performing it, when we are put to the trial, 
 we are not to be accounted followers of Christ ; for so him- 
 self hath expressly told us. Matt. xvi. 24, Jf any man luill 
 come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross 
 and follow me; and so again, Mark viii. 34. It were 
 therefore, a good point of spiritual wisdom for us, sometimes 
 by some lower degrees of self-denial, to fit ourselves for this 
 greater, when we shall be called to it : we know he that 
 expects to run a race will beforehand be often breathing 
 himself, that he may not be foiled when he comes to run 
 for the prize ; in like manner, it will be fit for us, sometimes 
 to abridge ourselves somewhat of our lawful pleasure, or 
 ease, or profit, so that we may get such a mastery over 
 ourselves, as to be able to renounce all when our obedience 
 to God requires it. 
 
 53. And as we are thus to trust on God for deliverance 
 from danger, so are we likewise for supply 
 of our wants ; and those again are either ' wants 
 
 Spiritual or Temporal. Our Spiritual spiritual. 
 want is that of his Grace to enable us to serve him, with- 
 out which we can do nothing ; and for this we are to depend 
 on him, provided we neglect not the means, which are 
 Prayer and a careful using of what he hath already bestowed 
 on us : for then we have his promise for it, He will give fhe 
 holy Spirit to them that ask if, Luke xi. 13, and unto him 
 that hath shall be given, Matt. xxv. 29, that is, To him 
 5* 
 
i4 OF TRUST IN GOD. [sUNDAY I, 
 
 that hath made a good use of that grace he hath already t 
 God will give more. We are not therefore to affright our- 
 selves with the difficulty of those things God requires of us, 
 but remember he commands nothing which he will not 
 enable us to perform, if we be not wanting to ourselves. 
 And therefore let us sincerely do our parts, and confidently 
 assure ourselves God will not fail of his. 
 
 54. But we have likewise Temporal and Bodily Wants, 
 
 and for the supply of them we are like- 
 wise to rely on him. And for this also we 
 want no promises, supposing us to be of the 
 number of them to whom they are made, that is, God's faithful 
 servants : They that fear the Lord lack nothing. Psalm xxxiv. 
 9. and ver. 10, They that seek the Lord shall want no manner 
 of thing that is good: again Psalm xxxiii. 18, 19, Behold the 
 eye of the Lord is upon thern that fear him, upon them, that 
 hope in his mercy, to deliver their souls from death, and to 
 feed them in time of famine. Examples also we have of 
 this, as we may see in the case of Elijah and the poor 
 Widow, 1 Kings xvii. And many others. 
 
 55. We are therefore to look up to him for the provision 
 of all things necessary for us, according to that of the 
 Psalmist, The eyes of all wait upon thee, O Lord, and thou 
 givest them their meat in due season. And our Saviour 
 hath taught us to pray for our daily bread ; thereby teach- 
 ing us that we are to live in continual dependence upon God 
 for it. Yet I mean not by this, that we should so expect it 
 from God, as to give up ourselves to idleness and expect to 
 be fed with miracles. No, our honest industry and labour 
 is the means by which God ordinarily gives us the neces- 
 saries of this life ; and therefore we must by no means 
 neglect that He that will not labour let him not eat, says 
 the Apostle, 2 Thess. iii. 10. And we may believe God 
 will pronounce the same sentence, and suffer the slothful 
 person to want even necessary food. But when we have 
 faithfully used our own endeavour, then we must also look 
 up to God for his blessing on it, without which it can never 
 prosper to us. And having done thus, we may comfortably 
 rest ourselves on his Providence for such a measure of these 
 outward things as he sees fittest for us. 
 
 56. But if our condition be such that we are not able to 
 labour, and have no other means of bringing in the necessa- 
 ries of life to ourselves, yet even then we are cheerfully to 
 
SUNDAY I.] OF TRUST IN GOD. 55 
 
 rest upon God, believing that he who feeds the ravens will 
 by some means or other, though we knoM^ not what, provide 
 for us, so long as he pleases we shall continue in this world, 
 and never in any case torment ourselves with carking and 
 distrustful thoughts, but as the Apostle, I Pet. v. 7, cast all 
 your care on him who carethfor us. 
 
 57. This is earnestly pressed by our Saviour, Matt. vi. 
 where he abundantly shows the folly of this sin of distrust. 
 The place is a most excellent one, and therefore, I shall set 
 it down at large. Verse 25, Therefore, I say unto you, Take 
 no thought for your life what you shall eat, or what you 
 shall drink; neither for your body, what you shall put on; 
 is not the life more than rneat, and the body than raiment ? 
 Behold the folds of the air, for they soiv not, neither do 
 they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father 
 feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they ? Which 
 of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature? 
 ^nd why take ye thought for raiment ? Consider the lilies 
 of the field how they groiv, they toil not, neither do they 
 spin, and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his 
 glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore if God 
 so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to- 
 morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe 
 you, O ye of little Faith ? Therefore take no thought, say- 
 ing, what shall we eat ? or what shcdl we drink ? or where- 
 withal shall we be clothed? {for after cdl these things do 
 the Gentiles seek) for your heavenly Father knowcth that 
 ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the 
 Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and then all these 
 things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought 
 for to-morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the 
 things of itself ; sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, 
 I might add many other texts to this purpose, but this is so 
 full and convincing, that I suppose it is needless. 
 
 58. All therefore that I shall say more concerning this 
 duty is to put you in mind of the great ^^^ benefits 
 Benefits of it. As first, that by this trust- ^^ _ _ ^^ 
 
 ^ J ' J *u- J I,- X OF trusting on 
 
 ing upon God, you engage and bmd him to 
 
 provide for you. Men, you know, think 
 
 themselves highly concerned not to fail those that depend 
 
 and trust upon them : and certainly God doth so much more. 
 
 But then secondly, there is a great deal of ease and quiet in 
 
 f)ractice of this duty : it delivers us from all those carkings 
 
56 OF TRUST IN GOD. [sUNDAY I. 
 
 and immoderate cares which disquiet our minds, break 
 our sleep, and gnaw even our very heart. I doubt not but 
 those that have felt them need not be told they are uneasy. 
 But then methinks that uneasiness should make us forward 
 to embrace the means for the removing of them ; and so we 
 see it too often doth in unlawful ones ; men will cheat, and 
 steal, and lie, and do any thing to deliver themselves from 
 the fear of want : but alas ! they commonly prove but deceit- 
 ful remedies ; they bring God's curse on us, and so are more 
 likely to betray us to want, than to keep us from it. But 
 if you desire a certain and unfailing cure for cares, take this 
 of relying upon God. 
 
 59. For what should cause that man to fear want that 
 knows he hath one that cares for him, who is All-sufficient, 
 and will not suffer him to want what is fit for him ? If a 
 poor man had but a faithful promise from a wealthy person 
 that he would never suifer him to want, it is sure he would 
 be highly cheered with it, and would not then think fit to be 
 as carking as he was before : and yet a man's promise may 
 fail us ; he may either grow poor and not be able, or he may 
 prove false and not be willing, to make good his word. But 
 we know, God is subject neither to impoverishing nor deceit. 
 And therefore how vile an injury do we offer to him, if we 
 dare not trust as much upon his promise as we would that 
 of a man ! Yea, and how great a mischief do we do ourselves 
 by loading our minds with a multitude of vexatious and tor- 
 menting cares, when we may so securely cast our burden 
 upon God! I conclude this in the words of the Apostle, 
 Phil. iv. 6, Be careful in nothing, but in every thing by 
 prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your rc- 
 quests be made known to God, 
 
SUNDAY II. 
 
 Of Humility, of Submission to God's Will in respect of Obedience ; of 
 Patience in all sorts of Sufferings, and of Honour due to God in several 
 ways, in his House, Possession, his Day, Word, Sacraments, &c. 
 
 A SIXTH Duty to God is Humility ; that is, such a sense 
 of our own meanness and his excellency, as 
 may work in us lowly and unfeigned sub- humility. 
 mission to him : this submission is twofold ; first, to his will, 
 secondly, to his wisdom. 
 
 2. The submission to his will is also of two sorts, the 
 submission either of Obedience or Patience ; 
 
 that of Obedience is our ready yielding s'^^mission to 
 ourselves up to do his will, so that when ^^" ® ^^^^ ^^ 
 God hath by his command made known i^espect of 
 to us what his pleasure is, cheerfully and obedience. 
 readily to set about it. To enable us to this, humility is 
 exceedingly necessary ; for a proud person is of all others 
 the unaptest to obey, and we see men never pay an obedience 
 but where they acknowledge the person commanding to be 
 some way above them ; and so it is here. If we be not 
 thoroughly persuaded that God is infinitely above us, that 
 we are vileness and nothing in comparison of him, we shall 
 never pay our due obedience. 
 
 3. Therefore, if ever you mean to obey entirely (as you 
 must if ever you mean to be saved) get your hearts possess- 
 ed with the sense of that great unspeakable 
 
 distance that is between God and you. ^^^ ^^^^'^ ^^^' 
 Consider him as he is a God of infinite '^^^^^ between 
 majesty and glory ; and we poor worms of ^^^ ^^^ ^^' 
 the earth : he infinite in power, able to do all things ; and 
 we able to do nothing, not so much as to make one hair 
 white or black, as our Saviour speaks. Matt. v. ,36 : he of 
 infinite purity and holiness ; and we polluted and defiled, 
 wallowing in all kinds of sins and uncleanness : he unchange- 
 able and constant; and we subject to change and alteration 
 every minute of our lives : he eternal and immortal ; and we 
 frail mortals, that whenever he taketh away our breath we 
 die and are turned again to our dust. Psalm civ. 29. 
 Consider all this, I say, and you cannot but acknowledge a 
 
 57 
 
58 OF PATIENCE. [sUNDAY II. 
 
 wide difference between God and man, and therefore may- 
 well cry out with Job, after he had approached so near to 
 God, as to discern somewhat of his excellency, Job xlii. 5, 
 6, Now mine eye seeth thee, wherefore I abhor myself and 
 repent in dust and ashes. 
 
 4. And even when this humility hath brought us to 
 
 obedience, it is not then to be cast off, as 
 
 THE UNWORTHI- -^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^ -^ . ^^^ ^^^^^ j^ 
 
 NESS OF OUR BEST ^^-^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ neccssity of it, to keep 
 WORKS. ^^g ^^^^^ ^^y 1^^^^ conceits of our perform- 
 
 ances, which if we once entertain, it will blast the best of them, 
 and make them utterly unacceptable to God ; like the strict- 
 ness of the Pharisee, which when once he came to boast of, 
 the Publican was preferred before him, Luke xviii. The 
 best of our works are so full of infirmity and pollution, that 
 if we compare them with that perfection and purity which 
 is in God, we may truly say with the Prophet, All our 
 righteousness are as filthy rags, Isaiah Ixiv. 6, and there- 
 fore to pride ourselves in them is the same madness that it 
 would be in a beggar to brag of his apparel, when it is no- 
 thing but vile rags and tatters. Our Saviour's precept in this 
 matter must always be remembered, Luke xvii. 10, When 
 you have done all those things which are commanded you, 
 say, We are unprofitable servants. If when we have done 
 all, we must give ourselves no better a title, what are we 
 then to esteem ourselves, that are so far from doing any 
 considerable part of what we are commanded ? Surely that 
 worser name of slothful and wicked servant, Matt. xxv. 26, 
 we have no reason to think too bad for us. 
 
 5. A second sort of submission to his will is that of 
 
 Patience ; this stands in suffering his will, 
 
 SUBMISSION IN ^g ^j^^^ ^^ obedience did in acting it, and is 
 
 RESPECT OF PA- ^^^^ gjg^ ^^^ ^ willing and quiet yield- 
 
 ing to whatever afflictions it pleases God to 
 lay upon us. This the forementioned humility will make 
 easy to us ; for when our hearts are thoroughly possessed 
 with that reverence and esteem of God, it will be impossible 
 for us to grudge or murmur at whatever he does. We see 
 an instance of it in old Eli, 1 Sam. iii., who after he had 
 heard the sad threatenings of God against him, of the destruc- 
 tion of his family, the loss of the priesthood, the cutting off 
 both his sons in one day, which were all of them afflictions 
 of the heaviest kind, yet this one consideration, that it was 
 
SUNDAY II.] OF PATIENCE. 59 
 
 the Lord, enabled him calmly and quietly to yield to them ; 
 saying, Let him do what seemeth him good, verse 18. 
 The same effect it had on David, in his suffering, Psalm 
 xxxix. 9, I IV as dumb, I opened not my mouth, because 
 thou didst it. God's doing it silenced all murmurings and 
 grumblings in him. And so must it do in us, in all our 
 afflictions, if we will indeed approve our humility to God. 
 
 6. For surely you will not think that child hath due 
 humility to his parent, or that servant to his master, that 
 when they are corrected, shall fly in the father's or master's 
 face. But this do we whenever we grudge and repine at 
 that which God lays upon us. But besides the want of 
 humility in our so doing, there is also a great want of justice 
 in it ; for God hath, as we are his creatures, a right to do 
 with us what he will, and therefore for us to resist that 
 right of his, is the highest injustice that can be ; nay farther, 
 it is also the greatest folly in the world, for it is only our 
 good that God aims at in afflicting us ; that heavenly Father 
 is not like our earthly ones, who sometimes correct their 
 children only to satisfy their own angry humour, not to do 
 them good. But this is subject to no such frailties : He doth 
 not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men, Lam. 
 iii. 33. They are our sins, which do not only give him just 
 cause, but even force and necessitate him to punish us. He 
 carries to us the bowels and affections of the tenderest fa- 
 ther ; now when a father sees his child stubborn and rebellious, 
 and running on in a course that will certainly undo him, 
 what greater act of fatherly kindness can he do than chasten 
 and correct him ; to see if by that means he may amend him ? 
 Nay indeed he could not be said to have true kindness to 
 him if he should not. And thus it is with God, when he 
 sees us run on in sin : either he must leave off to love us, 
 and so leave us to ourselves to take our own course, and 
 that is the heaviest curse that can befall any man ; or else, 
 if he continue to love us, he must correct and punish us to 
 brinff us to amendment. Therefore when- 
 
 ^ ^ . -l^ • 11 * THANKFULNESS 
 
 ever he strikes, we are m all reason, not , 
 
 only patiently to lie under his rod, but (as ^ ^°^" 
 
 T \ 1 • •* 1 +1, * • u RECTIONS. 
 
 1 may say) kiss it also ; that is, be very 
 thankful to him, that he is pleased not to give us over to 
 our own hearVs lusts. Psalm Ixxxi. 12 ; but still continues 
 his care of us ; sends afflictions, as so many messengers to 
 call us home to himself. You see then how gross a folly it 
 
60 OF PATIENCE. [sUNDAY 11. 
 
 is to murmur at those stripes which are meant so graciously ; 
 it is like that of a froward patient, which reproaches and re- 
 viles the physician that comes to cure him ; and if such a 
 one be left to die of his disease, every one knows whom he 
 is to thank for it. 
 
 7. But it is not only quietness, no nor thankfulness 
 
 neither under afflictions, that is the full of 
 our duty in this matter ; we must have 
 UNDER THEM. pj-yitMness also, or all the rest will stand 
 us in no stead. By fruitfulness I mean the bringing forth 
 that, which the afflictions were sent to work in us, viz. the 
 amendment of our lives. To which purpose in time of 
 affliction it is very necessary for us to call ourselves to an 
 account, to examine our hearts and lives, and search dili- 
 gently what sins lie upon us, which provoked God thus to 
 smite us, and whatsoever we find ourselves guilty of, humbly 
 to confess to God, and immediately to forsake for the rest of 
 our time. 
 
 8. All I shall add concerning this duty of patience, is, 
 
 that we are as much bound to it in one 
 IN ALL SORTS OF ^^^^ ^^ sufferings, as another ; whether our 
 SUFFERINGS. gufl-gj-ings be so immediately from God's 
 hand, that no creature hath any thing to do in it, as sickness, 
 or the like ; or whether it be such, wherein men are the in- 
 struments of afflicting us. For it is most sure when any 
 man doth us hurt, he could not do it without God's permis- 
 sion and sufferance, and God may as well make them the 
 instruments of punishing us, as do it more directly by him- 
 self ; and it is but a counterfeit patience, that pretends to 
 submit to God, and yet can bear nothing from men. We 
 see holy Job, who is set forth to us as a pattern of true 
 patience, made no such difference in his afflictions ; he took 
 the loss of his cattle, which the Chaldeans and Sabeans rob- 
 bed him of, with the very same meekness with which he 
 did that which was consumed by fire from heaven. When 
 therefore we suffer any thing from men, be it never so un- 
 justly in respect of them, we are yet to confess it is most 
 just in respect of God; and therefore instead of looking 
 upon them with rage and revenge, as the common custom of 
 the world is, we are to look up to God, acknowledge his 
 justice in the affliction, begging his pardon most earnestly 
 for those sins which have provoked him to send it, and 
 patiently and thankfully bear it till he shall see fit to remove 
 
SUNDAY II.] OF PATIENCE. 61 
 
 it; still saying with Job, Blessed be the name of the 
 Lord. 
 
 9. But I told you Humility contained in it a submission 
 not only to his Will, but also to his AVis- 
 
 dom ; that is, to acknowledge him infinitely ', 
 
 wise, and therefore, that whatever he doth 
 is best and fittest to be done. And this we are to confess 
 both in his commands, and in his disposing and ordering of 
 things. First, whatsoever he commands us either to believe 
 or do, we are to submit to his wisdom in 
 both ; to believe whatsoever he bids us 
 believe, how impossible soever it seems to 
 our shallow understandings ; and to do whatever he com- 
 mands us to do, how contrary soever it be to our fleshy 
 reason or humour ; and in both to conclude, that his com- 
 mands are most fit and reasonable, however they appear 
 to us. 
 
 10. Secondly, we are to submit to his Wisdom in respect 
 of his Disposal and ordering of things ; to 
 
 • o _ D ' Tj^ HIS DISPO" 
 
 acknowledge he disposes all things most 
 wisely, and that not only in what concerns 
 the world in general, but also in what concerns every one of 
 us in particular ; so that in what condition soever he puts us, 
 we are to assure ourselves it is that which is best for us, 
 since he chooses it for us who cannot err. And therefore 
 never to have impatient desires of any thing in this world, 
 but to leave it to God to fit us with such an estate and con- 
 dition as he sees best for us, and there let us quietly and 
 contentedly rest ; yea, though it be such as of all others we 
 should least have wished for ourselves. And this surely 
 cannot but appear very reasonable to any that hath humility : 
 for that having taught him, that God is infinitely wise, and 
 he very foolish, he can never doubt but that it is much more 
 for his good that God should choose for him than he for 
 himself ; even as it is much more for the child's good to have 
 the parent choose for it, than to be left to those silly choices 
 it would make for itself. For how many times would it cut, 
 and burn, and mischief itself if it might have every thing it 
 desires ? And such children are we, we many times eagerly 
 desire those things which would undo us if we had them. 
 Thus many times we wish for wealth, and honour, and beauty, 
 and the like, when, if we had them, they would only prove 
 snares to us ; we should be drawn into sin by them. And 
 
 6 
 
62 OF HONOURING GOD. [sUNDAY II. 
 
 this God, who knows all things, sees, though we do not, and 
 therefore often denies us those things which he sees will 
 tend to our mischief; and it is his abundant mercy that he 
 doth so. Let us therefore, whenever we are disappointed 
 of any of our aims and wishes, not only patiently but joy- 
 fully submit to it, as knowing that it is certainly best for us, 
 it being chosen by the unerring wisdom of our heavenly 
 Father. 
 
 11. A seventh Duty to God, is Honour; that is, the 
 
 paying him such a reverence and respect 
 HONOUR. ^g belongs to so great a Majesty. And 
 this is either inward or outward. The inward is the exalt- 
 ing him in our hearts, having always the highest and most 
 excellent esteem of him. The outward is the manifesting 
 and showing forth that inward ; and that is the first general 
 in the whole course of our lives, the living like men that do 
 indeed carry that high esteem of God. Now you know if 
 we bear any special Reverence but to a Man, we will be 
 careful not to do any foul or base thing in his presence ; and 
 so if we do indeed honour God, we shall abhor to do any 
 unworthy thing in his sight. But God sees all things, and 
 therefore there is no way to shun the doing it in his sight if 
 we do it at all ; therefore if we do thus reverence him, we 
 must never at any time do any sinful thing. 
 
 12. But besides this general way of honouring God, there 
 
 are many particular acts by which we may 
 
 SEVERAL WAYS , \^ , ^, -^ , ,. -^ 
 
 honour him ; and these acts are divers, 
 according to the several particulars about 
 which they are exercised. For we are 
 to pay this honour not only immediately to himself, but also 
 by a due estimation and account of all those things that 
 nearly relate or belong to him. Those are especially six : 
 first, his House ; secondly, his Revenue or Income (as I 
 may say) ; thirdly, his Day ; fourthly, his Word ; fifthly, his 
 Sacraments ; and sixthly, his Name ; and every one of these 
 is to have some degree of our reverence and esteem. 
 
 13. First, his House; that is, the Church: which being 
 
 the place set apart for his public worship, 
 
 IN HIS HOUSE. * 1 1 -x .1, if . I. 1 • 
 
 we are to look on it, though not as holy m 
 respect of itself, yet in respect of its use, and therefore must 
 not profane it by employing it to uses of our own. This Christ 
 hath taught us by that act of his. Matt. xxi. 12, in driving 
 the buyers and sellers out of the Temple, saying. My house 
 
SUNDAY II.] OF HONOURING GOD. 63 
 
 is called the house of Prayer : and again, John ii. 16, Make 
 not my Father'' s house a house of Merchandise. By which 
 it is clear, Churches are to be used only for the services of 
 God, and we are to make that the only end of our coming 
 thither, and not to come to Church as to a Market to 
 make bargains or despatch business with our neighbours, 
 as is too common among many. But whenever thou enter- 
 est the Church, remember that it is the House of God, a 
 place where he is in an especial manner present, and there- 
 fore take the counsel of the wise man, Eccles. v. 1, and 
 keep thy foot when thou goest into the house of God ; that 
 is, behave thyself with that godly awe and reverence which 
 belongs to that great Majesty thou art before. Remember 
 that thy business there is to converse with God, and there- 
 fore shut out all thoughts of the world, even of thy most 
 lawful business, which, though they be allowable at another 
 time, are here sinful. How fearful a guilt is it then, to en- 
 tertain any such thoughts as are in themselves wicked ? It is 
 like the treason of Judas, who pretended indeed to come to 
 kiss his Master, but brought with him a band of soldiers to 
 apprehend him, Matt. xxvi. We make show, in our 
 coming to Church, of serving and worshipping God, but we 
 bring with us a train of his enemies to provoke and despite 
 him. This is a wickedness that may outvie the profaneness 
 of these days, in turning Churches into Stables ; for sinful 
 and polluted thoughts are much the worse sort of beasts. 
 
 14. The second thing to which respect belongs, is his 
 revenue or income ; that is, whatsoever is 
 
 1 • T • , , r *!, HIS POSSES- 
 
 his peculiar possessions, set apart lor the 
 maintenance of those that attend his service ; 
 those were the Priests in time of the Law, and Ministers of 
 the Gospel now with us. And whatever is thus set apart, 
 we must look on with such respect as not to dare to turn it 
 to any other use. Of this sort some are the free-will offer- 
 ings of men, who have sometimes of their own accord given 
 some of their goods or land to this holy use ; and whatsoever 
 is so given can neither by th« person that gave, nor any 
 other, be taken away, without that great sin of sacrilege. 
 
 15. But besides these, there was among the Jews, and hath 
 always been in all Christian nations, something allotted, by 
 the law of the nation, for the support and maintenance of 
 those that attend the service of God. And it is but just and 
 
%4 OF HONOURING GOD. [sUNDAY II. 
 
 necessary it should be so, that those who by undertaking 
 that calling are taken off from the ways of gaining a liveli- 
 hood in the world, should be provided for by them whose 
 souls they watch over. And, therefore, it is most reasonable 
 which the Apostle urges in this matter, 1 Cor. ix. 11, If we 
 have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing 
 if we shall reap your carnal things ? That is, it is most rea- 
 sonable for men to grudge the bestowing a few carnal things, 
 the outward necessaries of this temporal life, on them from 
 whom they receive spiritual things, even instruction and 
 assistance towards the obtaining of an eternal life. 
 
 16. Now whatsoever is thus appointed for this use, may 
 by no means be employed to any other. 
 THE GREAT SIN ^^^^^ therefore, those tithes which are here 
 OF SACRILEGE. ^^ j^^ allotted for the maintenance of the 
 ministry, must by no means be kept back, nor any tricks or 
 shifts used to avoid the payment either in whole or in part. 
 For first, it is certain, that it is as truly theft as any other 
 robbery can be, ministers having right to their tithes by the 
 same law which gives any other man right to his estate. 
 But then secondly, it is another manner of robbery than we 
 think of, it is a robbing of God, whose service they were 
 given to maintain ; and that you may not doubt the truth of 
 this, it is no more than God himself hath said of it, Mal. iii. 
 8. Will a man rob God? yet ye have robbed me; yet ye 
 say, Wherein have we robbed thee ? In tithes and offer- 
 ings. Here it is most plain that in God's account the with- 
 holding tithes is a robbing of him. And if you please, you 
 may in the next verse see what the gain of this robbery 
 amounts to. Ye are cursed with a curse. A curse is all is 
 gotten by it ; and common experience shows us, that God's 
 vengeance doth in a remarkable manner pursue this sin of 
 sacrilege, whether it be that of withholding tithes, or the other 
 of seizing on those possessions which have been voluntarily 
 consecrated to God. Men think to enrich 
 themselves by it, but it usually proves di- 
 rectly contrary ; this unlawful gain becomes 
 such a canker in the estate, as often eats out even that we 
 had a just title to. And therefore, if you love (I will not 
 say your souls, but) your estates, preserve them from that 
 danger by a strict care never to meddle with any thing set 
 apart for God. 
 
SUNDAY II.] OF THE LORD's DAY. 65 
 
 17. A third thing wherein we are to express our reverence 
 to God, is the hallowing of the Times set 
 
 apart for his Service. He who hath given "^"^ '^^^^^ ^^^ 
 all our time requires some part of it to be 
 paid back again, as a rent or tribute of the whole. Thus 
 the Jews kept holy the seventh day, and we Christians the 
 Sunday or Lord's day : the Jews were in their Sabbath 
 especially to remember the creation of the world, and -we in 
 ours, the Resurrection of Christ by which , 
 
 a way is made for us into that better world ^^^ ^ ^^^* 
 we expect hereafter. Now this day thus set apart is to be 
 employed in the AVorship and Service of God, and that first 
 more solemnly and publicly in the Congregation, from which 
 no man must then absent himself without a just cause: and 
 secondly, privately at home, in praying with and instructing 
 our families, or else in the yet more private duties of the 
 closet; a man's own private prayers, reading, meditation, 
 and the like. 
 
 And that we may be at leisure for these, a rest from all 
 worldly business is commanded ; therefore let no man think 
 that a bare rest from labour is all that is required of him on 
 the Lord's day, but the time which he saves from the works 
 of his calling, he is to lay out on those spiritual duties. For 
 the Lord's day was never ordained to give us a pretence for 
 idleness, but only to change our employment from worldly 
 to heavenly ; much less was it meant that by our rest from 
 our callings, we should have more time free to bestow upon 
 our sins, as too many do, who are more constant on that day 
 at the Ale-house than the Church. But this rest was com- 
 manded, first, to shadow out to us that rest from sin which 
 we are bound to all the days of our lives. And secondly, 
 to take us off from our worldly business, and to give us 
 time to attend the service of God, and the need of our souls. 
 
 18. And surely, if we rightly consider it, it is a very great 
 benefit to us, that there is such a set time thus weekly 
 returning for that purpose. We are very intent and busy 
 upon the world ; and if there Avere not some such time ap- 
 pointed to our hands, it is to be doubted we should hardly 
 allot any ourselves : and then what a starved condition must 
 these poor souls of ours be in, that shall never be afforded a 
 meal ? Whereas now, there is a constant diet provided for 
 them : every Sunday, if we will conscionably employ it, may 
 be a festival day to them, may bring them in such spiritual 
 
 6* 
 
66 FEASTS OF THE CHURCH. [sUNDAY n. 
 
 food as may nourish them to eternal life. We are not to 
 look on this day with grudging, like those in Amos viii. 5, 
 who ask, TVhen will the Sabbath be gone, that we may set 
 forth wheat? as if that time were utterly lost, which were 
 taken from our worldly business. But we are to consider 
 it as the gainfullest, as the joyfullest day of the week, a day 
 of harvest, wherein we are to lay up in store for the whole 
 week, nay, for our whole lives. 
 
 19. But besides this of the weekly Lord's day, there are 
 
 other times which the Church hath set 
 THE FEASTS OF ^p^^.^ ^^^ ^^le remembrance of some special 
 THE CHURCH, ^^^^.^-gg ^f God, such as the Birth and 
 Resurrection of Christ, the Descent of the Holy Ghost, and 
 the like ; and these days we are to keep in that manner 
 which the Church hath ordained, to wit in the solemn 
 worship of God, and in particular thanksgiving for that 
 special blessing we then remember. And surely, whoever 
 is truly thankful for those rich mercies cannot think it too 
 much to set apart some few days in a year for that purpose. 
 But then we are to look that our Feasts be truly spiritual, 
 by employing the day thus holily, and not make it an occa- 
 sion of intemperance and disorder, as too many, who consider 
 nothing in Christmas and other good times, but the good 
 cheer and jollity of them. For that is doing despite instead 
 of honour to Christ, who came to bring all purity and sober- 
 ness into the world, and, therefore, must not have that coming 
 of his remembered in any other manner. 
 
 20. Other days there are also set apart in memory of the 
 Apostles, and other Saints, wherein we are to give hearty 
 thanks to God for his graces in them ; particularly that they 
 were made instruments of revealing to us Christ Jesus, and 
 the way of salvation, as you know the Apostles were by 
 their preaching throughout the world. And then farther we 
 are to meditate on those examples of holy life they have 
 given us, and stir up ourselves to the imitation thereof. And 
 whosoever does uprightly set himself to make these uses of 
 these several Holy-days will have cause, by the benefit he 
 shall find from them, to thank, and not to blame, the Church 
 for ordering them. 
 
 21. Another sort of days there are, which we are like- 
 
 wise to observe, and those are days of Fast- 
 ing and Humiliation ; and whatever of this 
 kind the Church enjoins, whether constantly at set times of 
 
SUNDAY II.] THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. @7 
 
 the year, or upon any special and more sudden occasion, we 
 are to observe in such manner as she directs ; that is, not 
 only a bare abstaining from meat, which is only the body's 
 punishment; but in afflicting our souls, humbling them deeply 
 before God, in a hearty confessing and bewailing of our own 
 and the nation's sins, and earnest prayer for God's pardon 
 and forgiveness, and for the turning away of those judg- 
 ments, which those sins have called for : but above all, in 
 turning ourselves from our sins, loosing the bands of 
 wickedness, as Isaiah speaks, Chap. Iviii. 6 ; and exercising 
 ourselves in works of mercy, dealing our bread to the hungry, 
 and the like, as it there follows. 
 
 23. Fourthly, we are to express our reverence to God, 
 by honouring his Word ; and this we must , 
 
 certainly do if we do indeed honour him, ^ word. 
 
 there being no surer sign of our despising any person than 
 the setting light by what he says to us ; as on the contrary, 
 if we value one, every word he speaks will be of weight 
 with us. Now this Word of God is expressly contained in 
 the holy Scriptures, the Old and New Tes- 
 
 TTT"P TTOT V 9PPTP— 
 
 tament, where he speaks to us, to show us 
 his Will and our duty. And therefore to tures. 
 
 this Word of his we are to bear a wonderful respect, to look 
 upon it as the rule by which we must frame all the actions 
 of our life ; and to that end to study it much, to read in it 
 as often as we can ; if it may be, never to let a day pass us 
 without reading or hearing some part of it read. 
 
 23. But then that is not all : we must not only read, but 
 we must mark what we read ; we must diligently observe 
 what Duties there are which God commands us to perform, 
 what faults they are which God there charges us not to 
 commit; together with the rewards promised to the one, and 
 the punishment threatened to the other. When we have 
 thus marked, we must lay them up in our memory ; not so 
 loosely and carelessly that they shall presently drop out 
 again ; but we must so fasten them there by often thinking 
 and meditating on them, that we may have them ready 
 for our use. Now that use is the directing of our lives ; 
 and, therefore, whenever we are tempted to the committing 
 of evil, we are then to call to mind, this is the thing which 
 in such a Scripture is forbidden by God, and all his ven- 
 geances threatened against it ; and so in like manner, when 
 any opportunity is offered us of doing good, to remember, 
 
68 CATECHIZING. [sUNDAY II. 
 
 this is the duty which I was exhorted to in such a Scripture, 
 and such glorious rewards promised to the doing of it : and 
 by these considerations strengthen ourselves for resistance of 
 the evil and performance of the good. 
 
 24. But besides this of the written Word, it hath pleased 
 God to provide yet farther for our instruction by his Minis- 
 ters, whose office it is to teach us God's Will, not by say- 
 ing any thing contrary to the written Word (for whatsoever 
 is so can never be God's Will,) but by explaining it, and 
 making it easier to our understandings, and then applying 
 it to our particular occasions, and exhorting and stirring us 
 up to the practice of it ; all which is the end at which first 
 their catechizing and then their preaching aimeth. And to 
 this we are to bear also a due respect by giving diligent heed 
 thereto, not only being present at catechizing and sermons, 
 and either sleep out the time or think of somewhat else, but 
 carefully marking what is said to us ; and surely, if we did 
 but rightly consider how much it concerns us, we should 
 conclude it very reasonable for us to do so. 
 
 25. For first, as to that of Catechizing, it is the laying the 
 
 foundation upon which all Christian prac- 
 CATECHiziNG. ^-^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^.j^ . ^^^ ^^^^ -^ ^^^ teaching 
 
 us our duty, without which it is impossible for us to perform 
 it. And though it is true that the Scriptures are the foun- 
 tains, from whence this knowledge of duty must be fetched, 
 yet there are many who are not able to draw it from this 
 Fountain themselves, and therefore it is absolutely necessary 
 it should be thus brought to them by others. 
 
 26. This catechizing is generally looked upon as a thing 
 belonging only to the youth ; and so indeed it ought, not 
 because the oldest are not to learn, if they be ignorant, but 
 because all children should be so instructed, that it should 
 be impossible for them to be ignorant when they come to 
 years. And it nearly concerns every parent, as they will 
 free themselves from the guilt of their children's eternal 
 undoing, that they be careful to see them instructed in all 
 necessary things ; to which purpose, it will be fit early to 
 teach them some short Catechism, of which sort none so fit 
 as the Church Catechism ; yet are they not to rest on these 
 endeavours of their own, but also to call in the Minister's 
 help, that he may build them up farther in Christian know- 
 ledge. 
 
 27. But, alas ! it is too sure that Parents have very much 
 
SUNDAY Il/J . PREACHING. 69 
 
 neglected this Duty, and by that means it is that such multi- 
 tudes of men and women that are call Christians, know no 
 more of Christ, or any thing that concerns their own Souls, 
 than the merest Heathen. 
 
 28. But although it were their Parents' fault that they 
 were not instructed when they were young, yet it is now 
 their own, if they remain still ignorant ; and it is sure it 
 will be their own ruin and misery if they wilfully continue 
 so. Therefore whoever it be, of what age or condition 
 soever, that is in this ignorant estate, or in any such degree 
 of it that he wants any part of necessary knowledge, let 
 him as he loves his soul, as ever he would escape eternal 
 damnation, seek out for instruction, and let no fear of shame 
 keep any from it ; for, first, it is certain the shame belongs 
 only to the wilful continuing in ignorance, to which the 
 desire of learning is directly contrary, and is so far from a 
 shameful, that it is a most commendable thing, and will be 
 sure to be so accounted by all wise and good men. But 
 secondly, suppose some profane, senseless people should 
 deride it, yet sure that shame were in all reason to be under- 
 gone joyfully, rather than venture on that confusion of face 
 which will at the day of Judgment befall those who, to 
 avoid a little false shame amongst them, have gone on in a 
 wilful ignorance of their duty, which ignorance will be so 
 far from excusing any sins they shall commit, that, it adds 
 one great and heavy sin to all the rest, even the despising 
 that knowledge which is offered to them. How heinous a 
 sin that is, you may learn in the first Chapter of the Pro- 
 verbs, where hating knoivledge, verse 29, is said to be the 
 thing that draws down those sad vengeances forementioned, 
 even God's forsaking men, laughing at their calamity instead 
 of helping them : which is of all other conditions in the 
 world the most miserable ; and surely they are madly des- 
 perate that will run themselves into it. 
 
 29. As for those who have already this foundation laid by 
 the knowledge of the grounds of Christian Religion, there 
 is yet for them a farther help provided by 
 
 u- A ^ •+ • 4i A PREACHING. 
 
 preachmg. And it is no more than needs, 
 for God knows, those that understand their duty Avell enough 
 are too apt to forget it ; nay, sometimes by the violence of 
 their own lusts to transgress it even when they do remember 
 it ; and, therefore, it is very useful we should be put in mind 
 of it to prevent our forgetting, and also often exhorted and 
 
70 PREACHIxNG. ^ [SUNDAY II. 
 
 assisted to withstand thos(3 lusts which draw us to those 
 transgressions. And to these purposes preaching is intended, 
 first, to warn us to be upon our guard against our spiritual 
 enemy, and then to furnish us with weapons for the fight ; 
 that is, such means and helps as may best enable us to beat 
 off temptations and get the victory over them. 
 
 30. Since, therefore, this is the end of Preaching, we must 
 not think we have done our duty, when we have heard a 
 sermon, though never so attentively, but we must lay up in 
 our hearts those instructions and advices we there meet 
 with, and use them faithfully to that end of overcoming our 
 sins. Therefore, whenever thou comest to the Physician 
 of the Soul, do as thou wouldst Mdth the Physician of thy 
 Body ; thou comest to him not only to hear him talk and 
 tell thee what will cure thee, but also to do according to his 
 directions : and if thou dost not so here, thou art as vain as 
 he that expects a bare receipt from his doctor shall cure him, 
 though he never make use of it. Nay, thou art much more 
 vain and ridiculous ; for that, though it will do him good, 
 it will do him no harm ; he shall never be the Avorse for 
 having been taught a medicine, though he use it not : but in 
 these spiritual receipts it is otherwise ; if we use them not 
 to our good, they will do us a great deal of harm, they will 
 rise up in judgment against us, and make our condemnation 
 so much the heavier. Beware, therefore, not to bring that 
 danger upon thyself; but when thou hast heard a Sermon, 
 consider with thyself what directions there were in it for 
 enabling thee to eschew evil, or to do good. And if there 
 were any thing especially concerned thine own bosom sin, 
 lay that close to thy heart, and all the week after make it 
 matter of meditation: think of it even whilst thou art at 
 thy work, if thou wantest other time ! and not only think 
 of it, but set to the practice of it, do what thou wert advised 
 to, for the subduing sins, and quickening grace to thee. 
 Finally, look carefully to practice the counsel of the Apostle, 
 James i. 22. Be ye doers of the Word, not hearers only, 
 deceiving your oivn soids. To hope for good from the 
 Word without doing it, is, it seems, nothing but a deceiving 
 ourselves : let us never, therefore, measure our godliness by 
 the number of Sermons which w^e hear, as if the hearing 
 many were the certain mark of a good Christian ; but by 
 the store of fruit we bring forth by them, without which all 
 our hearing will serve but to bring us into that heavier por- 
 
SUNDAY 11.] THE SACRAMENTS. 71 
 
 tion of stripes, which belongs to him that knows his Mas- 
 ter's will, and doeth it 7iot, Luke xii. 47. But this reve- 
 rence which is due to preaching we must not pay to all that 
 is now-a-days called so, for God knows there are many 
 false Prophets gone out into the world, as the Apostle 
 speaks, 1 John iv. 1. And now, if ever, is that advice of 
 his necessary, To try the spirits whether they be of God. 
 But what I have said I mean only of the preaching of those 
 who first have a lawful calling to the office ; and secondly, 
 frame their doctrine according to the right rule, the written 
 Word of God. But if any man say, he is not able to judge 
 whether the doctrine be according to the Word or no, let 
 him at least try it by the common known rules of duty 
 which he doth understand, and if he find it a doctrine giving 
 men liberty to commit those things which are by all acknow- 
 ledged sins, such as rebellion, injustice, unmercifulness, un- 
 cleanness, or the like, he may conclude it is utterly contrary 
 to God and his Word, and then abhorrence, and not reve- 
 rence, belongs to it. 
 
 31. Fifthly, we are to express our honouring of God by 
 reverencing his Sacraments ; those are two, 
 
 Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord. — 
 And this we do, first, by our high esteem 
 of them : secondly, by our reverent usage of them : we are 
 first to prize them at a high rate, looking on them as the 
 instruments of bringing to us the greatest blessings we can 
 receive. The first of them. Baptism, that enters us into 
 covenant with God, makes us members of Christ, and so 
 gives us right to all those precious benefits that flow from 
 him, to wit, pardon of sins, sanctifying grace, and heaven 
 itself, upon condition Ave perform our parts of the covenant. 
 And as for the Lord's Supper, that is not only a sign and 
 remembrance of Christ and his Death ; but it is actually the 
 giving Christ, and all the fruits of his death, to every worthy 
 receiver ; and, therefore, there is a most high estimation and 
 value due to each of them. 
 
 32. And not only so ; but in the second place we must 
 show our reverence in our usage of them ; 
 
 and that first. Before ; secondly, At ; thirdly, °^ baptism. 
 After the time of receiving them. It is true that the Sacra- 
 ment of Baptism being now administered to us, when we 
 are Infants, it is not to be expected of us, that we should in 
 our own persons do any thing, either before or at the time 
 
ft THE VOW OF BAPTISM. [sUNDAY II. 
 
 of receiving it ; those performances were strictly required 
 of all persons who were baptized when they were of years. 
 But for us, it suffices to give us this right to Baptism, that 
 we are born within the pale of the Church, that is, of Chris- 
 tian parents : and all that is required at that time is, what 
 we can only perform by others, they in our stead promising 
 that when we come to years we will perform our parts of 
 the Covenant. But by how much the less we are then able 
 to do so much, the greater bond lies on us to perform those 
 after-duties required of us, by which we are to supply the 
 want of the former. 
 
 33. Now if you would know what those duties are, look 
 over those promises which your God- 
 fathers and Godmothers then made in your 
 name, and you may then learn them. I 
 cannot give you them in a better form than that of our 
 Church's Catechism, which tells us. That our Godfathers 
 and Godmothers did promise and vow three things in our 
 names ; first, that we should forsake the Devil and all his 
 ivorks, and pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and 
 all the sinful lusts of the flesh. Where, by the Devil, is 
 meant, jEirst, the worshipping of all false gods, which is in- 
 deed but worshipping the Devil. A sin, which at the time 
 of Christ's coming into the world was very common, most 
 part of mankind then living in that vile idolatry. And there- 
 fore when Baptism was first ordained, it was but needful to 
 make the forsaking of those false gods a principal part of the 
 vow. And though those false worships are now much rarer, 
 yet there was one special part of them, which may be 
 feared to be yet too common among us, and that is all sorts 
 of uncleanness, which though we do not make ceremonies 
 of our religion, as the Heathens did of theirs, yet the com- 
 mitting thereof is a most high provocation in God's eyes, 
 such as drew him to destroy whole cities ivith fire and 
 brimstone-, as you may read. Gen. xix. nay, the whole 
 ivorld ivith water, Gen. vi. and will not fail to bring down 
 judgments, and strange ones, on any that continue therein ; 
 and therefore the forsaking them well deserves to be looked 
 on as an especial part of this promise. Besides this, all 
 dealing with the Devil is here vowed against, whether it be 
 by practising witchcraft ourselves, or consulting with those 
 that do, upon any occasion whatever, as the recovery of our 
 health, our goods, or whatever else ; for this is a degree of 
 
SUNDAY II.] THE VOW OF BAPTISM. 73 
 
 the former sin, it is the forsaking of the Lord, and setting 
 up the Devil for our God, whilst we go to him in our needs 
 for help. 
 
 34. But we also renounce all the works of the Devil ; and 
 those are either in general all those that the Devil tempts us 
 to, or else those particular kinds of sin which have most of 
 his image on them ; that is, those which he himself most 
 practises, such are pride (which brought him from being an 
 Angel of light to the accursed condition he is now in) and 
 lying ; he is, as our Saviour saith, John viii. 44, Ji liar^ 
 and the father of it ; and such also are malice and envy, 
 especially killing and destroying of others, for he was a 
 raurderer from the beginning, John viii. 44. But above 
 all, there is nothing wherein we become so like him, as in. 
 tempting and drawing others to sin, which is his whole 
 trade and business ; and if we make it any part of ours, we 
 become like that roaring lion, that goes about seeking 
 whom he may devour, 1 Pet. v. 8. 
 
 35. The second thing we vow to forsake, is the pomps 
 and vanities of this wicked world. By the pomps and 
 vanities there are several things meant ; some of them such 
 as were used by the Heathens in some unlawful sports of 
 theirs, wherein we are not now so much concerned, there 
 being none of them remaining among us ; but besides that, 
 there is meant all excess, either in diet, or sports, or apparel, 
 when we keep not those due measures, which either by the 
 general rules of sobriety, or the particular circumstances of 
 our qualities and callings, we are bound to. Next, by the 
 wicked world, we may understand, first, the wealth and 
 greatness of the world, which though we do not so totally 
 renounce, that it is unlawful for a Christian to be either rich 
 or great, yet we thus far promise to forsake them, that we 
 will not set our hearts upon them, nor either get or keep 
 them by the least unlawful means. Secondly, by the wick- 
 ed world, we may understand, the companies and customs 
 of the world, which, so far as they are wicked, we here 
 renounce ; that is, we promise never to be drawn by company 
 to the commission of a sin, but rather to forsake the most 
 delightful company than to be ensnared by it : nor yet by 
 custom ; but rather venture the shame of being thought sin- 
 gular, ridiculous persons, walk as it were in a path by our- 
 selves, than put ourselves into that broad way that leads to 
 destruction, by giving ourselves over to any sinful custom 
 
 7 
 
74 THE VOW OF BAPTISM. ^SUNDAY II. 
 
 how common soever it be grown. If this part of our Vow 
 were but thoroughly considered, it would arm us against 
 most of the temptations the world offers, company and cus- 
 tom being the two special instruments by which it works 
 on us. 
 
 36. A third thing we renounce, is all the sinful lusts of 
 the flesh ; where the flesh is to be understood in that sense 
 wherein the Scripture often uses it, for the fountain of all 
 disordered affections. For though those unclean desires 
 which we ordinarily call the lusts of the flesh are here 
 meant, yet they are not the only things here contained, there 
 being divers other things which the Scripture calls the works 
 of the flesh. I cannot better inform you of them than by 
 setting down the list St Paul gives of them. Gal. v 19, 20, 
 21, Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are 
 these, adultery, fornication, imcleanness, lasciviousness, 
 idolatry, ivitchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, 
 strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, 
 revellings, and such like. This with those other descrip- 
 tions, you will find scattered in several places of Scripture, 
 will show you there are many things contained in this part 
 of your Vow, the forsaking all the sinful lusts of the flesh. 
 
 37. The second thing our Godfathers and Godmothers 
 promised for us, was, that loe should believe all the Articles 
 of the Christian Faith. These we have summed up to- 
 gether in that which we call the Apostles' Creed, which 
 since we promise to believe, we are supposed also to promise 
 to learn them, and that not only the words, but likewise the 
 plain sense of them ; for who can believe what he either 
 never heard of, or knows not any thing of the meaning of it ? 
 Now by this believing is meant not only the consenting to 
 the truth of them, but also the living like them that do be- 
 lieve : as, for example, our believing that God created us 
 should make us live in that subjection and obedience to him, 
 which becomes creatures to their Creator ; the believing 
 that Christ redeemed us should make us yield up ourselves 
 to him as his purchase, to be disposed wholly by him, and 
 employed only in his service ; the believing a judgment to 
 come should give us care so to walk that we may not be 
 condemned in it ; and our believing the life everlasting should 
 make us dihgent so to employ our short moment of time 
 here, that our everlasting life may be a life of joy, not of 
 misery to us. In this manner from all the articles of the 
 
SUNDAY II.] THE VOW OF BAPTISM. 75 
 
 Creed, we are to draw motives to confirm us in all Christian 
 practice, to which end it is that our learning and believing 
 of them tends, and therefore without it we are very far from 
 making good this part of our Vow, the believing all the 
 Articles of the Christian Faith. 
 
 38. The last part of our Vow is, that we should keep 
 GocVs holy ivill and CoimnandmentSy and lualk in the same 
 all the days of our lives. Where by our keeping God's 
 holy loill and Commandments, is meant our doing of all 
 those things which he hath made known to us to be his will 
 we should perform ; wherein he hath given us his holy 
 Word to instruct us, and teach us, what it is that he requires 
 of us ; and now he expects that we should faithfully do it 
 without favouring ourselves in the breach of any one of his 
 commands. And then in this entire obedience we must walk 
 all the days of our lives: that is, we must go on in a con- 
 stant course of obeying God; not only fetch some steps 
 in his way, but walk in them ; and that not for some part 
 of our time, but all the days of our lives, never turn out 
 of them, but go on constantly in them, as long as we live in 
 this world. 
 
 39. Having now thus briefly explained to you this Vow 
 made at your Baptism, all I shall add con- 
 
 cernmff it, is only to remember you how 
 nearly you are concerned in the keepinor 
 
 J. O "VOW C\'\? "R A V 
 
 it: and that first, in respect of justice; 
 secondly, in respect of advantage and bene- tism. 
 
 fit. That you are in justice bound to it, I need say no more 
 but that it is a promise, and you know justice requires of 
 every man the keeping of hi§ promise. But then this is of 
 all other promises the most solemn and binding, for it is a 
 Vow, that is, a promise made to God ; and, therefore, we 
 are not only unjust, but foresworn, whenever we break any 
 part of it. 
 
 40. But secondly, we are highly concerned to keep it, in 
 respect of our own benefit. I told you before, that Baptism 
 entered us into a Covenant with God ; now a Covenant is 
 made up of two parts, that is, something promised by the 
 one party, and something by the other of the parties that 
 make the Covenant. And if one of them break his part of 
 the Covenant, that is, perform not what he hath agreed to, 
 he can in no reason look that the other should make good 
 his. And so it is here, God doth indeed promise those 
 
76 THE VOW OF BAPTISM. [sUNDAY II. 
 
 benefits before mentioned, and that is his part of the Cove- 
 nant. But then we also undertake to perform the several 
 things contained in this Vow of Baptism, and that is our part 
 of it; and unless we do indeed perform them, God is not 
 tied to make good his, and so we forfeit all those precious 
 benefits and advantages, we are left in that natural and mise- 
 rable estate of ours, children of ivrath, enemies to God^ 
 and heirs of eternal damnation. And now what can be 
 the pleasure that any or all sins can afibrd us, that can make 
 us the least degree of recompense for such a loss, the loss 
 of God's favour and grace here, and the loss of our own 
 souls hereafter ? For as our Saviour saith, Mark viii. 36, 
 What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole ivorld and 
 lose his own soul? Yet this mad bargain we make when- 
 ever we break any part of this our Vow of Baptism. It, 
 therefore, most nearly concerns us to consider sadly of it, 
 to remember that every sin we commit is a direct breach of 
 this our Vow ; and, therefore, when thou art tempted to any 
 sin, seem it never so lightly, say not of it as Lot did of 
 Zoar, Gen. xix. 20, Is it not a little one ? But consider 
 that whatever it is, that thou hast in thy Baptism vowed 
 against it ; and then, be it never so little, it draws a great one 
 at the heels of it, no less than that of being foresworn, which 
 whoever commits, God hath in the third Commandment 
 pronounced. He will not hold hitn guiltless. And that we 
 may the better keep this Vow, it will be very useful often to 
 repeat to ourselves the several branches of it, that so we 
 may still have it ready in our minds to set against all tempta- 
 tions ; and surely it is so excellent a weapon, that if we do 
 not either cast it aside, or use it very negligently, it will 
 enable us, by God's help, to put to flight our spiritual adver- 
 sary. And this is that reverence we are to pay to this first 
 Sacrament, that of Baptism. 
 
SUNDAY III. 
 
 Of the Sagrament of the Lord's Supper. Of Preparation before, as Ex- 
 amination; Of Repentance, Faith, Obedience, of Duties to be done at 
 the Receiving and afterwards, &c. 
 
 Now follows the reverence due to the Sacrament of the 
 Lord's Supper ; and in this I must follow my first division, 
 and set down, first, what is to be done , 
 
 before ; secondly, at ; and, thirdly, after the 
 time of receiving ; for in this Sacrament we 
 cannot be excused from any one of these, though in the 
 former we are. 
 
 2. And first, for that which is to be done before, St. Paul 
 tells us, it is Examination, 1 Cor. xi. 28, 
 
 T> . 1 I • T II? J THINGS TO BE 
 
 But let a man examine htmselj, and so 
 
 let him eat of that bread and drink of that ^^^^ before 
 
 T) i 1 r T J 4 *!, .• RECEIVING. 
 
 cup. But before I proceed to the particu- 
 lars of this Examination, I must in the general tell you, that 
 the special business we have to do in this 
 
 c^ ^ • ^ .A ^u 4 EXAMINATION. 
 
 Sacrament, is to repeat and renew that 
 Covenant we made with God in our Baptism, which we 
 having many ways grievously broken, it pleases God, in 
 his great mercy, to suffer us to come to the renewing of it 
 in this Sacrament, which, if we do in sincerity of heart, he 
 hath promised to accept us, and give us all those benefits 
 in this, which he was ready to bestow in the other Sacra- 
 ment, if we had not by our own fault forfeited them. Since 
 then, the renewing of our Covenant is our business at this 
 time, it follows that these three things are necessary towards 
 it : first, that we understand what the Covenant is ; secondly, 
 that we consider what our breaches of it have been ; and 
 thirdly, that we resolve upon a strict observance of it, for 
 the rest of our life. And the trying ourselves in every one 
 of these particulars, is that examination which is required 
 of us before we come to this Sacrament. 
 
 3. And first, we are to examine whether we understand 
 what this Covenant is : this is exceeding necessary, as being 
 the foundation of both the other ; for it is neither possible 
 to discover our past sins, nor to settle purposes against them 
 for the future, without it. Let this therefore, be your first 
 
 7* 77 
 
78 OF THE lord's SUPPER. [sUNDAY III. 
 
 business : Try whether you rig-htly understand what that 
 Covenant is, which you entered into at your Baptism, what 
 be the Mercies promised on God's part, and the Duties on 
 yours. And, because the Covenant made with each of us 
 in Baptism is only the applying to our particulars the Cove- 
 nant made by God in Christ with all mankind m general, 
 you are to consider whether you understand that ; if you do 
 not, you must immediately seek for instruction in it. And 
 till we have means of gaining better, look over what is briefly 
 said in the instance to this Treatise, concerning the Second 
 Covenant, which is the foundation of that Covenant which 
 God makes with us in our Baptism. And because you will 
 there find, that obedience to all God's commands is the con- 
 dition required of us, and is also that which we expressly 
 vow in our Baptism, it is necessary you should likewise 
 know what those commands of God are. Therefore, if you 
 find you are ignorant of them, never be at rest till you have 
 got yourself instructed in them, and have gained such a 
 measure of knowledge as may direct you to do that Whole 
 Duty of Man which God requires. And the giving thee 
 this instruction is the only aim of this Book, which, the 
 more ignorant thou art, the more earnestly I shall intreat 
 thee diligently to read. And if thou hast hitherto approached 
 to this Holy Sacrament in utter ignorance of these necessary 
 things, bewail thy sin in so doing, but presume not to come 
 again, till thou hast, by gaining this necessary knowledge, 
 fitted thyself for it, which thou must hasten to do. For 
 though no man must come to the Sacrament in such igno- 
 rance, yet if he wilfully continue in it, that will be no excuse 
 to him for keeping from this Holy Table. 
 
 4. The second part of our examination is concerning our 
 breaches of this Covenant ; and here thou wilt find the use 
 of that knowledge I spake of. For there is no way of dis- 
 covering what our sins have been, but by 
 trying our actions by that which should be 
 the rule of them, the Law of God. When, therefore, thou 
 settest to this part of examination, remember wtiat are the 
 several branches of thv duty, and then 
 
 SEVERAL SORTS. . ^, i, . • ' r ^ -u 
 
 ask thy own heart in every particular, how 
 thou hast performed it. And content not thyself with know- 
 ing in general, that thou hast broken God's law, but do thy 
 utmost to discover in what particulars thou hast done so. 
 Recall, as well as thou canst, all the passages of thy life, 
 
SUNDAY III.] OF THE LORD's SUPPER. 79 
 
 and in each of them consider what part of that duty hath 
 been transgressed by it. And that not only in the grosser 
 act, but in word also ; nay, even in thy most secret thoughts : 
 for though man's law reaches not to them, yet God's doth ; 
 so that whatever he forbids in the act, he forbids likewise in 
 the thoughts and desires, and sees them as clearly as our 
 most public acts. This particular search is exceeding neces- 
 sary : for there is no promise of forgiveness of any sin but 
 only to him that confesseth and forsaketh it. Now to both 
 these it is necessary that we have a direct and particular 
 knowledge of our sins. For how can he either confess his 
 sin, that knows not his guilt of it ? or how can he resolve to 
 forsake it, that discerns not himself to have formerly cleaved 
 to it ? Therefore, we may surely conclude, that this exami- 
 nation is not only useful, but necessary towards a full and 
 complete repentance ; for he that does not take this particular 
 view of his sins, will be likely to repent but by halves, which 
 will never avail him towards his pardon; nothing but an 
 entire forsaking of every evil way being sufficient for that. 
 But surely of all other times it concerns us, that when we 
 come to the Sacrament our repentance be full and complete ; 
 and, therefore, this strict search of our own hearts is then 
 especially necessary. For, although it be true, that it is not 
 possible by all our diligence to discover or remember every 
 sin of our whole lives, and, though it be also true, that what 
 is so unavoidably hid from us, may be forgiven without any 
 more particular confession than that of David, Psalm xix. 
 12, Cleanse thou me from my secret faults: yet this will 
 be no plea for us, if they come to be secret only, because we 
 are negligent in searching. Therefore take heed of deceiving 
 thyself in this weighty business, but search thy soul to the 
 bottom, without which it is impossible that the wounds 
 thereof should ever be thoroughly cured. 
 
 5. And as you are to inquire thus narrowly concerning 
 the several sorts of sins, so also must you concerning the 
 degrees of them, for there are divers circumstances which 
 increase and heighten the sin. Of this sort there are many; 
 as first, when w^e sin against knowledge ; that is, when we 
 certainly know such a thing to be a sin, yet for the present 
 pleasure or profit (or whatever other motive) adventure on it. 
 This is by Christ himself adjudged to be a great heightening 
 of the sin. He that knows his Master'* s will and doth it 
 not, shall be beaten with many stripes, Luke xii. 47. Se- 
 
'8® OF THE lord's supper. [sunday III. 
 
 condly, when we sin with deUberation ; that is, when we 
 do not fall into it of a sudden, ere we are aware, but have 
 time to consider of it, this is another degree of the sin. But 
 thirdly, a yet higher is, when we do it against the resistances 
 and checks of our own conscience, when that at the time 
 tells us, this thing thou oughtest not to do : nay, lays 
 before us the danger as well as the sin of it, yet in spite of 
 these admonitions of conscience, we go on and commit the 
 sin ; this is a huge increase of it, such as will raise the least 
 sin into a most high provocation. For it is plain, a sin thus 
 committed must be a wilful one, and then, be the matter of 
 it never so light, it is most heinous in God's eyes. Nay, 
 this is a circumstance of such force, that it may make an 
 indifferent action, that is in itself no sin, become one. For 
 though my conscience should err in telling me such a thing 
 were unlawful, yet so long as I were so persuaded, it were 
 sin for me to do that thing ; for in that case, my will consists 
 to the doing a thing which I believe to be displeasing to God, 
 and God (who judges us by our wills, not understandings,) 
 imputes it to me as a sin, as well as if the thing were in itself 
 unlawful. And, therefore, surely we may conclude, that any 
 thing which is in itself sinful is made much more so by 
 being committed against the checks of conscience. A fourth 
 aggravation of a sin is when it hath been often repeated, for 
 then there is not only the guilt of so many more acts, but 
 every act grows also so much worse, and more inexcusable. 
 We always judge thus in faults committed against ourselves : 
 we can forgive a single injury more easily than the same 
 when it hath been repeated, and the oftener it hath been so 
 repeated, the more heinous we account it. And so surely it 
 is in faults against God also. Fifthly, the sins which have 
 been committed after vows and resolutions of amendment 
 are yet more grievous ; for that contains also the breaking of 
 those promises. Somewhat of this there is in every wilful 
 sin, because every such is a breach of that vow we make at 
 Baptism. But besides that, we have since bound ourselves 
 by new vows, if at no other time, yet surely at our coming 
 to the Lord's Supper, that being (as was formerly said) pur- 
 posely to repeat our vows of Baptism. And the more of 
 these vows we have made, so much the greater is our guilt, 
 if we fall back to any sin we then renounced. This is a 
 thing very well worth weighing ; and, therefore, examine 
 thyself particularly at thy approach to the Sacrament con- 
 
SUNDAY III.] OF THE LORD's SUPPER. 81 
 
 cerning thy breaches of former vows made at the Holy 
 Table. And if upon any other occasion, as sickness, trouble 
 of mind, or the like, thou hast at any time made any other, 
 call thyself to a strict account how thou hast performed them 
 also, and remember, that every sin committed against such 
 vows is, besides its own natural guilt, a Perjury likewise. 
 Sixthly, a yet higher step is, when a sin hath been so often 
 committed, that we are come to a custom and habit of it : 
 and that is indeed a high degree. 
 
 6. Yet even of Habits some are worse than others ;- as 
 first, if it be so confirmed that we are come to a hardness of 
 heart, have no sense at all of the sin : or, secondly, if we go 
 on in it against any extraordinary means used by God to 
 reform us, such as sickness, or any other afiliction which 
 seems to be sent on purpose for our reclaiming. Or, thirdly, 
 if all reproofs and exhortations either of ministers or private 
 friends work not on us, but either make us angry at our 
 reprovers, or set us on defending the sin. Or, lastly, if this 
 sinful habit be so strong in us as to give us a love to the sin, 
 not only in ourselves but in others : if, as the Apostle saith, 
 Rom. i. 32, We do not only do the things, but take pleasure 
 in them that do them, and therefore, entice and draw as 
 many as we can into the same sins with us : then it is risen 
 to the highest step of wickedness, and is to be looked on as 
 the utmost degree both of sin and danger. Thus you see 
 hoAV you are to examine yourselves concerning your sins, in 
 each of which you are to consider how many of these 
 heightening circumstances there have been, that so you may 
 aright measure the heinousness of them. 
 
 7. Now the end of this examination is, to bring you to 
 such a sio^ht of your sins, as may truly 
 
 u V.T 1 ^u^ c HUMILIATION. 
 
 humble you, make you sensible oi your 
 own danger, that have provoked so great a Majesty, who is 
 able so sadly to revenge himself upon you. And that will 
 surely even to the most carnal heart appear a reasonable 
 ground of sorrow. But that is not all ; it must likewise 
 bring you to a sense and abhorrence of your baseness and 
 ingratitude, that have thus offended so good and gracious a 
 God, that have made such unworthy and unkind returns to 
 those tender and rich mercies of his. And this consideration 
 especially must melt your hearts into a deep sorrow and 
 contrition, the degree whereof must be in some measure 
 answerable to the degree of your sins. And the greater it 
 
88 OF THE lord's supper. [SUNDAY III, 
 
 is, provided it be not such as shuts up the hope of God's 
 mercy, the more acceptable it is to God, who hath promised 
 not to despise a broken and contrite heart, Psalm U. 17. 
 And the more Hkely it will be also to bring us to amendment ; 
 for if we have once felt what the smart of a wounded Spirit 
 is, we shall have the less mind to venture upon sin again. 
 
 8. For when we are tempted with any of the short plea- 
 sures of sin, we may then out of our own experience set 
 against them the sharp pains and terrors of an accusing 
 conscience, which will to any that hath felt them be able 
 infinitely to outweigh them. Endeavour therefore to bring 
 yourselves to this melting temper, to this deep unfeigned 
 sorrow, and that not only for the danger you have brought 
 upon yourself; for though that be a consideration which 
 may and ought to work sadness in us, yet where that alone 
 is the motive of our sorrow, it is not that sorrow which will 
 avail us for pardon ; and the reason of it is clear, for that 
 sorrow proceeds only from the love of ourselves, we are 
 sorry because we are like to smart. But the sorrow of a true 
 penitent must be joined also with the love of God, and that 
 will make us erieve for having offended 
 
 CONTRITION. 1,- ^1, 1. ^r,^ ^1 
 
 him, though there were no punishment to 
 fall upon ourselves. The way then to stir up this sorrow in 
 us, is first, to stir up our love of God, by repeating to ourselves 
 the many gracious acts of his mercy towards us, particularly 
 that of his sparing us, and not cutting us off in our sins. 
 Consider with thyself how many and how great provocations 
 thou hast offered him, perhaps in a continued course of many 
 years wilful disobedience, for which thou mightest with 
 perfect justice have been ere this sent quick into hell. Nay, 
 possibly thou hast before thee many examples of less sinners 
 than thou art, who have been suddenly snatched away in the 
 midst of their sins. And what cause canst thou give, why 
 thou hast thus long escaped, but only because his eye hath 
 spared thee ? And what cause of that sparing, but his tender 
 compassions towards thee, his unwillingness that thou should- 
 est perish ? This consideration, if it be pressed home upon 
 thy soul, cannot choose (if thy heart be not as hard as the 
 nether millstone) but awake somewhat of love in thee towards 
 this gracious, this long-suffering God, and that love will 
 certainly make it appear to thee, that it is an evil thing and 
 bitter, that thou hast forsaken tlie Lord, Jer. ii. 19. That 
 thou hast made such wretched requitals of so great mercy ; 
 
SUNDAY III.] OF THE LORD's SUPPER. 83 
 
 it will make thee both ashamed and angry at thyself that 
 thou hast been such an unthankful creature. But if the con- 
 sideration of this one sort of mercy, God's forbearance only, 
 be such an engagement and help to this godly sorrow, what 
 will then be the multitude of those other mercies which 
 every man is able to reckon up to himself? And therefore 
 let every man be as particular in it as he can, call to mind 
 as many of them as he is able, that so he may attain to the 
 greater degree of true contrition. 
 
 9. And to all these endeavours must be added earnest 
 prayers to God, that he by his holy Spirit would show you 
 your sins, and soften your hearts, that yoxi may thoroughly 
 l3ewail and lament them. 
 
 10. To this must be joined an humble confession of sins 
 to God, and that not only in general, but 
 
 1 . ,. T n -^ ^ CONFESSION. 
 
 also m particular, as far as your memory 
 of them will reach, and that with all those heightening cir- 
 cumstances of them, which you have by the forementioned 
 examination discovered. Yea, even secret and forgotten 
 sins must in general be acknowledged, for it is certain there 
 are multitudes of such ; so that it is necessary for every one 
 of us to say with David, Psalm xix. 12, Who can under- 
 stand his errors ? Cleanse thou me from my secret faults. 
 When you have thus confessed your sins with this hearty 
 sorrow, and sincere hatred of them, you may then (and not 
 before) be concluded to feel so much of your disease, that 
 it will be seasonable to apply the remedy. 
 
 11 In the next place, therefore, you arc to look on him 
 whom God hath set forth to be the mo- 
 pitiationfor our sins, Rom. iii. 25. JEven 
 Jesus Christ, that Lamb of God, which taheth away the 
 sins of the world, John i. 29. And earnestly beg of God, 
 that by his most precious blood your sins may be washed 
 away : and that God would for his sake be reconciled to you. 
 And this you are to believe will surely be done, if you do 
 for the rest of your time forsake your sins, and give your- 
 selves up sincerely to obey God in all his commands. But 
 without that, it is vain to hope any benefit from Christ, or 
 his sufferings. And therefore the next part of your prepara- 
 tion must be the setting those resolutions of obedience, which 
 I told you was the third thing you are to examine yourselves 
 of before you approach to the holy Sacrament. 
 
84 OF THE lord's SUPPER. [sUNDAY III. 
 
 12. Concerning the particulars of this Resolution, I need 
 
 say no more, but that it must answer every 
 
 RESOLUTIONS OF ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^ . ^^^^ -^^ ^^ 
 
 OBEDIENCE. ^^ygj; j^ot Only in general resolve that we 
 will observe God's Commandments, but we must resolve it 
 for every Commandment by itself; and especially where we 
 have found ourselves most to have failed heretofore, there 
 especially to renew our resolutions. And herein it nearly 
 concerns us to look that these resolutions be sincere and 
 unfeigned, and not only such slight ones as people use out of 
 custom to put on at their coming to the Sacrament, which 
 they never think of keeping afterwards. For this is a cer- 
 tain truth, that whosoever comes to this holy Table without 
 an entire hatred of every sin, comes unworthily ; and it is as 
 sure, that he that doth entirely hate all sin, will resolve to 
 forsake it : for you know forsaking naturally follows hatred, 
 no man willingly abides with a thing or person he hates. 
 And therefore he that doth not so resolve, as that God the 
 searcher of hearts may approve it as sincere, cannot be sup- 
 posed to hate sin, and so cannot be a worthy receiver of 
 that holy Sacrament. Therefore try your resolutions tho- 
 roughly, that you deceive not yourselves in them ; it is your 
 own great danger if you do ; for it is certain you cannot 
 deceive God, nor gain acceptation from him by any thing 
 which is not perfectly hearty and unfeigned. 
 
 13. Now as you are to resolve on this new obedience, so 
 
 you are likewise to resolve on the means, 
 
 OF THE MEANS. *^ i • i • , • ,1 n 
 
 which may assist you m the pertormance 
 of it. And therefore consider in every duty what are the 
 means that may help you in it, and resolve to make use of 
 tliem, how uneasy soever they be to your flesh ; so on the 
 other side consider what things they are, that are likely to 
 lead you to sin, and resolve to shun and avoid them : this 
 you are to do in respect of all sins whatever, but especially 
 in those whereof you have formerly been guilty. For there 
 it will not be hard for you to find by what steps and degrees 
 you were drawn into it, what company, what occasion it 
 was that ensnared you, as also to what sort of temptations 
 you are aptest to yield. And therefore you must particu- 
 larly fence yourself against the sin, by avoiding those occa- 
 sions of it. 
 
 14. But it is not enough that you resolve you will do all 
 this hereafter, but you must instantly set to it, and begin the 
 
SUNDAY III.] OF THE LORd's SUPPER. 85 
 
 course by doing at the present whatsoever you have oppor- 
 tunity of doing. And there are several things, which you 
 may, nay, must do at the present, before you come to the 
 Sacrament. 
 
 15. As first you must cast off every sin, not bring any 
 one unmortified lust with you to that Table ; 
 
 r •. • . 1, X X ^ ^i, PRESENT RE- 
 
 for It IS not enough to purpose to cast them 
 off afterwards, but you must then actually 
 do it by withdrawing all degrees of love 
 and affection from them ; you must then give a bill of divorce 
 to all your old beloved sins, or else you are in no way fit to 
 be married to Christ. The reason of this is clear ; for this 
 Sacrament is our spiritual nourishment ; now before we can 
 receive spiritual nourishment we must have spiritual life, 
 (for no man gives food to a dead person.) But whosoever 
 continues not only in the act, but in the love of any one 
 known sin, hath no spiritual life, but is, in God's account, 
 no better than a dead carcass, and therefore cannot receive 
 that spiritual food. It is true, he may eat the bread and 
 drink the wine, but he receives not Christ, but instead of 
 him, that which is most dreadful ; the Apostle will tell you 
 what, 1 Cor. xi. 29, He eats and drinks his own damnation. 
 Therefore you see how great a necessity lies on you thus 
 actually to put off" every sin, before you come to this Table. 
 
 16. And the same necessity lies on you for a second thing 
 to be done at this time, and that is, the 
 
 , . ' , 1 A EMBRACING 
 
 puttmg your soul mto a heavenly and 
 Christian temper ; by possessing it with all 
 those graces which may render it acceptable in the eyes of 
 God. For when you have turned out Satan and his accursed 
 train, you must not let your soul lie empty ; if you do, 
 Christ tells you, Luke xi. 26, He will quickly return again^ 
 and your last estate shall be worse than your first. But 
 you must by earnest prayer invite into it the holy Spirit with 
 his Graces, or, if they be in some degree there already, you 
 must pray that he will yet more fully possess it, and you 
 must quicken and stir them up. 
 
 17. As for example, you must quicken your Humility, 
 by considering your many and great sins : 
 
 , 17 •*!, u r* ^- ^ A^ QUICKENING OF 
 
 your i*aith, by meditatmg on God s pro- 
 mises to all penitent sinners : your love to 
 God, by considering his mercies, especially those remem- 
 bered in the Sacrament, his giving Christ to die for us; 
 
 8 
 
86 OF THE lord's SUPPER. [sUNDAY HI. 
 
 and your love to your neighbor, nay, to your enemies, by 
 considering that great example of his suffering for us that 
 were enemies to him. And it is most particularly required 
 of us when we come to this Table, that we copy out this 
 pattern of his, in a perfect forgiveness of all that have of- 
 fended us ; and not only forgiveness but such a kindness 
 also, as will express itself in all offices of love and friend- 
 ship to them. 
 
 18. And if you have formerly so quite forgot that blessed 
 
 example of his, as to do the direct con- 
 trary ; if you have done any unkindness or 
 injury to any person, then you are to seek forgiveness from 
 him : and to that end, first acknowledge your fault, and 
 secondly, restore to him, to the utmost of your power, what- 
 soever you have deprived him of, either in goods or credit. 
 This reconciliation with our brethren is absolutely necessary 
 towards the making any of our services acceptable with God, 
 as appears by that precept of Christ, Mat. v. 23, 24, If 
 thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest 
 that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy 
 gift before the altar, and go thy ivay, first be reconciled to 
 thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Where you 
 see, that though the gift be already at the altar, it must rather 
 be left there unoffered, than be offered by a man that is not 
 at perfect peace with his neighbour. And if this charity be 
 so necessary in all our services, much more in this, where, 
 by a joint partaking in the same holy mysteries, we signify 
 our being united and knit not only to Christ our head, but 
 also to each other, as fellow-members. And, therefore, if we 
 come with any malice in our hearts, we commit an act of 
 the highest hypocrisy, by making a solemn profession in the 
 Sacrament, of that charity and brotherly love, whereof our 
 hearts are quite void. 
 
 19. Another most necessary grace at this time is that of 
 
 Devotion ; for the raising whereof we must 
 
 DEVOTION. „ 1 ^- * a 1 
 
 allow ourselves some time to withdraw 
 from our worldly affairs, and wholly to set ourselves to this 
 business of preparation ; one very special part of which pre- 
 paration lies in raising up our souls to a devout and heavenly 
 temper. And to that it is most necessary that we cast off 
 all thoughts of the world, for they will be sure, as so many 
 clogs, to hinder our souls hi their mounting towards heaven. 
 A special exercise of this devotion is Prayer, wherein we 
 
SUNDAY III] OF THE LORd's SUPrER. 87 
 
 must be very frequent and earnest at our coming to the Sa- 
 crament, this being one great instrument wherein we must 
 obtain all those other graces required in our preparation. 
 Therefore, be sure this be not omitted : for if you use never 
 so much endeavour besides, and leave out this, it is the going 
 to work in your own strength, without looking to God for 
 his help, and then it impossible you should prosper in it : 
 For we are not able of ourselves to think any thing as of 
 ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God, 2 Cor. iii. 5. — 
 Therefore, be instant with him so to assist you with his 
 grace, that you may come so fitted to this Holy Table, that 
 you may be partakers of the benefits there reached out to all 
 worthy receivers. 
 
 20. These and all other spiritual graces our souls must be 
 clothed with when we come to this feast, 
 
 for this is that weddinsf-ffarment without 
 
 , . , , • Ti ^ I, THESE GRACES. 
 
 which, whosoever comes, is like to have 
 the entertainment mentioned in the parable of him who 
 came to the marriage without a wedding garment, Matt. 
 xxii. 13, who was cast into utter darkness, where is weep- 
 ing and gnashing of teeth ^ for, though it is possible, he 
 may sit it out at the present, and not be snatched from the 
 table, yet St. Paul assures him, he drinks damnation to him- 
 self, and how soon it may fall on him is uncertain : but it is 
 sure it will, if repentance prevent it not, and as sure, that 
 whenever it does come, it will be intolerable: for who 
 among us can dwell with everlasting burnings? Isaiah 
 xxxiii. 14. 
 
 21. I shall add but one thing more concerning the things 
 which are to be done before the Sacrament, 
 
 A a ^ ■ A • *\ ^ -c THE USEFULNESS 
 
 and that is an advice, that it any person 
 
 f u- ^c ^ OF A spiritual 
 
 upon a serious view oi himseli cannot sa- 
 tisfy his own soul of his sincerity, and so 
 doubts whether he may come to the Sacrament, he do not 
 rest wholly on his own judgment in the case ; for if he be a 
 truly humbled soul, it is likely he may judge too hardly of 
 himself; if he be not, it is odds, but if he be left to the 
 satisfying his own doubts, he will quickly bring himself to 
 pass too favourable a sentence. Or whether he be the one 
 or the other, if he comes to the Sacrament in that doubt, he 
 certainly plunges himself into farther doubts and scruples, 
 if not into sin ; on the other side, if he forbear because of 
 it, if that fear be a causeless one, then he groundlessly ab- 
 
88 OF THE lord's SUPPER. [sUNDAY in. 
 
 sents himself from that Holy Ordinance, and so deprives his 
 soul of the benefits of it. Therefore, in the midst of so 
 many dangers which attend the mistake of himself, I would, 
 as I said before, exhort him not to trust to his judgment, but 
 to make known his case to some discreet and godly minister, 
 and rather be guided by his, who will probably (if the case 
 be duly and without any disguise discovered to him) be bet- 
 ter able to judge of him than he of himself. This is the 
 counsel the Church gives in the Exhortation before tlie Com- 
 munion, where it is advised, that if any, by other means 
 there forementioned, cannot quiet his own conscience, but 
 require farther counsel and comfort, then let him go to 
 some discreet and learned minister of God's word, and 
 open his grief, that he may receive such ghostly counsel, 
 advice, and comfort, that his conscience may be relieved, 
 &c. This is surely such advice as should not be neglected, 
 neither at the time of coming to the Sacrament, nor any 
 other, when we are under any fear or reasons of doubt con- 
 cerning the state of our souls. And for want of this, many 
 have run into very great mischief, having let the doubt fester 
 so long, that it hath either plunged them into deep distresses 
 of conscience, or, which is worse, they have to still that dis- 
 quiet within them, betaken themselves to all sinful pleasures, 
 and so quite cast off all care of their souls. 
 
 22. But to all this, it will perhaps be said, that this cannot 
 be done without discoverino^ the nakedness 
 and blemishes of the soul, and there is 
 shame in that; and, therefore, men are un- 
 
 COVER OURSELVES •„• , t •' tj 4. ^ ^i, ^ t ^1 ^ 
 
 willmg to do It. But to that 1 answer, that 
 it is very unreasonable that should be a 
 hindrance ; for, first, I suppose you are to choose only such 
 a person as will faithfully keep any secret you shall commit 
 to him, and so it can be no public shame you can fear. And 
 if it be in respect of that single person, you need not fear 
 that neither ; for supposing him a godly man, he will not think 
 the worse of you, but the better, that you are so desirous to 
 set all right between God and your soul. But if indeed 
 there were shame in it, yet as long as it may be a means to 
 cure both your trouble and your sin too^ (as certainly godly 
 and faithful counsel may tend much to both) that shame 
 ought to be despised, and it is sure it would, if we loved our 
 souls as well as our bodies : for in bodily diseases, be they 
 never so foul or shameful, we count him a fool who will 
 
SUNDAY III.] OF THE LORD's SUPPER. 89 
 
 rather miss the cure than discover it ; and then it must here 
 be so much a greater folly, by how much the soul is more 
 precious than the body. 
 
 23. But God knows it is not only doubtful persons to 
 whom this advice mi^ht be useful ; there 
 
 ^1 r xi, X 1, /; AS NECESSARY TO 
 
 are others oi another sort, whose confi- 
 
 j • .1 • J- 1 THE CONFIDENT 
 
 dence is their disease, who presume very 
 ffroundlessly of the goodness of their es- 
 
 f * , V .1, * 4. I. DOUBTFUL. 
 
 tates : and for those it were most happy, 
 if they could be brought to hear some more equal judgments 
 than their own in this so weighty a business. The truth is, 
 we are generally so apt to favour ourselves, that it might be 
 very useful for the most, especially the more ignorant sort, 
 sometimes to advise with a spiritual guide ; to enable them 
 to pass right judgments on themselves ; and not only so, but 
 to receive directions how to subdue and mortify those sins 
 they are most inclined to, which is a matter of so much 
 difficulty, that we have no reason to despise any means that 
 may help us in it. 
 
 24. I have now gone through those several parts of duty 
 we are to perform before our receiving ; 
 
 • *u .1 T ^ 4 11 u * • AT THE TIME OF 
 
 in the next place, 1 am to tell you, what is 
 
 * u J ^ .\, \- c • ■ ixru RECEIVING. 
 
 to be done at the time oi receiving. VV hen 
 thou art at the Holy Table, first humble 
 
 *T, ir • ^11 ^ A ^ MEDITATION OF 
 
 thyself m an unfeigned acknowledgment 
 
 /,, . .u- . u A .. 1 THY UNWORTHI- 
 
 01 thy great un worthiness to be admitted 
 
 there ; and to that purpose remember again, 
 
 between God and thine own soul, some of thy greatest and 
 
 foulest sins, thy breaches of former vows made at that table, 
 
 especially since thy last receiving. Then meditate on those 
 
 bitter Sufferings of Christ, which are set 
 
 • *u c 4. 1, *V, THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 out to US in the feacrament: when thou 
 seest the bread broken, remember how his 
 blessed body was torn with nails upon the Cross ; when 
 thou seest the wine poured out, remember how his precious 
 Blood was spilt there ; and then consider, it was thy sins 
 that caused both. And here think how unworthy a wretch 
 thou art to have done that which occasioned such torments 
 to Him; how much worse than his very crucifiers. They 
 crucified him once, but thou hast, as much as in thee lay, 
 crucified him daily. They crucified him because they knew 
 him not, but thou hast known both what he is in himself, 
 the Lord of Glory , and what he is to thee, a most tender 
 
 8* 
 
90 OF THE lord's SUPPER. [sUNDAY III. 
 
 and merciful Saviour, and yet thou hast still continued thus 
 to crucify him afresh. Consider this, and let it work in 
 thee, first a great sorrow for thy sins past, and then a great 
 hatred and a firm resolution against them for the time to 
 come. 
 
 25. When thou hast awhile thus thought on these sufferings 
 
 of Christ for the increasing thy humility 
 THE ATONEMENT ^^^ coutritiou ; then in the second place 
 
 WROUGHT BY ^j^-^^j^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^-^^ ^^ g^.^. ^^ ^j^^ p^-^j^ . 
 
 V ' look on him as the Sacrifice offered up for 
 
 thy sins, for the appeasing of God's wrath, and procuring 
 his favour and mercies toward thee. And, therefore, believ- 
 ingly, yet humbly beg of God to accept of that satisfaction 
 made by his innocent and beloved Son, and for the merits 
 thereof to pardon thee whatever is past, and to bo fully recon- 
 ciled to thee. 
 
 26. In the third place consider them again to raise thy 
 
 thankfulness. Think how much both of 
 shame and pain he there endured, but 
 
 NESS OWING • 11 xi ♦ c U- Cf 1 
 
 especially those ffreat agonies oi his Soul ; 
 
 which drew from him that bitter cry, My 
 God, my God, ivhy hast thou forsaken nie? Matt, xxvii. 
 46. Now all this he suffered only to keep thee from perish- 
 ing. And, therefore, consider what unexpressible thanks 
 thou owest him ; and endeavour to raise thy Soul to the most 
 zealous and hearty thanksgiving ; for this is a principal part 
 of duty at this time, the praising and magnifying that mercy 
 which hath redeemed us by so dear a price. Therefore, it 
 will here well become thee to say with David, / ivill take 
 the Cup of Salvation, and will call upon the Name of the 
 Lord. 
 
 27. Fourthly, look on these sufferings of Christ to stir up 
 
 this love ; and surely there cannot be a 
 
 THE GREAT LOVE a- \ ^ c i ■ -^ r i 
 
 more eliectual means oi doing it ; for here 
 the love of Christ to thee is most manifest, 
 according to that of the Apostle, 1 John iii. 
 16,' Hereby perceive we the love of God towards us, because 
 he laid dozen his life for us. And that even the highest de- 
 gree of love; for, as himself tells us, John xv. 13, Greater 
 love than this hath no man, than that a man lay down his 
 life for his friend. Yet even greater love than this had he; 
 for he not only died, but died the most painful and most 
 reproachful death, and that not for his friends, but for his 
 
SUNDAY III.] OF THE LORd's SUPPER. 91 
 
 Utter enemies. And, therefore, if after all this love on his 
 part there be no return of love on ours, we are worse than 
 the vilest sort of men, for even the publicans. Matt. v. 
 46, love those that love them. Here, therefore, chide and 
 reproach thyself that thy love to him is so faint and cool, 
 when his to thee was so zealous and affectionate. And 
 endeavour to enkindle this holy flame in thy Soul, to love 
 him in such a degree, that thou mayest be ready to copy out 
 his example, to part with all things, yea, even life itself 
 whenever he calls for it, that is, whensoever thy obedience to 
 any command of his shall lay thee open to those sufferings. 
 But in the mean time to resolve never again to make any 
 league with his enemies, to entertain or harbour any sin in 
 thy breast. But if there have any such hitherto remained 
 with thee, make this the season to kill and crucify it; offer 
 it up at this instant, a sacrifice to him who was sacrificed for 
 thee, and particularly for that very end, that he 7night redeem 
 thee from all iniquity. Therefore, here make thy solemn 
 resolutions to forsake every sin, particularly those into which 
 thou hast most frequently fallen. And that thou mayest 
 indeed perform those resolutions, earnestly beg of this cru- 
 cified Saviour that he will, by the power of his death, mortify 
 and kill all thy corruptions. 
 
 28. When thou art about to receive the Consecrated 
 Bread and Wine, remember that God now 
 
 /r X 1 . Ir, xi 4 T\T r^ * THE BENEFITS OF 
 
 offers to seal to thee that JNew Covenant 
 made with mankind in his Son. For since 
 he gives that his Son in the Sacrament, 
 he gives with him all the benefits of that 
 Covenant, to wit, pardon of sins, sanctifying grace, and a 
 title to an eternal inheritance. And here be astonished at 
 the infinite goodness of God, who reaches out to thee so 
 precious a treasure. But then remember that this is all but 
 on condition that thou perform thy part of the Covenant. 
 And therefore settle in thy soul the most serious purpose of 
 obedience, and then with all possible devotion join with the 
 minister in that short, but excellent prayer, used at the in- 
 stant of giving the Sacrament, The body of our Lord, ^c. 
 
 29. So soon as thou hast received, offer up thy devoutest 
 praises for that great mercy, together with 
 
 f, ^ ° c u ■ * UPON RECEIVING 
 
 ihy most earnest prayers tor such assist- 
 
 GIVE THANKS 
 
 ance of God's Spirit as may enable thee to 
 
93 OF THE lord's SUPPER. [sUNDAY IH. 
 
 perform the vow thou hast now made. Then remembering 
 that Christ is a propitiation not for our 
 sins only, bid also for the sins of the whole 
 world; let thy charily reach as far as his hath done, and 
 pray for all mankind that every one may receive the benefit 
 of that Sacrifice of his ; commend also to God the estate of 
 the Church, that particularly whereof thou art a member. 
 And forget not to pray for all to whom thou owest obedience, 
 both in Church and State ; and so go on to pray for such 
 particular persons as either thy relations or their wants shall 
 present to thee. If there be any collection for the poor (as 
 there always ought to be at this time) give freely according 
 to thy ability ; or if by the default of others, there be no such 
 collection, yet do thou privately design something towards 
 the relief of thy poor brethren, and be sure to give it, the 
 next fitting opportunity that offers itself. All this thou 
 must contrive to do in the time that others are receiving, that 
 so when the public prayers after the administration begin, 
 thou mayest be ready to join in them, which thou must like- 
 wise take care to do with all devotion; thus much for be- 
 haviour at the time of receiving. 
 
 30. Now follows the third and last thing, that is, what 
 
 thou art to do after thy Receiving. That 
 
 AFTER THE SA- i • i • • j • . i / u J • 
 
 which IS immediately to be done is, as soon 
 
 CRAMENT. . , ,■ A {■ ^x, *• 
 
 as thou art retired Irom the congregation, 
 
 to oflfer up again to God thy Sacrifice of Praise for all those 
 
 precious mercies conveyed to thee in that 
 
 PRIVATE PRAYER fio * ^ x. M ^ ** 
 
 holy Sacrament, as also humbly to entreat 
 
 AND THANKSGIV- ,, "^ . , ' . , ^ , / 
 
 the continued assistance oi his grace to 
 enable thee to make good all those purposes 
 of obedience thou hast now made. And in whatsoever thou 
 knowest thyself most in danger, either in respect of any for- 
 mer habit, or natural inclination, there especially desire and 
 earnestly beg his aid. 
 
 31. When thou hast done thus, do not presently let thy- 
 
 self loose to thy worldly cares and business. 
 But spend all that day either in meditating, 
 
 TO FALL TO .^ ,. Ac *u 
 
 , praying, reading, good conferences, or the 
 like ; so as may best keep up that holy flame 
 which is enkindled in our heart. After- 
 wards, when thy calling requires thee to fall to thy usual 
 aflairs, do it ; but yet stiU remember that thou hast a greater 
 
SUNDAY m.] OF THE LORD's SUPPER. 9$ 
 
 business than that upon thy hands ; that is, the performing 
 of all those promises thou so lately madest to God: and 
 therefore, whatever thy outward emplo)^- 
 
 1 X .1, 1 /i i *i * 1 TO KEEP THY RE- 
 
 ments are, let thy heart be set on that, keep 
 
 „ ,, .• 1 f .1, 1 ^- • SOLUTIONS STILL 
 
 all the particulars of thy resolutions in 
 
 J 1 A XX X J IN MEMORY. 
 
 memory, and, whenever thou art tempted 
 to any of thy old sins, then consider, this is the thing thou 
 so solemnly vowedst against ; and withal remember, what a 
 horrible oruilt it will be, if thou shouldst 
 
 •ir n 1 .u- X X xi X THE DANGER OF 
 
 now wiltully do any thinff contrary to that 
 
 A 1, / V, ui • 1- r 1 BREAKING THEM. 
 
 VOW ; yea, and what a horrible mischiei also 
 it will be to thyself. For at thy receiving, God and thou 
 entered into Covenant, into a league of friendship and kind- 
 ness. And as long as thou keepest in that friendship with 
 God, thou art safe, all the malice of men or devils can do 
 thee no harm; for as the Apostle saith, Rom. viii. 31, TjT 
 God be for us, ivho can he against us ? 
 but if thou breakest this league (as thou 
 certainly dost, if thou yieldest to any wilful 
 sin) then God and thou are enemies, and if all the world 
 then were for thee, it could not avail thee. 
 
 32. Nay, thou wilt get an enemy within thine own bosom, 
 thy conscience accusing and upbraiding 
 
 thee ; and when God and thine own con- 
 
 • xu • X xl .1, i. SCIENCE. 
 
 science are thus against thee, thou canst 
 not but be extremely miserable even in this life, besides that 
 fearful expectation of wrath which awaits thee in the next. 
 Remember all this when thou art set upon by any tempta- 
 tion ; and then sure thou canst not but look upon that tempta- 
 tion as a cheat that comes to rob thee of thy peace, thy God, 
 thy very soul ; and then sure it will appear as unfit to entertain 
 it, as thou wouldst think it to harbour one in thy house who 
 thou knowest came to rob thee of what is dearest to thee. 
 
 33. And let not any experience of God's mercy in par- 
 doning thee heretofore, encourage thee , 
 
 • X TV f u J .1. X •* GOD S FORMER 
 
 again to provoke him : tor, besides that it 
 
 .°, if, 1 rij J PARDONS NO EN- 
 
 IS the highest degree oi wickedness and 
 
 xu 1 f 1 X 1 xT, X J e COURAGEMENT 
 
 unthanktulness, to make that goodness oj 
 
 his ivhich should lead thee to repentance 
 
 an encouragement in thy sin ; besides this, I say, the oftener 
 
 thou hast been pardoned, the less reason thou hast to expect 
 
 it again, because thy sin is so much the greater for having 
 
 been committed against so much mercy. If a king have 
 
94 OF THE lord's supper. [SUNDAY III. 
 
 several times pardoned an offender, yet if he still return to 
 commission of the same fault, the king will at last be forced, 
 if he have any love to justice, to give him up to it. Now, 
 so is it here : God is as well just as merciful, and his jus- 
 tice will at last surely and heavily avenge the abuse of his 
 mercy ; and there cannot be a greater abuse of his mercy, 
 than to sin in hope of it : so that it will prove a miserable 
 deceiving of thyself thus to presume upon it. 
 
 34. Now this care of making good thy Vow must not 
 
 abide with thee some few days only, and 
 
 THE OBLIGATION ^, , ^ j u ^ •* . .• 
 
 then be cast aside, but it must continue 
 with thee all thy days. For if thou break 
 thy Vow, it matters not, whether sooner or 
 later. Nay, perhaps the guilt may in some respects be 
 more, if it be late ; for if thou hast for a good while gone on 
 in the observance of it, that shows the thing is possible to 
 thee ; and so thy after-breaches are not of infirmity, because 
 thou canst not avoid them, but of perverseness, because thou 
 wilt not. Besides, the use of Christian walking must needs 
 make it more easy to thee. For, indeed, all the difficulty 
 of it is but from the custom of the contrary ; and, there- 
 fore, if after some acquaintance with it, when thou hast 
 overcome somewhat of the hardness, thou shalt then give it 
 over, it will be most inexcusable. Therefore, be careful all 
 the days of thy life to keep such a watch over thyself, and so 
 to avoid all occasions of temptations, as may preserve thee 
 from all wilful breaches of this vow. 
 
 35. But though the obligation of every such single vow 
 
 reach to the utmost day of our lives, yet 
 
 YET OFTEN TO c. 4- -^ ^i, * • 
 
 are we oiten to renew it, that is, Ave are 
 
 BE RENEWED. c, x • *v, tt i o . r 
 
 oiten to receive the Holy Sacrament; for 
 that being the means of conveying to us so great and un- 
 valuable benefits, and it being also a command of Christ, that 
 we should do this in remembrance of him, we are in respect 
 both of reason and duty to omit no fit opportunity of par- 
 taking of that Holy Table. I have now showed you what 
 that reverence is which we are to pay to God in his Sacra- 
 ment. 
 
SUNDAY IV. 
 
 Honour due to God's Name: Sins against it; Blasphemy; Swearing; 
 of Assertory, Promissory, Unlawful Oaths ; of Perjury, vain Oaths, 
 and the Sins of them, &c. 
 
 The last thing wherein we are to express our reverence 
 to him, is the honouring of his Name. — ^^^^^^..^ ^„^ ^^ 
 Now what this honourino; of his Name is, 
 
 we shall best understand by considering 
 
 what are the things by which it is dishonoured, the avoiding 
 
 of which will be our way of honouring it. 
 
 The first is, all Blasphemies, or speaking any evil thing 
 of God, the highest degree whereof is 
 
 ,. -r J . 1 u SINS AGAINST IT. 
 
 cursmg hun ; or it we do not speak it 
 
 with our mouths, yet if we do it in our hearts by thinking 
 
 any unworthy thing of him, it is looked 
 
 u /-« J u .1, 1 \ .1 -1 i. BLASPHEMY. 
 
 on by God, who sees the heart, as the vilest 
 dishonour. But there is also a blasphemy of the actions, 
 that is, when men who profess to be the servants of God 
 live so wickedly that they bring up an evil report of him 
 whom they own as their Master and Lord. This Blasphemy 
 the Apostle takes notice of, Rom. ii. 24, where he tells those 
 who profess to be observers of the law, that by their wicked 
 actions, the Name of God was blasphemed among the Gen- 
 files. Those Gentiles were moved to think ill of God, as 
 the favourer of sin, when they saw those, who called them- 
 selves his servants, commit it. 
 
 A second way of dishonouring God's Name is by swear- 
 ing, and that is of two sorts, either by false 
 Oaths, or else by rash and light ones. A 
 false Oath may also be of two kinds, as first, that by which 
 I affirm somewhat, or secondly, that by which I promise. 
 The first is, when I say such or such a 
 thing was done so or so, and confirm this 
 
 OATHS 
 
 saying of mine with an Oath ; if then I 
 know there be not perfect truth in Avhat I say, this is a flat 
 perjury, a downright being foresworn : nay, if I swear to the 
 truth of that whereof I am only doubtful, though the thing 
 should happen to be true, yet it brings upon me the guilt of 
 
 05 
 
96 OF OATHS. [SUNDAY IV. 
 
 perjury ; for I swear at a venture, and the thing might, for 
 ought I know, be as well false as true ; whereas, I ought 
 never to swear any thing, the truth of which I do not cer- 
 tainly know. 
 
 2. But besides this sort of Oaths by which I affirm any 
 
 thing, there is the other sort, that by which 
 PROMISSORY. J pj.Qj^isg somewhat. And that promise 
 may be either to God or man. When it is to God, we call 
 it a Vow, of which I have already spoken, under the heads 
 of the Sacraments. I shall now only speak of that to man, 
 and this may become a false oath, either at or after the time 
 of taking it. At the time of taking, it is false, if either I 
 have then no real purpose of making it good, or else take it 
 in a sense different from that which I know he to whom I 
 make the promise understands it ; for the use of Oaths, 
 being to assure the persons to whom they are made, they 
 must be taken in their sense. But if I were never so sin- 
 cere at the taking the Oath, if afterwards I do not perform 
 it, I am certainly perjured. 
 
 3. The nature of an Oath being then thus binding, it 
 
 nearly concerns us to look that the matter 
 UNLAWFUL ^^ ^^^^ Q^^^^g ^g j^^^^^j ^^^ ^lgg ^g ^^^ 
 
 ourselves into a woful snare. For exam- 
 ple, suppose I swear to kill a man, if I perform my Oath, I 
 am guilty of murder ; if I break it, of perjury. And so I 
 am under the necessity of sinning one way or other ; but 
 there is nothing puts us under a greater degree of this un- 
 happy necessity, than when we swear two Oaths, whereof 
 the one is directly cross and contradictory to the other. For 
 if I swear to give a man my whole estate, and afterwards 
 swear to give all or part of that estate to another, it is cer- 
 tain I must break my Oath to one of them, because it is im- 
 possible to perform it to both, and so I must be under a neces- 
 sity of being foresworn. And into this unhappy strait every 
 man brings himself that takes any Oath which crosses some 
 other which he hath formerly taken ; which should make 
 all, that love either God or their own souls, resolve never 
 thus miserably to entangle themselves by taking one oath 
 cross and thwarting to another. But it may perhaps here be 
 asked, what a person that hath already brought himself into 
 such a condition shall do ; I answer, he must first heartily 
 repent of the great sin of taking the unlawful Oath, and then 
 
SUNDAY IV.] OF OATHS. 97 
 
 Stick only to the lawful, which is all that is in his power 
 towards the repairing his fault, and qualifying him for God's 
 pardon for it. 
 
 4. Having said this concerning the kinds of this sin of 
 Perjury, I shall only add a few words to 
 
 show you how ffreatly God's Name is dis- atly 
 
 honoured by it. In all Oaths, you know, i>ishonoured 
 God is solemnly called to witness the truth ^^ perjury. 
 of that which is spoken ; now if the thing be false, it is the 
 basest affront and dishonour that can possibly be done to 
 God. For it is in reason to signify one of these two things, 
 either that we believe he knows not whether we say true or 
 no (and that is to make him no God, to suppose him to be 
 as deceivable and easy to be deluded as one of our ignorant 
 neighbours,) or else that he is willing to countenance our 
 lies ; the former robs him of that great attribute of his, his 
 knowing all things, and is surely a great dishonouring of him, 
 it being even amongst men accounted one of the greatest 
 disgraces, to account a man fit to have cheats put upo him ; 
 yet even so we deal with God, if we venture to forswear 
 upon a hope that God discerns it not. But the other is yet 
 worse, for the supposing him willing to countenance our lies, 
 is the making him a party in them ; and is not only the 
 making him no God (it being impossible that God should 
 either lie himself, or approve it in another,) but is the making 
 him like the very Devil, for he it is that is a liar, and the 
 father of it, John viii. 44. And surely I need not say 
 more to prove that this is the highest degree of dishonouring 
 God's Name. 
 
 5. But if any yet doubt the heinousness of this sin, let 
 him but consider what God himself says 
 
 of it in the third commandment, where he ^^^' punish- 
 solemnly professes he ivill not hold him ^^^"^^ ^^ ^^^• 
 guiltless that taketh his Name in vain; and sure the add- 
 ing that to this commandment, and none of the rest, is the 
 marking this out for a most heinous guilt. And if you look 
 into Zech. v. you will there find the punishment is answer- 
 able, even to the utter destruction, not only of the man but 
 his house also. Therefore, it concerns all men, as they love 
 either their temporal or eternal welfare, to keep them most 
 strictly from this sin. 
 
 But besides this of forswearing, I told you there was an- 
 other sort of Oaths by which God's Name is dishonoured : 
 
 9 
 
98 OF OATHS. [SUNDAY IV. 
 
 those are the vain and light Oaths, such as 
 VAIN OATHS. ^^^ g^ usual in our common discourse, and 
 are expressly forbidden by Christ, Matt. v. 34. But 1 say 
 unto you, Sivear not at all, neither by Heaven, for it is 
 GocPs throne, nor by the Earth, for it is his footstool: where 
 you see we are not allowed to swear even by mere creatures, 
 because of the relation they have to God. How great a 
 wickedness is it then to profane his holy name by rash and 
 vain Oaths ! This is a sin that is (by I know not what 
 charm of Satan's) grown into a fashion among us ; and now 
 its being so draws daily more men into it. But it is to be 
 remembered that when we shall appear before God's Judg- 
 ment-seat, to answer for those profanations of his Name, it 
 will be no excuse to say, it was the fashion to do so ; it will 
 rather be an increase of our guilt, that we have by our own 
 practice helped to confirm that wicked custom, which we 
 ought to have beat down and discountenanced. 
 
 6. And sure, whatever this profane age thinks of it, this 
 
 is a sin of a very hidi nature. For be- 
 sides that it is a direct breach of the precept 
 them. ^^ Christ, it shows first, a very mean and 
 
 low esteem of God : every oath we swear is the appealing 
 to God to judge the truth of what we speak : and, therefore, 
 being of such greatness and majesty, requires that the mat- 
 ter concerning which we thus appeal to him should be of 
 great weight and moment, somewhat wherein either his owui 
 glory or some considerable good of man is concerned. But 
 when we swear in common discourse, it is far otherwise ; 
 and the triflin^est or lightest thing serves for the matter of 
 an oath ; nay, often men swear to such vain and foolish 
 things, as a considering person would be ashamed barely to 
 speak. And is it not a great despising of God to call him 
 solemnly to judge in such childish, such wretched matters 1 
 God is the great King of the world ; now though a king be to 
 be resorted unto in weighty cases, yet sure he would think him- 
 self much despised, if he should be called to judge between 
 boys at their childish games : and God knows many things 
 whereto we frequently swear, are not of greater weight ; and, 
 therefore, are a sign that we do not rightly esteem of God. 
 
 7. Secondly, this common swearing is a sin which leads 
 „„„ directly to the former of forswearing ; for 
 
 THEY LEAD TO i ^i f , ,, n ■ \. .\ A 
 
 he that by the use oi swearmg hath made 
 Oaths so familiar to him, will be likely to 
 
SUNDAY IV.] OF OATHS. 99 
 
 take the dreadfuUest Oath without much consideration. For 
 how shall he that swears hourly, look upon an Oath with 
 any reverence ? And he that doth not, it is his chance, not 
 his care, that is to be thanked, if he keep from Purjury. 
 Nay, farther ; he that swears commonly is not only prepar- 
 ed to forswear when a solemn Oath is tendered him, but in 
 all probability does actually forswear himself often in those 
 suddener Oaths : for supposing them to come from a man 
 ere he is aware (which is the best can be said of them,) 
 what assurance can any man have who swears ere he is 
 aware, that he shall not lie so too 1 And if he doth both to- 
 gether, he must necessarily be forsworn. But he that 
 observes your common swearers will be put past doubt that 
 they are often forsworn ; for they usually swear indifferently 
 to things true or false, doubtful or certain. And I doubt not 
 but if men who are guilty of this sin, would but impartially 
 examine their own practice, their hearts would second me 
 in this observation. 
 
 8. Thirdly, this is a sin to which there is no temptation ; 
 there is nothing either of pleasure or profit 
 
 i u -^ X xi, ' £C ^O TEMPTA- 
 
 ffot by It : most other sms oner us some- 
 
 u ^ u-u Txi, xi, .u u X xu- TION TO THEM. 
 
 what either oi the one or the other, but this 
 is utterly empty of both. So that in this sin the Devil does 
 not play the merchant for our souls, as in others he does ; he 
 doth not so much as cheapen them, but we give them freely 
 into his hands without any thing in exchange. There seems 
 to be but one thing possible for men to hope to gain by it, 
 and that is, to be believed in what they say, when they thus 
 bind it by an oath. But this also they constantly fail of; for 
 there are none so little believed as the common swearers. 
 And good reason, for he that makes no conscience thus to 
 profane God's Name, why shall any man believe he makes 
 any of lying ? Nay, their forwardness to confirm every the 
 slightest thing by an oath, rather gives jealousy that they 
 have some inward guilt of falseness, for which that oath 
 must be the cloak. And thus you see in how little stead it 
 stands them, even to this only purpose for which they can 
 pretend it useful : and to any other advantage it makes not 
 the least claim, and therefore is a sin without temptation, 
 and consequently without excuse ; for it shows the greatest 
 contempt, nay, unkindness to God, when we will provoke 
 him thus, without any thing to tempt us to it. And there- 
 fore though the commonness of this sin hath made it pass 
 
100 OF OATHS. [SUNDAY IV. 
 
 but for a small one, yet it is very far from being so either in 
 itself, or in God's account. 
 
 9. Let all therefore who are not yet fallen into the custom 
 of this sin be most careful never to yield to the least beginnings 
 
 of it ; and for those who are so miserable 
 NECESSITY OF ^^ ^^ ^^ already ensnared in it, let them 
 ABSTAINING immediately, as they tender their souls, get 
 
 FROM THEM. ^^^ ^^ -^^ ^^^ j^^ ^^^ ^^^ p^^^^ ^^^ ^,^^^_ 
 
 ness of leaving an old custom, as an excuse for his continu- 
 ing in it, but rather the longer he hath been in it, so much 
 the more haste let him make out of it, as thinking it too 
 much that he hath so long gone on in so great a sin. And 
 if the length of the custom have increased the difficulty of 
 leaving it, that is in aU reason to make him set immediately 
 to the casting it off, lest that difficulty at last grow to an im- 
 possibility ; and the harder he finds it at the present, so much 
 the more diligent and watchful he must be 
 
 MEANS FOR IT. ■ ^, c u ^i. \.u 
 
 m the use ot ail those means, which may 
 tend to the overcoming that sinful habit. Some few of those 
 means it will not be amiss here to mention. 
 
 10. First, let him possess his mind fully of the heinous- 
 
 ness of the sin, and not to measure it only 
 
 SENSE OF THE j. ^ V ^ f xu i/ 
 
 accordmg to the common rate ot the world. 
 And when he is fully persuaded of the 
 guilt, then let him add to that, the considera- 
 tion of the danger, as that it puts him out of God's favour at 
 the present, and will, if he continue in it, cast him into hell 
 for ever. And sure if this were but thoroughly laid to heart, 
 it would restrain this sin. For I would ask a man, that 
 pretends impossibility of leaving the custom, whether if he 
 were sure he should be hanged the next oath he swore, the 
 fear of it would not keep him from swearing ? I can scarce 
 believe any man in his wits so little master of himself, but it 
 would. And then surely damning is so much worse than 
 hanging, that in all reason the fear of that ought to be a much 
 greater restraint. The doubt is, men do either not heartily 
 believe that this sin will damn them, or, if they do, they look 
 on it as a thing a great way off, and so are not much moved 
 with it ; but both these are very unreasonable. For the first, 
 it is certain, that every one that continues wilfully in any sin 
 is so long in a state of damnation, and therefore this being 
 so continued in must certainly put a man in that condition. 
 For the second, it is very possible he may be deceived in 
 
SUNDAY IV.] OF OATHS. 101 
 
 thinking it so far off, for how knows any man that he shall 
 not be struck dead with an oath in his mouth ? Or if he were 
 sure not to be so, yet eternal damnation is surely to be 
 dreaded above all things, be it at what distance soever. 
 
 11. A second means is to be exactly true in all thou 
 speakest ; that all men may believe thee on 
 
 thy bare word, and then thou wilt never 
 have occasion to confirm it by an oath, to a i . 
 
 make it more credible, which is the only colour or reason 
 can at any time be pretended for swearing. 
 
 12. Thirdly, observe what it is that most betrays thee to 
 this sin, whether drink, or anger, or the 
 
 company and example of others, or what- 
 ever else ; and then, if ever thou mean to 
 forsake this sin, forsake those occasions of it. 
 
 13. Fourthly, endeavour to possess thy heart with a con- 
 tinual reverence of God ; and if that once 
 
 - . , • , ,1 -, 1, • 1 REVERENCE OF 
 
 grow into a custom with thee, it will quick- 
 ly turn out that contrary one of profaning. 
 Use and accustom thyself therefore to this reverence of God, 
 and particularly to such a respect to his Name, as, if it be 
 possible, never to mention it without some lifting up of thy 
 heart to him. Even in thy ordinary discourse, whenever 
 thou takest his Name into thy mouth, let it be an occasion 
 of raising up thy thoughts to him, but by no means permit 
 thyself to use it in idle by-words, or the like. If thou dost 
 accustom thyself to pay this reverence to the bare mention 
 of his Name, it will be an excellent fence against the pro- 
 faning it in oaths. 
 
 14. A fifth means is a diligent and constant watch over 
 thyself, that thou thus offend not with thy 
 
 tongue, without which all the former will watchfulness. 
 come to nothing. And the last means is prayer, which must 
 be added to all thy endeavours ; therefore 
 pray earnestly, that God will enable thee ^^* 
 
 to overcome this wicked custom ; say with the Psalmist, Set 
 a watch, O Lord, over my mouth, and keep the door of 
 m,y lips : and if thou dost sincerely set thyself to the use of 
 means for it, thou mayst be assured God will not be wanting 
 in his assistance. I have been the longer on this, because 
 it is so reigning a sin. God in his mercy give all that are 
 guilty of it, a true sight of the heinousness of it ! 
 9* 
 
102 THE DUTY OF PRAYER. LsUNDAY V. 
 
 15. By these several ways of dishonouring God's Name, 
 
 you may understand what is the duty of 
 
 , honouring it, viz. a strict abstaining from 
 
 every one of these, and that abstinence 
 
 ^ ' founded on an awful respect and reverence 
 
 to that sacred Name, which is Great, Wonderful, and Holy, 
 
 Psalm xcix. 3. I have now passed througli the several 
 
 branches of that great Duty of Honouring of God. 
 
 SUNDAY Y. 
 
 Of Worship due to God's Name, Of Prayer, and its several parts. Of 
 public Prayers in the Church, in the Family. Of private Prayer. 
 Of Repentance, &c. Of Feasting. 
 
 The eighth duty we owe to God is Worship ; this is that 
 great duty by Avhich especially we acknowledge his God- 
 head, worship being proper only to God, 
 and therefore it is to be looked on as a most 
 weighty duty. This is to be performed, first, by our Souls ; 
 secondly, by our Bodies. The Soul' 
 
 prayer, its 
 parts. 
 
 part is Praying. Now prayer is a speaking 
 
 to God, and there are divers parts of it, 
 
 according to the different things about which we speak. 
 
 2. As first, there is Confession ; that is, the acknowledg- 
 
 inor our sins to God. And this may be 
 
 CONFESSION. .^. , .-1 .1 1 • 
 
 either general or particular : the general is, 
 when we only confess in gross that we are sinful ; the par- 
 ticular, when we mention the several sorts and acts of our 
 sins. The former is necessary to be always a part of our 
 solemn prayers, whether public or private. The latter is 
 proper for private prayer, and there the oftener it is used the 
 better ; yea, even in our daily private prayer it will be lit 
 constantly to remember some of our gi-eatest and foulest sins, 
 though never so long since past. For such we should never 
 think sufficiently confessed and bewailed. And this bewail- 
 ing must always go along with confession ; we must be 
 heartily sorry for the sins we confess, and from our sins 
 acknowledge our own great unworthiness in having commit- 
 ted them. For our confession is not intended to instruct 
 God, who knows our sins much better than ourselves do ; 
 
SUNDAY v.] THE DUTY OF PRAYER. 103 
 
 but it is to humble ourselves, and therefore we must not 
 think to have confessed aright till that be done. 
 
 3. The second part of prayer is Petition ; that is, the 
 begging of God whatsoever we want, either 
 for our Souls or Bodies. For our Souls, petitions. 
 we must first beg pardon of sins, and that 
 for the sake of Jesus Christ, who shed his ^' 
 
 blood to obtain it. Then we must also beg the grace and 
 assistance of God's Spirit to enable us to forsake our sins, 
 and to walk in obedience to him. And herein it will be 
 needful particularly to beg all the several virtues, as Faith, 
 Love, Zeal, Purity, Repentance, and the like ; but especially 
 those which thou most wantest : and, therefore, observe 
 what thy wants are ; and if thou beest proud, be most in- 
 stant in praying for humility ; if lustful, for chastity ; and 
 so for all other graces, according as thou findest thy needs. 
 And in all these things that concern thy Soul, be very earnest 
 and importunate ; take no denial from God, nor give over, 
 though thou do not presently obtain what thou suest for. — 
 But if thou hast never so long prayed for a grace, and yet 
 findest it not, do not grow weary of praying, but rather 
 search what the cause may be which makes thy prayer so 
 ineffectual ; see if thou do not thyself hinder them ; perhaps 
 thou prayest to God to enable thee to conquer some sin, and 
 yet never goest about to fight against it, never makest any 
 resistance, but yieldest to it as often as it comes, nay, puttest 
 thyself in its way, in the road of all temptations. If it be 
 thus, no wonder though thy prayers avail not, for thou wilt 
 not let them. Therefore amend this, and set to the doing 
 of thy part sincerely, and then thou needest not fear but God 
 will do his. 
 
 4. Secondly, we are to petition also for our Bodies ; that 
 is, we are to ask of God such necessaries 
 
 of life as are needful to us, while we live bodies. 
 
 here. But these only, in such a degree and measure, as his 
 wisdom sees best for us ; we must not presume to be our own 
 carvers, and pray for all that wealth or greatness which our 
 own vain hearts may perhaps desire, but only for such a 
 condition, in respect of outward things, as he sees may most 
 tend to those great ends of our living here, the glorifying 
 him, and the saving of our own souls. 
 
 5. A third part of prayer is Deprecation ; that is, when 
 
104 THE DUTY OF PRAYER. [sUNDAY V. 
 
 DEPRECATION. 
 
 we pray to God to turn away some evil 
 from us. Now the evil may be either the 
 evil of sin, or the evil of punishment. The 
 OF SIN. ^^.j ^^ g.^ -g ^Yi^^ ^g ^^g especially to pray 
 
 against, most earnestly begging of God, that he will, by the 
 power of his grace, preserve us from falHng into sin. And 
 whatever sins they are, to which thou knowest thyself most 
 inclined, there be particularly earnest with God to preserve 
 thee from them. This is to be done daily, but then more espe- 
 cially, when we are under any present temptation, and in 
 danger of falling into any sin ; in which case, we have rea- 
 son to cry out as St. Peter did when he found himself sink- 
 ing, Save, Lord, or I perish, humbly beseeching him either 
 to withdraw the temptation, or strengthen us to withstand it, 
 neither of which we can do for ourselves. 
 
 6. Secondly, we are likewise to pray against the evil of 
 
 Punishment, but principally against spiritual 
 
 OF PUNISHMENT. ■ -, , f. rr^ A *\. ui, 
 
 punishments, as the anger oi God, the with- 
 drawing of his grace, and eternal damnation. Against these 
 we can never pray with too much earnestness. But we may 
 also pray against temporal punishments, that is, any outward 
 affliction ; but this with submission to God's will, according 
 to the example of Christ, Matt. xxvi. 39. Not-as I will, 
 but as thou wilt. 
 
 7. A fourth part of prayer is Intercession, that is, praying 
 
 for others. This in general we are to do 
 
 INTERCESSION. r ^^ 1 • J 11 . 
 
 lor all mankind, as well strangers as ac- 
 quaintance, but more particularly those to whom we have 
 any especial relation, either public, as our governors, both in 
 church and state, or private, as parents, husbands, wife, chil- 
 dren, friends, &c. We are also to pray for all that are in 
 affliction, and such particular persons as we discern espe- 
 cially to be so : yea, we are to pray for those that have done 
 us injury, those that despitefully use and persecute us, for 
 it is expressly the command of Christ, Matt. v. 44. And 
 that whereof he hath likewise given us the highest example 
 in praying even for his very crucifiers, Luke xxiii. 34. Fa- 
 ther, forgive them. For all these sorts of persons we are 
 to pray, and that for the very same good things we beg of 
 God for ourselves, that God would give them, in their several 
 places and callings, all spiritual and temporal blessings which 
 he sees wanting to them, and turn away from them all evil, 
 whether of sin or punishment. 
 
SUNDAY v.] THE DUTY OF PRAYER. 105 
 
 8. The fifth part of prayer is Thanksgiving; that is, the 
 
 praisinsf and blessing God for all his mer- 
 * cies, whether to our own persons, and those 
 that immediately relate to us, or to the church and nation 
 whereof we are members, or yet more general to all man- 
 kind ; and this for all his ipercies, both spiritual and temporal. 
 In the spiritual, first, for those Avherein we are all in com- 
 mon concerned, as the giving of his Son, the sending of his 
 Spirit, and all those means he hath used to bring sinful men 
 unto himself. Then secondly, for those mercies we have in 
 our own particulars received ; such are the having been born 
 within the pale of the church, and so brought up in Christian 
 religion, by which we have been partakers of those precious 
 advantages of the word and sacraments, and so have had, 
 without any care or pains of ours, the means of eternal life 
 put into our hands. But besides these, there is none of us 
 but have received other spiritual mercies from God. 
 
 9. As first, God's patience and long-suffering, waiting for 
 our repentance, and not cutting us oflf in 
 
 our sins. Secondly, his calls and invi- 
 
 . ,. c * .u / X . ^ MERCIES. 
 
 tations 01 US to that repentance, not only 
 outward, in the ministry of the word, but also inward, by the 
 motions of his Spirit. But then if thou be one that hath 
 by the help of God's grace been wrought upon by these calls, 
 and brought from a profane or worldly, to a Christian course 
 of life, thou art surely in the highest degree tied to magnify 
 arvi praise his goodness, as having received from him the 
 greatest of mercies. 
 
 10. We are likewise to give thanks for temporal blessings, 
 whether such as concern the public, as the 
 
 c ^x. n 1 ^^. 1 11 TEMPORAL. 
 
 prosperity oi the church or nation, and all 
 remarkable deliverances afforded to either ; or else such as 
 concern our particulars, such are all the good things of this 
 life which we enjoy ; as health, friends, food, raiment, and 
 the like : also, for those minutely preservations whereby we 
 are by God's gracious providence kept from danger, and the 
 especial deliverances which God hath given us in the time 
 of greatest perils. It will be impossible to set down the 
 several mercies which every man receives from God, because 
 they differ in kind and degree between one man and another. 
 But it is sure that he which receives least hath yet enough 
 to employ his whole life in praises to God. And it will be 
 very fit for every man to consider the several passages of his 
 
106 THE DUTY OF PRAYER. [sUNDAY V. 
 
 life, and the mercies he hath in each received, and so to 
 gather a kind of hst or catalogue of them, at least the prin- 
 cipal of them, which he may always have in his memory, 
 and often with a thankful heart repeat before God. 
 
 1 1 . These are the several parts of Prayer, and all of them 
 
 to be used both publicly and privately. — 
 
 PUBLIC PRAYERS r^^^ ^^^^j-^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^^ -^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^le 
 
 IN THE CHURCH. Q^urch, whcrc all meet to join in those 
 prayers wherein they are in common concerned. And in 
 this (where the prayers are such as they ought to be) we 
 should be very constant, there being an especial blessing 
 promised to the joint requests of the faithful ; and he that 
 without a necessary cause absents himself from such pubUc 
 prayers, cuts himself off from the church, which hath always 
 been thought so unhappy a thing, that it is the greatest pun- 
 ishment the governors of the church can lay upon the worst 
 offender ; and, therefore, it is a strange madness for men to 
 inflict it upon themselves. 
 
 12. A second sort of public prayer is that in a family, 
 
 where all that are members of it join in 
 IN THE FAMILY. ^^^^-^ commoH suppUcations ; and this also 
 ought to be very carefully attended to, first by the Master of 
 the Family, who is to look that there be such prayers, it 
 being as much his part thus to provide for the souls of his 
 children and servants, as to provide food for their bodies. 
 Therefore there is none, even the meanest householder, but 
 ought to take this care. If either himself or any of his 
 family can read, he may use some prayers out of some good 
 book ; if it be the service book of the church, he makes a 
 good choice : if they cannot read, it will then be necessary 
 they should be taught without book some form of prayer 
 which they may use in the family, for which purpose again 
 some of the prayers of the church will be very fit, as being 
 most easy for their memories, by reason of their shortness, 
 and yet containing a great deal of matter. But what choice 
 soever they make of prayers, let them be sure to have some, 
 and let no man that professes himself a Christian keep so 
 heathenish a family as not to see God be daily worshipped 
 in it. But when the master of a family hath done his duty 
 in this providing, it is the duty of every member of it to 
 make use of that provision, by being constant and diligent at 
 those Family Prayers. 
 
 13. Private or secret Prayer is that which is used by a 
 
SUNDAY v.] THE DUTY OF PRAYER. 107 
 
 man alone, apart from all others, wherein 
 we are to be more particular, according to 
 our particular needs, than in public it is fit RAyer. 
 
 to be. And this of private prayer is a duty which will not 
 be excused by the performance of the other of public. — 
 They are both required, and one must not be taken in ex- 
 change for the other. And whoever is diligent in public 
 prayers, and yet negligent in private, it is much to be feared 
 he rather seeks to approve himself to men than to God ; 
 contrary to the command of our Saviour, Matt. vi. who 
 enjoins this private prayer, this praying to our Father in 
 secret, from whom alone we are to expect our reward, and 
 not from the vain praises of men. 
 
 14. Now this duty of Prayer is to be often performed, by 
 none seldomer than evening and morning, 
 
 it being most necessary that we should thus ^i^equency in 
 begin and end all our works with God, and prayer. 
 
 that not only in respect of the duty we owe him, but also in 
 respect of ourselves, who can never be either prosperous or 
 safe, but by committing ourselves to him ; and, therefore, 
 should tremble to venture on the perils either of day or night 
 without his safeguard. How much oftener this duty is to be 
 performed, must be judged according to the business or leisure 
 men have ; where, by business, I mean not such business as 
 men unprofitably make to themselves, but the necessary 
 business of a man's caUing, which with some will not aiford 
 them much time for set and solemn Prayer. But even these 
 men may often in a day lift up their hearts to God in some 
 short prayers even whilst they are at their work. As for those 
 that have more leisure, they are in all reason to bestow more 
 time upon this duty. And let no man that can find time to 
 bestow upon his vanities, nay, perhaps his sins, say he wants 
 leisure for Prayer, but let him now endeavour to redeem 
 what he hath misspent, by employing more of that leisure 
 in this duty for the future : and surely if 
 we did but rightly weigh how much it is ^^^vantages 
 our own advantage to perform this duty, we 
 should think it wisdom to be as frequent as we are ordinarily 
 seldom in it. 
 
 15. For first, it is a great Honour for us poor worms of 
 the earth to be allowed to speak so freely 
 
 to the Majesty of Heaven. If a king should honour. 
 but vouchsafe to let one of his meanest subjects talk familiary 
 
108 THE DUTY OF PRAYER. [sUNDAY V. 
 
 and freely with him, it would be looked on as a huge honour ; 
 that man how despicable soever he were before, would then 
 be the envy of all his neighbours ; and there is little question 
 he would be willing to take all opportunities of receiving so 
 great a grace. But alas ! this is nothing to the honour is 
 offered us, who are allowed, nay invited, to speak to and 
 converse with the King of Kings, and therefore, how for- 
 ward should we in all reason be to it ! 
 
 16. Secondly, it is a great Benefit, even the greatest that 
 
 can be imagined ; for Prayer is the instru- 
 ment of fetching down all good things to 
 us, whether spiritual or temporal ; no prayer, that is qualified 
 as it ought to be, but is sure to bring a blessing according 
 to that of the wise man, Ecclus. xxxv. 17. The prayer of 
 the humble pierceth the clouds, and will not turn away till 
 the Highest regard it. You would think him a happy man 
 that had once certain means of helping him to whatever he 
 wanted, though it were to cost him much pains and labour ; 
 now this happy man thou mayest be if thou wilt. Prayer 
 is the never-failing means of bringing thee, if not all that 
 thou thinkest thou wantest, yet all that indeed thou dost, 
 that is, all that God sees fit for thee. And therefore be there 
 never so much weariness to thy flesh in the duty, yet, con- 
 sidering in what continual want thou standest of something 
 or other from God, it is madness to let that uneasiness dis- 
 hearten thee, and keep thee from this so sure means of sup- 
 plying thy wants. 
 
 17. But in the third place, this duty is in itself so far 
 
 PLEASANTNESS. ^^^^^ ^^"^^ uncasy, that it is very pleas- 
 ant. God is the fountain of happiness, and 
 at his right haiid are ptleasures for evermore, Psalm xvi. 
 11. And therefore the nearer we draw to him, the happier 
 we must needs be, the very joys of heaven arising from our 
 nearness to God. Now in this life we have no way of 
 drawing so near to him as by this of Prayer, and therefore 
 surely it is that which in itself is apt to afford abundance of 
 delight and pleasure ; if it seem otherwise to us, it is from 
 some distemper of our own hearts, which like a sick palate 
 cannot relish the most pleasant meat. Prayer is a pleasant 
 
 CARNALITY ONE ^"^^^^ ^^^ '^ ^^ ^'^^^^ ^ Spiritual ouc ; and 
 x,x, . c^^. ^ therefore if thy heart be carnal, if that be 
 
 REASON OF ITS ^ . 1 /■, , , ' p ,, 
 
 set either on the contrary pleasures of the 
 
 SEEMING OTHER- n i -i r .u a ^ .x. 
 
 flesh, or dross oi the word ; no marvel then, 
 if thou taste no pleasantness in it, if, like 
 
SUNDAY v.] THE DUTY OF PRAYER. 109 
 
 the Israelites, thou despise manna, while thou longest after 
 the flesh-pots of Egypt. Therefore, if thou find a weariness 
 in this duty, suspect thyself, purge and refine thy heart from 
 the love of all sin, and endeavour to put it into a heavenly 
 and spiritual frame, and then thou wilt find this no unpleas- 
 ant exercise, but full of delight and satisfaction. In the 
 mean time, complain not of the hardness of the duty, but of 
 the untowardness of thy own heart. 
 
 18. But there may also be another reason of its seeming 
 unpleasant to us, and that is want of use. 
 
 You know there are many things, which 
 
 seem uneasy at the first trial, which yet 
 
 after we are accustomed to them seem very delightful ; and 
 
 if this be thy case, then thou knowest a ready cure, viz. to 
 
 use it oftener, and so this consideration naturally enforces 
 
 the exhortation, of being frequent in this duty. 
 
 19. But we are not only to consider how often, but how 
 well we perform it. Now, to do it well, 
 
 / . r . ,1 ♦x f TO ASK NOTHING 
 
 we are to respect, first, the matter oi our 
 
 Prayers, to look that we ask nothing that 
 
 is unlawful, as revenge upon our enemies, or the like. 
 
 Secondly, the manner : and that must be 
 
 first in Faith ; we must believe, that if we 
 
 Faith 
 ask as we ought, God will either give us 
 
 the thing we ask for, or else somethino- which he sees better 
 
 for us : and then secondly in Humility ; we 
 
 1 1 J -^ , ^^1 IN HUMILITY. 
 
 must acknowledge ourselves utterly un- 
 worthy of any of those good things we beg for, and there- 
 fore sue for them only for Christ's sake ; 
 Thirdly, with Attention ; we must mind 
 
 TION 
 
 what we are about, and not suffer ourselves 
 to be carried away to the thought of other things. I told 
 you at the first, that Prayer was the business of the Soul ; 
 but if our minds be wandering, it is the work only of the 
 tongue and lips, which make it in God's account no better 
 than vain babbling, and so will never bring a blessing on us. 
 Nay, as Jacob said to his mother, Gen. xxvii. 12, it will be 
 more likely to bring a curse on us than a blessing, for it is 
 a profaning one of the most solemn parts of God's service, 
 it is a piece of hypocrisy, the drawing near to him with 
 our lips, when our hearts are far from him, and a great 
 slighting and despising that dreadful Majesty we come be-^ 
 fore ; and as to ourselves, it is a most ridiculous folly, that 
 
 10 
 
OF GOD S 
 MAJESTY. 
 
 110 THE Duty of prayer. Lsunday v. 
 
 we who come to God upon such weighty eiTands, as are all 
 the concernments of our souls and bodies, should in the 
 midst forget our business, and pursue every the lightest thing 
 that either our own vain fancies or the Devil, whose business 
 it is here to hinder us, can offer to us. It is just as if a 
 malefactor, that comes to sue for his life to the king, should 
 in the midst of his supplications happen to espy a butterfly, 
 and then should leave his suit, and run a chase after that 
 butterfly : would you not think it a pity a pardon should be cast 
 away upon so wretchless a creature ? And sure it will be as un- 
 reasonable to expect that God should attend and grant those 
 suits of ours, which we do not at all consider ourselves. 
 
 20. This wandering in Prayer is a thing we are much 
 
 concerned to arm ourselves against, it being 
 
 HELPS against ^^^^ ^^ ^^-^^^ ^^^ ^^^ naturally wonderfully 
 
 WANDERING. ^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^ -^ ^^.^^ ^^ ncccssary 
 
 first to possess our hearts, at our coming to praye;-s, with the 
 greatness of that Majesty we are to ap- 
 
 CONSIDERATION ^ i,*i.* A A ^ u ■ 
 
 proach, that so we may dread to be vam 
 and trifling in his presence. Secondly, 
 we are to consider the great concernment 
 
 of the things we are to ask, some whereof are such that if 
 we should not be heard, we were of all 
 creatures the most miserable ; and yet this 
 
 wandering is the way to keep us from being heard. Thirdly, 
 Ave are to beor God's aid in this particular : 
 
 PRAYER FOR , ^, ex. ^i, ,^ ^ . 
 
 , and therefore when thou settest to prayer, 
 
 let thy first petition be for this grace of 
 Attention. 
 
 21. Lastly, be as watchful as is possible over thy heart in 
 WATCHFULNESS ^'"^^ ^^ prayer, to keep out all wandering 
 
 thoughts ; or, if any have gotten in, let them 
 not find entertainment, but as soon as ever thou discernest them, 
 suffer them not to abide one moment, but cast them out with 
 indignation, and beg God's pardon for them. And if thou 
 dost thus sincerely and diligently strive against tliem, either 
 God will enable thee in some measure to overcome, or he 
 will in his mercy pardon thee what thou canst not prevent. 
 But if it be through thy own negligence, thou art to expect 
 neither, so long as that negligence continues. 
 
 22. In the fourth place, we must look our prayers be with 
 
 Zeal and Earnestness ; it is not enough 
 that we so far attend them as barely to 
 
SUNDAY v.] THE DUTY OF PRAYER. HI 
 
 know what it is we say ; but we must put forth all the affec- 
 tion and devotion of our souls, and that according to the 
 several parts of prayer before mentioned. It is not the cold, 
 faint request that will ever obtain from God ; we see it will 
 not from ourselves ; for if a beggar should ask relief from us, 
 and do it in such a scornful manner that he seemed indiffer- 
 ent Avhether he had it or no, we should think he had either 
 little want, or great pride ; and so have no heart to give him. 
 Now, surely the things we ask from God are so much above 
 the rate of an ordinary alms, that we can never expect they 
 should be given to slight and heartless petitions. No more 
 in like manner will our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving 
 ever be accepted by him, if it be not offered from a heart 
 truly affected with the sense of his mercies ; it is but a kind 
 of formal complimenting which will never be approved by 
 him who requires the heart, and not the lips only. And the 
 like may be said of all the other parts of prayer. Therefore 
 be careful, when thou drawest nigh to God in prayer, to 
 raise up thy soul to the highest pitch of Zeal and earnestness 
 thou art able. And because of thyself alone thou art not 
 able to do any thing, beseech God that he will inflame thy 
 heart with this heavenly fire of devotion, and when thou 
 hast obtained it, beware that thou neither quench it by any 
 wilful sin, nor let it go out again for want of stirring it up 
 and employing it. 
 
 23. Fifthly, we must pray with- Purity, I mean, we must 
 puro^e our hearts from all affections to sin. 
 
 WTT'TT "PTT'PTT'V 
 
 This is surely the meaning of the apostle, 
 1 Ti3i. ii. 8, when he commands men to lift up holy hands 
 in prayer, and he there instances in one special sort of sin, 
 wrath and doubting ; where by doubting is meant those un- 
 kind disputes and contentions which are so common amongst 
 men. And surely he that cherishes that or any other sin in 
 his heart, can never lift up those holy hands which are re- 
 quired in this duty. And then sure his prayers, be they 
 never so many or earnest, will little avail him. The Psalmist 
 will tell him he shall not be heard. Psalm Ixvi. 18, If I re- 
 gard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. 
 Nay, Solomon will tell him yet worse, that his prayers are 
 not only vain, but abominable, Prov. xv. 8, Tlie sacrifice 
 of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. And thus 
 to have our prayers turned into sin, is one of the heaviest 
 things that can befall any man. We see it is set down in 
 
112 THE DUTY OF PRAYER. [sUNDAY V. 
 
 that sad catalogue of curses, Psalm cix. 7. Therefore let 
 us not be so cruel to ourselves as to pull it upon our own 
 heads, which we certainly do if we offer up prayers from 
 an impure heart. 
 
 24. In the last place, we must direct our prayers to right 
 
 Ends ; and that either in respect of the 
 THE RIGHT pj-^yer itsclf, or the things we pray for ; 
 ENDS. jj^g^^ ^g must pray not to gain the praise 
 
 of devotion amongst men, like those hypocrites, Matt. vi. 
 5, nor yet only for company or fashion sake to do as others 
 do : but we must do it, first, as an act of worship to God ; 
 secondly, as an acknowledgment that he is that great spring 
 from whence alone we expect all good things ; and thirdly, 
 to gain a supply of our own or others' needs. Then in 
 respect of the things prayed for ; we must be sure to have 
 no ill aims upon them ; we must not ask that we may con- 
 sume it upon our lusts, James iv. 3, as those do who pray 
 for wealth, that they may live in riot and excess ; and for 
 power, that they may be able to mischief their enemies, and 
 the like. But our end in all must be God's glory first, and 
 next that, our own and others' salvation ; and all other things 
 must be taken in only as they tend to those ; which they can 
 never do if we abuse them to sin. I have now done with 
 that first part of worship, that of the Soul. 
 
 25. The other is that of the Body, and that is nothing else 
 
 but such humble and reverent gestures in 
 ^ our approaches to God, as may both ex- 
 
 press the inward reverence of our Souls, 
 and may also pay him some tribute for our very Bodies, with 
 which the Apostle commands us to glory God, as well as 
 with our Souls ; and good reason, since he hath created and 
 redeemed the one as well as the other : whensoever, there- 
 fore, thou offerest thy prayers unto God, let it be with all 
 lowliness as well of body as of mind, according to that of 
 the Psalmist, Psa. xcv. 6, O come and let us worship, let 
 us fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker. 
 
 26. The ninth Duty to God is Repentance : that this 
 
 is a duty to God we are taught by the 
 
 repentance. a ^1 a oi u 1 • r 
 
 Apostle, Acts xx. 21, where speakmg oi 
 repentance, he styles it repentance towards G od. And there 
 is good reason this should be a duty to him, since there is 
 no sin we commit but is either mediately or immediately 
 
SUNDAY v.] THE DUTY OF PRAYER. 113 
 
 against him. For though there be sins both against ourselves 
 and our neighbours, yet they being forbidden by God, they 
 are also breaches of the commandments, and so sins against 
 him. 
 
 This repentance is, in short, nothing but a turning from 
 Sin to God, the casting off all our former 
 evils, and instead thereof, constantly prac- ^ turning 
 tising all those Christian duties Avhich God ^^°^ ^^^ '^^ 
 requireth of us. And this is so necessary ^^^' 
 
 a duty, that without it we certainly perish : we have Christ's 
 word for it, Luke xiii. 5, Except ye repent ye shall all like- 
 wise perish. 
 
 27. The directions for performing the several parts of this 
 Duty have been already given in the preparation to the 
 Lord's Supper, and thither I refer the 
 
 reader. Only I shall here mind him that ™^ ^^^ 
 it is not to be looked upon as a Duty to be ^^^ duty. 
 practised only at the time of receiving the Sacrament. For 
 this being the only remedy against the poison of sin, we 
 must renew it as often as we repeat our sins, that is daily. 
 I mean we must every day repent of the 
 sins of that Day. For what Christ saith 
 of other evils is true also of this. Sufficient to the day is the 
 evil thereof; Ave have sins enough of each day to exercise a 
 daily repentance ; and, therefore, every man must thus daily 
 call himself to account. 
 
 28. But as it is in accounts, they who constantly set down 
 their daily expenses have yet some set 
 
 m» . AT S'PT' TTAfPS 
 
 Time of casting up the whole sum, as at ' * 
 
 the end of the week or month ; so should it also be here, 
 we should set aside some time to humble ourselves solemnly 
 before God for the sins, not of that day only, but of our 
 whole lives. And the frequenter these times are the better. 
 For the oftener we thus cast up our accounts with God, and 
 see what vast debts we are run in to him, the more humbly 
 shall we think of ourselves, and the more shall thirst after 
 his mercy, which two are the special things that must qualify 
 us for his pardon. He therefore that can assign himself one 
 day in the week for this purpose, will take a thriving course 
 for his soul. Or if any man's state of life be so busy as not 
 to afford him to do it so often, let him yet come as near to 
 that frequency as is possible for him, remembering always, 
 
 10* 
 
114 THE DUTY OF PRAYER. [sUNDAY V. 
 
 that none of his worldly employments can bring him in near 
 so gainful a return as this spiritual one will do ; and there- 
 fore, it is very ill husbandry to pursue them to the neglect of 
 this. 
 
 29. Besides these constant times, there are likewise occa- 
 
 sional times lor the performance of this 
 IN THE TIME OF ^^^^ . ^^^^ especially are the times of 
 AFFLICTION. Calamity and Affliction ; for when any such 
 befalls us, we are to look on it as a message sent from Hea- 
 ven to call us to this duty ; and, therefore, must never neglect 
 it when we are thus summoned to it, lest we be of the num- 
 ber of them who despise the chastisements of the Lord, 
 Heb. xii. 5. 
 
 30. There is yet another time of repentance, which in the 
 
 practice of men hath gotten away the cus- 
 
 AT DEATH. ^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^j^ ^j^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ -^ ^^^ ^-^^^ ^^ 
 
 Death, which, it is true, is a time very fit to renew our repent- 
 ance, but sure not proper to begin it; and it is a most despe- 
 rate madness for men to defer it till then. For to say the 
 mildest of it, it is the venturing our souls upon such misera- 
 ble uncertainties, as no wise man would trust Avith any thing 
 of the least value. 
 
 For first, I would ask any man that means to repent at his 
 Death, how he knows he shall have an 
 
 THE DANGER O^F j^^^^,^ ^.^^ ^^^ -^ , j^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^.^^ ^^^ 
 
 DEFERRING IT ^^^^ suatchcd away in a moment ? And 
 
 TILL THEN. ^^j^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ -^ ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^ j^-^ ^^^^ 
 
 case? But secondly, suppose we have a more leisurely 
 death, that some disease give him warning of its approach, 
 yet perhaps he will not understand that warning, but will 
 still flatter himself, as very often sick people do, with hopes 
 of life to the last : and so his death may be sudden to him, 
 though it comes by never so slow degrees. But again, thirdly, 
 if he do discern his danger, yet how is he sure he shall then 
 be able to repent ? Repentance is a grace of God, not at our 
 command ; and it is just and usual with God, when men 
 have a long time refused and rejected that grace, resisted all 
 his calls and invitations to conversion and amendment, to 
 give them over, at last, to the hardness of their own hearts, 
 and not to aflTord them any more of that grace they have so 
 despised. Yet suppose, in the fourth place, that God in his 
 infinite patience should still continue the offer of that grace 
 to thee, yet thou that hast resisted, it may be, thirty, or forty, 
 
SDNDAYV.] THE DUTY OF PRAYER. 115 
 
 or fifty years together, how thou knowest 
 
 that thou Shalt putoff that habit of resistance "^^ disadvan- 
 
 upon a sudden, and make use of the grace ' ^ ^ 
 
 A* 1 1 , J, . ^1, 1 + DEATH-BED 
 
 aiiorded f It is sure thou hast many more 
 
 advantages towards the doing it now, than ^ ^^* 
 
 thou wilt have then. 
 
 31. For first, the longer Sin hath kept possession of the 
 heart, the harder it will be to drive it out. 
 
 It is true, if repentance were nothing but a 
 
 OK STIV 
 
 present ceasing from the acts of Sin, the 
 death-bed were fittest for it, for then we are disabled from 
 committing most sins ; but I have formerly showed you, 
 repentance contains much more than so, there must be in it 
 a sincere hatred of sin, and love of God. Now how un- 
 likely is it that he which hath all his life loved sin, cherished 
 it in his bosom, and on the contrary, abhorred God and good- 
 ness, should in an instant quite change his affections, hate 
 that sin he loved, and love God and goodness, which before 
 he utterly hated ? 
 
 32. And secondly, the Bodily Pains that attend a death- 
 bed will direct thee, and make thee unable 
 
 to attend the work of repentance, which is ^ ^^^ pains. 
 a business of such weight and difficulty, as will employ all 
 our powers, even when they are the freshest. 
 
 33. Consider those disadvantages thou must then struggle 
 with, and then tell me what hope there is 
 
 thou shalt then do that, which now upon 
 much easier terms thou wilt not. But in 
 the third place, there is a danger behind, beyond all these, 
 and that is, that the repentance which death drives a man to, 
 will not be a true repentance ; for in such a case it is plain 
 it is only the fear of hell puts him on it, which, though it 
 may be a good beginning, where there is time after to per- 
 fect it ; yet where it goes alone, it can never avail for salva- 
 tion. Now that death-bed repentances are often only of this 
 sort, is too likely, when it is observed, that many men who 
 have seemed to repent when they have thought death ap- 
 proaching, have yet, after it hath pleased God to restore 
 them to health, been as wicked (perhaps worse) as ever they 
 were before ; which shows plainly that there was no real 
 change in them ; and then surely had such a man died in 
 that seeming repentance, God, irho tries the hearty would 
 not have accepted it, which he saw was unsincere. When 
 
116 THE DUTY OF PRAYER. [sUNDAY V. 
 
 all these dangers are laid together, it will surely appear a 
 most desperate adventure for any man to trust to a death-bed 
 repentance. Nor is it ever the less for that example of the 
 penitent thief, Luke xxii. 43, which is by many so much 
 depended on. For it is sure his case and ours differ widely ; 
 he had never heard of Christ before, and so more could not 
 be expected of him than to embrace him as soon as he was 
 tendered to him : but we have had him offered, nay, pressed 
 upon us from our cradles, and yet have rejected him. But 
 if there were not this difference, it is but a faint hope can be 
 raised only from a single example, and another we find not 
 in the whole Bible. The Israelites, we read, were fed with 
 manna from heaven ; but would you not think him stark 
 mad that should out of expectation of the like, neglect to 
 provide himself any food ? Yet it is full as reasonable to 
 depend upon this example as the other. I conclude all in 
 the words of the wise man, Eccles. xii. 1, Remember thy 
 Creator in the days of thy youth., before the evil days 
 come. 
 
 34. To this duty of repentance, Fasting is very proper to 
 be annexed. The Scripture usually joins 
 FASTING. i^QYn together ; among the Jews, the great 
 day of atonement was to be kept with fasting, as you may 
 see by comparing Levit. xvi. 31, with Isa. Iviii. 5. And 
 this by God's especial appointment. And in the prophets 
 when the people are called upon to repent and humble them- 
 selves, they are also called on to Fast. Thus it is, Joel ii. 
 12, Therefore now thus saith the Lord, Turn ye unto me 
 with all your hearts, ivith fasting, and with iveeping, &c. 
 Yea, so proper hath fasting been accounted to humiliation, 
 that we see even wicked Ahab would not omit it in his, 
 1 Kings xxi. 27, nor the heathen Ninevites in theirs, Jonah 
 iii. 5. Nor is it less fit or less acceptable since Christ, than 
 it was before him. For we see he supposes it as a duty 
 sometimes to be performed, when he gives directions to avoid 
 vain-glory in it, Matt. vi. 6. And also assures us that if 
 it be performed as it ought, not to please men but God, it 
 will surely be rewarded by him. And accordingly we find 
 it practised by the saints. Anna, Luke ii. 37, served God 
 with fasting and prayer : where it is observable, that it is 
 reckoned as a service of God, fit to be joined with prayers. 
 And the Christians of the first times were generally very 
 frequent in the practice of it. Now, though Fasting be 
 
SUNDAY v.] THE DUTY OF PRAYER. 117 
 
 especially proper to a time of humiliation, yet it is not so 
 restrained to it, but it may be seasonable, whensoever we 
 have any extraordinary thing to request from God. Thus 
 when Esther was to endeavour the deliverance of her people 
 from destruction, she and all the Jews kept a solemn Fast, 
 Esther iv. 16. And thus when Paul and Barnabas were 
 to be ordained Apostles, there was Fasting joined to prayer. 
 Acts xiii. 3. And so it will be very fit for us whensoever 
 we have need of any extraordinary directions or assistance 
 from God, whether concerning our temporal or spiritual con- 
 cernments, thus to quicken our prayers by Fasting. But 
 above all occasions, this of humiliation seems most to require 
 it ; for besides the advantages of kindling our zeal, which 
 is never more necessary than when we beg for pardon of 
 sins. Fasting carries in it somewhat of revenge, which is 
 reckoned as a special part of repentance, 2 Cor. vii. 11. — 
 For by denying our bodies the refreshment of our ordinary 
 food, we do inflict somewhat of punishment 
 upon ourselves for our former excesses, or ting a 
 
 whatever other sins we at that time accuse ^^'^^^^^ upon 
 ourselves of; which is a proper effect of ourselves. 
 that indignation which every sinner ought to have against 
 himself. And truly he that is so tender of himself, that he 
 can never find in his heart so much as to miss a meal, by 
 way of punishment for his faults, shows he is not much 
 fallen out with himself for committing them ; and so wants 
 that indignation which the Apostle in the fore-named texts 
 mentions as a part of true repentance. 
 
 35. There is no doubt but such holy revenges upon our- 
 selves for sins are very acceptable to God ; 
 
 yet we must not think that either those, or ^^^^ Revenges 
 
 1 • 1 T 1 • ACCFPTABL'F 
 
 any thmg else we can do, can make satis- 
 faction for our offences ; for that nothing ^^ ^ ^^^* 
 but the blood of Christ can do. And, therefore, on that, 
 and not on any of our performances we 
 must depend for pardon. Yet since that ^^^ ^^ ^^'^^^' 
 blood shall never be appKed to any but ^^^^ion for 
 penitent sinners, we are as much concerned 
 to bring forth all the fruits of repentance, as if our hopes 
 depended on them only. 
 
 36. How often this duty of Fasting is to be performed, 
 we have no direction in Scripture. That must be allotted 
 
118 THE DUTY OF PRAYER. [sUNDAY V. 
 
 by men's own piety, according as their 
 health or other considerations will allow. 
 But as it is in humiliation, the frequenter 
 returns we have of set times for it, the better ; so it is like- 
 wise in Fasting, the oftener, the better, so it be not hurtful 
 either to our healths, or to some other duty required of us. 
 Nay, perhaps Fasting may help some men to more of those 
 times for humiliation, than they would otherwise gain. For 
 perhaps there are some who cannot, without a manifest hin- 
 derance to their calling, allow a whole day to that work, yet 
 such an one may at least afford that time he would other- 
 wise spend in eating ; and so Fasting will be doubly useful 
 towards such a man's humiliation, both by helping him in 
 the duty, and gaining him time for it. 
 
 37. I have now gone through the first branch of our Duty 
 
 to God ; to wit, the acknowledging him for 
 
 SECOND BRANCH ^ ', rr-i A • ^1,1,- 
 
 our God. Ihe second is, the havmff no 
 
 OF OUR DUTY ,i r i,- r. t a r*^i •* • 
 
 Other, ot which 1 need say little, as it is a 
 forbidding of that grosser sort of heathenish 
 idolatry, the worshipping of idols, which though it w^ere once 
 common in the world, yet is now so rare, that it is not likely 
 any that shall read this will be concerned in it. Only I must 
 say, that to pay divine worship to any creature, be it saint 
 or angel, yea, or the image of Christ himself, is a transgres- 
 sion against this second branch of our Duty to God, it being 
 the imparting that to a creature which is due only to God ; 
 and, therefore, is strictly to be abstained from. 
 
 38. But there is another sort of idolatry, of which we are 
 
 generally guilty, and that is, when we pay 
 those affections of Love, Fear, Trust, and 
 
 IDOLATRY • 7 7 7 
 
 the like, to any creature in a higher degree 
 than we do to God : for that is the setting up that thing, 
 whatsoever it is, for our God. And this inward kind of 
 Idolatry is that which provokes God to jealousy, as well as 
 the outward of worshipping an idol. I might enlarge much 
 upon this, but because some severals of it have been touched 
 on in the former discourse, I suppose it needless ; and, there- 
 fore, shall now proceed to the second head of Duty, that to 
 Ourselves. 
 
SUNDAY VI. 
 
 Duty to Ourselves : of Sobriety ; of Humility ; the great Sin of Pride ; 
 of Vain-glory, the Danger, Folly ; the Means to prevent it : of Meek- 
 ness, &.C. 
 
 This Duty to Ourselves is by St. Paul in the foremen- 
 tioned text, Titus ii. 12, summed up in 
 
 DUTY TO OUR- 
 SELVES. 
 
 this one word soberly. Now, by soberly, 
 is meant our keeping within those due 
 bounds which God hath set us. My business will therefore 
 be to tell you what are the particulars of this sobriety : and 
 that first, in respect of the soul ; secondly, in respect of the 
 body. The sobriety of the soul stands in right governing 
 its passions and affections ; and to that are many virtues 
 required. I shall give you the particulars of them. 
 
 2. The first of them is Humility, which may well have 
 the prime place, not only in respect of the 
 
 excellency of the virtue, but also of its use- 
 fulness towards the obtaining of all the rest. This being 
 the foundation on which all others must be built. And he 
 that hopes to gain them without this, will prove but like that 
 foolish builder Christ speaks of, Luke vi. 49, who built his 
 house on the sand. Of the humility towards God I have 
 already spoken, and showed the necessity of it : I am now 
 to speak of Humility, as it concerns ourselves, which will be 
 found no less necessary than the former. 
 
 3. This Humility is of two sorts : the first is, the having 
 a mean and low opinion of ourselves ; the second is, the 
 being content that others should have so of us. The first 
 of these is contrary to pride, the other to vain-glory. And 
 that both these are absolutely necessary to Christians, I am 
 now to show you ; which will, I conceive, best be done by 
 laying before you, first, the sin ; secondly, the danger ; thirdly, 
 the contrary vices. 
 
 4. And first for Pride ; the Sin of it is so great that it 
 cast the anorels out of Heaven, and there- 
 
 c -c 1 f • u .1 1 THE GREAT SIN 
 
 fore, if we may ludofe oi sm by the punish- 
 ment, it was not only the first, but the 
 greatest sin that ever the devil himself hath been guilty of; 
 but we need no better proof of the heinousness of it, than 
 
 119 
 
120 SIN or PRIDE. [SUNDAY VI. 
 
 the extreme hatefulness of it to God ; which besixles that 
 instance of his punishing the Devil, we may frequently find 
 in the Scriptures, Prov. xvi. 5, Every one that is proud in 
 heart is an abomination to the Lord. And again chap. vi. 
 16, where there is mention of several things the Lord hates, 
 a proud look is set at the first of them : so James iv. 6, God 
 resisteth the proud; and divers other texts there are to the 
 same purpose, which shows the great hatred God bears to 
 this sin of Pride. Now since it is certain, God, who is all 
 goodness, hates nothing but as it is evil, it must needs follow, 
 that where God hates in so great a degree, there must be a 
 great degree of evil. 
 
 5. But secondly. Pride is not only very sinful, but very 
 
 dangerous : and that first, in respect of 
 THE DANGER. ^j,j^^^,jj^g ^g ^^ other sins ; secondly, of be- 
 traying us to punishments. First, pride 
 DRAWi draws us to other sins, wherein it shows 
 
 OTHER SINS. .^gg^^ indeed to be the direct contrary to 
 humility ; for as that is the root of all virtue, so is this of all 
 vice. For he that is proud sets himself up as his own God, 
 and so can never submit himself to any other rules or laws 
 than what he makes to himself. The ungodly, says the 
 Psalmist, is so proud that he careth not for God, Psalm x. 
 4. Where you see, it is his pride that makes him despise 
 God. And when a man is once come to that, he is prepared 
 for the commission of all sins. I might instance in a multi- 
 tude of particular sins that naturally flow from this of pride ; 
 as first anger, which the wise man sets as the effect of pride, 
 Prov. xxi. 24, calling it proud wrath ; secondly, strife and 
 contention ; which he again notes to be the offspring of Pride, 
 Prov. xiii. 10, Only by pride cometh contention. And 
 both these are indeed most natural effects of pride ; for he 
 that thinks very highly of himself, expects much submission 
 and observance from others, and therefore cannot but rage 
 and quarrel whenever he thinks it not sufliiciently paid. It 
 would be infinite to mention all the fruits of this bitter root; 
 I shall name but one more, and that is, that pride not only 
 betrays us to many sins, but also makes them incurable in 
 us, for it hinders the working of all remedies. 
 
 6. Those remedies must either come from God or man; 
 
 if from God, they must be either in the 
 
 frustrating of c ^ ^ a ^ 
 
 way 01 meekness and gentleness, or else 
 of sharpness and punishment. Now if 
 
SUNDAY VI.] SIN OF PRIDE. 121 
 
 God by his goodness essay to lead a proud man to repent- 
 ance, he quite mistakes God's meaning, and thinks all the 
 mercies he receives are but the reward of his own desert, 
 and so long it is sure he will never think he needs repentance. 
 But if on the other side God use him more sharply and lay 
 afflictions and punishments upon him, those in a proud heart 
 work nothing but murmurings and hating of God, as if he 
 did him injury in those punishments. As for the remedies 
 that can be used by man, they again must be either by way 
 of correction or exhortation. Corrections from man will 
 sure never work more on a proud heart, than those from 
 God ; for he that can think God unjust in them will much 
 rather believe it of man. And exhortations will do as little ; 
 for. let a proud man be admonished though never so mildly 
 and lovingly, he looks on it as a disgrace ; and therefore in- 
 stead of confessing or amending the fault, he falls to reproach- 
 ing his reprover as an overbusy or censorious person, and 
 for that greatest and most precious act of kindness, looks on 
 him as his enemy. And now one that thus stubbornly re- 
 sists all means of cure, must be concluded in a most dange- 
 rous estate. 
 
 7. But besides this danger of sin, I told you there was 
 another, that of Punishment ; and of this 
 there will need little proof, when it is con- 
 
 • 1 J<ii,i/-ii-5u A y PUNISHMENT. 
 
 sidered, that God is the proud man s pro- 
 fessed enemy, that he hates and resists him, as appeared in 
 the texts forecited ; and then there can be little doubt, that 
 he which hath so mighty an adversary shall be sure to smart 
 for it. Yet besides this general ground of conclusion, it may 
 not be amiss to mention some of those texts which particu- 
 larly threaten this sin, as Prov. xvi. 18, Pride goeih before 
 desti'uction^ and an haughty spirit before a fall; again, 
 Prov. xvi. 5, Every one that is proud in heart is an abomi- 
 nation to the Lord ; though hand join in hand, yet they 
 shall not be unpunished. The decree it seems is unalter- 
 able, and whatever endeavours are used to preserve the proud 
 man, they are but vain, for he shall not go unpunished. And 
 this is very remarkable in the story of Nebuchadnezzar, 
 Dan. iv. who though a king, the greatest in the world, yet 
 for his pride was driven from among men to dwell and feed 
 with beasts. And it is most frequently seen, that this sin 
 meets with very extraordinary judgments even in this life. 
 But if it should not, let not the proud man think that he hath 
 
 11 
 
122 SIN OF PRIDE. [PUXDAY VI. 
 
 escaped God's vengeance, for it is sure there will be a most 
 sad reckoning in the next ; for if God spared not the angels 
 for this sin, but cast them into Hell, let no man hope to 
 speed better. 
 
 8. In the third place I am to show you the great Folly of 
 
 this sin; and to do that it will be neces- 
 THE FOLLY. ^^^^ ^^ cousidcr the several things where- 
 of men used to be proud : they are of three sorts, either 
 those which we call the goods of Nature or the goods of 
 Fortune, or the goods of Grace. 
 
 9. By the goods of Nature, I mean beauty, strength, wit, 
 
 and the like ; and the being proud of any 
 IN RESPECT OF ^^f ^j^ggg ^g ^ j^ugo folly. For first, we are 
 THE GOODS ^^^^ ^p^ ^^ mistake and think ourselves 
 NATURE. handsome or witty when we are not, and 
 then there cannot be a more ridiculous folly than to be proud 
 of what we have not ; and such every one esteems it in an- 
 other man, though he never supposes it in his own case, and 
 so never discerns it in himself. And therefore there is nothing 
 more despicable amongst all men, than a proud fool ; yet no 
 man that entertains high opinions of his own wit, but is in 
 danger to be thus deceived, a man's own judgment of him- 
 self being of all others the least to be trusted. But secondly, 
 suppose we be not out in judging, yet what is there in any 
 of these natural endowments which is worth the being proud, 
 there being scarce any of them which some creature or other 
 hath not in a greater degree than man ? How much does the 
 whiteness of the lily and the redness of the rose exceed the 
 white and red of the fairest face ! What a multitude of 
 creatures is there that far surpass man in strength and swift- 
 ness ! And divers others there are, which, as far as concerns 
 any useful end of theirs, act much more wisely than most 
 of us ; and are therefore oftentimes in scripture proposed to 
 us by way of example. It is therefore surely great unrea- 
 sonableness for us to think highly of ourselves for such things 
 as are common to us with beasts and plants. But thirdly, 
 if they were as excellent as we fancy them, yet they are not 
 at all durable, they are impared and lost by sundry means ; 
 a frenzy will destroy the rarest wit ; a sickness decay the 
 freshest beauty, the greatest strength; or however, old age 
 will be sure to do all. And therefore to be proud of them 
 is again a folly in this respct. But lastly, whatever they are, 
 we gave them not to ourselves. No man can think he did 
 
SUNDAY VI.] SIN OF PRIDE. 123 
 
 any thing towards the procuring his natural beauty or wit, 
 and so can with no reason vakie himself for them. 
 
 10. In the second place, the folly is as great to be proud 
 of the goods of Fortune ; by them I mean 
 
 wealth and honour, and the like ; for it is ^ 
 
 sure, they add nothing of true worth to the 
 man ; somewhat of outward pomp and bravery they may 
 help him to, but that makes no change in the person. You 
 may load an ass with money, or deck him with rich trap- 
 pings, yet still you will not make him a whit the nobler kind 
 of beast by either of them. Then, secondly, these are things 
 we have no hold of, they vanish many times ere we are 
 aware ; he that is rich to-day, may be poor to-morrow, and 
 then will be the less pitied by all in his poverty, the prouder 
 he was when he was rich. Thirdly, we have them all, 
 but as Stewards, to lay out for our Master's use, and there- 
 fore should rather think how to make our accounts, than 
 pride ourselves in our receipts. Lastly, whatever of these 
 we have, they, as well as the former, are not owing to our- 
 selves. But if they be lawfully gotten, we owe them only 
 to God, whose blessing it is that maketh rich, Prov. x. 22. 
 If unlawfully, we have them upon such terms that we have 
 very little reason to brag of them. And thus you see, in 
 these several respects, the folly of this second sort of 
 pride. 
 
 11. The third is that of the goods of Grace ; that is, any 
 virtue a man hath. And here I cannot 
 
 say, but the things are very valuable, they 
 being infinitely more precious than all the 
 world, yet nevertheless this is of all the rest the highest 
 folly. And that not only in the foregoing respect, that we 
 help not ourselves to it, grace being above all things most 
 immediately God's work in us, but especially in this, that 
 the being proud of grace is the sure way to lose it. God, 
 who gives grace to the humble, will take it from the proud. 
 For if, as we see in the parable. Matt. xxv. 28, the talent 
 was taken from him who had only put it to no use at all, 
 how shall he hope to have it continued to him that hath put 
 it to so ill, that instead of trading with it for God, hath traf- 
 ficked with it for Satan ? And as he will lose the Grace for 
 the future, so he will lose all the Reward of it for the time 
 past. For let a man have done never so many good acts, 
 yet if he be proud of them, that pride shall be charged on 
 
124 OF HUMILITY. [sUNDAY VI. 
 
 him to his destruction, but the good shall never be remember- 
 ed to his reward. And this proves it to be a most wretched 
 folly to be proud of grace. It is like that of children that 
 pull those things in pieces they are most fond of, but yet 
 much worse than that of theirs, for we not only lose the 
 thing (and that the most precious that can be imagined,) but 
 we must also be eternally punished for doing so, there being 
 nothing that shall be so sadly reckoned for in the next world 
 as the abuse of Grace ; and certainly there can be no greater 
 abuse of it, than to make it serve for an end so directly con- 
 trary to that for which it was given, it being given to make 
 us humble, not proud, to magnify God, not ourselves. 
 
 12. Having showed you thus much of this sin, I suppose 
 
 it will appear very necessary to be eschew- 
 MEANS OF Hu- ^^ ^^ ^^^^^^ purpose it will be useful to 
 
 consider what hath been already said con- 
 cerning it, and that so seriously as may work in thee not 
 some slight dislike, but a deep and irreconcilable hatred of 
 the sin : secondly, to be very watchful over thine own heart, 
 that it cherish not any beginnings of it ; never suffer it to 
 feed on the fancy of thine own worth ; but whenever any 
 such thought arises, beat it down immediately with the 
 remembrance of some of thy follies or sins, and so make 
 this very motion of pride an occasion of humility. Thirdly, 
 never to compare thyself with those thou thinkest more 
 foolish or wicked than thyself, that so thou mayest like the 
 Pharisee, Ltjke xviii. 11, extol thyself for being better ; but 
 if thou wilt compare, do it with the Wise and Godly ; and 
 then thou wilt find thou comes t so far short as may help to 
 pull down thy high esteem of thyself. Lastly, to be very 
 earnest in prayer, that God would root out all degrees of 
 this sin in thee, and make thee one of those poor in spirit, 
 Matt. v. 3, to w^hom the blessing even of Heaven itself is 
 promised. 
 
 13. The second contrary to humility, I told you was 
 
 Vain-glory ; that is, a great thirst after the 
 praise of men. And first, that this is a sin, 
 I need prove no otherwise, than by the 
 words of our Saviour, John v. 44, How can ye believe, that 
 receive honour one of another ? Where it appears, that it is 
 not only a sin, but such an one as hinders the receiving of 
 Christ into the heart ; for so believing there signifies. This 
 then in the second place shows you likewise the great danger- 
 
SUNDAY VI.] OF HUx^ILITY. 125 
 
 ousness of this sin, for if it be that which 
 keeps Christ out of the heart, it is sure it * ^ ^^^* 
 
 brings infinite danger, since all our safety, all our hope of 
 escaping the wrath to come, stands in receiving him. But 
 besides the authority of this text, common experience shows, 
 that wherever this sin hath possession, it endangers men to 
 fall into any other. For he that so considers the praise of 
 men, that he must at no hand part with it, whenever the 
 greatest sins come to be in fashion and credit (as God knows 
 many are now-a-days,) he will be sure to commit them, 
 rather than run the disgrace of being too single and precise ; 
 
 1 doubt there are many consciences can witness the truth of 
 this, so that I need say no more to prove the danger of this 
 sin. 
 
 14. The third thing I am to show is the folly of it, and 
 that will appear first, by considering what 
 it is we thus hunt after, nothing but a little 
 air, a blast, the breath of men, it brings us in nothing of real 
 advantage ; for I am made never the wiser nor the better for 
 a man's saying I am wise and good. Besides, if I am com- 
 mended, it must be either before my face or behind my back : 
 if the former, it is very often flattery, and so the greatest 
 abuse that can be offered, and then I must be very much a 
 fool to be pleased with it. But if it be behind my back, I 
 have not then so much as the pleasure of knowing it ; and, 
 therefore, it is a strange folly thus to pursue what is so utterly 
 gainless. But secondly, it is not only gainless, but painful 
 and uneasy also. He that eagerly seeks praise is not at all 
 master of himself, but must suit all his actions to that end, 
 and instead of doing what his own reason and conscience, 
 (nay, perhaps his worldly conveniency) directs him to, he 
 must take care to do what will bring him in commendations, 
 and so enslave himself to every one that hath but a tongue 
 to commend him. Nay, there is yet a further uneasiness in 
 it, and that is, when such a man fails of his aim, when he 
 misses the praise, and perhaps meets with the contrary 
 reproach, (which is no man's lot more often than the vain- 
 glorious, nothing making a man more despised) than what 
 disturbances and disquiets, and even tortures of mind is he 
 under ! A lively instance of this you have in Achitopel, 
 
 2 Sam. xvii. 23, who had so much of this, upon Absalom's 
 despising his counsel, that he chose to rid himself of it, by 
 hanging himself. And sure this painfulness that thus attends 
 
 11* 
 
126 OF HUMILITY. [sUNDAY VI. 
 
 this sill, is sufficient proof of the folly of it. Yet this is 
 not all, it is yet further very hurtful. For if this vain-glory 
 be concerning any good or Christian action, it destroys all 
 the fruit of it ; he that prays or gives alms to be seen of 
 men, Matt. vi. 2, must take that as his reward, Verily I 
 say unto yoy^ they have their reward ; they must expect 
 none from God, but the portion of those hypocrites, that 
 love the praise of men more than the praise of God. And 
 this is a miserable folly to make such an exchange. It is 
 like the dog in the fable, who seeing in the water the shadow 
 of that meat he held in his mouth, catched at the shadow, 
 and so let go his meat. Such dogs, such unreasonable crea- 
 tures are we, when we thus let go the eternal rewards of 
 Heaven to catch at a few good words of men. And yet we 
 do not only lose those eternal joys, but procure to ourselves 
 the contrary eternal miseries, which is sure the highest pitch 
 of folly and madness. But if the vain-glory be not concern- 
 ing any virtuous action, but only some indifferent thing, yet 
 even there also it is very hurtful ; for vain-glory is a sin that, 
 wheresoever it is placed, endangers our eternal estate, which 
 is the greatest of all mischiefs. And even for the present it 
 is observable, that of all other sins it stands the most in its 
 own light, hinders itself of that very thing it pursues. For 
 there are very few that thus hunt after praise, but they are 
 discerned to do so, and that is sure to eclipse whatever 
 praise- worthy thing they do, and bring scorn upon them 
 instead of reputation. And then certainly we may justly 
 condemn this sin of folly, which is so ill a manager even of 
 its own design. 
 
 15. You have seen how wretched a thing this vain-glory 
 is in these several respects, the serious 
 
 HELPS AGAINST • i .• i, <■ i j 
 
 consideration whereof may be one good 
 
 VAIN-GLORY. . , , ... i • i v ii u 
 
 means to subdue it; to which it will be 
 necessary to add, first, a great watchfulness over thyself; 
 observe narrowly whether in any Christian duty thou at all 
 considerest the praise of men, or even in the most indifferent 
 action, look whether thou have not too eager a desire of it, 
 and if thou findest thyself inclined that way, have a very 
 strict eye upon it, and wherever thou findest it stirring, check 
 and resist it, suffer it not to be the end of thy actions. But 
 in all matters of Religion let thy Duty be the Motive ; in all 
 indifferent things of common life, let Reason direct thee; 
 and though thou mayest so far consider in those things the 
 
SUNDAY VI. 3 VIRTUE OF MEEKNESS. 127 
 
 opinion of men, as to observe the rules of common decency 
 yet never think any praise that comes in to thee from any 
 thing of the kind, worth the contriving for. Secondly, set 
 up to thyself another aim, viz., that of pleasing God : let 
 that be thy inquiry when thou goest about any thing ; whe- 
 ther it be approved by him. And then thou wilt not be at 
 leisure to consider what praise it will bring thee from men. 
 And surely he that weighs of how much more moment it 
 is to please God, who is able eternally to reward us, than 
 man, whose applause can never do us any good, will surely 
 think it reasonable to make the former his only care. — 
 Thirdly, if at any time thou art praised, do not be much 
 overjoyed with it, nor think a jot the better of thyself; but 
 if it be Virtue thou art praised for, remember it was God that 
 wrought it in thee, and give him the glory, never thinking 
 any part of it belongs to thee. If it be some indifferent 
 action, then remember that it cannot deserve praise, as having 
 no goodness in it : but if it be a bad one, (as amongst men 
 such are sometimes likeliest to be commended) then it ought 
 to set thee a trembling instead of rejoicing, for then that woe 
 of our Saviour's belongs to thee, Luke vi. 26, fVoe unto 
 you ivhen men speak well of you, for so did their fathers 
 to the false prophets; and there is not a greater sign of a 
 hardened heart, than when men can make their sins the mat- 
 ter of their glory. In the last place, let thy prayers assist 
 in the fight with this corruption. 
 
 16. A second Virtue is Meekness, that is a calmness 
 
 and quietness of spirit, contrary to the 
 
 ^ 1 . '4 ■ r K T^i • meekness. 
 
 rages and impenitencies ot Anger. Ihis 
 
 virtue may be exercised, either in respect of God, or his 
 
 neighbour. That towards God, I have already spoken of, 
 
 under the head of Humility, and that towards our neighbour, 
 
 I shall hereafter. All I have here to say of it is, how it 
 
 becomes a duty to ourselves ; that it does, in respect of the 
 
 ffreat advantages we reap by it ; which, in 
 
 ^ i-i ^ ^ 1 ^11 ADVANTAGES OF 
 
 mere kindness to ourselves, we are to look 
 after. And to prove that it brings us this 
 great advantage, I need say no more, but that this meekness 
 is that to which Christ hath pronounced a blessing, Matt. 
 V. 5, Blessed are the meek ; and not only in the next world, 
 but even in this too, they shall inherit the earth. Indeed, 
 none but the meek person hath the true enjoyment of any 
 thing in the world ; for the angry and impatient are like sick 
 
128 VIRTUE OF MEEKNESS. [sUNDAY VI. 
 
 people, who, we use to say, cannot enjoy the greatest pros- 
 perities ; for let things be never so fair without, they will 
 raise storms within their own breasts. And surely whoever 
 hath, either in himself or others, observed the great uneasi- 
 ness of this passion of anger, cannot choose but think meek- 
 ness a most pleasant thing. 
 
 17. Besides, it is also a most honourable thing, for it is 
 that whereby we resemble Christ, learn of me, saith he, for 
 I am meek and lowly in heart, Matt. xi. 29. It is also 
 that whereby we conquer ourselves, overcome our own un- 
 ruly passions, which of all victories is the greatest and most 
 noble. Lasdy, it is that which makes us behave ourselves 
 like men, whereas anger gives us the fierceness and wildness 
 of savage beasts. And accordingly the one is by all esteemed 
 and loved ; whereas the other is hated and abhorred, every 
 man shunning a man in rage as they would a furious beast. 
 
 18. Farther yet. Meekness is the sobriety of the mind, 
 whereas anger is the direct madness ; it puts a man wholly 
 out of his own power, and makes him do such things as 
 himself in his sober temper abhors ; how many men have 
 done those things in their rage which they have repented all 
 their lives after ? And therefore surely as much as a man is 
 more honourable than a beast, a sober man than a mad man ; 
 so much hath this virtue of Meekness the advantage of 
 honour above the contrary vice of Anger. 
 
 19. Again, Meekness makes any condition tolerable and 
 easy to be endured. He that meekly bears any suffering, 
 takes off the edge of it that it cannot wound him ; whereas he 
 that frets and rages at it, whets it and makes it much sharper 
 than it would be ; nay in some cases makes that so, which 
 would not else be so at all. As particularly in the case of 
 reproachful words, which in themselves can do us no harm, 
 they neither hurt our bodies nor lessen our estates, the only 
 mischief they can do us is to make us angry, and then our 
 anger may do us many more ; whereas he that meekly passes 
 them by is never the worse for them, nay the better ; for he 
 shall be rewarded by God for that patience. Much more 
 might be said to recommend this virtue to us, in respect of 
 our own present advantage, but I suppose this may suffice 
 to persuade men to esteem of it. The harder matter will be 
 to gain them to the practice of it, wherein men pretend I 
 know not what difficulties of natural constitutions, and the 
 like ; yet sure there is no man of so choleric a temper, but 
 
SUNDAY VI.J VIRTUE OF CONSIDERATION. 129 
 
 if he did heartily set about it, would find it were not impossi- 
 ble in some good measure to subdue it ; but then he must be 
 diligent in using means to that end. Divers of these means 
 there are, I shall mention some few. 
 
 20. As first, the imprinting deep in our minds the loveli- 
 ness and benefits of Meekness, together 
 with the uorliness and mischiefs of anger. 
 
 TAINING IT 
 
 Secondly, to set before us the example of 
 Christ, who endured all reproaches, yea, torments with per- 
 fect patience, that was led as a sheep to the slaughter, 
 Isaiah liii. 7, That when he was reviled, reviled not again, 
 ivhen he suffered, threatened not, 1 Pet. ii. 23. And if he, 
 the Lord of Glory, suffered thus meekly and unjustly from 
 his own creatures, with what face can we ever complain of 
 any injury done to us ? Thirdly, to be very watchful to pre- 
 vent the very first beginnings of anger, and to that purpose 
 to mortify all inward peevishness and frowardness of mind, 
 which is a sin in itself, though it proceed no further, but will 
 also be sure, if it be cherished, to break out into open effects 
 of anger. Therefore whenever thou findest the least arising 
 of it within thee, make as much haste to check it, as thou 
 wouldst to quench a fire in thy house ; but be sure thou 
 bring no fuel to it, by entertaining any thoughts that may 
 increase it. And at such time especially keep a most strict 
 watch over thy tongue, that it break not out into angry 
 speeches, for that breath will fan the fire, not only in thine 
 adversary, but thyself too ; therefore though thy heart be 
 hot within, stifle the flame, and let it not break out ; and the 
 greater the temptation is, the more earnestly lift up thy heart 
 to God to assist thee to overcome it. Fourthly, often re- 
 member how great punishments thy sins have deserved, and 
 then, whether thy sufferings be from God or man, thou wilt 
 acknowledge them to be far short of what is due to thee, and 
 therefore wilt be ashamed to be impenitent at them. 
 
 21. The third virtue is Consideration, and this in a most 
 special manner we owe to our souls. For 
 
 -.1, ^ -x in V 1 • A consideration. 
 
 without it we shall, as rash unadvised 
 
 people are used to do, rush them into infinite perils. Now 
 
 this Consideration is either of our State, or 
 
 c A ,• T3 c<x X T OF OUR STATE. 
 
 01 our Actions. By our btate, 1 mean 
 
 what our condition is to God-ward, whether it be such that 
 
 we may reasonably conclude ourselves in his favour. This 
 
130 VIRTUE OF CONSIDERATION. [sUNDAY VI. 
 
 it much concerns us to consider and examine : and that not 
 by those easy rules men are apt to frame to themselves, as 
 whether they believe that Christ died for their sins ; that 
 they are of the number of the elect, and shall certainly be 
 saved : if these and the like were all that were required to 
 put us into God's favour, none but some melancholy person 
 could ever be out of it ; for we are apt enough generally to 
 believe comfortably of ourselves. But the Rules God hath 
 given us in his Word are those by which we must be tried 
 at the last day, and therefore are certainly 
 
 THE RULE BY ^, i c u v.* V. ^ 4 
 
 the only safe ones by which to try our- 
 
 WHICH TO TRY , •' k A ^x. r *U 
 
 selves now. And the sum ot those are, 
 that whosoever continues in any one wilful 
 
 sin, is not in his favour, nor can, if he do so die, hope for 
 
 any mercy at his hand. 
 
 22. Now it is highly necessary we should consider what 
 our condition is in this respect : for since our life is nothing 
 but a puff of breath in our nostrils, which may for aught we 
 know be taken from us the next minute, it nearly concerns us 
 to know how we are provided for another world, that so in 
 case we want at present that oil in our lamps wherewith we 
 are to meet the bridegroom. Matt. xxv. 8, we may timely 
 
 get it, and not for want of it be ever shut 
 
 THE DANGER ^ ^ i-, ,\^ c v \^ • • r u- 
 
 out like the loohsh virgins from his pre- 
 
 OF INCONSIDER- rr<, , , r°i • ^ • , \. 
 
 sence. 1 he neglect ot this Consideration 
 hath undone many souls, some by too easy 
 a belief that they were in a good condition, without consider- 
 ing and trying themselves by the foregoing Rule, but pre- 
 suming either upon some slight outward performances, or 
 upon such a false faith as I even now described ; others by 
 the wretched careless going on, without so much as asking 
 themselves what their condition is, but hope they should do 
 as well as their neighbours, and so never inquiring farther ; 
 which wretched carelessness will as certainly undo the 
 spiritual, as the like would do the temporal estate ; yet in 
 that every man is wise enough to foresee, that a man that 
 never takes any accounts of his estate, to see whether he be 
 worth something or nothing, will be sure to be a beggar in 
 the end. But in this far weightier matter we can generally 
 be thus improvident. 
 
 23. The second thing we are to consider is our Actions, 
 and those either before or after we are to consider before we 
 
SUNDAY VI.] VIRTUE OF CONSIDERATION. 131 
 
 act, and not to do any thing rashly or 
 headily ; but first, to advise with our con- ^^^ actions. 
 sciences, whether this be lawful to be done, 
 for he that follows his own inclination, and "^^^^^ ^e do 
 does every thing which that moves him to, them. 
 
 shall be sure to fall into a multitude of sins. Therefore con- 
 sider soberly, and be assured of the lawfulness of the thing 
 before thou venture to do it. This advisedness is in all world- 
 ly things accounted so necessary a part of wisdom, that no 
 man is accounted wise without it ; a rash man we look upon 
 as the next degree to a fool. And yet it is sure, there is not 
 so much need of looking about us in any thing as in what con- 
 cerns our souls, and that not only in respect of the great value 
 of them above all things else, but also in regard of the great 
 danger they are in, as hath been showed more at large in the 
 beginning of the treatise. 
 
 24. Secondly, we are to consider the actions when they 
 are past also, that is, we are to examine 
 
 whether they have been such as are allow- after they are 
 able by the Laws of Christ. This is very ^^^* 
 
 necessary whether they be good or bad ; if they be good, the 
 recalling them helpeth us to the comfort of a good conscience, 
 and that comfort again encourageth us to go on in the like ; 
 and besides it stirs us up to thankfulness to God, by whose 
 grace alone we were enabled to do them. But if they be bad, 
 then it is especially necessary that we thus examine them, for 
 without this it is impossible we should ever come to amend- 
 ment, for unless we observe them to have been amiss, we 
 can never think it needful to amend, but shall still run on 
 from one wickedness to another, which is the greatest curse 
 any man can lie under. 
 
 25. The oftener therefore we use this Consideration, the 
 better, for the less likely it is that any of 
 
 our sins shall escape our knowledge. It is kequenci of 
 much to be wished that every man would consideration. 
 thus every night try the actions of the day, that so, if he 
 have done any thing amiss, he may soon check himself for 
 it, and settle his resolutions against it, and not let it grow on 
 to a habit and course. And that he may also early beg 
 God's pardon, which will the easier be had the sooner it is 
 asked, every delay of that being a great increase of the sin. 
 And surely whoever means to take an account of himself at 
 all, will find this the easier course ; it being much easier to 
 
132 VIRTUE OF CONTENTEDNESS. [sUNDAY VII. 
 
 do it SO a little at a time, and while passages are fresh in his 
 
 memory, than to take the account of a long time together. 
 
 Now if it be considered, that every wilful 
 
 DANGER OF ^^^ must havc a particular repentance before 
 
 OMITTING IT. ^^ ^^^ ^^ pardoned, methinks men should 
 
 tremble to sleep without that repentance ; for what assurance 
 
 hath any man that lies down in his bed, that he shall ever 
 
 rise again ? And then how dangerous is the condition of that 
 
 man that sleeps in an unrepented sin ! The weighing of 
 
 these several Motives may be a means, by God's blessing, 
 
 to bring us to the practice of this duty of Consideration in 
 
 all the parts of it. 
 
 SUNDAY vil. 
 
 Of Contentedness and the Contraries to it ; Murmuring, Ambition, Cove- 
 tousness. Envy ; Helps to Contentedness. Of Duties which concern 
 our Bodies: of Chastity, &c. ; Helps to it. Of Temperance. 
 
 The fourth Virtue is Contentedness, and this surely is 
 a duty we must owe to ourselves, it being 
 
 CONTENTED" ' o 
 
 that without which it is impossible to be 
 happy. This Contentedness is a well- 
 pleasedness with that condition, whatever it is, that God 
 hath placed us in, not murmuring and repining at our lot, but 
 cheerfully welcoming whatsoever God sends. How great, 
 and withal how pleasant a virtue this is, may appear by the 
 contrariety it hath to several great and painful vices ; so that 
 where this is rooted in the heart, it subdues not only some 
 such single sin, but a cluster of them together. 
 
 2. And first, it is contrary to all Murmuring in general, 
 which is a sin most hateful to God, as may 
 
 CONTRARY TO u i," i, • u . c -. 
 
 appear by his sharp punishments oi it on 
 
 MURMURING. ,if^T v. • xi -n 
 
 the Israelites m the wilderness, as you may 
 read in several places of the books of Exodus and Numbers. 
 And surely it is also very painful and uneasy to a man's 
 self; for if, as the Psalmist saith, it be a joyful and pleasant 
 thing to be thankful, we may by the rule of contraries con- 
 clude, it is a sad and unpleasant thing to be murmuring ; and, 
 I doubt not, every man's own experience will confirm the 
 truth of it. 
 
SUNDAY VII.] VIRTUE OF CONTENTEDNESS. 133 
 
 3. Secondly, it is contrary to Ambition : the ambitious 
 man is always disliking his present condi- 
 
 1 ^1 X 1 I,- 1 ^ 1 TO AMBITION. 
 
 tion, and that makes him so greedy to seek 
 a higher : whereas, he that is content with his own, lies quite 
 out of the road of his temptation. Now Ambition is not 
 only a great sin in itself, but it puts men upon many other : 
 there is nothing so horrid, which a man that eagerly seeks 
 greatness will stick at ; lying, perjury, murder, or any thing 
 will down with him, if they seem to tend to his advance- 
 ment. And the uneasiness of it is answerable to the sin. 
 This none can doubt of, that considers what a multitude of 
 fears and jealousies, cares, and distractions there are, that 
 attend ambition in its progress, besides the great and public 
 ruins that usually befall it in the end. And, therefore, sure 
 Contentedness is in this respect as well a happiness as a 
 virtue. 
 
 4. Thirdly, it is contrary to Covetousness ; this the Apos- 
 tle witnesseth, Heb. xiii. 5, Let your con- 
 versation be without covetousness, and be ^' 
 content with such things as you have: 
 
 where you see contentedness is set as the direct contrary to 
 covetousness. But of this there needs not other proof than 
 common experience : for we see the covetous man never 
 thinks he hath enough ; and, therefore, can never be content ; 
 for no man can be said to be so, that thirsts after any thing 
 he hath not. Now that you may see how excellent and 
 necessary a virtue this is that secures us against covetous- 
 ness, it will not be amiss a little to consider the nature of that 
 sin. 
 
 5. That it is a very great crime, is most certain, for it is 
 
 contrary to the very foundation of all good 
 
 IT T ^u xi ^ T\ J.- ^ covetousness 
 
 life, I mean those three great Duties, to 
 
 ^ T , , , ? , , x^ , CONTRARY TO 
 
 God, to ourselves, to our neighbours. I irst, 
 
 * • . 1 ^ ^ 4. r^ A *\. I OUR DUTY TO 
 
 It is SO contrary to our Duty to God, that 
 Christ himself tells us, Luke xvi. 13, We 
 cannot serve God and Mammon : he that sets his heart 
 upon wealth, must necessarily take it off from God. And 
 this we daily see in the covetous man's practice : he is so 
 eager in the gaining of riches, that he hath no time or care 
 to perform duty to God ; let but a good bargain, or oppor- 
 tunity of gain come in his way, Prayer and all duties of 
 Religion must be neglected to attend it. Nay, when the com- 
 mitting the greatest sin against God may be likely either to 
 
 12* 
 
134 VIRTUE OF CONTENTEDNESS. [sUNDAY VII. 
 
 get or save him ought, his love of wealth quickly persuades 
 him to commit it. 
 
 6. Secondly, it is contrary to the duty we owe ourselves, 
 
 and that both in respect of our Souls and 
 TO OURSELVES, g^^-gg^ ^j^g covctous man despises his 
 
 Soul, sells that to eternal destruction for a little pelf: for so 
 every man does that by any unlawful means seeks to enrich 
 himself ; nay, though he do it not by unlawful means, yet if 
 he have once set his heart upon wealth, he is that covetous 
 person upon whom the Apostle hath pronounced, that he 
 shall not enter into the kingdom of God, 1 Cor. vi. 10. — 
 Nor doth he only offend against his Soul, but his Body too ; 
 for he often denies that those necessary refreshments it wants, 
 and for which his wealth (as far as concerns himself) was 
 given him. This is so constantly the custom of rich misers, 
 that I need not prove it to you. 
 
 7. In the third place, Covetousness is contrary to the duty 
 
 we owe to our Neighbours. And that in 
 TO OUR NEIGH- ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^ . Justice and Charity : 
 
 he that loves money immoderately, will not 
 care whom he cheats and defrauds, so he may bring in gain 
 to himself; and from hence spring those many tricks of 
 deceit and cozenage so common in the world. As for Cha- 
 rity, that is never to be hoped for from a covetous man, who 
 dreads the lessening of his own heaps more than the starving 
 of his poor brother. You see how great a sin this is, that 
 we may well say of it as the Apostle doth, 1 Tim. vi. 10, 
 The love of money is the root of all evil. And it is not 
 much less uneasy than wicked, for between the care of 
 getting and the fear of losing, the covetous man enjoys no 
 quiet hour. Therefore, every man is deeply concerned, as 
 he tenders his happiness either in this world or the next, to 
 guard himself against this sin ; which he can no way do, 
 but by possessing his heart with this virtue of Contented- 
 ness. 
 
 8. In the fourth place, it is contrary to Envy ; for he that 
 
 is content with his own condition hath no 
 
 CONTENTEDNESS . ^ ,• , ^V, > tt 
 
 temptation to envy another s. How un- 
 
 CONTRARY i ^ ^- • ^i • r • i n u 
 
 christian a sin this ot envy is, shall here- 
 
 after be showed. At the present, I need 
 
 say no more, but that it is also a very uneasy one, it frets 
 
 and gnaws the very heart of him that harbours it. But the 
 
 worse this sin is, the more excellent still is this grace of con- 
 
SUNDAY VII.] VIRTUE OF CONTENTEDNESS. 135 
 
 tnntedness, which frees us from it. I suppose I have said 
 enough to make you think this is a very lovely and desirable 
 virtue. And sure it were not impossible to be gained by 
 any, that would but observe these few directions. 
 
 9. First, To consider that whatever our estate and condi- 
 tion in any respect be, it is that which is 
 allotted us by God ; and, therefore, is cer- "^^^^ ^^ ^^^' 
 tainly the best for us, he being much better 
 able to judge for us, than we for ourselves ; and, therefore, to 
 be displeased at it, is in effect to say, we are wiser than he. 
 Secondly, consider throughly the vanity of all worldly 
 things, how very little there is in them ; while we have them ; 
 and how uncertain Ave are to keep them ; but above all, in 
 how little stead they will stand us at the day of death or 
 judgment, and then thou canst not think any of them much 
 worth the desiring, and so wilt not be discontented for want 
 of them. Thirdly, suffer not thy fancy to run on things thou 
 hast not ; many have put themselves out of love with what 
 they have, only by thinking what they want. He that sees 
 his neighbour possess somewhat, which himself hath not, is 
 apt to think how happy he should be, if he were in that 
 man's condition, and in the mean time never thinks of enjoy- 
 ing his own, which yet perhaps in many respects may be 
 much happier than that of his neighbour's which he so much 
 admires. For we look but upon the outside of other men's 
 conditions, and many a man that is envied by his neighbours, 
 as a wonderful happy person, hath yet some secret trouble, 
 which makes him think much otherwise of himself. There- 
 fore, never compare thy condition in any thing with those 
 thou countest more prosperous than thyself, but rather do it 
 with those thou knowest more unhappy, and then thou wilt 
 find cause to rejoice in thine own portion. Fourthly, con- 
 sider how far thou art from deserving any good thing from 
 God, and then thou canst not but with Jacob, Gen. xxxii. 10, 
 confess that thou art 7iot worth the least of those mercies 
 thou enjoyest, and instead of murmuring that they are no 
 more, wilt see reason to admire, and praise the bounty of 
 God, that they are so many. Fifthly, be often thinking of 
 the joys laid up for thee in Heaven : look upon that as thy 
 home, on this world only as an Inn, where thou art fain to 
 take up in thy passage ; and then as a Traveller expects not 
 the same conveniences at an Inn, that he hath at home ; so 
 thou hast reason to be content with whatever entertainment 
 
136 VIRTUE OF DILIGENCE. [sUNDAY VII. 
 
 thou findest here, knowing thou art upon thy journey to a 
 place of infinite happiness, which will make an abundant 
 amends for all the uneasiness and hardship thou canst suffer 
 in the way. Lastly, pray to God, from whom all good things 
 do come, that he will to all his other blessings add this of a 
 contented mind, without which thou canst have no taste or 
 relish of any other. 
 
 10. A fifth Duty is Diligence : this is made up of two 
 
 parts, watchfulness, and industry, and both 
 
 DILIGENCE. ^j^^gg ^g ^^^^g ^^ ^^^ g^^jg^ 
 
 11. First, Watchfulness, in observing all the dangers that 
 
 threaten them. Now since nothing can 
 
 WATCHFULNESS g^jg^j^ggj. ^^^ gQ^Jg^ ^^t gj^^ t^js Watchful- 
 
 AGAiNS .j ^ggg .g principally to be employed against 
 that : and as in a besieged city where there is any weak part, 
 there it is necessary to keep the strongest guard ; so it is 
 here, wherever thou findest thy inclinations such as are most 
 likely to betray thee into sin, there it concerns thee to be 
 especially watchful : observe, therefore, carefully to what 
 sins either thy natural temper, thy company, or thy course 
 of life do particularly incline thee, and watch thyself very 
 narrowly in those ; yet do not so lay out all thy care on 
 those, as to leave thyself open to any other, for that may 
 give Satan as much advantage on the other side ; but let thy 
 watch be general, against all sin, though in a special manner 
 against those which are like oftenest to assault thee. 
 
 12. The second part of diligence, is Industry or Labour ; 
 
 and this also we owe to our souls, for with- 
 INDUSTRY IN ^^^ -^ ^^^^ ^.^j ^^ j.^^j^ prospcr as the vine- 
 yard of the sluffsrard ; which Solomon 
 describes, Prov. xxiv. 30. For there is a 
 husbandry of the Soul, as well as of the estate, and the end 
 of the one, as the other, is the increasing and improving of 
 its riches. Now the riches of the Soul are either Natural or 
 Divine. By the natural I mean its faculties or reason, wit, 
 memory, and the like ; by the Divine I mean the graces of 
 God, which are not the Soul's Natural portion, but are given 
 immediately by God ; and both these we are to take care 
 to improve, they being both talents intrusted to us for that 
 purpose. 
 
 13. The way of improving the Natural is by employing 
 
 them so, as may bring in most honour to 
 
 OF NATURE. ^^^ . ^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ j.^ .^j^ ^^ ^^ 
 
SUNDAY VII.] VIRTUE OF DILIGENCE. 137 
 
 through sloth, neither must we overwhelm them with intem- 
 perance and brutish pleasures, which is the case of too many, 
 but we must employ them, and set them on work. But then 
 we must be sure it be not in the Devil's service ; like many, 
 who set their wit only to the profaning of God, or cheating 
 their neighbours, and stuff their memories with such filthi- 
 ness, as should never once enter their thoughts ; our use of 
 them must be such, as may bring in most glory to God, most 
 benefit to our neighbours, and may best fit us to make our 
 accounts, when God shall come to reckon with us for them. 
 
 14. But the other part of the Soul's riches is yet more 
 precious, that is, Grace ; and of this we 
 
 must be especially careful, to husband and 
 improve it. This is a duty expressly commanded us by the 
 Apostle, 2 Pet. iii. 18, Grow in grace. And again, in the 
 first chapter of that epistle, verse 5, Give all diligence to 
 add to your Faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, 8fc. — 
 Now the especial means of improving grace is by employing 
 it, that is, by doing those things for the enabling of us, where- 
 unto it was given us : this is a sure means, not only in respect 
 of that easiness, which a custom of any thing brings in the 
 doing of it, but principally, as it hath the promise of God, 
 who hath promised, Ma.tt. xxv. 29, that to him that hath 
 (that is, hath made use of what he hath) shall he given, and 
 he shall have abundance. He that diligently and faithfully 
 employs the first beginnings of grace, shall yet have more, 
 and he that in like manner husbands that more, shall yet 
 have a greater degree ; so that what Solomon saith of temporal 
 riches, is also true of spiritual, TJie hand of the diligent 
 rnaketh rich. 
 
 15. Therefore whenever thou findest any good motions 
 in thy heart, remember that is a season for 
 
 this spiritual husbandry : if thou hast but 
 
 x^ \ c • -4. a GOOD MOTIONS. 
 
 a check of conscience against any sm thou 
 livest in, drive that on till it come to a hatred ; and then that 
 hatred, till it come to resolution ; then from that resolution, 
 proceed to some endeavours against it. Do this faithfully, 
 and sincerely, and thou shalt certainly find the grace of God 
 assisting thee, not only in every of these steps, but also en- 
 abling thee to advance still higher, till thou come to some 
 victory over it. Yet to this industry thou must not fail to 
 add thy prayers also, there being a promise that God will 
 give the holy spirit to them that ask it, Luke xi. 13. 
 
 12* 
 
138 VIRTUE OF CHASTITY. [sUNDAY VII. 
 
 And therefore they that ask it not, have no reason to expect 
 it. But it must be asked with such an earnestness, as is 
 some way answerable to the vakie of the thing, which being 
 infinitely more precious than all the world, both in respect 
 of its own worth, and its usefulness to us, we must beg it 
 with much more zeal and earnestness, than all temporal 
 blessings, or else we show ourselves despisers of it. 
 
 1 6. Having directed you to the means of improving grace, 
 
 I shall to quicken you to it mention the 
 
 THE DANGER OF 
 
 great danger of the contrary, and that is not 
 
 THE CONTRARY. ^^ .^^ ^^^^^ ^^^.^^^^^ ^j^^ j^^-^^ ^^j^ ^^^^^ 
 
 further degrees, which our industry might have helped us to, 
 but it is the losing even of what we already have ; For from 
 him that hath not (that is again, hath not made use of what 
 he hath) shall be taken away even that which he hath. 
 Matt. xxv. 29. God will withdraw the grace, which he 
 sees so neglected, as we see in that parable ; the Talent 
 was taken from him that had only hid it in a Napkin, and 
 had brought in no gain to his Lord. And this is a most sad 
 punishment, the greatest that can befall any man, before he 
 comes to hell, indeed it is some kind of foretaste of it, it is 
 the delivering him up to the power of the devil, and it is the 
 banishing him from the face of God, which are not the least 
 parts of the misery of the damned. And it is also the bind- 
 ing a man over to that fuller portion of wretchedness in 
 another world ; for that is the last doom of the unprofitable 
 servant. Matt. xxv. 30, Cast ye the unprofitable servant 
 into outer darkness, there shall be iveeping and gnashing 
 of teeth. You see there are no light dangers that attend this 
 neglect of grace, and therefore if we have any love, nay, any 
 common pity to our souls, we must set ourselves to this in- 
 dustry. I have now done with those Virtues which respect 
 our Souls, I come now to those which concern our Bodies. 
 
 17. The first of which is Chastity or Purity, which 
 
 may well be set in the front of the duties 
 
 CHASTITY. •'^ ^ , ,. . a A .1 
 
 we owe to our bodies, smce the Apostle, 
 1 Cor. vi, 18, sets the contrary as the especial sin against 
 them. He that committeth fornication, sinneth against his 
 own body. 
 
 18. Now this virtue of Chastity consists in a perfect ab- 
 staining from all kinds of uncleanness ; not only that of 
 adultery, and fornication, but all other more unnatural sorts 
 of it committed either upon ourselves or with any other. 
 
SUNDAY VII.] VIRTUE OF ClIASTITV. 139 
 
 In a word, all acts of that kind are utterly against Chastity, 
 save only in lawful marriage. And even there men are not 
 to think themselves let loose to please their brutish appetites, 
 but are to keep themselves within such rules of moderation, 
 as agree to the ends of marriage, which being these two, the 
 begetting of Children, and the avoiding of fornication, nothing 
 must be done which may hinder the first of these ends ; and 
 the second aiming only at the subduing of lust, the keeping 
 men from any sinful effects of it, is very contrary to that end 
 to make marriage an occasion of heightening and inflaming it. 
 19. But this virtue of Chastity reacheth not only to the 
 restraining of the grosser act, but to all 
 lower degrees : it sets a guard upon our uncleanneso 
 eyes, according to that of our Saviour, forbidden in 
 Matt. v. 28, He that looketh on a ivoman "^"^ ^^^^ ^^^" 
 to lust after her, hath committed adultery ^^'^ degrees. 
 ivith her already in his heart ; and upon our hand, as ap- 
 pears by what Christ adds in that place. If thy hand offend 
 thee, cut it off; so also upon our tongues, that they speak 
 no immodest or filthy words, Let no corrupt communication 
 proceed out of your mouth, Ephes. iv. 29. Nay upon our 
 very thoughts and fancies ; we must not entertain any foul 
 or filthy desires, not so much as the imagination of any such 
 thing. Therefore he that forbears the grosser act, and yet 
 allows himself in any of these, it is to be suspected that it is 
 rather some outward restraint that keeps him from it than 
 the conscience of the sin. For if it were that, it would keep 
 him from these too, these being sins also, and very great 
 ones in God's sight. Besides, he that lets hims<3lf loose to 
 these, puts himself in very great danger of the other, it being 
 much more easy to abstain from all, than to secure ao-ainst 
 the one, when the other is allowed. But above all, it is to 
 be considered that even these lower degrees are such as 
 make men very odious in God's eyes, who seeth the heart, 
 and loves none that are not pure there. 
 
 20. The loveliness of this Virtue of Chastity needs no 
 other way of describing, than bv consider- 
 ing the loathsomeness and mischiefs of the "^"^ mischiefs 
 contrary sin, which is, first, very brutish ; ^ ^^' 
 
 those desires are but the same that the beasts have, and then 
 how far are they sunk below the nature of men, that can 
 boast of their sins of that kind, as of their special excellency? 
 When if that be the measure, a goat is the most excellent 
 
140 VIRTUE OF CHASTITY. [sUNDAY VII. 
 
 creature. But indeed they that eagerly pursue this part of 
 bestiahty, do often leave themselves little, besides their hu- 
 man shape, to difference them from beasts : this sin so clouds 
 the understanding, and defaceth the reason- 
 To THE SOUL. ^^^^ ^^^^^^ Therefore Solomon very well 
 
 describes the young man that was going to the harlot's house, 
 Piiov. vii. 22, He goeth after her as an ox goeth to the 
 slaughter. 
 
 21. Nor, secondly, are the effects of it better to the body 
 
 than to the mind. The many foul and 
 filthy, besides painful diseases, which often 
 follow this sin, are sufficient witnesses how mischievous it 
 is to the Body. And alas, how many are there that have 
 thus made themselves the devil's martyrs ! suffered such 
 torments in the pursuit of this sin, as would exceed the in- 
 vention of the greatest tyrant ! Surely they that pay thus 
 dear for damnation, very well deserve to enjoy the purchase. 
 
 22. But thirdly, besides the natural fruits of this sin ; it is 
 
 attended with very ffreat and heavy iudff- 
 
 JUDGMENTS OF . r r^ 1 4.^ * ^ J- 
 
 ments from God ; the most extraordmary 
 ' and miraculous judgment that ever befell 
 any place, fire and brimstone from heaven upon Sodom and 
 Gomorrah, was for this sin of uncleanness. And many ex- 
 amples likewise of God's vengeance may be observed upon 
 particular persons, for this sin. The incest of Amnon cost 
 him his life, as you may read, 2 Sam. xiii. Zimri and Cosbi 
 were slain in the very act. Numb. xxv. 8. And no person 
 that commits the like, hath any assurance it shall not be his 
 own case. For how secredy soever it be committed, it can- 
 not be hid from God, who is the sure avenger of all such 
 wickedness. Nay, God hath very particularly threatened 
 this sin, 1 Cor. iii. 17, If any man defile the Temple of God, 
 him shall God destroy. This sin of uncleanness is a kind 
 of sacrilege, a polluting those bodies, which God hath chosen 
 for his temples, and therefore no wonder, if it be thus hea- 
 vily punished. 
 
 23. Lastly, this sin shuts us out from the kingdom of 
 
 Heaven, wherein no impure thinor can enter. 
 
 IT SHUTS OUT .1 ^1 '^ 1- . n^.-. 
 
 And we never find any list ot those sms 
 ^^^" ' which bar men thence, but this of unclean- 
 ness hath a special place in it. Thus it is. Gal. v. 19, and 
 so again, 1 Cor. vi. 9. If we will thus pollute ourselves, we 
 are fit company only for those black spirits, the devil and his 
 
SUNDAY Vll.] VIRTUE OF CHASTITY. 141 
 
 angels, and therefore with them we must expect our portion, 
 where our flames of lust shall end in flames of fire. 
 
 24. All this laid together, may surely recommend the vir- 
 tue of Chastity to us, for the preservinor of 
 which we must be very careful, first to 
 check the beginnings of the temptation, to 
 cast away the very first fancy of lust with indignation ; for 
 if you once fall to parley and talk with it, it gains still more 
 upon you, and then it will be harder to resist : therefore your 
 way in this temptation is to fly rather than fight with it. 
 This is very necessary, not only that we may avoid the dan- 
 ger of proceeding to act the sin, but also in respect of the 
 present fault of entertaining such fancies, which of itself, 
 though it should never proceed further, is as hath been 
 showed, a great abomination before God. Secondly, have a 
 special care to fly idleness, which is the proper soil for these 
 filthy weeds to grow in, and keep thyself always busied in 
 some innocent or virtuous employment : for then these fan- 
 cies will be less apt to oflTer themselves. Thirdly, never 
 suffer thyself to recall any unclean passages of thy former 
 life with delight, for that is to act over the sin again, and will 
 be so reckoned by God ; nay, perhaps thus deliberately to 
 think of it, may be a greater guilt than a rash acting of it. 
 For this both shows thy heart to be set upon filthiness, and 
 is also a preparation to more acts of it. Fourthly, forbear 
 the company of such light and wanton persons, as either by 
 the filthhiess of their discourse, or any other means may be 
 a snare to thee. Fifthly, pray earnestly that God would 
 give thee the Spirit of Purity, especially at the time of any 
 present temptation. Bring the unclean devil to Christ to be 
 cast out, as did the man in the gospel ; and if it will not be 
 cast out with prayer alone, add fasting to it ; but be sure 
 thou do not keep up the flame by any high or immoderate 
 feeding. The last remedy, when the former prove vain, is 
 marriage, which becomes a duty to him that cannot live in- 
 nocently without it. But even here there must be care 
 taken, lest this, which should be for his good, become not to 
 him an occasion of falling for want of sobriety in the use of 
 marriage. But this I have touched on already, and therefore 
 need add no more but an earnest entreaty, that men would 
 consider seriously of the foulness and danger of this sin of 
 uncleanness, and not let the commonness of it lessen their 
 
142 VIRTUE OF TEMPERANCE. [sUNDAY VII. 
 
 hatred of it, but rather make them abhor that shameless 
 impudence of the w^orld, that can make Ught of this sin 
 against which God hath pronounced such heavy curses : 
 Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge, Heb. xiii. 
 4 ; and so he will certainly do all sorts of unclean persons 
 whatsoever. 
 
 25. The second Virtue that concerns our bodies, is Tem- 
 
 perance : and the exercises of that are 
 temperance. ^jj^gj,g. ^g^ firsts Temperance in eating; 
 
 secondly, in drinking ; thirdly, in sleep ; fourthly, in recrea- 
 tion ; fifthly, in apparel. I shall speak of them severally ; 
 and first, of Temperance in Eating. This 
 1 ea I G. temperance is observed when our eating is 
 agreeable to those ends to which eating is 
 ends of eat- ^y Q^^ ^^^ nature designed; those are 
 first, the being ; secondly, the well-being 
 of our bodies. 
 
 26. Man is of such a frame, that eating becomes necessary 
 
 to him for the preserving his life ; hunger 
 
 preserving of , • X 1 T V,- 1, 11 
 
 bemg a natural disease which will prove 
 deadly if not prevented, and the only phy- 
 sic for it is eating, which is therefore become a necessary 
 means of keeping us alive. And that is the first end of eat- 
 ing, and as men use not to take physic for pleasure, but 
 remedy, so neither should they eat. 
 
 27. But secondly, God hath been so bountiful as to pro- 
 
 vide not only for the being, but the well- 
 being of our bodies ; and, therefore, we are 
 not tied to such strictness, that we may eat no more than 
 will just keep us from starving, but we may also eat what- 
 soever either for kind or quantity most tends to the health 
 and welfare of them. Now that eating which is agreeable 
 to these ends is within the bounds of temperance, as on the 
 contrary, whatsoever is contrary to them is a transgression 
 against it ; he, therefore, that sets up to himself other ends 
 of eating, as either the pleasing of his taste, or (what is yet 
 worse) the pampering of his body, that he may the better 
 serve his lust, he directly thwarts and crosses these ends of 
 God : for he that hath those aims doth that which is very 
 contrary to health, yea, to life itself, as appears by the many 
 diseases and untimely deaths which surfeiting and unclean- 
 ness daily bring on men. 
 
RULES OF TEM- 
 PERANCE IN 
 
 EATING. 
 
 SUNDAY VII.] VIRTUE OF TEMPERANCE. 143 
 
 28. He, therefory, that will practise this Virtue of Tem- 
 perance, must neither eat so much, nor of 
 any such sorts of meat (provided he can 
 have other) as may be hurtful to his health : 
 what the sorts or qualities shall be, is im- 
 possible to set down, for that differs according to the several 
 constitutions of men : some men may with temperance eat 
 a great deal, because their stomachs require it ; when an- 
 other may be guilty of intemperance in eating but half so 
 much, because it is more than is useful to him. And so also 
 for the sort of meat, it may be niceness and luxury for some 
 to be curious in them, when yet some degree of it may be 
 necessary to the infirmities of a weak stomach, which not 
 out of wantonness but disease cannot eat the coarser meats. 
 But I think it may in general be said, that to healthful bodies 
 the plainest meats are generally the most wholesome ; but 
 every man must in this be left to judge for himself; and that 
 he may do it aright, he must be careful that he never suffer 
 himself to be enslaved to his palate, for that will be sure to 
 satisfy itself, whatever becomes of health or life. 
 
 29. To secure him the better, let him consider. First, how 
 unreasonable a thing it is that the whole 
 
 body should be subjected to this one sense ^ ^^* 
 
 of tasting, that it must run all hazards only to please that. 
 But it is yet much more so, that the diviner part, the soul, 
 should also be thus enslaved ; and yet thus it is in an intem- 
 perate person, his very soul must be sacrificed to this brutish 
 appetite ; for the sin of intemperance, though it be acted by 
 the body, yet the soul must share in the eternal punishment 
 of it. Secondly, consider how extreme short and vanishing 
 this pleasure is, it is gone in a moment ; but the pains that 
 attend the excess of it are much more durable, and then 
 surely it agrees not with that common reason, wherewith, as 
 men we are indued, to set our hearts upon it. But then in 
 the third place, it agrees yet worse with the temper of a 
 Christian, who should have his heart so purified and refined 
 with the expectation of those higher and spiritual joys he 
 looks for in another world, that he should very much despise 
 these gross and brutish pleasures, which beasts are as capa- 
 ble of as we, and to them we may well be contented to leave 
 them, it being the highest their natures can reach to ; but 
 for us who have so much more excellent hopes, it is an into- 
 lerable shame that we should account them as any part of 
 
144 TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. [sUNDAY VIII. 
 
 our happiness. Lastly, the sin of Gluttony is so great and 
 dangerous, that Christ thought fit to give an especial warning 
 against it. Take heed to yourselves that your hearts be not 
 over-charged with surfeiting^ ^"C. Luke xxi. 34. . And you 
 know what was the end of the rich glutton, Luke xvi. He 
 that had fared deliciously every day, at last wants a drop 
 of water to cool his tongue. So much for the first sort of 
 temperance, that of eating. 
 
 SUNDAY VIII. 
 
 Of Temperance in Drinking. False Ends of Drinking, viz. Good-fel- 
 lowship, putting away Cares, &c. 
 
 The second is Temperance in Drinking; and the ends of 
 
 eating and drinking bein^ much the same, 
 temperance IN t • .1. J- f 1 • *i.- *v, 
 
 1 can give no other direct rules in this, than 
 
 DRINKING. T . ^ • • .1. r . •* *u 4. 
 
 what were given in the former, to wit, that 
 we drink neither of such sorts of liquor, nor in such quanti- 
 ties as may not agree with the right ends of drinking, the 
 preserving our lives and healths ; only in this there will be 
 need of putting in one caution ; for our understandings being 
 in more danger to be hurt by drinking than meat, we must 
 rather take care to keep that safe, and rather not drink what 
 we might safely in respect of our health, if it be in danger 
 to distemper our reason. This I say, because it is possible 
 some men's brains may be so weak that their heads cannot 
 bear that ordinary quantity of drink which would do their 
 bodies no harm. And whoever is of this temper, must 
 strictly abstain from that danger of drink, or that sort of it 
 which he finds hath that effect, yea, though it do in other 
 respects appear not only safe but useful to his health. For 
 though we are to preserve our healths, yet we are not to do 
 it by sin, as drunkenness most certainly is. 
 
 2. But alas ! of those multitudes of drunkards we have 
 in the world, this is the case but of very 
 
 FALSE ENDS OF r . r \i • r i 11,* 
 
 few, most of them ffoins: lar beyond what 
 
 DRINKING. ., • 1 1.1 . ^ ^ \ 
 
 their health requires, yea, or can bear, even 
 to the utter destruction thereof. And, therefore, it is plain, 
 men have set up to themselves some other ends of drinking 
 than those allowable ones forementioned ; it may not be 
 
SUNDAY VIII.] TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. 145 
 
 amiss a little to explain what they are, and withal to show 
 the unreasonableness of them. 
 
 3. The first, and most owned, is that which they call 
 Good-Fellowship ; one man drinks to keep 
 
 ,1 i. V T> X T iJ f GOOD-FELLOW- 
 
 another company at it. But 1 would ask 
 such a one, whether if that man were drink- 
 ing rank poison he would pledge him for company ? If he 
 say he would not, I must tell him, that by the very same, 
 nay, far greater reasons, he is not to do this. For immode- 
 rate drinking is that very poison ; perhaps it doth not always 
 work death immediate (yet there want not many instances 
 of its having done even that, very many have died in their 
 drunken fit) but that the custom of it does usually bring men 
 to their ends, is past doubt; and, therefore, though the poison 
 work slowly, yet it is still poison. But however, it doth at 
 the present work that which a wise man would more abhor 
 than death ; it works madness, and frenzy turns the man into 
 a beast, by drowning that reason which should difference him 
 from one. Certainly the effects of drink are such, that had 
 being drunk been first enjoined as a punishment, we should 
 have thought him a more than ordinary tyrant that had in- 
 vented it. 
 
 4. A second end of drinking is said to be the maintaining 
 of friendship and kindness amono^st men. 
 
 D i xT-- • : 1 ui xi, X PRESERVING OF 
 
 But this IS strangely unreasonable, that men 
 should do that towards the maintaining of 
 friendship, which is really the greatest mischief that can be 
 done to any man. Did ever any think to befriend a man by 
 helping to destroy his estate, his credit, his life ? Yet he 
 that thus drinks with a man does this and much more ; he 
 ruins his reason, yea, his soul, and yet this must be called 
 the way of preserving of friendship. This is so ridiculous, 
 that one would think none could own it but when he were 
 actually drunk. But besides, alas ! experience shows us, 
 that this is fitter to beget quarrels than preserve kindness, as 
 the many drunken brawls we every day see, with the wounds, 
 and sometimes murders that accompany them, do witness. 
 
 5. A third end is said to be the cheering of their spirits, 
 making them merry and jolly. But sure ^j_jj,j,j^jjj^j ^j^^ 
 if the mirth be such that reason must be „,„,^„ 
 
 SPIRITS 
 
 turned out of doors before it begin, it will 
 be very little worth; one may say with Solomon, Eccles. 
 ii. 2, The laughter of such fools is madness. And sure 
 
 13 
 
146 TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. [sUNDAY VIII. 
 
 they that will be drunk to put themselves in this temper, 
 must by the same reason be glad of a frenzy, if they could 
 but be sure it would be of the merry sort. But little do 
 these merry folks think what sadness they are all this while 
 heaping up to themselves, often in this world, when by some 
 mad pranks they play in their jollity, they bring mischief 
 upon themselves ; but, however, certainly in another, where 
 this mirth will be sadly reckoned for. 
 
 6. A fourth end is said to be the putting away of cares : but 
 
 I shall ask what those cares are ? Be they 
 
 PUTTING AWAY ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^ ^^ p^^ ^^^^ ^ Perhaps they 
 
 CARES. ^^^ some checks and remorses of conscience, 
 
 which must be thus charmed. And I doubt this hath proved 
 too effectual with many to the laying them asleep. But this 
 is the wickedest folly in the world ; for if thou thinkest not 
 these checks to have something considerable in them, why do 
 they trouble thee ? But if thou do, it is impossible thou canst 
 hope this can long secure thee from them. Thou mayest thus 
 stop their mouths for awhile, but they will one day cry the 
 louder for it. Suppose a thief or a murderer knew he were 
 pursued to be brought to justice, would he, think you, to put 
 away the fear of being hanged, fall to drinking, and in the 
 mean time lake no care for his escape ? Or would you not 
 think him desperately mad, if he did ? Yet this is the very 
 case here, thy conscience tells thee of thy danger, that thou 
 must ere long be brought before God's judgment-seat ; and is 
 it not madness for thee, instead of endeavouring to get thy 
 pardon, to drink away the thought of thy danger ? But in the 
 second place, suppose these cares be some worldly ones, 
 and such as are fit to be put away ; then for shame do not so 
 disgrace thy Reason, thy Christianity, as not to let them be 
 as forcible to that end as a little drink. Thy reason will tell 
 thee it is in vain to care, where care will bring no advantage : 
 and thy Christianity will direct thee to one on whom thou 
 mayest safely cast all thy cares, for he careth for thee, 1 Pet. 
 V. 7. And therefore unless thou meanest to renounce being 
 both a man and a Christian, never betake thee this pitiful 
 shift to rid thee of thy cares. But besides this will not do 
 the deed neither, for though it may at the present, whilst 
 thou art in the height of the drunken fit, keep thee from the 
 sense of thy cares, yet when that is over, they will return 
 again with greater violence ; and, if thou hast any conscience, 
 
SUNDAY VIII.] TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. 147 
 
 bring a new care with them, even that which ariscth from 
 the guilt of so foul a sin. 
 
 7. A fifth end is said to be the passing away of Time. 
 This, though it be as unreasonable as any 
 of the former ; yet by the way, it serves to ssing away 
 reproach idleness, which is, it seems, so 
 burdensome a thing, that even this vilest employment is 
 preferred before it. But this is in many a very false plea ; 
 for they often spend time at the pot, not only when they 
 have nothing else to do, but even to the neglect of their most 
 necessary business. However it is in all a most unreason- 
 able one ; for there is no man but he may find somewhat or 
 other to employ himself in. If he have litde worldly business 
 of his own, he may yet do somewhat to the benefit of others ; 
 but however there is no man but hath a Soul, and if he will 
 look carefully to that, he need not complain for want of 
 business ; where there are so many corruptions to mortify, 
 so many inclinations to watch over, so many temptations 
 (whereof this of drunkenness is not the least) to resist, the 
 Graces of God to improve and stir up, and former neglects 
 of all these to lament, sure there can never want sufficient 
 employment ; for all these require time, and so men at their 
 deaths find ; for those that have all their lives made it their 
 business to drive away their time, would then give all the 
 world to redeem it. And sure where there is much leisure 
 from worldly afiairs, God expects to have the more time 
 thus employed in spiritual exercises. But it is not likely 
 those meaner sorts of persons, to whom this book is intended, 
 will be of the number of those that have much leisure, and 
 therefore I shall no farther insist on it ; only I shall say this : 
 that what degrees of leisure they at any time have, it con- 
 cerns them to employ to the benefit of their Souls, and not 
 to bestow it to the ruin of them, as they do, who spend it in 
 drinking. 
 
 8. A sixth end is said to be the preventing of that reproach 
 which is by the world cast on those that 
 will in this be stricter than their neighbours. eventing 
 
 But in answer to this, I shall first ask, what reproach. 
 is the harm of such reproach ? Sure it cannot equal the least 
 of those mischiefs drunkenness betrays us to. Nay, if we 
 will take our Saviour's word, it is a happiness, Blessed 
 saith he, are ye when men shall revile you, and say all 
 manner of evil against you for my sake, Matt. v. 11. 
 
148 TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. [sUNDAY VIII. 
 
 And St. Peter tells, 1 Pet. iv. 14, If ye be reproached for 
 the Name of Christ, happy are ye : and sure to be reproach- 
 ed for obedience to any command of Christ's, is to be re- 
 proached for his Name. Secondly, Let it be remembered 
 that at our Baptism we solemnly renounced the world ; and 
 shall we now so far consider it, as for a few scoffs of it to 
 run ourselves on all the temporal evils before mentioned ; 
 and which is much worse, the wrath of God and eternal 
 destruction ? But thirdly, if you fear reproach, why do ye 
 do that which will bring reproach upon you from all wise 
 and good men, whose opinion alone is to be regarded ? And 
 it is certain, drinking is the way to bring it on you from all 
 such. And to comfort thyself against that, by thinking thou 
 art still applauded by the foolish and worst sort of men, is 
 as if all the madmen in the world should agree to count 
 themselves the only sober persons, and all others mad, which 
 yet sure will never make them the less mad, nor others the 
 less sober. Lastly, consider the heavy doom Christ hath 
 pronounced on those that are ashamed of him, and so are all 
 those that for fear of reproach shall shrink from their obe- 
 dience to him, Matt. viii. 38, Whosoever shall he ashamed 
 of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful genera- 
 tion, of him shall the Son of man he ashamed, when he 
 cometh in the glory of the Father with the holy Jingels. 
 There is none but will at that day desire to be owned by 
 Christ : but whoever will not here own him, that is, cleave 
 fast to his commands, notwithstanding all the scorns, nay, 
 persecutions of the world, shall then certainly be cast off by 
 him. And he that will adventure thus to maintain his credit 
 among a company of fools and madmen, deserves well to 
 have it befall him : but after all this, it is not sure that even 
 these will despise thee for thy sobriety : it is possible thej^ 
 may seem to do so to fright thee out of it ; but if their hearts 
 were searched, it would be found they do even against their 
 wills bear a secret reverence to sober persons, and none fall 
 more often under their scorn and despising, than those that 
 run with them to the same excess of riot ; for even he that 
 sticks not to be drunk himself, will yet laugh at another that 
 he sees so. 
 
 9. There is a seventh end, which though every man thinks 
 
 too base to own, yet it is too plain it prevails 
 
 pleasure of ^^.^i^ j^^^^y . ^^j ^j^j^^ -g ^j^g |^^^,g pleasure 
 
 THE DRINK. ^^ ^^^ j^.-^j^ . ^^^ ^^ ^j^^g^ j COllfcSS it wiU 
 
SUNDAY VIII.] TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. 149 
 
 not be fit to say much ; for he that is come to this lament- 
 able decree of sottishness is not like to receive benefit by any 
 thing can be said: yet let me tell even this man that he of all 
 others hath the most means of discerning his fault ; for this 
 being such a ground of drinking as nobody will own, he is 
 condemned of himself, yea, and all his fellow-drimkards too ; 
 for their denying it is a plain sign they acknowledge it a most 
 abominable thing. And if Esau were called a profane person, 
 Heb. xii. 6, for selling but his birthright for a mess of pot- 
 tage, and that too Avhen he had the necessity of hunger upon 
 him ; what name of reproach can be bad enough for him who 
 sells his health, his reason, his God, his Soul, for a cup of 
 drink, and that when he is so far from needing it, that per- 
 haps he hath already more than he can keep ? I shall say no 
 more to this sort of persons, but let me warn all those that 
 go on in this sin on any of the former grounds, that a little 
 time will bring them even to this which they profess to loath ; 
 it being daily seen that those which first were drawn into the 
 sin for the love of the company, at last continue in it for love 
 of the drink. ^ 
 
 10. I can think but of one end more, that is, that of Bar- 
 ffaininff. Men say it is necessary for them 
 
 T? ARC* ATVTTVP 
 
 to drink in this one respect, of trading with 
 their neighbours, bargains being most conveniently to be 
 struck up at such meetings. But this is yet a worse end than 
 all the rest, for the bottom of it is an aim of cheating and de- 
 frauding others ; we think when men are in drink we shall 
 the better be able to overreach them ; and so this adds the 
 sin of cozenage and defrauding to that of drunkenness. Now 
 that this is indeed the intent is manifest for if it were only 
 the dispatch of bargains were aimed at, we should choose to 
 take men with their wits about them : therefore the taking 
 them when drink hath distempered them can be nothing 
 but to take advantage of them. Yet this often proves a 
 great folly as well as a sin ; for he that drinks with another 
 in hope to overreach him, doth many times prove the weak- 
 er-brained, and becomes drunk first, and then he gives that 
 opportunity of cheating him, which he designed for the 
 cheating of the other. Now this end of drinking is so far 
 from becoming an excuse, that it is a huge heightening of 
 the sin ; for if we may not drink intemperately upon any 
 occasion, much less upon so wicked a one as is the cozening 
 and defrauding of our brethren. 
 
 13* 
 
150 TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. [sUNDAY VIU. 
 
 11. I suppose I have now showed you the unreasonable- 
 
 ness of those motives, which are ordinarily 
 DEGREES OF ^pQUglit in excuse of this sin. I am yet 
 THIS SIN. further to tell you, that it is not only that 
 huge degree of drunkenness which makes men able neither 
 to go nor speak, which is to be looked on as a sin, but all 
 lower degrees, which do at all work upon the understanding, 
 Avhether by dulling it and making it less fit for any employ- 
 ment, or by making it too light and airy, apt to apish and 
 ridiculous mirth, or what is worse, by inflaming men into 
 rage and fury. These, or whatever else make any change 
 in the man, are to be reckoned in to this sin of drunkenness ; 
 nay, further, the drinking beyond the natural ends of drink- 
 ing, that is, beyond moderate refreshment, is a sin, though 
 by the strength of a man's brain it makes not the least change 
 in him ; and therefore those that are not actually drunk, yet 
 can spend whole days, or any considerable part of them in 
 drinking, are so far from being innocent, that that greater 
 woe belongs to them which is pronounced, Isaiah v. 22, 
 against those that are mighty to drii;k. For though such a 
 man may make a shift to preserve his wits, yet that wit serves 
 him to very little purpose, when his employment is still but 
 the same with him that is the most sottishly drunk, that is, 
 to pour down drink. 
 
 12. Nay, this man is guilty of the greatest waste: first, 
 
 of the good creatures of God ; that drink 
 which is by God's providence intended for 
 the refreshment and relieving of us, is 
 
 STRONG drink- , i J • x i, -^ • j i i 
 
 abused and misspent when it is drunk be- 
 yond that measure which those ends re- 
 quire ; and sure there is not the meanest of these creatures 
 we enjoy, but the abuse of them shall one day be accounted 
 for, and he that drinks longest hath the most of that guilt. 
 But in the second place, this is a waste of that which is 
 much more precious, our time, which is allowed us by God 
 to work out our salvation in, and must be strictly reckoned 
 for ; and, therefore, ought every minute of it to be most 
 thriftily husbanded to that end in actions of good life ; but 
 when it is thus laid out, it tends to the direct contrary, even 
 the working out our damnation. Besides, he that thus drinks, 
 though he escape being drunk himself, he is yet guilty of 
 all the drunkenness that any of his company fall under ; for 
 he gives them encouragement to drink on by his example, 
 
SUNDAY VIII.] TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. 151 
 
 especially if he be one of any authority ; but if he be one 
 whose company the rest are fond of, his company is then a 
 certain ensnaring of them, for then they will drink too, rather 
 than lose him. There is yet a greater fault that many of 
 these stronger brained drinkers are guilty of, that is, the set- 
 ting themselves purposely to make others drunk, playing, as 
 it were, a prize at it, and counting it matter of triumph and 
 victory to see others fall before them. This is a most horri- 
 ble wickedness, it is the making ourselves the devil's factors, 
 endeavouring all we can to draw our poor brethren into eter- 
 nal misery, by betraying them to so grievous a sin ; and, 
 therefore, it may well be reckoned as the highest step of this 
 vice of drinking, as having in it the sin of mischieving others 
 added to the excess in ourselves. And though it be looked 
 upon in the world as a matter only of jest and merriment to 
 make others drunk, that we may sport ourselves with their 
 ridiculous behaviour, yet that mirth will have a sad conclu- 
 sion, there being a woe expressly threatened by God to this 
 very sin, Hab. ii. 15, Woe unto him that giveth his neigh- 
 bour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him 
 drunk, that thou mayest look on their nakedness; and sure 
 he buys his idle pastime very dear, that takes it with such 
 a woe attending it. 
 
 13. I have now gone through the several motives to, and 
 degrees of this sin of drunkenness, where- 
 in I have been the more particular, because 
 
 ., . . ^ , ^ . . ' ^ MISCHIEFS OF 
 
 it IS a Sin so strangely reigning amongst 
 
 j.^. 6^66 & THIS SIN. 
 
 us : no condition, no age, or scarce any sex, 
 free from it, to the great dishonour of God, reproach of 
 Christianity, and ruin, not only of our own souls hereafter, 
 but even of all our present advantages and happiness in this 
 life ; there being no sin which betrays each single committer 
 to more mischiefs in his understanding, his health, his credit, 
 his estate, than this one doth. And we have reason to be- 
 lieve this sin is one of those common crying guilts which 
 have long lain heavy upon this nation, and pulled down those 
 many judgments we have groaned under. 
 
 14. Therefore, Christian reader, let me now entreat, nay, 
 conjure thee by all that tenderness and love 
 
 .1 i./i ..1.1- rr-tj EXHORTATION 
 
 thou ouffhest to have to the honour oi God, 
 
 ^, ?. c -L. r^\ • .• c • .TO FORSAKE IT. 
 
 the credit of thy Christian protession, eter- 
 nal welfare of thine own soul, the prosperity of the church 
 and nation whereof thou art a member ; nay, by that love 
 
152 TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. [sUNDAY VIII. 
 
 which certainly thou hast to thy own temporal welfare, to 
 think sadly of what hath been spoken ; and then judge whe- 
 ther there be any pleasure in this sin which can be any tole- 
 rable recompense for all those mischiefs it brings with it. I 
 am confident no man in his wits can think there is ; and if 
 there be not, then be ashamed to be any longer that fool, 
 which shall make so wretched a bargain, but begin at this 
 instant a firm and a faithful resolution, never once more to be 
 guilty of this swinish sin, how often soever thou hast here- 
 tofore fallen into it, and in the fear of God betake thee to a 
 strict temperance ; which when thou hast done, thou wilt 
 find thou hast made, not only a gainful, but a pleasant ex- 
 change ; for there is a man that hath tried both courses, but 
 his own heart will tell him there is infinitely more present 
 comfort and pleasure in sobriety and temperance, than ever 
 all his drunken revellings afforded him. 
 
 15. The main difficulty is the first breaking off the custom, 
 
 and that arises partly from ourselves, partly 
 THE DiFFicuL- ^^^^ others. That from ourselves may be 
 
 TIES OF DOING ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ . ^^^ ^^^^ -^^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ 
 
 so CONSIDERED, j^^^.^ ^^ drinking, we have brought such 
 
 false thirsts upon ourselves, that our bodies seem to require 
 
 it, and this wants nothing but a little pa- 
 
 SEEMiNG NECES- ^.^^^^ ^^ Qvercomc. Do but refrain some 
 
 siTY OF DRINK. ^^^ days, and it will afterwards grow^ easy ; 
 for the darkness arising only from custom, the breaking off 
 that does the business. If thou say, it is very uneasy to do 
 so, consider, whether if thou had some disease which would 
 certainly kill thee if thou didst not for some little lime refrain 
 immoderate drinking, thou wouldst not rather forbear than 
 die. If thou wouldst not, thou art so brutish a sot, that it is 
 in vain to persuade thee ; but if thou hadst, then consider 
 how unreasonable it is for thee not to do it in this case also ; 
 the habit of drinking may well pass for a mortal disease, it 
 proves so very often to the body, but will most certainly to 
 the soul ; and, therefore, it is madness to stick at that unea- 
 siness in the cure of this, which thou wouldst submit to in 
 a less danger. Set, therefore, but a resolute purpose to en 
 dure that little trouble for a small time, and this first difficulty 
 is conquered, for after thou has awhile refrained, it will be 
 perfectly easy to do so still. 
 
 16. The second difficulty is that of spending the time, 
 which those that have made drinking their trade and busi- 
 
SUNDAY VIII.] TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. 153 
 
 ness, know scarce how to dispose of. But 
 the very naming of this difficulty directs to ^^^"^ ^^ ^^' 
 the cure ; get thee some business, some- loyment. 
 what to employ thyself in, which, as I have already showed, 
 will be easily found by all sorts of persons. But those 
 meaner to whom I now write can sure never want it ready 
 at hand, they being generally such as are to be maintained by 
 their labour ; and, therefore, to them I need only give this 
 advice, to be diligent ia that business they have, to follow 
 that close as they ought ; and they will have litde occasion 
 to seek out this way of spending their time. 
 
 17. There is another sort of difficulty, which I told you 
 arises from others, and that is either from 
 
 their persuasions or reproaches. It is very p^^^^suasions 
 likely if thy old companions see thee begin ^'^^ Reproach- 
 to fall off, they will set hard to thee, to ^^ ^^ ^^^• 
 bring thee back to thy old course, they will urge to thee the 
 unkindness of forsaking the company of thy friends, the 
 sadness of renouncing all that mirth and jollity, which good 
 fellows (as they call them) enjoy ; and if thou canst not thus 
 be won they will affright thee with the reproach of the 
 world, and so try if they can mock thee out of thy sobriety. 
 
 18. The way to overcome this difficulty is to foresee it; 
 therefore, when thou first enterest on thy 
 
 course of temperance, thou art to make 
 account thou shalt meet with these (per- 
 haps many other) temptations ; and that them. 
 thou mayest make a right judgment,- whether they be worthy 
 to prevail with thee, take them beforehand and weigh them ; 
 consider whether that false kindness that is maintained among 
 men by drinking be worthy to be com- 
 pared with that real and everlasting kind- ^^^^" '^^^ ^^' 
 ness of God, which is lost by it ; whether ^^^tage with 
 that foolish, vain mirth bear any weight 
 with the present joys of a good conscience here, or with 
 those greater of heaven hereafter. Lastly, whether the un- 
 just reproach of wicked men, the shame of the world be so 
 terrible as the just reproof of thine own conscience at the 
 present, and that eternal confusion of face that shall befall 
 all those that go on in this sin, at the last day ; weigh all 
 these, I say, I need not say in the balance of the sanctuary, 
 but even in the scales of common reason, and sure thou wilt 
 
154 TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. [sUNDAY VIII. 
 
 be forced to pronounce, that the motives to temperance infi- 
 nitely outweigh those against it. When thou hast thus 
 advisedly judged, then fix thy resolution accordingly ; and 
 whenever any of these temptations come to stagger thee, 
 remember thou hast formerly weighed them, knowest the 
 just value of them, and that they are a most unworthy price 
 for those precious advantages thou must give in exchange for 
 them. And, therefore, hold fast thy resolution, and with 
 indignation reject all motions to the contrary. 
 
 19. But be sure thou thus reject them at their very first 
 
 tender, and do not yield in the least de- 
 
 REJECT THE r -r j.\. • j. J xu 
 
 gree ; for if once thou givest ground, thou 
 
 TEMPTATION AT ^ , t ' .1 • ii u r**l A r**1 
 
 art lost, the sm will by little and little pre- 
 
 THE VERY BE- •, ,1 rr«i, u 
 
 vail upon thee. 1 hus we see many, who 
 have professed to be resolved upon great 
 temperance, yet for want of this care, have adventured into 
 the company of good fellows ; when they have been there, 
 they have at the first been over-entreated to take a cup, 
 after that another, till at last they have taken their rounds as 
 freely as any of them, and in that flood of drink drowned all 
 their sober resolutions. Therefore, whoever thou art, that 
 dost really desire to forsake the sin, take care to avoid the 
 occasions and beginnings of it ; to which end it will be good 
 openly to declare and own thy purposes of sobriety ; that so 
 thou mayest discourage men from assaulting thee. But if 
 either thou art ashamed to own it, or seemest to be so, 
 they will quickly make use of that shame to bring thee to 
 break it. 
 
 20. If thou be thus wary to keep thee from the first begin- 
 
 nings, thou art then sure never to be over- 
 
 THE SECURITY , i ^ .u *i,- • c * • ri *i, i 
 
 taken with this sin ; tor it is like the keep- 
 ing the outworks of a besieged city, which, 
 so long as they are stoutly defended, there is no danger ; but 
 if they be either surprised or yielded, the city cannot long 
 hold out. The advice therefore of the wise man is very 
 agreeable to this matter, Eccles. xix. 1, He that despiseth 
 small things shall perish by little and little. But because, as 
 the Psalmist saith, Psalm cxxvii. 1, Except the Lord keep 
 the city, the ivatchman waketh hut in vain : therefore to 
 this guard of thyself add thy most earnest prayers to God, 
 that he will also watch over thee, and by the strength of his 
 grace enable thee to resist all temptations to this sin. 
 
SUNDAY VIII.] TEMPERANCE IN DRINKING. 155 
 
 21. If thou do in the sincerity of thy heart use these 
 means, there is no doubt but thou wiU be 
 
 able to overcome this vice, how long soever ^^ 
 
 thou hast been accustomed to it ; therefore means 
 
 if thou do still remain under the power of inder- 
 
 it, never excuse thyself by the impossibi- love of 
 
 lity of the task, but rather accuse the false- 
 ness of thy own. heart, that hath still such a love to this sin, 
 that thou wilt not set roundly to the means of subduing it. 
 
 22. Perhaps the great commonness of the sin and thy 
 particular custom of it may have made it so 
 
 much thy familiar, thy bosom acquaintance, 
 that thou art loath to entertain hard thoughts ^^^^^ ^ ^^^ 
 of it, very unwilling thou art to think that it ^^^'^^ ^^ ^^" 
 means thee any hurt, and therefore art apt 
 to speak peace to thyself, to hope that either 
 this is no sin, or at most but a frailty, such as will not bar 
 thee out of Heaven : but deceive not thyself, for thou may- 
 est as well say there is no heaven, as that drunkenness shall 
 not keep thee thence ; I am sure the same word of God which 
 tells us there is such a place of happiness, tells us also that 
 drunkards are of the number of those that shall not inherit 
 it, 1 Cor. vi. 10. And again. Gal. v. 21, Drunkenness is 
 reckoned among those works of the flesh, which they that 
 do shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. And indeed, 
 had not those plain texts, yet mere reason would tell us the 
 same, that that is a place of infinite purity, such as flesh 
 and blood, till it be refined and purified, is not capable of, as 
 the apostle tells us, 1 Cor. xv. 53, and if as we are mere 
 men, we are too gross and impure for it, we must sure be 
 more so when we have changed ourselves into swine, the 
 foulest of beasts ; we are then prepared for the devils to enter 
 into, as they did into the herd, Mark v. 13, and that not 
 only some one or two, but a legion, a troop and multitude 
 of them. And of this we daily see examples ; for where 
 this sin of drunkenness hath taken possession, it usually 
 comes as an harbinger to abundance of others ; each act of 
 drunkenness prepares a man not only for another of the same 
 sin, but of others : lust and rage, and all brutish appetites are 
 then let loose, and so a man brings himself under that curse, 
 which was the saddest David knew how to foretell to any, 
 the falling from one wickedness to another. If all this be 
 not enough to aff'right thee out of this drunken fit, thou mayest 
 
156 TEMPERANCE IN SLEEP. LSUNDAY IX. 
 
 Still wallow in thy vomit, continue in this sottish, senseless 
 condition, till the flames of Hell rouse thee, and then thou 
 wilt by sad experience find, what now thou wilt not believe, 
 that the end of those things, as the Apostle saith, Rom. vi. 
 21, is death. God in his infinite mercy timely awake the 
 hearts of all that are in this sin, that by a timely forsaking it 
 they may fly from the wrath to come. I have now done 
 with this second part of Temperance, concerning Drinking. 
 
 SUNDAY IX. 
 
 Temperance in Sleep : the Rule of it, &c. Mischiefs of Sloth. Of 
 Recreations : Cautions to be observed in them. Of Apparel, &c. 
 
 The third part of Temperance concerns Sleep : and Tem- 
 perance in that also must be measured by the 
 end for which Sleep was ordained by God, 
 which was only the refreshing and supporting of our frail 
 bodies, which being of such a temper that continual labour 
 and toil tires and wearies them out. Sleep comes as a medi- 
 cine to that weariness, as a repairer of that decay, that so we 
 may be enabled to such labours as the duties of Religion or 
 works of our calling require of us. Sleep was intended to 
 make us more profitable, not more idle ; as we give rest to 
 our beasts, not that Ave are pleased with their doing nothing, 
 but that they may do us the better service. 
 
 2. By this therefore you may judge what is temperate sleep- 
 ing ; to wit, that which tends to the refresh- 
 
 THE RULE OF . ^ 1 i • ,• 1 ^ c^ c 
 
 inff and making us more lively and fit for 
 
 TEMPERANCE °. j ,^,t ^ j j . j 
 
 action ; and to that end a moderate degree 
 serves best. It will be impossible to set 
 down just how many hours is that moderate degree, because, 
 as in eating, so in sleep, some constitutions require more 
 than others : Every man's own experience must in this judge 
 for him, but then let him judge uprightly, and not consult 
 with his sloth in the case ; for that will still, with Solomon's 
 sluggard, cry, Ji little m,ore sleep, a little more slumber, a 
 little more folding of the hands to sleep, Prov. xxiv. 33. 
 But take only so much as he really finds to tend to the end 
 forementioned. 
 
SUNDAY IX.] TEMPERANCE IN SLEEP. 157 
 
 3. He that doth not thus limit himself falls into several 
 sins under this general one of sloth : as 
 first, he wastes his time, that precious '^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ 
 
 rpTT A '¥^ "POT T #~ITir 
 
 talent which was committed to him by God 
 
 1 . 1 1 ^, , 1 '' THE TRANSGRES- 
 
 to improve, which he that sleeps away, 
 doth like him in the Gospel, Matt. xxv. ^^^^ °^ ''^• 
 18, hides it in the earth, when he should be trading with it; 
 and you know what was the doom of that unprofitable servant, 
 verse 30, Cast ye him into outer darkness : he that gives 
 himself to darkness of sleep here, shall there have darkness 
 without sleep, but with weeping and gnashing of teeth. 
 Secondly, he injures his body: immoderate sleep fills that 
 full of diseases, makes it a very sink of humours, as daily 
 experience shows us. Thirdly, he injures his Soul also, and 
 that not only in robbing it of the service of the body, but in 
 dulling its proper faculties, making them useless and unfit 
 for those employments to which God hath designed them ; 
 of all which ill husbandry the poor soul must one day give 
 account. Nay, lastly, he affronts and despises God himself 
 in it, by crossing the very end of his creation, which was to 
 serve God in an active obedience; but he that sleeps away 
 his life, directly thwarts and contradicts that, and when God 
 saith, Man is born to labour, his practice saith the direct 
 contrary, that man is born to rest. Take heed therefore of 
 giving thyself to immoderate sleep, which is the committing 
 of so many sins in one. 
 
 4. But besides the sin of it, it is also very hurtful in other 
 respects, it is the sure bane of thy outward 
 
 estate, wherein the sluffffish person shall 
 
 .u • A- ^ 41, 5 u *• CHIEFS OF 
 
 never thrive ; according to that observation 
 of the Wise man. Pro v. xxiii. 21, Drowsi- 
 ness shall cover a man with rags ; that is, the slothful man 
 shall want convenient clothing ; nay, indeed it can scarce be 
 said, that the sluggard lives. Sleep, you know, is a kind 
 of death, and he that gives himself up to it, what doth he 
 but die before his time ? Therefore if untimely death be to 
 be looked upon as a curse, it must needs be a strange folly 
 to choose that from our own sloth which we dread so much 
 from God's hand. 
 
 5. The fourth part of Temperance concerns Recreations, 
 which are sometimes necessary both to the 
 
 body and the mind of a man, neither of temperance in 
 them being able to endure a constant toil Recreation. 
 
 14 
 
158 OF RECREATION. [sUNDAY IX. 
 
 without somewhat of refreshment between ; and therefore 
 there is a very lawful use of them ; but to make it so, it will 
 be necessary to observe these Cautions. 
 
 6. First, we must take care that the kind of them be law- 
 
 ful, that they be such as have nothing of sin 
 
 CAUTIONS TO BE . 'i ^ * w ^ i 
 
 in them ; we must not to recreate ourselves 
 do any thing which is dishonourable to 
 God, or injurious to our neighbour, as they 
 do who make profane or filthy backbiting discourse their 
 recreation. Secondly, we must take care that we use it with 
 moderation : and to do so, we must first be sure not to spend 
 too much time upon it, but remember that the end of recrea- 
 tion is to fit us for business, not to be itself a business to us. 
 Secondly, we must not be too vehement and earnest in it, 
 not set our hearts too much upon it, for that will both ensnare 
 us to the using too much of it, and it will divert and take off 
 our minds from our more necessary employments • like 
 school boys who, after a play-time, know not how to set 
 themselves to their books again. Lastly, we must not set 
 up to ourselves any other end of recreations but that lawful 
 one, of giving us moderate refreshment. 
 
 7. As first, we are not to use Sports only to pass away 
 
 our time, which we ought to study how to 
 
 UNDUE ENDS i ^ a- A i. • ^ ■ 
 
 redeem, not nmo- away ; and when it is 
 
 OF SPORTS. 1 J 1 "1 ^ ^ 
 
 remembered now great a work we have 
 here to do, the making our calling and election, sure, the 
 securing our tide to Heaven hereafter, and how uncertain we 
 are what time shall be allowed us for that purpose ; it will 
 appear our time is that which of all other things we ought 
 most industriously to improve. And therefore sure we have 
 little need to contrive ways of driving that away which flies 
 so fast of itself, and is so impossible to recover. Let them 
 that can spend whole days and nights at cards and dice, and 
 idle pastimes, consider this, and withal, whether they ever 
 bestowed a quarter of that time towards that great business 
 of their lives, for which all their time was given them, and 
 then think what a woful reckoning they are like to make 
 when they come at last to account for that precious treasure 
 of their time. Secondly, we must not let our covetousness 
 liave any thing to do in our recreations : if we play at any 
 game, let the end of our doing it be merely to recreate our- 
 selves, not to win money ; and to that purpose be sure neve.r 
 to play for any considerable matter ; for if thou do, thou wilt 
 
SUNDAY IX.] OF APPAREL. 159 
 
 bring thyself into two dangers, the one of covetousness and 
 a greedy desire of winning, the other of rage and anger at 
 thy ill fortune, if thou happen to lose ; both which will be 
 apt to draw thee into other sins besides themselves. Covet- 
 ousness will tempt thee to cheat and cozen in gaining, and 
 anger to swearing and cursing, as common experience shows 
 us too often. If thou find thyself apt to fall into either of 
 these in thy gaming, thou must either take some course to 
 secure thyself against them, or thou must not permit thyself 
 to play at all ; for though moderate play be in itself not un- 
 lawful, yet if it be the occasion of sin, it is so to thee, and 
 therefore must not be ventured on. For if Christ commands 
 us so strictly to avoid temptations, that if our very eyes or 
 hands offend us (that is, prove snares to us), we must rather 
 part with them, than to be drawn to sin by them, how much 
 rather must we part with any of these unnecessary sports, 
 than run the hazard of offending God by them ? He that so 
 plays lays his soul to stake, which is too great a prize to be 
 played away. Besides, he loses all the recreation and 
 sport he pretends to aim at, and instead of that sets himself 
 to a greater toil than any of those labours are he was to ease 
 by it : for sure the desires and fears of the covetous, the 
 impatience and rage of the angry man are more real pains 
 than any the most laborious work can be. 
 
 8. The last part of Temperance is that of Apparel, which 
 we are again to measure by the agreeable- 
 
 ^ J? 1 ^ 1,- I. 1 *!,• V, 1J TEMPERANCE IN 
 
 ness to the ends for which clothmg should 
 be used. Those are especially of these 
 three : first, the hiding of nakedness. This 
 
 ,1 /I \ • r A 1 APPAREL DE- 
 
 was the first occasion of Apparel, as you 
 
 J ^ ... „i 1^^ ^1 A- ^ SIGNED FOR CO- 
 
 may read. Gen. iii. 21, and was the effect 
 of the first sin ; and, therefore, when we 
 remember the original of clothes, we have 
 so little reason to be proud of them, that on the contrary we 
 have cause to be humbled and ashamed, as having lost that 
 innocency which was a much greater ornament than any the 
 most glorious apparel can be. From this end of clothing we 
 are likewise engaged to have our Apparel modest, such as 
 may answer this end of covering our shame ; and, therefore, 
 all immodest fashions of Apparel, which may either argue 
 the wantonness of the wearer, or provoke that of the be- 
 holder, are to be avoided. 
 
160 OF APPAREL. [SUNDAY IX. 
 
 9. A second end of Apparel is the fencing the body from 
 
 cold, thereby to preserve the health thereof: 
 FENCING ^^^ ^j^.g ^^^^ ^^ must likewise observe in 
 FROM COLD. ^^^ clothing ; we must wear such kind of 
 liabits as may keep us in that convenient warmth which is 
 necessary to our healths. And this is transgressed when, out 
 of the vanity of being in every fantastic fashion, we put our- 
 selves in such clothing, as either will not defend us from cold, 
 or is some other way so uneasy that it is rather a hurt than 
 a benefit to our bodies to be so clad. This is a most ridiculous 
 folly, and yet that which people that take a pride in their 
 clothes are usually guilty of. 
 
 10. A third end of Apparel is the distinguishing or difFer- 
 
 encinff of persons, and that first in respect 
 of sex, secondly in respect of qualities. 
 First, clothes are to make difference of sex ; 
 this hath been observed by all nations, the habits of men and 
 women have always been diverse. And God himself ex- 
 pressly provided for it among the Jews, by commanding that 
 the man should not wear the apparel of the woman, nor the 
 woman of the man. But then secondly, there is also a dis- 
 tinction of qualities to be observed in apparel ; God hath 
 placed some in a higher condition than others, and in pro- 
 portion to that condition it befits their clothing to be. Gor- 
 geous apparel, our Saviour tells us, is for kings^ courts, 
 Luke vii. 25. Now this end of apparel should also be ob- 
 served. Men and women should content themselves with 
 that sort of clothing which agrees to their sex and condition, 
 not striving to exceed, and equal that of a higher rank, nor 
 yet making it matter of envy among those of their own estate, 
 vying who shall be finest ; but let every man clothe himself 
 in such sober attire as befits his place and calling, and not 
 think himself disparaged, if another of his neighbours have 
 better than he. 
 
 1 1 . And let all remember that clothes are things which 
 add no true worth to any ; and, therefore, it is an intolerable 
 vanity to spend any considerable part either of thoughts, 
 time, or wealth upon them, or to value themselves ever the 
 more for them, or despise their poor brethren that want 
 them. But if they desire to adorn themselves, let it be as 
 Saint Peter adviseth the women of his time, 1 Pet. iii. 4, 
 In the hidden ma?! of the heart, even the ornament of a 
 meek and quiet spirit. Let them clothe themselves as richly 
 
SUNDAY IX.] OF APPAREL. 161 
 
 as is possible with all Christian virtues, and that is the rai- 
 ment that will set them out lovely in God's eyes, yea, and 
 in men's too, who, unless they be fools and idiots, will more 
 value thee for being good than fine ; and sure one plain coat 
 thou puttest upon a poor man's back, will better become 
 thee, than twenty rich ones thou shalt put upon thine own. 
 
 12. I have now gone through the several parts of Tem- 
 perance. I shall now in conclusion, add 
 this general caution, that though in all these '^^^ much 
 particulars I have taken notice only of the sparing a 
 one fault of excess, yet it is possible there ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ 
 may be one on the other hand : men may 
 deny their bodies that which they necessarily require to their 
 support and well-being. This is, I believe, a fault not so com- 
 mon as the other, yet we sometimes see some very niggardly 
 persons, that are guilty of it> that cannot find in their hearts 
 to borrow so much from their chests as may fill their bellies, 
 or clothe their backs, and that are so intent upon the world, 
 so moiling and drudging in it, that they cannot afford them- 
 selves that competent time of sleep, or recreation, that is 
 necessary. If any that hath read the former part of this 
 discourse be of this temper, let him not comfort himself, that 
 he is not guilty of those excesses there complained of; and, 
 therefore, conclude himself a good Christian, because he is 
 not intemperate ; for whoever is this covetous creature, his 
 abstaining shall not be counted to him as the virtue of tem- 
 perance, for it is not the love of temperance, but wealth, that 
 makes him refrain ; and that is so far from being praise- 
 worthy, that it is that great sin which the Apostle tells us, 
 1 Tim. vi. 10, is the root of all evil; such a man's body 
 will one day rise in judgment against him, for the defrauding 
 it of its due portion, those moderate refreshments and com- 
 forts which God hath allowed it. This is an idolatry beyond 
 that of offering the children to Moloch, Lev. xx. 3, they 
 offered but their children, but this covetous wretch sacrifices 
 himself to his god Mammon, whilst he often destroys his 
 health, his life, yea, finally his soul too, to save his purse. 
 I have now done with the second head of Duty, that to our- 
 selves, contained by the Apostle under the word Soberly. 
 
 14* 
 
SUNDAY X. 
 
 Of Duties to our Neighbour. Of Justice, Negative, Positive. Of the 
 Sin of Murder, of the Heinousness of it, the Punishments of it, and 
 the strange Discoveries thereof. Of Maiming, &c. 
 
 I COME now to the third part of Duties, those to our 
 Neighbour, which are by the Apostle sum- 
 DUTY T ^^^ ^p ^^ gross in the word (Righteous- 
 
 NEiGHBouR. j^ggg^ gy which is meant not only bare 
 justice, but all kind of charity also ; for that is now by the 
 law of Christ become a debt to our neighbour, and it is a 
 piece of unrighteousness to defraud him of it. I shall, there- 
 fore, build all the particular duties we owe to our neighbour, 
 on those two general ones. Justice and Charity. 
 
 2. I begin with Justice, whereof there are two parts, the 
 
 one Neo-ative, the other Positive : the ne- 
 gative Justice is to do no wrong, or injury 
 to any. The positive Justice is to do right to all ; that is, 
 to yield them whatsoever appertains or is due unto them. 
 I shall first speak of the Negative Justice, 
 the not injuring or wronging any. Now 
 because a man is capable of receiving wrong in several 
 respects ; this first part of justice extends itself into several 
 branches, answerable to those capacities of injury. A man 
 may be injured either in his soul, his body, his possessions, 
 or credit ; and, therefore, this duty of Negative Justice lays 
 a restraint on us in every of these, that we do no wrong to 
 any man in respect either of his soul, his body, his posses- 
 sions, or his credit. 
 
 3. First, this justice ties us to do no hurt to his Soul; and 
 
 here my first work must be to examine 
 TO the soul. ^^^^^ Yya,j:m it is that the Soul can receive ; 
 it is, we know, an invisible substance, which we cannot 
 reach with your eye, much less with our swords and weapons ; 
 yet for all that, it is capable of being hurt and wounded, and 
 that even to death. 
 
 4. Now the Soul may be considered either in a natural 
 
 or spiritual sense ; in the natural it signifies 
 IN the natu- ^^^^ ^^i^.^j^ ^,g usually call the mind of a 
 RAL SENSE. ^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^.^^ ^^^ ^^^ kuow, maybe wounded 
 162 
 
SUNDAY X.] OF JUSTICE. 163 
 
 with i^ief or sadness, as Solomon saith, Prov. xv. 13, By 
 sorrow of heart the spirit is broken. Therefore, whoever 
 doth causelessly afflict or grieve his neighbour, he trans- 
 gresses this part of justice, and hurls and wrongs his soul. 
 This sort of injury malicious and spiteful men are very often 
 guilty of; they will do things, by which themselves reap no 
 good, nay, often much harm, only that they may vex and 
 grieve another : this is a most savage inhuman humour, thus 
 to take pleasure in the sadness and afflictions of others ; and 
 whoever harbours it in his heart, may truly be said to be 
 possessed with the devil, for it is the nature only of those 
 accursed spirits to delight in the miseries of men; and till 
 that be cast out, they are fit only to dwell as the possessed 
 person did, Ma.rk v. 2, among graves and tombs, where 
 there are none capable of receiving affliction by them. 
 
 5. But the Soul may be considered also in the spiritual 
 sense, and so it signifies that immortal part 
 
 of us which must live eternally, either in ^^ ^^^ 
 
 C'pTTJT'T'TT A T 
 
 bliss or woe in another world. And the 
 Soul thus understood is capable of two sorts of harm : first, 
 that of sin ; secondly, that of punishment ; the latter whereof 
 is certainly the consequent of the former ; and, therefore, 
 though God be the inflicter of punishment, yet since it is but 
 the effect of sin, we may justly reckon, that he that draws a 
 man to sin is likewise the betrayer of him to punishment, as 
 he that gives a man a mortal wound is the cause of his death ; 
 therefore, under the evil of sin both are contained, so that I 
 need speak only of that. 
 
 6. And sure there cannot be a higher sort of wrong than 
 the bringing this great evil upon the Soul. 
 
 Sin is the disease and wound of the Soul, ^^^^^1^'^ to 
 as being the direct contrary to grace, which ^^^ ^^^ 
 is the health and soundness of it ; now this ^^^^test in- 
 wound we give to every Soul, whom we ^ ^ * 
 
 do by any means whatsoever draw into sin. 
 
 7. The ways of doing that are divers : I shall mention 
 some of them, whereof though some are 
 
 more direct than others, yet all tend to the ^^^^^"^ ^^^ns 
 same end. Of the more direct ones there ^^ ^^' 
 
 is, first, the commanding of sin, that is, when a person that 
 hath power over another shall require him to do something 
 which is unlawful ; an example of this we have in Nebu- 
 chadnezzar's commanding the worship of the golden image, 
 
164 OF JUSTICE. [SUNDAY X. 
 
 Dan. iii. 4, and his copy is imitated by any parent or master, 
 who shall require of his child or servant to do any unlawful 
 act. Secondly, there is counselling of sin, when men advise 
 and persuade others to any wickedness ; thus Job's wife 
 counselled her husband to curse God, Job ii. 9. And Achi- 
 topel advised Absalom to go in to his father's concubines, 
 2 Sam. xvi. 21. Thirdly, there is enticing and alluring to 
 sin, by setting before men the pleasures or profits they shall 
 reap by it. Of this sort of enticement Solomon gives warn- 
 ing, Prov. i. 10, My son, if sinners entice thee, consent 
 thou not ; if they say. Come with us, let us lay wait for 
 blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without a cause, 
 ^c. : and verse 13, you may see what is the bait, by which 
 they seek to allure them, ff^e shall find all precious sub- 
 stance ; we shall fill our houses with spoil. Cast in thy 
 lot among us, let us all have one purse. Fourthly, there is 
 assistance in sin ; that is, when men aid and help others 
 either in contriving or acting a sin. Thus Jonadab helped 
 Amnon in plotting the ravishing of his sister, 2 Sam. 13. 
 All these are direct means of bringing this great evil of sin 
 upon our brethren. 
 
 8. There are also others which, though they seem more 
 indirect, may yet be as effectual towards 
 
 INDIRECT. *!. . 11 J ^ , 1 • u 
 
 that ill end : as first, example m sm ; he 
 that sets others an ill pattern does his part to make them 
 imitate it, and too often it hath that effect ; there being ge- 
 nerally nothing more forcible to bring men into any sinful 
 practice, than the seeing it used by others, as might be in- 
 stanced in many sins, to which there is no other temptation, 
 but their being in fashion. Secondly, there is encouragement 
 in sin, when either by approving, or else at least by not show- 
 ing a dislike, we give others confidence to go on in their 
 wickedness. A third means is by justifying and defending 
 any sinful act of another's, for by that we do not only con- 
 firm him in his evil, but endanger the drawing others to the 
 like, who may be the more inclinable to it, when they shall 
 hear it so pleaded for. Lastly, the bringing up any reproach 
 upon strict and Christian living, as those do who have the 
 ways of God in derision ; this is a means to affright men from 
 the practice of duty, when they see it will bring them to be 
 scorned and despised ; this is worse than all the former, not 
 only in respect of the man who is guilty of it (as it is an 
 
SUNDAY X.] OF JUSTICE. 165 
 
 evidence of the great profaneiiess of his own heart) but also 
 in regard of others, it having a more general ill effect than 
 any of the former can have ; it being the betraying men, not 
 only to some single acts of disobedience to Christ, but even 
 to the casting off all subjection to him ; by all these means 
 we may draw on ourselves this great guilt of injuring and 
 wounding the souls of our brethren. 
 
 9. It would be too long for me to instance in all the several 
 sins, in which it is usual for men to ensnare 
 others ; as drunkenness, uncleanness, re- ^^ ^^ 
 
 bellion, and a multitude more. But it will ^^^^i^^^r whom 
 
 T*TTF^V WAVP TTTTTTQ 
 
 concern every man for his own particular, 
 to consider sadly what mischiefs of this ^ Jured. 
 kind he hath done to any, by all or any of these means, and 
 to weigh well the greatness of the injury. Men are apt to 
 boast of their innocency towards their neighbours, that they 
 have done wrong to no man ; but God knows many that thus 
 brag are of all others the most injurious persons : perhaps 
 they have not maimed his body, nor stolen his goods, but 
 alas ! the body is but the case and cover of the man, and the 
 goods some appurtenances to that ; it is the soul is the man, 
 and that they can wound and pierce without remorse, and 
 yet with the adulteress, Prov. xxx. 20, say, they have done 
 no wickedness ; but glory of their friendly behaviour to those 
 whom they thus betray to eternal ruin ; for whomsoever thou 
 hast drawn to any sin, thou hast done thy part to ascertain to 
 those endless flames. And then think with thyself how base 
 a treachery this is : thou wouldst call him a treacherous 
 villain, that should while he pretends to embrace a man 
 secretly stab him : but this of thine is far beyond that, as the 
 soul is of more value than the body, and hell worse than 
 death. And remember yet farther, that besides the cruelty 
 of it to thy poor brother, it is also most dangerous to thyself, 
 it being that against which Christ hath pronounced a woe, 
 Matt, xviii. 7 ; and verse 6, he tells us, that whoever shall 
 offend (that is, draw into sin) any of those little ones, it 
 were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his 
 neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 
 Thou mayest plunge thy poor brother into perdition, but as 
 it is with wrestlers, he that gives another a fall, commonly 
 falls with him, so thou art like to bear him company to that 
 place of torment. 
 
166 JUSTICE TO OUR NEIGHBOUR. [sUNDAY X. 
 
 10. Let therefore thy own and his danger beget in thee 
 
 a sense of the greatness of this sin, this 
 HEARTILY TO ]^Qpj.j(j piece of injustice to the precious soul 
 BEWAIL IT. of thy neighbour. Bethink thyself seriously 
 to whom thou hast been thus cruel ; whom thou hast enticed 
 to drinking, advised to rebellion, allured to lust, stirred up to 
 rage, whom thou hast assisted or encouraged in any ill course, 
 or discouraged and disheartened by thy profane scoffings at 
 piety in general or at any conscionable strict walking of his 
 in particular ; and then draw up a bill of endictment ; accuse 
 and condemn thyself as a Cain, a murderer of thy brother, 
 heartily and deeply bewail all thy guilts of this kind, and 
 resolve never once more to be a stumbling-block as Saint 
 Paul calls it, Rom. xiv. 13, in thy brother's way. 
 
 11. But this is not all, there must be some fruits of this 
 
 repentance, brought forth : now in all sins 
 
 ENDEAVOUR TO r ' o r • 
 
 of injustice, restitution is a necessary fruit 
 of repentance, and so it is here ; thou hast 
 committed an act (perhaps many) of high injustice to the 
 soul of thy brother ; thou hast robbed it of its innocency, of 
 its title to Heaven : thou must now endeavour to restore all 
 this to it again, by being more earnest and industrious to win 
 him to repentance, than ever thou wert to draw him to sin ; 
 use now as much art to convince him of the danger, as ever 
 thou didst to flatter him with the pleasures of his vice ; in si 
 word, countermine thyself by using all those methods and 
 means to recover him, that thou didst to destroy him, and be 
 more diligent and zealous in it, for it is necessary thou 
 shouldst, both in regard of him and thyself. First, in respect 
 of him, because there is in man's nature so much a greater 
 promptness and readiness to evil than to good, that there will 
 need much more pains and diligence to instil the one into 
 him, than the other : besides, the man is supposed to be 
 already accustomed to the contrary, which will add much to 
 the difficulty of the work. Then in respect of thyself, if 
 thou be a true penitent thou wilt think thyself obliged, as St. 
 Paul did, to labour more abundantly, and wilt be ashamed, 
 that when thou art trading for God, bringing back a soul to 
 him, thou shouldst not pursue it with more earnestness than 
 while thou wert an agent of Satan's ; besides, the remembrance 
 that thou wert a means of bringing this poor soul into this 
 snare, must necessarily quicken thy diligence to get him out 
 
SUNDAY X.] SEVERAL WAYS OF. MURDER. 167 
 
 of it. So much for the first part of Negative Justice, in 
 respect of the Souls of our brethren. 
 
 12. The second concerns the Bodies, and to those also 
 this justice binds thee to do no wronc^ nor 
 
 • 1 AT c i i.u T> J NEGATIVE JUS- 
 
 violence. JNovv oi wrongs to the Body 
 there may be several degrees : the highest 
 
 "RODV 
 
 of them is killing, taking away the life ; 
 
 this is forbid in the very letter of the in respect of 
 
 sixth Commandment : Thou shalt do no the life. 
 
 murder. 
 
 13. Murder may be committed either by open violence, 
 when a man either by sword or any other 
 
 instrument takes away another's life, im- ways 
 
 1-^1 J J- .1 -i. 11 OF BEING GUILTY 
 
 mediately and directly ; or it may be done 
 
 .^ A * 11 T\ A OF MURDER. 
 
 secretly and treacherously, as David mur- 
 dered Uriah, not with his own sword, but with the sword 
 of the children of Ammon, 2 Sam. xi. 17 ; and Jezebel, 
 Naboth by a false accusation, 1 Kings xxi. 13. And so 
 divers have committed this sin of murder by poison, false 
 witness, or some such concealed ways. The former is com- 
 monly the effect of a sudden rage ; the latter hath several 
 originals : sometimes it proceeds from some old malice fixed 
 in the heart towards the person ; sometimes from some covet- 
 ous or ambitious desires, such an one stands in a man's way 
 to his profit or preferment, and therefore he must be removed ; 
 and sometimes again it is to cover shame, as in the case of 
 strumpets that murder their infants, that they may not betray 
 their filthiness. But besides these more direct ways of kill- 
 ing, there is another, and that is, when, by our persuasions 
 and enticements, we draw a man to do that which tends to 
 the shortening of his life, and is apparent to do so : he that 
 makes his neighbour drunk, if by that drunkenness the man 
 comes to any mortal hurt, which he would have escaped if 
 he had been sober, he that made him drunk is not clear of 
 his death ; or if he die not by any such sudden accident, yet 
 if drinking cast him into a disease, and that disease kill him, 
 I know not how he that drew him to that excess can acquit 
 himself of his murder in the eyes of God, though human 
 laws touch him not. I wish those who make it their busi- 
 ness to draw in customers to that trade of debauchery would 
 consider it. There is yet another way of bringing this guilt 
 upon ourselves, and that is by inciting and stirring up others 
 to it, or to that degree of anger and revenge which produces 
 
168 SEVERAL WAYS OF MURDER. LsUNDAY X. 
 
 it ; and he that sets two persons at variance, or, seeing them 
 already so, blows the coals, if murder insue, he certainly 
 hath his share in the guilt ; which is a consideration that 
 ought to affright all from having any thing to do in the kin- 
 dling or increasing of contention. 
 
 14. Now for the heinousness of this sin of murder, I sup- 
 
 pose none can be ignorant that it is of the 
 
 THE HEINOUS- j^^p^g, ^^^^ ^ j^^g^ Iq^^J ^^^.^ing siu. TMs 
 NESS OF THE SIN. ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ -^^ ^j^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^j^-g ^^^^ ^j^^^ 
 
 was ever committed ; Abel's blood crieth from the earth, as 
 God tells Cain, Gen. iv. 10. Yea, the guilt of this sin is 
 such, that it leaves a stain even upon the land where it is 
 committed, such as is not to be washed out, but by the blood of 
 the murderer, as appears, Deut. xix. 12, 13. The land can- 
 not be purged of blood but by the blood of him that shed it ; 
 and therefore, though in other cases the flying to the altar 
 secured a man, yet in this of wilful murder no such refuge 
 was allowed, but such an one was to be taken even thence, 
 and delivered up to justice, Exod. xxi. 14, Thou shalt take 
 him from my altar that he may die. And it is yet farther ob- 
 servable, that the only two precepts which the Scripture men- 
 tions, as given to Noah after the flood, were both in relation 
 to this sin ; that of not eating blood. Gen. ix. 4 ; being a cere- 
 mony, to beget in men a greater horror of this sin of mur- 
 der, and so intended for the preventing of it. The other was 
 for the punishment of it. Gen. ix. 6, He that sheddeth man^s 
 blood, by man shall his blood be shed ; and the reason of 
 this strictness is added in the next words. For in the image 
 of God made he man; where you see that this sin is not 
 only an injury to our brother, but even the highest contempt 
 and despite towards God himself, for it is the defacing of his 
 image, which he hath stamped upon man. Nay, yet further, 
 it is the usurping of God's proper right and authority. For 
 it is God alone, that hath right to dispose of the life of man ; 
 it was he alone that gave it, and it is he alone that hath power 
 to take it away ; but he that murders a man does, as it were, 
 wrest this power out of God's hand, which is the highest 
 pitch of rebellious presumption. 
 
 15. And, as the sin is great, so likewise is the punishment ; 
 
 we see it frequently very great and remark- 
 
 THE GREAT PU- ,, • *i • ^A^U 'A *l, 
 
 able even m this world, (besides those most 
 
 NISHMENT at- r r 1 «• . r •* • li A ui j 
 
 iearlul eflects oi it in the next) blood not 
 
 TENDING IT. i • i . •. • f j 
 
 only cries, but it cries lor vengeance, and 
 
SUNDAY X.] SEVERAL WAYS OF MURDER. 169 
 
 the great God of recompenses, as he styles himself, will not 
 fail to hear it : very many examples the Scripture gives us 
 of this : Ahab and Jezebel, that murderd innocent Naboth, 
 for gi-eediness of his vineyard, were themselves slain, and the 
 dogs licked their blood in the place where they had shed his, 
 as you may read in that story ; so Absalom, that slew his 
 brother Amnon, after he had committed that sin fell into an- 
 other, that of rebellion against his king and father, and in it 
 miserably perished. Rachab and Baanah, that slew Ishbo- 
 sheth, were themselves put to death, and that by the very 
 person they thought to endear by it. Many more instances 
 might be given of this out of the sacred story, and many also 
 out of human, there having been no age but hath yielded multi- 
 tude of examples of this kind, so that every man may furnish 
 himself out of the observations of his own time. 
 
 16. And it is worth our notice, what strange and even 
 miraculous means it hath often pleased God to use for the dis- 
 covery of this sin. The very brute crea- 
 
 tures have often been made instruments 
 of it ; nay, often the extreme horror of a 
 man's own conscience hath made him be- 
 tray himself: so that it is not any closeness a man uses in 
 the acting of this sin that can secure him from the vengeance 
 of it ; for he can never shut out his own conscience, that 
 will in spite of him be privy to the fact, and that very often 
 proves the means of discovering it to the world, or if it should 
 not do that, yet it will sure act revenge on him, it will be 
 such a hell within him as will be worse than death. This 
 we have seen in many, who after the commission of this sin 
 have never been able to enjoy a minute's rest, but have had 
 that intolerable anguish of mind, that they have chosen to be 
 their own murderers rather than live in it. These are the 
 usual effects of this sin even in this world, but those in an- 
 other are yet more dreadful, where surely the highest degrees 
 of torment belong to this high pitch of wickedness : for if, 
 as our Saviour tells us. Matt. v. 22, hell fire be the por- 
 tion of him that shall but call his brother fool, what degree 
 of those burnings can we think proportionable to this so 
 much greater an injury ? 
 
 17. The consideration of all this ought to possess us with 
 the greatest horror and abomination of this sin, and to make 
 us extremely watchful of ourselves, that we never fall into 
 
 15 
 
170 SEVERAL WAYS OF MURDER. [sUNDAY X. 
 
 it, and to that end to prevent all those oc- 
 
 WE MUST WATCH ^^^^g-^j^g ^yhi^h may msensibly draw us into 
 
 DILIGENTLY ^j^-^ ^-^^ j mentioned at first several things 
 
 AGAINST ALL AP- ^^^.^j^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^ originals of it, and at 
 
 PROACHES OF ^j^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^-^^ j^ ^^ ^^-jj ^^^^j^ 
 
 THIS SIN. guard ourselves. If, therefore, thou wilt be 
 sure never to kill a man in thy rage, be sure never to he in 
 that rage ; for if thou permittest thyself to that, thou canst 
 have no security against the other, anger being a madness 
 that suffers us not to consider or know what we do, when it 
 has once possessed us. Therefore, when thou findest thy- 
 self begin to be inflamed, think betimes whether this may 
 lead thee, if thou lettest loose to it, and immediately put the 
 bridle upon this headstrong passion : so again, if thou wilt 
 be sure thy malice shall not draw thee to it, be sure never 
 to harbour one malicious thought in thy heart ; for if it once 
 settle there, it will gather such strength, that within a while 
 thou wilt be perfectly under the power of it, so that it may 
 lead thee even to this horrible sin at its pleasure ; be, there- 
 fore, careful at the very first approach of this treacherous 
 guest, to shut the doors against it, never to let it enter 
 thy mind : so also, if thou wilt be sure thy covctousness, 
 thy ambition, thy lust, or any other sinful desire shall not 
 betray thee to it, be sure thou never permit any of them to 
 bear any sway with thee ; for if they get the dominion, as 
 they will soon do, if they be once entertained in the heart, 
 they will be past thy control, and hurry thee to this or any 
 other sin that may serve their ends. In like manner, if thou 
 wouldst not be guilty of any of the mortal effects of thy 
 neighbour's drunkenness, be sure not to entice him to it, nor 
 accompany him at it ; and to that purpose do not allow thy- 
 self in the same practice : for if thou do, thou wilt be labour- 
 ing to get company at it. Lastly, if thou wilt not be guilty 
 of the murder committed by another, take heed thou never 
 give any encouragement to it, or contribute any thing to that 
 hatred or contention that may be the cause of it. For when 
 thou hast either kindled or blown a fire, what knowest thou 
 whom it may consume ? Bring always as much water as 
 thou canst to quench, but never bring one drop of oil to in- 
 crease, the flame. The like may be said of all other occa- 
 sions of this sin, not here mentioned ; and this careful pre- 
 serving ourselves from these is the only sure way to keep 
 
SUNDAY X.] SEVERAL WAYS OF MURDER. 171 
 
 thyself innocent from the great offence, guard thee wa- 
 rily from all such inlets, those steps and approaches to- 
 wards it. 
 
 18. But although murder be the greatest, yet it is not the 
 only injury that may be done to the body ,, ,,, ^^^ 
 
 r "^ ■ T 1 Ii- i^u X.- t MAIMING A 
 
 of our neighbour ; there are others which 
 
 1 e V- u -I <^l, 4r • GREAT INJURY. 
 
 are also of a very high nature ; the next m 
 degree to this is Maiming him, depriving him of any mem- 
 ber, or at least of the use of it ; and this is a very great 
 wrong and mischief to him, as we may discern by the judg- 
 ment of God himself, in the case of the bond-servant, who 
 should by his master's means lose a member, Exod. xxi. 26, 
 the freedom of his whole life was thought but a reasonable 
 recompense for it. He shall let him go free, saith the text, 
 for his eye; nay, though it were a less considerable part, 
 if it were but a tooth, which of all others may be lost with 
 the least damage, yet the same amends was to be made him, 
 verse 27. 
 
 19. But Ave need no other way of measuring this injury, 
 than the iudorment of every man in his own 
 
 J =■ 1 J -^ J J THAT WHICH 
 
 case ; how much does every man dread 
 
 the loss of a limb? So that if he be by ^„^.^„ „ 
 
 • 1 X J- J c '4. u DREADS FOR 
 
 any accident or disease m danger oi it, he himself 
 thinks no pains or cost too much to preserve 
 it. And then how great an injustice, how contrary to that 
 great rule of doing as we would be done to, is it, for a man 
 to do that to another which he so unwillingly suffers him- 
 self? 
 
 But if the person be poor, one that must labour for his 
 living, the injury is yet greater, it is such ^^^^ ,„«„„^ ,„ 
 
 °' . J r . . .^ r • yet WORSE IF 
 
 as may in eftect amount to the lormer sm ,, ^^ ^^ 
 
 r 1 r .1- -iTf THE MAN BE 
 
 of murder ; for, as the Wise man says, 
 EccLus. xxiv. 21, The poor man^s bread 
 is his life, and he that deprives him thereof is a blood shed- 
 der. And, therefore, he that deprives him of the means of 
 getting his bread, by disabling him from labour, is surely no 
 less guilty. In the Law it was permitted to every man that 
 had sustained such a damage by his neighbour, to require 
 the magistrate to inflict the like on him, eye for eye, tooth 
 for tooth, as it is, Exod. xxi. 24. 
 
 20. And though unprofitable revenge be not now allowed 
 to us Christians, yet sure it is the part of every one who 
 
172 SEVERAL WAYS OF MURDER. [sUNDAY 
 
 NECESSITY OF 
 
 MAKING WHAT 
 
 SATISFACTION 
 
 WE CAN. 
 
 hath done this injury to make what satis- 
 faction lies in his power ; it is true he can- 
 not restore a limb again (which by the way 
 should make men wary how they do those 
 mischiefs which it is so impossible for 
 them to repair,) but yet he may satisfy for some of the ill 
 effects of that loss. If that have brought the man to want 
 and penury, he may, nay, he must, if he have but the least 
 ability, relieve and support him, yea, though it be by his own 
 extraordinary labour : for if it be a duty of us all to be eyes 
 to the blind, and feet to the lame, as Job speaks, much more 
 must we be so to them whom ourselves have made blind 
 and lame. Therefore, whoever hath done this injury to any 
 of his poor brethren, let him know he is bound to do all that 
 is possible towards the repairing of it ; if he do not, every 
 new suffering that the poor man's wants bring upon him, 
 becomes a new charge and accusation against him, at the tri- 
 bunal of the just Judge. 
 
 21. There are yet other degrees of injury to the body of 
 
 our neighbour. I shall mention only two 
 
 WOUNDS AND w ^ J CJ. • 
 
 more, W ounds, and fetripes : a man may 
 ' ' wound another, which though it finally 
 
 RIES ALSO. 1 .^1 r ^•c V u • ^ 
 
 cause loss neither oi lite nor limb, is yet 
 an endangering of both. And the like may be said of 
 stripes ; both of which, however, are very painful at the 
 present, nay, perhaps very long after ; and pain, of all tem- 
 poral evils, is to be accounted the greatest, for it is not only 
 an evil in itself, but it is such an one, that permits us not, 
 whilst we are under it, to enjoy any other good ; a man in 
 pain having no taste of any the geatest delights. If any man 
 despise these as light injuries, let him again ask himself, how 
 he would like it, to have his own body slashed or bruised, 
 and put to pass under those painful means of cure, which 
 are m.any times necessary in such cases ? I presume there 
 is no man would willingly undergo this from another, and 
 why then shouldst thou offer it to him ? 
 
 22. The truth is, this strange cruelty to others is the effect 
 
 of a great pride and haughtiness of heart : 
 we look upon others with such contempt, 
 
 TO OTHERS, ,1 , ,t5 i -^ .. i. .i 
 
 that we think it no matter how they are 
 used ; we think they must bear blows from 
 
 PRIDE. u • *u *• 
 
 us, when, in the mean time, we are so ten- 
 
SUNDAY X.] SEVERAL WAYS OF MURDER. 173 
 
 der of ourselves, that we cannot hear the least word of dis- 
 paragement but we are all on a flame. The provocations to 
 these injuries are commonly so slight, that did not this in- 
 ward pride dispose us to such an angriness of humour, that 
 we take fire at every thing, it were impossible we should be 
 moved by them. Nay, some are advanced to such a wan- 
 tonness of cruelty, that without any provocation at all, in 
 cool blood, as they say, they can thus wrong their poor bre- 
 thren, and make it part of their pastime and recreation to 
 cause pain to others. Thus some tyrannous humours take 
 such a pleasure in tormenting those under their power, that 
 they are glad when they can but find a pretence to punish 
 them, and then do it without all moderation : and others will 
 set men together by the ears, only that they may have the 
 sport of seeing the scuffle ; like the old Romans, that made 
 it one of their public sports to see men kill one another. — 
 And sure we have as little Christianity as they, if we can 
 take delight in such spectacles. 
 
 23. This savageness and cruelty of mind is so unbecoming 
 the nature of a man, that he is not allowed to use it even to 
 his beast ; how intolerable is it then towards those that are 
 of the same nature, and, which is more, are heirs of the same 
 eternal hopes, with us ? They that shall thus transgress 
 against their neighbours in any of the foregoing particulars, 
 or whatever else is hurtful to the body, are unjust persons, 
 want even this lowest sort of justice, the negative, to their 
 neighbours in respect of their bodies. 
 
 24. Neither can any man excuse himself by saying what 
 he has done was only in return of some injury offered him 
 by the other ; for suppose it to be so, that he have indeed 
 received some considerable wrong, yet cannot he be his own 
 revenger without injury to that man, who is not, by being 
 thine enemy, become thy vassal, or slave, to do with him 
 what thou list ; thou hast never the more right of dominion 
 over him, because he hath done thee wrong ; and, therefore, 
 if thou hadst no power over his body before, it is certain 
 thou hast none now ; and, therefore, thou art not only uncharita- 
 ble (which yet were sin enough to damn thee,) but unjust in 
 every act of violence thou dost to him. Nay, this injustice 
 ascends higher, even to God himself, who hath reserved ven- 
 geance as his own peculiar right. Vengeance is mine, J will 
 repay, saith the Lord, Rom. xii. 19. And then he that will 
 act revenge for himself, what does he, but encroach upon this 
 
 15* 
 
174 OF ADULTERY. [sUNDAY XI. 
 
 special right and prerogative of God, snatch the sword, as it 
 were, out of his hand, as if he knew better how to wield it ? 
 which is at once a robbery, and contempt of the Divine 
 Majesty. 
 
 SUNDAY XL 
 
 Of Justice about the Possessions of our Neighbour : against injuring him, 
 as concerning his Wife, his Goods. Of Oppression. Theft. Of pay- 
 ing of Debts, &c. 
 
 The third part of Negative Justice concerns the Posses- 
 sions of our Neighbours. What I mean by 
 Possessions, I cannot better explain than 
 by referring you to the tenth command- 
 ment, the end of which is to bridle all covetous appetites and 
 desires towards the Possessions of our neighbour. There 
 we find reckoned up, not only his house, servants, and cattle, 
 which may all pass under the one general name of his goods 
 or riches, but particularly his Wife, as a principal part of 
 his possessions, and therefore when we consider this duty 
 of Negative Justice, in respect of the possessions of our 
 neighbour, we must apply it to both, his Wife as well as 
 his Goods. 
 
 2. The especial and peculiar right that every man hath 
 
 in his Wife is so well known, that it were 
 
 HIS WIFE. . ^ xi,- • i- r-^ *!, 
 
 vam to say any thnig m prooi ot it ; the great 
 impatience that every husband hath to have this right of his 
 invaded, shows that it is sufficiently understood in the world, 
 and therefore none that does this injury to another can be 
 ignorant of the greatness of it. The corrupting of a man's 
 wife, enticing her to a strange bed, is by all acknowledged to 
 be the worst sort of theft, infinitely beyond that of the goods. 
 
 3. Indeed there is in this one, a heap of the greatest in- 
 
 justices toorether, some towards the w^oman, 
 
 THE ENTICING '' n °^ j .i, + A .-u ' 
 
 , and some towards the man : towards the 
 
 A MAN S WIFE ^, ,-, * * • • ui 
 
 woman there are the greatest imagmable ; 
 
 THE GREATEST v. • ^u . • • .• . u 1 l5 l 
 
 It IS that injustice to her soul, which was 
 before mentioned as the highest of all 
 others, it is the robbintr her of her inno- 
 
 TO THE WOMAN. J *.• i, • c .u 
 
 cency, and setting her m a course oi the 
 
SUNDAY XI.] OF ADULTERY. 175 
 
 horridest wickedness (no less than lusl and perjury together), 
 from which it is probable she may never return, and then 
 it proves the damning of her eternally. Next, it is in respect 
 of this world, the robbing her of her credit, making her ab- 
 horred and despised, and her very name a reproach among 
 all men ; and besides, it is the depriving her of all that happi- 
 ness of life, which arises from the mutual kindness and 
 affection that is between man and wife. Instead whereof 
 this brings in a loathing and abhorring of each other, from 
 whence flow multitudes of mischiefs, too many to rehearse, 
 in all which the man hath his share also. 
 
 4. But besides those, there are to him many and high 
 injustices ; for it is first the robbing him of 
 
 that which, of all other things, he accounts 
 most precious, the love and faithfulness of his wife, and that 
 also wherein he hath such an incommunicable right, that 
 himself cannot, if he would, make it over to any other ; and 
 therefore sure it cannot without the utmost injustice be torn 
 from him by any. Nor is this all, but it is farther the in- 
 gulfing him (if ever he come to discern it) in that most tor- 
 menting passion of jealousy, which is of all others the most 
 painful, and which oft puts men upon the most desperate 
 attempts, it being, as Solomon says, Prov. vi. 34, the rage 
 of a man. It is yet farther, the bringing upon him all that 
 scorn and contempt, which, by the unjust measures of the 
 world, falls on them which are so abused, and which is by 
 many esteemed the most insufferable part of the wrong ; and 
 though it be true, that it is very unjust he should fall under 
 reproach, only because he is injured, yet unless the world 
 could be new moulded, it will certainly be his lot, and there- 
 fore it adds much to the injury. Again, tills may indeed be 
 a robbery in the usual sense of the word, for perhaps it may 
 be the thrusting in the child of the adulterer into his family, 
 to share both in the maintenance and portions of his own 
 children ; and this is an arrant theft : first, in respect of the 
 man, who surely intends not the providing for another man's 
 child ; and then in respect of the children, who are by that 
 means defrauded of so much as that goes a way with. And 
 therefore whosoever hath this circumstance of the sin to re- 
 pent of, cannot do it effectually, without restoring to the family 
 as much as he hath by this means robbed it of. 
 
 5. All this put together will sure make this the greateat 
 and most provoking injury that can be done to a man, and 
 
176 OF ADULTERY. [sUNDAY XI. 
 
 (which heightens it yet more) it is that, for which a man can 
 
 never make reparations ; for unless it be in the circumstance 
 
 before mentioned, there is no part of this 
 
 THE MOST IRRE- , • *i / u A * *l,- 
 
 sm, wherem that can be done ; to this pur- 
 pose it is observable in the Jewish Law, that 
 the thief was appointed to restore fourfold, and that freed him ; 
 but the adulterer having no possibility of making any restitu- 
 tion, any satisfaction, he must pay his life for his offence, 
 Lev. XX. 10. And though now-a-days adulterers speed better, 
 live many days to renew their guilt, and perhaps to laugh at 
 those whom they have thus injured, yet let them be assured, 
 there must one day be a sad reckoning, and that whether they 
 repent or not ; if by God's grace they do come to repentance, 
 they will then find this to be no cheap sin, many anguishes of 
 soul, terrors and perplexities of conscience, groans and tears it 
 must cost them ; and indeed, were a mg,n's whole life spent 
 in these penitential exercises, it were little enough to wipe 
 off the guilt of any one single act of this kind ; what over- 
 whelming sorrows then are requisite for such a trade of this 
 sin, as too many drive ? Certainly, it is so great a task, that 
 it is highly necessary for all that are so concerned, to set to 
 it immediately, lest they want time to go through with it ; 
 for let no man flatter himself, that the guilt of a course and 
 habit of such a sin can be washed away with a single act of 
 repentance, no, he must proportion the repentance to the 
 fault, and as one hath been a habit and course, so must the 
 other also. And then how strange a madness is it for men 
 to run into this sin, (and that with such painful pursuits, as 
 many do) which he knows must at the best hand, that is, 
 supposing he do repent of it, cost him thus dear ! But then 
 if he do not repent, infinitely dearer ! it loses him all his title 
 to Heaven, that place of purity, and gives him his portion 
 in the lake of fire, where the burnings of his lust shall end 
 in those everlasting burnings ; for how closely soever he hath 
 acted his sin, be it so that he may have said with the adul- 
 terer in Job xxiv. 15, No eye seeth me, yet it is sure he 
 could not in the greatest obscurity shelter himself from God's 
 sight, with whom the darkness is no darkness. Psalm 
 cxxxix. 12. And he it is, who hath expressly threatened to 
 judge this sort of offenders, Heb. xiii. 4, Adulterers God 
 will judge. God grant that all that live in this foul guilt 
 may so seasonably and so thoroughly judge themselves that 
 they may prevent that severe and dreadful judgment of his. 
 
SUNDAY XI.] MALICIOUS INJUSTICE. 177 
 
 6. The second thing to which this negative justice to our 
 neighbour's possessions reacheth, is his 
 
 n J J I,- 1 1 1 • HIS GOODS 
 
 Goods, under which general word is con- 
 tained all those several sorts of things, as house, land, cattle, 
 money, and the like, in which he hath a right and property ; 
 these we are by the rule of this justice to suffer him to enjoy 
 without seeking, either to work him damage in any of them, 
 or to get any of them to ourselves ; I make a diiference be- 
 tween these two, because there may be two several grounds 
 or motives of this injustice ; the one malice, the other covet- 
 ousness. 
 
 7. The malicious man desires to work his neighbour's 
 mischief, though he ffet nothing by it him- 
 
 ir •* • V *1 41. . 11 1 MALICIOUS IN- 
 
 selr. It IS Irequently seen that men will make 
 havoc and spoil of the goods of one, to whom 
 they bear a grudge, though they never design to get any thing 
 to themselves by it, but only the pleasure of doing a spite to 
 the other. This is a most hellish humour, directly answer- 
 able to that of the devil, who bestows all his pains and indus- 
 try, not to bring in any good to himself, but only to ruin and 
 undo others: and how contrary it is to all rules of justice, 
 you may see by the precept given by God to the Jews con- 
 cerning the goods of an enemy ; where they are so far from 
 being allowed a liberty of spoil and destruction, that they are 
 expressly bound to prevent it, Exod. xxiii. 4, 5, Jf thou 
 meet thine enemy^s ox, or his ass going astray, thou shalt 
 surely bring it hack to him again : If thou see the ass of 
 him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldst 
 forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him: 
 Where you see it is a debt we owe to our very enemies, to 
 prevent that loss and damage, which by any accident he is in 
 danger of: and that even with some labour and pains to our- 
 selves. How horrible an injustice is it then purposely to 
 bring that loss and damage on him ? Whoever is guilty of 
 this, let him never excuse himself by saying, he hath not 
 enriched himself by the spoil of his neighbour, that he hath 
 nothing of it cleaves to his finger, for sure this malicious in- 
 justice is no less a fault than the covetous one ; nay, I sup- 
 pose in respect of the principle and cause from which it flows, 
 it may be greater, this hatred of another being worse than 
 the immoderate love of ourselves ; whoever hath thus mis- 
 chiefed his neighbour, he is as much bound to repair the injury, 
 
178 COVETOUS INJUSTICE. [sUNDAY XI. 
 
 to make satisfaction for the loss, as if he had enriched him- 
 self by it. 
 
 8. JBut on the other side, let not the covetous defraiider 
 
 therefore judge his sin light, because there 
 COVETOUS IN- .g another that in some one respect out- 
 weighs it, for perhaps in others his may- 
 cast the scales ; certainly it does in this one, that he that is 
 unjust for greediness of gain is like to multiply more acts 
 of this sin, than he that is so out of malice ; for it is impossible 
 any man should have so many objects of his malice, as he 
 may have of his covetousness ; there is no man at so general 
 a defiance with all mankind that he hates every body ; but 
 the covetous man hath as many objects of his vice, as there 
 be things in the world he counts valuable. But I shall not 
 longer stand upon this comparison, it is sure they are both 
 great and crying sins, and that is ground enough of abhorring 
 each ; let us descend now to the several branches of this sort 
 of covetous injustice ; it is true they may all bear the name 
 of robbery, or theft, for in effect, they are all so, yet for me- 
 thod's sake, it will not be amiss to distinguish them into these 
 three ; Oppression, Theft, and Deceit. 
 
 9. By Oppression, I mean that open and bare-faced rob- 
 
 bery, of seizing upon the possessions of 
 others, and owning and avowing the doing 
 so. For the doing of this there are several instruments ; as 
 first, that of power, by which many nations and princes 
 have been turned out of their rights, and many private men 
 out of their estates : sometimes again, law is made the in- 
 strument of it; he that covets his neighbour's lands or goods, 
 pretends a claim to them, and then by corrupting of justice, 
 by bribes and gifts, or else overruling it by greatness and 
 authority, gets judgment on his side : this is a high oppres- 
 sion, and of the worst sort, thus to make the law, which was 
 intended for the protection and defence of men's rights, 
 to be the means of overthrowing them ; and it is a very 
 heavy guilt, that lies both on him that procures, and on him 
 that pronounces such a sentence, yea, and on the lawyer too, 
 that pleads such a cause, for by so doing he assists in the 
 oppression ; sometimes again, the very necessities of the 
 oppressed are the means of his oppression : thus it is in the 
 case of extortion, and griping usury : a man is in extreme 
 want of money, and this gives opportunity to the extortioner, 
 
SUNDAY XI.] OF THEFT. 179 
 
 to wrest unconscionably from him, to which the poor man is 
 forced to yield, to supply his present wants. And thus also 
 it is often with exacting landlords, who, when their poor 
 tenants know not how to provide themselves elsewhere, rack 
 and screw them beyond the worth of the thing. All these 
 and many the like are but several ways of acting this one 
 sin of Oppression, which becomes yet the more heinous, by 
 how much the more helpless the person is that is thus op- 
 pressed ; therefore, the oppression of the widow and father- 
 less is in Scripture mentioned as the height of this sin. 
 
 10. It is indeed a most crying guilt, and that against 
 which God hath threatened his heavy ven- , 
 
 geance, as we read in divers texts of Scrip- 
 ture ; thus it is, EzEK. xviii. 12, He that ^^^^ a^gainst 
 hath oppressed the pooi', and hath spoiled 
 by violence, he shall surely die, his blood shall be upon him; 
 and the same sentence is repeated against him, verse 18. 
 Indeed, God hath so peculiarly taken upon him the protection 
 of the poor and oppressed, that he is engaged, as it were, in 
 honour to be their avenger, and accordingly Psalm xii., we 
 see God solemnly declare his resolution of appearing for 
 them, verse 5, For the oppression of the poor, for the sigh- 
 ing of the needy, now I will arise, saith the Lord, I will 
 set him in safety from him. The advice, therefore, of So- 
 lomon is excellent, Prov. xxii. 22, Rob not the poor, because 
 he is poor, neither oppress the afflicted in the gate, for the 
 Lord will plead their cause, and will spoil the soul of those 
 that spoiled them; they are like in the end to have little joy 
 of the booty it brings them in, when it thus engages God 
 against them. 
 
 11. The second sort of this injustice is Theft, and of that 
 also there are two kinds, the one the with- 
 
 T TT "F "F T 
 
 holding what we should pay, and the other 
 
 taking from our neighbour what is already in his possession. 
 
 12. Of the first sort is the not paying of debts, whether 
 such as we have borrowed, or such as by 
 
 1 , .1 •' NOT PAYING 
 
 our own voluntary promise are become our 
 
 J 1 . r .1 n 1 X 1 xi <. WHAT WE BOR 
 
 debts ; for they are equally due to hmi that 
 can lay either of these claims to them ; and, 
 therefore, the withholding of either of them is a theft, a keep- 
 ing from my neighbour that which is his ; yet the former of 
 them is rather the more injurious, for by that I take from 
 him that which he once actually had, (be it money or what- 
 
180 KINDS OF THEFT. [sUNDAY XI. 
 
 ever else) and so make him worse than I found him. This 
 is a very great and very common injustice. Men can now^-a- 
 days with as great confidence deny him that asks a debt, as 
 they do him thai asks an alms ; nay, many times it is made 
 matter of quarrel for a man to demand his own ; besides the 
 many attendances the creditor is put to in pursuit of it, are a 
 yet farther injury to him, by wasting his time, and taking 
 him off from other business, and so he is made a loser that 
 way too. This is so great injustice, that I see not how a 
 man can look upon any thing he possesses as his right, 
 whilst he thus denies another his. It is the duty of every 
 man in debt, rather to strip himself of all, and cast himself 
 again naked upon God's providence, than thus to feather his 
 nest with the spoils of his neighbours. And surely it would 
 prove the more thriving course, not only in respect of the 
 blessing, which may be expected upon justice, compared with 
 the curse that attends the contrary, but even in worldly pru- 
 dence also : for he that defers paying of debts, will at last 
 be forced to it by law, and that upon much worse terms than 
 he might have done it voluntarily, with a greater change, 
 and with such a loss of his credit, that afterwards in his 
 greatest necessities he will not know where to borrow. But 
 the sure way for a man to secure himself from the guilt of 
 this injustice, is, never to borrow more than he knows he 
 hath means to repay, unless it be of one who, knowing his 
 disability, is willing to run the hazard. Otherwise he com- 
 mits this sin at the very time of borrowing ; for he takes 
 that from his neighbour upon promise of paying, which he 
 knows he is never likely to restore to him, which is a flat 
 robbery. 
 
 The same justice which ties men to pay their own debts, 
 
 WHAT WE ARE ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^"^^^^ ^^ P^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^ 
 
 others for which he stands bound, in case 
 the principal either cannot or will not : for 
 by being bound, he hath made it his own debt, and must in 
 all justice answer it to the creditor, who, it is presumed, was 
 drawn to lend on confidence of his security ; and, therefore, 
 is directly cheated and betrayed by him, if he see him not 
 satisfied. If it be thought hard, that a man should pay for 
 that which he never received benefit by, I shall yield it, so 
 far as to be just matter of weariness to every man how he 
 enter into such engagements, but it can never be made an ex- 
 cuse for the breaking them. 
 
SUNDAY XII.] OF THEFT. 181 
 
 As for the other sort of debt, that which is brought upon 
 a man by his own voluntary promise, that 
 also cannot Avithout great injustice be with- ^^^^'^ ^^^ have 
 holden; for it is now the man's right, and promised. 
 then it is no matter by what means it came to be so. There- 
 fore, we see David makes it part of the description of a just 
 man, Psalm xv. 4, that he keeps his promises, yea, though 
 they were made to his oivn disadvantage : and surely, he is 
 utterly unfit to ascend to that holy hill, there spoken of, either 
 as that signifies the church here, or heaven hereafter, that 
 does not punctually observe this part of justice. To this 
 sort of debt may be reduced the wages of the servant, the 
 hire of the labourer, and the withholding of these is a great sin, 
 and the complaints of those that are thus injured ascend up to 
 God. Behold (saith St. James v. 4,) the hire of the labourers 
 which have reaped down your fields, which is of you 
 kept back by fraud, crieth, and the cries of them that have 
 reaped, are entered into the ear of the Lord of Sabaoth. 
 In Deut. xxiv. 14, 15, we find a strict command in this 
 matter, Tliou shall not oppress a hired servant that is poor 
 and needy, at his day thou shall give him his hire, neither 
 shall the sun go down upon it, for he is poor and setteth 
 his heart upon it, lest he cry against thee to the Lord, and 
 it be sin unto thee. This is one of those loud clamorous 
 sins which will not cease crying till it bring down God's 
 vengeance ; and, therefore, though thou hast no justice to thy 
 poor brother, yet have at least so much mercy to thyself, as 
 not to pull down judgments on thee by thus wronging him. 
 
 SUNDAY XII. 
 
 Of Theft ; Stealing ; of Deceit in Trust, in Traffic : of Restitution, &c. 
 
 The second part of Theft is the taking from our neighbour 
 that which is already in his possession ; 
 
 - • ST!F^AT TNG TWF^ 
 
 and this may be done either more violently, 
 
 J 1-^1 1 1 J Ti GOODS OF OUR 
 
 and openly, or else more closely and slily, 
 the first is the manner of those that rob on neighbour. 
 the way, or plunder houses, where by force they take the 
 goods of their neighbour ; the other is the way of the pilfering 
 
 16 
 
182 OF STEALING. [sUNDAY XII. 
 
 thief, that takes away a man's goods unknown to him ; I shall 
 not dispute which of these is the worst, it is enough that they 
 are both such acts of injustice, as make men odious to God, 
 unfit for human society, and betray the actors to the greatest 
 mischiefs even in this world, death itself being by law ap- 
 pointed the reward of it ; and there are few that follow this 
 trade long, but at last meet with that fruit of it. I am sure 
 it is madness for any to believe he shall always steal se- 
 curely, for he is to contend with the industry of all those 
 whom he shall thus injure, whose losses will quicken their 
 wits for the finding him out, and which is infinitely more, 
 he is to struggle with the justice of God, which doth usually 
 pursue such men to destruction, even in this world ; ^vitness 
 the many strange discoveries that have been made of the 
 craftiest thieves. But however, if he were secure from the 
 vengeance here, I am sure, nothing but repentance and re- 
 formation can secure him from the vengeance of it hereafter. 
 And now, when these dangers are weighed, it will sure ap- 
 pear, that the thief makes a pitiful bargain, he steals his 
 neighbour's money or cattle, and in exchange for it he must 
 pay his life or his soul, perhaps both ; and if the whole ivorld 
 be too mean a price for a soul, as he tells us, Mark viii. 36, 
 who best knew the value of them, having himself bought 
 them, what a strange madness is it, to barter them away for 
 every petty trifle, as many do, who have got such a habit of 
 stealing, that not the meanest worthless thing can escape 
 their fingers. Under this head of theft may be ranked the 
 receivers of stolen goods, whether those that take them as 
 partners in the theft, or those that buy them, when they 
 know or believe they are stolen. This many (that pretend 
 much to abhor theft) are guilty of, when they can by it buy 
 the thing a little cheaper than the common rate. And here 
 also comes in the concealing of any goods a man finds of his 
 neighbours, which whosoever restores not, if he know or can 
 learn out the owner, is no better than a thief ; for he with- 
 holds from his neighbour that which properly belongs to 
 him : and sure it will not be uncharitable to say, that he that 
 will do this, would likewise commit the grosser theft, were 
 he by that no more in danger of law than in this he is. 
 The third part of injustice is Deceit, and in that there 
 may be as many acts as there are occasions 
 of intercourse and dealing between man 
 and man. 
 
SUNDAY XII. 3 DECEIT IN TRUSTS. 183 
 
 2. It were impossible to name them all, but I think they 
 will be contained under those two general deceits, in matters 
 of trust, and in matters of traffic, or bargaining ; unless it 
 be that of gaming, which, therefore, here by the way I must 
 tell you, is as much a fraud and deceit as any of the rest. 
 
 3. He that deceives a man in any trust that is committed 
 to him, is guilty of a great injustice, and 
 
 that the most treacherous sort of one, it is 
 the joining of two great sins in one, defrauding, and promise- 
 breaking ; for in all trusts there is a promise implied, if 
 not expressed ; for the very accepting of the trust contains 
 under it a promise of fidelity ; these trusts are broken some- 
 times to the living, sometimes to the dead ; to the living there 
 are many ways of doing it, according to the several kinds of 
 the trust ; sometimes a trust is more general, like that of 
 Potiphar to Joseph, Gen. xxxix. 4, a man commits to another 
 all that he hath, and thus giiardians of children, and some- 
 times stewards, are intrusted. Sometimes again it is more 
 limited, and restrained to some one special thing ; a man 
 intrusts another to bargain or deal for him in such a particu- 
 lar, or he puts some one thing into his hands, to manage and 
 dispose : thus among servants is it usual for one to be in- 
 trusted with one part of the master's goods, and another 
 with another part of them. Now in all these and the like 
 cases, whosoever acts not for him that intrusts him, with the 
 same faithfulness that he would for himself, but shall either 
 carelessly lose or prodigally embezzle the things committed 
 to him, or else convert them to his own use, he is guilty of 
 this great sin, of betraying a trust to the living. In like man- 
 ner, he that being intrusted with the execution of a dead man's 
 testament, acts not according to the known intention of the 
 dead man, but enriches himself by what is assigned to others, 
 he is guilty of this sin, in respect of the dead, which is so 
 much the greater, by how much the dead hath no means of 
 remedy and redress, as the living may have. It is a kind of 
 robbing of graves, which is a theft of which men naturally 
 have such a horror, that he must be a very hardened thief 
 that can attempt it. But either of these frauds are made yet 
 more heinous, when either God, or the poor, are immedi- 
 ately concerned in it, that is, when any thing is committed 
 to a man for the uses either of piety or charity ; this adds 
 sacrilege to both the fraud and the treachery, and so gives 
 him title to all those curses that attend those several sins, 
 
184 DECEIT IN TRAFFIC. [SUNDAY XII. 
 
 which are so heavy, that he that for the present gain will 
 adventure on them, makes as ill, nay, a much worse bargain 
 than Gehazi, 2 Kings v. 37, who, by getting the raiment of 
 Naaman, got his leprosy too. 
 
 4. The second sort of fraud is in matters of traffic and 
 
 bargain, wherein there may be deceit both 
 
 IN TRAFFIC. .^^ ^^^ g^jj^^ ^^^^ ^^ygj, . ^j^^^ ^f ^j^g ggjjg^ -g 
 
 commonly either in concealing the faults of the commodity, 
 or else in over-rating it. 
 
 5. The ways of concealing its faults are ordinarily these, 
 
 , either first by denying that it hath any such 
 THE SELLER s ^^^^^^ ^^^^ perhaps commending it for the 
 CONCEALING ^[^q^.^ contrary quality, and this is down- 
 
 THE FAULTS OF ^,.^j^^ j^-^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^j^^^ ^-^^ ^^ ^j^^ ^^j^^^.^ 
 
 HIS WARE. ^^^^ .^ ^^^^ j.^ ^^ confirmed by an oath, as 
 it is too usually, then the yet greater guilt of perjury comes 
 in also ; and then what aheap of sins is here gathered together ? 
 abundantly enough to sink a poor soul to destruction : and 
 all this only to screw a little more money out of his neigh- 
 bour's pocket, and that sometimes so very little, that it is a 
 miracle that any man that thinks he has a soul, can set it at 
 so miserable a contemptible price. A second means of con- 
 cealing, is by using some art to the thing, to make it look 
 fair, and to hide the faults of it, and this is acting a lie, though 
 it be not speaking one, which amounts to the same thing, and 
 has surely in this case as much of the intention of cheating 
 and defrauding, as the most impudent forswearing can have. 
 A third means, is the picking out ignorant chapmen ; this is, 
 I believe, an art too well known among tradesmen, who will 
 not bring out their faulty wares to men of skill, but keep 
 them to put off" to such, whose unskilfulness may make them 
 passable with them ; and this is still the same deceit with 
 the former ; for it all tends to the same end, the cozening 
 and defrauding of the chapmen, and then it is not much odds, 
 whether I make use of my own art, or his weakness for the 
 purpose. This is certain, he that will do justly, must let 
 his chapman know what he buys ; and if his own skill enable 
 him not to judge (nay, if he do not actually find out the 
 fault), thou art bound to tell it him, otherwise thou makest 
 him pay for somewhat which is not there, he presuming 
 there is that good quality in it, which thou knowest is not, 
 and therefore thou mayest as honesdy take his money for 
 some goods of another man's, which thou knowest thou canst 
 
SUNDAY XII.] DECEIT IN TRAFFIC. 185 
 
 never put into his possession, which I suppose no man will 
 deny to be an arrant cheat. To this head of concealment 
 may be referred that deceit of false weights and measures, 
 for that is the concealing from the buyer a defect in the 
 quantity, as the other was in the quality of the commodity, 
 and is again the making him pay for what he hath not. 
 This sort of fraud is pointed at particularly by Solomon. 
 Prov. xi. 1, with this note upon it, that it is an abomination 
 to the Lord. 
 
 6. The second part of fraud in the seller lies in over- 
 rating the commodity ; though he have not 
 disguised or concealed the faults of it, and 
 so have dealt fairly in that respect, yet 
 if he set an unreasonable price upon it, he defrauds the 
 buyer ; I call that an unreasonable price, which exceeds the 
 true worth of the thing, considered with those moderate 
 gains, which all tradesmen are presumed to be allowed in 
 the sale. Whatever is beyond this must in all likelihood be 
 fetched in by some of these ways : as first, by taking advan- 
 tage of the buyer's ignorance in the value of the thing which 
 is the same with doing it in the goodness, which hath 
 already been showed to be a deceit ; or, secondly by taking 
 advantage of his necessity. Thou findest a man hath present 
 and urgent need of such a thing, and therefore takest this 
 opportunity to set the dice upon him ; but this is that very 
 sin of Extortion and Oppression, spoken of before, for 
 it is sure, nothing can justly raise the price of any thing, 
 but either its becoming dearer to thee, or its being some 
 way better in itself; but the necessity of thy brother causes 
 neither of these ; his nakedness doth not make the clothes 
 thou sellest him stand thee in ever the more, neither doth it 
 make them any way better ; and therefore to rate them ever 
 the higher is to change the way of trading, and sell even the 
 wants and necessities of thy neighbour, which sure is a very 
 unlawful vocation. Or thirdly, it may be by taking advantage 
 of the indiscretion of the chapman. A man, perhaps ear- 
 nestly fancies such a thing, and then suffers that fancy so to 
 over-rule his reason, that he resolves to have it upon any 
 terms. If thou findest this in him, and thereupon raisest thy 
 rate, this is to make him buy his folly, which is of all others 
 the dearest purchase ; it is sure his fancy adds nothing to the 
 real value, no more than his necessity did in the former case, 
 and therefore should not add to the price. He therefore that 
 
 16* 
 
186 DECEIT IN TRAFFIC. [sUNDAY XII. 
 
 will deal justly in the business of selling, must not catch at 
 all advantages which the temper of his chapman may give, 
 but consider soberly, what the thing is worth, and what he 
 would afford it for to another, of whom he had no such ad- 
 vantage, and accordingly rate it to him at no higher a price. 
 
 7. On the Buyer's part there are not ordinarily so many 
 
 opportunities of fraud ; yet it is possible a 
 
 FRAUD IN THE .. i ^ n 
 
 man may sometmies happen to sell some- 
 what, the worth whereof he is not ac- 
 quainted with, and then it will be as unjust for the buyer to 
 make gain by his ignorance, as in the other case it was for 
 the seller : but that which often falls out, is the case of neces- 
 sity, which may as probably fall on the seller's side, as the 
 buyer's. A man's wants compel him to sell, and permit him 
 not to stay to make the best bargain, but force him to take 
 the first offer, and here for the buyer to gi*ate upon him, be- 
 cause he sees him in that strait, is the same fault which I 
 before showed it to be in the seller. 
 
 8. In this whole business of Traffic there are so many 
 
 opportunities of deceit, that a man had 
 
 MANY TEMPT A ^^i r i • ir -.V a 
 
 need ience himself with a very firm reso- 
 
 TIONS TO DE- 1 ,. , c ■ ^- i, -n u 
 
 lution, nay, love of justice, or he will be 
 in danger to fall under temptation ; for as 
 the wise man speaks, Ecclus. xxvii. 2, 
 Jis a nail sticks fast between the joinings of the stones, so 
 doth sin stick close between buying and selling ; it is so inter- 
 woven with all trades, so mixt with the very first principles 
 and grounds of them, that it is taught together with them, 
 and so becomes part of the art ; so that he is now-a-days 
 scarce thought fit to manage a trade, that wants it, while he 
 that hath most of this black art of defrauding, applauds and 
 hugs himself, nay, perhaps boasts to others, how he hath 
 over-reached his neighbour. 
 
 What an intolerable shame is this, that we Christians, 
 who are, by the precepts of our Master, 
 
 THE COMMON- ^ . .u u- u j x- r u V \ ^A 
 
 set to those higher duties of charity, should, 
 
 NESS OF INJUS- . , 1 r • • xi. "^ l 
 
 instead of practising them, quite unlearn 
 those common rules of justice, which mere 
 
 PROACH TO 1 T-i T .v.- 1 T 
 
 nature teaches, lor, 1 think 1 may say, 
 
 CHRISTIANITY. ,, c ^\. 1 u u f 
 
 there are none of those several branches ot 
 injustice towards the possessions of our neighbour, which 
 would not be adjudged to be so by any sober heathen ; so 
 that, as St. Paul tells those of thfe circumcision, that the 
 
 CEIT IN TRAF- 
 FIC. 
 
SUNDAY XII.] DECEIT IN TRAFFIC. 187 
 
 name of God was blasphemed among the Gentiles, by that 
 uiiagreeableness that was betwixt their practice and their law, 
 Rom. ii. 24. So now may it be said of us, that the name 
 of Christ is blasphemed among the Turks and Heathens, 
 by the vile and scandalous lives of us who call ourselves 
 Christians, and particularly in this sin of injustice ; for 
 shame let us at last endeavour to wipe off this reproach from 
 our profession, by leaving these practices ; to which me- 
 thinks this one single consideration should be enough to per- 
 suade us. 
 
 9. Yet, besides this, there want not other ; among which, 
 one there is of such a nature, as may pre- 
 vail with the arrantest worldling, and that 
 
 • *!, * a • 1 ^1, *. 11 * A 4 WAY TO ENRICH 
 
 IS, that this course doth not really tend to 
 the enriching of him ; there is a secret 
 curse goes along with it, which like a canker eats out all the 
 benefit was expected from it. This no man can doubt that 
 believes the Scripture, where there are multitudes of texts 
 to this purpose, thus, Prov. xxii. 16, He that oppresseth 
 the poor to increase his riches shall surely come to want. 
 So Habbak. ii. 16, Woe to him that increaseth that which 
 is not his! how long? And he that ladeth himself 
 with thick clay! shall they not rise up suddenly that 
 shall bite thee, and awake, that shall vex thee? And thou 
 shalt be for booties to them. This is commonly the fortune 
 of those that spoil and deceive others, they at last meet 
 with some that do the like to them. But the place in Ze- 
 CHARiAH is most full to this purpose, chap. v. where, under 
 the sign of a flying roll, is signified the curse that goes forth 
 against this sin, verse 4 : / will bring it forth, saith the 
 Lord of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, 
 and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my 
 name, and it shall consume it with the timber thereof, and 
 2vith the stones thereof Where, you see, theft and perjury 
 are two sins against which this curse is aimed (and they 
 two often go together in the matter of defrauding) ; and the 
 nature of this curse is, to consume the house, to make an 
 utter destruction of all that belongs to him that is guilty of 
 either of these sins. Thus, whilst thou art a ravening after 
 thy neighbour's goods or house, thou art but gathering fuel 
 to burn thine own. And the effect of these threatenings of 
 God Ave daily see in the strange improsperousness of ill-got- 
 ten estates, which every man is apt enough to observe in 
 
188 NECESSITY OF RESTITUTION. [sUNDAY XII. 
 
 Other men's cases : he that sees his neighbour decUne in his 
 estate, can presently call to mind, This was gotten by op- 
 pression or deceit ; yet so sottish are we, so bewitched with 
 the love of gain, that he that makes this observation can sel- 
 dom turn it to his own use, is nevertheless greedy, or unjust 
 himself for that vengeance he discerns upon others. 
 
 10. But alas ! if thou couldstbe sure that thy unjust pos- 
 
 sessions should not be torn from thee, yet 
 IT RUINS THE ^j^^^ ^^^^ rcmemberest how dear thou 
 SOUL ETERNAL- ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ -^ another world, thou 
 ^^'* hast little reason to brag of thy prize. Thou 
 
 thinkest thou hast been very cunning, when thou hast over- 
 reached thy brother ; but God knows all the while there is 
 another over-reaching thee, and cheating thee of what is in- 
 finitely more precious, even thy Soul ; the Devil herein deals 
 with thee as fishers use to do ; those that will catch a great 
 fish, will bait the hook with a less, and so the great one, 
 coming with greediness to devour that, is himself taken. So 
 thou that art gaping to swallow up thy poor brother, art thy- 
 self made a prey to that great devourer. And alas ! what 
 will it ease thee in hell that thou hast left wealth behind thee 
 upon earth, when thou shalt there want that, which the 
 meanest beggar here enjoys, even a drop of water to cool 
 thy tongue ? Consider this, and from henceforth resolve to 
 employ all that pains and diligence thou hast used to deceive 
 others, in rescuing thyself from the frauds of the grand de- 
 ceiver. 
 
 11. To this purpose it is absolutely necessary that thou 
 
 make Restitution to all whom thou hast 
 wronged : for as long as thou keepest any 
 thing of the unjust gain, it is as it were an 
 earnest-penny from the devil, which gives 
 him full right to thy soul. But, perhaps, it may be said. It 
 will not in all cases be possible to make Restitution to the 
 wronged party, peradventure he may be dead ; in that case 
 then make it to his heirs, to whom his right descends. But 
 it may further be objected, that he that hath long gone on in 
 a course of fraud, may have injured many that he cannot now 
 remember, and many that he has no means of finding out : 
 this case all I can advise is this : first, to be as diligent as is 
 possible, both in recalling to mind who they were, and en- 
 deavouring to find them out : and when, after all thy care, 
 that proves impossible, let thy Restitutions be made to the 
 
SUNDAY XIII.] OF FALSE WITNESS. 189 
 
 poor ; and that they may not be made by halves, be as care- 
 ful as thou canst to reckon every the least might of unjust 
 gain : but when that cannot exactly be done, as it is sure it 
 cannot by those who have multiplied the acts of fraud, yet 
 even there let them make some general measures whereby 
 to proportion their Restitution : as, for example, a tradesman 
 that cannot remember how much he hath cheated in every 
 single parcel, yet may possibly guess in the gross whether 
 he have unusually over-reached to the value of a third or a 
 fourth part of the wares, and then what proportion soever he 
 thinks he has so defrauded, the same proportion let him now 
 give out of that estate he hath raised by his trade : but herein 
 it concerns every man to deal uprightly, as in the presence 
 of God, and not to make advantage of his own forgetful- 
 ness, to the cutting short of the Restitution, but rather go on 
 the other hand, and be sure rather to give too much than too 
 little. If he do happen to give somewhat over, he need not 
 grudge the charge of such a sin-offering, and it is sure he 
 will not if he do heartily desire an atonement. Many other 
 difficulties there may be in this business of Restitution, which 
 will not be foreseen, and so cannot now be particularly spoke 
 to ; but the more of those there are, the greater horror ought 
 men to have of running into the sin of injustice, which it 
 will be so difficult if not impossible for them to repair, and 
 the more careful ought they to be to mortify that which is 
 the root of all injustice, to wit, Covetousness. 
 
 SUNDAY XIII. 
 
 Of false Reports, false Witness, Slanders, Whisperings. Of Scoffing 
 for Infirmities, Calamities, Sins, &c. Of Positive Justice, Truth, Of 
 Lying. Of Envy and Detraction. Of Gratitude, &c. 
 
 The fourth branch of Negative Justice concerns the Credit 
 
 of our Neighbours, which we are not to 
 
 , •• V . 1 1 HIS credit. 
 
 lessen or impair by any means, particularly 
 
 not by false reports. Of false reports there may be two 
 sorts ; the one is when a man says something of his neigh- 
 bour, which he directly knows to be false ; the other, when 
 possibly he has some slight surmise or jealousy of the thing, 
 but that upon such v^eak grounds, that it is as likely to be 
 
190 OF FALSE WITNESS. [sUNDAY XIII. 
 
 false as true. In either of these cases there is a great guilt 
 lies upon the reporter. That there doth so in the first of them 
 nobody will doubt, every one acknowledging that it is the 
 greatest baseness to invent a lie of another ; but there is as 
 little reason to question the other, for he that reports a thing 
 as a truth, which is but uncertain, is a liar also : or if he do 
 not report it as a certainty, but only as a probability, yet 
 then, though he be not guilty of the lie, yet he is of the in- 
 justice of robbing his neighbour of his credit ; for there is 
 such an aptness in men to believe ill of others, that any the 
 lightest jealousy will, if once it be spread abroad, serve for 
 that purpose ; and sure it is a most horrible injustice upon 
 every slight surmise and fancy to hazard the bringing so great 
 an evil upon another, especially when it is considered, that 
 those surmises commonly spring rather from some sensori- 
 ousness, peevishness, or malice in the surmiser, than from 
 any real fault in the person so suspected.. 
 
 2. The manner of spreading these false reports of both 
 
 kinds is not always the same ; sometimes 
 
 FALSE WITNESS. .^ - -^ i •,' 
 
 It IS more open and avowed, sometimes 
 more close and private : the open is many times by false 
 witness before the courts of justice : and this not only hurts 
 a man in his credit, but in other respects also : it is the de- 
 livering him up to the punishment of the law, and, accord- 
 ing to the nature of the crime pretended, does him more or 
 less mischief; but if it be of the highest kind, it may con- 
 cern his life, as we see it did in Naboth's case, 1 Kings xxi. 
 How great and crying a sin it is in this respect, as also in 
 that of the purjury, you may learn from what hath been said 
 of both those sins. I am now to consider it only as it 
 touches the credit, and to that it is a most grievous wound, 
 thus to have a crime publicly witnessed against one, and 
 such as is scarce curable by any thing that can afterwards be 
 done to clear him ; and, therefore, whoever is guilty of this 
 doth a most outrageous injustice to his neighbour. This is 
 that which is expressly forbidden in the ninth Command- 
 ment, and was by God appointed to be punished by the inflict- 
 ing of the very same suffering upon him, which his false 
 testimony aimed to bring upon the other, Deut. xix 19. 
 
 3. The second open way of spreading these reports, is by 
 
 a public and common declaring of them ; 
 ^ " thouffh not before the mao-istrate, as in the 
 
 DFRS • . 
 
 other case, yet in all companies, and before 
 
SUNDAY XIII.] OF WHISPERING. 191 
 
 such as are likely to carry it farther, and this is usually done 
 with bitter railings and reproaches, it being an ordinary art 
 of slanderers, to revile those whom they slander, that so by 
 the sharpness of the accusation, they may have the greater 
 impression on the minds of the hearers. This, both in re- 
 spect of the slander and the railing, is a high injury, and 
 both of them, such as debar the committers from heaven ; 
 thus, Psalm xv., where the upright man is described, that 
 shall have his part there, this is one special thing, verse 3, 
 That he slander eth not his neighbour. And for railing, the 
 apostle in several places reckons it amongst those works of 
 the flesh, which are to shut men out both from the church 
 here by excommunication, as you may see 1 Cor. xv. 11, 
 and from the kingdom of God hereafter, as it is, 1 Cor. 
 vi. 10. 
 
 4. The other more close and private way of spreading 
 such reports, is that of the Whisperer, he 
 that goes about from one to another and whispering. 
 privately vents his slanders, not out of an intent by that 
 means to make them less public, but rather more ; this trick 
 of delivering them by Avay of secret, being the way to make 
 them both more believed, and more spoken of too ; for he 
 that receives such a tale as a secret from one, thinks to please 
 somebody else, by delivering it as a secret to him also ; and 
 so it passes from one hand to another, till at last it spread 
 over a whole town. This sort of slanderer is of all others 
 the most dangerous, for he works in the dark, ties all he 
 speaks to, not to own him as the author ; so that whereas in 
 the more public accusations, the party may have some means 
 of clearing himself and detecting his accuser, here he shall 
 have no possibility of that, the slander, like a secret poison, 
 works incurable effects, before ever the man discern it. This 
 sin of whispering, is by St. Paul mentioned among those 
 great crimes, which are the efl'ects of a reprobate mind, Rom. 
 i. 29. It is indeed one of the most incurable wounds of this 
 sword of the tongue : the very bane and pest of human 
 society ; and that which not only robs single persons of their 
 good names, but oftentimes whole families, nay, public socie- 
 ties of men of their peace ; what ruins, what confusions, hath 
 this one sin wrought in the world ? It is Solomon's observa- 
 tion, Prov. xvi. 28, that a whisperer separateth chief friends ; 
 and sure one may truly say of tongues thus employed, that 
 they are set on fire of hell, as St. James saith, chap. iii. 6. 
 
192 DESPISING AND SCOFFING. LsUNDAY XIII. 
 
 5. This is such a guilt, that we are to beware of all the 
 
 degfrees of approach to it, of which there 
 are several steps ; the first is the giving ear 
 TOWARDS THIS ^^^ ^^^^ cherishing of those that come with 
 slanders, for they that entertain and receive 
 them, encourage them in the practice ; for as our common 
 proverb says. If there were no receivers, there would be no 
 thief; so if there were none that would give an ear to tales, there 
 would be no talebearers. A second step is, the giving too 
 easy credit to them, for this helps them to attain part of 
 their end. They desire to get a general ill opinion of sucli 
 a man, but the way of doing it, must be by causing it first, 
 in particular men ; and if thou suffer them to do it in thee, 
 they have so far prospered in their aim. And for thy own 
 part thou dost a great injustice to thy neighbour, to believe 
 ill of him without a just ground, which the accusation of such 
 a person certainly is not. A third step is the reporting to 
 others what is thus told thee ; by which thou makest thyself 
 directly a party in the slander, and after thou hast unjustly 
 withdrawn from thy neighbour thy own good opinion, en- 
 deavourest to rob him also of that of others. This is very 
 little below the guilt of the first whisperer, and tends as much 
 to the ruin of our neighbour's credit. And these several 
 degrees have so close a dependence one upon another, that 
 it will be very hard for him that allows himself the first, to 
 escape the other ; and indeed he that can take delight to 
 hear his neighbour defamed, may well be presumed of so 
 malicious a humour, that it is not likely he should stick at 
 spreading the slander. He therefore, that will preserve his 
 innocence in this matter, must never, in the least degree, 
 cherish or countenance any that brings these false reports. 
 And it is not less necessary to his peace, than to his inno- 
 cency ; for he that once entertains them, must never expect 
 quiet, but shall be continually incited and stirred up, even 
 against his nearest and dearest relations ; so that this whis- 
 perer and slanderer is to be looked on by all as a common 
 enemy, he being so as well to those to whom, as of whom 
 he speaks. 
 
 6. But besides this grosser way of slandering, there is 
 
 another, whereby we may impair and lessen 
 
 DESPISING AND ^i A-4. c • \\ 1 a * ' u 
 
 the credit oi our nei2:hbour, and that is by 
 
 contempt and despising, one common effect 
 
 whereof is scoffing, and deriding him. This is very inju- 
 
SUNDAY XIII.] SCOFFING FOR INFIRMITIES. 193 
 
 rious to a man's reputation. For the generality of men do 
 rather take up opinions upon trust, than judgment ; and there- 
 fore if they see a man despised and scorned, they will be apt 
 to do the like. But besides this effect of it, there is a present 
 injustice in the very act of despising and scorning others. 
 There are ordinarily but three things, which are made the 
 occasions of it, (unless it be with such, with whom virtue 
 and godliness are made the most reproachful things, and such 
 despising is not only an injury to our neighbour, but even 
 to God himself, for whose sake it is that he is so despised) 
 those three are first, the infirmities, secondly, the calamities, 
 thirdly, the sins of a man, and each of these are very far 
 from being ground of our triumphing over him. 
 
 7. First, for infirmities, be they either of body or mind, 
 the deformity and unhandsomeness of the 
 
 one, or the weakness and folly of the other, ^^^ infirmi- 
 
 they are things out of his power to help, 
 
 they are not his faults, but the wise dispensations of the great 
 
 Creator, who bestows the excellencies of body and mind as 
 
 he pleases ; and therefore to scorn a man because he hath 
 
 them not, is in eflfect to reproach God who gave them not to 
 
 him. 
 
 8. So also for the calamities and miseries that befall a man, 
 be it want or sickness, or whatever else, 
 
 these also come by the providence of God, 
 who raiseth up and pulleth down, as seems 
 good to him, and it belongs not to us to judge, what are the 
 motives to him to do so, as many do, who upon any affliction 
 that befalls another, are presently concluding, that sure it is 
 some extraordinary guilt, which pulls this upon him, though 
 they have no particular to lay to his charge. . This rash 
 judgment our Saviour reproves in the Jews, Luke xiii. where 
 on occasion of the extraordinary sufferings of the Galileans, 
 he asks them, verse 2, 3, Suppose ye that these Galileans 
 ivere sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered 
 such things ? I tell you, nay, but except you repent, ye 
 shall all likewise perish. When we see God's hand heavy 
 upon others, it is no part of our business to judge them, but 
 ourselves, and by repentance to prevent what our own sins 
 have deserved. But to reproach, and revile any that are in 
 affliction, is that barbarous cruelty, taken notice of by the 
 Psalmist, as the height of wickedness. Psalm Ixix. 26, They 
 persecute him tvhom thou hast smitten, and they talk to 
 
 17 
 
194 CREDIT OF OUR NEIGHBOUR. [sUNDAY XIII. 
 
 the grief of those whom thou hast wounded. In all the 
 miseries of others, compassion becomes a debt to them ; how 
 unjust are they then that, instead of paying them that debt, 
 afflict them with scorn and reproach ? 
 
 9. Nay, the very sins of men, though, as they have more 
 
 of their wills in them, they mav seem 
 ' * more to deserve reproach, yet certainly 
 they also oblige us to the former duty of compassion, and 
 that in the highest degree, as being the things which, of all 
 others, make a man the most miserable. In all these cases, 
 if we consider how subject we are to the like ourselves, and 
 that it is only God's mercy to us, by which we are preserved 
 from the worst that any man else is under, it will surely 
 better become us to look up to him with thankfulness, than 
 down on them with contempt and despising. Thus you see 
 the direct injustice of scorning and contemning our brethren, 
 to which, when that other is added, which naturally follows, 
 as a consequent of this, to wit, the begetting the like con- 
 tempt in others, there can sure be no doubt of its being a 
 great and horrible injustice to our neighbour in respect of his 
 credit. 
 
 10. Now how great the injury of destroying a man's 
 
 credit is, may be measured by these two 
 things ; first, the value of the thing he is 
 robbed of; and secondly, the difficulty of 
 
 GREAT INJURY, , • ,- ^ *T, ^ * •* • 
 
 makmg reparations, ror the first, it is 
 commonly known, that a man's good name is a thing he holds 
 most precious, oftentimes dearer than his life, as we see by 
 the hazards men sometimes run to preserve even a mistaken 
 reputation ; but, it is sure, it is that which hath even by 
 sober men been esteemed one of the greatest happinesses of 
 life : and to some sort of men, such especially as subsist by 
 dealings in the world, it is so necessary, that it may well be 
 reckoned as the means of their livelihood, and then sure it 
 is no slight matter to rob a man of what is thus valuable to 
 him. 
 
 11. Secondly, the difficulty of making reparations in- 
 
 creaseth the injury ; and that is such in 
 
 AND IRREPARA- ^i • c ^ c J *i, * T *v 
 
 this case oi deiamation, that 1 may rather 
 
 call it an impossibility, than a difficulty. 
 
 For when men are possessed of an ill opinion of a person, 
 
 it is no easy matter to work it out : so that the slanderer is 
 
 herein like a young conjurer, that raises a devil he knows 
 
SUNDAY XIII.] CREDIT OF OUR NEIGHBOUR. 195 
 
 not how to lay again. Nay, suppose men were generally as 
 willing to lay down ill conceits of their neighbours as they 
 are to take them up, how is it possible for him that makes 
 even the most public recantation of his slander, to be sure 
 that every man that hath come to the hearing of the one shall 
 do so of the other also ? And if there be but one person 
 that doth not, (as probably there will be many,) then is the 
 reparation still short of the injury. 
 
 12. This consideration is very fit to make men afraid of 
 doinff this wrong to their neighbour ; but 
 
 1 . --T ^ u J r X li YET EVERY 
 
 let It not be made use oi to excuse those 
 that have already done the wrong from en- 
 
 1 • ^ 1 ii, u * *• MUST DO ALL 
 
 deavourmg to make the best reparations 
 
 ,, f *!, U-4.-AJ -5 n 4. HE CAN TO RE- 
 
 they can ; tor though it is odds, it will not 
 
 1 .1 •• ^ 1 i .1, \! J PAIR THE IN- 
 
 equal the injury, yet let them however do 
 what they are able towards it. And this is 
 so necessary towards the obtaining pardon of the sin, that 
 none must expect the one, that do not perform the other. 
 Whosoever, therefore, sets himself to repent of his faults of 
 this kind, must, by all prudent means, endeavour to restore 
 his neighbour to that degree of credit he hath deprived him 
 of; and if that be not to be done without bringing the shame 
 upon himself, of confessing publicly the slander, he must 
 rather submit to that, than be wanting to this necessary part 
 of justice, which he owes to the wronged party. 
 
 13. Thus I have gone through these four branches of Ne- 
 gative Justice to our Neighbour ; wherein we must yet fur- 
 ther observe, that this iustice binds us, not 
 
 , . X i- *^ 1 J .' JUSTICE IN THE 
 
 only m respect oi our words and actions, 
 but of our very thoughts and affections 
 also ; we are not only forbid to hurt, but to hate ; not only 
 restrained from bringing any of these evils forementioned 
 upon him, but we must not so much as wish them before, 
 nor delight in them after, they are befallen him : we must 
 take no pleasure either in the sin of his soul, or hurt of his 
 body : we must not envy him any good thing he enjoys, nor 
 so much as wish to possess ourselves of it ; neither will it 
 suffice us that we so bridle our tongue, that we neither slan- 
 der nor revile, if we have that malice in our hearts which 
 makes us wish his discredit ; or rejoice, when we find it 
 procured, though we have no hand in the procuring it. This 
 is the peculiar property of God's Laws, that they reach to 
 
196 THE SIN OF LYING. [sUNDAY XIII. 
 
 the heart : whereas, men's can extend only to the words and 
 actions ; and the reason is clear, because he is the only Law- 
 giver that can see what is in the heart ; therefore, if there 
 were the perfectest innocency in our tongue and hands, yet 
 if there be not this purity of heart, it will never serve to 
 acquit us before Him. The counsel, therefore, of Solomon 
 is excellent, Prov. iv. 23, Keep thy heart with all diligence^ 
 for out of it are the issues of life. Let us strictly guard 
 that, so that no malicious, unjust thought enter there ; and 
 that not only as it may be the means of betraying us to the 
 grosser act, but also as it is in itself such a pollution in God's 
 sight, as will unfit us for the blessed vision of God, whom 
 none but the pure in heart have promise of seeing. Matt. 
 V. 8, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 
 
 14. I come now to speak of the Positive part of Justice, 
 
 which is the yielding to every man that 
 POSITIVE JUS- ^^j^.^j^ ^y ^^y j^.j^^ ^^ ^.gj^^ ^^ ^^y ^j^^j_ 
 
 ^ ^^' lenge from us. Of these dues there are 
 
 some that are general to all mankind, others that are restrained 
 within some certain conditions and qualities of men, and be- 
 come due only by virtue of those qualifications. 
 
 15. Of the first sort, that is, those that are due to all men, 
 
 we may reckon first, the speakinor Truth, 
 
 SPEAKING 1,- I, • J 1 X i n 
 
 which IS a common debt we owe to all man- 
 kind ; speech is given us as the instrument 
 of intercourse and society one with another, 
 the means of discovering the mind, which otherAvise lies hid 
 and concealed, so that, were it not for this, our conversations 
 would be but the same as of beasts. Now this being in- 
 tended for the good and advantage of mankind, it is a due to 
 it, that it be used to that purpose ; but he that lies is so far 
 from paying that debt, that on the contrary he makes his 
 speech the means of injuring and deceiving him he speaks to. 
 
 16. There might much be said to show the several sorts 
 
 of obligations we lie under to speak truth 
 LYING EXPRESS- ^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^ Supposing I write to Chris- 
 
 TV 'F'O'R'RT'n'nW 
 
 tians, I need not insist upon any other than 
 * the commands we have of it in Scripture ; 
 thus, Eph. iv. 25, the Apostle commands, that, putting away 
 lying, they speak every man truth with his neighbour : 
 and again. Col. iii. 9, Lie not one to another: and, Prov. 
 vi. 17, a lying tongue is mentioned as one of those things 
 
SUNDAY XIII.] THE SIN OF PRIDE. 197 
 
 that are abominations to the Lord. Yea, so much doth he 
 hate a lie, that it is not the most pious and rehgious end that 
 can reconcile him to it ; the man that lies, though in a zeal 
 to God's glory, shall yet be judged as a sinner, Rom. iii. 7. 
 What shall then become of those multitudes of men that lie 
 on quite other ends ? Some out of malice, to mischief others : 
 some out of covetousness, to defraud their neighbours : some 
 out of pride, to set themselves out ; and some out of fear, 
 to avoid danger, or hide a fault. But of a yet stranger sort 
 than all these, are those that do it without any discernible 
 temptation, that will tell lies by way of story, take pleasure 
 in telling incredible things, from which themselves reap no- 
 thing, but the reputation of impertinent liars. 
 
 17. Among these divers kinds of falsehood. Truth is be- 
 come such a rarity amonof us, that it is a 
 
 most difficult matter to find such a man as 
 David describes. Psalm xv. 2, That speak- commonness 
 eth the truth from his heart. Men have ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^ 
 so glibbed their tongues to lying that they 
 do it familiarly upon any or no occasion, never thinking 
 that they are observed either by God or man. But they are 
 extremely deceived in both ; for there is scarce any sin (that 
 is at all endeavoured to be hid) which is more discernible 
 even to men : they that have a custom of lying, seldom fail 
 (be their memory never so good) at some time or other to 
 betray themselves ; and when they do, there is no sort of 
 sin meets with greater scorn and reproach : a liar being by 
 all accounted a title of the greatest infamy and shame. But 
 as for God, it is madness to hope that all their arts can dis- 
 guise them from him, who needs none of those casual ways 
 of discovery which men do, but sees the heart, and so knows 
 at the very instant of speaking the falsehood of what is said : 
 and then, by his Title of the God of Truth, is tied, not only 
 to hate, but punish it : and, accordingly, you see. Rev. xxii. 
 that the liars are in the number of those that are shut out of 
 the new Jerusalem ; and not only so, but also have their 
 part in the lake that hurneth with fire and brimstone. If, 
 therefore, thou be not of the humour of that unjust judge 
 Christ speaks of, Luke xviii. 2, who neither feared God nor 
 regarded man, thou must resolve on this part of justice, the 
 putting away lying, which is abhorred by both. 
 
 18. A second thing we owe to all is, Humanity and 
 
 17 
 
198 VIRTUE OF MEEKNESS. [sUNDAY XIII. 
 
 Courtesy of Behaviour, contrary to that 
 ^ us B - gyijgj^ churlishness we find spoken of in 
 
 HAViouR A DUE ^^^^^^ ^j^o was of such a temper, that a 
 "^ ^ ^ ' man could not speak to him, 1 Sam. xxv. 
 17. There is sure so much of respect due to the very nature 
 of mankind, that no accidental advantage of weaUh or honour 
 which one man hath above another, can acquit him from 
 that debt to it, even in the person of the meanest ; and there- 
 fore that crabbed and harsh behaviour to any that bears but 
 the form of a man, is an injustice to that nature he partakes 
 of. And when we consider how much that nature is digni- 
 fied by the Son of God his taking it upon him, the obligation 
 to reverence it is yet greater, and consequently the sin of 
 thus contemning it. 
 
 19. This is the common guilt of all proud and haughty 
 
 persons, who are so busy in admirinor 
 
 NOT "PAl'n'RV •/ o 
 
 themselves, that they overlook all that is 
 valuable in others, and so think they owe 
 not so much as common civility to other 
 men, whilst they set up themselves, as Nebuchadnezzar did 
 his image, to be worshipped of all. This is sure very con- 
 trary to what the Apostle exhorts, Rom. xii. 10, In honour pre- 
 fer one another ; and again, Phil. ii. 4, Look not every 
 •man on his own things, hut every man also on the things 
 of others ; and let such remember the sentence of our bless- 
 ed Saviour, Luke xiv. II, He that exalteth himself shall 
 be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted, 
 which we often find made good to us, in the strange down- 
 falls of proud men. And it is no wonder, for this sin makes 
 both God and men our enemies ; God, as the scripture every 
 where testifies, abhors it, and all that are guilty of it, and 
 men are by means of it used so contemptuously and unkindly 
 by us, that they are by nothing more provoked against us ; 
 and then whom God and man thus resist, who shall secure 
 and uphold ? 
 
 20. A third thing we owe to all, is Meekness ; that is, 
 
 such a patience and gentleness towards all, 
 
 MEEKNESS A u • n *l. * ^ • f 
 
 as may bridle that mad passion oi anger, 
 
 which is not only very uneasy to ourselves, 
 
 as hath already been showed, but also very 
 
 mischievous to our neighbours, as the many outrages, that 
 
 are oft committed in it, do abundantly testify. That this 
 
SUNDAY XIII. J VIRTUE OF MEEKNESS. 199 
 
 duty of meekness is to be extended to all men, there is no 
 doubt; for the Apostle in express words commands it, 1 
 Thes. v. 14, Be patient towards all men, and that, it should 
 seem, in spite of all provocation to the contrary, for the very 
 next words are. See that none render evil for evil, or railing 
 for railing ; and Timothy is commanded to exercise this 
 meekness, even towards them who oppose themselves against 
 the doctrine of the Gospel, 2 Tim. ii. 25, which was a case, 
 wherein some heat would probably have been allowed, if it 
 might have been in any. 
 
 21. This virtue of meekness is so necessary to the pre- 
 serving the peace of the world, that it is no 
 
 wonder that Christ, who came to plant ^^^^^'I'l^^o very 
 peace among men, should enjoin meekness ^^'^ufferable. 
 to all. I am sure the contrary effects of rage and anger are 
 every where discernible ; it breeds disquiet in kingdoms, in 
 neighbourhoods, in families, and even between the nearest 
 relations ; it is such a humour, that Solomon warns us never 
 10 enter a friendship with a man that is of it, Prov. xxii. 24, 
 Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a fu- 
 rious man thou shall not go. It makes a man unfit to be 
 either friend or companion, and indeed, makes one insuffer- 
 able to all that have to do with him, as we are again taught 
 by Solomon, Prov. xxi. 19, where he prefers the dwelling 
 in a wilderness, rather than with a contentious and angry 
 woman; and yet a woman has ordinarily only that one 
 weapon of the tongue to offend with. Indeed to any that 
 have not the same unquietness of humour, there can scarce 
 be a greater uneasiness, than to converse with those that have 
 it, though it never proceed farther than words. How great 
 this sin is, we may judge by what our Saviour says of it, 
 Matt. v. where there are several degrees of punishment 
 allotted to several degrees of it ; but alas ! we daily outgo 
 that which he there sets as the highest step of this sin ; the 
 calling, Thou fool, is a modest sort of reviling, compared 
 with those multitudes of bitter reproaches we use in our 
 rages. 
 
 22. Nay, we often go yet higher, reproaches serve not 
 our turn, but we must curse too. How 
 
 common is it to hear men use the horrid- ^ i^eads to 
 est execrations and cursings upon every the "^^^^^ great sin 
 slightest cause of displeasure ? Nay, per- ^^ cursing. 
 haps without any cause at aD ; so utterly have we forgot the 
 
200 PARTICULAR DUES. [sUNDAY XIII. 
 
 rule of the Apostle, Rom. xii. 14, Bless and curse not; Yea, 
 the precept of our blessed Saviour himself. Matt. v. 44, 
 Pray for those that despitefully use you. Christ bids us 
 pray for those who do us all injury, and we are often cursing 
 those who do us none. This is a kind of saying our prayers 
 backward indeed, which is said to be part of the ceremony 
 the devil uses at the making of a witch, and we have in ttiis 
 case also reason to look on it as a means of bringing us into 
 acquaintance and league with that accursed spirit here, and 
 to a perpetual abiding with him hereafter. It is the language 
 of Hell, which can never fit us to be citizens of the New 
 Jerusalem, but marks us out for inhabitants of that land of 
 darkness. I conclude this with the advice of the Apostle, 
 Ephes. iv. 31, Let all bitterness^ and wrath, and anger, 
 and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, 
 with all malice. 
 
 23. Having spoken thus far of those common dues, where- 
 
 in all men are concerned and have a rig'ht, 
 
 T A "RTTOTTT AT? 
 
 I am now to proceed to those other sorts 
 
 of dues, which belong to particular persons, 
 
 by virtue of some special qualification. These qualifications 
 
 may be of three kinds, that of excellency, that of want, and 
 
 that of relation. 
 
 24. By that of excellency, I mean any extraordinary gifts 
 
 or endowments of a person ; such as wis- 
 dom, learnino;, and the like, but especially 
 
 TO MEN OF EX- rr.u i • .i, • i a c 
 
 ffrace. 1 hese bemo^ the smsrular ofitls of 
 
 TRAORDINARY r^ j 1 . ^i a ? J <. 
 
 God, have a great value and respect due to 
 them, wheresoever they are to be found ; 
 and this we must readily pay by a willing and glad acknow- 
 ledgment of those his gifts in any he has bestowed them on, 
 and bearing them a reverence and respect, answerable there- 
 unto, and not out of an overweening of our own excellencies, 
 despise and undervalue those of others, as they do who will 
 yield nothing to be reason, but what themselves speak, nor 
 any thing piety, but what agrees with their own practice. 
 
 25. Also we must not envy or grudge that they have those 
 
 ffifts, for that is not only an injustice to them, 
 
 WE ARE NOT ? ^ • • • 1 4. r^ A \ .1 
 
 but mmrious also to God who ffave them, 
 
 TO ENVY THEM. -^ • x 1 4. r .U • +1. n r 
 
 as It IS at large set forth m the parable of 
 the labourers, Matt. xx. where he asks them who grumbled 
 at the master's bounty to others, Is it not lawful for me 1o 
 
SUNDAY XIII.] ENVY AND DETRACTION. 201 
 
 do what I will with my own ? is thine eye evil because 
 mine is good ? This envying at God's goodness to others, 
 is in effect, a murmuring against God, who thus disposes it ; 
 neither can there be a greater and more direct opposition 
 against him, than for me to hate and wish ill to a man, for 
 no other reason, but because God has loved and done well 
 to him. And then in respect of the man, it is the most un- 
 reasonable thing in the world, to love him the less, merely be- 
 cause he has those good qualities, for which I ought to love 
 him more. 
 
 26. Neither must we detract from the excellencies of 
 others, we must not seek to eclipse or 
 
 darken them by denying either the kinds or 
 
 J r .1, u \.u i i ^ 1 cc FROM THEM. 
 
 degrees oi them, by that means to take on 
 that esteem which is due to them. This sin of detraction is 
 generally the effect of the former, of envy ; he that envies a 
 man's worth, will be apt to do all he can to lessen it in the 
 opinions of others, and to that purpose will either speak 
 slightly of his excellencies ; or if they be so apparent, that 
 he knows not how to cloud them, he will try if he can by re- 
 porting some either real or feigned infirmity of his, take off 
 from the value of the other, and so by casting in some dead 
 flies, as the Wise man speaks, Eccles ; x. 1 ; strive to cor- 
 rupt the savour of the ointment. This is a great injustice, 
 and directly contrary to that duty we owe, of acknowledging 
 and reverencing the gifts of God in our brethren. 
 
 27. And both those sins of envy and detraction do iisually 
 prove as gfreat follies, as wickedness ; the 
 
 ° ^1 , . . , ^ ' , THE FOLLY OF 
 
 envy constantly brmffs pain and torment to 
 
 •> ^c X, -r u 1 J u * 1 BOTH THOSE 
 
 a man s self, whereas if he could but cheer- 
 fully and gladly look on those good things 
 of another's, he could never fail to be the better for them 
 himself ; the very pleasure of seeing them would be some 
 advantage to him : but besides that, those gifts of his brother 
 may be many ways helpful to him ; his wisdom and learn- 
 ing may give him instruction ; his piety and virtue, example, 
 &c. But all this the envious man loseth, and hath nothing 
 in exchange for it, but a continual fretting, and gnawing of 
 heart. 
 
 28. And then for detraction, that can hardly be so managed, 
 but it will be found out ; he that is still putting in caveats against 
 men's good thoughts of others, will quickly discover him 
 
202 DUES TO THOSE IN WAXT. [sUNDAY XIII. 
 
 self lo do it out of envy, and then that will be sure to lesspn 
 their esteem of himself, but not of those he envies, it bein^ 
 a sort of bearing testimony to those excellencies, that he 
 thinks them worth the envying. 
 
 29. What hath been said of the value and respect due to 
 
 those excellencies of the mind, may, in a 
 EC UE YoxvQY degree be applied to the outward ad- 
 vantages of honour, greatness, and the like. 
 These though they are not of equal value 
 
 THEIR RANKS • , ^u f /A U 1,\ 
 
 with the tormer (and such, which no man 
 ■ is to prize himself,) yet in regard that these 
 degrees and distinctions of men are by God's wise provi- 
 dence disposed for the better ordering of the world, there is 
 such a civil respect due to those, to whom God hath dis- 
 pensed them, as may best preserve that order, for which they 
 were intended. Therefore all inferiors are to behave them- 
 selves to their superiors with modesty and respect, and not 
 by a rude boldness confound that order which it hath pleased 
 God to set in the world, but according as our Church Cate- 
 chism teaches. Order themselves loivly and reverently to all 
 their betters. And here the former caution against envy 
 comes in most seasonably ; these outward advantages being 
 things of which generally men have more taste than of the 
 other ; and, therefore, will be more apt to envy and repine 
 to see others exceed them therein ; to this, therefore, all the 
 former considerations against envy will be very proper, and 
 the more necessary to be made use of, by how much the 
 temptation is in this case to most minds the greater. 
 
 30. The second qualification is that of want ; whoever is 
 
 in distress for any thins: wherewith I can 
 
 DUES TO THOSE i i- .i, * j- x r i, • ^ 
 
 supply him, that distress oi his makes it a 
 
 THAT ARE IN a\ • x ^ X,- j ^u- • 
 
 duty in me so to supply him, and this m 
 
 ANY SORT OF u i • j c ^ tvt ^i, j r 
 
 all kinds oi wants. JNow the ground oi 
 its being a duty is, that God hath given 
 men abilities not only for their own use, but for their advan- 
 tage and benefit of others ; and, therefore, what is thus given 
 for their use, becomes a debt to them, whenever their need 
 requires it. Thus he that is ignorant and wants knowledge, 
 is to be instructed by him that hath it, and this is one special 
 end, why that knowledge is given him ; The tongue of the 
 learned is given to speak a word in season, Isaiah 1. 4. 
 He that is in sadness and affliction, is to be comforted by hhn 
 
SUNDAY XIII.] DUES TO THE POOR. 203 
 
 that is himself in cheerfulness. This we see St Panl makes 
 the end of God's comforting him, that he might be able to 
 comfort them that are in any trouble, 2 Cor. i. 4. He that 
 is in any course of sin, and wants reprehension and counsel, 
 must have that want supplied to him by those who have such 
 abilities and opportunities, as may make it likely to do good. 
 That this is a justice we owe to our neighbour, appears 
 plainly by that Text, Lev. xix. 17, Thou shall not hate thy 
 brother in thy heart ^ thou shall in any wise reprove him, 
 and not suffer sin upon him ; where we are under the same 
 obligation to reprove him, that we are not to hate him. He 
 that lies under any slander, or unjust defamation, is to bo 
 defended and cleared by him that knows his innocence, or 
 else he makes himself guilty of the slander, because he ne- 
 glects to do that which may remove it ; and how great an 
 injustice that of slandering our neighbour is, I have already 
 showed. 
 
 31. Lastly, he that is in poverty and need, must be re- 
 lieved by him that is in plenty : and he is 
 
 V 1 ^ •. A 1 • u -^ u ^ TO THE POOR. 
 
 bound to It, not only in charity, but even 
 in justice. Solomon calls it a due, Prov. iii. 27, Withhold 
 not good from him to whom it is due, when it is in the 
 poiver of thine hand to do it : and what that good is he 
 explains in the very next verse : Say not to thy neighbour, 
 Go and come again, and to-morrow I ivill give, when thou 
 hast it by thee. It seems it is the withholding a due, so 
 much as to defer giving to our poor neighbour. And we find 
 God did among the Jews separate a certain portion of every 
 man's increase to the use of the poor, a tenth every third 
 year (which is all one with a thirtieth part every year,) 
 Deut. xiv. 28, 29. And this was to be paid, not as a charity, 
 or liberality, but as a debt, they were unjust if they withheld 
 it. And surely we have no reason to think, that Christian 
 justice is sunk so much below the Jewish, that either no- 
 thing at all, or a less proportion is now required of us. I 
 wish our practice were but at all answerable to our obliga- 
 tion in this point, and then surely we should not see so many 
 Lazaruses lie unrelieved at our doors, they having a better 
 right to our superfluities, than we ourselves have ; and then 
 what is it but errant robbery to bestow that upon our vanities, 
 nay, our sins, which should be their portion ? 
 
 32. In all the foregoing cases he that hath ability is to look 
 
204 DUTIES OF RELATION. [sUNDAY XIII. 
 
 upon himself as God's steward, who hath 
 
 GOD WITH- p^^ .^ .^^^ j^.g j^^j^(jg ^Q distribute to them 
 
 DRAWS THOSE ^j^^^ ^^^^^ , ^^^^ therefore, not to do it, is 
 
 ■^^ ^ the same injustice and fraud, that it would 
 
 AVTTTPH ARE i 
 
 be in any steward to purse up that money 
 for his private benefit which was entrusted 
 ^ * to him for the maintenance of the family ; 
 
 and he that shall do thus hath just reason to expect the doom 
 of the unjust steward, Luke xvi, to be put out of his stew- 
 ardship, to have those abilities taken from him, which he 
 hath so unfaithfully employed. And as for all the rest, so 
 particularly for that wealth, it is very commonly to be ob- 
 served, that it is withdrawn from those that thus defraud the 
 poor of their parts, the griping miser coming often by strange 
 undiscernible ways to poverty ; and no wonder, he having 
 no title to God's blessing on his heap who does not conse- 
 crate a part to him in his poor members. And, therefore, we 
 see the Israelites before they could make that challenge of 
 God's promise to bless them, Deut. xxvi. 15, Look down 
 from thy holy habitation and bless thy people Israel, <fec. ; 
 they were first to pay poor man tithes, verse 13, without 
 which they could lay no claim to it. This withholding 
 more than is m,eet, as Solomon says, Prov. xi. 24, tends to 
 poverty^ and, therefore, as thou wouldst play the good 
 husband for thyself, be careful to perform this justice accord- 
 ing to thy ability to all that are in want. 
 
 33. The third qualification is that of Relation, and of that 
 
 there may be divers sorts, arising from 
 
 divers grounds, and duties answerable to 
 
 respect of re- ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ rpj^^j.^ -g ^^g^ ^ relation of 
 
 a Debtor to a Creditor ; and he that stands 
 in that relation to any, whether by virtue of bargain, loan, 
 or promise, it is his duty to pay justly what he owes, if he 
 be able (as on the other side, if he be not, it is the Creditor's, 
 to deal charitably and Christianly with him, and not to exact 
 of him beyond his ability). But I need not insist on this, 
 having already, by showing you the sin of withholding debts, 
 informed you of this duty. 
 
 34. There is also a relation of an obliged person to his 
 
 Benefactor, that is, one that hath done him 
 gratitude to gQQ(j^ Qf \vh2ii kind soever, whether spirit- 
 benefactors. ^.^j ^^ corporal ; and the duty of that per- 
 son is, first thankfulness, that is, a ready and hearty acknow- 
 
SUNDAY XIII.] GRATITUDE TO BENEFACTORS. 205 
 
 ledgment of the courtesy received : secondly, prayer for 
 God's blessings, and rewards upon him ; and thirdly, an en- 
 deavour, as opportunity and ability serves, to make returns 
 of kindness, by doing good turns back again. This duty 
 of gratitude to Benefactors is so generally acknowledged by 
 all, even the most barbarous and savagest of men, that he 
 must have put off much of his human nature that refuses to 
 perform it. The very Publicans and Sinners, as our Saviour 
 says. Do good to those that do good to them. 
 
 35. Yet how many of us fail even in this ! how frequent 
 is it to see men not only neglect to repay 
 
 . . , . , ■ ^ • , A c THE CONTRARY 
 
 courtesies, but return inmries mstead ol 
 
 .V , tI • ^ I ui • TOO COMMON. 
 
 them f It IS too observable m many par- 
 ticulars, but in none more than in the case of advice and ad- 
 monition, which is of all others the most precious part of 
 kindness, the reallest good turn that can be done from one 
 man to another. And, therefore, those that do this to us, 
 should be looked on as our prime and greatest benefac- 
 tors. But alas ! how few are there that can find gratitude, 
 shall I say ? nay, patience for such a courtesy ? Go about to 
 admonish a man of a fault, or tell him of an error, he pre- 
 sently looks on you as his enemy : you are as St. Paul tells 
 the Galatians chap. iv. 16, Become his enemy because you 
 tell him, the truth; such a pride there is in men's hearts, 
 that they must not be told of any thing amiss, though it be 
 with no other intent but that they may amend it. A strange 
 madness this is, the same that it would be in a sick man to 
 fly in the face of him that comes to cure him, on a fancy 
 that he disparaged him in supposing him sick ; so that we 
 may well say with the wise man, Prov. xii. 1, He that 
 hateth reproof is brutish. There cannot be in the world a 
 more unhappy temper, for it fortifies a man in his sins ; 
 raises such mounts and bulwarks about them, that no man 
 can come to assault them ; and if we may believe Solomon, 
 destruction will not fail to attend it, Prov. xxix. 1, He that, 
 being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be 
 destroyed, and that without remedy. But then again in 
 respect of the admonisher, it is the greatest injustice, I may 
 say, cruelty that can be ; he comes in tenderness and com- 
 passion to rescue thee from danger; and to that purpose puts 
 himself upon a very uneasy task ; for such the general im- 
 patience men have to admonition, hath now made it, and 
 
 18 
 
206 DUTY TO PARENTS. [sUNDAY XIV. 
 
 what a defeat, what a grief is it to him to find, that instead 
 of reforming the first fault, thou art run into a second, to 
 wit, that of causeless displeasure against him ? This is one 
 of the worst, and yet I doubt, the commonest sort of unthank- 
 fulness to Benefactors, and so a great failing in that duty we 
 owe to that sort of relation. But, perhaps, these will be 
 looked on as remote relations (yet it is sure they are such as 
 challenge all that duty I have assigned to them,) I shall in 
 the next place proceed to those relations which are by all 
 acknowledged to be of the greatest nearness. 
 
 SUNDAY XIV. 
 
 Of Duty to Magistrates, Pastors. Of the Duty of Parents to Children, &c. 
 Of Children's Duty unto Parents, &c. 
 
 The first of those nearer sorts of relations is that of a 
 Parent ; and here it will be necessary to 
 
 DUTY TO PA" • 1 
 
 consider the several sorts of Parents, accord- 
 RENTS. .^^ ^^ which the duty of them is to be 
 
 measured. Those are these three, the Civil, the Spiritual, 
 the Natural. 
 
 2. The Civil Parent is he whom God hath established 
 
 the Supreme Magistrate, who by a iust 
 
 DUTIES TO THE • i ^ ii, rrii • *• 
 
 riffht possesses the 1 hrone m a nation. 
 
 SUPREME 3IA- m*?- • ,i r .^ c n .u xi, a 
 
 1 his IS the common lather of all those that 
 are under his authority. The duty we owe 
 
 to this Parent is first. Honour and Reverence, looking on 
 him as upon one whom God hath stamped 
 much of his own power and authority, and 
 
 therefore paying him all honour and esteem, never daring, 
 
 upon any pretence whatsoever, to speak evil of the ruler of 
 
 our people, Acts xxiii. 5. 
 
 3. Secondly, paying Tribute : this is expressly commanded 
 
 by the Apostle, Rom. xiii. 6, Fay ye Tri- 
 TRiBUTE. ^^^g ^j^^^ y.^^, ^j^^^ ^^^ God\s ministers, 
 
 attending continually upon this very thing. God has set 
 them apart as ministers for the common good of the people, 
 and therefore it is all justice they should be maintained and 
 supported by them. And, indeed, when it is considered 
 what are the cares and troubles of that high calling, how 
 
SUNDAY XIV.] DUTY TO PARENTS. 207 
 
 many thorns are platted in every crown, we have very little 
 reason to envy them these dues ; and it may truly be said, 
 there is none of their poor labouring subjects that earns their 
 living so hardly. 
 
 4. Thirdly, we are to pray for them ; this is also expressly 
 commanded by the Apostle, 1 Tim. ii. 2, pj^^yers for 
 to be done for kings, and all that are in them 
 authority. The businesses of that calling 
 
 are so weighty, the dangers and hazards of it so great, that 
 they of all others need prayers for God's direction, assist- 
 ance, and blessing ; and the prayers that are thus poured out 
 for them will return into our own bosoms ; for the blessings 
 they receive from God tend to the good of the people, to 
 their living a quiet and peaceable life, as it is in the close 
 of the verse forementioned. 
 
 5. Fourthly, we are to pay them Obedience. This is 
 likewise strictly charged by the Apostle, obedience. 
 
 1 Pet. ii. 13, Submit yourselves to every 
 ordinatice of man for the Lord's sake, whether it he the 
 King, as Supreme, or unto Governors, as those that are 
 sent by him. We owe such an obedience to the supreme 
 power, that whoever is authorized by him, we are to submit 
 to ; and St. Paul likewise is most full to this purpose, Rom. 
 xiii. 1, Let every soul be subject to the higher powers. 
 And again, verse 2, Whosoever resisteth the powers, resist- 
 efh the ordinance of God. And it is observable, that these 
 precepts were given at a time when those powers were 
 heathens, and cruel persecutors of Christianity ; to show us, 
 that no pretence of the wickedness of our rulers can free us 
 of this duty. An obedience we must pay either active or 
 passive ; the active in the case of all lawful commands ; that 
 is, whenever the magistrate commands something, which is 
 not contrary to some command of God, we are then bound 
 to act according to that command of the magistrate, to do the 
 things he requires. But when he enjoins any thing contrary 
 to what God hath commanded, we are not then to pay him 
 this active obedience : we may, nay, we must, refuse thus to 
 act, (yet here we must be very well assured that the thing 
 is so contrary, and not pretend conscience for a cloak of 
 stubbornness,) we are in that case to obey God rather than 
 man. But even this is a season for the passive obedience, 
 we must patiently suffer what he inflicts on us for such re- 
 fusal, and not to secure ourselves, rise up against him. For 
 
208 DUTY TO PARENTS. [sUNDAY XIV. 
 
 wlio can stretch his hand against the Lord's anointed, and 
 he guiltless? says David to Abishai, 1 Sam. xxvi. 9, and that 
 at a time when David was under a great persecution from 
 Saul, nay, had also the assurance of the kingdom after him ; 
 and St. Paul's sentence in this case is most heavy, Rom. xiii. 
 2, They that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 
 Here is very small encouragement to any to rise up against 
 the lawful magistrate, for though they should so far prosper 
 here, as to secure themselves from him by this means, yet 
 there is a King of kings from whom no power can shelter 
 them, and this damnation in the close will prove a sad prize 
 of their victories. What is on the other side, the duty of 
 the magistrate to the people, will be vain to mention here, 
 none of that rank being like to read this Treatise, and it being 
 very useless for the people to inquire what is the duty of 
 their Supreme, wherein the most are already much better 
 read, than in their own : it may suffice them to know, that 
 whatsoever his duty is, or however performed, he is account- 
 able to none but God, and no failing of his part can warrant 
 them to fail of theirs. 
 
 6. The second sort of Parents are the Spiritual ; that is, 
 the ministers of the word, whether such as be governors in 
 
 the church or others under them, who are 
 
 DUTIES TO OUR ^ r ^u ra ^ i 
 
 to perform the same othces to our souls 
 that our natural parents do to our bodies. 
 Thus St. Paul tells the Corinthians, that in Christ Jesus he 
 had begotten them through the Gospel, 1 Cor. iv. 15 ; and 
 the Galatians, chap. iv. 19, that he travails in birth of them, 
 till Christ be formed in them: and again, 1 Cor. iii. 2, He 
 had fed them with milk, that is, such doctrines as were agree- 
 able to that infant state of Christianity they were then in ; 
 but he had stronger meat for them of full age, Heb. v. 14. 
 All these are the offices of a parent, and therefore they that 
 perform them to us may well be accounted as such. 
 
 7. Our duty to these is, first, to love them, to bear them 
 
 that kindness which belongs to those who 
 do us the greatest benefits. This is required 
 by St. Paul, 1 Thess. v. 12 : I beseech you, brethren, mark 
 them which labour among you, and are over you in the 
 Lord, and admonish you, and esteem them very highly in 
 love for their work^s sake. The work is such as ought in 
 all reason to procure them love, it being of the highest ad- 
 vantage to us. 
 
SUNDAY XIV.] DUTY TO PARENTS. 209 
 
 8. Secondly, it is our duty to value and esteem them, as 
 we see in the text now mentioned ; and 
 surely this is most reasonable, if we con- ^' 
 
 sider either the nature of their work or who it is that em- 
 ploys them. The nature of their work is of all others the most 
 excellent. We use to value other professions proportionably 
 to the dignity and worth of the things they deal in. Now 
 surely there is no merchandize of equal worth with a soul ; 
 and this is their traffic, rescuing precious souls from perdition. 
 And if we consider further, who it is that employs them, it 
 yet adds to the reverence due to them. They are ^Embas- 
 sadors for Christ, 2 Cor. v. 20 ; and ambassadors are by the 
 laws of all nations to be used with a respect answerable to the 
 quality of those that send them. Therefore Christ tells his 
 disciples, when he sends them out to preach, He that de- 
 spiseth you despiseth me, and he that despiseth me despiseth 
 him that sent me, Luke x. 16. It seems there is more de- 
 pends on the despising of ministers than men ordinarily con- 
 sider, it is the despising of God and Christ both. Let those 
 think of this, who make it their pastime and sport to affront 
 and deride this calling. And let those also, who dare pre- 
 sume to exercise the office of it, without being lawfully called 
 to it , which is a most high presumption ; it is as if a man of 
 his own head should go as an ambassador from his prince. 
 The apostle says of the priests of the law, which yet are in- 
 ferior to those of the Gospel, That no man taketh this ho- 
 nour to himself, hut he which was called of God, Heb. v. 4. 
 How shall then any man dare to assume this greater honour 
 to himself that is not called to it ? Neither will it suffice to 
 say, they have the inward call of the spirit; for since God 
 hath established an order in the Church, for the admitting 
 men to this office, they that shall take it upon them without 
 that authority, resist that ordinance, and are but of the num- 
 ber of those thieves and robbers, as our Saviour speaks, 
 John x., which come not in by the door. Beside, the sad 
 experience of these times shows, that many who pretend 
 most to this inward call of the spirit, are called by some 
 other spirit than that of God, the doctrines they vent, being 
 usually directly contrary to that word of his, on which all 
 true doctrines must be founded. Such are to be looked on 
 as those seducers, those false prophets, whereof we are so 
 often warned in the Epistles of the Apostles. And who- 
 soever countenances them, or follows them, partakes with 
 
 18* 
 
210 DUTY TO PARENTS. [sUNDAY XIV, 
 
 them in their guilt. It is recorded of Jeroboam, as a crying 
 sin, that he made of the meanest of the people priests ; that 
 is, such as had by God's institution no right to it : and who- 
 ever hearkens to these uncalled preachers, runs into that 
 very sin : for without the encouragement of being followed, 
 they would not long continue in the course, and therefore 
 they that give them that encouragement, have much to an- 
 swer for, and are certainly guilty of the sin of despising their 
 true pastors, when they shall thus set up these false apostles 
 against them. This is a guilt this age is too much concerned 
 in, God in his mercy so timely convince us of it, as may put 
 a stop to that confusion and impiety, which breaks in so 
 fast upon us by it. 
 
 9. Thirdly, We owe to them Maintenance : but of this I 
 have spoken already in the first part of 
 
 MAINTENANCE. ^j^.^ ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^^ 
 
 Fourthly, We owe them Obedience. Obey them, saith the 
 Apostle, that have the rule over you, and 
 
 OBEDIENCE. l -^ 7 x- xi ^ 7 /• 
 
 submit yourselves, jor they watch jor your 
 souls, Heb. xiii. 17. This obedience is to be paid them in 
 spiritual things ; that is, whatsoever they out of God's word 
 shall declare to us to be God's commands, these we are 
 diligently to obey, remembering that it is not they but God 
 requires it, according to that of Christ, He that heareth you 
 heareth me, Luke x. 16. And this, whether it be delivered 
 by the way of public preaching, or private exhortation, for 
 in both, so long as they keep them to the rule, which is God's 
 word, they are the Messengers of the Lord of Hosts, Mal. 
 ii. 7. This obedience the apostle enforceth from a double 
 motive, one taken from their ministry, another from them- 
 selves. TTiey ivatch, says he, for your souls, as they that 
 must give an account, that they m^ay do it with joy, and 
 not with grief. The people are by their obedience to enable 
 their pastors to give a comfortable account of their souls ; 
 and it is a most unkind return of all their care and labours, 
 to be put to grieve for the ill success of them. But then in 
 the second place, it is their own concernment also ; they may 
 put their ministers to the discomfort of seeing all their pains 
 cast away, but themselves are like to get little by it, that, 
 says the Apostle, Heb. xiii. 17, will be unprofitable for 
 you ; it is yourselves that will finally prove the losers by it, 
 you lose all those glorious rewards, which are offered as the 
 crown of this obedience ; you get nothing but an addition to 
 
SUNDAY XIV.] DUTY TO PARENTS. 211 
 
 your sin and punishment; for as our Saviour tells the 
 Pharisees, if he had not come and spoken to them, they had 
 not had sin, John xv. 24, that is, in comparison with what 
 they then had ; so certainly they that never had the Gospel 
 preached to them, are much more innocent than they that 
 have heard and resisted it. And for the punishment, what 
 Christ told those to whom he had preached, that it should 
 be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon, which were heathen 
 cities, than for them, the same undoubtedly we may conclude 
 for ourselves. 
 
 10. Lastly, we are to pray for them. This St. Paul 
 every where requires of his spiritual chil- 
 dren ; thus Eph. vi. 19, having commanded ^^^^^^^ ^^^ 
 prayer for all saints, he adds, And for me, 
 
 that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my 
 mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the Gospel ; 
 and so again. Col. iv. 3. And this remains still a duty to 
 these spiritual fathers, to pray for such assistances of God's 
 spirit to them, as may enable them rightly to discharge that 
 holy calling. I shall omit to set down here, what is the 
 duty of ministers to the people, upon the same considera- 
 tion, on which I forbear to mention the duty of magistrates. 
 
 11. The third sort of Parent is the Natural, the fathers 
 of our flesh, as the Apostle calls them, 
 
 tj •• n A 1 * .1 1 DUTIES TO OUR 
 
 Heb. xn. 9. And to these we owe several 
 
 duties ; as first, we owe them reverence ^ ^ 
 
 and respect; we must behave ourselves 
 
 towards them with all humility and observance, and must 
 
 not upon any pretence of infirmity in them 
 
 A • f ^1, -^u • ^ A REVERENCE. 
 
 despise or contemn them, either in outward 
 behaviour, or so much as inwardly in our hearts. If, in- 
 deed, they have infirmities, it must be our business to cover 
 and conceal them ; like Shem and Japheth, who, while 
 cursed Ham published and disclosed the nakediiess of their 
 father, covered it, Gen. ix. 23 ; and that in such a manner 
 too, as even themselves might not behold it. We are as 
 much as may be to keep ourselves from looking on those 
 nakednesses of our parents, which may tempt us to think 
 irreverently of them. This is very contrary to the prac- 
 tice of too many children, who do not only publish and de- 
 ride the infirmities of their parents, but pretend they have 
 those infirmities they have not ; there is ordinarily such a 
 pride and headiness in youth, that they cannot abide to sub- 
 
212 DUTY TO FAREMS. [sUNDAY XIV. 
 
 mit to the counsels and directions of tlieir elders, and there- 
 fore to shake them off, are willing to have them pass for the 
 effects of dotage, when they are indeed the fruits of sobriety 
 and experience. To such the exhortation of Solomon is very 
 necessary, Prov. xxiii. 22 : Hearken to thy father that begat 
 thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. A mul- 
 titude of texts more there are in that book to this purpose, 
 which shows that the wisest of men thought it necessary for 
 children to attend to the counsel of their parents. But the 
 youth of our age set up for wisdom the quite contrary way, 
 and think they then become wits, when they are advanced 
 to the despising the counsel, yea, mocking the persons of 
 their parents. Let such, if they will not practise the exhor- 
 tations, yet remember the threatening of the wise man, Prov. 
 XXX. 17 : The eye that mocketh at his father and despiseth 
 to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it 
 out and the young eagles shall eat it. 
 
 13. A second duty we owe to them is Love ; we are to 
 bear them a real kindness, such as may 
 make us heartily desirous of all manner of 
 good to them, and abhor to do any thing that may grieve and 
 disquiet them. This will appear but common gratitude, when 
 it is remembered what our parents have done for us, how 
 they were not only the instruments of first bringing us into 
 the world, but also of sustaining and supporting us after ; and 
 certainly they rightly weigh the cares and fears, that go to 
 the bringing up of a child, will judge the love of that child 
 to be but a moderate return for them. This love is to be 
 expressed several ways, first, in all kindness of behaviour, 
 carrying ourselves not only with an awe and respect, but 
 with kindness and affection ; and, therefore, most gladly and 
 readily doing those things which may bring joy and comfort 
 to them, and carefully avoiding whatever may grieve and 
 afflict them. Secondly, this love is to be expressed in pray- 
 ing for them. The debt a child owes to a parent is so great, 
 that he can never hope himself to discharge it ; he is, there- 
 fore, to call in God's aid, to beg of him, that he will reward 
 all the good his parents have done for him, by multiplying 
 his blessings upon them : what shall we then say to those 
 children that, instead of calling to Heaven for blessings on 
 their parents, ransack hell for curses on them, and pour out 
 the blackest execrations against them ? This is a thing so hor- 
 rid, that one would think they needed no persuasion against 
 
SUNDAY XIV.] DUTY TO PARENTS. 213 
 
 it; because none could be so vile as to iiill into it; but we 
 see God himself, who best knows men's hearts, saw it pos- 
 sible ; and, therefore, laid the heaviest punishment upon it, He 
 that curseth father or mother, let him die the death, Exod. 
 xxi. 17. And alas I our daily experience tells us, it is not 
 only possible but common, even this of uttering curses. But 
 it is to be feared, there is another yet more common, that is, 
 the wishing curses, though fear or shame keep them from 
 speaking out. How many children are there that, either 
 through impatience of the government or greediness of the 
 possessions of the parents, have wished their deaths ? But 
 whoever doth so, let him remember, that how slily and fairly 
 soever he carry it before men, there is one that sees those 
 secretest wishes of his heart, and in his sight he assuredly 
 passes for this heinous offender, a cursor of his parents. 
 And then let it be considered, that God hath as well the 
 power of punishing, as of seeing ; and, therefore, since he 
 hath pronounced death to be the reward of that sin, it is not 
 unreasonable to expect he may himself inflict it ; that they 
 who watch for the death of their parents, may untimely meet 
 with their own. The fifth commandment promiseth long life 
 as the reward of honouring the parent, to which it is very 
 agreeable that untimely death be the punishment of the con- 
 trary, and sure there is nothing more highly contrary to that 
 duty, than this we are now speaking of, the cursing our Par 
 rents. 
 
 14. The third duty we owe to them is obedience: this is 
 not only contained in the fifth command- 
 
 X u X 1 • • J • iV 1 OBEDIENCE. 
 
 ment, but expressly enjomed m other places 
 of Scripture, Ephes. vi. 1 , Children, obey your Parents in 
 the Lord, for this is right ; and again Col. iii. 20, Chil- 
 dren, obey your Parents in all things, for this is well 
 pleasing to the Lord. We owe them an obedience in all 
 things, unless where their commands are contrary to the 
 commands of God, for in that case our duty to God must be 
 preferred : and, therefore, if any parent shall be so wicked 
 as to require his child to steal, to lie, or to do any unlawful 
 thing, the child then offends not against his duty, though he 
 disobey that command ; nay, he must disobey, or else he 
 offends against a higher duty, even that he owes to God his 
 Heavenly Father. Yet when it is thus necessary to refuse 
 obedience, he should take care to do it in such a modest and 
 respectful manner, that it may appear it is conscience only, 
 
214 DUTY TO PARENTS. [sUNDAY XIV. 
 
 and not stubbornness, moves him to it. But in case of all 
 lawful commands, that is, when the thing commanded is either 
 good, or not evil, when it hath nothing in it contrary to our 
 duty to God, there the child is bound to obey, be the com- 
 mand in a weightier or lighter matter. How little this duty 
 is regarded is too manifest every where in the world, where 
 Parents generally have their children no longer under com- 
 mand than they are under the rod ; when they are once 
 grown up, they think themselves free from all obedience to 
 them ; or if some do continue to pay it, yet let the motive 
 of it be examined, and it will in too many be found only 
 worldly prudence. They fear to displease their Parents, lest 
 they should shorten their hand towards them, and so they 
 shall lose somewhat by it ; but how few are there that obey 
 purely upon conscience of duty ? This sin of disobedience 
 to Parents was, by the Law of Moses, punishable with death, 
 as you may read Deut. xxi. 18; but if Parents now-a-days 
 should proceed so with their children, many might soon make 
 themselves childless. 
 
 15. But of all the acts of disobedience, that of marrying 
 
 against the consent of the Parent is one of 
 
 ESPECIALLY IN ^^^ j^-^j^^^^^ Children are so much the 
 
 THEIR goods, the possessions of their Parent, that 
 
 MARRIAGE. ^^^^ cannot, without a kind of theft, give 
 
 away themselves without the allowance of those that have 
 
 the right in them ; and, therefore, we see under the law, the 
 
 Maid that hath made any vow was not suffered to perform 
 
 it, without the consent of the Parent, Numb. xxx. 5. The 
 
 right of the Parent was thought of force enough to cancel 
 
 and make void the obhgation, even of a vow ; and, therefore, 
 
 surely it ought to be so much considered by us as to keep us 
 
 from making any such, whereby that right is infringed. 
 
 16. A fourth duty to the Parent, is to assist and minister 
 
 to them in all their wants of what kind 
 MINISTERING TO ^^^^^^^^ whether weakness and sickness of 
 THEIR WANTS. ^^^^^ decaycducss of understanding, or 
 poverty and lowness in estate ; in all these the child is bound, 
 according to his ability, to relieve and assist them : for the 
 two former, weakness of body, and infirmity of mind, none 
 can doubt of the duty, when they remember how every child 
 did in his infancy receive the very same benefit from the Pa- 
 rents ; the child had then no strength to support, no under- 
 standing to guide itself; the care of the Parents was fain to 
 
SUNDAY XIV.] DUTY TO PARENTS. 215 
 
 supply both these to it ; and, therefore, in common gratitude, 
 whenever either of these becomes the Parent's case, as some- 
 times by great age, or some accident both do, the child is to 
 perform the same offices back again to them. As for that 
 of relieving their poverty, there is the very same obligation 
 to that with the former, it being but just to sustain thy Parent 
 who has formerly sustained thee ; but besides this, Christ 
 himself teaches us, that this is contained within the precept 
 of honouring their Parents; for when, Mark vii. 13, he 
 accuses the Pharisees of rejecting the commandment of 
 God, to cleave to their own traditions, he instances in this 
 particular concerning the relieving of Parents, whereby it is 
 manifest that this is a part of that duty which is enjoined in 
 the fifth commandment, as you may see at large in the text, 
 and such a duty it is, that no pretence can absolve or acquit 
 us of it. How then shall those answer it that deny relief to 
 their poor Parents, that cannot part with their own excesses 
 and superfluities, which are indeed their sins, to satisfy the 
 necessities of those to whom they owe their being ? Nay, 
 some there are yet worse, who out of pride scorn to own 
 their Parents in their poverty : thus it often happens, when 
 the child is advanced to dignity or wealth, they think it a 
 disparagement to them to look on their Parents that remain 
 in a low condition, it being the betraying, as they think, to 
 the world the meanness of their birth, and so the poor Pa- 
 rent fares the worse for the prosperity of his child. This 
 is such a pride and unnaturalness together, as will surely 
 find a sharp vengeance from God ; for if Solomon observes 
 of Pride alone, that it is the forerunner of destruction, Prov. 
 xvi. 18, we may much rather conclude so of it, when it is 
 thus accompanied. 
 
 17. To this that hath been said of the duty of children to 
 their Parents, I shall add only this ; that no unkindness, no 
 fault of the Parent, can acquit the child of this duty ; but as 
 St. Peter tells servants, 1 Pet. ii. 18, that 
 they must be subject, not only to the good 
 and gentle masters, but also to the fro- 
 
 P . • 1 -^ u 1 * 1 -l*^ THE WORST OF 
 
 ward ; so certamly it belongs to children 
 to perform duty, not only to the kind and 
 virtuous, but even to the harshest, and wickedest Parent. 
 For though the gratitude due to a kind Parent be a very forci- 
 ble motive to make the child pay his duty, yet that is not the 
 only nor chiefest ground of it ; that is laid in the command 
 
216 parents' duty to children. [SUNDAY XIV. 
 
 of God, who requires us thus to honour our Parents. And 
 therefore, though we should suppose a Parent so unnatural, 
 as never to have done any thing to oblige the child (which 
 can hardly be imagined) yet still the command of God con- 
 tinues in force, and we are, in conscience of that, to perform 
 that duty to our Parents, though none of the other tie of 
 gratitude should lie on us. 
 
 But as this is due from the child to the Parents, so on the 
 other side there are other things also due 
 from the Parents to the Child, and that 
 throughout the several states and ages 
 of It. 
 18. First, There is the care of nourishing and sustaining 
 it, which begins from the very birth, and 
 
 TO NOURISH ' . J . r ^1, T> * A\ ii, 
 
 contmues a duty from the Parent, till the 
 
 TH'FM' 
 
 child be able to perform it to himself; this 
 is a duty which nature teaches ; even the savage beasts have 
 a great care and tenderness in nourishing their young, and 
 therefore may serve to reproach and condemn all Parents 
 who shall be so unnatural as to neglect this. I shall not 
 here enter into the question, whether the mother he obliged 
 to give the child its first nourishment, by giving it suck 
 herself, because it will not be possible to affirm universally 
 in the case, there being many circumstances which may 
 alter it, and make it not only lawful, but best not to do it ; 
 all I shall say is, that where no impediment of sickness, 
 weakness, or the like does happen, it is surely best for the 
 mother herself to perform this office, there being many ad- 
 vantages to the child by it, which a good mother ought so 
 far to consider, as not to sell them to her own sloth, or nice- 
 ness, or any such unworthy motive ; for where such only 
 are the grounds of forbearing it, they will never be able to 
 justify the omission, they being themselves unjustifiable. 
 But besides this first care, which belongs to the body of 
 
 the child, there is another, which should 
 
 BRING THEM TO , . , ^■^l^ ^ ^u • 
 
 beffm near as earh'-, which belongs to their 
 
 BAPTISM . . 
 
 souls, and that is the bringing them to the 
 Sacrament of Baptism, thereby to procure them an early right 
 to all those precious advantages, which that Sacrament con- 
 veys to them. This is a duty the Parents ought not to delay, 
 it being most reasonable that they who have been instruments 
 to convey the stain and pollution of sin to the poor infant, 
 should be very earnest and industrious to have it washed oflf 
 
SUNDAY XIV.] parents' DUTY TO CHILDREN. 217 
 
 as soon as may be : besides, the life of so tender a creature 
 is but a blast, and many times gone in a moment; and thouo-h 
 we are not to despair of God's mercy to those poor children, 
 who die without baptism, yet surely those Parents commit a 
 great fault by whose neglect it is that they want it. 
 
 19. Secondly, the Parents must provide for the education 
 of the child ; thev must, as Solomon speaks, 
 Prov. xxii. 6, train up the child in the ^^^^^^e them. 
 ivay he should go. As soon therefore as children come to 
 the use of reason, they are to be instructed, and that first in 
 those things which concern their eternal well being ; they 
 are, by little and little, to be taught all those things which 
 God hath commanded them as their duty to perform ; as also 
 what glorious rewards he hath provided for them, if they do 
 it, and what grievous and eternal punishment if they do it 
 not. These things ought, as early as is possible, to be in- 
 stilled into the minds of children, which (like new vessels) 
 do usually keep the flavour of that which is first put into 
 them ; and therefore it nearly concerns all Parents to look 
 they be at first thus seasoned with virtue and religion. It 
 is sure if this be neglected, there is one ready at hand to fill 
 them with the contrary : the devil will be diligent enough to 
 instil into them all wickedness and vice, even from their 
 cradles ; and there being also in all our natures so much the 
 greater aptness to evil than to good, there is need of great 
 care and watchfulness to prevent those endeavours of that 
 enemy of souls, which .can no way be, but by possessing 
 them at first with good things, breeding in them a love to 
 virtue, and a hatred of vice ; that so when the temptations 
 come, they may be armed against them. This surely is 
 above all things the duty of Parents to look after, and the 
 neglect of it is a horrible cruelty ; we justly look upon those 
 Parents as most unnatural Avretches, that take away the life 
 of their child ; but alas ! that is mercy and tenderness, com- 
 pared to this of neglecting his education, for by that he ruins 
 his soul, makes him miserable eternally ; and God knows 
 multitudes of such cruel Parents there are in the world, that 
 thus give up their children to be possessed by the devil, for 
 want of an early acquainting them with the ways of God ; 
 nay, indeed, how few there are that do conscionably perform 
 this duty, is too apparent by the strange rudeness and igno- 
 rance that is generally among youth. The children of those 
 who call themselves Christians being frequently as ignorant 
 
 19 
 
218 parents' duty to children. [SUNDAY XIV. 
 
 of God and Christ, as the merest heathens. But whoever 
 they are that thus neglect this great duty, let them know that, 
 it is not only a fearful misery they bring upon their poor 
 children, but 'also a horrible guilt upon themselves. For as 
 God says to the careless watchman, Ezek. iii. 18, That if 
 any soul perish by his negligence, that soul shall he required 
 at his hands ; so surely will it fare with all Parents who 
 have this office of watchman intrusted to them by God over 
 their own children. A second part of education is the bring- 
 ing them up to some employment, busying them in some 
 honest exercise, whereby they may avoid that great snare of 
 the devil, idleness ; and also be taught some useful art or 
 trade, whereby when they come to age, they may become 
 profitable to the commonwealth, and able to get an honest 
 living to themselves. 
 
 20. To this great duty of educating of children there is re- 
 quired as means, first, encouragement : se- 
 
 MEANS TO- condly, correction. Encouragement is first 
 
 WARDS THE ^^ ^^ ^^-^j . ^^^ should cndcavour to make 
 EDUCATION OF ^^iMren in love with duty, by offering them 
 
 CHILDREN. rewards and invitations, and whenever they 
 do well, take notice of it, and encourage them to go on. It 
 is an ill course some Parents hold, who think they must 
 never appear to their children but with a face of sourness 
 and austerity ; this seems to be that which St. Paul fore- 
 warns Parents of, when he bids fathers not io provoke their 
 children to wrath. Col. iii. 21. To be as harsh and unkind 
 to them when they do well, as if they do ill, is the way to pro- 
 voke them ; and then the Apostle tells us in the same verse 
 what M'ill be the issue of it, they will be discouraged, they 
 will have no heart to go on in any good course, when the 
 Parent affords them no countenance. The second means is 
 correction, and this becomes seasonable, when the former 
 will do no good, when all fair means, persuasions, and en- 
 couragements prevail not, then there is a necessity of using 
 sharper ; and let that be first tried in words, I mean not by 
 railing and foul language, but in sober, yet sharp reproof; 
 but if that fail too, then proceed to blows ; and in this case, 
 as Solomon says. He that spareth his rod, hateth his son, 
 Prov. xiii. 24. It is a cruel fondness, that to spare a few 
 stripes at present, will adventure him to those sad mischiefs, 
 which commonly befall the child that is left to himself. But 
 then this correction must be given in such a maimer, as may 
 
SUNDAY XIV.] parents' DUTV TO CHILDREN. 219 
 
 be likely to do good ; to which purpose it must first be given 
 timely ; the child must not be suffered to run on in any ill 
 till it hath got a habit and a stubbornness too. This is a 
 great eiTor in many Parents, they will let their children alone 
 for divers years, to do what they list, permit them to lie, to 
 steal, without ever so much as rebuking them, nay, perhaps 
 please themselves to see the witty shifts of the child, and 
 think it matters not what they do while they are little ; but 
 alas ! all that while the vice gets root, and that many times 
 so deep a one, that all they can do afterwards, whether by 
 w^ords or blows, can never pluck it up. Secondly, correc- 
 tion must be moderate, not exceeding the quality of the 
 fault, nor the tenderness of the child. Thirdly, it must not 
 be given in rage, if it be, it will not only be in danger of 
 being immoderate, but it will lose its effect upon the child, 
 who will think he is corrected not because he has done a 
 fault, but because his Parent is angry, and so will rather 
 blame the Parent than himself: whereas, on the contrary, 
 care should be taken to make the child as sensible of the 
 fault as of the smart, without which he will never be tho- 
 roughly amended. 
 
 21. Thirdly, after children are grown up, and are past the 
 age of education, there are yet other offices 
 for the Parent to perform to them ; the Pa- 
 rent is still to watch over them, in respect 
 of their souls, to observe how they prac- 
 
 THE PARENT TO 
 WATCH OVER 
 
 THEIR SOULS 
 
 EVEN WHEN 
 I 
 
 their education, and accordingly to exhort, 
 
 tise those precepts which are ffiven them in 
 
 r f & THEY ARE 
 
 , £ J . GROWN UP. 
 
 encourage, or reprove, as they tind occasion. 
 
 22. So also for their outward estate, they are to put them 
 into some course of living in the world ; 
 if God have blest the Parents with wealth, their sub- 
 
 accordina to what he hath he must distri- ^,^^^,,„^, 
 
 . 1 ? 1 •, 1 , • .1 . • SISTENCE, 
 
 bute to his children, remembering that since 
 he was the instrument of bringing them into the world, he is, 
 according to his ability, to provide for their comfortable 
 living in it ; they are, therefore, to be looked on as very un- 
 natural Parents who, so they may have enough to spend in 
 their own riots and excess, care not what becomes of their 
 children, never think of providing for them. Another fault, 
 is usual among Parents in this business ; they defer all the 
 provisions for them till themselves be dead ; heap up, per- 
 
220 parents' DLTi.' TO CHILDREN. [sUNDAY XIV. 
 
 haps, great matters for them against that time, but in the 
 mean time afford them not sucli a competency, as may en- 
 able them to live in the world. There are several mischiefs 
 come from this ; First, it lessens the child's affection to his 
 Parents, nay, sometimes it proceeds so far, as to make him 
 wish his death : which, though it be such a fault as no 
 temptation can excuse in a child, yet it is also a great fault 
 in a Parent, to give that temptation. Secondly, it puts the 
 child upon shifts and tricks, many times dishonest ones, to 
 supply his necessities ; this is, I doubt not, a common effect 
 of it ; the hardness of Parents has often put men upon very 
 unlawful courses, which when they are once acquainted with, 
 perhaps they never leave, though the first occasion cease ; 
 and therefore. Parents ought to beware how they run them 
 upon those hazards. Besides, the Parent loses that contentment 
 which he might have in seeing his children live prosperously 
 and comfortably, which none but an arrant earth-worm would 
 exchange for the vain imaginary pleasure of having money 
 in his chest. But in his business of providing for children, 
 there is yet another thing to be heeded, and that is, that the 
 Parent get that wealth honestly which he makes their por- 
 tion, else it is very far from being a provision : there is such 
 a curse goes along with an ill-gotten estate, that he that 
 leaves such a one to his child, doth but cheat and deceive 
 him, makes him believe he has left him wealth, but has 
 withal put such a canker in the bowels of it, that is sure to 
 eat it out. This is so common an observation, that I need 
 say nothing to confirm the truth of it ; would God it were 
 as generally laid to heart as it seems to be generally taken 
 notice of: then surely Parents would not account it a rea- 
 sonable motive to unjust dealing, that they may thereby pro- 
 vide for their children, for this is not a way of providing for 
 them : nay, it is the way to spoil them of whatever they have 
 lawfully gathered for them ; the least mite of unlawful gain 
 being of the nature of leaven, which sours the whole lump, 
 bringing down curses upon all a man possesseth. Let all 
 Parents, therefore, satisfy themselves with such provisions 
 for their children as God shall enable them honestly to make, 
 assuring themselves, how little soever it be, it is a better por- 
 tion than the greatest wealth unjustly gotten ; according to 
 that of Solomon, Prov. xvi. 8, Better is a little with right- 
 eousness, than great revenue ivithout right. 
 
SUNDAY XIV.] parents' DUTY TO CHILDREN. 221 
 
 23. A fourth thing the Parent owes to the child is good 
 example, he is not only to set him rules 
 
 of virtue and godliness, but he must him- "^^ ^^^^ "^^^^ 
 self give him a pattern in his own practice ; example. 
 
 we see the force of example is infinitely beyond that of pre- 
 cept, especially where the person is one to whom we bear a 
 reverence, or with whom we have a continual conversation ; 
 both which usually meet in a Parent. It is, therefore, a 
 most necessary care in all Parents to behave themselves so 
 before their children, that their example may be a means of 
 winning them to virtue. But alas ! this age affords little of 
 this care, nay, so far it is from it, that there are none more 
 frequently the instruments of corrupting children than their 
 own Parents. And, indeed, how can it be otherwise ? while 
 men give themselves liberty to all wickedness, it is not to be 
 hoped, but that the children which observe it will imitate it ; 
 the child that sees his father drunk, will surely think he may 
 be so too, as well as his father. So he that hears him swear 
 will do the like, and so for all other vices ; and if any Pa- 
 rent that is thus wicked himself should happen to have so 
 much more care of his child's soul than his own, as to for- 
 bid him the things which himself practises, or correct him 
 for the doing them ; it is certain the child will account this 
 a great injustice to his father, to punish him for that which 
 himself freely does, and so he is never likely to be wrought 
 upon by it. This consideration lays a most strict tie upon 
 all Parents to live Christianly, for otherwise they do not only 
 hazard their own souls, but those of their children also, and 
 as it were, purchase an estate of inheritance in hell. 
 
 24. A fifth duty of Parents is blessing their children ; the 
 way of doing that is double, first, by their 
 
 ,1 1 1 -1 J J TO BLESS THEM. 
 
 prayer ; they are by daily and earnest 
 prayers to commend them to God's protection and blessing, 
 both for their spiritual and temporal estate ; and secondly, 
 by their piety ; they are to be such persons themselves as 
 that a blessing may descend from them upon their posterity. 
 This is often promised in Scripture to godly men, that their 
 seed shall be blessed. Thus in the second commandment 
 God promises to show 7nercy to the thousandth generation 
 of them that love him and keep his commandments. And 
 it is very observable in the Jews, that though they were a 
 stiflf-necked generation, and had very grievously provoked 
 God, yet the godliness of their fore-fathers, Abraham, Isaac, 
 
 19* 
 
222 parents' duty to children, [sunday xiv. 
 
 and Jacob, did many limes move God to save them from 
 destruction ; on the other side, we see that even good men 
 have fared the worse for the iniquities of their fathers; thus 
 when Josiah had destroyed idolatry, restored God's service, 
 and done good beyond all the kings that were before him, 
 yet there was an old arrear of Manasseh his grandfather, 
 which all this piety of his would not blot out, but he resolves 
 to cast Judah also out of his sight, as you may read at large, 
 2 Kings xxiii. If, therefore, Parents have any bowels, any 
 kindness towards their children, any real desire of their 
 prosperity, let them take care by their own godly life to en- 
 tail a blessing upon them. 
 
 25. Sixthly, Parents must take heed, that they use their 
 power over their childi'en with equity and 
 moderation, not to oppress them with un- 
 
 UNREASONABLE , , A i * ■ .u ■ 
 
 reasonable commands, only to exercise their 
 
 COMMANDS. *!, •, u * • 11 *v,- c • u* 
 
 own authority, but in ail things of weight 
 to consider the real good of their children, and to press them 
 to nothing which may not consist with that. This is a rule 
 whereof Parents may often have use, but in none greater 
 than in the business of marrying their children, wherein 
 many that otherwise are good Parents, have been to blame ; 
 when out of an eagerness of bestowing them wealthily, they 
 force them to marry utterly against their own inclinations, 
 which is a great tyranny, and that which frequendy betrays 
 them to a multitude of mischiefs, such as all the wealth in 
 the world cannot repair. There are two things which Pa- 
 rents ought especially to consider in the matching their chil- 
 dren : the first, how they may live Christianly : and to that 
 purpose to choose a virtuous and pious person to link them 
 with : the second is, how they ma^ live cheerfully and com- 
 fortably in the world ; and to that end, though a competency 
 of estate may be necessary to be regarded ; yet, surely, 
 abundance is no way requisite ; and, therefore, that should 
 not be too vehemently sought after : that which much more 
 tends to the happiness of that state, is the mutual kindness 
 and liking of the parties, without which marriage is of all 
 other the most uncomfortable condition ; and, therefore, no 
 Parent ought to thrust a child into it. I have now done with 
 the first sort of Relation, that of a Parent. 
 
SUNDAY XV. 
 
 Of Duty to our Brethren, and Relations, Husband, Wife, Friends, 
 Masters. Servants. 
 
 The second sort of relation is that of a Brother : now 
 brotherhood may be twofold, either natural, 
 or spiritual ; the latter may in the largest ^^^^ '^^ ^^^" 
 extent contam under it all mankind, all that 
 partake of the same nature : but I shall not consider it so in 
 this place, having already mentioned those general duties 
 which belong to all as such. I now speak of that natural 
 brotherhood that is between those that are 
 the children of the same immediate parent ; '^ ural. 
 and the duty of these is to have united hearts and affections : 
 this nature points out to them, they partaking in a more espe- 
 cial manner of each other's substance ; and, therefore, ought 
 to have the greatest tenderness and kindness each to other ; 
 thus we see Abraham makes it an argument, why there 
 should be no contention between him and Lot, because they 
 were brethren, Gen. xiii. 8. And though by brethren there 
 is meant only cousins, yet that helps the more strongly to con- 
 clude, that this nearer relation is in reason to be a greater 
 bar to strife, as also that this kindness is in some degree to 
 be extended to all that have any nearness of blood to us. 
 
 2. This kindness and Love between Brethren and Sisters 
 ought to be very firmly (rrounded in their 
 
 V, ° , -f •* 1 * ^1, n u f 11 THE NECESSITY 
 
 hearts ; if it be not, they will be of all 
 
 ,, • ^1 r J- • r OF LOVE AMONG 
 
 others m most danorer oi disasfreems; ; lor 
 the continual conversation that is among 
 them whilst they are at home in their father's house, will be 
 apt to administer some occasion of jar. Besides the equality 
 that is among them in respect of birth, often makes them 
 inclinable to envy each other, when one is in any respect 
 advanced above the other. Thus we see Joseph's brethren 
 envied him, because he had most of his father's love, and 
 Rachel envied her sister Leah, because she was fruitful ; 
 therefore, for the preventing of such temptations, let all v/ho 
 have brethren and sisters, possess their mind with a great 
 and real kindness to them, look on them as parts of them- 
 selves, and then they will never think fit either to quarrel 
 
 223 
 
224 DUES TO BRETHREN. [sUNDAY XV. 
 
 with them, or to envy them any advantage, nay more than 
 one part of the body does another of the same body, but will 
 strive to advance and help forward the good of each other. 
 
 3 The second kind of Brotherhood is Spiritual ; that con- 
 tains all those who profess the same faith 
 SPIRITUAL BRO- ^-^j^ ^^ . ^^^ Qhurch, in our baptism, be- 
 
 TiiERiiooD. comes a mother to each baptized person ; 
 and then surely they that have the relation of children to her, 
 must have also the relation of brethren to each other : and 
 to this sort of brethren also we owe a great deal of tender- 
 ness and affection ; the spiritual bond of Religion should, of 
 all others, the most closely unite our hearts. This is the 
 Brotherhood which St. Peter exhorts us to love, 1 Pet. ii. 
 17. And to it we are in an especial manner bound to do all 
 good offices. jDo good, saith the apostle, to all, but espe- 
 cially to them that are of the household of Faith, Gal. vi. 
 10. Our compassions are to be most melting towards them 
 of all others, in all their needs : Christ tells us, that who- 
 soever gives but a cup of cold water to any in the name of 
 a disciple, shall not lose his reward, Matt. x. 42. From 
 whence we may assure ourselves that this peculiar love to 
 Christians as Christians, is very acceptable in his sight. 
 
 4. Several Duties there are required of us to these bre- 
 thren, one principal, is the holding Com- 
 
 ouR DUTY munion with them, and that first in Doc- 
 To HOLD ^^.^^ . ^^g ^^g constantly to continue in the 
 
 COMMUNION ^^^.^^ ^^^ profession of all those necessary 
 WITH THESE ij-^t^g^ ^y which we may be marked out as 
 
 BRETHREN. foiio^vers and disciples of Christ. This is 
 that faith which St. Jude speaks of, which was once delivered 
 to the saints, Jude iii ; by keeping whereof we continue 
 still united to this spiritual brotherhood, in respect of pro- 
 fession, which we must constantly do, what storms and per- 
 secutions soever attend it, according to the exhortation of the 
 apostle, Heb. x. 23, Let us hold fast the profession of our 
 faith without wavering. Secondly, we are also, as oppor- 
 tunity serves, to communicate with them in all holy offices ; 
 we must be diligent in frequenting the assemblies of the saints, 
 which is as it were the badge of our profession, and there- 
 fore he that willingly withdraws himself from these, gives 
 ground to suspect he will be apt to renounce the other also. 
 But these parts of Communion we find strictly maintained by 
 the first Christians, Acts ii. 42, They continued steadfastly 
 
SUNDAY XV.] DUES TO BRETHREX. 225 
 
 in the apostles^ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking 
 of bread, and in prayers. They continued, and that stead- 
 fastly, they were not frightened from it by any persecutions, 
 though that were a time wherein they were tried with the 
 sharpest sufferings ; which may teach us that it is not the 
 danger that attends this duty can acquit us of it. 
 
 5. Secondly, we are to bear with the infirmities of our 
 Christian brethren, according to the advice 
 
 of St. Paul, Rom. xv. 1, We that are strong 
 ought to bear the infirmities of the iveak. 
 If one that holds all necessary Christian 
 truths happen yet to be in some error, v/e are not for this, 
 either to forsake his communion or despise his person. This 
 St. Paul teaches us in the case of that weak brother, who by 
 error made a causeless scruple about meats, Rom. xiv. where 
 he bids the stronger Christians, that is, those who being 
 better instructed, discerned him to be in an error, yet to receive 
 him nevertheless, and not to despise him ; as on the other 
 side, he bids that weak one not to judge the stronger. The 
 ^esser difference in opinion must be borne with on both sides, 
 and must not in the least abate our brotherly charity towards 
 each other. 
 
 6. Thirdly, we are to endeavour the restoring of any fallen 
 brother, that is, to bring him to repentance ^^ restore 
 after he hath fallen into any sin. Thus „„„„ afte 
 St. Paul commands the Galatians, that they 
 
 should restore him that was overtaken in 
 a fault, considering themselves lest they were also tempted. 
 We are not to look on him as a castaway, to give him over 
 as utterly desperate, neither are we to triumph over him in 
 respect of our own innocence, like the proud pharisee over 
 the poor publican, Luke xviii. 11, but we are meekly to en- 
 deavour his recovery, remembering that our own frailty is 
 such, that we are not secure from the like falls. 
 
 7. Fourthly, we are to have a sympathy and fellow feel- 
 ing with these brethren, to be nearly touched 
 
 with whatsoever befalls them, either as they 
 
 . , , . . ^ '. . , ■' thize with 
 are considered in society or m single per- 
 
 sons. In society first, and so they make 
 up a church ; and that either the universal, which is made 
 up of all believers throughout the world, or any particular 
 church, which is made up of all the believers in that particu- 
 lar nation ; and whatever happens to either of these, either 
 
223 wives' duty. [sunday xv. 
 
 the whole church m general, or any such single part of it, 
 especially that whereof ourselves are members, we are to be 
 much affected and moved with it, to rejoice in all the pros- 
 perities, and to mourn and bewail all the breaches and deso- 
 lations thereof, and daily and earnesdy to pray with David, 
 Psalm li. 18, O be favourable and gracious unto Sion, build 
 thou the walls of Jerusaler^i ; and that especially when we 
 see her in distress and persecution. Whosoever is not thus 
 touched with the condition of the church, is not to be looked 
 on as a living member of it ; for, as in the natural body every 
 member is concerned in the prosperity of the whole, so cer- 
 tainly is it here. It was the observation of the Psalmist, 
 that God's servants think upon the stones of Sion, and pity 
 to see her in the dust, Psalm cii. 14 ; and surely all his 
 servants are still of the same temper, cannot look on the 
 ruins and desolations of the church without the greatest sor- 
 row and lamentation. Secondly, we are to have this fellow- 
 feeling with our brethren, considered as single persons ; we 
 are to account ourselves concerned in every particular 
 Christian, so as to partake with him in all his occasions 
 either of joy or sorrow. Thus the aposde exhorts, Rom. 
 xii. 15, Rejoice with them that rejoice, weep with them that 
 weep : and again, 1 Cor. xii. under the simihtude of the 
 natural body he urges this duty, Whether one member suffer, 
 all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, 
 all the members rejoice with it. All these several effects of 
 love we owe to these spiritual brethren. And this love is 
 that which Christ hath made the badge of his disciples, John 
 xiii. 35, By this shall all men knoiv that ye are my disci- 
 ples, if ye have love one to another ; so that if we mean not 
 to cast off discipleship to Christ, we must not forsake this 
 love of the brethren. 
 
 8. The third relation is that between Husband and Wife. 
 
 This is yet much nearer than either of the 
 
 THE WIFE OWES ^^^^^^ . ^^ appg^^s by that text, Ephes. v. 
 
 TO the husband 3^^ ^ ^^^ ^^^^^ leave father and mother, 
 
 OBEDIENCE. ^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^ j^^^ ^^j^^ ^^^^ ^j^^y ^^^ ^j^^ij 
 
 be one flesh. Several duties there are owing from one of 
 these persons to the other : and first for the Wife, she owes 
 obedience. This is commanded by the aposde, Col. iii. 18, 
 Wives, submit yourselves to your oivn Husbands, as it is 
 Jit in the Lord. They are to render obedience to their Hus- 
 bands in the Lord, that is, in all lawful commands. For other- 
 
SUNDAY XV.] wives' DUTY. 227 
 
 wise it is here, as in the case of all other superiors, God 
 must be obeyed rather than man, and the Wife must not, 
 upon her Husband's command, do any thing which is for- 
 bidden by God. But in all things which do not cross some 
 command of God's, this precept is of force, and will serve to 
 condemn the peevish stubbornness of many wives who re- 
 sist the lawful commands of their husband, only because they 
 are impatient of this duty of subjection, which God himself 
 requires of them. But it may here be asked, what if the 
 husband command something which, though it be not unlaw- 
 ful, is yet very inconvenient and imprudent, must the wife 
 submit to such a command ? To this I answer, that it will be 
 no disobedience in her, but duty, calmly and mildly to show 
 him the inconveniences thereof, and to persuade him to re- 
 tract that command; but in case she cannot win him to it by 
 fair entreaties, she must neither try sharp language, nor yet 
 finally refuse to obey, nothing but the unlawfulness of the 
 command being sufhcient warrant for that. 
 
 9. Secondly, The wife owes Fidelity to the husband, and 
 that of two sorts ; first, that of the bed, she 
 
 must keep herself pure and chaste from all fidelity. 
 strange embraces, and therefore must not so much as give an 
 ear to any that would allure her, but with the greatest abhor- 
 rence reject all motions of that sort, and never give any man 
 that has once made such a motion to her, the least opportunity 
 to make a second. Secondly, She owes him likewise Fi- 
 delity in the managing those worldly affairs he commits to 
 her, she must order them so, as may be most to her hus- 
 band's advantage ; and not by deceiving and cozening of 
 him employ his goods to such uses as he allows not of. 
 
 10. Thirdly, She owes him Love, and together with that 
 all friendliness and kindness of conversa- 
 tion: she is to endeavour to bring him as 
 
 much assistance, and comfort of life, as is possible, that so 
 she may answer that special end of the woman's creation, 
 the being a help to her husband, Gen. ii. 18, and this in all 
 conditions, whether health or sickness, wealth or poverty, 
 whatsoever estate God by his providence shall cast him into, 
 she must be as much of comfort and support to him, as she 
 can. To this all sullenness and harshness, all brawling and 
 unquietness is direcdy contrary, for that makes the wife the 
 burden and plague of the man, instead of a help and comfort. 
 And sure if it be a fault to behave one's self so to any per- 
 
228 husbands' duty. [sunday xv. 
 
 son, as hath ah*eady been showed, how great must it be to 
 do so to him, to whom the greatest kindness and affection 
 is owing ? 
 
 11. Nor let such Wives think that any Faults, or provoca- 
 
 tions of the Husband, can justify their 
 THE FAULTS OF f.^^ardness ; for they will not, either in 
 THE husband ^^ ^ of religion or discretion. Not in 
 
 religion, for where God has absolutely com- 
 
 FROM these 1 j j ^ X t, 'A -4. • * 
 
 manded a duty to be paid, it is not any un- 
 worthiness of the person can excuse from 
 it ; nor in discretion, for the worse a Husband is, the more 
 need there is for the Wife to carry herself with that gentle- 
 ness and sweetness, that may be most likely to win him. 
 This is the advice St. Peter gave the wives of his time, 1 
 Pet. iii. 1, Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your 
 own husbands, that if any obey not the word, they may 
 without the word be won by the conversation of the ivives. 
 It seems the good behaviour of the wives was thought a 
 powerful means to win men from Heathenism to Christianity ; 
 and sure it might now-a-days have some good effects, if 
 women would have but the patience to try it : at the least, it 
 would have this, that it would keep some tolerable quiet in 
 families, whereas, on the other side, the ill fruits of the wives' 
 unquietness are so notorious, that there are few neighbour- 
 hoods but can give some instance of it. How many men 
 are there that, to avoid the noise of a fro ward wife, have 
 fallen to company-keeping, and by that to drunkenness, 
 poverty, and a multitude of mischiefs ? Let all wives there- 
 fore beware of administering that temptation. But whenever 
 there happens any thing, which, in kindness to her husband, 
 she is to admonish him of, let it be with that softness and 
 mildness, that it may appear it is love and not anger that 
 makes her speak. 
 
 12. There are also on the Husband's part several duties ; 
 
 there is first love, which St. Paul requires to 
 
 THE HUSBAND , ^ j l * 4 A 
 
 be very tender and compassionate towards 
 
 OWES TO THE ^, -i , ^^i • ■^^4 A U 
 
 the wile, as appears by the similitudes he 
 
 WIFE LOVE. ^1 • \i ^ ^^ ,, -r/ rr^^ 
 
 useth in that matter, Ephes. v. 1 he one, 
 that of the love a man bears to his natural body. No man^ 
 says he, ver. 29, ever hateth his own flesh, but nourisheth 
 it, and cherisheth if. The other love is that Christ bears 
 to his Church ; which is far greater, ver. 25, both which he 
 sets as patterns of this love of husbands towards their wives. 
 
SUNDAY XV.] husbands' DUTY. 229 
 
 This utterly forbids all harshnesp and roughness to them ; 
 men are to use them as parts of themselves, to love them as 
 their own bodies ; and, therefore, to do nothing that may be 
 hurtful and grievous to them, no more than they would cut 
 and gash their own flesh. Let those husbands that tyrannize 
 over their wives, that scarce use them like human creatures, 
 consider whether that be to love them as their own bodies. 
 
 13. A second duty of the Husband is Faithfulness to the 
 bed. This is by God as well required of 
 
 the husband as the wife ; and though the faithfulness. 
 world do seem to look on the breach of this duty with less 
 abhorrence in the husband, yet sure before that just Judge, 
 the offence will appear no less on the man's side than the 
 woman's. This is certain, it is in both a breach of the vow 
 made to each other at their marriage, and so besides the un- 
 cleanness, a downright perjury, and those differences in the 
 case, which seem to cast the scale, or rather in respect of 
 civil and worldly consideration, than merely of the sin. 
 
 14. A third part of the Husband is to maintain and pro- 
 vide for the Wife. He is to let her partake 
 
 with him in those outward good things 
 wherewith God hath blest him, and neither by niggardliness 
 debar her of what is fit for her, nor yet by unthriftiness so 
 waste his goods, that he shall become unable to support her. 
 This is certainly the duty of the Husband, who being, as 
 hath been said, to account his wife as a part of his own body, 
 must have the very same care to sustain her, that he hath 
 for himself. Yet this is not so to be understood, as to ex- 
 cuse the wife from her part of labour and industry, when 
 that is requisite, it being unreasonable the husband should 
 toil to maintain the wife in idleness. 
 
 15. Fourthly, The husband is to account the wife in the 
 things whicti concern her eternal welfare, 
 
 •f u u • 4. c .V. a^u C!4^ T> 1 INSTRUCTION. 
 
 it she be ignorant oi them. Ihus St. raul 
 bids the wives learn of their husbands at home, 1 Cor. 
 xiv. 35, which supposes that the husband is to teach her. 
 Indeed it belongs to every master of a family to endeavour 
 that all under his charge be taught all necessary things of 
 this kind, and then sure more especially his wife, who is so 
 much nearer to him than all the rest. This should make 
 men careful to get knowledge themselves, that so they may 
 be able to perform this duty they owe to others. 
 
 20 
 
230 husbands' duty. [sunday xv. 
 
 16. Lastly, Husbands aad Wives are mutually to pray for 
 
 each other, to beg all blessings from God 
 HUSBANDS AND ^^^^ spiritual and temporal, and to endea- 
 
 WIVES MUTU- ^^^^ ^1^ ^j^gy ^^^ ^^ ^^ ^Ij g^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^_ 
 
 ALLY TO PRAY ^^j^^^^ especially all good to each other's 
 FOR, AND ASSIST ^^^^^^ ^^ stirring up to the performance of 
 EACH OTHER IN ^^ ^^^ dissuadiug and di-awing back 
 
 ALL GOOD. r ii • j u u • vi x i 
 
 from all sm, and by being like true yoke- 
 fellows, helpful and assistant to each other in the doing of all 
 sorts of good, both to their own family and all others within 
 their reach. This is of all other the truest and most valu- 
 able love. Nay, indeed, how can it be said they do love at 
 all, who contentedly let each other run on in a course that 
 will bring them to eternal misery ? And if the love of hus- 
 bands and wives were thus grounded in virtue and religion, 
 it would make their lives a kind of heaven on earth ; it would 
 prevent all those contentions and brawlings, so common among 
 them, which are the great plagues of families, and the lesser 
 hell in passage to the greater ; and truly where it is not thus 
 founded, there is little comfort to be expected in marriage. 
 
 17. It should, therefore, be the care of every one that 
 
 means to enter upon that state, to consider 
 advisedly beforehand, and to choose such a 
 
 THE PERSON ui. l, *ll i .x.- 
 
 person with whom they may have this spi- 
 
 THECHIEFCON- •, i r- • i v • ,i , • i , K 
 
 ritual friendship, that is, such a one as truly 
 fears God. There are many false ends of 
 
 MARRIAGE. • i i ;i • ^i. 1J 
 
 marriage looked upon in the world : some 
 marry for wealth, others for beauty, and generally they are 
 only worldly respects that are at all considered, but certainly 
 he that would marry as he ought, should contrive to make 
 his marriage useful to those better ends of serving God, and 
 saving his own soul ; at least he must be sure it be no hind- 
 rance to them, and to that purpose the virtue of the person 
 chosen is more conducing than all the wealth in the world, 
 though I deny not but that a competency of that may like- 
 wise be considered. 
 
 18. But above all things, let all take heed that they make 
 
 not such marriages as may not only be ill 
 
 UNLAWFUL • .1 • rr ^ u ^ . i • ^ xu 
 
 in their eilects, but are actual sins at the 
 
 time ; such are the marriages of those that 
 
 were formerly promised to some other, in which case it is 
 
 sure they righdy belong to those to whom they passed the 
 
SUNDAY XV.] OF FRIENDSHIP. 231 
 
 first promise ; and then for any other to marry them during 
 the life of that person, is to take the husband or wife of that 
 other, which is direct adultery, as St. Paul tells us, Rom. 
 vii. 3. The like unlawfulness there is also in the marriao-e 
 of those who are within those degrees of kindred forbidden 
 by God, the particulars whereof are set down in the xviii. and 
 XX. of Levit. and whoever marries any that is within any 
 of those degrees of nearness, either to himself, or to his de- 
 ceased wife, which is as bad, commits that great sin of incest, 
 and so long as he continues to live with such his unlawful 
 wife, remains in that fearful guilt. This wariness in the 
 choice of the person to be married, would prevent many sad 
 effects, which we daily see follow such rash or unlawful 
 matches. It were well, therefore, if people would look on 
 marriage as our Church advises, as a thing not to be under- 
 taken lightly, unadvisedly, or wantonly, to satisfy men's 
 carnal lusts and appetites, hut reverently, discreetly, ad- 
 visedly, soberly, and in the fear of God ; and in so doing, 
 no doubt a blessing would follow, which otherwise there is 
 little ground to expect. I have now done with this relation 
 between husband and wife. 
 
 19. The next is that between Friends: and this relation 
 
 if it be rightly founded, it is of great near- 
 
 ^ ^ c ^ u i 41, • friendship. 
 
 ness and usetulness ; but there is none more 
 
 generally mistaken in the world : men usually call them their 
 friends, with whom they have an intimacy and frequency of 
 conversation, though that intimacy be indeed nothing but an 
 agreement and combination in sin. The drunkard thinks 
 him his friend that will keep him company ; the deceitful 
 person, him that will aid him in his cheats ; the proud man, 
 him that will flatter him : and so generally in all vices, they 
 are looked on as friends that advance and further us in them. 
 But God knows this is far from friendship ; such a friend 
 as this, the devil himself is in the highest degree, who is 
 never backward in such ofP.ces. The true friendship is that 
 of a direct contrary making ; it is a concurrence and agree- 
 ment in virtue, not in vice : in short, a true friend loves his 
 friend so that he is very zealous of his good : and certainly 
 he that is really so will never be the instrument of bringing 
 him to the greatest evil. The general duty 
 of a friend then must be resolved to be the 
 industrious pursuit of his friend's real advantages, in which 
 there are several particulars contained. 
 
232 OF FRIENDSHIP. [sUNDAY XV. 
 
 20. As first, Faithfulness in all trusts committed to him 
 
 by his friend, whether that of goods, or 
 FAITHFULNESS. ^^^^^^^ . j^g ^j^^^ betrays the trust of a friend 
 
 in either, is by all men looked upon with abhorrence, it being 
 one of the highest falsenesses and treacheries, and for such 
 treacherous wounds, the wise man tells us, Every friend 
 will depart, Ecclus. xxii. 22. 
 
 21. Secondly, it is the duty of a friend to be assisting to 
 
 his friend in all his outward needs ; to coun- 
 sel him when he wants advice ; to cheer 
 him when he needs comfort ; to give him when he wants 
 relief ; and to endeavour his rescue out of any trouble or 
 danger. An admirable example we have of this friendship 
 in Jonathan to David, he loved him as his own soul, and we 
 see he not only contrives for his safety when he was in dan- 
 ger, but runs hazards himself to rescue and deliver his friend, 
 draws his father's anger upon him, to turn it from David, as 
 you may read at large, I Sam. xx. 
 
 22. The third and highest duty of a friend is to be aiding 
 
 and assistinor to the soul of his friend, to 
 admonition. , , ^ J ^1, ^ • • . A ' 
 
 endeavour to advance that m piety and vir- 
 tue, by all means within his power, by exhortations and en- 
 couragements to all virtue, by earnest and vehement dissuasions 
 from all sin, and not only thus in general, but by applying to 
 his particular wants, especially by plain and friendly reproofs, 
 where he knows or reasonably believes there is any fault 
 committed. This is of all others the most peculiar duty of 
 a friend, it being indeed that which none else is qualified for. 
 Such an unwillingness there is in most men to hear of 
 their faults, that those that undertake that work, had need 
 have a great prepossession of their hearts, to make them 
 patient of it. Nay, it is so generally acknowledged to be 
 the proper work of a friend, that if he omit it he betrays the 
 offender into security ; his not reproving will be apt to make 
 the other think he does nothing worthy of reproof, and so 
 he tacitly acts that basest part of a flatterer, soothes and che- 
 rishes him in his sin ; when yet farther it is considered how 
 great need all men have at sometime or other of being ad- 
 monished, it will appear a most unfriendly, yea, cruel thing 
 to omit it. We have that natural partiality to ourselves, that 
 we cannot so readily discern our own miscarriages, as we 
 do other men's and therefore it is very necessary they should 
 sometimes be showed us by those who see them more clearly ; 
 
SUNDAY XV.] OF FRIENDSHIP. 233 
 
 and the doing this at the first may prevent the multiplying 
 of more ; whereas if we be suffered to go unreproved, it often 
 comes to such a habit, that reproofs will do no good. And 
 then how shall that person be able to answer it either to God 
 or himself, that has by his silence betrayed his friend to this 
 greatest mischief? It is the expression of God himself speak- 
 ing of a friend. Thy friend which is as thine own soul^ 
 Deut. xiii. 6. And sure we should in this respect account 
 our friends as our own souls, by having the same jealous 
 tenderness and watchfulness over their souls, which we ought 
 to have of our own. It will therefore be very fit for all that 
 have entered any strict friendship, to make this one especial 
 article in the agreement, that they shall mutually admonish 
 and reprove each other ; by which means it will become such 
 an avowed part of their friendship, that it can never be mis- 
 taken by the reproved party for censoriousness or unkindness, 
 
 23. Fourthly, to these several parts of kindness must be 
 added that of Prayer ; we must not only 
 
 assist our friends, ourselves, in what we pRayer. 
 can, but we must call in the Almighty's aid to them, recom- 
 mending them earnestly to God for all his blessings, both 
 temporal and spiritual. 
 
 24. Lastly, We must be constant in our friendships, and 
 not out of a lightness of humour grow weary 
 
 of a friend, only because we have had him 
 Idlig. This is great injustice to him, who, if he have be- 
 haved himself well, ought the more to be valued, by how 
 much the longer he has continued to do so : and it is great 
 folly in ourselves, for it is the casting away the greatest 
 treasure of human life, for such certainly is a tried friend. 
 The wisest of men gives warning of it, Prov. xxvii. 10, 
 Thine own friend^ and thy father'' s friend, forsake not. 
 Nay, further, it is not every light offence of a friend that 
 should make thee renounce his friendship, there must be 
 some allowance made to the infirmities of men, and if thou 
 hast occasion to pardon him somewhat to-day, perhaps thou 
 mayest give him opportunity to requite thee to-morrow ; 
 therefore, nothing but unfaithfulness, or incorrigible vice 
 should break this band. 
 
 25. The last relation is that between 
 
 Masters and Servants, both of which owe ^^^^^ants owe 
 duty to each other. That of the servant is "^^ "^^^^^ ^^^' 
 first obedience to all lawful commands ; "^^^^ ^®^^^^^^*^' 
 
 20* 
 
234 servants' duty. [sunday xv. 
 
 this is expressly required by the apostle, Epiies. vi. 5, 
 Servants, obey in all things your Masters, Sfc. And this 
 obedience must not be a grumbling and unwilling one, but 
 ready and cheerful, as he there proceeds to exhort, verse 7, 
 with good will doing service ; and to help them herein, they 
 are to consider, that it is to the Lord, and not unto men. 
 God has commanded Servants thus to obey their Masters ; 
 and therefore, the obedience they pay is to God, which may 
 well make them do it cheerfully, how harsh or unworthy 
 soever the Master be, especially if what the Apostle further 
 urgeth, verse 8, be considered, that there is a reward to be 
 expected from God for it. 
 
 26. The second duty of the servant is Faithfulness, and 
 that may be of two sorts ; one as opposed 
 to eye-service, the other to purloining or 
 defrauding. The first part of Faithfulness is the doing of 
 all true service to his Master, not only when his eye is over 
 him, and he expects punishment for the omission, but at all 
 times, even when his Master is not likely to discern his fail- 
 ing ; and that servant that doth not make conscience of this, 
 is far from being a faithful servant, this eye-service being by 
 the Apostle set opposite to that singleness of heart, which 
 he requires of servants, Eph. vi. 5. The second sort of 
 Faithfulness consists in the honest managery of all things 
 intrusted to him by his master, the not wasting his gopds 
 (as the unjust Steward was accused to have done, Luke xvi.) 
 whether by careless embezzling of them, or by converting 
 any of them to his own use without the allowance of his 
 Master. This latter is that purloining of which the Apostle 
 warns servants. Tit. ii. 10 ; and is indeed no better than 
 arrant theft : of this kind are all those ways that the servant 
 hath of gaining to himself, by the loss and damage of his 
 Master, as the being bribed to make ill bargains for him, and 
 many the like. Nay, indeed this sort of unfaithfulness is 
 worse than common theft, by how much there is a greater 
 trust reposed, the betraying whereof adds to the crime. As 
 for the other sort of unfaithfulness, that of wasting, though 
 without gain to themselves, it differs not much in effect from 
 this, the Master may lose as much by the one as the other, 
 and then what odds is it to him, whether he be robbed by 
 the covetousness or negligence of his servant ? And it is still 
 the same breach of trust with the former ; for every Master 
 is supposed to intrust his affairs as well to the care as the 
 
SUNDAY XV.] masters' DUTY. 235 
 
 honesty of his servant : for it would be Uttle advantage to the 
 Master to be secured that his servant would not himself 
 cheat him, whilst in the mean time he would by his careless- 
 ness give opportunity to others to do it : therefore he that 
 doth not look to his Master's profit, deceives his trust, as 
 well as he that unjustly provides for his own. 
 
 27. A third duty of a servant, is patience and meekness, 
 under the reproofs of his Master, not an- 
 
 . .1, A xi 1, X SUBMISSION TO 
 
 swering again,, as the Apostle exhorts. 
 Tit. ii. 9, that is, not making such surly 
 and rude replies, as may increase the Master's displeasure, 
 a thing too frequent among servants, even in the justest repre- 
 hensions ; whereas Saint Peter directs them patiently to suffer 
 even the most undeserved correction, even when they do well 
 and suffer for it, 1 Pet. ii. 20. But the patient suffering of 
 rebuke is not all that is required of servants in this matter, 
 they must also mend the fault they are rebuked for, and not 
 think they have done enough, when they have (though never 
 so dutifully) given the Master the hearing. 
 
 28. A fourth duty of a servant is Diligence : he must con- 
 stantly attend to all those things, which are 
 
 .1 /^- ex.- 1 ^ I ■ u- DILIGENCE. 
 
 the duties of his place, and not give him- 
 self to idleness and sloth, nor yet lo company-keeping, gaming, 
 or any other disorderly course, which may take him off from 
 his Master's business. All these are necessary duties of a 
 servant, which they are carefully and conscionably to perform, 
 not so much to escape the Master's anger as God's who will 
 certainly call every one of them to an account, how they 
 have behaved themselves towards their earthly Masters. 
 
 29. Now on the other side there are some things also ow- 
 ing from the Masters to their servants : as 
 
 first, the Master is bound to be just to them, 
 
 r • .u Ai- \.- v! TO THEIR SER- 
 
 m performing those conditions on which 
 
 *i, u- ] u 1 ^1 VANTS JUSTICE. 
 
 they were hired ; such are commonly the 
 
 giving them food and wages, and that Master that withholds 
 
 these, is an oppressor. 
 
 30. Secondly, the Master is to admonish and reprove the 
 servant in case of fault, and that not only 
 
 in faults against them, wherein few masters 
 are backward ; but also and more especially in faults against 
 God, whereat every master ought to be more troubled than 
 at those which tend only to his own loss, or inconvenience ; 
 the dishonour of God, and the hazard of the meanest man's 
 
236 masters' duty. [sunday xv. 
 
 soul, being infinitely more worthy our disquiet, than any 
 thing of the other kind can be. And therefore, when masters 
 are presently on fire for any little negligence or fault of a 
 servant towards themselves, and yet can, without trouble, see 
 them inin into the greatest sins against God, it is a sign they 
 consider their own concernments too much, and God's glory 
 and their servants' souls too little. This is too commonly 
 the temper of masters, they are generally careless how their 
 servants behave themselves towards Gk)d, how disordered and 
 profane their families are, and therefore never bestow any 
 exhortation, or admonition, to persuade them to virtue, or 
 draw them from vice ; such masters forget that they must 
 one day give an account how they have governed their fami- 
 lies. It is certainly the duty of every Ruler to endeavour to 
 advance piety and godliness among all those that are under 
 his charge, and that as well in this lesser dominion of a fam- 
 ily, as in the greater of a realm or nation. Of this David was 
 so careful, that we see he professes Psalm ci. 7, That no de- 
 ceitful person should dwell in his house, that he that told 
 lies should not tarry in his sight ; so much he thought 
 himself bound to provide, that his family might be a kind of 
 church, an assembly of godly upright persons : and if all 
 masters would endeavour to have theirs so, they would besides 
 the eternal reward of it hereafter, find a present benefit by it, 
 their worldly business would thrive much the better ; for if 
 their servants were brought to make conscience of their 
 ways, they would then not dare either to be negligent or 
 false. 
 
 31. But as it is the duty of masters to admonish and re- 
 prove their servants, so they must also look to do it in a due 
 manner, that is, so as may be most likely to do good, not in 
 passion and rage, which can never work the servant to any 
 thing but the despising or hating him ; but with such sober 
 and grave speeches, as may convince him of his fault, and 
 may also assure him, that it is a kind desire of his amend- 
 ment (and not a willingness to wreak his own rage) which 
 makes the Master thus to rebuke him. 
 
 32. A third duty of the Master is to set good example of 
 
 honesty and godliness to his servants, with- 
 GOOD EXAMPLE. ^^^ ^^j^-^j^ -^ -^ ^^^ ^^j ^^^ exhortatious or 
 
 reproofs he can use will ever do good ; or else he pulls down 
 more with his example, than it is possible for him to build 
 
SUNDAY XVI.] DUTY OF CHARITY. 237 
 
 with the other ; and it is madness for a drunken or profane 
 master to expect a sober and godly family. 
 
 33. Fourthly, the master is to provide that his servants 
 may not want means of being instructed in 
 
 their duty, as also that they may daily have ^^^^^ ^^ ^^' 
 constant times of worshipping God publicly, struction. 
 by having prayers in the family ; but of this I have spoken 
 before under the head of Prayer, and therefore shall here 
 say no more of it. 
 
 34. Fifthly, the master, in all affairs of his own, is to give 
 reasonable and moderate commands, not 
 
 laying greater burdens on his servants than ^o^^^ration m 
 they are able to bear, particularly not re- commands. 
 quiring so much work, that they shall have no time to bestow 
 t>n their souls ; as on the other side he is not to permit them 
 to live so idly as may make them either useless to him, or 
 may betray themselves to any ill. 
 
 35. Sixthly, the master is to give his servants encourage- 
 ment in well-doing, by using them with 
 
 tliat bounty and kindness which their faith- ^^^^ourage- 
 fulness, and diligence, and piety deserves ; ^^^"^ ^^ well- 
 and finally, in all his dealing with them, he doing. 
 
 is to Remember that himself hath, as the Apostle saith, Ephes. 
 vi. 9, a Master in heaven, to whom he must give an account 
 of the usage of his meanest servant on earth. Thus have I 
 briefly run through those several relations to which we owe 
 particular Duty, and so have done with that first branch of 
 Duty to our neighbours, that of Justice. 
 
 SUNDAY xvi. 
 
 Other Branches of our Duty to our Neighbour. Of Charity to Men's 
 Souls, Bodies, Goods, and Credit. 
 
 The second branch of our Duty to our Neighbours is 
 Charity, or Love. This is the great Gos- 
 pel-duty so often enjoined us by Christ; charity. 
 the new commandment, as himself calls it, John xiii. 
 34, tliat ye love one another, and this is again repeated 
 twice in one chapter, John xv. 12, 17, and the first episde 
 of St. John is almost wholly spent in the persuasion of this 
 
238 DUTY OF CHARITY. [sUNDAY XVI. 
 
 one duty, by which we may see it is no matter of indiffer- 
 ence, but most strictly required of all that profess Christ. 
 Indeed himself has given it as the badge and livery of his 
 disciples, John xiii. 35, By this shall all men know ye are 
 my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 
 
 This Charity may be considered two ways ; first, in re- 
 spect of the Affections ; secondly, of the 
 Actions. Charity in the affections is a sin- 
 
 FECTIONS. 1 . J il- u J- X • T. 
 
 cere kmdness, which disposes us to wish 
 all good to others, and that in all their capacities, in the same 
 manner that justice obligeth us to wish no hurt to any man, 
 in respect either of his soul, his body, his goods, or his cre- 
 dit ; so this first part of Charity binds us to wish all good 
 to them in all these. 
 
 And first for the Soul. If we have any the least spark 
 , of Charity, we cannot but wish all good 
 
 TO MEN S • . 
 
 to men's souls ; those precious things which 
 Christ thought worth the ransoming with 
 his own blood, may surely well challenge our kindness and 
 good wishes ; and therefore, if we do not thus love one 
 another, we are far from obeying that command of loving as 
 he hath loved ; for it was the souls of men which he loved 
 so tenderly, and both did and suffered so much for. 0f this 
 love of his to Souls there are two great and special effects : 
 the first, the purifying them here by his grace ; the second, 
 the making them everlastingly happy in his glory ; and both 
 these we are so far to copy out in our kindness, as to be 
 earnestly desirous that all men should arrive to that purity 
 and holiness here, which may make them capable of eternal 
 happiness hereafter. It were to be hoped, that none, that 
 himself carried a Soul about him, could be so cruel to that 
 of another man's, as not sincerely to wish this, did not ex- 
 perience show us there are some persons, whose malice is 
 so devilish, as to reach even to the direct contrary ; the wish- 
 ing not only the sin, but the damnation of others. Thus 
 may you have some, who, in any injury or oppression they 
 suffer, make it their only comfort that their enemies will 
 damn themselves by it ; when alas ! that should to a Christ- 
 ian be much more terrible, than any suffering they could 
 bring upon him. He that is of this temper, is a disciple of 
 Satan, not of Christ, it being directly contrary to the whole 
 scope of that grand Christian precept, of loving our neigh- 
 hours as ourselves. For it is sure, no man that believes there 
 
SUNDAY XVI.] DUTY OF CHARITY. 239 
 
 is such a thing as damnation, wishes it to himself; be he 
 never so fond of the ways that lead to it, yet he wishes that 
 may not be his journey's end ; and therefore, by that rule of 
 charity, should as much dread it for his neighbour. 
 
 Secondly, We are to wish all good to the bodies of men, 
 all health and welfare ; we are generally 
 tender enough of our own bodies, dread 
 the least pain or ill that can befall them : ^ ' ' 
 
 Now Charity, by virtue of the foremen- 
 tioned precept, extends this tenderness to all others : and 
 whatever we apprehend as grievous to ourselves, we must 
 be unwilling should befall another. The like is to be said 
 of the other two, goods and credit, that as we wish our own 
 thriving and reputation, so we should likewise that of others, 
 or else we can never be said to love our neighbours as 
 ourselves. 
 
 This Charity of the affections, if it be sincere, will cer- 
 tainly have these several effects, which are 
 
 11 r * *u ^ *i, n EFFECTS OF THIS 
 
 SO inseparable Irom it, that they are otten 
 in Scripture accounted as parts of the duty, 
 and SO most strictly required of us ; First, it will keep the 
 mind in a peaceable and meek temper towards others, so far 
 from seeking occasion of contentions, that no provocation 
 shall draw us to it ; for where we have kindness we shall be 
 unapt to quarrel, it being one of the special qualities of 
 Charity, that it is not easily provoked^ 1 Cor. xiii. 5. And 
 therefore whoever is unpeaceable, shows his heart is destitute 
 of this Charity. Secondly, it will breed compassion towards 
 all the miseries of others ; every mishap that befalls where 
 we wish well, is a kind of defeat and disaster to ourselves ; 
 and therefore, if we wish well to all, we shall be thus con- 
 cerned in the calamities of all, have a real grief and sorrow 
 to see any in misery, and that according to the proportion 
 of the suffering. Thirdly, it will give us joy in the prosperi- 
 ties of others. Solomon observes. Pro v. xiii. 19, that the 
 desire accomplished is sweet to the soul; and then whoever 
 has this real desire of his neighbour's welfare, his desire is 
 accomplished in their prosperity, and therefore he cannot 
 but have contentment and satisfaction in it. Both these are 
 together commanded by St. Paul, Rom. xii. 12, Rejoice with 
 them that rejoice, weep with them that weep. Fourthly, it 
 will excite and stir up our prayers for others ; we are of 
 ourselves impotent, feeble creatures, unable to bestow bless- 
 
240 DUTY OF CHARITY. [sUNDAY XVI. 
 
 ings where we most wish them ; therefore if we do indeed 
 desire the good of others, we must seek it on their behalf 
 from him, whence every good and perfect gift cometh, 
 James i. 17. This is so necessary a part of Charity, that 
 without it our kindness is but an insignificant thing, a kind 
 of empty compliment. For how can he be believed to wish 
 well in earnest, who will not thus put life and efficacy into 
 his wishes by forming them into prayers, which will other- 
 wise be vain and fruitless ? The Apostle thought not fit to 
 leave men to their bare wishes, but exhorts that supplications, 
 prayers, and giving of thanks be made for all men^ 1 Tim. 
 ii. 1, which precept all that have this true charity of the 
 heart, will readily conform to. These severals are so naturally 
 the fruits of this Charity, that it is a deceit for any man to 
 persuade himself he hath it, who cannot produce these fruits 
 to evidence it by. 
 
 But there is yet a further excellency of this grace ; it guards 
 the mind and secures it from several great 
 
 IT CASTS OUT 11 . V <. c T7 
 
 and dangerous vices ; as first trom Envy ; 
 this is by the aposde taught us to be the 
 property of Charity, 1 Cor. xiii. 4, Charity envieth not ; 
 and indeed common reason may confirm this to us, for envy 
 is a sorrow at the prosperity of another, and therefore must 
 needs be directly contrary to that desire of it which we 
 showed before was the effect of love ; so that if love bear 
 sway in the heart, it will certainly chase out envy. How 
 vainly then do those pretend to this virtue, that are still 
 grudging, and repining at every good hap of others ! 
 
 Secondly, it keeps down pride and haughtiness. This is 
 also taught us by the Apostle in the fore- 
 mentioned place, charity vaimteth not it- 
 self, is not puffed up ; and accordingly we find, that where 
 this virtue of love is commanded, there humility is joined 
 with it. Thus it is. Col. iii. 13, Put on, therefore, bowels 
 of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind: and Rom. xii. 10, 
 Be kindly affectioned one towards another with brotherly 
 love, in honour preferring one another, where you see how 
 close an attendant humility is of love. Indeed it naturally 
 flows from it, for love always sets a price and value upon 
 the thing beloved, makes us esteem and prize it ; thus we too 
 constantly find it in self-love, it makes us think highly of 
 ourselves, that we are much more excellent than other men. 
 Now if love thus placed on ourselves beget pride, let us but 
 
SUNDAY XVI.] DUTY OF CHARITY. 241 
 
 divert the course, and turn this love on our brethren, and it 
 will as surely beget humility, for then we should see and 
 value those gifts and excellencies of theirs, which now our 
 pride, or our hatred makes us to overlook and neglect, and 
 not think it reasonable either to despise them, or vaunt and 
 magnify ourselves upon such a comparison ; we should cer- 
 tainly find cause to put the apostle's exhortation in practice, 
 Phil. ii. 4, That we should esteem others better than our- 
 selves. Whoever, therefore, is of so haughty a temper, as 
 to villify and disdain others, may conclude, he hath not this 
 charity rooted in his heart. 
 
 Thirdly, it casts out censoriousness and rash judging. 
 Charity, as the apostle saith, 1 Cor. xiii. 5, 
 thinketh no evil: is not apt to entertain ill censorious- 
 conceits of others, but on the contrary, as ^ ^* 
 
 it follows, verse 7, believeth all things, hopeth all things ; 
 that is, it is forward to believe and hope the best of all men ; 
 and surely our own experience tells us the same, for where 
 we love we are usually unapt to discern faults, be they never 
 so gross (witness the great blindness we generally have to- 
 wards our own) and therefore shall certainly not be like to 
 create them, where they are not, or to aggravate them beyond 
 their true size and degree : and then to what shall we im- 
 pute those unmerciful censures and rash judgments of others, 
 so frequent among men, but to the want of this charity. 
 
 Fourthly, it casts out dissembling and feigned kindness ; 
 where this true and real love is, that false 
 and counterfeit one flies from before it, and 
 this is the love we are commanded to have, such as is with- 
 out dissimulation, Rom. xii. 9. Indeed, where this is rooted 
 in the heart, there can be no possible use of dissimulation ; 
 because this is in truth all that the false one would seem to 
 be, and so is as far beyond it as nature is beyond art ; nay 
 indeed as a divine virtue is beyond a foul sin ; for such is 
 that hypocritical kindness ; and yet it is to be feared, that 
 does too generally usurp the place of this real charity ; the 
 efi*ects of it are too visible among us, there being nothing more 
 common than to see men make large professions to those who, 
 as soon as their backs are turned, they either deride or mis^ 
 chief. 
 
 Fifthly, it casts out all mercenariness, and self-seeking : it 
 is of so noble and generous a temper, that 
 
 • J • 11 • ^ • o • \ SELF-SEEKING. 
 
 It despises all projectmgs tor gam or advan- 
 
 21 
 
242 DUTY OF CHARITY. [sUNDAY XVI. 
 
 tage : Love seeketh not her own, 1 Cor. xiii. 5. And there- 
 fore that huckstering kind of love so much used in the world, 
 which places itself only there, where it may fetch in benefit, 
 is very far from this charity. 
 
 Lastly, It turns out of the heart all malice and desire of 
 Revenge, which is so utterly contrary to it, 
 REVENGE. ^^^^ .^ .g ijnpossible they should both dwell 
 
 in the same breast ; it is the property of love to bear all 
 things, 1 Cor. xiii. 7 ; to endure the greatest injuries, with- 
 out thought of making any other return to them than prayers 
 and blessings, and therefore the malicious revengeful person 
 is of all others the greatest stranger to this charity. 
 
 It is true, if this virtue were to be exercised but towards 
 some sort of persons, it might consist with 
 malice to others, it being possible for a man 
 TO BE EXTENDED ^^^^ bitterly hates one to love another: but 
 we are to take notice that this Charity must 
 not be so confined, but must extend and 
 stretch itself to all men in the world, particularly to enemies, 
 or else it is not that divine charity commended to us by 
 Christ. The loving of friends and benefactors is so low a 
 pitch, that the very publicans and sinners, the worst of men, 
 were able to attain to it, Matt. v. 46. And therefore it is 
 not counted rewardable in a disciple of Christ ; no, he expects 
 we should soar higher, and therefore hath set us this more 
 spiritual and excellent precept of loving of enemies. Matt. 
 iv. 44, I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that 
 curse you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and 
 persecute you, and whosoever does not thus, will never be 
 owned by him for a disciple. We are therefore to conclude, 
 that all which hath been said concerning this charity of the 
 affections, must be understood to belong as well to our spite- 
 fullest enemy, as our most obliging friend ; but because this is 
 a duty to which the fro ward nature of man is apt to object 
 much, it will not be amiss to insist a litde on some considera- 
 tions which may enforce it on us. 
 
 And first, consider what hath been already touched on, 
 that it is the command of Christ, both in 
 the texts above mentioned, and multitudes 
 of others ; there being scarce any precept 
 so often repeated in the New Testament, 
 as this of loving and forgiving of our ene- 
 mies. Thus, Ephes. iv. 32, Be ye kind one to another. 
 
SUNDAY XVI.] DUTY OF CHARITi'. 243 
 
 tender-hearted, forgiving one another. And again, Col. 
 iii. 13, Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, 
 if any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ for- 
 gave you, so also do ye. So also, 1 Pet. iii. 9, Not render- 
 ing evil for evil, 7ior railing for railing, hut contrariwise 
 blessings. A whole volume of texts might be brought to 
 this purpose, but these are certainly enough to convince any 
 man, that this is strictly required of us by Christ, and indeed 
 I think, there are few that ever heard of the Gospel, but know 
 it is so. The more prodigiously strange is it, that men that 
 call themselves Christians, should give no degree of obe- 
 dience to it, nay, not only so, but even publicly avow, and pro- 
 fess the contrary, as we daily see they do, it being ordinary 
 to hear men resolve, and declare that they will not forgive 
 such or such a man, and no consideration of Christ's com- 
 mand can at all move them from their purpose. Certainly 
 these men understand not what is meant by the very word 
 Christian, which signifies a servant and disciple of Christ, 
 and this Charity is the very badge of the one, and lesson of 
 the other : and therefore it is the greatest absurdity and con- 
 tradiction, to profess themselves Christians, and yet at the 
 same time to resist this so express command of that Christ 
 whom they own as their master. If I be a master, saith God, 
 where is my fear? Mal. i. 6. Obedience and reverence 
 are so much the duties of servants, that no man is thought to 
 look on him as a master, to whom he pays them not. Why 
 tall ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things I say ? saith 
 Christ, Luke vi. 46. The whole world is divided into two 
 great families, Christ's and Satan's, and the obedience each 
 man pays, signifies to which of these masters he belongs ; if 
 he obey Christ, to Christ: if Satan, to Satan. Now this 
 sin of malice and revenge is so much the dictate of that 
 wicked spirit, that there is nothing can be a more direct obey- 
 ing of him : it is the taking his livery on our backs, the pro- 
 clamation whose servants we are. What ridiculous impu- 
 dence is it then, for men that have thus entered themselves 
 of Satan's family to pretend to be the servants of Christ ! 
 Let such know assuredly, that they shall not be owned by 
 him, but at the great day of account, be turned over to their 
 proper master, to receive their wages in fire and brimstone. 
 A second consideration is the example of God ; this is an 
 argument Christ himself thought fit to use, to impress this 
 duty on us, as you may see, Luke vi. 35, 36. Where, after 
 
244 DUTY OF CHARITY. [sUNDAY XVI. 
 
 having given the command of loving enemies, he encourages 
 
 to the practice of it, by telling, that it is that 
 
 EXAMPLE OF ^^j^.^j^ ^^-^^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ children of the 
 
 GOD. Highest (that is, it will give us a likeness and 
 
 resemblance to him, as children have to their parents)/or he is 
 kind to the unthankful and the evil: and to the same purpose 
 you may read, Matt. v. 45, He maketh his sun to rise on 
 the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and 
 on the unjust ; and sure this is a most forcible consideration 
 to excite us to this duty. God, we know, is the fountain 
 of perfection, and the being like to him, is the sum of all we 
 can wish for ; and though it was Lucifer's fall, his ambition 
 to be like the Most High, yet had the likeness he affected 
 been only that of holiness and goodness, he might still have 
 been an angel of light. This desire of imitating our Heavenly 
 Father is the especial mark of a child of his. Now this 
 kindness and goodness to enemies is most eminently re- 
 markable in God, and that not only in respect of the temporal 
 mercies, which he indifferently bestows on all, his sun and 
 rain on the unjust, as in the text forementioned, but chiefly 
 in his spiritual mercies. We are all by our wicked works, 
 Col. i. 21, enemies to him, s.nd the mischief of that enmity 
 would have fallen wholly upon ourselves : God had no mo- 
 tive besides that of his pity to us, to wish a reconciliation ; 
 yet so far was he from returning our enmity, when he might 
 have revenged himself to our eternal ruin, that he designs 
 and contrives how he may bring us to be at peace with him. 
 This is a huge degree of mercy and kindness, but the means 
 he used for effecting this is yet far beyond it, he sent his own 
 Son from heaven to work it, and that not only by persua- 
 sions, but sufferings also; so much did he prize us miserable 
 creatures, that he thought us not too dear bought with the 
 blood of his Son. The like example of mercy and patience 
 we have in Christ both laying down his life for us enemies, 
 and also in that meek manner of doing it, which we find ex- 
 cellently set forth by the Apostle, 1 Pet. ii. 22, 23, 24, and 
 commended to our imitation. Now surely when all this is 
 considered, we may well make St. John's inference; Be- 
 loved, if God so loved us, lue ought also to love one another, 
 1 John iv. 11. How shameful a thing is it for us to retain 
 displeasures against our brethren, when God thus lays by 
 his towards us, and that when we have so highly provoked 
 him ! 
 
SUNDAY XVI.] DUTY OF CHARITY. 245 
 
 This directs to a third consideration, the comparing our 
 sins against God, with the offences of our 
 brethren against us, which we no sooner dispro- 
 
 shall come to do, but there will appear a ^^^'^^^^ se- 
 vast difference between them, and that in ^^^ 
 
 several respects : for first, there is the ma- 
 
 • ^ c .i: • i. 1, • AGAINST GOD, 
 
 jesty 01 the persons agamst whom we sm, ^ , ' 
 
 which exceedingly increases the guilt, ^ men s 
 whereas between man and man, there can- ^^^^^^"^ ^^• 
 not be so great a distance ; for though some men are by God 
 advanced to such eminency of dignity as may make an in- 
 jury offered to them the greater, yet still they are but men of 
 the same nature with us, whereas he is God blessed for ever. 
 Secondly, there is his sovereignty and power, which is ori- 
 ginal in God, for we are his creatures, we have received our 
 whole being from him, and therefore are in the deepest man- 
 ner bound to perfect obedience, whereas all the sovereignty 
 that one man can possibly have over another, is but imparted 
 to them by God, and for the most part there is none of this 
 neither in the case, quarrels being most usual among equals. 
 Thirdly, there is his infinite bounty and goodness to us ; all 
 that ever we enjoy, whether in relation to this life or a better 
 being wholly his free gift, and so there is the foulest ingra- 
 titude added to our other crimes ; in which respect also it is 
 impossible for one man to offend against another in such a de- 
 gree, for though one may be (and too many are) guilty of 
 unthankfulness towards men, yet because the greatest benefits 
 that man can bestow are infinitely short of those which God 
 doth, the ingratitude cannot be near so great as towards God 
 it is. Lastly, there is the greatness and multitude of our sins 
 against God ; which do infinitely exceed all that the most 
 injurious man can do against us ; for we all sin much oftener 
 and more heinously against him, than any man, be he never 
 so malicious, can find opportunities of injuring his brethren. 
 This inequality and disproportion our Saviour intimates in 
 the parable. Matt, xviii. where our offences against God 
 are noted by the ten thousand talents, whereas our brethren's 
 against us are described by the hundred pence ; a talent 
 hugely outweighs a penny, and ten thousand out-numbers a 
 hundred, yet so and much more does the weight and number 
 of our sins exceed all the offences of others against us : much 
 more might be said to show the vast inequality between the 
 faults which God forgives us ; and those we can possibly 
 
 21* 
 
246 DUTY OF CHARITY. [sUNDAY XVI. 
 
 have to fori^ive our brethren. But this I suppose may suffice 
 to silence all the objections of cruel and revengeful persons, 
 against this kindness to enemies. They are apt to look upon 
 it as an absurd and unreasonable thing ; but since God him- 
 self acts it in so much a higher degree, who can without 
 blasphemy say, it is unreasonable ? If this, or any other spi- 
 ritual duty appear so to us, we may learn the reason from the 
 apostle, 1 CoR. ii. 14, The carnal man receiveth not the 
 things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto 
 him; it is the carnality and fleshiness of our hearts that 
 makes it seem so, and therefore, instead of disputing against 
 the duty, let us purge our hearts of that, and then we shall 
 find that true which the spiritual wisdom affirms of her 
 doctrines, Prov. viii. 9, They are all plain to him, that 
 understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge. 
 Nay, this loving of enemies is not only a reasonable but a 
 pleasant duty, and that I suppose as a fourth 
 
 PLEASANTNESS ^ ■ . ^- \i, • . A ^ c 
 
 consideration ; there is a great deal oi sweet- 
 ness and delight to be found in it. Of this 
 I confess none can so well judge as those that have practised 
 it, the nature even of earthly pleasures being such, that it is 
 the enjoyment only that can make a man truly know them. 
 No man can so describe the taste of any delicious thing to 
 another, as that by it he shall know the relish of it ; he must 
 first actually taste of it ; and sure it is no more so in spiritual 
 pleasures ; and therefore he that would fully know the sweet- 
 ness and pleasantness of this duty, let him set to the practice, 
 and then his own experience will be the best informer. But 
 in the mean time, how very unjust, yea, and foolish is it, to 
 pronounce ill of it before trial ! For men to say, this is irk- 
 some and intolerable, who never so much as once offered to 
 try whether indeed it were so or no ! Yet by this very means 
 an ill opinion is brought up of this most delightful duty, and 
 passes current among men, whereas in all justice the testi- 
 mony of it should be taken only from those who have tried 
 it ; and they would certainly give another account of it. 
 
 But though the full knowledge hereof be to be had only 
 by this nearer acquaintance, yet methinks even those who 
 look at it but at a distance may discern somewhat of amiable- 
 ness in it, if no other way, yet at least by comparing it with 
 the uneasiness of its contrary. Malice and revenge are the 
 most restless, tormenting passions that can possess the mind 
 of a man, they keep men in perpetual study and care how 
 
SUNDAY XVI.j DUTY OF CHARITY. 247 
 
 to effect their mischievous purposes, it disturbs their very 
 sleep, as Solomon observes, Pro v. iv. 16, They sleep not 
 except they have done mischief, and their sleep is taken 
 away except they cause some to fall: yea, it imbitters all 
 the good things they enjoy, so that they have no taste or 
 relish of them. A remarkable example of this we have in 
 Haman, who thought he abounded in all the greatness and 
 felicity of the world, yet the malice he had to a poor despicable 
 man, Mordecai, kept him from tasting contentment in all this, 
 as you may see, Esther v. where after he had related to his 
 friends all his prosperities, verse 11, he concludes thus, verse 
 12, Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mor- 
 decai the Jew sitting in the king^s gate. On the other side, 
 the peaceable spirit, that can quiedy pass by all injuries and 
 affronts, enjoys a continual calm, and is above the malice of 
 his enemies : for let them do what they can, they cannot rob 
 him of his quiet, he is firm as a rock, which no storms or 
 winds can move, when the furious and revengeful man is like 
 a wave, which the least blast tosses and tumbles from its 
 place. But besides this inward disquiet of revengeful men, 
 they often bring many outward calamities upon themselves, 
 they exasperate their enemies, and provoke them to do them 
 greater mischiefs, nay, oftentimes they willingly run them- 
 selves upon the greatest miseries in pursuit of their revenge, 
 to which it is ordinary to see men sacrifice goods, ease, credit, 
 life, nay, soul itself, not caring what they suffer themselves, 
 so they may spite their enemy ; so strangely does this wretched 
 humour besot and blind them. On the contrary, the meek 
 person he often melts his adversary, pacifies his anger : ^ 
 soft ansioer turneth away wrath, saith Solomon, Prov. xv. 
 1. And sure there is nothing can tend more to that end; 
 but if it do happen that his enemy be so inhuman, that he 
 miss of doing that, yet he is still a gainer by all he can suffer. 
 For first, he gains an opportunity of exercising that most 
 Christian grace of charity and forgiveness : and so at once of 
 obeying the command, and imitating the example of his 
 Saviour, which is to a true Christian spirit a most valuable 
 advantage ; and then, secondly, he gains an accession and 
 increase to his reward hereafter. And if it be objected, that 
 that is not to be reckoned in to the present pleasure of the 
 duty, I answer, that the expectation and belief of it is, and 
 that alone is a delight infinitely more ravishing than the 
 present enjoyment of all sensual pleasure can be. 
 
248 DUTY OF CHARITY. [sUNDAY XVI. 
 
 The fourth consideration is, the dangers of not performing 
 this duty ; of which I might reckon up di- 
 
 IF WE FORGIVE ^^^^^ ^^^ j ^^^^^ .^^-g^ ^^j^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ 
 
 NOT, GOD WILL ^^^^ ^^j^-^j^ contains in it all the rest, and 
 NOT FORGIVE US. ^^^^ -^ ^^^ forfeiting of our own pardons 
 from God, the having our sins against him kept still on his 
 score and not forgiven. This is a consideration that methinks 
 should affright us into good nature : if it do not, our malice 
 is greater to ourselves than to our enemies. For alas, what 
 hurt is it possible for to do to another which can bear any 
 comparison with that thou dost thyself, in losing the pardon 
 of thy sins ? which is so unspeakable a mischief, that the 
 devil himself with all his malice cannot wish a greater. It 
 is all he aims at, first, that we may sin, and then that those 
 sins may never be pardoned, for then he knows he has 
 us sure enough. Hell and damnation being certainly the 
 portion of every unpardoned sinner, besides all other 
 effects of God's wrath in this life. Consider this, and then 
 tell me what thou hast got by the highest revenge thou ever 
 actedst upon another. It is a devilish phrase in the mouth 
 of men, that revenge is sweet : but is it possible there can 
 be (even to the most distemperate palate) any such sweetness 
 in it, as may recompense that everlasting bitterness that at- 
 tends it ? It is certain no man in his wits can, upon sober 
 judging, imagine there is. But alas, we give not ourselves 
 time to weigh things, but suffer ourselves to be hurried away 
 with the heat of an angry humour, never considering how 
 dear we must pay for it : like the silly bee, that in anger 
 leaves at once her sting and her life behind her ; the sting 
 miy perhaps give some short pain to the flesh it sticks in, 
 but yet there is none but discerns the bee has the worst of 
 it, that pays her life for so poor a revenge : so it is in the greatest 
 act of our malice, we may perhaps leave our stings in others, 
 put them to some present trouble, but that compared with the 
 hurt redounds to ourselves by it, is no more than that incon- 
 siderable pain is to death : nay, not so much, because the 
 mischief that we bring upon ourselves are eternal, to which 
 no finite thing can bear any proportion. Remember then, 
 whensoever thou art contriving and plotting a revenge, that 
 thou quite mistakest the mark : thou thinkest to hit the enemy, 
 and, alas, thou woundest thyself to death. And let no man 
 speak peace to himself, or think that these are vain terrors, 
 and that he may obtain pardon from God, though he give 
 
SUNDAY XVI.] DUTY OF CHARITY. 249 
 
 none to his brethren. For he that is truth itself has assured 
 us the contrary, Matt. vi. 15, If ye forgive not men their 
 trespasses^ neither will your Father forgive your tres- 
 passes. And lest we should forget the necessity of this duty, 
 he hath inserted it in our daily prayers, where we make it 
 the condition on which we beg pardon from God : Forgive 
 us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against 
 us. What a heavy curse then does every revengeful person 
 lay upon himself, when he says this prayer ! He does in 
 effect beg God not to forgive him ; and it is too sure that part 
 of his prayer will be heard : he shall be forgiven just as he 
 forgives, that is, not at all. This is yet farther set out to us 
 in the parable of the Lord and the servant. Matt, xviii. 
 The servant had obtained of his Lord the forgiveness of a 
 vast debt, ten thousand talents, yet was so cruel to his 
 fellow-servant, as to exact a poor trifling sum of a hundred 
 pence, upon which his Lord recalls his former forgiveness, 
 and charges him again with the whole debt : and this Christ 
 applies to our present purpose, verse 35, So likewise shall 
 my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye from your hearts 
 forgive not every man his brother their trespasses. One 
 such act of uncharitableness is able to forfeit us the pardon 
 God hath granted us, and then all our sins return again upon 
 us, and sink us to utter ruin. I suppose it needless to heap 
 up more testimonials of Scripture for the truth of this ; these 
 are so clear, as may surely serve to pursuade any man, that 
 acknowledges Scripture, of the great and fearful danger of 
 this sin of uncharitableness. The Lord possess all our hearts 
 with such a just sense of it as may make us avoid it. 
 
 The last consideration I shall mention, is that of Gratitude. 
 God has showed wonderful mercies to us, 
 Christ has suffered heavy things to bring gratitude to 
 
 r^ on 
 
 us into a capacity of that mercy and pardon 
 from God : and shall we not then think ourselves obliged to 
 some returns of thankfulness ? If we will take the apostle's 
 judgment, he tells us, 2 Cor. v. 15, That since Christ died 
 for us all, it is but reasonable that we should not hence- 
 forth live unto ourselves, but unto him that died for us. 
 Indeed were every moment of our life consecrated to his 
 immediate service, it were no more than common gratitude 
 requires, and far less than such inestimable benefits deserve ; 
 what a shameful unthankfulness is it then to deny him so 
 poor a satisfaction as this, the forgiving our brethren ! Suppose 
 
250 DUTY OF CHARITY. [sUNDAY XVI. 
 
 a man that were ransomed either from death or slavery, by 
 the bounty and sufferings of another, should upon his release 
 be charged by him that so freed him, in return of that kind- 
 ness of his, to forgive some slight debt, w^hich was owing him 
 by some third person, would you not think him the unthank- 
 fullest wretch in the world, that should refuse this to so great 
 a benefactor ? Yet such a wretch, and much worse, is every 
 revengeful person : Christhath bought us outof eternal slavery, 
 and that not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, 1 
 Pet. i. 19, but with his own most precious blood, and hath 
 earnestly recommended to us the love of our brethren, and 
 that with the most moving arguments, drawn from the great- 
 ness of his love to us ; and if we shall obstinately refuse him 
 in so just, so moderate a demand, how unspeakable a vile- 
 ness is it ! And yet this we do downright, if we keep any 
 malice or grudge to any person whatsoever. Nay, farther, 
 this is not barely an unthankfulness, but there is also joined 
 with it a horrible contempt and despising of him. This 
 peace and unity of brethren was a thing so much prized and 
 valued by him, that when he was to leave the world he thought 
 it the most precious thing he could bequeath, and therefore 
 left it by way of legacy to his disciples, John xiv. 27, Peace 
 I leave vnth you. We use to set a great value on the slight- 
 est bequests of our dead friends, to be exceeding careful not 
 to lose them ; and therefore, if we wilfully bangle away this 
 so precious a legacy of Christ, it is a plain sign we want that 
 love and esteem of him, which we have of our earthly friends, 
 and that we despise him as well as his legacy. The great 
 prevailing of this sin of uncharitableness has made me stand 
 thus long on these considerations, for the subduing it. God 
 grant they may make such impression on the reader, as 
 7)%ay be available to that purpose I 
 
 I shall add only this one advice, that these, or whatsoever 
 
 other remedies against this sin, must be used timely : it is 
 
 ofttimes the frustrating of bodily medicines, the applying 
 
 them too late ; and it is much oftener so in spiritual ; there- 
 
 fore, if it be possible, let these and the like 
 
 considerations be so constantly and habit- 
 
 ING OF RANCOUR ,, r- ^ • *i. a, ^ ^\ \ ^\, 
 
 ually fixed in thy heart, that they may 
 frame it to such meekness, as may prevent 
 
 PRFSS£iD. ^\^ • • c • ,-\ c 
 
 all rismgs ot rancour or revenge in thee, tor 
 it is much better they should serve as armour to prevent, 
 than as balsam to cure the wound. But if this passion be 
 
SUNDAY XVI.] DUTY OF CHARITY. 251 
 
 not yet so subdued in thee, but that there will be some 
 stirrings of it, yet then be sure to take it at the very first rise, 
 and let not thy fancy chew, as it were, upon the injury by 
 often rolling it in thy mind, but remember betimes the fore- 
 going considerations, and withal, that this is a time and season 
 of trial to thee, wherein thou mayest show thou hast profited 
 in Christ's school, there now being an opportunity offered 
 thee either of obeying and pleasing God, by passing by this 
 offence of thy brother, or else of obeying and pleasing Satan, 
 that lover of discord, by nourishing hatred against him. 
 Remember this, I say, betimes, before thou be inflamed, for 
 if this fire be thoroughly kindled, it will cast such a smoke 
 as will blind thy reason, and make thee unfit to judge even 
 in this so very plain a case. — Whether it be better, by obey- 
 ing God, to purchase to thyself eternal bliss, or by obeying 
 Satan, eternal torments. Whereas, if thou put the question 
 to thyself before this commotion and disturbance of mind, it 
 is impossible but thy understanding must pronounce for God ; 
 and then unless thou wilt be so perverse that thou wilt 
 deliberately choose death, thou wilt surely practise according 
 to that sentence of thy understanding. I shall add no more 
 on this first part of Charity, that of the Affections. 
 
 I proceed now to that of the Actions ; and this indeed is it, 
 whereby the former must be approved ; we 
 
 \ 1 4 u -.^ -X- u\ -C CHARITY IN THE 
 
 may pretend great charity withm, but it 
 
 ACTION*? 
 
 none break forth in the actions, we may 
 say of that love, as Saint James doth of the faith he speaks 
 of, that it is dead, James ii. 20. It is the loving in deed, 
 that must approve our hearts before God, 1 John iii. 18. 
 Now this love in the actions may likewise fitly be distributed, 
 as the former was, in relation to the four distinct capacities 
 of our brethren, their Souls, their Bodies, their Goods, and 
 Credit. 
 
 The Soul, I formerly told you, may be considered either 
 in a natural or Spiritual sense, and in both 
 of them Charity binds us to do all the good 
 
 we can. As the Soul signifies the mind ' ^^^ 
 
 c X J xi, neighbour. 
 
 01 a man, so we are to endeavour the com- 
 fort and refreshment of our brethren, desire to give them all 
 true cause of joy and cheerfulness, especially when we see 
 any under any sadness or heaviness, then to bring out all the 
 cordials we can procure, that is, to labour by all Christian 
 and fit means to cheer the troubled spirits of our brethren, to 
 
252 DUTY OF CHARITY. [sUNDAY XVI. 
 
 comfort them that are in any heaviness, as the Apostle 
 speaks, 2 Cor. i. 4. 
 
 But the Soul, in the spiritual sense, is yet of greater con- 
 cernment, and the securing of that is a 
 HIS SOUL. i^atter of much greater moment, than the 
 refreshing of the mind only, inasmuch as the eternal sorrows 
 and sadness of hell exceed the deepest sorrows of this life ; 
 and therefore, though we must not omit the former, yet on 
 this we are to employ our most zealous charities ; wherein 
 we are not to content ourselves with a bare wishing well to 
 the souls of our brethren : this alone is a sluggish sort of 
 kindness, unworthy of those who are to imitate the great 
 Redeemer of souls, who did and suffered so much in that pur- 
 chase. No, we must add also our endeavour to make them that 
 we wish them ; to this purpose it were very reasonable to 
 propound to ourselves in all our conversings with others, 
 that one great design of doing some good to their souls. If 
 this purpose were fixed in our minds, we should then discern 
 perhaps many opportunities, which now we overlook, of 
 doing something towards it. The brutish ignorance of one 
 would call upon thee to endeavour his instruction ; the open 
 sin of another, to reprehend and admonish him ; the faint and 
 weak virtue of another, to confirm and encourage him. 
 Every spiritual want of thy brother may give thee some oc- 
 casion of exercising some part of this Charity : or if thy cir- 
 cumstances be such, that upon sober judging, thou think it 
 vain to attempt any thing thyself, as if either thy meanness, 
 or thy unacquaintedness, or any the like impediment, be like 
 to render thy exhortations fruitless, yet if thou art industrious 
 in thy charity, thou mayest probably find out some other in- 
 strument, by whom to do it more successfully. There can- 
 not be a nobler study than how to benefit men's souls, and 
 therefore where the direct means are improper, it is fit we 
 should whet our wits for attaining of others. Indeed it is a 
 shame, we should not as industriously contrive for this great 
 spiritual concernment of others, as we do for every worldly 
 trifling interest of our own ; yet in them we are unwearied, 
 and try one means after another, till we compass our end. 
 But if after all our serious endeavours, the obstinacy of men 
 do not suffer us, or themselves rather, to reap any fruit from 
 them, if all our wooings and entreatings of men to have mercy 
 on their own souls will not work on them, yet be sure to 
 continue still to exhort by thy example. Let thy great care 
 
SUNDAY XVI.] DUTY OF CHARITY. 253 
 
 and tenderness of thy own soul preach to them the value of 
 theirs, and give not over thy compassions to them, but with 
 the prophet, Jer. xiii. 17, Let thy soul iveep in secret for 
 them; and with the Psalmist, Let rivers of waters ritn doivn 
 thine eyes, because they keep not God's laiv, Psalm cxix. 
 136. Yea, with Christ himself, weep over them, tvha will 
 not know the things that belong to their peace, Luke xix. 
 42. And when no importunities with them will work, yet 
 even then cease not to importune God for them, that he will 
 draw them to himself. Thus we see Samuel, when he could 
 not dissuade the people from that sinful purpose they were 
 upon, yet he professes notwithstanding, that he will not cease 
 praying for them ; nay, he looked on it as so much a duty, 
 that it would be sin for him to omit it. God forgive, says 
 he, that I should sin against the Lord, in ceasing to pray 
 for you, 1 Sam. xii. 23. Nor shall we need to fear that 
 our prayers will be quite lost, for if they prevail not for those 
 for whom we pour them out, yet however they will return 
 into our own bosoms. Psalm xxxv. 13 ; we shall be sure not 
 to miss of the reward of that Charity. 
 
 In the second place, we are to exercise this active Charity 
 towards the bodies of our neighbours ; we 
 
 CHARITY IN RE" 
 
 are not only to compassionate their pains 
 
 , • -Uii*! i,^ SPECT OF THE 
 
 and miseries, but also to do what we can 
 for their ease and relief. The good Samari- 
 tan, Luke x. had never been proposed as our pattern, had 
 he not as well helped as pitied the wounded man. It is not 
 good wishes, no nor good words neither, that avail in such 
 cases, as Saint James tells us, If a brother or sister be naked, 
 and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, 
 Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled, notwithstanding 
 ye give him not those things that are needful for the body, 
 what doth it profit? James ii. 15, 16. No, sure, it profits 
 them nothing in respect of their bodies, and it will profit thee 
 as little in respect of thy soul ; it will never be reckoned to 
 thee as a Charity. This relieving of the bodily wants of our 
 brethren, is a thing so strictly required of us, that we find it 
 set down. Matt, xxv., as the especial thing we shall be tried 
 by at the last day, on the omission whereof is grounded that 
 dreadful sentence, verse 41, Depart from me, ye cursed, into 
 everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. 
 And if it should now be asked what are the particular acts of 
 this kind which we are /o perform ? I think we cannot better 
 
 22 
 
254 DUTY OF CHARITY. [sUNDAY XVI. 
 
 inform ourselves, for the frequent and ordinary ones, than 
 from this chapter, where are set down these severals : The 
 giving meat to the hungry, and drink to the thirsty, har- 
 bouring the stranger, clothing the naked, and visiting the 
 sick and imprisoned ; by which visiting is meant not a bare 
 coming to see them, but so coming as to comfort and relieve 
 them ; for otherwise it will be but like the Levite in the gos- 
 pel, Luke x., who came and looked on the wounded m,an, 
 but did no more, which will never be accepted by God. 
 These are common and ordinary exercises of this charity, for 
 which we cannot want frequent opportunities. But besides 
 these there may sometimes, by God's especial providence, 
 fall into our hands occasions of doing other good offices to 
 the bodies of our neighbours ; we may sometimes find a 
 wounded man with the Samaritan, and then it is our duty to 
 do as he did ; we may sometimes find an innocent person 
 condemned to death, as Susanna was, and then are with 
 Daniel to use all possible endeavour for their deliverances. 
 This case Solomon seems to refer to, Prov. xxiv. W, If 
 thou forbear to deliver him. that is drawn unto death, and 
 them that are ready to be slain; if thou say est, Behold, we 
 knew it not ; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider ? 
 and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it ? Shall 
 not he render to every m,an according to his deeds ? We 
 are not lightly to put off the matter with vain excuses but to 
 remember that God, who knows our most secret thoughts, 
 will severely examine, whether we have willingly omitted the 
 performance of such a charity : sometimes again (nay, God 
 knows, often now-a-days) we may see a man that by a 
 course of intemperance is in danger to destroy his health, to 
 shorten his days, and then it is a due charity not only to the 
 soul, but to the body also, to endeavour to draw him from it. 
 It is impossible to set down all the possible acts of this cor- 
 poral charity, because there may sometimes happen such 
 opportunities as none can foresee ; we are therefore always 
 to carry about us a serious resolution of doing whatever good 
 of this kind we shall at any time discern occasion for, and 
 then whenever that occasion is offered, we are to look on it 
 as a call, as it were from Heaven, to put that resolution in 
 practice. This part of charity seems to be so much implanted 
 in our natures, as we are men, that we generally account 
 them not only unchristian, but inhuman, that are void of it ; 
 and therefore I hope there will not need much persuasion to 
 
SUNDAY XVII ] OF ALMS-GIVING. 255 
 
 it, since our very nature inclines us : but certainly that very 
 consideration will serve hugely to increase the guilt of those 
 that are wanting in it ; for since this command is so agreeable 
 even to flesh and blood, our disobedience to it can proceed 
 from nothing but a stubbornness and resistance against God 
 who gives it. 
 
 SUNDAY XVII. 
 
 Of Charity, Alms-giving, &c. Of Charity in respect of our Neighbour's 
 Credit, &c. Of Peacemaking. Of going to Law. Of Charity to our 
 Enemies, &c. 
 
 The third way of expressing this Charity is towards the 
 Goods or Estate of our neio-hbour ; we are 
 
 1 I- n • • '^i -^ • CHARITY IN 
 
 to endeavour his thrivrnff and prosperity in 
 
 *l . 1 1 .-u- A , t^u 4. A RESPECT OF THE 
 
 these outward good things ; and to that end, 
 be willing to assist and further him in all 
 honest ways of improving or preserving them, by any neigh- 
 bourly and friendly office : opportunities of this do many 
 times fall out. A man may sometimes by his power or 
 persuasion deliver his neighbour's goods out of the hands of 
 a thief or oppressor ; sometimes again by his advice and 
 counsel, he may set him in a way of thriving, or turn him 
 from some ruinous course ; and many other occasions there 
 may be of doing good turns to another, without any loss or 
 damage to ourselves : and then we are to do ^^,„.„^^ _ ,„ 
 
 .1 . • 1, • 1 u *l, TOWARDS THE 
 
 them, even to our rich neighbours, those 
 that are as wealthy (perhaps much more 
 so) as ourselves : for though Charity do not bind us to give 
 to those that want less than ourselves, yet whenever w^e can 
 further their profit without lessening our own store, it requires 
 it of us. Nay, if the damage be but light to us in comparison 
 of the advantage to him, it will become us rather to hazard 
 that light damage than lose him that greater advantage. 
 
 2. But towards our poor brother, Charity ties us to much 
 more; we are there only to consider the „^,„.„^^ ^„„ 
 
 ,' . ^ , . -^ J , , .• 1 .. TOWARDS THE 
 
 supplying of his wants, and not to stick at 
 
 parting with what is our own to relieve him, 
 
 but as far as we are able give freely what is necessary to 
 
 him. This duty of alms-giving is perfectly necessary for 
 
256 OF ALMS-GIVING. [sUNDAY XVII. 
 
 the approving our love not only to men, but even to God him- 
 self, as St. John tells us, 1 John iii. 17, Whoso hath this 
 loorhVs goods, and seeth his brother have need, and shuttefh 
 up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the 
 love of God in him ? It is vain for him to pretend to love 
 either God or man, who loves his money so much better, 
 that he will see his poor brother (who is a man, and bears 
 the image of God) suffer all extremities, rather than part 
 with any thing to relieve him. On the other side, the per- 
 formance of this duty is highly acceptable with God as well 
 as with men. 
 
 3. It is called, Heb. xiii. 16, a sacrifice wherewith God 
 is well pleased ; and again, Phil. iv. 18, St Paul calls their 
 alms to him, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God ; 
 and the Church hath always looked on it as such, and there- 
 fore joined it with the solemnest part of worship, the holy 
 sacrament. But because even sacrifices themselves under the 
 law were often made unacceptable by being maimed, and ble- 
 mished, it will here be necessary to inquire what are the due 
 qualifications of this sacrifice. 
 
 4. Of these there are some that respect the motive, some 
 
 the manner of our giving. The motive may 
 MOTivLS OF ^^ threefold, respecting God, our neighbour, 
 ALMS-GIVING. ^,^^ oursclves. That which respects God 
 is obedience and thankfulness to him : he has commanded 
 we should give alms, and therefore one special end of our 
 doing so, must be the obeying that precept of his. And it 
 is from his bounty alone that we receive all our plenty, and 
 this is the properest way of expressing our thankfulness for 
 it, for, as the Psalmist saith, our goodness extendeth not unto 
 God, Psalm xvi. 2. That tribute which we desire to pay 
 out of our estates, we cannot pay to his person. It is the 
 poor that are, as it were, his proxy and receivers, and there- 
 fore whatever we should by way of thankfulness give back 
 again unto God, our alms is the way of doing it. Secondly, 
 in respect of our neighbour, the motive must be a true love 
 and compassion to him, a tender fellow-feeling of his wants, 
 and desire of his comfort and relief. Thirdly, in respect of 
 ourselves, the motive is to be the hope of that eternal reward 
 promised to this performance. This Christ points out to us, 
 when he bids us lay up our treasure in heaven, Matt. vi. 
 20 ; and to make us friends of the mammon of unrighteous- 
 ness, that they may receive us into everlasting habitations. 
 
SUNDAY XVII.] OF ALMS-GIVING 257 
 
 Luke xvi. 9 : that is, by a charitable dispensing of our tem- 
 poral goods to the poor, to lay np a stock in heaven, to gain 
 a title to those endless felicities which God hath promised 
 to the charitable. That is the harvest we must expect of 
 what we sow in these works of mercy, which will be so rich 
 as would abundantly recompense us, though we should, as 
 the Apostle speaks, 1 Cor. xiii. 3, bestow all our goods to 
 feed the poor. But then we must be sure we make this our 
 sole aim, and not, instead of this, propose to ourselves the 
 praise of men, as the motive of our charity, that will rob us 
 of the other ; this is expressly told us by Christ, Matt. vi. 
 They that set their hearts on the credit they shall gain with 
 men, must take that as their portion, ver. 2, Verily I say 
 unto you^ they have their reward ; they choose, it seems, 
 rather to have men their paymasters than God, and to them 
 they are turned off; that little airy praise they get from them, 
 is all the reward they must expect : Ye have no reward of 
 iny Father which is in heaven, ver. 1. We have, therefore, 
 need to Avatch our hearts narrowly, that this desire of vain- 
 glory steal not it, and befool us into that miserable exchange 
 of a vain blast of men's breath for those substantial and eter- 
 nal joys of heaven. 
 
 5. In the second place, we must take care of our Alms- 
 givino-, in respect of the manner ; and in 
 
 ♦T. + ^ 4. i. ■ 1 r n i\T MANNER OF 
 
 that, first, we must give cheeriully. Men 
 usually value a small thing that is given s-giving. 
 
 cheerfully, and with a good heart, more than a much greater, 
 that is wrung from a man with grudging and unwillingness ; 
 and God is of the same mind, he loves a 
 cheerful giver, 2 Cor. ix. 7, which the apos- 
 tle makes the reason of the foregoing exhortation, of not 
 giving grudgingly, or as of necessity, ver. 6. And sure 
 it is no unreasonable thing, that is herein required of us, 
 there being no duty that has to human nature more of plea- 
 sure and delight, unless it be where covetousness or cruelty 
 have quite worked out the man, and put a ravenous beast 
 in his stead. Is it not a most ravishing pleasure to him that 
 hath any bowels, to see the joy that a seasonable alms brings 
 to a poor wretch? How it revives and puts new spirits in 
 him that was even sinking 1 Certainly the most sensual crea- 
 ture alive knows not how to bestow his money on any thing 
 that shall bring him in so great a delight, and therefore me- 
 thinks it should be no hard matter to give not only without 
 
 22* 
 
258 OF ALMS-GIVING. [sUNDAY XVII. 
 
 grud<ring, but even with a great deal of alacrity and cheer- 
 fulness, it being the fetching in of pleasure to ourselves. 
 
 6. There is but one objection can be made against this, 
 
 and that is, that the danger of impoverish- 
 
 THE FEAR OF .^^ ^^^^,^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^ givcs, may take 
 
 IMPOVERISHING ^^ ^^^^^ pleasure, and make men either not 
 
 OURSELVES BY ^-^^ ^^ .^j^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^ checrfully. To this 
 
 IT, VAIN AND J. answer: That first, were this hazard 
 
 never so apparent, yet it being the command 
 
 of God that we shall thus give, we are yet to obey cheerfully, 
 
 and be as well content to part with our goods in pursuance 
 
 of this duty, as we are many times called to do upon some 
 
 other. In which case Christ tells us, He that forsakes not 
 
 all that he hath cannot be his disciple. 
 
 7. But secondly, this is sure a vain supposition, God hav- 
 ing particularly promised the contrary to the charitable ; that 
 it shall bring blessings on them, even in these outward things. 
 The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth 
 shall be watered also himself Prov. xi. 25. He that giveth 
 to the poor shall not lack, Prov. xxviii. 27. And many the 
 like texts there are, so that one may truly say, this objection 
 is grounded in direct unbelief. The short of it is, we dare 
 not trust God for this. Giving to the poor is directly the 
 putting our wealth into his hands ; He that giveth to the 
 poor lendeth unto the Lord, Prov. xix. 17, and that too on 
 solemn promise of repayment, as it follows in that verse, 
 That which he hath given ivill he pay him again. It is 
 amongst men thought a great disparagement, when we refuse 
 to trust them ; it shows we either think them not sufficient 
 or not honest. How vile an aff'ront is it then to God thus to 
 distrust him ! Nay, indeed, how horrid blasphemy, to doubt 
 the security of that for which he has thus expressly passed 
 his word, who is Lord of all, and therefore cannot be in- 
 sufficient, and who is the God of truth, and therefore will 
 not fail to make good his promise ! Let not then that infidel 
 fear of future want, contract and shut up thy bowels from 
 thy poor brother ; for though he be never likely to pay thee, 
 yet God becomes his surety, and enters bond with him, and 
 will most assuredly pay thee with increase. Therefore it is 
 so far from being damage to thee thus to give, that it is thy 
 great advantage. Any man would rather choose to put his 
 money in some sure hand, where he may both improve, and 
 be certain of it at his need, than to let it lie unprofitable by 
 
SUNDAY XVII.] OF ALMS-GIVIiNJ. 259 
 
 him, especially if he be in clangers of thieves or other acci- 
 dents by which he may probably lose it. Now, alas, all that 
 we possess is in minutely danger of losing; innumerable 
 accidents there are, which may in an instant bring a rich man 
 to beggary ; he that doubts this, let him but read the story of 
 Job, and he will there find an example of it. And therefore 
 what so prudent course can we take for our wealth as to put 
 it out of the reach of those accidents, by thus lending it to 
 God, where we may be sure to find it ready at our greatest 
 need, and that too with improvement and increase ? In which 
 respect it is that the apostle compares alms to seed, 2 Cor. 
 ix. 10. We know it is the nature of seed that is sown to 
 multiply and increase, and so do all our acts of mercy, they 
 return not single and naked to us, but bring in their sheaves 
 with them, a most plenteous and bountiful harvest. God 
 deals not with our alms as we too often do with his graces, 
 wrap them up in a napkin, so that they shall never bring in 
 any advantage to us, but makes us most rich returns : and 
 therefore we have all reason most cheerfully, yea, joyfully 
 to set to this duty, which we have such invitations to, as well 
 in respect of our own interests as our neighbour's needs. 
 
 8. Secondly, We must give seasonably : it is true indeed 
 there are some so poor, that an alms can 
 
 ^11, 1 GIVE SEASON- 
 
 never come unseasonably, because they 
 always want, yet even to them there may 
 be some special seasons of doing it to their greater advantage ; 
 for sometimes an alms may not only deliver a poor man 
 from some present extremity, but, by the right timing of it, 
 may set him in some way of a more comfortable subsistence 
 afterward. And for the most, I presume it is a good rule, to 
 dispense what we intend to any, as soon as may be, for delays 
 are hurtful oftentimes both to them and ourselves ; first, as to 
 them, it is sure the longer we delay, the longer they groan 
 under the present want ; and after we have designed them a 
 relief, it is in some degree a cruelty to defer bestowing of it, 
 for so long we prolong their sufferings. You will think him 
 a hard-hearted physician, that having a certain cure for a man 
 in pain, should, when he might presently apply it, make un- 
 necessary delays, and so keep the poor man still in torture ; 
 and the same it is here ; we want of the due compassion, if 
 we can be content our poor brother should have one hour of 
 unnecessary suffering, when we have present opportunity of 
 relieving him ; or if he be not in such an extremity of want, 
 
260 OF ALMS-GIVING. [sUNDAY XVII. 
 
 yet whatever we intend him for his greater comfort, he loses 
 so much of it as the time of the delay amounts to. Secondly, 
 in respect of ourselves, it is ill to defer ; for thereby we give 
 advantage to the temptations either of Satan or our own 
 covetous humour to dissuade us from it. Thus it fares too 
 often with many Christian duties : for want of a speedy 
 execution, our purposes cool, and never come to act; so 
 many resolve they will repent, but because they set not 
 immediately upon it, one delay succeeds another, and keeps 
 them from ever doing it at all ; and so it is very apt to fall 
 out in this case, especially with men who are of a covetous 
 temper, and therefore they of all others should not trust 
 themselves thus to delay. 
 
 9. Thirdly, We should take care to give prudently, that 
 
 is, to give most where it is most needed, 
 PRUDENTLY. ^^^^ -^^ ^^^-^ ^ manner as may do the re- 
 ceiver most good. Charities do often miscarry for want of 
 this care, for if we give at all adventures to all that seem to 
 want, we may sometimes give more to those whose sloth 
 and lewdness is the cause of their want, than to those who 
 best deserve it, and so both encourage the one in their idleness, 
 and disable ourselves from giving to the other. Yet I doubt 
 not such may be the present wants even of the most unwor- 
 thy, that we are to relieve them ; but where no such pressing 
 need is, we shall do best to choose out the fitter objects of 
 charity, such as are those who either are not able to labour, 
 or else have a greater charge than their labour can maintain, 
 and to those our alms should be given also in such a manner 
 as may be most likely to do them good : the manner of 
 which may differ according to the circumstances of their con- 
 dition ; it may to some be best, perhaps, to give them by little 
 and little ; to others the giving it all at once may tend more 
 to their benefit ; and sometimes a seasonable loan may do as 
 well as a gift, and that may be in the power sometimes of 
 those who are able to give but little : but when we thus lend 
 on charity, we must lend freely without use, and also with a 
 purpose that if he should prove unable to pay, we will for- 
 give so much of the principal as his needs require and our 
 abilities will permit. They want much of this charity who 
 clap up poor debtors in prison, when they know they have 
 nothing to answer the debt, which is a great cruelty, to make 
 another miserable when nothing is gained to ourselves by it. 
 
 10. Fourthly, We should give liberally, we must not be 
 
SUNDAY XVII.] OF ALMS-GIVING. 261 
 
 Strait-handed in our alms, and give by such pitiful scantlings 
 as will bring almost no relief to the receiver, for that is a kind 
 of mockery ; it is as if one should pretend to feed one that is 
 almost famished, by giving him a crumb of bread ; such doles 
 as that would be most ridiculous, yet I fear it is too near the 
 proportion of some men's alms ; such men are below those 
 disciples we read of, who knew only the baptism of John, 
 for it is to be observed, that John Baptist, who was but the 
 forerunner of Christ, makes it a special part of his doctrine, 
 that he that hath two coats should impart to him that hath 
 none, Luke iii. 11. He says not, he that hath some great 
 wardrobe, but even he that hath but two coats must part with 
 one of them ; from whence we may gather, that whatsoever 
 is above (not our vanity, but) our needs should thus be dis- 
 posed of when our brethren's necessity requires it. But if 
 we look into the first time of the Gospel, we shall find Chris- 
 tianity far exceeded this proportion of John's ; the converts 
 assigned not a part only, but frankly gave all to the use of 
 the brethren, Acts iv. And though that being upon an ex- 
 traordinary occasion, will be no measure of our constant 
 practice, yet it may show us how prime and fundamental a 
 part of Christianity this of charity is, that at the very first 
 founding of the church such vast degrees of it were practised ; 
 and if we farther consider what precepts of love are given us 
 in the Gospel, even to the laying down our lives for the brC' 
 thren, 1 John iii. 16, we cannot imagine our goods are in 
 God's account so much more precious than our lives, that he 
 would command us to be prodigal of the one, and yet allow 
 us to be sparing of the other. 
 
 11. A multitude of arguments might be brought to recom- 
 mend this bounty to all that profess Christ ; I shall mention 
 only two, which I find used by St. Paul to the Corinthians 
 on this occasion. The first is the example of Christ, 2 Cor. 
 viii. 9, For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christy 
 tvho though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, 
 that ye through his j^overty might be rich. Christ emptied 
 himself of all that glory and greatness he enjoyed in Heaven 
 with his Father, and submitted himself to a life of much 
 meanness and poverty, only to enrich us. And therefore, 
 for shame, let us not grudge to empty our coffers, to lessen 
 somewhat of our heaps, to relieve his poor members. The 
 second, is the expectation of reward, which will be more or 
 less, according to the degrees of our alms, 2 Cor. ix. 6, He 
 
262 OF ALMS-GIVING. [sUNDAY XVII. 
 
 that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly, and he that 
 soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully. We think him 
 a very improvident husbandman that, to save a Uttle seed at 
 present, sows so thin as to spoil his crop ; and the same folly 
 it will be in us, if by the sparingness of our alms we make 
 ourselves a lank harvest hereafter, lose either all or a great 
 part of those rewards which God hath provided for the liberal 
 alms-giver. What is the proportion which may be called a 
 liberal giving, I shall not undertake to set down, there being 
 degrees even in liberality ; one may give liberally, and yet 
 another give more liberally than he ; besides, liberality is to 
 be measured, not so much by what is given as by the ability 
 of the giver. A man of a mean estate may give less than one 
 of a great, and yet be the more liberal person, because that 
 little may be more out of his than the greater is out of the 
 other's. Thus we see Christ pronounces the poor widow to 
 have given much more to the treasury than all the rich 
 men, Luke xxi. 3 ; not that her two mites were more than 
 their rich gifts, but that it was more for her, she having left 
 nothing behind, whereas they gave out of their abundance 
 what they might easily spare. Every man must herein 
 judge for himself; we see the Apostle, though he earnestly 
 press the Corinthians to bounty, yet prescribes not to them 
 how much they shall give, but leaves that to their own breasts, 
 2 Cor. ix. 7, Every man according as he purposeth in his 
 heart, so let him. give. But let us still remember that the 
 more we give (provided we do not thereby fail in the support 
 of those that most immediately depend on us), the more 
 acceptable it will be to God, and the more rewardable by 
 him. And to secure the performance of the duty of alms- 
 giving (whatever the proportion be), we may do very well to 
 follow the advice St. Paul gives the Corinthians in this mat- 
 ter, 1 Cor. xvi. 2, Upon the first day of the iveek let every 
 one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him. 
 If men will do thus, lay by somewhat weekly, in store for 
 this work of charily, it were the surest way not to be un- 
 provided of somewhat to give when an occasion offered itself, 
 and by giving so by little and little the expense would be- 
 come less sensible, and so be a means to prevent those 
 grudgings and repinings, which are apt to attend men in 
 greater disbursements ; and sure this were in other respects 
 also a very proper course, for when a tradesman casts up 
 his weekly account and sees what his gains have been, it is 
 
SUNDAY XVII.] or CHARITY. 263 
 
 of all others the most seasonable time to offer this tribute to 
 God out of what he hath by his blessing gained. If any will 
 say they cannot so well weekly reckon their gains, as by longer 
 spaces of time, I shall not contend with them for that precise 
 time, let it be done monthly or quarterly, so it be done. But 
 that somewhat should still be laid by in bank for these uses, 
 rather than left loose to our sudden charities, is sure very 
 expedient ; and I doubt not, whoever will make trial of it, 
 will upon experience acknowledge it to be so. 
 
 12. The fourth exercise of our Charity is towards the 
 Credit of our neighbour ; and of this we 
 may have many occasions ; sometimes to- 
 wards the innocent, and sometimes also 
 towards the guilty. If one whom we know 
 to be an innocent person be slandered and traduced. Charity 
 binds us to do what we may for the declaring his innocency, 
 and delivering him from that false imputation, and that not 
 only by witnessing when we are called to it, but by a volun- 
 tary offering our testimony on his behalf; or if the accusation 
 be not before a court of justice, and so there be no place for 
 that our more solemn testimony, but that it be only a slander 
 tossed from one to another, yet even there we are to do what 
 we can to clear him, by taking all occasions publicly to de- 
 clare what we know of his innocency. But even to the 
 guilty there is some Charity of this kind to be performed, 
 sometimes by concealing the fault, if it be such that no other 
 part of Charity to others make it necessary to discover it, or 
 it be not so notorious as that it will be sure to betray itself. 
 The wounds of reputation are of all others the most incur- 
 able, and therefore it may well become Christian Charity to 
 prevent them, even where they have been deserved : and 
 perhaps such a tenderness in hiding the fault may sooner 
 bring the offender to repentance, if it be seconded (as it ought 
 to be) with all e irnestness of private admonition : but if the 
 fault be such that it be not to be concealed, yet still there 
 may be place for this Charity in extenuating and lessening 
 it as far as the circumstances will bear : as if it were done 
 suddenly and rashly. Charity will allow some abatement of 
 the censure, which would belong to a designed and deliber- 
 ate act ; and so proportionably in other circumstances. But 
 the most frequent exercises of this charity happen towards 
 those of whose either innocency or guilt we have no know- 
 ledge, but are by some doubtful actions brought under suspi- 
 
264 OF CHARITY. [sUNDAY XVII. 
 
 cion : and here we must remember, that it is the property of 
 love not to think evil, to judge the best ; and therefore we 
 are both to abstain from uncharitable conclusions of them 
 ourselves, and as much as lies in us to keep others from 
 them also, and so endeavour to preserve the credit of our 
 neighbour ; which is oftentimes as much shaken by unjust 
 suspicions, as it would be by the truest accusations. To 
 these cases, I suppose belongs that precept of Christ, Matt. 
 vii. 1, Judge not ; and when we consider how that is backed 
 in the following words, that ye be not judgediWe shall have 
 cause to believe it no such light matter as the world seems 
 to account it ; our merciful judging of others will be paid 
 home to us, in the strict and severe judgment of God. 
 
 13. I have now gone through this Active Charity as it 
 
 relates to the four several capacities of our 
 
 brethren, many of the particulars whereof 
 
 ' were before briefly mentioned when we 
 
 SOME RESPECTS , r t .• re ^i • i -i. • 
 
 spake ot Justice. It any thmk it unproper 
 
 ACTS OF JUS" ■J r r 
 
 that the same Acts should be made part of 
 Justice and Charity too, I shall desire them 
 to consider that Charity being by Christ's command become 
 a debt to our brethren, all the parts of it may in that respect 
 be ranked under the head of Justice, since it is sure paying 
 of debts is a part of that : yet because in our common use we 
 do distinguish between the offices of Justice and Charity, I 
 have chosen to enlarge on them in particular reference to 
 Charity. But I desire it may still be remembered that what- 
 soever is under precept, is so much a due from us, that we 
 sin not only against Charity, but Justice too if we neglect 
 it ; which deserves to be considered the more to stir up our 
 care to the performance, and the rather because there seems 
 to be a common error in this point. Men look upon their 
 Acts of mercy as things purely voluntary, that they have no 
 obligation to ; and the effect of it is this, that they are apt to 
 think very highly of themselves when they have performed 
 any, though never so mean, but never blame themselves, 
 though they omit all : which is a very dangerous, but withal 
 a very natural fruit of the former persuasions. If there be 
 any Charities wherein Justice is not concerned, they are 
 those which for the height and degrees of them are not made 
 matter of strict duty, that is, are not in those degrees com- 
 manded by God : and even after these, it will be very reason- 
 able for us to labour ; but that cannot be done without taking 
 
SUNDAY XVII.] OF PEACE-MAKIXG. 265 
 
 the lower and necessary degrees in our way ; and therefore 
 let our first care be for them. 
 
 14. To help us wherein there will be no better means than 
 to keep before our eyes that ffrand rule of 
 
 r • AT • tz, 7 THE GREAT 
 
 Loving our Neighbours as ourselves: 
 this the Apostle makes the sum of our 
 whole duty to our neighbours, Rom. xiii. 9. 
 Let this therefore be the standard whereby to measure all 
 thy actions which relate to others : whenever any necessity 
 of thy neighbours presents itself to thee, ask thyself whether, 
 if thou wert in the like case, thy love to thyself would not 
 make thee industrious for relief, and then resolve thy love to 
 thy neighbour must have the same effect with him. This 
 is that royal law, as St. James calls it, James ii. 8, which 
 all that profess themselves subjects to Christ must be ruled 
 by ; and whosoever is so will not fail of performing all chari- 
 ties to others, because it is sure he would upon the like oc- 
 casions have all such performed to himself. There is none 
 but wishes to have his good name defended, his poverty re- 
 lieved, his bodily suffering succoured ; only it may be said 
 that in the spiritual wants there are some so careless of them- 
 selves that they wish no supply, they desire no reproofs, no 
 instructions, nay, are angry when they are given them ; it 
 may therefore seem that such men are not by virtue of this 
 rule tied to those sorts of Charities. To this I answer, That 
 the love of ourselves, which is here set as the measure of 
 that to our neighbour, is to be understood to be that reason- 
 able love which men ought to have, and therefore, though a 
 man fail of that due love he owes himself, yet his neighbour 
 hath not thereby forfeited his right ; he has still a claim to 
 such a degree of our love, as is answerable to that which in 
 right we should bear to ourselves, and such, I am sure, is 
 this care of our spiritual estate, and therefore it is not our 
 despising our own souls that will absolve us from Charity 
 to other men's : yet I shall not much press this duty in such 
 men, it being neither likely that they will be persuaded to it, 
 or do any good by it ; their ill example will overwhelm all 
 their good exhortations, and make them unfruitful. 
 
 15. There is yet one Act of Charity behind, which does 
 not properly fall under any one of the for- pe^ce-making. 
 mer heads, and yet may relate to them all, 
 
 and that is the making peace and amity among others : by 
 doing whereof we may much benefit both the souls, bodies, 
 
 23 
 
266 OF PEACE-MAKING. [sUNDAY XVH. 
 
 goods, and credit of our brethren ; for all these are in danger 
 by strife and contention. The reconciling of enemies is a 
 most blessed work, and brings a blessing on the actors ; we 
 have Christ's word for it, Blessed are the peace-makers, 
 Matt. v. 9 ; and therefore we may be encouraged diligently 
 to lay hold of all opportunities of doing this office of Charity, 
 to use all our art and endeavour to take up all grudges and 
 quarrels we discern among others ; neither must we only 
 labour to restore peace where it is lost, but to preserve it 
 where it is : First, generally, by striving to beget in the 
 hearts of all we converse with a true value of that most pre- 
 cious jewel. Peace ; Secondly, particularly, by a timely pre- 
 vention of those jars and unkindnesses we see likely to fall 
 out. It may many times be in the power of a discreet 
 friend or neighbour to cure those mistakes and misapprehen- 
 sions, which are the first beginnings of quarrels and conten- 
 tions ; and it will be both more easy and more profitable thus 
 to prevent than pacify strifes. It is sure it is more easy, for 
 when a quarrel is once broken out, it is like a violent flame 
 which cannot so soon be quenched as it might have been 
 whilst it was but a smothering fire. And then it is also more 
 profitable, for it prevents many sins, which in the progress 
 of an open contention are almost sure to be committed. Solo- 
 mon says. In the multitude of ivords there wanteth not 
 sin, Pro v. x. 19, which cannot more truly be said of any 
 sorts of words than those that pass in anger, and then, though 
 the quarrel be afterwards composed, yet those sins will still 
 remain on their account ; and therefore it is a great Charity 
 to prevent them. 
 
 16. But to fit a man for this so excellent an office of Peace- 
 making, it is necessary that he be first re- 
 
 HE THAT UN- , P, , i , / ,n r -.u i ^ 
 
 markably peaceable himself ; tor with what 
 face canst thou persuade others to that 
 
 MUST BE PEACE- ,. , ,, -u ^ . c ^u M"} n 
 
 which thou wilt not periorm thyseli ? Or 
 
 ABLE HIMSELF. , ^ ^, x xu • 
 
 how canst thou expect thy persuasions 
 should work ? It will be a ready reply in every man's mouth, 
 Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own 
 eye. Matt. vii. 5 ; and therefore be sure thou qualify thy- 
 self for the work. There is one point of peaceableness which 
 
 seems to be little regarded among men, and 
 
 that is in the case of Legal trespasses ; 
 
 men think it nothing to go to law about 
 
SUNDAY XVII.] OF CHARITY TO ENEMIES. 267 
 
 every petty trifle, and as long as they have but law on their 
 side never think they are to blame : but sure, had we that true 
 peaceableness of spirit which we ought, we should be un- 
 willing for such slight matters to trouble and disquiet our 
 neighbours. Not that all going to law is utterly unchristian, 
 but such kind of suits especially, as are upon contentiousness 
 and stoutness of humour to defend such an inconsiderable 
 right, as the parting with will do us little or no harm, or, 
 which is yet worse, to avenge such a trespass. And even in 
 great matters, he shall part with somewhat of his right for 
 love of peace, does surely the most christianly, and most 
 agreeably to the advice of the Apostle, 1 Cor. vi. 7, Rather 
 to take ivrong, and suffer ourselves to be defrauded. But 
 if the damage be so unsupportable that it is necessary for us 
 to go to law, yet even then we must take care of preserving 
 peace ; first, by carrying still a friendly and Christian tem- 
 per towards the party, not suffering our hearts to be at all 
 estranged from him; secondly, by being willing to yield to 
 any reasonable terms of agreement whenever they shall be 
 offered ; and truly if we carry not this temper of mind in our 
 suits, I see not how they can be reconcileable with that peace- 
 ableness so strictly required of all Christians. Let those con- 
 sider this who make it their pleasure themselves to disquiet 
 their neighbour, or their trade to stir up others to do it. 
 This tender regard of peace both in ourselves and others, is 
 absolutely necessary to be entertained of all those who own 
 themselves to be the servants of him, whose title it is to be 
 the Prince of Peace, Isa. ix. 6. 
 
 17. All that remains to be touched on concerning this 
 Charity of the Actions is the extent of it, 
 
 u- T, i u 1 *!, f c THIS CHARITY 
 
 which must be as large as the former of 
 
 .n ^ ,. * xT, X 1 • • .OF THE ACTIONS 
 
 the afteciions, even to the takmff in, not 
 
 1 * J\ ^x. c 1 ^- X MUST REACH TO 
 
 only strangers, and those ot no relation to 
 us, but even of our bitterest enemies. I 
 have already spoken so much of the obligation we are under 
 to forgive them, that I shall not here say any thing of that, 
 but that being supposed a duty, it will sure then appear no 
 unreasonable thing to proceed one step further, by doing 
 them good turns ; for when we have once forgiven them, we 
 can then no longer account them enemies, and so it will be 
 no hard matter even to flesh and blood to do all kind things 
 to them. And indeed this is the way by which we must try 
 
268 OF SELF-LOVE. [sUNDAY XVII. 
 
 the sincerity of our forgiveness. It is easy to say, I forgive 
 such a man ; but if when an opportunity of doing him good 
 is offered, thou decUnest it, it is apparent there yet lurks the 
 old malice in thy heart : where there is a thorough forgiveness, 
 there will be as great a readiness to benefit an enemy as a 
 friend ; nay, perhaps in some respects a greater, a true chari- 
 table person looking upon it as an especial prize, when he has 
 an opportunity of evidencing the truth of his reconciliation, 
 and obeying the precept of his Saviour, by doing good to 
 them that hate him, Matt. v. 44. Let us therefore resolve 
 that all actions of kindness are to be performed to our enemies, 
 for which we have not only the command, but also the ex- 
 ample of Christ, who had not only some inward relentings 
 towards us his obstinate and most provoking enemies, but 
 showed it in acts, and those no cheap or easy ones, but 
 such as cost him his dearest blood. And surely we can 
 never pretend to be either obeyers of his command, or follow- 
 ers of his example, if we grudge to testify our loves to our 
 enemies by those so much cheaper ways of feeding them, in 
 hunger, and the like, recommended to us by the Apostle, 
 Rom. xii. 20. But if we could perform these acts of kind- 
 ness to enemies in such manner as might draw them from 
 their enmity, and win them to peace, the Charity would be 
 doubled ; and this we should aim at, for that we see the 
 Apostle sets as the end of the forementioned acts of feeding, 
 &;c. that we may heap coals of fire on their heads, not coals 
 to burn, but to melt them into all love and tenderness towards 
 us ; and this were indeed the most complete way of imitating 
 Christ's example, who in all he did and suffered for us, de- 
 signed the reconciling of us to himself. 
 
 18. I have now showed you the several parts of our duty 
 to our neighbour, towards the performance 
 
 SELF-LOVE A , r t i ^r,- 
 
 whereof 1 know nothmff more necessary 
 
 HINDRANCE TO , ^, ^ . ^ r u ^ ^u ^ ir 
 
 than the turnmg out oi our hearts that self- 
 love which so often possesses them ; and that 
 so wholly, that it leaves no room for Charity, nay, nor Jus- 
 tice neither to our neighbour. By this self-love I mean not 
 that true love of ourselves, which is the love and care of our 
 souls (for that would certainly help, not hinder us in this 
 duty), but I mean that immoderate love of our own worldly 
 interests and advantages, which is apparently the root of all 
 both injustice and uncharitableness towards others. "We 
 
SUNDAY XVII.] OF TURNING TO GOD. 269 
 
 find this sin of self-love set by the Apostle in the head of a 
 whole troop of sins, 2 Tim. iii. 2, as if it were some princi- 
 pal officer in Satan's camp ; and certainly not without rea- 
 son, for it never goes without an accursed train of many 
 other sins, which like the dragon's tail, Rev. xii. 4, sweeps 
 away all care of duty to others. We are by it made so 
 vehement and intent upon the pleasing ourselves, that we have 
 no regard to any body else contrary to the direction of St. 
 Paul, RoM. XV. 2, which is not to please ourselves, but every 
 man to please his neighbour for his good to edification ; 
 which he backs with the example of Christ, ver. 3, For even 
 Christ pleased not himself. If, therefore, we have any sin- 
 cere desire to have this virtue of Charity rooted in our hearts, 
 we must be careful to weed out this sin of self-love, for 
 it is impossible they can prosper together. 
 
 19. But when we have removed this hindrance we must 
 remember that this, as all other graces, pro- prayer a 
 ceeds not from ourselves, it is the gift of „^,^,„ ^^ „„^ 
 
 ^ , 1 ,1 r ^ .1 MEANS TO PRO- 
 
 God ; and, therefore, we must earnestly cure it 
 pray to him to work it in us, to send his 
 Holy Spirit, which once appeared in the form of a Dove, a 
 meek and gall-less creature, to frame our hearts to the same 
 temper, and enable us rightly to perform this duty. 
 
 20. I HAVE now passed through those several branches I 
 at first proposed and showed you what is christian 
 our Duty to God, Ourselves, and our Neigh- ^^^^^^ ^^^^ 
 hour: Of which I may say as it is, Luke ^^^^ .^^^ 
 
 «o AT17.. 7 lA 7 J* T K J possible AND 
 
 X. 28, This do, and thou shall live. And pleasant 
 surely it is no impossible task to perform 
 this in such a measure as God will graciously accept, that 
 is, in sincerity, though not in perfection, for God is not that 
 austere master, Luke xix. 22, that reaps tvhere he has not 
 sowed ; he requires nothing of us, which he is not ready by 
 his grace to enable us to perform, if we be not wanting to 
 ourselves, either in asking it by prayer, or in using it by 
 diligence. And as it is not impossible, so neither is it such 
 a sad melancholy task as men are apt to think it. It is a spe- 
 cial policy of Satan's to do as the spies did. Numb. xiii. 32, 
 bring up an ill report upon this good land, this state of 
 Christian life, thereby to discourage us from entering into it, 
 to fright us with I know not what giants we shall meet with; 
 
 23* 
 
270 OF TURNING TO GOD. [sUNDAY XVII. 
 
 but let us not thus be cheated, let us but take the courage to 
 try, and we shall indeed find it a Canaan, a land flowing 
 with milk and honey. God is not in this respect to his 
 people a wilderness,, a land of darkness, Jer. ii. 31. His 
 service does not bereave men of any true joy, but helps them 
 to a great deal: Christ's yoke is an easy, nay, a pleasant 
 yoke, his burden a light, yea, a gracious burden. There is 
 in the practice of Christian duties a great deal of pleasant 
 pleasure, and if we feel it not, it is because of the resistance 
 our vicious and sinful customs make, which by the conten- 
 tion raises an uneasiness. But then first, that is to be charged 
 only on ourselves, for having got those ill customs, and 
 thereby made that hard to us, which in itself is most plea- 
 sant, the duties are not to be accused for it. And then, se- 
 condly, even there the pleasure of subduing those ill habits, 
 overcoming those corrupt customs, is such, as hugely out- 
 weigheth all the trouble of the combat. 
 
 21. But it will perhaps be said that some parts of piety 
 are of such a nature as will be very apt to 
 
 EVEN WHEN . ,• , ^c ■ ■ 
 
 expose us to persecutions and sufierings in 
 
 TIIEY EXPOSE us ., ^ , i f ., , ., • "^ i ^ 
 
 the world, and that those are not loyous but 
 
 TO OUTWARD • ^ •' 
 
 ffrievous. 
 
 SUFFERINGS. ^ y ^, ^ • ^x. ^i. • 
 
 1 answer, that even in those there is 
 matter of joy. We see the Apostles thought it so ; They 
 rejoiced that they were coimted ivorthy to suffer for Christ's 
 name, Acts v. 41 ; and St. Peter tells us, that (f any suffer 
 as a Christian, he is to glorify God for it, 1 Pet. iv. 16. 
 There is such a force and virtue in the testimony of a good 
 conscience, as is able to change the greatest suffering into 
 the greatest triumph, and that testimony we can never have 
 more clear and lively than when we suffer for righteousness' 
 sake; so that you see Christianity is very amiable even in 
 its saddest dress ; the inward comforts of it do far surpass 
 all the outward tribulations that attend it, and that even in 
 the instant, while we are in the state of warfare upon earth. 
 But then if we look forward to the crown of our victories, 
 those eternal rewards in heaven, we can never think those 
 tasks sad, though we had nothing at present to sweeten them, 
 that have such recompenses await them at the end ; were 
 our labours never so heavy, we could have no cause to faint 
 under them. Let us, therefore, whenever we meet with any 
 discouragement in our course, fix our eye on this rich prize, 
 
SUNDAY XVII.] OF TURNING TO GOD. 271 
 
 and then run with patience the race which is set before us, 
 Heb. xii. 1. Follow the Captain of our salvation through 
 the greatest sufferings, yea, even through the same red sea 
 of blood which he hath waded, whenever our obedience to 
 ]iim shall require it; for though our fidelity to him should 
 bring us to death itself, we are sure to be no losers by it, for 
 to such he hath promised a crown of life, the very expecta- 
 tion whereof is able to keep a Christian more cheerful in his 
 fetters and dungeon, than a worldling can be in the midst of 
 his greatest prosperities. 
 
 22. All that remains for me farther to add, is earnesdy to 
 entreat and beseech the reader, that with- 
 out delay, he put himself into this so plea- 
 
 A • c ^ u **• • OF DELAYING 
 
 sant and ffamtul a course, by settmg sm- 
 
 1 * B *• f 11 *V. 4^- OUR TURNING 
 
 cerely to the practice oi all those things, 
 
 TT) POT) 
 
 which either by this book, or by any other 
 means, he descerns to be his duty ; and the further he hath 
 formerly gone out of his way, the more haste it concerns 
 him to make to get into it, and to use the more diligence in 
 walking in it. He that hath a long journey to go, and finds 
 he hath lost a great part of his day in a wrong way, will not 
 need much entreaty either to turn into the right, or to quicken 
 his pace in it. And this is the case of all those that have 
 lived in any course of sin ; they are in a wrong road, which 
 will never bring them to the place they aim at, nay, which 
 will certainly bring them to the place they most fear and 
 abhor. Much of their day is spent, how much will be left 
 to finish their journey in, none knows ; perhaps the next hour, 
 the next minute, the night of death may overtake them : 
 what a madness is it then for them to defer one moment to 
 turn out of that path which leads to certain destruction, and 
 to put themselves in that which will bring them to bliss and 
 glory ! Yet so are men bewitched and enchanted with the 
 deceitfulness of sin, that no entreaty, no persuasion can pre- 
 vail with them, to make this so reasonable, no necessary a 
 change; not but that they acknowledge it needful to be done, 
 but they are unwilling to do it yet ; they would enjoy all the 
 pleasures of sin as long as they live, and then they hope at 
 their death, or some little time before it, to do all the business 
 of their souls. But, alas ! Heaven is too high to be thus 
 jumped into ; the way to it is a long and leisurely ascent, 
 which requires time to walk. The hazards of such deferring 
 
272 OF TURNING TO GOD [sUNDAY XVII. 
 
 are more largely spoken of in the Discourse of Repentance : 
 I shall not here repeat them, but desire the reader seriously 
 to lay them to heart, and then surely he will think it season- 
 able counsel that is given by the wise man, Ecclus. v. 7, 
 Make no tarrying to turn to the Lord, and put not off from 
 day to day. 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS 
 
 FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS, 
 ©rbinarji anh €xtraorbinarn. 
 
PEIVATE DEVOTIONS 
 
 FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS, 
 ©rbinarg anb (^%ixaoxbinat^. 
 
 Christian Reader : 
 
 I HAVE, for the help of thy Devotions, set down some Forms of Pri- 
 vate Prayer, upon several occasions : if it be thought an omission that 
 there are none for Families, I must answer for myself that it was not 
 from any opinion, that God is not as well to be worshipped in the family 
 as the closet; but because the Providence of God and the Church 
 hath already furnished thee, for that purpose, infinitely beyond what 
 my utmost care could do: I mean the Public Liturgy or Common 
 Prayer, which for all pubhc addresses to God (and such are family 
 prayers) are so excellent and useful, that we may say of it as David did 
 of Goliah's sword, 1 Sam. xxi. 9, There is none like it. 
 
 DIRECTIONS FOR THE MORNING. 
 
 ,^s soon as ever thou awakest in the morning, lift up thy 
 heart to God in this or the like short Prayer. 
 
 Lord, as thou hast awakened my body from sleep, so by 
 thy grace awaken my soul from sin ; and make me so to 
 walk before thee this day, and all the rest of my life, that 
 when the last trumpet shall awake me out of my grave, I 
 may rise to the life immortal, through Jesus Christ. 
 
 When thou hast thus begun, suffer not (without some urgent neces- 
 sity) any worldly thoughts to fill thy mind, till thou hast also paid thy 
 more solemn devotions to Almighty God; and, therefore, during the 
 time thou art dressing thyself (which should be no longer than common 
 decency requires), exercise thy mind in some spiritual thoughts : as for 
 example, consider to what temptations thy business or company that day 
 
 275 
 
276 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 are most like to lay thee open, and arm thyself with resolutions against 
 them ; or again, consider what occasions of doing service to God, or 
 good to thy neighbour, are that day most Hkely to present themselves, 
 and resolve to embrace them ; and also contrive how thou mayest im- 
 prove them to the uttermost. But especially it will be fit for thee to ex- 
 amme whether there have any sin escaped thee since thy last night's 
 examination. If after these considerations any further leisure remain, 
 thou mayest profitably employ it in meditating on the general Resurrec- 
 tion (whereof our rising from our beds is a representation), and of that 
 dreadful Judgment which shall follow it, and then think with thyself in 
 what preparation thou art for it, and resolve to husband carefiilly every 
 minute of thy time towards the fitting thee for that great account. As 
 soon as thou art ready, retire to some private place, and there offer up to 
 God thy morning sacrifice of praise and Prayer. 
 
 PRAYERS FOR THE MORNING. 
 
 At thy first kneeling down say, 
 
 O HOLY, blessed, and glorious Trinity, three persons and 
 one God, have mercy upon me a miserable sinner. 
 
 Lord, I know not what to pray for as I ought, O let thy 
 Spirit help my infirmities, and enable me to ofTer up a spirit- 
 ual sacrifice, acceptable to thee by Jesus Christ. 
 
 A Thanksgiving. 
 
 O GRACIOUS Lord, whose mercies endure for ever, I thy 
 unworthy servant, who have so deeply tasted of them, de- 
 sire to render thee the tribute of my humblest praises for 
 them. In thee, O Lord, I live, and move, and have my be- 
 ing : thou first madest me to be, and then, that I might not 
 be miserable but happy, thou sentest thy Son out of thy 
 bosom to redeem me from the power of my sins by his grace, 
 and from the punishment of them by his blood, and by 
 both to bring me to his glory. Thou hast by thy mercy 
 caused me to be born within thy peculiar fold, the Christian 
 Church, where I was early consecrated to thee in baptism, 
 and have been partaker of all those spiritual helps which 
 might aid me to perform that vow I there made to thee ; 
 and when by my own wilfulness or negligence I have failed 
 to do it, yet thou in thy manifold mercies hast not forsaken 
 me, but hast graciously invited me to repentance, afforded 
 me all means both outward and inward for it, and with much 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 277 
 
 patience hast attended and not cut me off in the acts of those 
 many damning sins I have committed, as I have most justly 
 deserved. It is, O Lord, thy restraining grace alone by 
 which I have been kept back from any the greatest sins ; and 
 it is thy inciting and assisting grace alone, by which I have 
 been enabled to do any the least good ; therefore not unto 
 me, not unto me, but unto thy name be the praises. For 
 these and all other thy spiritual blessings, my soul doth mag- 
 nify the Lord, and all that is within me praise his holy name. 
 I likewise praise thee for those many outward blessings I 
 enjoy, as health, friends, food and raiment, the comforts as 
 well as the necessaries of this life, for those continual pro- 
 tections of thy hand, by which I and mine are kept from 
 dangers, and those gracious deliverances thou hast often 
 afforded out of such as have befallen me, and for that mercy 
 of thine whereby thou hast sweetened and allayed those 
 troubles thou hast not seen fit wholly to remove : for thy 
 particular preservation of me this night, and all other thy 
 goodness towards me. Lord, grant that I may render thee 
 not only the fruit of my lips, but the obedience of my life, 
 that so these blessings here may be an earnest of those 
 richer blessings thou hast prepared for those that love thee, 
 and that for his sake, whom thou hast made the Author of 
 eternal salvation to all that obey him, even Jesus Christ. 
 
 A Confession. 
 
 O RIGHTEOUS Lord, who hatest iniquity, I thy sinful crea- 
 ture cast myself at thy feet, acknowledging that I most 
 justly deserve to be utterly abhorred and forsaken by thee : 
 for I have drunk iniquity like water, gone on in a continued 
 course of sin and rebellion against thee, daily committing 
 those things thou forbidest, and leaving undone those things 
 thou commandest ; mine heart, which should be an habita- 
 tion for thy Spirit, is become a cage of unclean birds, of foul 
 and disordered affections ; and out of this abundance of the 
 heart my mouth speaketh, my hands act, so that in thoughts, 
 word, and deed, I continually transgress against thee. \_Here 
 mention the greatest of thy sins.^ Nay, O Lord, I have 
 despised that goodness of thine which should lead me to 
 repentance, hardening my heart against all tJiose means thou 
 hast used for my amendment. And now. Lord, what can 1 
 expect from thee but judgment and fiery indignation, that is 
 indeed the due reward of my sins ? But, Lord, there is 
 
 24 
 
278 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 mercy with thee, that thou mayest be feared. O fit me for 
 that mercy, by giving me a deep and hearty repentance, and 
 then, according to thy goodness, let thine anger and thy wrath 
 be turned away from me ; look upon me in thy Son, my 
 blesssed Saviour, and for the merit of his sufferings pardon 
 all my sins. And, Lord, I beseech thee, by the power of 
 thy grace so to renew and purify my heart, that I may be- 
 come a new creature, utterly forsaking every evil way, and 
 living in constant, sincere, universal obedience to thee all the 
 rest of my days, that, behaving myself as a good and faith- 
 ful servant, I may by thy mercy at the last be received into 
 the joy of my Lord. Grant this for Jesus Christ his sake. 
 
 A Prayer for Grace. 
 
 O MOST gracious God, from whom every good and perfect 
 gift cometh, I wretched creature that am not able of myself 
 so much as to think a good thought, beseech thee to work 
 in me both to will and do according to thy good pleasure. 
 Enlighten my mind that I may know thee, and let me not be 
 barren or unfruitful in that knowledge. Lord, work in my 
 heart a true faith, a purifying hope, and an unfeigned love 
 towards thee ; give me a full trust on thee, zeal for thee, 
 reverence of all things that relate to thee ; make me fearful 
 to offend thee, thankful for thy mercies, humble under thy 
 corrections, devout in thy service, sorrowful for my sins ; and 
 grant that in all things I may behave myself so as befits a 
 creature to his Creator, a servant to his Lord ; enable me 
 likewise to perform that duty I owe to myself ; give me that 
 meekness, humility, and contentedness, whereby I may always 
 possess my soul in patience and thankfulness ; make me dili- 
 gent in all my duties, watchful against all temptations, per- 
 fectly pure and temperate, and so moderate in my most law- 
 ful enjoyments, that they may never become a snare to me : 
 make me also, O Lord, to be so affected towards my neigh- 
 bour, that I may never transgress that royal law of thine, of 
 loving him as myself; gram me exactly to perform all parts 
 of justice, yielding to all whatsoever by any kind of right 
 becomes their due, and give me such bowels of mercy and 
 compassion that I may never fail to do all acts of charity to 
 all men, whether friends or enemies, according to thy com- 
 mand and example. Finally, I beseech thee, O Lord, to 
 sanctify me throughout, that my whole spirit, and soul, and 
 body, may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 279 
 
 Lord Jesus Christ ; to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost 
 be all honour and glory for ever. Amen. 
 
 Intercession. 
 
 O BLESSED Lord, whose mercy is over all thy works, I 
 beseech thee to have mercy upon all men, and grant that the 
 precious ransom which was paid by thy Son for all may be 
 effectual to the saving of all. Give thy enlightening grace 
 to those that are in darkness, and thy converting grace to 
 those that are in sin ; look with thy tenderest compassions 
 upon the universal church. O be favourable and gracious 
 unto Sion, build thou the walls of Jerusalem : unite all those 
 that profess thy name to thee, by purity and holiness ; and 
 to each other by brotherly love. Have mercy on this desolate 
 church and sinful nation : thou hast moved the land and di- 
 vided it ; heal the sores thereof, for it shaketh it ; make us so 
 truly to repent of those sins which have provoked thy judg- 
 ments, that thou mayest turn and repent, and leave a blessing 
 behind thee. Bless those whom thou hast appointed our 
 governors, whether in church or state : so rule their hearts 
 and strengthen their hands, that they may neither want will 
 nor power to punish wickedness and vice, and to maintain 
 God's true religion and virtue. Have pity, O Lord, on all 
 that are in affliction ; be a father to the fatherless, and plead 
 the cause of the widow, comfort the feeble-minded, support 
 the weak, heal the sick, relieve the needy, defend the oppressed, 
 and administer to every one according to their several necessi- 
 ties ; let thy blessings rest upon all that are near and dear to 
 me, and grant them whatsoever thou seest necessary either 
 to their bodies or their souls. [_Here name thy nearest 
 relations.'] Reward all those that have done me good, and 
 pardon all those that have done or wished me evil, and work 
 in them and me all that good which may make us acceptable 
 in thy sight, through Jesus Christ. 
 
 For Preservation. 
 
 O MERCIFUL God, by whose bounty alone it is that I have 
 this day added to my life, I beseech thee so to guide me in 
 it by thy grace, that I may do nothing which may dishonour 
 thee, or wound my own soul, but that I may diligently apply 
 myself to do all such good works as thou hast prepared for 
 me to Walk in ; and. Lord, I beseech thee, give thy angels 
 charge over me, to keep me in all my ways, that no evil 
 
280 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 happen unto me, nor any plague come nigh my dwelling, but 
 that I and mine may be safe under thy gracious protection, 
 through Jesus Christ. 
 
 O Lord, pardon the wanderings and coldness of these 
 petitions, and deal with me, not according either to my 
 prayers or deserts, but according to my needs and thine own 
 rich mercies in Jesus Christ, in whose blessed name and 
 words I conclude these my imperfect prayers ; saying, Our 
 Father, &c. 
 
 DIRECTIONS FOR NIGHT. 
 
 At night when it draws towards the time of rest, bethink thyself how 
 thou hast passed the day ; examine thine own heart what sin either of 
 thought, word, or deed, thou hast committed, what opportunity of doing 
 good thou hast omitted, and whatsoever thou findest to accuse thyself 
 of, confess humbly and penitently to God, renew thy purposes and resolu- 
 tions of amendment, and beg his pardon in Christ, and this not slightly, 
 and only as of course, but with all devout earnestness, and heartiness, as 
 thou wouldst do if thou wert sure thy death was as near approaching as 
 thy sleep, which for ought thou knowest maybe so indeed, and therefore 
 thou shouldst no more venture to sleep unreconciled to God, than thou 
 wouldst dare to die so. In the next place, consider what special and 
 extraordinary mercies thou hast that day received, as if thou hast had any 
 great deliverance, either in thy inward man, from some dangerous temp- 
 tations, or in thy outward, from any great and apparent danger, and offer 
 to God thy hearty and devout praise for the same ; or if nothing extraor- 
 dinary have so happened, and thou hast been kept even from the approach 
 of danger, thou hast not the less, but the greater cause to magnify God, 
 who hath by his protection so guarded thee, that not so much as the fear 
 of evil hath assaulted thee. And therefore omit not to pay him the tribute 
 of humble thankfulness, as well for his usual and daily preservations, as 
 his more extraordinary deliverances. And above all, endeavour still by 
 the consideration of his mercies to have thy heart the more closely knit 
 to him, remembering that every favour received from him is a new en- 
 gagement upon thee to love and obey him. 
 
 PRAYERS FOR NIGHT. 
 
 O HOLY, blessed, and glorious Trinity, three Persons and 
 one God, have mercy upon me a miserable sinner. 
 
 Lord, I know not what to pray for as I ought, O let thy 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 281 
 
 Spirit help my infirmities, and enable me to offer up a spi- 
 ritual sacrifice, acceptable unto thee by Jesus Christ. 
 
 A Confession. 
 
 O MOST Holy Lord God, who art of purer eyes than to be- 
 hold iniquity, how shall I, abominable wretch, dare to appear 
 before thee, who am nothing but pollution ? I am defiled in 
 my very nature, having a backwardness to all good, and a 
 readiness to all evil ; but I have defiled myself yet much 
 worse by my own actual sins and wicked customs : I have 
 transgressed my duty to thee, my neighbour, and myself, 
 and that both in thought, in word, and in deed, by doing 
 those things which thou hast expressly forbidden, and by ne- 
 glecting to do those things thou hast commanded me. And 
 this not only through ignorance in frailty, but knowingly and 
 wilfully, against the motions of thy Spirit, and the checks of 
 my own conscience to the contrary. And to make all these 
 out of measure sinful, I have gone on in a daily course of re- 
 peating these provocations against thee, notwithstanding all 
 thy calls to, and my own purposes and vows of amendment ; 
 yea, this very day I have not ceased to add new sins to all 
 my former guilts. \_Here name the particulars.'] And now, 
 O Lord, what shall I say, or how shall I open my mouth, 
 seeing I have done these things ? I know that the wages of 
 these sins is death ; but O thou who wiliest not the death of 
 a sinner, have mercy upon me ; work in me, I beseech thee, 
 a sincere contrition, and a perfect hatred of my sins : and 
 let me not daily confess, and yet as daily renew them : but 
 grant, O Lord, that from this instant I may give a bill of di- 
 vorce to all my most beloved lusts, and then be thou pleased 
 to marry me to thyself in truth, in righteousness and holiness. 
 And for all my past sins, O Lord, receive a reconciliation ; 
 accept of that ransom thy blessed Son hath paid for me, and 
 for his sake whom thou hast set forth as a propitiation, pardon 
 all my offences, and receive me to thy favour. And when thou 
 hast thus spoken peace to my soul. Lord, keep me, that I turn 
 not any more to folly, but so establish me with thy grace, 
 that no temptation of the world, the devil, or my own flesh, 
 may ever draw me to offend thee ; that being made free from 
 sin, and becoming a servant unto God, I may have my fruit 
 unto holiness, and the end everlasting life, through Jesus 
 Christ our Lord. 
 
 23* 
 
282 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 A Thanksgiving. 
 
 O THOU Father of Mercies, who art kind even to the 
 unthankful, I acknowledge myself to have abundantly experi- 
 mented that gracious property of thine ; for notwithstanding 
 my daily provocations against thee, thou still heapest mercy 
 and loving-kindness upon me. All my contempts and de- 
 spisings of thy spiritual favours have not yet made thee with- 
 draw them, but in the riches of thy goodness and long-suffering 
 thou still continuest to me the offers of grace and life in thy 
 Son. And all my abuses of thy temporal blessings thou 
 hast not punished with an utter deprivation of them, but 
 art still pleased to afford me a liberal portion of them. The 
 sins of this day thou hast not repaid, as justly thou mightest, 
 by sweeping me away with a swift destruction, but hast 
 spared and preserved me, according to the greatness of thy 
 mercy. [_Here mention the particular mercies of that day.'] 
 What shall I render unto the Lord for all these benefits he 
 hath done unto me ? Lord, let this goodness of thine lead 
 me to repentance, and grant that I may not only offer thee 
 thanks and praise, but may also order my conversation aright, 
 that so I may at the last see the salvation of God, through 
 Jesus Christ. 
 
 [^Here use the Prayer for Grace, and that of Intercession 
 appointed for the Morning.'] 
 
 For Preservation. 
 
 O BLESSED Lord, the keeper of Israel, that neither slum- 
 berest nor sleepest, be pleased in thy mercy to watch over 
 me this night ; keep me by thy grace from all works of dark- 
 ness, and defend me by thy power from all dangers : grant 
 me moderate and refreshing sleep, such as may fit me for the 
 duties of the day following. And, Lord, make me ever mind- 
 ful of that time when I shall lie down in the dust ; and be- 
 cause I know neither the day nor the hour of my Master's 
 coming, grant me grace that I may be always ready, that I 
 may never live in such a state as I shall fear to die in ; but 
 that whether I live, I may live unto the Lord, or whether I 
 die, I may die unto the Lord, so that, living and dying, I 
 may be thine, through Jesus Christ. 
 
 {Use the same concluding Prayer as in the Morning.] 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 283 
 
 As thou art putting off thy clothes, think with thyself that the time ap- 
 proaches that thou must put off thy body also, and then thy soul must 
 appear naked before God's judgment-seat; and therefore thou hadst 
 need be careful to make it so clean and pure by repentance and holiness, 
 that he who will not look on iniquity may graciously behold and ac- 
 cept it. 
 
 Let thy Bed put thee in mind of thy Grave, and when 
 thou liest down say, 
 
 BLESSED Saviour, who by thy precious death and burial 
 didst take away the sting of death and the power of the 
 grave, grant me the joyful fruits of that thy victory, and be 
 thou to me in life and death advantage. 
 
 1 will lay me down in peace, and take my rest ; for it is 
 thou, Lord, only, that makest me dwell in safety. 
 
 Into thy hands I commend my spirit ; for thou hast re- 
 deemed it, O Lord, thou God of truth. 
 
 In the ancient church there were, besides morning and night, four 
 other times every day which were called Hours of Prayer, and the zeal 
 of those first Christians was such, as made them constantly observed. It 
 would be thought too great a strictness now, in this lukewarm age, to 
 enjoin the hke frequency ; yet I cannot but mention the example, and say, 
 that for those who are not by very necessary business prevented, it will 
 be but reasonable to imitate it, and make up in public and private those 
 FOUR TIMES of PRAYER, bcsidcs the OFFICES already set down for morn- 
 ing and NIGHT ; and that none may be to seek how to exercise their 
 devotions at these times, I have added divers Collects for several Graces, 
 whereof every man may use at each such time of prayer so many as his 
 zeal and leisure shall point out to him, adding, if he please, one of the 
 Confessions appointed for Morning or Night, and never omitting the 
 Lord's Prayer. 
 
 But if any man's state of life be really so busy, as will not allow him 
 time for so long and solemn devotions ; yet certainly there is no man so 
 overlaid with business, but that he may find leisure oftentimes in a day 
 to say the Lord's Prayer alone : and therefore let him use that, if he 
 cannot more. But because it is the character of a Christian, Phil. iii. 
 20, that he hath his conversation in heaven, it is very fit that besides these 
 set times of prayer, he should divers times in a day, by short and sudden 
 EJACULATIONS, dart up his soul thither. And for this sort of devotion no 
 man can want leisure, for it may be performed in the midst of business ; 
 the artificer at his work, the husbandman at his plough may practise it 
 Now as he cannot want time, so that he may not want matter for it I 
 
284 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 have thought it not unuseful, out of that rich storehouse the Book of 
 Psalms, to furnish him with some texts, which may very fitly be used for 
 this purpose ; which being learned by heart, will always be ready at hand 
 to employ his devotion ; and the matter of them being various, some for 
 pardon of sins, some for Grace, some for the Hght of God's countenance, 
 some for the Church, some for Thanksgiving, «fec. every man may fit 
 himself according to the present need and temper of his soul. I have 
 given these not as a full collection, but only a taste, by which the reader's 
 appetite may be raised to search after more in that book, and other parts 
 of Holy Scripture. 
 
 COLLECTS FOR SEVERAL GRACES. 
 
 For Faith. 
 
 O BLESSED Lord, whom without faith it is impossible to 
 please, let thy Spirit, I beseech thee, work in me such a faith 
 as may be acceptable in thy sight, even such as worketh by 
 love. O let me not rest in a dead ineffectual faith, but grant 
 that it may be such as may show itself by my works, that 
 it may be that victorious faith, which may enable me to over- 
 come the world, and conform me to the image of that Christ, 
 on whom I believe ; that so at the last I may receive the end 
 of my faith, even the salvation of my soul, by the same 
 Jesus Christ. 
 
 For Hope. 
 
 Lord, who art the hope of all the ends of the earth, let 
 me never be destitute of a well-grounded hope, nor yet pos- 
 sessed with a vain presumption : suffer me not to think thou 
 wilt either be reconciled to my sins, or reject my repent- 
 ance : but give me, I beseech thee, such a hope as may be 
 answerable to the only ground of hope, thy promises ; and 
 such as may both encourage and enable me to purify myself 
 from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit, that so it may in- 
 deed become to me an anchor of the soul both sure and 
 steadfast, entering even within the veil ; whither the fore- 
 runner is for me entered, even Jesus Christ my High Priest 
 and blessed Redeemer. 
 
 For the Love of God. 
 
 O HOLY and gracious Lord, who art infinitely excellent in 
 thyself, and infinitely bountiful and compassionate towards 
 me, I beseech thee sufier not my heart to be so hardened 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 285 
 
 through the deceitfuhiess of sin, as to resist such charms of 
 love, but let them make deep and lasting impressions on my 
 soul. Lord, thou art pleased to require my heart, and thou 
 ^ only hast right to it. O let me not be so sacrilegiously un- 
 just as to alienate any part of it, but enable me to render it 
 up whole and entire to thee. But, O my God, thou seest 
 it is already usurped, the world with its vanities hath seized 
 it, and like a strong man armed keeps possession. O thou 
 who art stronger, come upon him, and take this unworthy 
 heart of mine as thine own spoil, refine it with that purify- 
 ing fire of thy love, that it may be a fit habitation for thy 
 Spirit. Lord, if thou seest it fit, be pleased to let me taste 
 of those joys, those ravishments of thy love, wherewith thy 
 saints have been so transported. But if in this I know not 
 what I ask, if I may not choose my place in thy kingdom, 
 yet, O Lord, deny me not to drink of thy cup, let me have such 
 a sincerity and degree of love, as may make me endure any 
 thing for thy sake, such a perfect love as may cast out all 
 fear and sloth too, that nothing may seem to me too grievous 
 to suffer, or too difficult to do in obedience to thee : that so 
 expressing my love by keeping thy commandments, I may 
 by thy mercy at last obtain that crown of life, which thou 
 hast promised to those that love thee, through Jesus Christ 
 our Lord. 
 
 For Sincerity. 
 
 O HOLY Lord, who requirest truth in the inward parts, I 
 humbly beseech thee to purge me from all hypocrisy and 
 unsincerity. The heart, O Lord, is deceitful above all 
 things, and my heart is deceitful above all hearts : O thou 
 who searchest the heart and reins, try me, and seek the 
 ground of my heart, and suffer not any accursed thing to 
 lurk within me, but purify me even with fire, so thou con- 
 sume my dross. O Lord, I cannot deceive thee, but I may 
 most easily deceive myself. I beseech thee let me not rest 
 in any such deceit ; but bring me to a sight and hatred of 
 my most hidden corruptions, that I may not cherish any dar- 
 ling lust, but make an utter destruction of every Amalekite. 
 O suffer me not to speak peace to myself, when there is no 
 peace, but grant I may judge of myself as thou judgest of 
 me, that I may never be at peace with myself, till I am at 
 perfect peace with thee, and by purity of heart be qualified 
 to see thee in thy kingdom, through Jesus Christ. 
 
286 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 For Devotion in Prayer. 
 
 O GRACIOUS Lord God, who not only permittest, but in- 
 vitest us miserable and needy creatures to present our peti- 
 tions to thee ; grant, I beseech thee, that the frequency of my 
 prayer may be somewhat proportionable to those continual 
 needs I have of thy mercy. Lord, I confess it is the great- 
 est honour and greatest advantage, thus to be allowed access 
 to thee ; yet so sottish and stupid is my profane heart, that 
 it shuns or frustrates the opportunities of it. My soul, O 
 Lord, is possessed with a spirit of infirmity, it is bowed 
 together, and can in no wise lift up itself to thee; O be thou 
 pleased to cure this sad, this miserable disease, to inspirit 
 and enliven this earthly drossy heart, that it may freely 
 mount towards thee ; that I may set a true value on this 
 most valuable privilege, and take delight in approaching to 
 thee : and that my approaches may be with a reverence 
 some way answerable to that awful Majesty I come before ; 
 with an importunity and earnestness answerable to those 
 pressing wants I have to be supplied ; and with such a fix- 
 edness and attention of mind, as no wandering thoughts may 
 interrupt : that I may no more incur the guilt of drawing 
 near to thee with my lips, when my heart is far from thee, 
 or have my prayers turned into sin ; but may so ask that I 
 may receive, seek that I may find, knock that it may be 
 opened unto me ; that from praying to thee here, I may be 
 translated to the praising thee eternally in thy glory, through 
 the merits and intercession of Jesus Christ. 
 
 For Humility. 
 
 O THOU high and lofty One, that inhabitest eternity, yet 
 art pleased to dwell with the humble spirit, pour into my 
 heart, I beseech thee, that excellent grace of humility, which 
 may utterly work out all those vain conceits I have of myself. 
 Lord, convince me powerfully of my own wretchedness ; 
 make me to see that I am miserable, and poor, and blind, 
 and naked, and not only dust, but sin ; that so in all thy dis- 
 pensations towards me, I may lay my hand upon my mouth, 
 and heartily acknowledge that I am less than the least of 
 thy mercies, and greater than the greatest of thy judgments. 
 And, O Lord, grant me not only to walk humbly with my 
 God, but even with men also, that I may not only submit 
 myself to thy rebukes, but even to those of my fellow Chris- 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 287 
 
 tians, and with meekness receive and obey their admonitions. 
 And make me so to behave myself towards all, that I never 
 do any thing through strife and vain glory : and to that end 
 grant, that in lowliness of mind I may esteem every other 
 man better than myself, and be willing that others should 
 esteem them so also ; that I neither nourish any high opi- 
 nion of myself, nor covet one among others, but that, des- 
 pising the vain praise of men, I may seek that praise which 
 Cometh from thee only. That so instead of those mean ser- 
 vile arts I have used to recommend me to the esteem of men, 
 I may now employ all my industry and care to approve my- 
 self to thee, who resislest the proud, and givest grace to the 
 humble : grant this, O Lord, for his sake who humbled him- 
 self unto the death of the cross, Jesus Christ. 
 
 For the Fear of God. 
 
 O GLORIOUS Majesty, who only art high, and to be feared, 
 possess my soul with a holy awe and reverence of thee, that 
 I may give thee the honour due unto thy Name, and may 
 bear such a respect to all things which relate to thee, that I 
 may never profane any holy thing, or sacrilegiously invade 
 what thou hast set apart to thyself. And, O Lord, since thou 
 art a God that wilt not clear the guilty, let the dread of thy 
 justice make me tremble to provoke thee in any thing. O 
 let me not so misplace my fear, as to be afraid of a man 
 that shall die, and of the son of man, w^ho shall be made as 
 grass, and forget the Lord my maker : but replenish my soul 
 with that fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, 
 which may be as a bridle to all my brutish appetites, and 
 keep me in a constant conformity to thy holy will. Hear 
 me, O Lord, I beseech thee, and put this fear in my heart, 
 that I may not depart from thee, but may with fear and 
 tremblng work out my own salvation, through Jesus Chirst. 
 
 For Trust on God. 
 
 O Almighty Lord, who never failest them that trust on 
 thee: Give me grace, I beseech thee, in all my difficulties and 
 distresses, to have recourse to thee, to rest and depend on 
 thee ; thou shalt keep him, O Lord, in perfect peace, whose 
 mind is staid on thee. O let me always rest on this firm 
 pillar, and never exchange it for the broken reeds of worldly 
 succours ; suffer not my heart to be overcharged with the 
 
288 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 cares of this life, taking thought what I shall eat, or drink, 
 or wherewithal I shall be clothed, but grant that, having by- 
 honest labour and industry done my part, I may cheerfully 
 commit myself to thy providence, casting all my care upon 
 thee, and being careful for nothing, but to be of the number 
 of those whom thou ownest and carest for, even such as keep 
 thy testimonies, and think upon thy commandments to do 
 them. That, seeking first thy kingdom and the righteous- 
 ness thereof, all these outward things may be added unto me, 
 in such a measure as thy wisdom knows best for me ; grant 
 this, O Lord, for Jesus Christ his sake. 
 
 For Thankfulness. 
 
 O MOST gracious and bountiful Lord, who fillest all things 
 living with good, and expectest no other return but praise and 
 thanksgiving ; let me, Lord, never defraud thee of that so 
 easy tribute, but let my heart be ever filled with the sense, 
 and my mouth with the acknowledgment of thy mercies. 
 It is a joyful and pleasant thing to be thankful ; O suffer me 
 not, I beseech thee, to lose my part in that divine pleasure ; 
 but grant that as I daily receive blessings from thee, so I may 
 daily from an affectionate and devout heart offer up thanks 
 to thee ; and grant that not only my lips, but my life, may 
 show forth thy praise, by consecrating myself to thy service, 
 and walking in holiness and righteousness before thee all 
 the days of my life, through Jesus Christ my Lord and blessed 
 Saviour. 
 
 For Contrition. 
 
 O HOLY Lord, who art a merciful embracer of true peni- 
 tents, but yet a consuming fire towards obstinate sinners ; how 
 shall I approach thee, who have so many provoking sins to 
 inflame thy wrath, and so little sincere repentance to incline 
 thy mercy ! O be pleased to soften and melt this hard obdu- 
 rate heart of mine, that I may heartily bewail the iniquities 
 of my life ; strike this rock, O Lord, that the waters may 
 flow out, even floods of tears, to wash my polluted conscience. 
 My drowsy soul hath too long slept securely in sin ; Lord, 
 awake it, though it be with thunder, and let me rather feel 
 thy terrors than not feel my sin. Thou sentest thy blessed 
 Son to heal the broken-hearted ; but, Lord, what will that 
 avail me, if my heart be whole ? O break it, that it may be 
 capable of this healing virtue ; and grant, I beseech thee, that 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 289 
 
 having once tasted the bitterness of sin, I may fly from it as 
 from the face of a serpent, and bring forth fruits of repentance 
 in amendment of Ufe, to the praise and glory of thy grace in 
 Jesus Christ our blessed Redeemer. 
 
 For Meekness. 
 
 O BLESSED Jesu, who was led as a sheep to the slaughter, 
 let, I beseech thee, that admirable example of meekness 
 quench in me all sparks of anger and revenge, and work in 
 me such a gentleness and calmness of spirit, as no provoca- 
 tions may ever be able to disturb. Lord, grant I may be so 
 far from offering the least injury, that I may never return 
 the greatest, any otherwise ihan with prayers and kindness : 
 that I who have so many talents to be forgiven by thee, may 
 never exact pence of my brethren ; but that, putting on bowels 
 of mercy, meekness, long-suffering, thy peace may rule in 
 my heart, and make it an acceptable habitation to thee, who 
 art the Prince of peace, to whom with the Father and Holy 
 Spirit be all honour and glory for ever. 
 
 For Chastity. 
 
 O HOLY and immaculate Jesus, whose first descent was 
 into the Virgin's womb, and who dost still love to inhabit 
 only in pure and virgin hearts, I beseech thee send thy Spirit 
 of purity to cleanse me from all filthiness both of flesh and 
 spirit ; my body, O Lord, is the temple of the Holy Ghost ; 
 O let me never pollute that temple with any uncleanness. 
 And because out of the heart proceed the things that defile 
 the man. Lord, grant me to keep my heart with all diligence, 
 that no impure or foul thoughts be harboured there ; but 
 enable me, I beseech thee, to keep both body and soul pure 
 and undefiled, that so I may glorify thee here both in body 
 and spirit, and be glorified in both with thee hereafter. 
 
 For Temperance. 
 
 O GRACIOUS Lord, who hast in thy bounty to mankind 
 offered to us the use of thy good creatures for our corporal 
 refreshment; grant that I may always use this liberty with 
 thankfulness and moderation. let me never be so enslaved 
 to that brutish pleasure of taste, that my table become a 
 snare to me ; but give me, I beseech thee, a perfect abhorrence 
 of all degress of excess, and let me eat and drink only for 
 those ends, and according to those measures, which thou hast 
 
 25 
 
290 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 assigned me, for health, and not for luxury. And, Lord, 
 grant that my pursuits may be not after the meat that perish- 
 eth, but after that which endureth to everlasting life ; that 
 hungering and thirsting after righteousness, I may be filled 
 with thy grace here, and thy glory hereafter, through Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 For Contentedness. 
 
 O MERCIFUL God, thy wisdom is infinite to choose, and 
 thy love forward to dispense good things to us ; O let me 
 always fully and entirely resign myself to thy disposals, have 
 no desires of my own, but a perfect satisfaction in thy choices 
 for me ; that so in whatsoever estate I am, I may be therein 
 content. Lord, grant I may never look with murmuring on 
 my own condition, nor with envy on other men's. And to 
 that end, I beseech thee, purge my heart of all covetous af- 
 fections. O let me never yield up any corner of my soul to 
 Mammon, but give me such a contempt of these fading riches, 
 that whether they increase or decrease, I may never set my 
 heart upon them, but that all my care may be to be rich to- 
 wards God, to lay up my treasure in heaven ; that I may so 
 set my affections on things above, that when Christ who is 
 my life shall appear, I may also appear with him in glory. 
 Grant this, O Lord, for the merits of the same Jesus Christ. 
 
 For Diligence. 
 
 O Lord, who hast in thy wisdom ordained that man 
 should be born to labour, suffer me not to resist that design 
 of thine, by giving myself up to sloth and idleness ; but grant 
 I may so employ my time, and all other talents thou hast 
 intrusted me with, that I may not fail under the sentence of 
 the slothful and wicked servant. Lord, if it be thy will, 
 make me some way useful to others, that I may not live an 
 unprofitable part to mankind ; but, however, O Lord, let me 
 not be useless to myself, but grant I may give all diligence 
 to make my calling and election sure. My soul is beset with 
 many and vigilant adversaries ; O let me not fold my hands 
 to sleep in the midst of so great dangers, but watch and pray, 
 that I enter not into temptation ; enduring harshness as a 
 good soldier of Jesus Christ, till at the last from this state 
 of warfare, thou translate me to the state of triumph and bliss 
 in thy kingdom, through Jesus Christ. 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 291 
 
 For Justice. 
 
 O THOU King of Righteousness, v/ho hast commanded us 
 to keep judgment and do Justice, be pleased by thy grace to 
 cleanse my heart and hands from all fraud and injustice, and 
 give me a perfect integrity and uprightness in all my deal- 
 ings. O make me ever abhor to use my power to oppress, 
 or my skill to deceive my brother, and grant I may most 
 strictly observe that sacred rule, of doing as I would be done 
 to ; that I may not dishonour my Christian profession by an 
 unjust and fraudulent life, but in simplicity and godly sin- 
 cerity, have my conversation in this life ; never seeking to 
 heap up treasures in this life ; but preferring a little with 
 righteousness before great revenues without right. Lord, 
 make me exactly careful to render to every man what by 
 any sort of obligation becomes his due, that I may never 
 break the bond of any of those relations that thou hast 
 placed me in, but may so behave myself towards all, that 
 none may have any evil thing to say of me ; that so if it be 
 possible, I may have peace with all men, or, however, I may, 
 by keeping innocency, and taking heed to the thing that is 
 right, have peace at the last, even peace with thee, through 
 Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 
 For Charity. 
 
 O MERCIFUL Lord, who hast made of one blood, and re- 
 deemed by one ransom, all nations of men, let me never 
 harden my bowels against any that partake of the same na- 
 ture and redemption with me, but grant me an universal cha- 
 rity towards all men. Give me, O thou Father of compas- 
 sions, such a tenderness and meltingness of heart, that I may 
 be deeply affected with all the miseries and calamities out- 
 ward and inward of my brethren ; and diligendy employ all 
 my abilities for their succour and relief. O let not an un- 
 christian self-love possess my heart, but drive out that ac- 
 cursed spirit, and let thy spirit of love enter and dwell there, 
 and make me seek, not to please myself, but my neighbour 
 for his good to edification, even as Christ pleased not himself. 
 Lord, make me a faithful steward of all those talents thou 
 hast committed to me for the benefit of others, that so when 
 thou shalt call me to give an account of my stewardship, I 
 may do it with joy, and not with grief. Grant this, merciful 
 Lord, I beseech thee, for Jesus Christ his sake. 
 
292 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 For Perseverance. 
 
 O ETERNAL and unchangeable Lord God, who art the 
 same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever ; be thou pleased 
 to communicate some small ray of that excellence, some de- 
 gree of that stability to me thy wretched creature, who am 
 light and unconstant, turned about with every blast ; my un- 
 derstanding is very deceivable, O establish it in thy truth, 
 keep it from the snares of seducing spirits, that I may not be 
 led away with the error of the wicked, and fall from my own 
 steadfastness ; my will also, O Lord, is irresolute and waver- 
 ing, and doth not cleave steadfastly unto God ; my goodness 
 is but as the morning cloud, and as the early dew it passeth 
 away. O strengthen and confirm me, and whatever good 
 work thou hast wrought in me, be pleased to accomplish and 
 perform it until the day of Christ. Lord, thou seest my 
 weakness, and thou knowest the number and strength of 
 those temptations I have to struggle with, O leave me not to 
 myself, but cover thou my head in the day of battle, and in 
 all spiritual combats make me more than conqueror through 
 him that loved me. O let no terrors or flatteries either of 
 the world or my own flesh ever draw me from my obedience 
 to thee ; but grant that I may continue steadfast, unmovable, 
 always abounding in the work of the Lord, and by patient 
 continuing in well doing seek, and at last obtain glory, and 
 honour, and immortality, and eternal life, through Jesus 
 Christ our Lord. 
 
 A BRIEF PARAPHRASE OF THE LORD'S 
 PRAYER 
 
 TO BE USED AS A PRAYER. 
 
 Our Father, ivhich art in Heaven. 
 
 O Lord, who dwellest in the highest heavens, thou art 
 the author of our being, thou hast also begotten us again 
 unto a lively hope, and carriest towards us the tenderness 
 and bowels of a compassionate Father. O make us to ren- 
 der to thee the love and obedience of children ; and that we 
 may resemble thee our Father in heaven, (that place of true 
 delight and purity) give us a holy disdain of all the deceit- 
 ful pleasures and foul pollutions of this world, and so raise 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 293 
 
 up our minds, that we may always have our conversation in 
 heaven, from whence we look for our Saviour the Lord Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 1. Halloived be thy Name. 
 
 Strike such an awe in our hearts, that we may humbly 
 reverence thee in Thy Name, which is great, wonderful, 
 and holy ; and carry such a sacred respect to all things that 
 relate to thee and thy worship, as may express our reverence 
 to thy great Majesty. Let all the people praise thee, O God, 
 let all the people praise thee. 
 
 2. Thy Kingdom come. 
 
 Establish thy throne and rule for ever in our souls, and 
 by the power of thy grace subdue all those rebellious cor- 
 ruptions that exalt themselves against thee ; they are those 
 enemies of thine which would not that thou shouldst reign 
 over them, O let them be brought forth and slain before thee, 
 and make us such faithful subjects of this thy kingdom of 
 grace, that we may be capable of the kingdom of glory, 
 and then, Lord Jesus, come quickly. 
 
 3. Thy will be done in earth, S^c. 
 
 Enable us by thy grace cheerfully to suffer thy ivill in all 
 thy afflictions, and readily perform it in all thy commands : 
 give us of that heavenly zeal to thy service, wherewith the 
 blessed angels of thy presence are inspired, that we may 
 obey thee with the like fervour and alacrity, and that follow- 
 ing them in their obedience, we may be joined with them to 
 sing eternal praises in thy kingdom, to God, and to the Lamb 
 for ever. 
 
 4. Give us this day our, fyc. 
 
 Give us that continual supply of thy grace, which may 
 sustain and nourish our souls unto eternal life. And be thou 
 pleased also to provide for oyr bodies all those things which 
 thou seest fit for their support, through this our earthly pil- 
 grimage ; and make us cheerfully to rest on thee for them, 
 first seeking thy kingdom and the righteousness thereof, and 
 then not doubting but all these things shall be added unto us. 
 
 5. Forgive us our trespasses, ^c. 
 
 Heal our souls, O Lord, for we have sinned against thee, 
 25* 
 
294 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 let thy tendei* mercies abound towards us, in the forgiveness 
 of all our offences; and grant, O Lord, that we may never 
 forfeit this pardon of thine, by denying ours to our brethren, 
 but give us those bowels of compassion lo others which wc 
 stand in so much greater need of from thee, that we mayybr- 
 give as fully and jfinally upon Christ's command, as we de- 
 sire to heforgiven, for his merits and intercession. 
 
 6. Lead us not into temptation, ^-c. 
 
 O Lord, we have no strength against those multitudes of 
 temptations that daily assault us, only our eyes are upon 
 thee ; O be thou pleased either to restrain them, or assist us, 
 and in thy faithfulness suffer us not to be tempted above that 
 we are able, but in all our temptations make us a way to 
 escape, that we be not overcome by them, but may, when 
 thou shalt call us to it, resist even unto blood, striving against 
 sin, that we being faithful unto death, thou may est give us 
 the crown of life. 
 
 For thine is the Kingdom. 
 
 Hear us, and graciously answer our petitions, for thou 
 art the good Xing over all the earth, whose Power is infi- 
 nite, and art able to do for us above all that we can ask or 
 think, and to whom belongeth the Glory of all that good 
 thou workest in us or for us. Therefore blessing, honour, 
 glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, to 
 our God for ever and ever. Jlmcn. 
 
 PIOUS EJACULATIONS 
 
 TAKEN OUT OF THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 
 
 For Pardon of Sin. 
 
 Have mercy on me, O God, after thy great goodness, 
 according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine 
 offences. 
 
 Wash me throughly from my wickedness, and cleanse me 
 from my sin. 
 
 Turn thy face from my sins, and put out all my misdeeds. 
 
 My misdeeds prevail against me ; O be thou merciful unto 
 my sins. 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 295 
 
 Enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight 
 shall no man living be justified. 
 
 For thy Name's sake, O Lord, be merciful unto my sin, 
 for it is great. 
 
 Turn thee, O Lord, and deliver my soul. O save me for 
 thy mercies' sake. 
 
 For Grace. 
 
 Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee, for thou art 
 my God. 
 
 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and I will walk in thy truth; 
 
 knit my heart to thee, that I may fear thy name. 
 
 Make me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit 
 within me. 
 
 let my heart be sound in thy statutes, that I be not 
 ashamed. 
 
 Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covet- 
 ousness. 
 
 Turn away mine eyes lest they behold vanity, and quicken 
 thou me in thy way. 
 
 1 am a stranger upon earth, O hide not thy commandments 
 from me. 
 
 Lord, teach me to number my days, that I may apply my 
 heart unto wisdom. 
 
 For the Light of Gocfs Countenance. 
 
 Lord, why abhorrest thou my soul, and hidest thy face 
 from me ? O hide not thou thy face from me, nor cast thy 
 servant away in displeasure. 
 
 Thy loving-kindness is better than life itself. 
 
 liord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me. 
 
 Comfort the soul of thy servant, for unto thee, O Lord, do 
 
 1 Hft up my soul. 
 
 Thanksgiving. 
 
 I WILL always give thanks unto the Lord, his praise shall 
 ever be in my mouth. 
 
 Thou art my God, and I will thank thee, thou art my God, 
 and I will praise thee. 
 
 I will sing unto the Lord, as long as I live, I will praise 
 my God whilst I have my being. 
 
 Praised be God, which hast not cast out my prayer, nor 
 turned his mercy from me. 
 
296 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 Blessed be the Lord God, even the God of Israel, which 
 only doth wondrous things : 
 
 And blessed be the name of his majesty for ever, and all 
 the earth shall be filled with his majesty. Amen. Amen. 
 
 For Deliverance from, Trouble. 
 
 Be merciful unto me, O Lord, be merciful unto me, for my 
 soul trusteth in thee, and under the shadow of thy wings 
 shall be my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. 
 
 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies, for I flee unto 
 thee to hide me. 
 
 O keep my soul, and deliver me, let me not be confounded, 
 for I have put my trust in thee. 
 
 Mine eyes are ever looking unto the Lord : for he shall 
 pluck my feet out of the net. 
 
 Turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me : for I am 
 desolate and in misery. 
 
 The sorrows of my heart are enlarged : O bring thou me 
 out of my troubles. 
 
 For the Church. 
 
 O BE favourable and gracious unto Sion, build thou the 
 walls of Jerusalem. 
 
 O God, wherefore art thou absent from us so long ? Why 
 is thy wrath so hot against the sheep of thy pasture ? 
 
 think upon thy congregation, whom thou hast purchased 
 and redeemed of old. 
 
 Look upon the tribe of thine inheritance, and Mount Sion 
 where thou hast dwelt. 
 
 It is time for thee. Lord, to lay to thy hand, for they have 
 destroyed thy law. 
 
 Arise, O God, and maintain thine own cause : deliver 
 Israel, O God, out of all his troubles. 
 
 BRIEF HEADS OF SELF-EXAMINATION, 
 
 Especially before the Sacrament, collected out of the fore 
 going Treatise, concerning the Breaches of our Duty. 
 
 TO GOD. 
 
 Faith. 
 Not believing there is a God. 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 29t 
 
 Not believing his Word. 
 
 Not believing it practically, so as to live according to our 
 belief. 
 
 Hope. 
 
 Despairing of God's mercy, so as to neglect duty. 
 Presuming groundlessly on it, whilst we go on in wilful 
 sin. 
 
 Love. 
 
 Not loving God for his excellencies. 
 
 Not loving him for his goodness to us. 
 
 Not labouring to please him. 
 
 Not desiring to draw near to him in his ordinances. 
 
 Not longing to enjoy him in heaven. 
 
 Fear. 
 
 Not fearing God so as to keep from offending him. 
 Fearing man above him, by committing sin, to shun some 
 outward suffering. 
 
 Trust. 
 
 Not trusting on God in dangers and distresses. 
 
 Using unlawful means to bring us out of them. 
 
 Not depending on God for supply of our wants. 
 
 Immoderate care for outward things. 
 
 Neglecting to labour, and expecting God should support 
 us in our idleness. 
 
 Not looking up to God for a blessing on our honest en- 
 deavours. 
 
 Humility. 
 
 Not having a high esteem of God. 
 
 Not submitting obediently to act his will. 
 
 Not patiently suffering it, but murmuring at his correc- 
 tions. 
 
 Not amending by them. 
 
 Not being thankful to him. 
 
 Not acknowledging his wisdom in choosing for us, but 
 having anger and impatient desires of our own. 
 
 Honour. 
 
 Not honouring God by a reverent usage of the things that 
 relate to him. 
 
298 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 Behaving ourselves irreverently in his house. 
 
 Robbing God, by taking things that are consecrated to him. 
 
 Profaning holy times, the Lord's day, and the feasts and 
 fasts of the Church. 
 
 Neglecting to read the Holy Scriptures, not marking when 
 we do read. 
 
 Being careless to get knowledge of our duty, choosing 
 rather to continue ignorant, than put ourselves to the pains 
 or charge of learning. 
 
 Placing religion in hearing of sermons, without practice 
 
 Breaking our vow made at baptism. 
 
 By resorting to witches and conjurers ; i. e. to the devil. 
 
 By loving the pomps and vanities of the world, and fol- 
 lowing its sinful customs. 
 
 By fulfilling the lusts of the jElesh. 
 
 Profaning the Lord's Supper. 
 
 By coming to it ignorantly without examination, contrition, 
 and purposes of new life. 
 
 By behaving ourselves irreverently at it, without devotion 
 and spiritual affection. 
 
 By neglecting to keep, the promises made at it. 
 
 Profaning God's name, by blasphemous thoughts or dis- 
 course. 
 
 Giving others occasion to blaspheme him by our vile and 
 wicked lives. 
 
 Taking unlawful oaths. 
 
 Perjury. 
 
 Swearing in ordinary communication. 
 
 Worship. 
 
 Not worshipping God. 
 
 Omitting prayers, public or private, and being glad of a 
 pretence to do so. 
 
 Asking unlawful things, or to unlawful ends. 
 Not purifying our hearts from sin before we pray. 
 Not praying with faith and humility. 
 Coldness and deadness in prayer. 
 Wandering thoughts in it. 
 Irreverent gestures of body in prayer. 
 
 Bepe7itance. 
 
 Neglecting the duty of repentance. 
 
 Not calling ourselves to daily account for our sins. 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 299 
 
 Not assigning any set or solemn times for humiliation and 
 confession, or too seldom. 
 
 Not deeply considering our sins, to beget contrition. 
 
 Not acting revenge upon ourselves, by fasting and other 
 acts of mortification. 
 
 Idolatry. 
 
 Outward idolatry in worshipping of creatures. Inward 
 idolatry, in placing our love and other affections more on 
 creatures than the Creator. 
 
 TO OURSELVES. 
 Humility. 
 
 Being puffed up with high conceits of ourselves. 
 In respect of natural parts, as beauty, wit, &c. 
 Of worldly riches and honours. 
 Of grace. 
 
 Greedily seeking the praise of men. 
 Directing Christian actions, as prayer, alms, &lc. to that 
 end. 
 
 Committing sins to avoid reproach from wicked men. 
 
 Meekness. 
 
 Disturbing our minds with anger and peevishness. 
 
 Consideration. 
 
 Not carefully examining what our estate towards God is. 
 
 Not trying ourselves by the true rule, i. e. our obedience 
 to God's commands. 
 
 Not weighing the lawfulness of our actions before we ven- 
 ture on them. 
 
 Not examining our past actions, to repent of the ill, to give 
 God the glory of the good. 
 
 Contentedness. 
 
 Uncontentedness in our estates. 
 Greedy desires after honour and riches. 
 Seeking to gain them by sinful means. 
 Envying the condition of other men. 
 
 Diligence, Watchfulness. 
 Being negligent in observing and resisting temptations. 
 
300 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 Not improving God's gifts, outward or inward, to his ho- 
 nour. 
 
 Abusing our natural parts, as wit, memory, &c. to sin. 
 Neglecting or resisting the motions of God's Spirit. 
 
 Chastity. 
 
 Uncleanness, adultery, fornication, unnatural lusts, &;c. 
 
 Uncleanness of the eye and hand. 
 
 Filthy and obscene talking. 
 
 Impure fancies and desires. 
 
 Heightening of lust by pampering the body. 
 
 Not labouring to subdue it by fasting, or other severities. 
 
 Tempercmce, 
 
 Eating too much. 
 
 Making pleasure, not health, the end of eatuig. 
 
 Being too curious or costly in meats. 
 
 Drunkenness. 
 
 Drinking more than is useful to our bodies, though not to 
 drunkenness. 
 
 Wasting the time or estate in good fellowship. 
 
 Abusing our strength of brain to the making others drunk. 
 
 Immoderate sleeping. 
 
 Idleness and negligence in our callings. 
 
 Using unlawful recreations. 
 
 Being too vehement upon lawful ones. 
 
 Spending too much time at them. 
 
 Being drawn by them to anger or covetousness. 
 
 Being proud of apparel. 
 
 Striving to go beyond our rank. 
 
 Bestowing too much time, care, or cost about it. 
 
 Abstaining from such excesses, not out of conscience but 
 covetousness. 
 
 Pinching our bodies to fill our purses, 
 
 TO OUR NEIGHBOUR. 
 Negative Justice. 
 
 Being injurious to our neighbour. 
 Delighting causelessly to grieve his mind. 
 Ensnaring his soul in sin, by command, counsel, entice- 
 ment, or example. 
 
 Affrighting him from godliness, by our scoffing at it. 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 301 
 
 Not seeking to bring those to repentance whom we have 
 led into sin. 
 
 Murder. 
 
 Murder, open or secret. 
 
 Drawing men to intemperance or other vices, which may 
 bring diseases or death. 
 
 Stirring men up to quarrelling and fighting. 
 Maiming or hurting the body of our neighbour. 
 Fierceness and rage against him. 
 
 Adultery 
 
 Coveting our neighbour's wife. 
 Actually defiling her. 
 
 Malice. 
 Spoiling the goods of others upon spite and malice. 
 
 Covetousness. 
 Coveting to gain them to ourselves. 
 
 Oppression. 
 Oppression by violence and force, or colour of law. 
 
 Theft. 
 
 Not paying what we borrow. 
 
 Not paying what we have voluntarily promised. 
 
 Keeping back the wages of the servant and hireling. 
 
 Deceit. 
 
 Unfaithfulness in trusts, whether to the living or dead. 
 TJsing arts of deceit in buying and selling. 
 Exacting upon the necessities of our neighbours. 
 
 False Witness. 
 
 Blasting the credit of our neighbour. 
 
 By false witness. 
 
 By railing. 
 
 By whispering. 
 
 Encouraging others in their slanders. 
 
 Being forward to believe all ill reports of our neighbour. 
 
 Causeless suspicions. 
 
 26 
 
302 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 Rash judging of him. 
 Despising him for his infirmities. 
 Inviting others to do so, by scoffing and deriding him. 
 Bearing any malice in the heart. 
 Secret wishing of death or hurt to our neighbour. 
 Rejoicing when any evil befalls him. 
 Neglecting to make what satisfaction we can, for any sort 
 of injury done to our neighbour. 
 
 Positive Justice, Humility, Lying. 
 
 Churlish and proud behaviour to others. 
 Froward and peevish conversation. 
 Bitter and reproachful language. 
 Cursing. 
 
 Not paying the respect due to the qualities or gifts of others. 
 Proudly overlooking them. 
 Seeking to lessen others' esteem of them. 
 Not employing our abilities, whether of mind or estate, in 
 administering to those whose wants require it. 
 
 Gratitude. 
 
 Unthankfulness to our benefactors. 
 
 Especially those that admonish us. 
 
 Not amending upon their reproof. 
 
 Being angry at them for it. 
 
 Not reverencing our civil parent, the lawful magistrate. 
 
 Judging and speaking evil of him. 
 
 Grudging his just tributes. 
 
 Sowing sedition among people. 
 
 Refusing to obey his lawful commands. 
 
 Rising up against him, or taking part with them that do. 
 
 Despising our spiritual fathers. 
 
 Not loving them for their works' sake. 
 
 Not obeying those commands of God they deliver to us. 
 
 Seeking to withhold from them their just maintenance. 
 
 Forsaking our lawful pastors to follow factious teachers. 
 
 Parents. 
 
 Stubborn and irreverent behaviour to our natural parents. 
 
 Despising and publishing their infirmities. 
 
 Not loving them, nor endeavouring to bring them comfort. 
 
 Contemning their counsels. 
 
 Murmuring at their government. 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 3()lp 
 
 Coveting their estates, though by their death. 
 
 Not ministering to them in their wants of all sorts. 
 
 Neglecting to pray for God's blessing on the several sorts 
 of parents. 
 
 Want of natural affection to children. 
 
 Mothers refusing to nurse them without a just impediment. 
 
 Not bringing them timely to baptism. 
 
 Not early instructing them in the ways of God. 
 
 Suffering them for want of timely correction to get cus- 
 toms of sin. 
 
 Setting them evil examples. 
 
 Discouraging them by harsh and cruel usage. 
 
 Not providing for their subsistance according to our ability. 
 
 Consuming their portions in our own riot. 
 
 Reserving all till our death, and letting them want in the 
 mean time. 
 
 Not seeking to entail a blessing on them by our Christian 
 lives. 
 
 Not heartily praying for them. 
 
 Want of affection to our natural brethren. 
 
 Envyings and heart-burnings towards them. 
 
 Duty to Brethren. 
 
 Not lovmg our spiritual brethren, i. e. our fellow-Chris- 
 tians. 
 
 Having no felloAV- feeling of their sufferings. 
 Causelessly forsaking their communion in holy duties. 
 Not taking deeply to heart the desolations of the church. 
 
 Marriage. 
 
 Marrying within the degrees forbidden. 
 
 Marrying for undue ends, as covetousness, lust, &c. 
 
 Unkind, froward, and unquiet behaviour towards the hus- 
 band or wife. 
 
 Unfaithfulness to the bed. 
 
 Not bearing with the infirmities of each other. 
 
 Not endeavouring to advance one another's good, spiritual 
 or temporal. 
 
 The wife resisting the lawful commands of her husband. 
 
 Her striving for rule and dominion over him. 
 
 Not praying for each other. 
 
304 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 Friendship. 
 
 Unfaithfulness to a friend. 
 
 Betraying his secrets. 
 
 Denying him assistance in this needs. 
 
 Neglecting lovingly to admonish him. 
 
 Flattering him in his faults. 
 
 Forsaking his friendship upon slight or no cause. 
 
 Making leagues in sin instead of virtuous friendship. 
 
 Servants. 
 
 Servants disobeying the lawful commands of their mas- 
 ters. 
 
 Purloining their goods. 
 Carelessly wasting them. 
 Murmuring at their rebukes 
 Idleness. 
 Eye-service. 
 
 Masters. 
 
 Masters using servants tyrannically and cruelly. 
 Being too remiss, and suffering them to neglect their duty. 
 Having no care of their souls. 
 
 Not providing them means of instruction in religion. 
 Not admonishing them when they commit sins. 
 Not allowing them time and opportunity for prayer, and 
 the worship of God. 
 
 Charity. 
 
 Want of bowels and charity to our neighbours. 
 
 Not heartily desiring their good, spiritual or temporal. 
 
 Not loving and forgiving enemies. 
 
 Taking actual revenges upon them. 
 
 Falseness, professing kindness and acting none 
 
 Not labouring to do all the good we can to the soul of our 
 neighbour. 
 
 Not assisting him to our power in his bodily distresses. 
 
 Not defending his good name, when we know him slan- 
 dered. 
 
 Denying him any neighbourly office to preserve or advance 
 his estate. 
 
 Not defending him from oppression, when we have power. 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 305 
 
 Not relieving him in his poverty. 
 Not giving liberally or cheerfully. 
 
 Going to Law. 
 
 Not loving peace. 
 Going to law upon slight occasions. 
 Bearing inward enmity to those we sue. 
 Not labouring to make peace among others. 
 
 TTie use of this Catalogue of Sins is this : Upon days 
 of Humiliation, especially before the Sacrament, read 
 ihein consideringly over, and at every particular ask 
 thine own heart, Am I guilty of this ? £nd whatsoever 
 by such Examination thoufndest thyself faulty in, con- 
 fess particularly and humbly to God, with all the height- 
 ening circumstances, which rnay any way increase their 
 guilts, and make serious resolutions against every such 
 sin for the future ; after which thou may est use this 
 Form following : 
 
 O Lord, I am ashamed, and blush to lift up my face to 
 thee, for my iniquities are increased over my head, and my 
 trespass is grown up even unto heaven. I have wrought all 
 these great provocations, and that in the most provoking 
 manner ; they have not been only single, but repeated acts 
 of sin : for, O Lord, of all this black catalogue which I have 
 now brought forth before thee, how few are there which 
 I have not often committed ? Nay, which are not become 
 even habitual and customary to me ? And to this frequency, 
 I have added both a greediness and obstinacy in sinning, 
 turning into my course as the horse rusheth into the battle, 
 doing evil with both hands, earnestly, yea, hating to be re- 
 formed, and casting thy words behind me, quenching thy 
 Spirit within me, which testified against me, to turn me 
 from my evil ways ; and frustrating all those outward means, 
 whether of judgment or mercy, which thou hast used to 
 draw me to thyself. Nay, O Lord, even my repentances 
 may be numbered amongst my greatest sins : they have some- 
 times been feigned and hypocritical, always so slight and 
 ineffectual, that they have brought forth no fruit in amend- 
 ment of life ; but I have still returned with the dog to the 
 vomit, and the sow to the mire again, and have added the 
 breach of resolutions and vows to all my former guilts. 
 
 26* 
 
306 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 Thus, Lord, I am become out of measure sinful, and since 
 I have thus chosen death, I am most worthy to take part in 
 it, even in the second death, the lake of fire and brimstone. 
 This, this, O Lord, is in justice to be the portion of my cup; 
 to me belongs nothing but shame and confusion of face eter- 
 nally. But to thee, O Lord God, belongeth mercy and for- 
 giveness, though I have rebelled against thee ; O remember 
 not my sins and offences, but according to thy mercy think 
 thou upon me, O Lord, for thy goodness. Thou sentest thy 
 Son to seek and to save that which was lost; behold, O Lord, 
 I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost : O seek thy ser- 
 vant, and bring me back to the Shepherd and Bishop of my 
 soul. Let thy Spirit work in me a hearty sense and detes- 
 tation of all my abominations, that true contrition of heart 
 which thou hast promised not to despise. And then be thou 
 pleased to look on me, to take away all iniquity, and receive 
 me graciously ; and for his sake who hath done nothing amiss, 
 be reconciled to me, who have done nothing well ; wash away 
 the guilt of my sins in his blood, and subdue the power of 
 them by his grace : and grant, O Lord, that I may, from this 
 hour, bid a final adieu to all ungodliness and worldly lust, 
 that I may never once more cast a look towards Sodom, or 
 long after the flesh-pots of Egypt ; but consecrate myself 
 entirely to thee, to serve thee in righteousness and true holi- 
 ness, reckoning myself to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive 
 unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord and blessed Sa- 
 viour. 
 
 THIS PENITENTIAL PSALM 
 
 MAY ALSO FITLY BE USED. 
 
 Psalm li. 
 
 Have mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness 
 according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine 
 offences. 
 
 Wash me throughly from my wickedness, and cleanse me 
 from my sin. 
 
 For I acknowledge my faults, and my sin is ever before 
 me. 
 
 Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy 
 sight, that thou mightest be justified in thy saying, and clear 
 when thou art judged. 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 307 
 
 Behold I was shapen in wickedness, and in sin hath my 
 mother conceived me. 
 
 But lo, thou requirest truth in the inward parts, and shalt 
 make me to understand wisdom secretly. 
 
 Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean, 
 thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 
 
 Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness, that the 
 bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 
 
 Turn thy face from my sins, and put out all my misdeeds. 
 
 Make me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit 
 within me. 
 
 Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy 
 holy Spirit from me. 
 
 O Give me the comfort of thy help again, and establish me 
 with thy free spirit. 
 
 Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked, and sinners 
 shall be converted unto thee. 
 
 Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou that art 
 the God of my health, and my tongue shall sing of thy right- 
 eousness. 
 
 Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord, and my mouth shall 
 show forth thy praise. 
 
 For thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it thee : 
 but thou delightest not in burnt-offering. 
 
 The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit ; a broken and 
 contrite heart, God, shalt thou not despise. 
 
 O be favourable and gracious unto Sion, build thou the 
 walls of Jerusalem. 
 
 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of right- 
 eousness, with the burnt-offerings and oblations ; then shall 
 they offer young bullocks upon thine altar. 
 
 Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy 
 Ghost. 
 
 As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world 
 without end. Amen. 
 
 PRAYERS 
 
 Before the receiving of the Blessed Sacrament. 
 
 O MOST merciful God, who hast in thy great goodness 
 prepared this spiritual feast for sick and famished souls, make 
 my desires and gasping after it, answerable to my needs of 
 
308 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 it. I have, with the prodigal, wasted that portion of grace 
 thou bestowedst upon me; and therefore do infinitely want a 
 supply out of this treasury : But, O Lord, how shall such a 
 wretch as I dare to approach this holy table ? I am a dog, 
 how shall I presume to take the children's bread ? or how 
 shall this spiritual manna, this food of angels, be given to one 
 who hath chosen to feed on husks with swine ? Nay, to one 
 Avho hath already so often trampled these precious things 
 under foot, either carelessly neglecting or unworthily receiv- 
 ing these holy mysteries ? O Lord, my horrible guiltiness 
 makes me tremble t® come, and yet makes me not dare to 
 keep away ; for where, O Lord, shall my polluted soul be 
 washed, if not in this fountain which thou hast opened for 
 sin and for uncleanness ? Hither therefore I come, and thou 
 hast promised that him that cometh to thee, thou wilt in no 
 wise cast out. This is, O Lord, the blood of the New Testa- 
 ment ; grant me so to receive it, that it may be to me for 
 remission of sins ; and though I have so often and so wretch- 
 edly broken my part of that Covenant, whereof this sacra- 
 ment is a seal, yet be thou graciously pleased to make good 
 thine ; to be merciful to my unrighteousness, and to remember 
 my sins and my iniquities no more : and not only so, but to 
 put thy laws into my heart, and to write them in my mind, 
 and by the power of thy grace dispose my soul to such a 
 sincere and constant obedience, that I may never again pro- 
 voke thee. Lord, grant that in these holy mysteries I may 
 not only commemorate, but effectually receive my blessed 
 Saviour, and all the benefits of his passion : and to that 
 end give me such a preparation of soul as may qualify me 
 for it ; give me a deep sense of my sins and unworthiness, 
 that, being weary and heavy laden, I may be capable of his 
 refreshings, and by being supplied in my own tears, I may 
 be the fitter to be washed in his blood ; raise up my dull 
 and earthly mind from grovelling here below, and inspire 
 it with a holy zeal, that I may with spiritual affection approach 
 this spiritual feast; and let, O Lord, that infinite love of Christ 
 in dying for so wretched a sinner, inflame my frozen be- 
 numbed soul, and kindle in me that sacred fire of love to 
 him, and that so vehement that no waters may quench, no 
 floods drown it, such as may burn up all my dross, not leave 
 one unmortified lust in my soul, and such as may also ex- 
 tend itself to all whom thou hast given me command and ex- 
 ample to love, even enemies as well as friends. Finally, O 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 309 
 
 Lord, I beseech ihee to clothe me in the wedding garment, 
 and make me, though of myself a most unworthy, yet by thy 
 mercy an acceptable guest at this holy table ; that I may not 
 eat or drink my own condemnation, but may have my par- 
 don sealed, my weakness repaired, my corruptions subdued, 
 and my soul so inseparably united to thee, that no tempta- 
 tions may ever be able to dissolve the union, but that being 
 begun here in grace, it may be consummated in glory. 
 Grant this, O Lord, for thy dear Son's sake, Jesus Christ. 
 
 Another. 
 
 O BLESSED Jesus, who once offered up thyself for me upon 
 the cross, and now offerest thyself to me in the sacrament, 
 let not, I beseech thee, my impenitence and unworthiness 
 frustrate these so inestimable mercies to me, but qualify me 
 by thy grace to receive the full benefit of them. O Lord, I 
 have abundant need of thee, but am so clogged with guilt, so 
 holden with the cords of my sins, that I am not able to move 
 towards thee. O loose me from this band wherewith Satan 
 and my own lusts have bound me, and draw me that I may 
 run after thee. O Lord, thou seest daily how eagerly I pur- 
 sue the paths that lead to death ; but when thou invitest me 
 to life and glory, I turn my back and forsake my own mercy. 
 How often hath this feast been prepared, and I have with 
 frivolous excuses absented myself; or if I have come, it hath 
 been rather to defy than to adore thee. I have brought such 
 troops of thy professed enemies, unrepented sins, along with 
 me, as if I came not to commemorate, but renew thy passion, 
 crucifying thee afresh, and putting thee to open shame. And 
 now of what punishment shall I be thought worthy, who have 
 thus trampled under foot the Son of God, and counted the 
 blood of the, covenant an unholy thing? Yet, O merciful 
 Jesu, this blood is my only refuge : O let this make my 
 atonement, or I perish eternally. Wherefore didst thou shed 
 it, but to save sinners ? Neither can the merit of it be over- 
 whelmed either by the greatness or number of sins. I am 
 a sinner, a great one, O let me find its saving efficacy. Be 
 merciful unto me O God, be merciful to me, for my soul 
 trusteth in thee, and in the clefts of thy wounds shall be my 
 refuge, until thy Father's indignations be overpast. O thou 
 who hast as my High Priest sa:crificed for me, intercede for 
 me also, and plead thy meritorious sufferings on my behalf, 
 and suffer not, O my Redeemer, the price of thy blood to be 
 
310 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 Utterly lost : and grant, O Lord, that as the sins I have to be 
 forgiven are many, so I may love much. Lord, thou seest 
 what faint, what cold affections I have towards thee : O 
 warm and enliven them ; and as in this sacrament that trans- 
 cendent love of thine in dying for me is shed forth, so I be- 
 seech thee let it convey such grace into me, as may enable 
 me to make some returns of love. O let this divine fire de- 
 scend from heaven into my soul, and let my sins be the burnt- 
 offering for it to consume, that there may not any corrupt 
 affection, any cursed thing, be sheltered in my heart ; that I 
 may never again defile that place which thou hast chosen 
 for thy temple, Thou diedst, dear Jesu, to redeem me 
 from all iniquity, O let me not again sell myself to work 
 wickedness. But grant that I may approach thee at this 
 time with most sincere and fixed resolutions of an entire re- 
 formation, and let me receive such grace and strength from 
 thee, as may enable me faithfully to perform them. Lord, 
 there are many old habituated diseases my soul groans under. 
 \_Here mention thy most prevailing corruptions.'] And 
 though I lie never so long at the pool of Bethesda, come never 
 so often to thy table, yet unless thou be pleased to put forth 
 thy healing virtue, they will still remain uncured. O thou 
 blessed Physician of souls, heal me, and grant that I may 
 now so touch thee, that every one of these loathsome issues 
 may immediately stanch ; that these sicknesses may not be 
 unto death, but unto the glory of thy mercy in pardoning, 
 to the glory of thy grace in purifying so polluted a wretch. 
 O Christ, hear me and grant I may nov/ approach thee with 
 such humility and contrition, love and devotion, that thou 
 mayest vouchsafe to come unto me, and abide with me, com- 
 municating to me thyself, and all the merits of thy passion. 
 And then, O Lord, let no accusations of Satap, or my own 
 conscience, amaze or distract me ; but, having peace with 
 thee, let me also have peace in myself, that this wine may 
 make glad, this bread of life may strengthen my heart, and 
 enable me cheerfully to run the way of thy commandments. 
 Grant this, merciful Saviour, for thine own bowels and com- 
 passion's sake, 
 
 EJACULATIONS 
 To he used at the Lord's Supper. 
 
 Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under 
 my roof. 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 311 
 
 I have sinned, what shall I do unto thee, O thou Preserver 
 of men ? 
 
 [_Here recollect some of thy greatest sins.~\ 
 
 If thou. Lord, shouldst be extreme to mark vi^hat is done 
 amiss, O Lord, who may abide it ? 
 
 But with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous 
 redemption. 
 
 Behold, O Lord, thy beloved Son, in whom thou art well 
 pleased. 
 
 Hearken to the cry of his blood, which speaketh better 
 things than that of Abel. 
 
 By his agony and bloody sweat, by his cross and passion, 
 good Lord, deliver me. 
 
 O Lamb of God, which takest away the sins of the world, 
 grant me thy peace. 
 
 O Lamb of God, which takest away the sins of the world, 
 have mercy on me. 
 
 Immediately before Receiving. 
 
 Thou hast said, that he that eateth thy flesh and drinketh 
 thy blood, hath eternal life. 
 
 Behold the servant of the Lord, be it unto me according to 
 thy word. 
 
 At the receiving of the Bread. 
 
 By thy crucified body deliver me from this body of death. 
 
 At the Receiving of the Cup. 
 
 O LET this blood of thine purge my conscience from dead 
 works to serve the living God. 
 
 Lord, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean. 
 
 touch me, and say, I will, be thou clean 
 
 After Receiving. 
 
 What shall I render unto the Lord for all the benefits he 
 hath done unto me ? 
 
 1 will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name 
 of the Lord. 
 
 Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and 
 riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, 
 and blessing. 
 
312 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 Therefore blessing, honour, glory, and power, be to him 
 that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and 
 ever. Amen. 
 
 I have sworn, and am steadfastly purposed to keep thy 
 righteous judgments. 
 
 hold thou up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps 
 slip not. 
 
 A THANKSGIVING 
 
 After the Receiving of the Sacrament. 
 
 O THOU Fountain of all goodness, from whom every good 
 and perfect gift cometh, and to whom all honour and glory 
 should be returned, I desire, with all the most fervent and 
 inflamed affections of a grateful heart, to bless and praise 
 thee for those inestimable mercies thou hast vouchsafed me. 
 Lord, what is man that thou shouldst so regard him, as to 
 send thy beloved Son to suffer such bitter things for him ? 
 But, Lord, what am I, the worst of men, that I should have 
 any part in this atonement, who have so often despised him 
 and his sufferings ? O the height and depth of this mercy 
 of thine, that art pleased to admit me to the renewing of that 
 covenant with thee, which I have so often and so perversely 
 broken ! that I, who am not worthy of that daily bread 
 which sustains the body, should be made partaker of this 
 bread of life, which nourisheth the soul, and that the God 
 of all purity should vouchsafe to unite himself to so polluted 
 a wretch ! O my God, suffer me no more, I beseech thee, 
 to turn thy grace into wantonness, to make thy mercy an 
 occasion of security, but let this unspeakable love of thine con- 
 strain me to obedience, that since my blessed Lord hath died 
 for me, I may no longer live unto myself, but to him. O 
 Lord, I know there is no concord between Christ and Be- 
 lial ; therefore since he hath now been pleased to enter my 
 heart, O let me never permit any lust to chase him thence, 
 but let him that hath so dearly bought me, still keep posses- 
 sion of me, and let nothing ever take me out of his hand. 
 To this end be thou graciously pleased to watch over me, 
 and defend me from all assaults of my spiritual enemies ; but 
 especially deliver me from myself, from the treachery of my 
 own heart, which is too willing to yield itself a prey. And 
 where thou seest I am either by nature or custom most weak, 
 there do thou, I beseech thee, magnify thy power in my 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 313 
 
 preservation. [_Here mention thy most dangerous tempta- 
 tions']. And, Lord, let my Saviour's sufferings for my sins, 
 and the vows I have now made against them, never depart 
 from my mind ; but let the remembrance of the one enable 
 me to perform the other, that I may never make truce with 
 those lusts which nailed his hands, pierced his side, and 
 made his soul heavy to the death : but that having now anew 
 listed myself under his banner, I may fight manfully, and 
 follow the Captain of my salvation, even through a sea of 
 blood. Lord, lift up my hands that hang down, and my fee- 
 ble knees, that I faint not in this warfare. O be thou my 
 strength, who am not able of myself to struggle with the 
 slightest temptations. How often have I turned by back in 
 the day of batde ! How many of these sacramental vows 
 have I violated ! And, Lord, I have still the same uncon- 
 stant deceitful heart to betray me to the breach of this. O 
 thou who art Yea and Amen, in whom there is no shadow 
 of change, communicate to me, I beseech thee, such a stabi- 
 lity of mind, that I may no more thus start aside like a 
 broken bow, but that, having my heart whole with thee, I 
 may continue steadfast in thy covenant, that not one good 
 purpose which thy Spirit hath raised in me this day may 
 vanish, as so many have formerly done, but that they may 
 bring forth fruit unto life eternal. Grant this, O merciful 
 Father, through the merits and mediation of my crucified 
 Saviour. 
 
 A PRAYER OF INTERCESSION 
 
 To be used either before or after the Receiving of the 
 Sacrament. 
 
 O MOST gracious Lord, who so tenderly lovedst mankind 
 as to give thy dear Son out of thy bosom to be a propitia- 
 tion for the sins of the whole world, grant that the effect of 
 this redemption may be as universal as the design of it, that 
 it may be to the salvation of all. O let no person by impe- 
 nitence and wilful sin forfeit his part in it, but by the power 
 of thy grace bring all, even the most obstinate sinners, to 
 repentance. Enlighten all that sit in darkness, all Jews, 
 Turks, Infidels, and Heretics ; take from them all blindness, 
 hardness of heart, and contempt of thy word, and so fetch 
 them home, blessed Lord, unto thy fold, that they may be 
 saved among the number of the true Israelites. And for all 
 
 27 
 
314 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 those upon whom the name of thy Son is called, grant, O 
 Lord, that their conversations may be such as becometh the 
 gospel of Christ ; that his name be no longer blasphemed 
 among the heathens through us. O blessed Lord, how long 
 shall Christendom continue the vilest part of the world, a 
 sink of all those abominable pollutions which even barbarians 
 detest ? O let not our profession and our practice be always 
 at so wide a distance. Let not the disciples of the holy and 
 immaculate Jesus be of all others the most profane and im- 
 pure. Let not the subjects of the Prince of Peace be of all 
 others the most contentious and bloody ; but make us Chris- 
 tians in deed as well as in name, that we may walk worthy 
 of that holy vocation wherewith we are called, and may all 
 with one mind and one mouth glorify thee, the Father of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ. Have mercy on this languishing 
 Church, look down from heaven the habitation of thy holi- 
 ness and of thy glory. Where is thy zeal and thy strength, 
 the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards us ? are 
 they restrained ? Be not wroth very sore, O Lord, neither 
 remember iniquity for ever ; but though our backslidings are 
 many, and we have grievously rebelled, yet according to all 
 thy goodness, let thy anger and thy fury be turned away, and 
 cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary which is deso- 
 late, for the Lord's sake ; and so separate between us and 
 our sins, that they may no longer separate between us and 
 our God. Save and defend all Christian kings, princes and 
 governors, especially those to whom we owe subjection ; 
 plead thou their cause, O Lord, against those that strive with 
 them, and fight thou against those that fight against them : 
 and so guide and assist them in the discharge of that office 
 whereunto thou hast appointed them, that under them we 
 may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all goodness and ho- 
 nesty. Bless them that wait at thine altar, open thou their 
 lips that their mouth may show forth thy praise. O let not 
 the lights of the world be put under bushels, but place them 
 in their candlesticks, that they may give light to all that are 
 in the house. Let not Jeroboam's priests profane thy ser- 
 vice, but let the seed of Aaron still minister before thee. 
 And, O thou Father of mercies, and God of all comfort, suc- 
 cour and relieve all that are in affliction ; deliver the outcast 
 and poor, help them to right that suffer wrong, let the sor- 
 rowful sighing of the prisoners come before thee, and, accord- 
 ing to the greatness of thy power, preserve thou those that 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 315 
 
 appointed to die : grant ease to those that are in pain, sup- 
 plies, to those that suffer want; give to all presumptuous sin- 
 ners a sense of their sins, and to all despairing, a sight of 
 thy mercies ; and do thou, O Lord, for every one abundantly 
 above what they can ask or think. Forgive my enemies, 
 persecutors, and slanderers, and turn their hearts. Pour 
 down thy blessings on all my friends and benefactors, all 
 who have commended themselves to my prayers. \_Here 
 thou may est name particular persons']. And grant, O mer- 
 ciful Father, that through this blood of the cross, we may all 
 be presented pure and unblamable, and unreprovable in 
 thy sight ; that so we may be admitted unto that place of 
 purity where no unclean thing can enter, there to sing eter- 
 nal praises to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost for ever. 
 
 ^ Prayer in time of common Persecution. 
 
 O BLESSED Saviour, who hast made the cross the bridge 
 of thy disciples, enable me, I beseech thee, willingly and cheer- 
 fully to embrace it : thou seest, O Lord, I am fallen into days 
 wherein he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey ; O 
 make me so readily to expose all my outward concernments, 
 when my obedience to thee requireth it, that what falls as a 
 prey to man, may by thee be accepted as a sacrifice to God. 
 Lord, preserve me so by thy grace, that I never suffer as an 
 evil-doer ; and then, O Lord, if it be my lot to suffer as a Chris- 
 tian, let me not be ashamed, but rejoice that I am counted 
 worthy to suffer for thy name. O thou who for my sake en- 
 durest the cross, and despisest the shame, let the example of 
 that love .and patience prevail against all the tremblings of my 
 corrupt heart, that no terrors may ever be able to shake my 
 constancy, but that how long soever thou shalt permit the 
 rod of the wicked to lie on my back, I may never put my hand 
 unto wickedness. Lord, thou knowest whereof I am made, 
 thou rememberest that I am but flesh ; and flesh, O Lord, shrinks 
 at the approach of any thing grievous. It is thy Spirit, thy 
 Spirit alone, that can uphold : establish me with thy 
 free Spirit, that I be not weary and faint in my mind. And 
 by how much the greater thou discernest my weakness, so 
 much the more do thou show forth thy power in me ; and 
 make me, O Lord, in all temptations steadfastly to look to 
 thee, the author and finisher of my faith, that so I may run 
 the race which is set before me, and resist even unto blood, 
 striving against sin. O dear Jesus, hear me, and though 
 
316 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 Satan desire to have me, that he may winnow me as wheat, yet 
 do thou, O blessed Mediator, pray for me, that my faith fail 
 not, but that, though it be tried with fire, it may be found 
 unto praise, and glory, and honour, at thy appearing. And, 
 O Lord, I beseech thee, grant that I may preserve not only 
 constancy towards God, but charity also towards men, even 
 those whom thou shalt permit to be the instruments of my 
 sufferings. Lord, let me not fail to imitate that admirable 
 meekness of thine, in loving and praying for my greatest 
 persecutors ; and do thou, O Lord, overcome all their evil 
 with thy infinite goodness, turn their hearts, and draw thiem 
 powerfully to thyself, and at last receive both me and mine 
 enemies into those mansions of peace and rest where thou 
 reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God for 
 ever. 
 
 A Prayer in time of affliction. 
 
 O JUST and Holy Lord, who with rebukes dost chasten 
 man for sin, I desire unfeignedly to humble myself under thy 
 mighty hand, which now lies heavy upon me. I heartily 
 acknowledge, O Lord, that all I do, all I can suffer, is but 
 the due reward of my deeds, and therefore in thy severest 
 inflictions I must still say. Righteous art thou, O Lord, and 
 upright are thy judgments. But, O Lord I beseech thee, 
 in judgment remember mercy, and though my sins have en- 
 forced thee to strike, yet consider my weakness, and let not 
 thy stripes be more heavy or more lasting than thou seest 
 profitable for my soul ; correct me, but with the chastisement 
 of a father, not with the wounds of an enemy ; and though 
 thou take not off thy rod, yet take away thine anger. Lord, 
 do not abhor my soul, nor cast thy servant away in displea- 
 sure, but pardon my sins, I beseech thee ; and if yet in thy 
 fatherly wisdom thou see fit to prolong thy corrections, thy 
 blessed will be done. I cast myself, O Lord, at thy feet, do 
 with me what thou pleasest. Try me as silver is tried, so 
 thou bring me out purified. And, Lord, make even my flesh 
 also to subscribe to this resignation, that there may be nothing 
 in me that may rebel against thy hand ; but that, having per- 
 fectly suppressed all repining thoughts, I may cheerfully drink 
 of this cup. And how bitter soever thou shalt please to make 
 it, Lord, let it prove medicinal, and cure all the diseases of 
 my soul, that it may bring forth in me the peaceable fruit of 
 righteousness. That so these light afflictions which are but 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 317 
 
 for a moment, may work for me a far more exceeding and 
 eternal weight of glory, through Jesus Christ. 
 
 A Thanksgiving for Deliverance. 
 
 O BLESSED Lord, who art gracious and merciful, slow to 
 anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil, I 
 thankfully acknowledge before thee, that thou hast not dealt 
 with me after my sins, nor rewarded me according to my 
 iniquities. My rebellions, O Lord, deserve to be scourged 
 with scorpions, and thou hast corrected them only with a gentle 
 and fatherly rod ; neither hast thou suffered me to lie long 
 under that, but hast given me a timely and a gracious issue 
 out of my late distresses. O Lord, I will be glad and rejoice 
 in thy mercy, for thou hast considered my trouble, and hast 
 known my soul in adversity. Thou hast smitten, and thou 
 hast healed me. O let these various methods of thine have 
 their proper effects upon my soul, that I who have felt the 
 smart of thy chastisements, may stand in awe and not sin ; 
 and that I who have likewise felt the sweet refreshings of 
 thy mercy, may have my heart ravished with it, and knit to 
 thee in the firmest bands of love ; and that by both I may be 
 preserved in a constant entire obedience to thee all my days ; 
 through Jesus Christ. 
 
 Directions for the Time of Sickness. 
 
 When thou findest thyself visited with sickness, thou art 
 immediately to remember that it is God which with rebukes 
 doth chasten man for sin. And therefore let thy first care 
 be, to find out what it is that provokes him to smite thee ; 
 and to that purpose examine thine own heart, search diligently 
 what guilts lie there, confess them humbly and penitently to 
 God, and for the greater security renew thy repentance for 
 all the old sins of thy former life, beg most earnestly and 
 importunately his mercy and pardon in Christ Jesus, and put 
 on sincere and zealous resolutions of forsaking every evil 
 way for the rest of that time which God shall spare thee. 
 And that thy own heart deceive thee not in this so weighty 
 a business, it will be wisdom to send for some godly divine, 
 not only to assist thee with his prayers, but with his counsel 
 also. And to that purpose open thy heart so freely to him 
 that he maybe able to judge whether thy repentance be such 
 as may give thee confidence to appear before God's dreadful 
 tribunal, and that if it be not, he may help thee what he can 
 
 27* 
 
318 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 towards the making it so. And when thou hast thus pro- 
 vided for thy better part, thy soul, then consider thy body 
 also, and as the wise man saith, Ecclus. xxxviii. 12, "Give 
 place to the physician, for the Lord hath created him." Use 
 such means as may be most likely to recover thy health, but 
 always remember that the success of them must come from 
 God ; and beware of Asa's sin, who sought to the physicians, 
 and not to the Lord, 2 Chron. vi. 12. Dispose also betimes 
 of thy temporal affairs, by making thy will, and setting all 
 things in such order as thou meanest finally to leave them in, 
 and defer it not till thy sickness grow more violent ; for then 
 perhaps thou shalt not have such use of thy reason as may 
 fit thee for it ; or if thou have, it will be then much more 
 seasonable to employ thy thoughts on higher things, on. the 
 world thou art going to, rather than that thou art about to 
 leave ; we cannot carry the things of this world with us when 
 we go hence, and it is not fit we should carry the thoughts 
 of them. Therefore let those be early dispatched, that they 
 may not disturb thee at last. 
 
 A Prayer for a Sick Person. 
 
 O MERCIFUL and righteous Lord, the God of health and 
 of sickness, of life and of death, I most unfeignedly acknow- 
 ledge that my great abuse of those many days of strength 
 and welfare, which thou hast afforded me, hath most justly 
 deserved thy present visitation. I desire, O Lord, humbly 
 to accept of this punishment of mine iniquity, and to bear 
 the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against 
 him. And, O thou merciful Father, who designest not the 
 ruin, but the amendment, of those whom thou scourgest, I 
 beseech thee by thy grace so to sanctify this correction of 
 thine to me, that this sickness of my body may be a means 
 of health to my soul ; make me diligent to search my heart, 
 and do thou, O Lord, enable me to discover every accursed 
 thing, how closely soever concealed there, that by the re- 
 moval thereof, I may make way for the removal of this pu- 
 nishment. Heal my soul, O Lord, which hath sinned against 
 thee ; and then, if it be thy blessed will, heal my body also; 
 restore the voice of joy and health unto my dwelling, that I 
 may live to praise thee, and to bring forth fruits of repentance. 
 But if in thy wisdom thou hast otherwise disposed, if thou 
 hast determined that this sickness shall be unto death, I be- 
 seech thee to fit and prepare me for it : give me that sincere 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 319 
 
 and earnest repentance, to which thou hast promised mercy 
 and pardon ; wean my heart from the world, and all its fad- 
 ing vanities, and make me to gasp and pant after those more 
 excellent and durable joys, which are at thy right hand for 
 ever. Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon 
 me, and in all the pains of my body, in all the agonies of 
 my spirit, let thy comforts refresh my soul, and enable me 
 patiently to wait till my change come. And grant, O liord, 
 that when my earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolved, I 
 may have a building of God, an house not made with hands, 
 eternal in the heavens ; and that for his sake, who by his 
 precious blood hath purchased it for me, even Jesus Christ. 
 
 Ji Thanksgiving for Recovery. 
 
 O GRACIOUS Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, in 
 whose hand my time is, I praise and magnify thee, that thou 
 hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption, 
 and restored me to health again ; it is thou alone, O Lord, that 
 hast preserved my life from destruction, thou hast chastened 
 and corrected me, but thou hast not given me over unto death 
 let this life which thou hast thus graciously spared, be 
 wholly consecrated to thee. Behold, O Lord, I am by thy 
 mercy made whole, O make me strictly careful to sin no 
 more, lest a worse thing come unto me. Lord, let not this 
 reprieve thou hast now given me, make me secure, as think- 
 ing that my Lord delayeth his coming ; but grant me, I be- 
 seech thee, to make a right use of this long suffering of thine, 
 and so to employ every minute of that time thou shalt allow 
 me, that when thou shalt appear, I may have confidence, and 
 not be ashamed before thee at thy coming. Lord, I have 
 found by this approach towards death, how dreadful a thing 
 it is to be taken unprepared ; O let it be a perpetual admo- 
 nition to me to watch for my Master's coming. And when 
 the pleasures of sin shall present themselves to entice me, O 
 make me to remember how bitter they will be at the last. 
 
 Lord, hear me, and as thou hast in much mercy afforded 
 me time, so grant me also grace to work out my own salva- 
 tion, to provide oil in^my lamp, that when the Bridegroom 
 Cometh, I may go in with him to the marriage. Grant this, 
 
 1 beseech thee, for thy dear Son's sake. 
 
 A Prayer at the approach of Death. 
 O ETERNAL and ever-living God, who first breathedst into 
 
320 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 man the breath of life, and when thou takest away that breath 
 he dies and is turned again to his dust ; look with compas- 
 sion on me thy poor creature who am now drawing near the 
 gates of death, and, which is infinitely more terrible, the bar 
 of judgment. Lord, my own heart condemns me, and thou 
 art infinitely greater than my heart, and knowest all things. 
 The sins I know and remember, fill me with horror ; but 
 there are also multitudes of others, which I either observed 
 not at that time, or have since carelessly forgot, which are all 
 present to thee. Thou settest my misdeeds before thee, and 
 my secret sins in the light of thy countenance ; and to what 
 a mountainous heap must the minutely provocations of so 
 many years arise ? how long shall one so ungodly stand in 
 thy judgment, or such a sinner in the congregation of the 
 righteous ? And to add yet more to my terror, my very 
 repentance, I fear, will not abide the trial ; my frequent re- 
 lapses heretofore, have sufficiently witnessed the unsincerity 
 of my past resolutions. And then, O Lord, what can secure 
 me that my present dislikes of my sins are not rather the 
 eftects of my amazing danger than of any real change ? And, 
 O Lord, I know thou art not mocked, nor wilt accept of any 
 thing that is not perfectly sincere. O Lord, when I consider 
 this, fearfulness and trembling come upon me ; and an horri- 
 ble dread overwhelmeth me ; my flesh trembleth for fear of 
 thee, and my heart is wounded within me. But, O Lord, 
 one deep calleth upon another, the depth of my misery upon 
 the depth of thy mercy : Lord, save now, or I perish eternally. 
 O thou that wiliest not that any should perish, but that all 
 would come to repentance, bring me, I beseech thee, though 
 thus late, to a sincere repentance, such as thou wilt accept, 
 who triest the heart. Create in me, O God, a clean heart, 
 and renew a right spirit within me. Lord, one day is with 
 thee as a thousand years ; O let thy mighty Spirit work in 
 me now in this my last day, whatsoever thou seest wanting 
 to fit me for thy mercy and acceptation. Give me a perfect 
 and entire hatred of my sins, and enable me to present thee 
 with that sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart, which thou 
 hast promised not to despise ; that by this I may be made 
 capable of that atonement which thy dear Son hath by the 
 more excellent oblation of himself made for all repenting 
 sinners. He is the propitiation for our sins, he was wounded 
 for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the 
 chastisement of our peace was on him ; O heal me by his 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 32*^ 
 
 Stripes, and let the cry of his blood drown the clamour of 
 my sins, I am indeed a child of wrath, but he is the Son of 
 thy love ; for his sake spare me, O Lord, spare thy creature, 
 whom he hath redeemed with his most precious blood, and 
 be not angry with me for ever. In his wounds, O Lord, I 
 take sanctuary, O let not thy vengeance pursue me to this 
 city of refuge : my soul hangeth upon him, O let me not perish 
 with a Jesus, with a Saviour, in my arms. But by his agony 
 and bloody sweat, by his cross and passion, by all that he 
 did and suifered for sinners, good Lord, deliver me ; deliver 
 me, I beseech thee, from the wages of my sins, thy wrath 
 and everlasting damnation, in this time of my tribulation, in 
 the hour of death, and in the day of judgment. Hear me, 
 O Lord, hear me, and do not now repay my former neglects 
 of thy calls, by refusing to answer me in this time of my 
 greatest need. Lord, there is but a step between me and 
 death, O let not my sun go down upon thy wrath, but seal 
 my pardon before I go hence and be no more seen. Thy 
 loving-kindness is better than life itself, O let me have that 
 in exchange, and I shall most gladly lay down this mortal 
 life. Lord, thou knowest all my desire, and my groaning is 
 not hid from thee ; deal thou with me, O Lord, according to 
 thy name, for sweet is thy mercy ; take away the sting of 
 death, the guilt of my sins, and then though I walk through 
 the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil ; I will 
 lay me down in peace, and Lord, when I awake up, let me 
 be satisfied with thy presence in thy glory. Grant this, 
 merciful God, for his sake who is both the Redeemer and 
 Mediator of sinners, even Jesus Christ. 
 
 PSALMS. 
 
 Put me not to rebuke, O Lord, in thine anger, neither 
 chasten me in thy heavy displeasure. 
 
 There is no health in my flesh because of thy displeasure, 
 neither is there any rest in my bones by reason of my sins. 
 
 For my wickednesses are gone over my head, and are a 
 sore burden too heavy for me to bear. 
 
 My wounds stink and are corrupt through my foolish- 
 ness. 
 
 Therefore is my spirit vexed ^vithin me, and my heart 
 within me is desolate. 
 
 My sins have taken such hold upon me that I am not able 
 
322 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 to look up : yea, they are more in number that the hairs of 
 my head, and my heart hath failed me. 
 
 But thou, O Lord God, art full of compassion and mercy, 
 long-suffering, plenteous in goodness and truth. 
 
 Turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me, for I am 
 desolate and in misery. 
 
 If thou, Lord, shouldst be extreme to mark what is done 
 amiss, O Lord, who may abide it ? 
 
 O remember not the sins and offences of my youth, but 
 according to thy mercy think thou upon me for thy good- 
 ness. 
 
 Look upon my adversity and misery, and forgive me all 
 my sin. 
 
 Hide not thy face from thy servant, for I am in trouble, O 
 haste thee and hear me. 
 
 Out of the deep do I call unto thee. Lord, hear my voice. 
 
 Turn thee, O Lord, and deliver my soul, O save me for 
 thy mercies' sake. 
 
 go not from me, for trouble is hard at hand, and there 
 is none to help. 
 
 1 stretch forth my hands unto thee, my soul gaspeth unto 
 thee, as a thirsty land. 
 
 Draw nigh unto my soul and save it ; O deliver me, be- 
 cause of my enemies. 
 
 For my soul is full of trouble, and my life draweth nigh 
 unto hell. 
 
 Save me from the lion's mouth, hear me from among the 
 horns of the unicorns. 
 
 O set me up upon the rock that is higher than I, for thou 
 art my hope, and a strong tower for me against the enemy. 
 
 Why art thou so heavy, O my soul, and why art thou so 
 disquieted within me ? 
 
 Put thy trust in God, for I will yet give him thanks for 
 the help of his countenance. 
 
 The Lord shall make good his loving-kindness towards 
 me, yea, thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever, despise not 
 then the work of thine own hands. 
 
 O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee. 
 
 My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh also longeth after thee 
 in a barren and dry land, where no water is. 
 
 Like as the hart desireth the water-brook, so longeth my 
 soul after thee, O God. 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 323 
 
 My soul is athirst for God, even for the living God, when 
 shall I come to appear before the presence of God ? 
 
 How amiable are thy dwellings, O Lord of Hosts ? 
 
 My soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the courts 
 of the Lord ; my flesh and my heart rejoice th in the living 
 God. 
 
 O that I had wings like a dove ! for then would I fly away 
 and be at rest. 
 
 send out thy light and thy truth, that they may lead me, 
 and bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy dwelling. 
 
 For one day in thy courts is better than a thousand. 
 
 1 had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, 
 than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. 
 
 I should utterly have fainted, but that I believed verily to 
 see the goodness of the Lord, in the land of the living. 
 
 Thou art my helper and my redeemer, O Lord, make no 
 long tarrying. 
 
 EJACULATIONS. 
 
 O Lord, of whom may I seek for succour but of thee ? 
 who for my sins art justly displeased ? Yet, O Lord God 
 most holy, O Lord most mighty, O holy and most merciful 
 Saviour, deliver me not into the bitter pains of eternal death. 
 
 Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of my heart, shut not 
 up thy merciful eyes to my prayer, but hear me, O Lord 
 most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and merciful Sa- 
 viour, thou most worthy Judge eternal, suffer me not at my 
 last hour for any pains of death to fall from thee. 
 
 Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and 
 am not worthy to be called thy child ; yet,' O Lord, do not 
 thou cast off* the bowels and compassions of a Father ; but 
 even as a Father pitieth his own children, so be thou merci- 
 ful unto me. 
 
 Lord, the prince of this world cometh, O let him have 
 nothing in me, but as he accuseth, do thou absolve ; he lays 
 many and grievous things to my charge, which he can too 
 well prove ; I have nothing to say for myself, do thou an- 
 swer for me, O Lord my God. 
 
 O ' Lord, I am clothed with filthy garments, and Satan 
 stands at my right hand to resist me ; O be thou pleased to 
 rebuke him, and pluck me as a brand out of the fire ; cause 
 
324 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 mine iniquities to pass from me, and clothe me with the 
 righteousness of thy Son. 
 
 Behold, O God, the devil is coming towards me, having 
 great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short 
 time, O save and deliver me, lest he devour my soul like a 
 lion, and tear it in pieces while there is none to help. 
 
 O ray God, I know that no unclean thing can enter into 
 thy kingdom, and I am nothing but pollution, my very right- 
 eousness are as filthy rags. O wash me and make me white 
 in the blood of the Lamb, that so I may be fit to stand before 
 thy throne. 
 
 Lord, the snares of death compass me round about, O let 
 not the pains of hell also take hold upon me, but though I 
 find trouble and heaviness, yet, O Lord, I beseech thee de- 
 liver my soul. 
 
 O dear Jesus, who hast bought me with the precious price 
 of thine own blood ; challenge now thy purchase, and let 
 not the malice of hell pluck me out of thy hand. 
 
 O blessed High Priest, who art able to save them to the 
 utmost who come unto God by thee, save me, I beseech 
 thee, who have no hope, but on thy merits and intercession. 
 
 O God, I confess I have defaced that image of thine thou 
 didst imprint upon my soul ; yet, O thou faithful Creator, 
 have pity on thy creature. 
 
 O Jesu, I have by my many and grievous sins crucified 
 thee afresh, yet thou who prayedst for thy persecutors, in- 
 tercede for me also, and suffer not, O my Redeemer, my soul 
 (the price of thy blood) to perish. 
 
 O Spirit of grace, I have by my horrid impieties done 
 despite to thee ; yet, O blessed Comforter, though I have 
 often grieved thee, be thou pleased to succour and relieve me, 
 and say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. 
 
 Mine eyes look unto thee, O Lord, in thee is my trust, O 
 cast not out my soul. 
 
 O Lord, in thee have I trusted, let me never be confounded. 
 
 O BLESSED Lord, who scourgest every son whom thou 
 receivest, let me not be weary of thy correction, but give 
 me such a perfect subjection to thee the Father of spirits, 
 that this chastisement may be for my profit, that I may there- 
 by be partaker of thy holiness. 
 
 O thou Captain of my salvation, who wert made perfect 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 325 
 
 by sufTerings, sanctify to me all the pains of body, all the 
 terrors of mind, which thou shalt permit to fall upon me. 
 
 Lord, my sins have deserved eternal torments, make me 
 cheerfully and thankfully to bear my present pains, chasten 
 me as thou pleasest here, that I may not be condemned with 
 the world. 
 
 Lord, the waters are come in even unto my soul. O let 
 thy Spirit move upon these waters, and make them like the 
 pool of Bethesda, that they may cure whatsoever spiritual 
 disease thou discernest in me. 
 
 O Christ, who first sufTeredst many and grievous things, 
 and then enteredst into glory, make me so lo suffer with 
 thee, that I may also be glorified with thee. 
 
 dear Jesus, who humbledst thyself to the death of the 
 cross for me, let that death of thine sweeten the bitterness 
 of mine. 
 
 When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, thou 
 didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers. 
 
 1 believe that thou shalt come to be my Judge. 
 
 I pray thee, therefore, help thy servant whom thou hast 
 redeemed with thy most precious blood. 
 
 Make me to be numbered with thy saints in glory ever- 
 lasting. 
 
 Thou art the resurrection and the life, he that believeth in 
 thee, though he were dead, yet shall he live : Lord, I believe, 
 help thou my unbelief. 
 
 My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of 
 my heart, and my portion for ever. 
 
 I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, which is 
 far better : Lord, I groan earnestly, desiring to be clothed 
 upon with that house from heaven. 
 
 I desire to put off this my tabernacle. O be pleased to 
 receive me into everlasting habitations. 
 
 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may give thanks unto 
 thy name. 
 
 Lord, I am here to wrestle, not only with flesh and blood, 
 but with principalities and powers, and spiritual wickedness. 
 
 take me from the tents of Kedar, into the heavenly Jeru- 
 Balem, where Satan shall be utterly trodden under my feet. 
 
 I cannot here attend one minute to thy service without 
 distraction, O take me up to stand before thy throne, where 
 
 1 shall serve thee day and night. 
 
 I am here in heaviness through many tribulations, O 
 28 
 
326 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 receive me into that place of rest, where all tears shall be 
 wiped from my eyes, where there shall be no more death, 
 nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. 
 
 I am here in the state of banishment and absence from the 
 Lord, O take me where I shall for ever behold thy face, and 
 follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. 
 
 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I 
 have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a 
 crown of righteousness. 
 
 O BLESSED Jesu, who hath loved me, and washed me from 
 my sins in thine own blood, receive my soul. 
 
 Into thy hands I commend my spirit, for thou hast re- 
 deemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth. Come Lord Jesu, 
 come quickly. 
 
 PRAYERS 
 
 FOR THEIR USE WHO MOURN IN SECRET FOR THE PUBLIC 
 CALAMITIES, &C. 
 
 PsALM Ixxiv. O God, wherefore art thou absent from us 
 so long? why is thy wrath so hot against the sheep of 
 thy pasture ? Slc. 
 
 PsA.LM Ixxix. O God, the heathen are come into thine in- 
 heritance: thy holy temple have they defiled, and made 
 Jerusalem an heap of stones, &lc. 
 
 Psalm Ixxx. Hear, O thou Shepherd of Israel ; thou that 
 leadest Joseph like a sheep : show thyself also, thou that 
 sittest upon the Cherubims, &c. 
 
 t^ Prayer to be used in these times of Calamity. 
 
 O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth, I desire hum- 
 bly to confess before thee, both on my own behalf, and that of 
 this nation, that these many years of calamity we have groaned 
 under, are but the just, (yea, mild) returns of those many 
 more years of our provocations against thee, and that thy 
 present wrath is but the due punishment of thy abused mercy. 
 O Lord, thou hast formerly abounded to us in blessings above 
 all the people of the earth. Thy candle shined upon our 
 heads, and we delighted ourselves in thy great goodness. 
 Peace was within our walls, and plenteousness within our 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 327 
 
 palaees ; there was no decay, no leading into captivity, and 
 no complaining in our streets : but we turned this grace into 
 wantonness, we abused our peace to security, our plenty to 
 riot and luxury, and made those good things which should 
 have endeared our hearts to thee, the occasion of estranging 
 them from thee. Nay, O Lord, thou gavest us yet more 
 precious mercies, thou wert pleased thyself to pitch thy 
 tabernacle with us, to establish a pure and glorious church 
 among us, and give us thy word to be a lamp unto our feet, 
 and a light unto our paths : but, O Lord, we have made no 
 other use of that light than to conduct us to the chambers of 
 death ; we have dealt proudly and not hearkened to thy com- 
 mandments, and by rebelling against the light, have purchased 
 to ourselves so much the heavier portion in the outer dark- 
 ness. And now, O Lord, had the overflowings of thy vengeance 
 been answerable to that of our sin, we had long since been 
 swept away with a swift destruction, and there had been none 
 of us alive at this day to implore thy mercy. But thou art 
 a gracious God, slow to anger, and hast proceeded with us 
 with much patience and long-suffering, thou hast sent thy 
 judgments to awaken us to repentance, and hast also allowed 
 us space for it : but alas ! we have perverted this mercy of 
 thine beyond all the former, we return not to him that smit- 
 eth us, neither do we seek the Lord ; we are slidden back 
 by a perpetual backsliding ; no man repenteth him of his 
 wickedness, or saith, What have I done ? 'Tis true indeed 
 we fear the rod, (we dread every suffering, so that we are 
 ready to buy it off with the foulest sin,) but we fear not Him 
 that hath appointed it, but by a wretched obstinacy harden 
 our necks against thee, and refuse to return. And now, O 
 God, what balm is there in Gilead that can cure us, who when 
 thou wouldst heal us, will not be healed ? We know thou 
 hast pronounced that there is no peace to the wicked, and 
 how shall we then pray for peace, that still retain our wicked- 
 ness ? This, this, O Lord, is our sorest disease ; O give us 
 medicines to heal this sickness, heal our souls, and then we 
 know thou canst soon heal our land. Lord, thou hast long 
 spoken by thy word to our ears, by thy judgments even to 
 all our senses, but unless thou speak by thy Spirit to our 
 hearts, all other calls will still be ineffectual. O send out 
 this voice, and that a mighty voice, such as may awake us out 
 of this lethargy : Thou that didst call Lazarus out of the grave, 
 O be pleased to call us who are dead, yea, putrefied in tres- 
 
328 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 passes and sins, and make us to awake to righteousness. 
 And though, O Lord, our frequent resistances even of those 
 inward calls, have justly provoked thee to give us up to the 
 lusts of our own heart ; yet, O thou boundless Ocean of 
 mercy, who art good not only beyond what we can deserve, 
 but what we can wish, do not withdraw the influence of thy 
 grace, and take not thy holy Spirit from us. Thou wert 
 found of those that sought thee not : O let that act of mercy 
 be repeated to us who are so desperately, yet so insensibly 
 sick, that we cannot so much as look after the Physician ; 
 and by how much our case is the more dangerous, so much 
 the more sovereign remedies do thou apply. Lord, help us, 
 and consider not so much our unworthiness of thy aid, as our 
 irremediable ruin, if we want it ; save. Lord, or we perish 
 eternally. To this end dispense to us in our temporal in- 
 terest what thou seest may best secure our spiritual ; if a 
 greater degree of outward misery will tend to the curing our 
 inward. Lord, spare not thy rod, but strike yet more sharply. 
 Cast out this devil, though with never so much foaming and 
 tearing. But if thou seest that some return of mercy may be 
 most likely to melt us, O be pleased so far to condescend to 
 our wretchedness, as to afford us that, and, whether by thy 
 sharper or thy gentler methods, bring us home to thyself. 
 And then, O Lord, we know thy hand is not shortened, that 
 it cannot save : when thou hast delivered us from our sins, 
 thou canst and wilt deliver us from our troubles. O show 
 us thy mercy and grant us thy salvation, that, being redeemed 
 both in our bodies and spirits, we may glorify thee in both, 
 in a cheerful obedience, and praise the name of our God, that 
 hath dealt wonderfully with us, through Jesus Christ our 
 Lord. 
 
 A Prayer for this Church. 
 
 O THOU great God of recompenses, who turnest a fruitful 
 land into barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell 
 therein ; thou hast most justly executed that fatal sentence on 
 this Church, which having once been the perfection of beauty, 
 the joy of the whole earth, is now become a scorn and deri- 
 sion to all that are round about her. O Lord, what could 
 have been done to thy vineyard that thou hast not done in it? 
 And since it hath brought forth nothing but wild grapes, it is 
 perfectly just with thee to take away the hedge thereof, and 
 let it be eaten up. But, O Lord, though our iniquities testify 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 329 
 
 against us, yet do thou it for thy name's sake ; for our back- 
 slidings are many, we have sinned against thee. O the Hope 
 of Israel, the Saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldst 
 thou be a stranger in the land, as a wayfaring man that turn- 
 eth aside to tarry for a night ? Why shouldst thou be as a 
 man astonied ? as a mighty man that cannot save ? Yet 
 thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us, and we are called by 
 thy name, leave us not; deprive us of what outward enjoy- 
 ment thou pleasest, take from us the opportunities of our 
 luxury, and it may be a mercy ; but take not from us the 
 means of our reformation, for that is the most direful expres- 
 sion of thy wrath. And though we have hated the light, 
 because our deeds were evil, yet, O Lord, do not, by with- 
 drawing it, condemn us to walk on still in darkness, but let 
 it continue to shine till it have guided our feet into the way 
 of peace. O Lord, arise, stir up thy strength and come and 
 help, and deliver not the soul of thy turtle dove [^tliis dis- 
 consolate Churcli] unto the multitude of the enemy, but help 
 her, O God, and that right early. But if, O Lord, our rebel- 
 lions have so provoked thee, that the ark must wander in 
 the wilderness till all this murmuring generation be con- 
 sumed, yet let not that perish with us, but bring it at last 
 into a Canaan, and let our more innocent posterity see that 
 ivhich in thy just judgment thou deniest to us. In the 
 mean time let us not cease to bewail that desolation our sins 
 have wrought, to think upon the stones of Sion, and pity to 
 see her in the dust, nor ever be ashamed or afraid to own 
 her in her lowest and most persecuted condition, but esteem 
 the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of 
 Egypt, and so approve our constancy to this our afflicted 
 mother, that her blessed Lord and head may own us with 
 mercy when we shall come in the glory of thee his Father 
 with the holy angels. Grant this, merciful Lord, for the 
 same Jesus Christ his sake. 
 
 *^ Prayer for the Peace of the Church. 
 
 Lord Jesus Christ, which of thine Almightiness madest 
 all creatures both visible and invisible, which of thy godly 
 wisdom governest and settest things in most goodly order, 
 which of thine unspeakable goodness keepest, defendest, 
 and furtherest all things, which of thy deep mercy restorest 
 the decayed, renewest the fallen, raisest the dead ; vouch 
 safe, we pray thee, at last to cast down thy countenance upon 
 
 28* 
 
330 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 thy well beloved spouse, the church, but let it be that amiable 
 and merciful countenance wherewith thou pacifiest all things 
 in heaven, in earth, and whatsoever is above heaven and 
 under the earth : vouchsafe to cast upon us those tender and 
 pitiful eyes with which thou didst once behold Peter that 
 great shepherd of thy church, and forthwith he remem- 
 bered himself and repented ; with which eyes thou once didst 
 view the scattered multitude, and wert moved with compas- 
 sion, that for lack of a good shepherd they wandered as 
 sheep dispersed and strayed asunder. Thou seest, O good 
 Shepherd, Avhat sundry sorts of wolves have broken into 
 thy sheepcotes ; so that if it were possible the very per- 
 fect persons should be brought into error ; thou seest with 
 what winds, with what waves, with what storms, thy silly 
 ship is tossed, thy ship wherein thy little flock is in peril 
 to be drowned. And what is now left but that it utterly 
 sink, and we all perish ? Of this tempest and storm we 
 may thank our own wickedness and sinful living, we dis- 
 cern it well and confess it ; we discern thy righteousness, 
 and we bewail our unrighteousness : but we appeal to thy 
 mercy, which surmounteth all thy works ; we have now 
 suffered much punishment, being scourged with so many 
 wars, consumed with such losses of goods, shaken with so 
 many floods, and yet appears there no where any haven or 
 port unto us : being thus tired and forlorn among so strange 
 evils, but still every day more grievous punishments and 
 more seem to hang over our heads, we complain not of thy 
 sharpness, most tender Saviour, but we discern here also thy 
 mercy, forasmuch as much grievouser plagues we have de- 
 served. But, O most merciful Jesus, we beseech thee that 
 thou wilt not consider nor weigh what is due for our deserv- 
 ings, but rather what becometh thy mercy, without which 
 neither the angels in Heaven can stand sure before thee, 
 much less we silly vessels of clay. Have mercy on us, O 
 Redeemer, which art easy to be entreated, not that we be 
 worthy of thy mercy, but give thou this glory unto thine own 
 Name. Suffer not those which either have not known thee, 
 or do envy thy glory, continually to triumph over us, and 
 say, where is their God, where is their Redeemer, where is 
 their Saviour, where is their Bridegroom, that they thus 
 boast on ? These opprobrious words redound unto thee, 
 O Lord, while by our evils men weigh and esteem thy 
 goodness ; they think we be forsaken, whom they see not 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. ^| 
 
 amended. Once when thou sleptst in the ship, and a tempest 
 suddenly arising threatened death to all in the ship, thou 
 awokest at the outcry of a few disciples, and straightway at 
 thine Almighty word the waters couched, the winds fell, the 
 storm was suddenly turned into a great calm ; the dumb 
 waters knew their Maker's voice. Now in this far greater 
 tempest, wherein not a few men's bodies be in danger, but 
 innumerable souls, we beseech thee at the cry of thy holy 
 Church, which is in danger of drowning, that thou wilt awake. 
 So many thousands of men do cry, Lord save us, we perish: 
 the tempest is past man's power; it is thy Avord that must 
 do the deed : Lord Jesu, only say thou with a word of thy 
 mouth. Cease, O tempest, and forthwith shall the desired 
 calm appear. Thou wouldst have spared so many thousands 
 of most wicked men, if in the city of Sodom had been found but 
 ten good men. Now here be so many thousands of men which 
 love the glory of thy Name, which sigh for the beauty of thy 
 house, and wilt thou not at these men's prayers let go thine 
 anger, and remember thine accustomed and old mercies ? 
 Shalt thou not with thy heavenly policy turn our folly into 
 thy glory ? Shalt thou not turn wicked men's evils into thy 
 Church's good ? For thy mercy is wont then most of all 
 to succour, when the thing is with us past remedy, and neither 
 the might nor wisdom of men can help it. Thou alone 
 bringest things that be never so out of order into order again, 
 which art the only author and maintainer of peace. Thou 
 framedst that old confusion wherein without order, without 
 fashion, confusedly lay the discordant seeds of things, and 
 with a wonderful order the things of that nature fought to- 
 gether, thou didst allay and knit in a perpetual band. But 
 how much greater confusion is this where is no charity, no 
 fidelity, no bonds of love, no reverence neither of laws nor 
 yet of rulers, no agreement of opinions, but, as it were in a 
 misordered choir, every man singeth a contrary note ! 
 Among the Heavenly planets is no dissension, the elements 
 keep their place, every one do the office whereunto they be 
 appointed : And wilt thou sutler thy spouse, for whose 
 sake all things were made thus by continual discords to perish ? 
 Shall thou suffer the wicked spirits, which be authors 
 and workers of discord, to bear such a swing in thy king- 
 dom unchecked ? Shalt thou suffer the strong captain of 
 mischief, whom thou once overthrewest, again to invade 
 thy tents, and to spoil thy soldiers ? When thou wert here 
 
332 PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 
 
 a man conversant among men, at thy voice fled the devils. 
 Send forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy Spirit, which may 
 drive away out of the breasts of all them that profess thy 
 Name, the wicked spirits, masters of riot, of covetousness, of 
 vain-glory, of carnal lust, of mischief and discord. Create in 
 us, O our God and king, a clean heart, and renew thy holy 
 Spirit in our breasts, pluck not from us thy holy Ghost. 
 Render unto us the joy of thy saving health, and with thy 
 principal Spirit strengthen thy spouse and the herdmen 
 thereof By this spirit thou reconcilest the earthly to the 
 heavenly : by this thou didst frame and reduce so many 
 tongues, so many nations, so many sundry sorts of men into 
 one body of a church, which body by the same spirit is knit 
 to thee their Head. This Spirit if thou wilt vouchsafe to 
 renew in all men's hearts, then shall all these foreign mise- 
 ries cease, or if they cease not, they shall turn to the profit and 
 avail of them which love thee. Stay this confusion, set in 
 order this horrible chaos, O Lord Jesus, let thy Spirit stretch 
 out itself upon these waters of evil wavering opinions. And 
 because thy Spirit, which, according to thy prophet's say- 
 ing, containeth all things, hath also the science of speaking ; 
 make, that like as unto all them which be of thy house is 
 one light, one baptism, one God, one hope, one Spirit, so 
 they may also have one voice, one note, one song, profess- 
 ing one catholic truth. When thou didst mount up to H(sa- 
 ven triumphantly, thou threwest out from above thy precious 
 things, thou gavest gifts amongst men, thou dealtest sundry 
 rewards of thy Spirit. Renew again from above thy old 
 bountifulness ; give that thing to thy Church, now fainting 
 and growing downward, that thou gavest unto her shooting 
 up at her first beginning. Give unto Princes and Rulers the 
 grace so to stand in awe of thee, that they so may guide the 
 commonweal, as they should shordy render account unto 
 thee that art the King of kings. Give wisdom to be always 
 assistant unto them, that whatsoever is best to be done, they 
 may espie it in their minds, and pursue the same in their do- 
 ings. Give to the bishops the gift of prophecy, that they 
 may declare and interpret holy Scripture, not of their own 
 brain, but of thine inspiring. Give them the threefold 
 Charity which thou once demandedst of Peter, what time thou 
 didst betake unto him the charge of thy sheep. Give to the 
 priests the love of soberness and of chastity. Give to thy 
 people a good will to follow thy commandments, and a readi-r 
 
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 333 
 
 ness to obey such persons as thou hast appointed over them. 
 So shall it come to pass, if through thy gift thy princes shall 
 command that thou requirest, if thy pastors and herdmen 
 shall teach the same, and thy people obey them both, that 
 the old dignity and tranquillity of the Church shall return 
 ao-ain with a goodly order unto the glory of thy Name. 
 Thou sparedst the Ninevites appointed to be destroyed, as 
 soon as they converted to repentance ; and wilt thou despise 
 thy house fallen down at thy feet which instead of sackcloth, 
 hath sighs, and instead of ashes, tears ? Thou promisest 
 forgiveness to such as turn unto thee, but this self thing is 
 thy gift, a man to turn with his whole heart unto thee, to 
 the intent all our goodness should redound unto thy glory. 
 Thou art the Maker, repair the work that thou hast fash- 
 ioned. Thou art the Redeemer, save that thou hast bought. 
 Thou art the Saviour, suffer not them to perish which do 
 hang on thee. Thou art the Lord and owner, challenge thy 
 possession. Thou art the head, help thy members. Thou 
 art the King, give us a reverence of thy laws. Thou art 
 the Prince of Peace, breathe upon us brotherly love. Thou 
 art the God, have pity on thy humble beseechers, be thou 
 according to Paul's saying, all things in all men, to the intent 
 the whole choir of thy Church with agreeing minds and con- 
 stant voices for mercy obtained at thy hands, may give 
 thanks to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost : which after 
 the most perfect example of concord be distinguished in 
 property of persons and one in nature : to whom be praise 
 and glory eternally. Amen 
 
 THE END. 
 
INDEX 
 
 Adultery, 174 
 
 Alms-giving, 255, 256, 257 
 
 Ambition, 133 
 
 Anger, 127 
 
 Apparel, 159 
 
 Baptism, 71, 216; its vow, 72 
 
 Bargaining, 149, 184 
 
 Blasphemy, 95 
 
 Blessing of Parents, 219 
 
 Borrowing, 179 
 
 Brawling, 199 
 
 Brethren, 223 
 
 Calamities, 193 
 
 Cares, 146 
 
 Catechizing, 68 
 
 Censoriousness, 241 
 
 Charity, 86, 237, 255, 263, 267 
 
 Chastity, 138 
 
 Children, their Duties, 211, 215 
 
 Christ, 41 ; his sufferings 89 ; his 
 love, 90 
 
 Christian Duties possible and plea- 
 sant, 269 
 
 Church, 62, 66 
 
 Commands, 40, 61 
 
 Confession, 83, 88, 102 
 
 Consideration, 129—132 
 
 Contentedness, 132 
 
 Contrition, 82 
 
 Corrections, 59 
 
 Courteousness, 198 
 
 Covenant, xxvi ; New, 91 
 
 Covetousness, 133, 161, 178 
 
 Credit, 189, 263 ; lost, 194 
 
 Cruelties, 172 
 
 Cursing, 95, 199 
 
 Debts, paying, 179 
 
 Deceit, 182 
 
 Despair, 43 
 
 Detraction. 201 
 
 Devotion, 86 
 
 Diligence, 136, 235 
 
 Drinking, 144 
 
 Drunkenness, 144 ; excuses for it, 
 145 
 
 Duties to those in want, 202 
 
 to Relations, 204, 223 
 
 to all Ranks and Qualities, 
 
 200, 202 
 
 Duty to God, 38 — 56 ; to ourselves, 
 119; to magistrates, 206; to pa- 
 rents, 206,211,215; to pastors, 
 87, 208 ; to children, 216 ; to hus- 
 band, 226 ; to wife, 228 
 
 Duty of Servants, 233; of Masters, 
 235 
 
 Eating, 142 
 
 Education of Children, 217 
 
 Enemies, 242, 267 
 
 Envy, 134, 200 
 
 Example, 221 
 
 Faith, 39, 83 
 
 False reports, 189, 194 
 
 False witness, 190 
 
 Fasting, 116 
 
 Fear, 49 
 
 Feasts and Fasts, 66 
 
 Fidelity, 234 
 
 Forgiving, 248 
 
 Fraud, 186 
 
 Friendship, 231 
 
 Gaming, 158 
 
 God, 39, 66, 95, 102 
 
 Goods of Nature, 122; of Fortune, 
 123 ; of Grace, 123; of Neighbour, 
 177 
 
 Graces, 85, 87 
 
 Gratitude, 204 
 
 Guide in Spirituals, 87 
 
 Heahh, 142 
 
 Honour of God, 62, 95 
 
 Hope, 42 
 
 Humiliation, 81 
 
 Humility, 57, 119 
 
 Husband, 228 
 
 Idolatry, 118 
 
 Improving of Talents, 136 
 
 Inconsideration, the danger of, 136 
 
 Industry, 136 
 
 Infirmities, 193, 225 
 
 Injuries, 172 
 
 Injustice, 186 
 
 Justice (see Neighbour) 
 
 Kindness of God, 44 
 
 Kindred, 204 
 
 King, 206 
 
 Law-suits, 266 
 
 Light of Nature, 37 ; of Scripture, 38 
 335 
 
336 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Lord's Day, 65 
 
 Lord's Supper, 55, 77 
 
 Love of God, 44 
 
 Love to God, fruits of, 46 
 
 Love to Brethren, 223 
 
 Lying, 196 
 
 Magistrates, 206 
 
 Maiming, 171 
 
 Malice, 177 
 
 Marriage, 214, 264 
 
 Masters, 235 
 
 Meekness, 127, 198 
 
 Minister, 87, 208 
 
 Murder, 167 
 
 Murmuring, 132 
 
 Nature, 136 
 
 Neighbours, 162, 174, 177, 189, 195, 
 
 237 
 Oaths, 95—102 
 Obedience, 84, 207, 210, 213 
 Offences against God and man, the 
 
 difference, 245 
 Oppression, 178 
 Parents, 206, 211, 215 
 Patience, 58 
 Peace-making, 265 
 Perjury, 97 
 Petitions, 103 
 Poor, 203, 255 
 Prayer, 101—112 
 Preachers, 208, 210 
 Preaching, 69 
 Presumption, 43 
 Pride, 119, 172, 198 
 Promises, 40 
 Recreation, 156 
 Relations, 204, 223 
 
 Repentance, 112 
 
 Reports, false, 189 
 
 Reproach, 147 
 
 Resolution, 84 
 
 Restitution, 188 
 
 Sacraments, 71, 77 — 94 
 
 Sacrilege, 64 
 
 Scoffing, 192 
 
 Scriptures, 38, 67 
 
 Servants, 233 
 
 Sins, 78, 85, 104 
 
 Slanders, 190 
 
 Sleep, 156 
 
 Sloth, mischief of, 157 
 
 Sobriety, 112 
 
 Soul, vide Preface 
 
 Sports, 158 
 
 Stealing, 181 
 
 Swearing, 95, 199 
 
 Temperance, 142 — 156 
 
 Thankfulness, 59 
 
 Thanksgiving, 105 
 
 Theft, 179, 181 
 
 Threatenings, 40 
 
 Trust, deceived, 183 
 
 Truth, 196 
 
 Uncleanness, 139 
 
 Vain-glory, 124 
 
 Wants of parents to be supplied, 
 
 214 
 Watchfulness, 101 
 Whisperings, 191 
 Wife, 174, 226 
 Witness, false, 196 
 Word of God, 67 
 Works, 58 
 Worship, 102 
 
 Printed by King and Baird, No. 9 George St. 
 
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