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Show Advice to Children; VoL: I. J699· mended, Dcut. J). j, 4, 7, 8, and Pfal. 31· 21. 26. The RiglHt,ltl jhcwe1b ~ Mercy and giuerb, mrd rbe good .Man is 1/Jtrciful and ever ltndcrb. lie jheu·s Cilap. 111 •. F'tJvour (I!Jd lcnderb, n11d difrrrfttb JJ.hroad. PJ31. I 1.2. ). 9· lbere if riM I fcottereib, and yet encuajnh ; anJ tbrrc is that uurb-bu!detb mou rran is tlletl, b11t it tendeth to Por.Jtrty ; The lihert~l Soul fh,zll be j;1t, Prov. J 1. 24 , 25. Tbe bountiful E_,e jhaO he hie/Jed, Prov. 22. 9· The Churl and Liberal Man arc defcribed, and a Promifc: to the Lauer, that his Libcralily fhall upbold him, lj.f. 32. 78. Chriit makes it J P:1rt cf his Religion and the Way to be rhe Children of the Highe!t (Read Luke 6. 34. 3).) ro lend and not receive a.gain, and this to Enemies as well as Friends; yea co the Unrhank~ ful and to the Evil; no Exception made, no Excufc admitted. The ;\po· file PaJJI1 2 Cor. 9· >· -10, enjoyns ir, threJtens the Strait· handed, and pro· rnifes_ the Open·heuted a liberal Reward. Wherefoever therefore, my dear Children, Liberality is required of t•ou, God enabling of you, fow not Spuingly nor Grudgingly, bur with a cheer~ ful Mind, and you Unll not go without your Reward; rho' that ou5hr not to be your Motive. Bur avoid Oftentation, for that is ufing Virtue to Va .. nity, which will run you to Profufenefs, and that to Want; which begets Greedinefs, and that Avarice, the contrary Extream. As Men may go ~eftward 'rill they come Eaft, and trat•el 'till they and thofe they left be· hind them, itand Antipodes, up and down. §. 7· ]11flice or Rit,hteoufnrjf, is :lnothcr A tribute of God, Dcut. 32. 4· l!fa!. <j. 7· S. 5· 8. Dan. 9· 7· Of large htent in the Life ond Duty of Man. Be jufi therefore in all Things, to all; To God as your Creator; rendeJ to him that which is his, your Hearts, fot th.lt Acknowledgment he has rcfCrved to himfelf, hy which only, you are entltuled to the Comforts of this and a better Life. An~ if he has your Hearts, you have him for your Treafure, and wirh him all Things requifite to your Felicity. Render alfo to C~far that which is his, lawful SubjeClion; not for Fear only, but Con· fc\ence Sake. To Parents, a filial Love :md Obedience. To one another, Natural Affection. To all People1 in doing as you would be done by. Sun na M:m•s NJme or Perfon. Covet no Man's Property in any Sort. Con6der well of David's Tendcrnefs to Saul, when he fought his Life, to excite YOllC Duty; Jnd iihal!'s unjuft Coveroufnefs nnd Murder of Nal!oth, to provoke your Abltorrence of lnjull:ice. David, tho' anointed King, took no. Advantages, he believ'd, and therefore did not make Hafte, but left it ro God, to conclude SaJJI'S .Reign, for he would not haften ir. A right Me· thod and a good End, hly dear Children, God has !hewn it you., and re· quires it of you. Remember the Tenth Commandment, 'twas God gave it, and ~hat will judg_e you by it. It comprehends Reftitmion as well as Acquifition, and efpecially the poor Man's Wages, I.cv. J 9· J 3· Deur. 24 14, J s. ]er. 22. l 3· Jimos S· 11. Alai. 3· S· Samuel is a great and good Exa~ple of RighteoufnefS, 1 Sn.m. 12. ;. He challenged the whole Haufe of /jrae/1 whom he had Oppreffed or Defrauded I The like did the Apoflle to the Gorin· thim1s, 2 Cor. 7· 2. He exhorted the Chriftians to be careful that they did not defraud, t Thef 4· 6, for this Reafon, that God was the A\•enger of the Injured. But as bad as it was, there muft he no going to Law amongft Chriltians, 1 Cor. 6. 7· To your urmolt Power, therefore, owe no one any Thing but Love. and that in Prudence as well as Righteoufnefs; For Juftice gives you Reputation, and adds a Blefiing to your Subftance; It is the belt Security you can have for it. I will clofe this Head, with a few Scriptures to each Branch. To you[ Superiors: Submit to every Ordinance of Man, for the Lord's Sake 1 Pet. :2. 1 ~· Obty tbofe tbat bavt Rule QlJer you. He b. 13. 17. Speak not evil of Digmtiu. Jude 8. 2 Pet. 2. 1c. My Son[tilr tho11tbe Lard tmd the KiRgt ttnd meddle not withthrm; that are given to change. Pro. 24. 2t. To your ~arents; Honour your Farber and your Mother, that the Days lf111} be long tn tbe Land, tvhich the Lord your God jhall give yo11, Exod. 20. 12. Children ohq VoL. I. Advice to Children. obey your Parents, it is the Firfl Ccmmand with 1'. ifi E , ~~eT.r~' ~~i;;~nf).[ollor~::}[',;,b~;h ff"J:~;}>; tz:~:;Ldc~:;~ '~lr~: wo rnnJgrej/ion, tbe fame U the ComponioJt of a D 1 ' ,aJ J, II~ Or fuch would dellroy their Parents if they coul:J "j{t~. P;ov. d 2~. 24· Prophet Ezekiel upon ]erll}itleln as a M:J.rk of h .. k ~ S arge y the ':;~~:/JJ:?rb~~:;/::d!ifti1~Jf. /:;~er2:r l1othe~rop;i1J:d ~~~~~~e~~ 1::d what God"s Servants taught. To' do i«Jlice ~]j Judg~e~r N~tghbour, hear bl~ to ~he Lord,. tb~n Sacrifice. Prov. 2 r. 3, Divers w~; ·b:: "1JJ.t"e.f1a~~ c aftk.e Abomm8tl011 umo the Lord. Levit. 19. 36. Deu~ 2 an eaj~lrC$ 1nclufive. Prov. II. I. c. 2o. J o, '23· Rtad Prov. 22. 16 . 5· 13· to 16. JJ. Pcruft the 6th of Micah; a!fo Zech .. 8. 16, 17. An~2'e1, 3~c~~~~~· :~~ 15. Pfal. ~sa fl)('lr.t bur full Meafure of Life, to give Accepranc~ withy GC'Id I have fatd but lmle to you of difiributingJuftice or bei'hg · ft · p • or Go~ernmenc; for I fh.ould defire you may never' be concer{~d 1~he~~~~r unlefs It were. up~n your own Principles, and then the lefs the bener un: lefs God rcqmre It from ~ou. B~t if it ever be your Lot; know no'Man after the Fle(h ; know nenher Rtch nor Poor, Great nor Small, nor Kin· dred, .nor Stranger, but the «;aufe according ro your Underfiandin and Confc1ence, and that upon dehberate Enquiry and Information. Readgt.'xoa'. :2~. from J, to 10. DeJJt, r. t6, 17. c. 16. 19, 20• c. 24. 17, 2 Sam. 23. 3· Jer. '22. 3, 4· Plov. 24, 23. Lam. 3. 35, 36. Haf. 12. 6. ilmo1 8 4• >• 6., 7• 8. Zepb. 2.3. c. 3. 1. 3. Zech. 7·9 rc. Jer 14 56 s 6. 7· Wh1.ch !hew. both God'f .commands and Compiflints, a~4. .M.an~s ·D~r · i~ .A.~thon~y; whtch as I fatd before, wave induftrioufly ar all Times yfor Pnvacy 1s freed ~rom.the Cbmour, Danger, Incumbrance and Tem ra:ion tSh.taket . attend Stat1ons Jn Governmellt: Never meddle with it, bur'!joPt. G d'' o $ . §. 8. bttegrity, is a great and commendable Virtue. A Man of Integrity lS a true Man. ~bold Man and a .fieady Man; he is to be trufied and relied ~pon .. No Bnbes can cor!upt h~m, no ~ear daunt him 1 his TVord n jlor» t~ commg butfure. He fhmes br~ghteft ~n the Fire, and his Friend hears of h1m moft, when he mofi needs htm. H1s Courag~ grows with Dangu and conquers .Of!Pofilion by Conjla11cy. As he cannot be flatter'd or frighted into th.at he dllltkes, fohe ~ares F!nt(ery and T~mporizing in others. He runs w~th Trut~, an~ not WHh the T1mes; with Kight and not with Mi hr Ht~ Rule IS ftretght; [oon feen_ but fe!dom f?llow•d: It has done ~ea~ Thtngs .. h was lme&rlly prefer d, JJbe~s Offenng, tranOated Enoch, f:~ved Noah, rat fed Abraham to be Gods Fnend, and Father of a great Nation, n:fcued Lot out of Sodom, bleffed and encreafed /acob kept and exalt d 7ofeph1 upheld and refior'd Job, honour'd Samuel bcf~re ljrae/ crown~d Davi~ over all Diffi~ulties, a~d gave Solomon Peace and Glory,' while he kept 1t ; It. was th1s preferv d Mordecai and his People, and Jignally de· fended Da111el among the Lyons, and the Children in the Flames that it d!ew from thegreatcit King upon Earth, and an Htathen too, a m~fi PflJbe· trca_l Confe.ffion, to the Powe~ and Wifdom of the God that faved them, and wh1~h they fer~ed. Thus IS the S"cripture fullfilled, The Integrity of the Upngh1 jhali gutdt them. Prov. II. 3· 0 my dear Children ! fear love and obey thts great holy 1tnd uncha'!ge~ble God, :1nd you fhall be happily guided and preferved. through your Pdgnmage to Eurnal Glory. ' §. 9· Gratz~ude or Thankfulnefs, is another Virtue of great Luftre, and fo efte~med wnh God and .all good Men: It is an owning of Benefirs recciv'd, to t?eu Hono~r an~ Service that confer them. It is indeed a noble Sort of Ju~tce? and m1ght !n a Senfe be refer'd as a Branch to that Head; with th1s Difference, tho, rhat. fince Benefits exceed J uitice, the Tye is ,greater to be grateful, than to be ]ufi; and coufequemly there is fomething bafer and m~re reproachful in Ingrtuitud~ than InjJJj~ice. So thar tho' you ar; not obl.Iged by legal Bonds or Judgments, to Rcfiirution with due lntereJt, your Vutue. Honour and Humaniry, are natura11y Pledges for your Thank· 5 Z 2 fulnefs: 9°7 1699· l.rV"-J ChJp.lll. |