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Show 9oS 1699· ...,..-.:r-...; Chlp. In. Advice to cblldreh. Vbr.. I. {ulnefs: And by how much the lefs you are under cxtcrn~l Tyes, efteem your Inward T)!.es fo much the ftronger. Thofe that can break them, would know no Bounds :for make it a Rule to you, rhe UngratefuL would be Vnju{ltao, but for Fear of the Law. Always own therefore the Benefits you receive and then ro chufe, when they may mdt honour orfcne thofe that cohfer~ed them . Some have llved to need the Farours, they h:H'C done and !hould they be put ro afk, where they ought to be inv.ired ~ No Mar;cr if rhey have iwthing ro fhew for it, they fhcw enough when they {hew rhemfelves, to rhofe they have obli~ed: And fuch_ fee enou&h to in;, duce their Gratitude, when they fee thetr Bent:}aOors m Ad\•erfny; the Iefs Law, the mOre Grace at:d tl1e fl:rongtr Tyc. I~ is. an Ev,m,ge/ual Virt11c, and works as Faith does, only by Love : In th1s It exactly refcmb~es a ChriftianStatc:, we are not under •the law, but under Grace, and it's by Grace, and not by Merit th?t we are faved. But are o\.u Obligations the lefs to God, that• he heaps hts Favours fo undcfervedly upon us? Surely no. It is the like here; that which we receive is nor owed or compelled, hut freely given, fo no Tye ; but thoice, a Voluntary Goodnefs without Bar~ gain or Condition, but bas _this therefore no Secur_ity? Yes _cenainlyr th_e · grearelt; a Jud~me nt Wrn, and acknowledged 1n the Mmd ;,tic IS h1s tb the .Altar with o good Confclence: Bnt how long? as Jong as he lives. The Charatlers of Gratitude, like thofe of Friendfhip, are only defaced by Death, elf(: indelible. A Friend /(lvctb ttl nil Times, fJys Solomon Prov. 17. q. C. 27. Jc. And rbi,te own Friend ttnd rby Father's ~Friend fur fake nor. his Injufiice, which makes Grati111dc a Prccrpt. There are three Sons of Men that can hardly he grateful, The fearful Man, for in Danger he lo-fes his Hearr, with which he rho.uld help his Friend: The Proud ~an, for he takes that Virtue for a Reproach: He th1t unwillingly remembers he owes any Thing to God, will not reJdily remember he ii beholden to Man. liiflory lays it to the Charge of fome, of this Son of great Men, that un~ eafie tb fee the AUthors ot their GJ"eatnefs, have not been qltier, till they ha,•e accomplHhed the Ruin ofthofethat r:lifed them. Lafily, the Covetous Man, is as i11 at it, as the other two; His Gold baa fpoiled his Memory, and won't let him dare be grateful, tho' perhaps he owes the bdt Parr, itt leafi the Beginning ofit, to another's Favour. As there is nothing more unworthy in a Man, fO nothing in Man, fo frequently reproached in Scripture. How often does God put the Jews in Mind, for their ForgetfulnefS ::~nd Unth:1nkfulnefs, for the Mercies and Favours they received from him, Read Deut. 32. 15. Jefurun waxed fat, and kick'J -againft God, grew unmindful, forgot and for.fook his Rock, that had done mighty Things for him. Thus lllofes, Deut. 3r. t6, q . .A/fo Judg. IC'. 11, 12, J3. and 1 Sam. 8. S. David likewife in his 78. ~C;, tc6. Pfnlms, gives an Hittory of God"s Love to l{rt~el, and their lngrnrit11de. So !fa. IJ· .r to I J. Like~ wife]er. 2. 31. ;2. C. ;. 7· to 20. C. IS'· 6. C. t6. 10, 11, t::, 20, 2r; C. 18. 1). Hof. S: 9· lt is a Mark of Apoftacy, from Chriftianiry, by the Apoftle. 2 Tim. 3· 2. §. 1c. Di/jgl'nce is another Virtue ufeful and laudable among Men: It is a difcreet and underftanding Application of one's felf to Bufinefs ; and avoids the Extre:~ms of Idlenefs and Drud~ery. It gives great Advantages to Men: 1t lofes no Time, it conquers Difficulties, recovers Difappoinr..: tnents, gives Difpatch, fupplies want of Pans; and is that ro them, which a Po11d is to a Spring; tho' ir has no Water of it felf, it will keep what it gets, and is never dry. Tho' that has the Heels, this has the Wind; and often wins the Prize. Nor does it only concern Handycrafu and bodily Affairs, the Mind is alfo engaged, and grows foul, rufty and diftempcr'd without it. lt belongs to you, throughout your whole Man; be no more fanterWg in your Minds than in your Bodies. And if you ltould have the full Benefit of this Virtue, don't baulk it by a confufed Mtnd. Shtm Diverfions; think only of the prefent Bufinefs, till that be done. Be bufic to Purpote; for :1 bufie Man, and a Man of Bufinefs, are two diff~renr Things. Lay your Matters right, and Diligence fucceeds rh'em 1• elfe Pai~~ VoL. I. Advice to Children: is ~olt. How iaborio~s are fome t? _no PuJ1>ofe? Confidtr your End wen. tult your Means to It,. and th~n d1hgently employ them, and you Jrri\'e ~ore yoq_ wou~d ,be, with Gods Bleffing. So/om~'! praifes Diligence \'Cry h1ghly. Flfft, It lS rhe Way .to Wealth: The dJHsmr Hflnd makes Rieh ~rov. t~. 4• !.h~ Soul of tb~ Dilige111 ftNill be m,rde }at, c. q. 4· There i; 3 Fromtfe to It, and one of another Sort ro the Sluggard, c. 2;, 1 1, Secondly, It prefers ~en, ver.- 2']. Seeft rhoJt a AlaR diligent in hi$ Bufinrft he jhalljftmd befiJre Kmgs. Th1rd!y, It preferves an Eliate: Be thoJt·dih,gmr ro /mow the State of thy Flocks, and look well to thy Herd; for Riches ore not fore'!'~,., cb. 27. 23· 24. There is no living upon the Principal, you mUfi be dtllgenr ~o p_referve what you have, whether it be Acquifition or Inheritance; elfen w1ll confume. ln fhort the wifeMJn advifes, Whatfocver rby Hand finds to dtJ, ldo it with thy Migbt. Eccl. 9· ro. As it mends a Tempo-ral State, no fpiritual One can be got or kept without it. Aiojes earneltly preffes it upon the lfradires, Dl'lll. 4· 9. and 6. 7· The Apoftlc Paul com• mends it in the Corinthians, and Titm to them for rhat Reafon 2 Cor. s. 7· 22. So h.e does Timothy ro the Philippians on the fJme Account, aud urges them to Work out their Salvation, Phil. 2. 12. 20, 21. Peter alfo ex· horts. the ~~urches to that Purpo~e: Wbe1'e/ore the ratba Brethren, fays )le, g1ve D1hgence to make JOUr Cflllmg and Eld/ion Jure: for 1/ yoJt do thefe Things you jhaU never fat!, 2 Pet. I. 10. and inch. 3· 13. '4· Wherefore beloved, feeing that you look for fuch Things i (the End of the World and laftJudgment) be diligent th:l.t you may be found of him in Peace, with· our Spot and Blamelefi. Thus Diligence is an approved Virtue: But remember that is a reafonable Purfuit or Executicn of honefi Purpofes, :tnd not aq overcharging or oppreffive Profecution, to Mind or Bod,, of moft lawful Enterprizes. Abufe it not therefore to Amhition or Al·~rice. Let Neceffity, Charity, and Convenitncy govern it1 -and it will be well emplO\''d, and you may expeB: profperous Returns. · §. 11. Fru,gality is a Virtue too, and not of little ute in Life, the bet· ter Way to he Rich, for it has lefs Toil and Temptation. Ir is Proverbial, .A. Penny fav'd H a Penny got ' It h.n a fignificant Moral ; for rbis Way of getting is more in your own Power and lefs fubjefl to HaZJrd, as well as Snares, free of Envy, void of Suits, and is before-hand with Calamities. For many get that cannot keep, and f0r Want of Frugality fpend what they get, and fo come to want what they ha,·e fpenr. But have a tare of the Exueam: want not W_i th Abundance, for that is Avarice, even to Sordidnefs; It is fit you confider Children, Age and t'afuahies, but never pretend thofe Things to palliate and grJtific Covetoufnefs. As I would have you Liberal but not Prodigal ; and diligent bur not drudging; fa I would have you fr~gal but not fordid. If you _can, lay up one half of your Income for thofe Ufes, in which let Ch:niry have at leafi the fecond Confideration j but not ]11dtU's, for that was in the wron~g Place. §. 12. Temperance I muft earnefily recommend to you, throu_ghout the whoJo Courfe of your Life: It is numbred amongfi the Fruits oj the Spiflt, Gal. !i:2, 23, and is a great and rcquifite Virtue. Properly and ftri€Hy fpeaking, it refers ro Diet; but in general may be confider'd as having Relation ro all the Affeflions and l?rat\ice~; of Men. I will therefore;: begin with it in Reg;~ rd to food, the Senfe in which it is cuftomarily taken. Eat to Li\•c, and not Lh•e to Eat, for that1s below a Beafi. Avoid Curiofities :1nd Provoca' ions; let your chiefeft Sauce be a good Stomach, which Temperance will ltelp to get you, You cannot be too pl~in in your Diet, fo you are clean; nor too Sparing, fo you have enough for Nature. For that which keeps the Body low, makes th6 Spirit clear, as Silence makes it flrong. It con· duces to good Digefiion, that to good Reft, and that to :r firm COI,flitution. ~uch leis Feaft any, except the Poor; As Chrifi taught, Lu~e 14. 12, 1 :;. for Entertainments are rarely without Sin ; but tCleive Srra nge1s 1e:~dily. ,~s in Diet fo in .:Jpparel, Obfelve I charge you an exemp.lary Pla~1h~~~ 909 1699· l.fV"U Ch•P· Ill. |