much to be Lamented: Paffion fo governs fome, as if their Tongues were fet on Fire from Hell. Ninthly, Thinketh no Evil; he would do Evil to none, nor readily take up Evil of another, to have uncharitable Thoughts of him; he will not be ready to Charge his Brother rafhly upon every Report. Tenthly, Rejoiceth not in Îniquity; he doth not rejoice in the Faults of others. Eleventhly, He rejoiceth in the Truth; he rejoiceth that Truth profpereth, and that an Innocent Perfon's Righteousness is cleared up. The Apoftle in winding up the Marks of it, fhews it is every way Excellent; it beareth all things believeth all things, hopeth all things; he beareth all things, all Evils he meets withal, he believeth all things good of his Brother, fo far as Charity may not injure Truth.

There be many that account themselves to have paffed from Death to Life, which fall fhort of thofe Characters of Love: We may all Lament we find it fo cold in our felves to them that bear Chrift's Name and Image. I Befeech you, dearly Beloved in the Lord,, be much in Love, for God is Love: To be a loving Saint, is a fign of a lively Saint; many Waters cannot quench the Fire of Love

Eighthly, Let me Befeech you in the Name of the Lord, that you would fet up Godliness in your Families; we can never expect Holy Affemblies while Godliness is neglected in Famílies. Children and Servants not being Inftructed at home, is a great Cause of their being unprofitable under the Word Preach'd. Godly Inftruction is too much neglected both to Children and Servants by Profef fors in our Age; I am afraid, there are fome that fcarce a favoury Word drops from their Lips alk

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the Week to their Family. How can it be thought that unfavoury Spirits ever got good to their own Souls? They that keep all to themselves, it is to be feared have got little to themselves; the good Man brings forth good Treasure, New and Old. Let me intreat you, dear Chriftians, what foever Station you are in, whether Parents or Mafters, whether Children or Servants, that you do not neglect private Prayer twice in the Day at leaft ; if you have Opportunity to Pray oftner, do not flip fuch fair Seafons. If you neglect private Prayer, do not expect to thrive in Godliness; God gives his Alms at Wifdoms Gate: And let me Befeech you that are Parents or Governors, keep up Publick Prayer in your Families, look to it, that you are not numbred among the curfed Families, that call not upon the Name of the Lord. The private Houfe is the Chriftian's Chappel of ease, to Worship God in daily with his Family: The Church begun in a Family, and is upheld ftill by the Piety of private Families. If the Nursery be not preferved, the Orchard muft needs in time Decay. We cannot expect that Family to thrive in Godliness, where Publick Prayer is neglected. What Praying Perfons might fome Children or Servants have been, had they been called to that Duty by Parents or Mafters, when they were under their Governments! Methinks, if Perfons love their own Souls, it fhould cause them to love and pity the Souls about them. It would be a great Cruelty in Parents, to spend all, they get upon

*The Mother would think the Suking Child not well, if it should forfake the Breaft a whole Day; fo mayeft thou think thy Soul is not right, that can pafs a Day without craving any Spiritual Repast in Prayer. Mr. Gurnal's Compleat Chriftians Armoun.

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themselves, and let their Children ftarve. Employ fome of that Talent that you have got for the furtherance of their Salvation: Should not you be willing that they fhould find the way to Heaven as well as your felves? They have as precious Souls as you, and if you have tasted sweetness in drawing nigh to God, will you deal fo unkindly to hinder your Family of partaking of the Bleffing with you? If you Complain of your Weakness in parts, or Bashfulness makes you backward to this Duty; I Answer, It is not your Weakness in Parts will be any hindrance of your Prayer's Acceptance with God, nor will it prevent a Bleffing from your Family; God looks at the Uprightness of your Hearts, not at the Excellency of your Expreffions; but if you would Study your own and Families Souls wants, you would as well know how to go about this Duty, as you know in their Neceffities in the World, how to go about your worldly Business to maintain them, and fupply their outward Wants. And as for Bafhfulness, if your Children were Perishing for Bread, you would put on Courage to Beg with them, rather than let them Perith; how much more fhould you put on Courage to go with your Perifhing Childrens and Servants Souls to the Throne of Grace to beg Grace for them, as ever you would have your Fa mily thrive under the Publick Ministry, as ever you would have them in their Duty toward God and yourselves, as you would have Obedient Children and Faithful Servants, as ever you would have your Children and Servants feparated from a vain wicked World, as ever you would bless God that you were their Mafters or Parents in a dying Hour, keep up Conftant and Publick Prayer with them in your Family.

Ninthly,

Ninthly, Let me Intreat you to Love the Truth for Truths fake; think not the worfe of it because most undervalue it; let not their low Efteem of the Truths of Chrift damp your Affections to it; enquire not who is on your fide, before you take it up, as the Pharifees did; Have any of the Rulers believed on him? Some, if they have not the most and higheft on their fide, think Truth not worth their owning. It is the Mifery of many, they never made their Faith nor Religion their own; what is accounted beft among Men, is always beft to them; it is what Men Teach, that is accounted beft by moft People, they adhere to it, more than they will to the Truth of Chrift, tho the best Man Teach them. They that are most for Sinners Good, are not counted Good with Sinners; they that Preach Chrift freely to the worst of Sinners, are counted the worft of Men: Though Truth is come to a bad Market, and fold at a low Rate, and few Buyers, I befeech you, have never the lower Efteem of it, Buy it as your choiceft Crown; if you hold fast the Crown of Truth, when Chrift comes, he will give you a Crown of Glory. Many, I am perIwaded, that are convinced of the Truth, do not own it, because it goes in a mean Drefst Many will hold with every thing the Church that they are of holds, though they know nothing aright they hold: Such are for Performance or Omiffion, they will do as others do, but nothing from a right Principle: Beg of the Lord that you may fee the Beauty and Glory that is in the Truths of Chrift, that you may highly prize Truth, when you fuffer the greatest Reproaches and Evils for owning the same.

Love Truth for its own Sake, Honour it for Chrift's Sake, Commend it for others Sake, Follow it for your own Sake.

Laftly, Let me earnestly Intreat you to Pray for me, that I may both in Life and Doctrine be a Burning and fhining Light, that I may find the Power and Relifh of thofe things upon my Heart that I give out to you and others, that I may be an Inftrument in the Hand of Chrift to bring many Souls to him, and Build up those that are brought in, in their moft Holy Faith, and that utterance may be given me, with a Bleffing from Heaven upon my unworthy Labours, that they may not be Vain, but that I may daily fee the Travel of my Soul; it is God alone can open Hearts, and unlock the Treafury of Grace in the Gofpel, and make known the Mystery of the Gofpel. It is not the Hand that Sows the Seed, but God's Bleffing that gives the Increase. And if you would have me bear you upon my Heart before the Lord at the Throne of Grace, pray give me a Meeting oftner there, if you expect me to Water you, pray that I may be watered. People little confider what good they keep back from their own Souls, in not Praying for their Minifters: Many are readier to Reproach them, than to Pray for them, and to Rejoice in their Falls, than to Pray that they be upheld. How many

that have Excellent Gifts and Parts do little Work for God, bring little Comfort to Souls? If fhining, they are not burning Lights, they leave Cold Earthly proud Hearts: I think one Caufe may be, they have not been earnest at the Throne of Grace, that a Bleffing may attend their Labours. People may be much in admiring such Minifters Gifts, when the Word they Preach takes