2 Much 'Duty is muciJ Mercy. imitate him, and be conformed to him, and to do tbe '1l'iUof God, if they could but ~itow it ; I have dttermined, by God's affifiance, to write thU Boolt for the Ufe of focb, and to give them .from Gods w o..P thofc}'lain Dirc{iio]ls, which arejilite,!l~o rhefeyeral Duties of theidives, and may Guide them fafely in their Tf'alk, ,;.;, God, toLifeE.t<rnal. Expect not here copioU< and tarmjl E'<b.rtations; for that work 1 have ..done~lrcady, and ·~ave now to do with fuch, as fay thc.y aremt~de wiUing, and defirc help againfl their Jgnor~nct, that SI(!U ·and WiU may concurr to ti)eir falvation. I fi>all labour to fpeak as Plainly as I c,an, bec:~.ufe 1 fpeciaUy intend !t fo,.r .rhe ignerqm ; and yet to be competently sxa{i in the Direliio111, lt.fi fuch Readers lofe the benefit by mttlakes ; and I muft fpcak to many C!lj( 1 becaufe I fpeak tofpm._itiu where all ~re not in the fame condition, and tbc fame pcrfo11S are llOt fliJi the fame : And 1herefore if I OlOuld not be brief in the f!arliculars, I Chould be too long in the whok and redioufnefs might deprive fome Readers of the beneht. ' vu~. funt vi~, In FtJmiliti fomeare ( too ordinarily ) Vngodly, in a carnal, u_mcnen·cd fiate; and forne are Godly dllpl~crfq; (1((. in a fiate ofGrace: Thefe are confiderable as Chrijliam [imply, wnh refpc8 to God; or in their Rt!ati– ~"~6~~;eo::~ om t lf othe.rs : Thc~e Relations are eit~er Eccldiafi_ical, Civil or Domefii~al, ( Family-reiatiom.) awiHm. JYam Accordmgly my mtended Method ts, 1. To DJrdl Vngodly Carnal mmds,how to attain to a flate qui /t ?itiis of Grace. 2. To Direll ~ofe that hav.t fovint, Grace, how to Ufe .it; bQt~ in the Co;ztemplative and hl4m_~11H CDIA ftive parts of the~J lives; in their d(!Jirs ofK.tligion, both private and publick_; in their Dtttier tomen; ~ij7Ji:fbr~ fr borh in their E~clefiajl_iul, Civil, and Famiry Relat~ons. And b.y the way to Direct thofe that b.Jve tradidmmt, iU Grace, how to di.fcern zt, and ta:kc the comfort of tt: and to Duect them how to grow in Grace, and dto.Ji:J'!' quodperfovere unto the End. Jam '"' tff • . ~, 4· And if any Reader Chould be difcouraged at the Number of Dntier and Dir<[iions fer before ~i~f1';o~~~~~~~· him, I intreat him .ro co~fider, r. That it is God and not I, that impofeth all rhefc: Duties on'. y·ou; ~ 41 jum Je And who will que_fho~ ht_s Wifdom, Goodnefs or Power tomake Laws for us and all th~ worJd? 2. That ir.tt&roi cajtflf!; every Duty and D1rclJzon IS a mercy to you ; and therefore.(bould not bem111ttr of goefto you, but of fon;ar:mt! q~~~- Tl1an~ : Theyare but like theCommands ofrare_pts to their Children,when they bid them [Eat their !;~~ [:~ ;:,~ meat, and :vear their clothes, andgo ~o bed, and eat not poifon, and tumble not in the din; and cut pol.ibu,sco.:t:tnot your hngers; and take heed qf hre,ap_d. water) &c. J ToJ eaye Ol-lt any ft~ LaJP or Dui)', were g,io, jt~lftq; iif but to deprive you of ~n~xc~1lent rq~rcy; you will not c~t o.ff .or call aw;..y1 any Q1ember of your cor~~ri~t{5 hr,. Body ; any ye!n~ o~ Sinew~r Artpy, upon preten~e (!tat the f-lttmber mal~erh them troubltfome, ~::r:r/"'~:: when the dtmtn~flun~ o~ t t Number would Kill or~Marm you. A Student JS not otfende~ that he wn, iis ~td hath many Book...s m hts L1brary; nor a Tradr{man that he hath £\ore of 1ools; nor the Rtcb at the iUosii: quibus Number of hisFarnZJ orFiock.f. Believe it Reader, it thou bring not a malignant quarr~ornmin<h fu~~ pro[cili, thou wilt find that God hath not burdened, but bleffid rhec, with his holy Precepts, and that he hath ~~~!~t/at~onot appointed_ thee one unneccffary or unprofiu\Jl~; duty; but"o11ly fuch as tend to thy Cmtcnt, and m:es in CiJ oy, and Happtnefs. ~i 11·}/{'l).'&onr~C mrric11/J1m ·::iv01di. ii: lf:ttttrlt datum cof1[urrit, ad a.flra facile rmrutll"f: N~n q11i a:n immodaate, ,;ut i~tttmpmuttrvix~ ui:. Cicero dcllniverf. Jmyrobo bm ,Dt n~-t po;tp. Id. Plr. - . . . . . .. . ,. _ , . . . ~od p ir.ifl i11 bomi,r·on 1 c.urt, mrnJ, f!du, ~l"lfl!~, c_o•cortba.., un~t Wtc ~n tm.rj ~iji o1 p.p.l~f ~~.f!l~~rr_t p6t!ltrUJrt? ~~~"flll fi,f 1n WPI)J! CMff– um, ratio, piudtnJi.t, iiU n~ dJ Dtli brl:C 1pf.r-IJJ.Otlt lffaJpa.: NU hab!l't fo/U71, frd ttMm lm UH, ,,, O(tlmu, & INL'U0U.S H~Hl. CJcero d.: Nar. Deor.li. 2. I''~· 76· . .. . , . . . . . . . , . _ _ _ .ff!..UIIdji panu_, fi lllfttl! fuppl:w~ i/4:1_tpa Wpdmio, ~<~rrrct 40. tflJIIiM[.t {4fiiJ~l_ofl1q; VJ,t.t, rcmo tfl .'iiJ•flUI: At JRCaW pmHf IMbmdJ [ur.t jlf'p-fobi. Callidt, aonbo•l fimt, IJ •I lltlllt.t'e tallwm, IIOil '#~J hoP...dfo, _ut b_o~t, -.:~f {t_,u, lliOVtiUhr. C1c. Je ~t·g. 1. J. p. 18y., . Ut ilil;ii intmfJ, utrum ~~~mo 'l.m/t.,t, an IWI/0 pof/it 1/,t/J:rc; {t: r.qn MteNtgo qwd. tllurfit, l#rwn nemo fit [a(tNJ , a•z 1umo ~0~ poflir. Oc. de N•t. D!ur. ]. ;. -p. 1 ;s. cic_cro ~:IS :afr1id t~fpeak~wh_ar _he k~ew of the llnityo_f ttleEtern~l OoJ the Maker of all: !Uum qua(i pauntrm hujtM t!ilivrtjif-at"U. 'invtnirl dt(fiCIJc: & c:lm j,IVlN:r~ l!Uiica.rc M o.Ju!gns m{as. l !b. ~le llmvof. P· l.. And the rant; he f:ttth Ltb. 1. d~ Nat. DCrit. 0 let i.t be the daify earnell prayer of me and thee, that our Hearts prove not fulfo and tmwil!brg VI4lt De.rts q>~odammo-Jo pati vim_; & lmf~m·. ~o fOllow·_t·he Dir~aio1tt which are glveo us ! lelt we ~ondemn our fely~_s 1tl.1' t{lbm~{ti-.e,'iradbtu{.zc~enti~<mfc pul4ri m the thmgs whiCh we allow. Your frJlitecnow Wllllhc::w, Whether!~ [oli,U..ri1:oc. udir. Jof,.t\colbl.4. c.r:t.. P· 396· 'be through want ofJfi'iUor Sk_rU, if henceforth you unflithfully 11eglett your duty. If you are Jrilling, ob•y now what is plainly taught you, and OJCw by yQu< diiig•~ce, that you are willing. CH A.P.
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