Dirrt/. 2. Direa. 3· '/)iret/. 6. Dirctl• 7· Dire/1. 8. HuJV to chaoje the beft place of Service. §. 2•' DireCT. 2· See tiJ:Jt _it be )?Ur firjl •nd principal c.zre, to live i~J fuch a place '~¥'here you have tbe grtattjl hclpJ and fm..:Ucft lnndtrancn to tbt pleafing of God, and the[avin~ of your [out 1 • And · } , a place where )'OU Jha.U have no liberty to!i;t,. nor hav~ yottr flejhly wiU. fuUfiUed., but jhaU be. brjf i:;ru;:J to know and do the wtU of Gr.d, and mrder htm the wtll of yuur S~tptnorJ, It is the mark of thoti! h God forfaketh, to be given up to their own wiU1, or to tluir own heart! luft 1 10 wallz ; 11 thei r at cuun[tlt, P~a}. 8r. 12. ~olive after t~ejlifb, is the ccrrai_n. w~y to enlefs mife;y. J~om. 8. 8, 13~ 0~; be mojt fuPJell to the ~~v of God_, w1th th_e greatefi mortdicauon and denial of our tmJn wiUt, is the mark o! the .m~ft obed1<nt ho:y !oul. Secmg then that Holimf; and fi/f-dmial; the Loving of God, and the mortijjtng of the fhfh, are the hfe of grace, and the health and rectitude of the foul, and the only way (under Chnll ) to our falvatmn; you have great reafon to think that place the bell for in which you have moll helps for Holinrji and felfdenial: And not only to bear ;wienrly the firid 0 '(. of your fupcriors, and the labour which they put you upon for your fouls, but alfo to defrre arnl '}.e,~ after fuch helps, as the greateft mercies upon e~rth. Firft fi•k.. the Kingdom of God and hi 1 righteouf– ,tt{s: Labour mt ( firft) for the fooel that pcrijheth , b~tt for that winch c;rduretb to everLzjli 11 g Ji{t • Matth. 6. ?3· Joh~. 6. 27• Ta!<e care tirfi ~hat your fouls be provided tor, and take that for the beli fervice wh1ch hclpeth you rnofi m the ferv1ce of God, to your falvation. ~: 3· Dir~8:. 3. If it.bt pof!ible, live where there ir afaitliful, powerfu~, convinc~ng !tfini}hr, n:ho[t pubhc~ teachmg, and prrv:ztt: coun[elyou may mal{,e vfe of for your {ou/1. L1ve not, 1f you can avvid it under an ignorant, dead, ~tnprofitable teacher, that will never afford you any contiderable help to lif; up your hearts to a heavenly converfation: But feeing you mufl fpend the fix days in your labour live wJ1ere you have the befi helps, to f~cnd the LordJ·day, for the quickning and comfort of you; fouls, that in the flrcngth of that holy tood, you may cheufully perlorm your fan<!tilied labours on the week days following. Be not like thofe bruitifh perfons, thu live as if there were no life but t'his; and therefOre take care tv get a place, where their b~Jdies may bewell fed and cloathed, and may have tafe, and plcaji,re, :md prrfcrment for the world; but care not much what Teacher there is, to be their Guide to HetJven ; uor whether ever they be ferioufiy foretold of the world to come, or not. 9· 4· D:rect. 4• Live, if yott can obtain fo great amercy, with fuperiorl that fear God, ~nd rviljlJave a c.1re of yom foul!, 4f wcU tM ofyour bodieJ, and will reqNite you to do Godt {ervice ar well tH thtir own: and not witb worldly ungodly Majfers, that will u[e you M they dotheir beajls, to do their work._, and nevtr tak._e care 11 further your jalv.1tiou. for, I· The curfc of God is in the families of the ungodly; and who would willingly l1ve in a houfe that God hath curfed? any more than in an houfe that is haunt– ed with evil fpirits. But God himfclf doth dwell with the godly, and by mmy promifes hath af– fiacd them of his love and bletling: "the curfi ofthe Lord iJ in the houfe o( the wiclzed: hut he hlefftth the habitation ~f tbt juft. Prov. 3• 33· 'the wicl!Jd .-re overtbrowna1td art ,DI, but the boufe of tbt righ– ltoiM fhall ]land. Prov. Il· 7':\ The houfe of the "'ick$d (ball be ovmhrowu, but the Tabcrnacleof the"~'right jhaUflourifh. Prov. J4• I ~~So Prov. r 5· 25· The righteotu ma>t rPi[tly confidmtb the houfi of tbe wiclz.ed: God overthroweth the wicl(.ed. for tiJtit wicl{ednefr. Prov. 21· 12· Go not into a falling houfe~ 2. A Mafier that fcueth God, wilf help tO fave you (rom fin and Hell, and help your fouls to life eter– nal : He may do more for you, than if he made you Kings and Rulers of [he earth. He will hinder you from fin : he will tuch you tO know God, and to prepare for your falvJtion. Whereas :mgodly Mafi:ers will rather di!counge you, and by mocks or threatning~, feck·to drive you from a holy life, and ufe [heir wit, and work._, and authority to binder your .falvation : Or at bcft will take liule care of your fouiJ but think if they provide you food and wages, they have done th, ir parts. 3· A M,frcr that feareth God will do you no nn-ong, but will love you as a ChriHian,. and his fellow fc:rvant of Chrifi, while he commandeth and cmployeth you as his own fervant : which cannot be cxpectcd from ignorant, ungodly, worldly men. 9· 5· DireCt. S· Yet choofo fur:h a fervir:t tlf you are fit to uJtd~rgo-, with the le~{l hindr.met of the fir– vice nf God, andof your fimlr: Neither a life of idlenefs, nor of excefs of bufinefs lhould be chofen~ if f.OU have your choice. For when the mind is overwhelmed with the cues ofyour fervice,and your bo– dies tired with exceffivc labour, you will have litcle time, or heart, or powtr, to mind the m1tters of your fouls with any fuioufndS. Yea, the Lords-day will bt ff>cnt with little curofor[, when the toil of the week days hath left the body fit for nothing but to fleep. A fervice which alloweth you no time at all to pray, or read the Scripture, or mind your everlafiing fiate, is a life more fit for beatis than men. §. 6. Direfr, 6. If yo" caJt altain it, live where yrur feVow fervants fiar God, M well M the M1lcr of 1he family. t'or feUow{erv:mtJ ufually converfe with one ano[her more freqLtently and familiarly than their Mafiers do with any of them. And therefore if a MJl\:cr give you the the mofi heavenly infirultions, the idle frothy talk cif fellow-fervants may .blot ollt all from your memories and hearts~ And their derifion ef a holy life, or their bad examples, may do more hurt, than the precepts ofthe Governors can do good : Whereas when a Mafl:ers counfels are feconded by the goed ?iKourf~ and practice of fellow-fervants, it is a great encouragement to gbod, and keeptth the hea1·t m a 'onunual warmth and refolution. y. 7• Direct. 7· If you wa,t any otze of theft accommodatio11r, be the more diiigtnt in focb. an impro-ve-– me~' of 1/Je rtft, M may make up J9Ur rv.tm~ _If you have a ~ood Teacher and abad M.1jfer, unprov~ the helps ofyour Teacher the more diligently. If you have a bad !VLJjler and good feUow·ftrvantJ, or a guod Majler and bad feUow·fervantJ, thank God for that which you have, and make rhe bdl of 1t. ~· 8. DireCt-. 8. Ifyou would _be accommod.Jtedyour [elves witb the bejt Mafterr 4ild ufoge, lf!bour to be the beft [crv11nl! ; And tbm i1'1 twoto rme bm y JH may h11veyour choice. Good fc:1vants arc 1o fcJrce, and
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