1JireEfian~ lo jr1rther the SalJJation of one miotl>er. "'from them, nor todraw me to the Love of God and holineCS, by faith in Chrill; You did not go ~'before me, with the good example of a holy and heavcn1y conVerfation! but with the evil exampl~ H Of an ungodly, fldhly, worldly life: You neither cared for your own foul, no~ m~ne :_ nor~ for ''yours or mine own; and ~ow we are juilly condemned together, that wo~ld not .ltve ~n ~ohne.fs '' together! J 0 foolifh mtfcrable fouls, that by your ungodlinefS and negligence 10 thts lite, w11J prepare each other for fuch a life of endlefs wo and horror. . . 0 therefOre tcfolve without delay, to live rogerAer as the heirs of Heaven, and to be helpers to ~~rel:hon~ to each others fouls. To which cmd I will give you thcfe following Sub-direCtions, which if you will o;h~r ~:f:1!va· faithfully pra6tife, may make you to be fpccial bldfings to each mher. tion. §. 15· DireCt. I· If you Wo1t!d htlp to fave each others fouls, you muft e~tch of you be fure tbat Subdirefr.J • yoH have a care of your own: ar.d rttaiJt a deep and lively apprebenfion of thr{e great and everlaftilfg , matters, of n'bich yon are to [peal{. to others. It cannot be rcafonably cxpe6\:cd rhat he fhould ·ha_ve Gen.:~.. 18 · a due compaOion to anothers foul, that hath none to his own: and rhat he fhou\d be at the p1ms tint is needful to help another to Calvarion, that fetteth Co linle by his own, as to fell ir for the b1fe and rnornentany eafe and pleafure of the flelh. Nor is it t0 be expeded that a man lhuuld fpeak with o.ny fuitable weight and ferioufnefs, about thofe matters whofe weight his heart d1d nevet feeJ and about which he W«S never ferious himfclf. Firfi fee ·that you feel throughly , that which you would fpeak profitably: and that you bc what you perfwade another to be; and that all your counfel may be perceived to arife, from the bottom of your hearts ; and that you fpeak of things ~hich by experience you are well acq~ainre~ with. . . _ . _ .... . 9· 16. Direct. 2. 1'alze tbofe opporttmmes wluch your ordmttry nearnefi and fannltarzty afford· SubdtrW·2• etb you, to be [pea~ng {crioujly to each other &bout the.matters of GMi a1rd your {alv.Jtion. When you lye down and nfc rogerher, let not your worldly buhnefs have all your talk ;. but let God and your fouls have the firff and the /aft, and at leall the fieeft and fwmrj! of your lpeech, If nor the moft: When you have faid fo much of your common bufincfs as the nature and difp1tch of it re~ quircth, lay it by, and talk together of the /late and duty of your foulstowards God,-and of your hopes of Heaven,. as thofe that take thefe for their greater bufinefs. And fpt:ak not ligbtly, or ten~ reverently or i,n a rude and wrangling manner, but with gravity and fobriety, as thofe that are advifing together about the greatell matter, that ever they had to do in the world. S . bd" a §· '7· Di"tl:. 3· Whw either H1uband or Wife ;, [peakjng feriaufly aboztt b,>ly thi•gJ, let the otbcr " "' ·3• be careful to cherijh, and not to extinguijh and put an .end to the di{courfo. There are two wayes to chcrijh fi.tch difcourfe: The firll is, by taking your turn, and bearing a due proportion in the difcourfe with wifdom and gravity: But all cannot do this: Come are but learners, and thofe mufi take the fecond way, which is to ask for refolurion in matters of which they doubt, or are uninllruC!cd ; and todraw on more by pertinent ~€Clions. The two wayes by which fuch difcourfe is filenced are thefe: The firfijs by the conl!ant filcnce of the hearer: When a man talketh as to a poll, that giveth him no anfwcr..,. .·nor putteth any pertinent quefiion, he will be wraryed out at !all, and will give over: The f~cond is, by a ctoCs, contradicting,-cavilling, wrangling againfi what is fpoken, or qy inter~ ruptions and diveriions; when you come in' prc:fently with fome worldly or irt;~pertincnt talk, and winde about from fober conference, to fomething that is uncdifying: And fame that will not Ceem meerly profane, and vain, ana worldly, will de'firoy all holy fruitful conftrcnce, even by a kind of Religious talk; prefently carrying you away fromHtart-flarchin7_ and Heavenly difcourfe, to fame Controver(lt, or dol1rinal, or formal, or hijlorical matter, that is fUfficiently dillant from the Heart and Heaven. Take heed of thefe courfes, if you would help each other. 9· 18. Direct. t· 1Yatch ovtr the heartr and liva of one ano~her, ,znd labour to ~ifcern tht ~ate of Subdiretl.4. Me snothers fouls, and tbe ftrtngtb or weak._neji of each others {ini and gracu, anti the failint.t of ucb othert _ltvet, t~at fo you may ht able to apply to one another· 1be mojl fuitable help. What you are unacquamted wuh, you cannot be very helptul in: you cannot cure unknown difeafes: you can- ~latth :1.7.19. not give wife and fafe advice, about the fiate of one anothers fouls, if you are mifiakcn 'in th~m. God ?ath placrd you ne~refi . to each other, that you might have fo much i 11 ttrejf in each other' as \ to qutcken_you to a lovmg care, an? fo much acquaintance with each ether, as to l<eep yeu from mif. u?derlbndmg, and fo fr~m negletbng or deceiving one another; And you fhould be alwayes pro~ vu:led of thofe ,fit remedtes, that are mofi needful and fuirable to each others cafe: If that Pr~achcr ~e like to. be .duH and unfuccefs~ul, that ~s all upon merr Dofirint, and little: or-boilllng in cl_ofe and lively apph~atJ.oH) you may conce1ve that It will be fo alfo with your familiar_Conference. 9· I~. DucC{. 5· See that you mither flatter oH~ a1:othcr tbrough fond aHd (o,Li.fh. love, nor _e,~afpe~ Suhdird1. 5 • ra!e one another. by a paf!ionate or contemptuou1 k!nd of reprehwfil}n. Some perfans ate fo bltnd-ed With fond affeCbo_n, that ~hey can fcarce lee in Husband , Wife O! G:hildren any ag.gravated fin or rni· fery : _b~t they think all IS well that they do, or not fo ill, as in another they Would perceive it ; But r_h~sJs the fa_me cou~fe that felf~loving finners take with. their own fouls, to tlleir delufion· and perdmon. ThJs flacterm~ of your felves or others, is but the Devils chartnl t~ keep you from effectual repentance and falvauon: And the Cilfe of fuch Anodynes andJNarcot·ic-!<5 dorh •endure but a lit~ tl_e while. Gn the other fide, fame cannot -Q)eak to one anorher of their ·'faUltS without fudi b~t~ernefs of paffion, 'or contempt, as tendeth to make the fioffiaeh of the receiver ; 0 lathe the Medictne, and fo to refufc it, or to cafi it up. Ifcommon reprodfs tci firangerS muft all be offered irt Love, much more between the nearefi relations. . ) . ~· 20•. Direct. 6. Be fore that jou k~ef up ttue ConjHg~l love :o .Jne anothtr, aitd.tbtilt you grot11 not to Subdirti.6• dif•ffe/1 rbt prrfons ofeach ot!Jtr. For If you do, you Will defpife each others counfels and reproofs. They
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