Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

'Dire8ions for each 'Day. :md the reil before cxpreffed, Chap. r6. Dir. 6. ~ 8. H you arc able to manage meditations mcrho– d.ically it will be bert: But Tf you cannot do that, without fa much ilriving as will confound you and diHract you and cafl you int~ ·Melancholy, it is better let your Meditations be more flJVr't and e.Jjie, like ejaculatory prayers. But let thtm ufually be operative to do fame good upon your hearts. . · 9· 1 I· Direct. I I· Tf yau lab3ttr in comp,rny with otblrJ, be provid..d witb Matlfr, Sk._i!l, Re{olution DirtlJ. I I. •nd Zeal, to improve the rirnt in profitable confermce, and to avoid diverfions, as is Diret!ed, Chap. 16. 9· 12· DireCt I2· 1Yhatever y{)tt are doi1zg, in c~Jmp.my or alone, let tbe d.1y ,~e ffient in tl>e imvo;,rd DircCl. 12• t:>:citati11n and e."Crrcife of 1hc GraceJ of tbe foul, a1 well ~~ in extcm.Jl bodily dtttiu. And to that end I<now, tbat there is no extel'ntll duty, but muft h<1ve fomc imemal gr.Jce to animate it, or clrc it is but an image or carkafs, and ·unacceptable ro God. \Vhen you art praying and rcadiitg, there are the Graces of F,qitb, Defire, Love, R(pemanci', &c. w be exerc1fcd there: when you arc alone, Meditation m 3 yhelp eo aduare any Grace as you find mof\ needful: when you are confcrri;zg wirhorhers, you mufl: exerciG: Love to 1hem, and Lave to that trmb about which you do canter, and other Graces a.s the fubjeCtfhall require. when you are provoked. or under fufl:l:ring you have patience to cxcrcife. But cfpecially it mull be your principal daily bufmefs, by the exerdfe of faith to keep your hearts waq.n in the Love of God and your dear Redeemer, and in rhc ht1pe.r and delightful thoughts of Heaven. As the mea;u arc vuious and admit of dt!iber;tion and choice, becJ.u(e dt::y are to be ufed but a1 mcanr, and not all at once, but [omerimes one and fomctimes another, whm the End is {till the fame and p:dl Deliberation or choice: (o all tho[c Gr.zca which arc but me:mr muft be u[ed thus varioufly and with deliberatiOJt and choice ; when the Love of God and of ctetn,;l lift mull: be the conflant tenourand conftitution of rhe mind, as being the fi;zJ.l gr.Jce, which c::>nlilteth with the exerci[e of every othCJ' mediate grace. Never take up with lip-labour or bodily exercifc alone, nor buren thoughts, unlefs your HeartJ be alfo employed in a courfc of duty, and holy breathings after God, or motion towards him, or in the fincere internal part, of the dury which you perform to men: JUST I C E and L 0 VE are Graces which,you mu a fiill cxercife towards all that you have to deal with ln the world. L 0 VE is c11l~d the fultilling of the Law, Rom. 1 3· 1 o. bccaufc the L 0 V E of God and man is the foul of every outward duty, and a caufe, that will bring forth thefc as its dfd}s. _ 9· 13• Dircll. 13· Krrp up a high tj/rrm of Time ; a11d be <ve·y d,y more carrfid tbt yo1t /,fe Dircll. I3• none of y.mr Time, th.:n ) :Jit arc tbJt J"U loft none of y:mr Gold or Silver : Aud if v:~i1s recreatioJII, drcffingJ, feaftingJ, idle talk._, UJtprofitable comp~:ny, or flap) be any of them TemJnationJ to rob yott of any of yvttr Tinu, acciJY'di1fgly heighten yoz1r W.Jtcbfzdr.efi and firm refolHtions agaiilft them. B:: not more careful to efcape Thieves and Robbers, than to efcape that per{on or aCtion or cour[e of lifC, that would rob you of any of your Time. And for the Redeeming of Time efpccially fee, nor only that you be never idle, but alfo that you be doing the GteattjiGood that you can do, and prefer not a l•fs beforla Greater. §. 14· Direct. q:. Eat anddrinl(_ with temperance, and tha.n~fulnefi :fur health a1td not for tmpr~ Dird1. If• firable pleafiere. For qttantity moll: carefully avoid excefs ; For many exceed, for one that taketh roo Jirtle. Never pleafe your appetite in meat or drink, when it tendeth to the detriment of your health. Pr0v. 3 I· 4, 6. It i1 not for Kings to d,-iuk,_IYille, nar j Qr Pri1u:er ftro1tg drinl{ ~ Gh•t flrong drifli<.. to him ibat ~ ready fo prrijh, and rvine trJ 1hofe tbat be of heavy beaftJ, Eccld: Jo, 16. 17• Woe lo thee 0 Land wiJen tby King H JCbild, and thy Princu tilt in the ml)rning. Blcffcdal't tbou0 Land, whot t~y King if the Son ef Noblu, and thy PrinceJ eat i11 due fcajim, f~;r JlrWJ..tb an .. ·i mt for dr:mk,_ennefs. Then mu!\ pomer men alfo rake heed of intemperance and rxcefs. Let ~·o.1r dyet inclin~ rather to the courfcr than the finer fort, and to the cbeaptr than the ~ollly fort, and to Jparing ab(\:tnence than to fulnefi. I would advife Rich ,ncn efpecially, to write in great letters on rhe walls oftheir Dinin~ rooms or P.uloursthefe two fentences. Ezc~t. 16. 49· BEHOLD THIS W A £ T H E I N l QU l T Y 0 F S0 D 0 M ; I' R I D E, ~- U L N E SS 0 f B R E A D and A B UN D A N C E 0 r' I D LE N ESS W AS I N H E R, mitbcr did ff" jlrmgthm tbe b.;nd of the poor and Jttrd)'• Luk. 16. 19, 2)· 1hcre wa.r a ccrrai11 Rich m:m wbich 'A'.11 CL 0 AT El E D IN P U RP LE and S·l L K and FAR E D SUMPTU 0 USLY evtry day--_- Sort remember tb:Jt tbou in thy life time ¥- receivedjt tby good tbingJ. Paul wept when See Dr. H.mr. he mcnttoned them, wlnfe tncl ~ de.Hruliian, rrhofe G,;d U their belly, mrd whofe glory U in their ma,1d's Anno• jhame, lVbo mind earthly tiJingJ, being enemi~1 to tbe Crofs, Phil. 3· 18, 19, 0 live not after the fle!h tat. ldl ye die, Rom. 8. 13· Gal. 6. 8. •,d5· 21, 23, 24· ~· J 5· Direct. 1 5· If a;ty temptatio~t prevail againft you, and you full int11 a1ry finJ befider common in- Dire!!. r 5• firmitiu, prefontly l.tment it, and confifi not only toGod, but to m~n, when confrgialt conduceth more to gt1od th.JH. ht~tm; and rife by a true and rhruHgb repentaitce, imm:diatly witbsut dc/J.y. Spa.re not the fldh and dawh not over the breach, and do not by excufcs palliate the fOre, bt:tt fpeedily rife whatever it coH _:.For it will certai~ly coil you more to go on orro remain_impc~itoot. And for your ordin,;ry i>lftrmme~, make not too l1ght of them, but conte(o;; them, and daily finve againft them; and ex1mine what ilrtn!?,th you get againfl: them ; and do not aggrava.tc them by impenitence and contempt. 9 J6. Dirc.ct. J6. Evrry dJy look_ to the fpccial dutic.r of y:mr feveral Rtlatio;u: whether youarc Diref1, 16: Husb:mds, '..Vives, Pa_rents, Cl~ildrcn,_MJitcrs, Serv.ants, Pailors, People, MJgillratcs, Subj~·Ch, remem– ber th:lt c~ery Relat10~ hath HS ~pcc1al duty, a~d Hs. advantage for the doing of fomc good; And that Go.d rcqu1rcth your fauhfulnefs 111 thefe, as well as 111 any other duty. And that in thtfe a mans fincnrcy or hypocritic is ufually more trytd, than in any other p!It.i of our lives. , Dddd ~~~

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