'Jtf, 10. ,,, '· An bcpo.fttion upon the to b.e fatisfied, and would willingly clofe with their Duty as foon as it is difcover~ t9 them, without fricking at the Examples of others, or their own former contrai'y Pradice; I dare not, I fay1 think them guilty of Prophancncfs · althongh fOr the prefent they may be very much mifguided. ' But for others, thlt either abfent themfelves out of meer Carclcfnefs, and a wretched negleCt of the Commands of Chrift, or only Out of Humour and Froward- .n.efs,.and beca~fe ~hey have been ofanother. way, therefore ~hey will ft iffiy and per· t maciOuOy mamtam 1t; and caft all t he Odmm they can dcv1fe, and all the Dirt they can r ake together, though it be with Lyes and Slanders, upon us; fuch as fcarch for all manner of Arguments, not fo much to fat isfie their Confciences, as mecrly tocaw vil againfl: our VVorfhip; and when they can neither condemn it by Scriptnre nor Reafon, do it by bitter Invetl-ives, odious Reflexions, and a fcoffing Contempt, on purpofe to make it both hateful and r idiculous to t he People; fuch I !hall be bold in the Lord to pronounce Prophane and Irreligiou.s Wretches. And whereas they ny out upt1J1 the Prophanencfs of others, and make that a Pretence why they feparate, and rend the Body of Chrirt into Schifm, they themfelvcs are moft proph:mc defpiGng the Holy Ordinances of Jefus Chrlft, :md thereby making themfelves un~ worthy to be admitted to fuch Holy Myftcries, and worthy to be excluded, and not only by their own volnntary Obftinacy, but by a judicial Cenfurc. So much for the fecond CharaCl:er of a proph.1ne Perfon. Thirdly, He is alfo a prophane Perfon who negleCts the performances of religious Duties in private. Every Houfeought to be a Temple dedicated to God, and every Mafter a Prieft, who fhould offer unto God the dail y Sacrifices of Prayers and Praiw fcs. But alas, how many prophane Perfons have we, and how many propha ne Families, who fcarce ever make mention ofGod but in an Oath, nor never call upon his Name but when they imprecate fome Curfe upon others? How many who wholly negleCt: the Duty of Prayer, and think they {ilfficiently difchargc their Trnfr, if they provide for the Temporal SubGitence of their Families, though they utterly negleChhe Care of their Sou ls, and their Spiritual Concernments? SuchprophaneFamilies as thefe, God ranks with Infidels and Heathens, and devotes them to the fame common Dell:ruaion. Nor ought our Family Duties to be fcldomer performed by us than Morning and Evcnin,e;. · In the Morn ing Prayer is the Key that opens unto tis the Treafury of Qod's Mercies and Bleffings; in the Evening it is the Key that Ihuts us up under his Protection and S:tfc-Gu:trd. God is the great Lord of tlie. whole Family hoth in Heaven and E1tth; otherMall:ersarebttt under him intrufted to fee th.1t thofe who belong to their Charge, perform their Duties both to him and them. One of the yreatell: Services that we can do for God, is to pray unto him, and praife him : And how tmjull: and tyrannical is it for a Mafter of a Family to exaa Service to himfelf, when he 'cakes no care to do Service to his great Lord and Maftcr, .to whom it is infinitely more due? Neither is there any Excufe that can prevail to take off your Obligation from this Duty. · Not ·that thou art ignorant, and knoweft not how to pny; for many are the Helps thJt God hath afforded thee: Do but bring breath and holy Affctl:ions, others have :1lready bratwht to thy hands Words and Exprcffions proper enough for the Concerns of morfFamilies: and be rides, ufe and common ,praCtice will facilitate this Dutv, and by :m inceflJnt confc iencions performance of It , thou wilt th rough the pronl ifed affiftance of the Holy Ghofr, be foon a~ le to fu it t hy Affections with pertinen t Expreffions, and · to prefent both ;n a bGcoming manner unto the Throne of Grace. Not t.he mliltiplicity and incumbrance of thine Affairs : For t~e t~e mor e and the weightier they are, the more n;ed haft tho~ to ask c~unfe l and d.lreel' Jon of Go~, and to beg his bleffing lrpon thee 111 them; without wh1ch t hou w1lt but labour m. the fire, and weary thy felffor very van ity. Not thy Bafhfulnefs and Modefty: For will it not be a fur greater fuame to thee, that thofe whom thou governeft, and per haps over-aweft even by thy rafh and un. t·eafonable Paffions, fhollld be able to over-awe thee from fo excellent and neceflary a Duty? Be alhamea to fin before them; be alhamed to talk loony, to prophane the Name of God, to be in temperate, or unjuft before them, to defile t hy Mouth and their Ears with uaclean and fcurrilo)IS Difcourfcs; be afhamed to neglect thy Duty;
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