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AN ANALYSIS OR EXPLICATION, &c.

149 briars and thorns, into the world, and planted them in our houses, and round about our dwellings, to keep sin from our souls, or to drive it thence; I humbly beg of thee, that this my sickness may serve the ends of the spirit, and be a messenger of spiritual life, an instrument of reducing me to more religious and sober courses. I say, O Lord, that I am unready and unprepared in my accounts, having thrown away great portions of my time in vanity, and set myself hugely back in the accounts of eternity; and I had need live my life over again, and live it better; but thy counsels are in the great deep, and thy footsteps in the water; and I know not what thou wilt determine of me. If I die I throw myself into the arms of the holy Jesus, whom I love above all things; and if I perish I know I have deserved it; but thou wilt not reject him that loves thee. But if I recover, I will live, by thy grace and help, to do the work of God, and passionately pursue my interest of heaven, and serve thee in the labour of love, with the charities of a holy zeal, and the diligence of a firm and humble obedience. Lord, I will dwell in thy temple, and in thy service; religion shall be my employment, and alms shall be my recreation, and patience shall be my rest, and to do thy will shall be my meat and drink; and to live shall be Christ, and then to die shall be gain.

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"O spare me a little, that I may recover my strength before I go hence, and be no more seen.' "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Amen.

SECTION VIII.

An Analysis or Resolution of the Decalogue, and the special Precepts of the Gospel, describing the Duties enjoined, and the sins forbidden respectively; for the assistance of sick Men in making their Confessions to God and his Ministers, and the rendering their Repentance more particular and perfect.

I. Comm. Thou shalt have none other Gods but me. Duties commanded are, 1. To love God above all things. 2. To obey and fear him. 3. To worship him with prayers, vows, and thanksgivings, presenting to him our souls and bodies, and all such actions and expressions, which the consent of nations, or the law and customs of the place where we live, have appropriated to God. 4. To design all to God's glory. 5. To inquire after his will. n 2

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6. To believe all his word. 7. To submit to his provi dence. 8. To proceed towards all our lawful ends by such means as himself hath appointed. 9. To speak and think honourably of God, and recite his praises, and confess his attributes and perfections.

They sin against this commandment, 1. Who love them. selves or any of the creatures inordinately and intem. perately. 2. They that despise or neglect any of the Divine precepts. 3. They that pray to unknown, or false gods. 4. They that disbelieve, or deny, there is a God. 5. They that make vows to creatures. 6. Or say prayers to the honour of men, or women, or angels; as paternosters to the honour of the Virgin Mary, or St. Peter, which is a taking a part of that honour which is due to God, and giving it to the creature; it is a religion paid to men and women out of God's proper portion, out of prayers directed to God immediately; and it is an act contrary to that religion which makes good the last end of all things; for this, through our addresses to God, passes something to the creatures, as if they stood beyond him; for by the intermedial worship paid to God, they ultimately do honour to the man or angel. 7. They that make consumptive oblations to the creatures; as the Collyridians, who offered cakes, and those that burnt incense or candles to the Virgin Mary. 8. They that give themselves to the devil, or make contracts with him, and use fantastic conversation with him. 9. They that consult with witches and fortunetellers. 10. They that rely upon dreams and superstitious observances. 11. That use charms, spells, superstitious words and characters, verses of psalms, the consecrated elements to cure diseases, to be shot-free, to recover stolen goods, or inquire into secrets. 12. That are wilfully ignɔrant of the laws of God, or love to be deceived in their persuasions, that they may sin with confidence. 13. They that neglect to pray to God. 14. They that arrogate to themselves the glory of any action or power, and do not give the glory to God, as Herod. 15. They that doubt of, or disbelieve, any article of the Creed, or any proposition of Scripture, or put false glosses to serve secular or vicious ends against their conscience, or with violence any way done to their reason. 16. They that violently or passionately pursue any temporal end with an eagerness greater than the thing is in prudent account. 17. They that

make religion to serve ill ends, or do good to evil purposes, or evil to good purposes. 18. They that accuse God of injustice or unmercifulness, remissness or cruelty; such as are the presumptuous, and the desperate. 19. All hypocrites and pretenders to religion, walking in forms and shadows, but denying the power of godliness. 20. All impatient persons; all that repine or murmur against the prosperities of the wicked, or the calamities of the godly, or their own afflictions. 21. All that blaspheme God or speak dishonourable things of so sacred a Majesty. 22. They that tempt God, or rely upon his protection against his rules, and without his promise, and besides reason, entering into danger, from which, without a miracle, they cannot be rescued. 23. They that are bold in the midst of judgment, and fearless in the midst of Divine vengeance, and the accents of his anger.

II. Comm. Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven

image, nor worship it.

The moral duties of this commandment are, 1. To wor ship God with all bodily worship and external forms of address, according to the custom of the church we live in. 2. To believe God to be a spiritual and pure substance, without any visible form or shape. 3. To worship God in ways of his own appointing, or by his proportions, or measures of nature, and right reason; or public and holy

customs.

They sin against this commandment, 1. That make any image or pictures of the Godhead, or fancy any likeness to him. 2. They that use images in their religion, designing or addressing any religious worship to them; for if this thing could be naturally tolerable, yet it is too near an intolerable for a jealous God to suffer. 3. They that deny to worship God with lowly reverence of their bodies, according as the church expresses her reverence to God externally. 4. They that invent or practise superstitious worshippings, invented by man against God's word, or without reason, or besides the public customs or forms of worshipping, either foolishly or ridiculously, without the purpose of order, decency, proportion to a wise or a religious end, in prosecution of some virtue or duty.

III. Comm. Thou shalt not take God's name in vain.
The duties of this commandment are, 1. To honour and

revere the most holy name of God. 2. To invocate name directly or by consequence, in all solemn and pɛ mitted adjurations, or public oaths. 3. To use all thing

and persons, upon whom his name is called, or any way imprinted, with a regardful and separate manner of usage different from common, and far from contempt and scom 4. To swear in truth and judgment.

They sin against this commandment, 1. Who swear vainly and customarily, without just cause, without compe tent authority. 2. They that blaspheme or curse God. 3. They that speak of God without grave cause or solemn occasion. 4. They that forswear themselves; that is, they that do not perform their vows to God; or that swear, or call God to witness to a lie. 5. They that swear rashly, or malicious. ly, to commit a sin, or an act of revenge. 6. They that swear by any creature falsely, or any way, but as it relates to God, and consequently invokes his testimony. 7. All curious inquirers into the secrets, and intruders into the mysteries and hidden things of God. 8. They that curse God, or curse a creature by God. 9. They that profane

churches, holy utensils, holy persons, holy customs, holy sacraments. 10. They that provoke others to swear voluntarily, and by design, or incuriously, or negligently, when they might avoid it. 11. They that swear to things

uncertain and unknown.

IV. Comm.

Remember that thou keep holy the
Sabbath-day.

The duties of this commandment are, 1. To set apart some portions of our time for the immediate offices of religion, and glorification of God. 2. This is to be done, according as God or his holy church hath appointed. 3. One day in seven is to be set apart. 4. The Christian day is to be subrogated into the place of the Jew's day: the resurrection of Christ and the redemption of man was a greater blessing than to create him. 5. God on that day to be worshipped and acknowledged as our Creator, and as our Saviour. 6. The day to be spent in holy offices, in hearing Divine service, public prayers, frequenting the congregations, hearing the word of God read or expounded, reading good books, meditation, alms, reconciling enmities, remission of burdens and of offences, of debts and of work, friendly offices, neighbourhood, and provoking one

another to good works; and to this end all servile works must be omitted, excepting necessary and charitable offices to men or beasts, to ourselves or others.

They sin against this commandment, 1. That do, or compel or entice others to do, servile works without the cases of necessity or charity, to be estimated according to common and prudent accounts. 2. They that refuse or neglect to come to the public assemblies of the church, to hear and assist at the Divine offices entirely. 3. They that spend the day in idleness, forbidden or vain recreations, or the actions of sin and folly. 4. They that buy and sell without the cases of permission. 5. They that travel unnecessary journeys. 6. They that act or assist in contentions or law-suits, markets, fairs, &c. 7. They that on that day omit their private devotion, unless the whole day be spent in public. 8. They that, by any cross or contradictory actions against the customs of the church, do purposely desecrate or unhallow and make the day common; as they that, in despite and contempt, fast upon the Lord's day, lest they may celebrate the festival after the manner of the Christians.

V. Comm. Honour thy father and thy mother.

The duties are, 1. To do honour and reverence to, and to love our natural parents. 2. To obey all their domestic commands; for in them the scene of their authority lies. 3. To give them maintenance and support in their needs. 4. To obey kings and all that are in authority. 5. To pay tribute and honours, custom and reverence. 6. To do reverence to the aged and all our betters. 7. To obey our masters, spiritual governors and guides, in those things which concern their several respective interests and authority.

They sin against this commandment, 1. That despise their parents' age and infirmity. 2. That are ashamed of their poverty and extraction. 3. That publish their vices, errors, and infirmities, to shame them. 4. That refuse and reject all or any of their lawful commands. 5. Children that marry without or against their consent, when it may be reasonably obtained. 6. That curse them, from whom they receive so many blessings. 7. That grieve the souls of their parents, by not complying in their desires, and observing their circumstances. 8. That hate their persons, that mock them, or use uncomely jestings. 9. That discover their

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