LESSON V.

Diligence.

Seeft thou a man diligent in his bufinefs; he shall stand before kings; he fhall not stand before mean men. Prov. xxii. 29.

Go to the ant, thou fluggard; confider her ways, and be wife.

Which having no guide, overfeer, or ruler," -provideth her meat in the fummer, and gathereth her food in the harveft. Prov. vi. 6, 7, 8.

Wealth gotten by vanity, fhall be diminished; but he that gathereth by labour, fhall encrease. Prov. xiii. 11.

Slothfulness cafteth into a deep fleep; and an idle foul fhall fuffer hunger. Prov. xix. 15. But the hand of the diligent maketh rich. Prov. x. 4.

eat.

If any man will not work, neither fhould he 2 Theff. iii. 10.

LESSON. VI.

Contentment.

I have learned in whatfoever ftate I am, therewith to be content.

--I know how to be abafed, and I know how to abound; every where, and in all things, I am inftructed, both to be full, and to be hun gry; both to abound, and to fuffer need. Phil iv. 11, 12.

Give me, O Lord, faid Agar, neither poverty, nor riches; feed me with food convenient for

me;

-Left

-Left I be full, and deny thee, and fay, Who is the Lord? Or, left I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. xxx. 8.

1

Prov.

Godliness, with contentment, is great gain. -For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.. 1 Tim. vi. 6, 7.

Let your converfation be without covetoufnefs; and be content with fuch things as you have; for God hath faid, I will never leave thee, nor forfake thee. Heb. xiii. 5.

LESSON VII.

Self-Denial and Mortification.

If any man, faith our Saviour, will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke ix. 23.

Make no provifion for the flesh, to fulfil the lufts thereof. Rom. xiii. 14.

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth. Col. iii. 5.

If ye live after the flefh, ye fhall die; but if ye, through the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of the body, ye fhall live. Rom. viii. 1.3.

To be carnally minded, is death; but to be Spiritually minded, is life and peace. Rom.

viii. 6.

LESSON VIIL

Edification..

• Build up yourselves on your moft holy faith.

Jude, 20.

Take

Take heed, brethren, left there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief,, in departing from the living God. Heb. ii, 1-2.

That the foul be without knowledge, it is not good. Prov. xix. 2.

As new born babes defire the fincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. 1 Pet. ii. 2. Be ye not unwife, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Eph. v. 17.

Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 1 Tim. iv. 13.

LESSON IX.

Meditation.

Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Prov. iv. 26.

We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard; left at any time we fhould let them flip. Heb. ii. 1.

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth; while the evil days come not, when thou shalt fay, I have no pleasure in them. Eccl. xii. 1.

Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his ftatutes. Deut. viii. 11.

I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy teftimonies.

-I made hafte, and delayed not to keep thy. commandments. Pfal. cxix. 59, 60.

O that men were wife, that they understood this, that they would confider their latter end. Deut. xxxii. 29.

LES

See as ye walk circumfpectly, not as fools, but as wife,

-Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Eph. v. 15, 16.

Be fober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Pet. v. 8.

Put on the whole armour of God; that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Eph. vi. 11.

Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the iffues of life.

Prov. iv. 23.

Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and keep the door of my lips. Pfal. cxli. 3. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. Matt. xxvi. 41.

Bleffed are those fervants, whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Luke xii. 37.

LESSON XI.
Company.

If finners entice thee, confent thou not.

-Walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path. Prov. i. 10, 15. My foul, come not thou into their fecret; unto their affembly, mine honour, be not thou united. Gen. xlix. 6.

Ceafe to hear the inftruction that caufeth to err from the words of knowledge. Prov. xix. 27. Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

Avoid it, pafs not by it, turn from it, and pafs away. Prov. iv. 14, 15.

Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

Eph. v. 11. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil.

Exod. xxiii. 2.

CHAP.

VII.

Concerning the Perfection of Holiness.

LESSON I.

Univerfal Obedience.

ET every one that nameth the name of Chrift depart from iniquity. 2 Tim. ii. 19. Follow after righteoufnefs, godlinefs, faith, love, patience, meeknefs. 1 Tim. vi. 11.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honeft, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatfo ever things are of good report; if there be any. virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Phil. iv. 8.

Let us lay afide every weight and the fin which doth so easily befet us, and let us run with patience the race that is fet before us. Heb. xiii. I.

Whether ye eat or drink, or whatfoever ye do do all to the glory of God. 1 Cor. x. 31

If there be firft a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. 2 Cor. viii. 12.

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