Do not contract many worldly
acquaintances. Learn to be abused without becoming
angry. Do not meddle much with the affairs
of this life. Argue coolly and from conscience,
not for victory. Do not pretend a show of sanctimony
before men. Do not be ashamed of piety in
any company. Whatever else you read, read
a double portion in the scriptures of truth. Shun familiarity with
the men of the world, else celestial truths, as uttered by you, will
be despised. Do not be much concerned about
your own reputation, as long as the truth and the gospel do
not suffer. Learn daily more of Christ and
more of yourself, else your other studies will profit little. Seek not great things for yourself,
seek not great fame, great applause, great comforts, or a great income,
but seek great things for Christ. Seek for Him great glory, many
converts, and abundant fruit of righteousness. Consider the
preciousness of souls, the value of salvation, the weight of the
sacred charge, the terrors of the Almighty, the solemn day
of judgment and your own utter inability. Then shall you have
no vain confidence but depend on God alone. Please all men
so long as you are consistent with the truth, but do not wound
the truth to please any. Set your affections on things
above, so shall spiritual things be your delight and not your
burden. In company, always study to say
something for edification. In this way, you preach every
day as well as on Sundays. Be much with God in secret, so
shall God be with you in public. See that the behavior of every
person in your family is a pattern to all observers and not matter
of reproach to the joy of God's enemies. Let your flock be continually
on your mind, and not only pray with them in public and from
house to house, but carry them to your closet and pray for them
in private. Do not neglect to visit them
at all proper times, but especially embrace those golden opportunities,
sickness and affliction. Have sympathetic feelings with
the sufferings of all your flock Let your life be consistent with
your message. What you preach on Sunday, practice
through the week. Do not only press charity on
the wealthy, but let your example, according to your ability, show
the way. Lend your ear to reproaches rather
than applauses. reproaches may let us see some
of our foibles or failings, but commendation is very apt to kindle
self-conceit, of which everyone has enough. Be temperate in eating
and drinking. Do not, when at a feast, though
temperate at other times, be a glutton or a wine-bibber. With respect to your flock, consider
that you are made the steward of this family, and therefore
must, seeing the great master allows it, provide food for all,
meat for the strong and milk for the weak. Keep an exact list
or catalog of your flock, who is pious or profligate, who is
in affluence or poverty, who is in health or sick, and read
it often. give a pleasant ear when others
are commended, but always frown away that friend who would commend
you to your face. Be scant in exhibiting specimens
of your learning or comments on the scriptures in their original
languages, for a fine grammarian may be but a novice in true piety. in preaching, aim at God's glory
and the good of souls, and then, without deviating from that rule,
please all men as much as possible. Let your sermons be always the
fruit of much study and application, and never dare to serve God or
His people with that which costs you nothing. This Puritan devotional has been
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