Christian Classics
‹ Holy Living
Contents
A Sketch of the Life and Times of Bishop Taylor. · Part 1A Sketch of the Life and Times of Bishop Taylor. · Part 2A Sketch of the Life and Times of Bishop Taylor. · Part 3Chapter 1. Consideration of the General Instruments and Means Serving a Holy LIfe, by Way of Introduction.The first general instrument of Holy Living, Care of our TimeRules for employing our Time.The Benefits of this Exercise.The Second General Instrument of Holy Living, Purity of Intention.Rules for our Intentions.Signs of our Purity of Intentions.Section III. The Third General Instrument of Holy Living; or the Practice of the Presence of God.Several Manners of the Divine Presence.Rules of exercising this Consideration.The benefits of this Exercise.For grace to spend our time well.The first Prayers in the morning, as soon as we are dressed.Another Form of Prayer for the Morning.An Exercise to be used at any time of the day.Evening Prayer.Another form of Evening Prayer, which may also be used at bed-time.Ejaculations and short Meditations to be used in the night, when we awake.>A Prayer for holy intention is the beginning and pursuit of any considerable action, as Study, Preaching, etc.A prayer meditating and referring to the Divine presence.Of Sobriety in the General Sense.Evil Consequences of Voluptuousness or Sensuality.Degrees of Sobriety.Rules for suppressing Voluptuousness.Of Temperance in Eating and Drinking.Measures of Temperance in Eating.Signs and Effects of Temperance.Of Drunkenness.Evil Consequents to Drunkenness.Signs of Drunkenness.Rules for obtaining Temperance.Of Chastity.The evil Consequent of Uncleanness.Acts of Chastity in general.Acts of Virginal Chastity.Rules for Widows or Vidual Chastity.Rules for Married Persons, or Matrimonial Chastity.Remedies against Uncleanness.Of Humility.Arguments against Pride, by way of consideration.Acts or Offices of Humility.Means and Exercises for obtaining and increasing the Grace of Humility.Signs of Humility.Of Modesty.Acts and Duties of Modesty, as it is opposed to Curiosity.Acts of Modesty as it is opposed to BoldnessActs of Modesty as it is opposed to Indecency.Of Contentedness in all Estates and Accidents.Instruments or Exercises to procure Contentedness.Means to obtain Content by way of considerations.Poverty or a low fortune.The Charge of many Children.Violent Necessities.Death of Children, or nearest Relatives and Friends.Untimely Death.Death unseasonable.Sudden Death, or Violent.Being Childless.Evil or unfortunate Children.Our own Death.Prayers for the Several Graces and Parts of Christian Sobriety.Chapter III. Of Christian Justice.Of Obedience to Our Superiors.Acts and Duties of Obedience to all our Superiors.Remedies against Disobedience, and Means to endear our Obedience; by way of consideration.Degrees of Obedience.Of Provision, or that part of Justice which is due from Superiors to Inferiors.Duties of Kings, and all the Supreme Power, as Lawgivers.The Duty of Superiors as they are Judges.The Duty of Parents to their Children.Rules for Married Persons.The Duty of Masters of Families.The Duty of Guardians or Tutors.Of Negotiation, or Civil Contracts.Rules and Measures of Justice in Bargaining.Of Restitution.Rules of making Restitution.A Prayer for the Grace of Obedience, to be said by all Persons under Command.A Prayer to be said by Subjects when the Land is invaded and overrun by barbarous or wicked People, enemies of the Religion or the Government.A Prayer to be said by Kings or Magistrates for themselves and their People.A Prayer to be said by Parents for their Children.A Prayer to be said by Masters of Families, Curates, Tutors, or other obliged Persons, for their Charges.A Prayer to be said by Debtors, and all Persons obliged, whether by Crime or Contract.A Prayer for Patron and Benefactors.Chapter IV. Of Christian Religion.Of the internal Actions of ReligionSection I. Of Faith.Signs of true Faith.The Means and Instruments to obtain Faith are,Of the Hope of a Christian.The Acts of Hope are,Rules to govern our Hope.Means of Hope, and Remedies against Despair.Of Charity, or the Love of God.The Acts of Love to God are,The Measures and Rules of Divine Love.Helps to increase our Love to God, by Way of Exercise.The two States of Love to God.Cautions and Rules concerning Zeal.Of the external Actions of Religion.Of reading or hearing the Word of God.Rules for hearing or reading the Word of God.Concerning Spiritual Books and Ordinary Sermons, take in these Advices also.Of Fasting.Rules for Christian Fasting.The Benefits of Fasting.Of keeping Festivals, and Days holy to the Lord; particularly the Lords Day.Rules for keeping the Lords Day and other Christian Festivals.Of Prayer.Motives to Prayer.Rules for the Practice of Prayer.Caution for making Vows.Remedies against Wandering Thoughts in Prayer.Signs of Tediousness of Spirit in our Prayers and all Actions of Religion.Remedies against Tediousness of Spirit.Of Alms.Works of Mercy, or the several Kinds of corporal Alms.Works of Spiritual Alms and Mercy are,Rules for giving Alms.Motives to Charity.Remedies against Unmercifulness and Uncharitableness.Remedies against Anger, by way of consideration.Of Repentance.Acts and Parts of Repentance.Motives to Repentance.Of Preparation to, and the Manner how to receive the holy Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.The Effects and Benefits of Worthy Communicating.A Prayer for the Graces of Faith, Hope, Charity.Acts of Love by way of Prayer and Ejaculation; to be used in private.A Prayer to be said in any Affliction, as Death of Children, of Husband or Wife, in great Poverty, in Imprisonment, in a sad and disconsolate Spirit, and in Temptations to despair.Ejaculations and short Meditations to be used in time of Sickness and Sorrow, or Danger of Death.An Act of Faith concerning the Resurrection and the Day of Judgment, to be said by Sick Persons, or meditated.Short Prayers to be said by Sick Persons.Acts of Hope, to be used by Sick Persons after a pious Life.A Prayer to be said in behalf of a Sick or Dying Person.A Prayer to be said in a Storm at Sea.Then make an Act of Resignation thus:A Form of a Vow to be made in this or the like Danger.A Prayer before a Journey.A Prayer to be said before the hearing or reading the Word of God.A Form of Confession of Sins and Repentance, to be used upon Fasting Days, or Days of Humiliation, especially in Lent, and before the Holy Sacrament.The Prayer.Special Devotions to be used upon the Lords Day, and the great Festivals of Christians.A Prayer to be said on the Feast of Christmas, or the Birth of our blessed Saviour Jesus; the same also may be said upon the Feast of the Annunciation and Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary.A Prayer to be said upon our Birth-day, or Day of Baptism.A Prayer to be said upon the Days of the Memory of Apostles, Martyrs, etc.A Form of Prayer recording all the parts and mysteries of Christs Passion, being a short history of it: to be used especially in the week of the Passions, and before the receiving the blessed Sacrament.The Prayer.A Form of Prayer or Intercession for all Estates of People in the Christian church. The parts of which may be added to any other forms; and the whole office, entirely as it lies, is proper to be said in our preparation to the Holy Sacrament, or on the day of celebration.The Manner of using these Devotions by way of Preparation to the receiving of the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper.A Prayer of Preparation or Address to the Holy Sacrament.Ejaculations to be said before or at the receiving the Holy Sacrament.

Jeremy Taylor · 73 of 155

The Duty of Parents to their Children.

1. ‘Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath:’ that is, be tender-bowelled, pitiful, and gentle, complying with all the infirmities of the children, and, in their several ages, proportioning to them several usages, according to their needs and their capacities.

2. ‘Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord:’ that is, secure their religion; season their younger years with prudent and pious principles; make them in love with virtue; and make them habitually so, before they come to choose or to discern good from evil, that their choice or to discern good from evil, that their choice may be with less difficulty and danger. For while they are under discipline, they suck in all that they are first taught, and believe it infinitely. Provide for them wise, learned, and virtuous tutors, and good company and discipline, seasonable baptism, catechism, and confirmation. For it is great folly to heap up much wealth for our children, and not to take care concerning the children for whom we get it: it is as if a man should take more care about his shoe than about his foot.

3. Parents must show piety at home; that is, they must give good example and reverend deportment in the face of their children; and all those instances of , which usually endear each other — sweetness of , affability, frequent admonitions, all significations of love and tenderness, care and watchfulness — must be expressed towards children, that they may look upon their parents as their friends and patrons, their defence and sanctuary, their treasuer and their guide. Hither is to be reduced the nursing of children, which is the first and most natural and necessary instance of piety which mothers can show to their babes; a duty from which nothing will excuse, but a disability, sickness, danger, or public necessity.

4. Parents must provide for their own, according to their condition, education and employment: called by St. Paul, ‘a laying up for the children;’ that is, an enabling them, by competent portions, or good trades, arts, or learning, to defend themselves against the chances of the world, that they may not be exposed to temptation, to beggary, or unworthy arts. And although this must be done without covetousness, without impatient and greedy desires of making them rich; yet it must be done with much care and great affection, with all reasonable provision, and according to our power: and if we can, without sin, improve our estates for them, that also is part of the duty we owe to God for them. And this rule is to extend to all that descend from us, although we have been overtaken in a fault, and have unlawful issue; they also become part of our care, yet so as not to injure the production of the lawful bed.

5. This duty is to extend to a provision of conditions and an estate of life. Parents must, according to their power and reason, provide husbands or wives for their children. In which they must secure piety and religion, and the affection and love of the interested persons; and after these let them make what provisions they can for other conveniences or advantages; ever remembering that they can do no injury more afflictive to the children than to join them with cords of a disagreeing affection; it is like tying a wolf and a lamb, or planting a vine in a garden of coleworts. Let them be persuaded with reasonable inducements to make them willing, and to choose according to the parent’s wish; but at no hand let them be forced. Better to sit up all night than to go to bed with a dragon.