Volume 1 — ADVICE OF A DYING FATHER TO HIS SON.

ADVICE OF A DYING FATHER TO HIS SON.

Dated January 27, 1716.

[The following article was addressed by the Rev. William Brattle of Cambridge to William Brattle, his son and only child who lived to maturity, while he was preparing for college. The father was a man distinguished for "piety, wisdom, and charity;" and the son "was a man of extraordinary talents and character, acceptable as a preacher, eminent as a lawyer, celebrated as a physician." He was a Major-General in the militia, and much in public office. May it not be supposed that this paternal Advice from an affectionate father to a son of filial affection and an obedient disposition, had great effect in making him what he was? For this and several other articles of an antiquarian nature we are indebted to Charles Ewer, Esq.]

1. Agreeably to what is written 1 Chron. xxviii, 9, My dear Son, know thou the God of thy father, & serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind. If thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

2. Think often of thine own frailty, and of the uncertainly and emptiness of all Sublunary Enjoyments. Value not Self upon riches. Value not thy Self upon any worldly advancement whatsoever. Let faith and Goodness be thy treasure. Let no happiness content and Sattisfie thee but what secures the favour and peace of God unto thee.

3. Remember thy baptism, acquaint thy Self well with the nature and obligations of that Ordinance. Publickly renew thy baptismall Covenant. Renew it Seasonably in thy early Days with humility and thirsty desires to enjoy Communion with God in the ordinance of the Lord's Supper and in all Approaches before God therein bringing faith and Love and a Self abasing Sence of thine own Emptiness and unworthyness.

4. Prize and Esteem the holy word of God infinitly before the finest of Gold. Reverence it with thy whole heart, read it constantly with seriousness, and great delight. Meditate much upon it, make it thy Guide in all thy wayes, fetch all thy Comforts from thence, and by a religious and holy walk, establish thine Interest in the blessed and glorious Promises therein contained.

5. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Reverence God's Sanctuary. In prayer, in Singing, in hearing God's word Read or preached, and in every public administration Wait upon God with outward Reverence and true devotion in thine heart, Remembering that holyness for ever becomes God's house. When in thy more private retirements, Still let it be thy Care to Sanctifie God's Sabbath. Be watchfull therefore over thine heart and over thy thoughts. Call to mind and run over what thou hast heard in God's house. Read Savoury books. Catechise thy Self, and others too when God gives Opportunity.

6. Take care of thy health, avoid all Excess in eating and in drinking, in taking thy pleasure, and in all innocent Recreations whatsoever. Let not immoderate heatt and Colds needlessly Expose thy body.

7. Beware of Passion. Let not Anger and Wrath infect thine heart, suffer wrong with Patience, Rather than to right thy Self by unchristian methods, or by suffering thy spirit to be out of frame.

8. Labour to establish thy Self and begg of God that he would Establish thee in the grace of Chastity, keep thine heart clean and Chast, keep thy Tongue clean and Chast, keep thine hands clean and Chast, keep thine Eyes clean and Chast. Never trust to thy Self to be thy keeper, avoid temptations to uncleaness of every nature, be watchfull over thy Self night and day, but in the midst of all Let thine heart be with God, and be thou much in prayer, that God would be thy keeper. Let all the incentives to Lust as farr as may be, be avoided by thee.

9. Speak the Truth alwayes. Let not a Lye defile thy Lips, be content with Suffering rather than by telling the Least Lie to Save thy Self. Beware of Shuffling off by disimulation.

10. Let Pride be an abomination in thy Sight. Cloth thyself with humility. Let humility be thine under Garment. Let humility be thine upper Garment.

11. Despise no man, let the State of his Body or mind or other circumstances of his, be what they will, still reverence humanity, consider who made thee to differ.

12. Be just to all men; be thou courteous and affable to all men; render not Evil for Evil, but recompense evil with Good. Owe no man any thing but Love.

13. Be thou compassionate, tender hearted, and mercifull; do good to all men, be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; for with such sacrifices God is evermore well pleased.

14. Avoid sloth and idleness, give thy Self to thy Studys; converse with such Authors as may tend to make thee wise and good and to forward thy growth in true wisdom and goodness.

15. Acquaint thy Self with History; know something of the Mathematicks, and Physick; be able to keep Accompts Merchant like in some measure; but let Divinity be thy main Study. Accomplish thy Self for the worke of the Ministry, begg of God that he would incline thine heart therto, and accept thee therin, and if it shall please God thus to Smile upon thee, aspire not after great things; let the Providence of God chuse for thee, and let the Flock have the Love of thy heart; be Solicitous for their Spirituall good, and for the glory of God; and let thy Aims be this way in all thy private meditations, and public administrations, all the dayes of thy Life.

My dear Child, be of a Catholick Spirit.