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.