1730. fatal to our firft Parents, and feems to infect the Pofterity to this very Day. Fair Eve leaving her dear Adam, coft her dear. She had not been fo open to the Intrigues of vile Satan, if she had had her Adam with her; and though the Female is generally the weaker Veffel, yet her Strength is greatly augmented with the Prefence and Company of her Hufband; and fo is the Hufband in the fame Confideration. Daily Experience teaches, that it is of ill Confequence for Women to go much abroad without their Hufbands, or young Women, without fome Body to protect and defend them, from the Infults of rude Perfons, except on Family, or fome other laudale Concerns. Womens Business being much in their own Families, and Mens alfo; to leave their Wives long, without Neceffity, on Account of Bufinefs, is often hurtful to both. And Men and their Wives to fleep separately if in Health (or by Confent, without good Reasons) is very unnatural, and often tends to leffen the Love and Affection they ought to have for each other.

It is good for married People to advise with each other, about the Affairs of their Families, they being fo nearly related; and to be fubject to one another in Things indifferent; and not ftrenuously to infift on their own Wills, one against another; for that often breeds Contempt, and Difcontent, and mightily tends to leffen the Love and Affection which they ought to have for one another. It would be well for married People to disclose their Differences as little as may be, to any but themselves; and not to be contented or fatisfied, till they are made up again; always remembring their Marriage-Covenant, which is to be loving and faithful till Death. Some married People have been heard to fay, That the longer they lived together, the more they lov'd one quother.

As the Defign of the Almighty in the Beginning was, in his Ordinance of Marriage, that the Man and

the

the Woman should be Help-meets to each other in 1730. divers Relations: So it behoveth us to answer this great End and noble Design, in his Fear.

In our domeftick Affairs, we fhould draw together, and help one another; the Woman in her Houfhold Affairs at home, and the Man in his neceffary Affairs abroad, seeking to God for a Bleffing upon their Labours: And if Accidents happen, or Loffes or Croffes, by Fire or Water, by Sea or Land, the loving Hufband and the tender Wife, will help to comfort the moft grieved with soft and kind Expreffions; fuch as My Dear, fince it is our Lot to meet fuch Difappointments, and great Loffes, fince we could not help it; and we are not become poor through Idleness, or Extravagancy, let's endeavour to bear it as patiently as we can and let us comfort and cheer up one another: We do not know but all this may be for the beft; and if the Almighty fees meet, be can givs us more than ever we yet had. If not, let us endeavour to be content, and try to make it up in loving one another.

And as to Religion, a Man and Woman fearing God, may be very helpful to one another, they having many Opportunities, to fpeak their Experiences to each other; and Times, wherein they may read the Holy Scriptures, and explain their Senfe, of particular Paffages and Places to one another and the Family, without Interruption or Fear of Offence, or offending contending Perfons; and by stirring up one another to true Religion, and the Fear and Worship of the moft High God.

Thus living and continuing in the Love and holy Fear of God, and true Faith of Chrift, they have good Ground to hope at laft to die in his Favour. Oh who would but hope to live and die like fuch a Pair!

T. C.

FREE THOUGHTS

COMMUNICATED TO

FREE-THINKERS:

In Order to promote Thinking on the NAME and WORKS of G O D.

WITH

A RELATION of a remarkable Providence, which fell out at Port-Royal, in Jamaica, fuitable to the Subject, written at SEA.

[The Preface and Poftfcript by another Hand]

The Fool bath faid in his Heart, there is no God, Pfalm

xiv. I.

Th

PREFACE

HE Author, in the Course of his Conversation, having met with fome Perfons, who avowing the Principles be oppofes in the following Tract, have been forward to affume the Character of Free-thinkers, might have thereby been determin'd to fuch a Title and Direction of bis Work. And as it is to be fear'd, the Number is too great of those who love a falfe Liberty both in Anting and Speaking, it is not to be wonder'd at, hou'd they endeavour to justify themselves therein by fo Specious a Pretence as that of Freedom. A Privilege fo unde

niable to every Man, that, without it, none could poffibly be prais'd or condemn'd for any Determination or Action whatsoever; but it must be imputed to that Power alone, which impofes a Neceffity towards either Good or Evil; fo that in fuch Cafe, all Diftinction of Virtue and Vice must ceafe in our Apprehenfions of Morality, and human Society lie in the greatest and most deplorable Confufion for Want of it. Far be it therefore from any judicious or boneft Perfon to endeavor to exclude or difuade any from a just Freedom in Speculation or Practice. But let thofe who pretend to this, entirely fatisfy themfelves, that they have fully and fincerely made use of it, and that in their Enquiries they have faithfully collected, and impartially confidered, that Evidence the Nature of the Subject might bave requir'd, or has afforded them. Those who deny an eternal Existence, Power and Providence, which bath created and preferved thelVorld,feem neither to have obferved Nature, nor confulted that Reafon, which yet fome of them may much pretend to follow. To fuch the following Confiderations are recommended by the Author; which deferve to be read with Attention and Serioufness, for the Goodwill and fincere Views with which they seem to have been written.

The Author to the Reader.

HE Author having been much prefs'd in Spirit to write the following Confiderations upon the prefent Subject and Occafion, begs they may be read with Attention, and examined without Prejudice. He hopes the learned and ingenions Reader will excufe any Faults in Stile or Method, having Refpect to the Sincerity of Intention, which he profeffes to have had in his Undertaking; and humbly prays that a Divine Blessing may attend it, to the Satisfaction and eternal Advantage of all whom it may concern.

Free

1735.

Free Thoughts communicated, &c.

H

AVING had fome Difcourfe with a young Man of bright natural Parts, concerning another World, and of leaping out of this into that in the Dark, which muft needs be very dangerous; and fearing that many take that great Leap out of this World into the next in that Manner, I have been induced to write thefe Lines.

Upon which I cannot forbear immediately afking, What Man in his Senfes will venture (naturally speaking) to leap in the Dark, he knows not where? Or into a Pit, he knows not the Bottom of? To think of it is terrifying, and must needs fhock any confiderate Free-thinker.

Now, though a Man, having a bright Genius, and a large Share of natural Parts, may acquire much literal and natural Knowledge; yet, for Want of a fpiritual Understanding, which is derived from the Divine Spirit, he may greatly err concerning true Faith and Religion, and have no Apprehenfion of the eternal Kingdom, and Judgment of God, or of another World; which it might be well for the Ungodly were not, or were never to be at all: Which, were it to be fuppofed, yet to live virtuously (as the Bishop of Sarum obferv'd to that great Libertine the Earl of Rochefter) would be an Advantage to Men, even in this World.

But if there fhould be an eternal, righteous Kingdom (of which we may be internally and fpiritually fenfible) and a State of Life therein to come; then, O then, what will become of the wicked, and all who forget God! and what Perturbation of Soul muft attend fuch, when, under the Convictions thereof, they

fhall