,transcribed from the #ahad ,flanders and ,co4 ,many thanks to ,kensington and ,chelsea ,local ,studies for finding this in their archives1 and allowing it to be transcribed4 ,picture3 ,cover of pamphlet ,a ,religious ,tract1 ,,recommending ,a ,,christian',s ,,duty ,,most ,,respectfully1 ,to the ,parishioners ,,of ,,orton ,,on ,,the ,,hill ,,twycross1 ,,in ,,the ,,county ,,of ,,leicester4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,,joseph ,,phillimore1 ,,vicar ,,of ,,orton ,,on ,,the ,,hill4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,atherstone3 ,,printed ,,by ,,flanders ,,and ,,co4 #ahad4 ,religious ,tract1 c4 ,,nothing can be of more moment to you1 than living virtuously on earth1 as the salvation of your souls in future is one of the objects nearest my heart4 ,may you practise this friendly admonition contained herein1 being assured ,i wish no harm or evil to any part of the human race1 but for the love of my ,redeemer1 and the certain hopes of mankind zealous in faith and good works being rewarded with perpetual bliss1 which the wicked and the negligent in pure religion will not inherit1 unless they be reclaimed1 and walk in newness of life1 like the good and faithful which will produce repentance1 and forgiveness from past sins1 is the only object of my addressing this small tract of religion for your future private and public conduct4 ,it is almost ten years since my late most invaluable friend1 ,john ,randolph1 late bishop of ,london1 ,bangor1 and ,oxford1 in the year #ahjd1 conferred on me an everlasting monument of friendship 7which had existed unshaken more than thirty years71 in presenting me to the living of ,orton on the ,hill2 and with tributes of gratitude ,i daily looked upon it my bounden duty to have prayed for him during his life1 and for the benefit of his surviving widow and family1 for their present and future happiness2 knowing you cannot be displeased at my imitating such a great example of ,christianity1 to invite you to pursue the blessed steps of a merciful ,redeemer1 who came into the world to save miserable lost sinners4 ,it was my first inquiry to know your characters and circumstances individually1 and having minutely watched and observed your actions1 though not extreme to mark what has been done amiss1 ,i will allow there has been great improvement in general in religious exercises since my first appearance among you4 ,some exceptions there are1 and ,i am fearful ever will be2 there being scarce any flock without some wandering sheep2 yet happy should ,i be1 if both my parishes were more exemplary in temperance1 integrity1 religion1 and chastity1 than any others in the diocese of ,lincoln2 but remember1 those who have been exceptions1 ,i have gently warned them of their errors and manner of life1 privately at home1 as well as in the church1 to turn from their evil ways1 and live2 for why should the obstinate sinner practise bad habits1 which will ruin both body and soul1 instead of being forgiven by a merciful ,god1 on hearty sorrow and repentance8 ,in the first place1 ,i shall recommend private prayers1 morning and evening1 to you in your respective dwellings1 that ,god may bless your industrious1 honest endeavours1 in this life with prosperity1 and patiently to bear adversity4 ,in the morning1 the first thing you think on1 think on your ,god that made you1 and his ,son ,jesus ,christ1 who redeemed the whole world from sin1 and upon your bended knees offer up these two following prayers1 and when finished1 rise up and say your belief2 and ye that are parents1 teach them your children before you go to your daily labour4 ,let 7me or us7 pray4 ,,our ,father1 which art in heaven1 hallowed be thy name3 ,thy kingdom come3 ,thy will be done in earth1 as it is in heaven3 ,give us this day our daily bread1 and forgive us our trespasses1 as we forgive them that trespass against us2 and lead us not into temptation1 but deliver us from evil2 for thine is the kingdom1 the power1 and the glory1 for ever and ever4 ,amen4 99 99 99 99 99 ,o ,lord1 our heavenly ,father1 almighty and everlasting ,god1 who hast safely brought 7us or me7 to the beginning of this day2 defend 7us or me7 in the same with thy mighty power2 and grant that this day 7,i or we7 fall into no sin2 neither run into any kind of danger2 but that all 7my or our7 doings may be ordered by thy governance1 to do always that is righteous in thy sight1 through ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4 ,amen4 ,stand up to repeat your ,belief4 ,i believe in ,god the ,father almighty1 maker of heaven and earth2 and in ,jesus ,christ his only ,son our ,lord1 who was conceived by the ,holy ,ghost1 born of the ,virgin ,mary1 suffered under ,pontius ,pilate1 was crucified1 dead1 and buried2 he descended into hell2 the third day he rose again from the dead1 he ascended into heaven1 and sitteth on the right hand of ,god the ,father almighty3 from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead4 ,i believe in the ,holy ,ghost2 the holy ,catholic church2 the communion of saints2 the forgiveness of sins2 the resurrection of the body1 and the life everlasting4 ,amen4 ,evening ,prayers before going to bed4 ,,our ,father1 which art in heaven1 hallowed be thy name3 ,thy kingdom come3 ,thy will be done in earth1 as it is in heaven3 ,give us this day our daily bread1 and forgive us our trespasses1 as we forgive them that trespass against us3 and lead us not into temptation2 but deliver us from evil2 for thine is the kingdom1 the power1 and the glory1 for ever and ever4 ,amen4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,almighty ,god1 unto whom all hearts be open1 all desires known1 and from whom no secrets are hid2 cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy ,holy ,spirit1 that we may perfectly love thee1 and worthily magnify thy holy name1 through ,christ our ,lord4 ,amen4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,lighten our darkness1 we beseech thee1 ,o ,lord2 and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night1 for the love of thy only ,son1 our ,saviour1 ,jesus ,christ4 ,amen4 99 99 99 99 99 ,after this private domestic duty to ,almighty ,god1 morning and evening1 ,i should hope with such preparations1 no one will be deficient in public duty every revolving ,sabbath in ,god's holy church1 to enable him to become as perfect a ,christian as possible on earth2 for private prayer is only one part of a ,christian's duty2 to which must be added1 public devotion1 praise1 gratitude1 and thanksgiving1 for daily benefits received from ,almighty ,god1 on the sacred ,sabbath4 ,private prayer without public devotion is imperfect1 like faith without works of charity1 benevolence1 and ,christian love will not complete the true disciple of our ,lord1 like unto ,st4 ,john2 but an union of faith and good works daily practised will plead for mercy1 and a resurrection from the dead to endless happiness4 ,our excellent church requires three necessary offices to be observed1 besides public worship1 as preparatory to our ,saviour's interference for miserable sinners3--,baptism1 ,confirmation1 receiving the holy ,sacrament frequently1 particularly on the sacred days which have a preface appointed to be read in the communion service1 which are on the nativity of ,christ1 or ,christmas-day1 ,easter-day1 ,whit-,sunday1 ,ascension-day1 ,trinity-,sunday4 ,our blessed ,saviour was born in a manger1 on ,christmas-day1 to teach mankind humility2 suffered death on the cross1 on ,good ,friday1 to teach patience and resignation in affliction1 troubles1 and death2 rose again the third day from the dead on ,easter ,sunday1 convincing all the world he had conquered sin and wickedness4 ,on ,ascension-day1 after his most glorious resurrection from the dead1 he manifestly appeared to his ,apostles2 and in their sight1 he ascended up into ,heaven to prepare a place for faithful ,christians4 ,on ,whitsunday1 he sent down his ,holy ,spirit1 like a dove1 upon the ,apostles1 teaching the way1 the truth1 and the light of the ,gospel4 ,trinity ,sunday is observed as a total union of ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost1 in heaven4 ,it is my eager wish1 for the great benefit of both parishes1 as an encouragement to religion1 and the regular practice of it1 that a ,bible1 the ,common ,prayer ,book1 the ,whole ,duty of ,man1 was in every house4 ,the opulent part of the parishes1 ,i have every reason to believe1 have some of these books1 ,bible1 ,common ,prayer1 7perhaps not the book called the ,whole ,duty of ,man71 but ,i earnestly entreat them to buy it4 ,seven or eight shillings will4 ,it contains the whole duly of a ,christian3 it is divided and subdivided into several ,sundays1 and an excellent substitute for sermons2 for if religious discourses are not written by orthodox divines educated at either of our ,universities of ,oxford and ,cambridge1 and well chosen for unlearned people to read1 they sometimes urge the ignorant1 for want of such superior education1 to dive into mysteries which they cannot unfold1 and increase the number of dissenters1 many of whom presume to be teachers1 by law authority1 though without divine authority1 and add greatly to the number of fanatics1 by which means the blind lead the blind1 though perhaps without any original intention of mischief4 ,our blessed ,redeemer was no respecter of persons2 he came to save the poor as well as the rich1 both to be inheritors of the kingdom of heaven2 and it is becoming the poor should practise religion1 and join in the service on the sacred ,sabbath2 for which reason1 it was my wish a ,sunday ,school might be established in both parishes1 which has been done1 one of some years1 from which great benefit has ensued2 the other is in its infancy1 but ,i hope it will flourish1 and be as effectual to stop vice as the other2 for the beginning of all evil in general proceeds from neglect of early duty on the sacred ,sabbath2 but the future advantages of this institution must be considered1 as well as the present2 for after the children have learnt to read1 and having no books1 their parents being unable to purchase any1 what will be the consequence8 ,an oblivion of all their once acquired ,christian duty8 ,if some remedy is not prescribed1 which ,i humbly recommend to all my wealthy parishioners to enter into1 that the word of ,god may never be forgotten from infancy to old age1 but cherished and nourished till the hour of death1 as the most inestimable treasure1 meriting the greatest future reward1 and will never be forgotten by the almighty ,disposer of all human events1 when the humane and charitable will appear before him4 ,i recommend a ,bible in every poor man's house1 but this may be too expensive2 but the one ,i shall offer will not2 as ,i am a ,member of the ,society in ,london for propagating ,christian ,knowledge1 ,i shall have an opportunity of purchasing the books at a reasonable rate2 so as every poor man's house may have a ,testament1 ,common ,prayer1 as ,i have the great satisfaction to assure my parishioners 7of ,orton71 if the parents cannot read1 the children can2 by which means1 whoever comes to church1 may bring a prayer book1 and join in the service1 and the testament read at home4 ,i beseech you to listen to my entreaties for a subscription for the benefit of religion1 and shew your permanent gratitude to the ,almighty for his bountiful harvest2 and likewise for the many great victories gained by our armies and our allies1 in foreign countries1 compelling the insulting tyrant disgracefully to retreat with irreparable loss to his own country4 ,but think1 my parishioners1 how this our native country1 and united dominions1 should excel all others in ,europe in religion and gratitude1 and give every token of present and future praise to the ,god of all mercies1 who has so favourably defended us with his shield and buckler1 never to have permitted the enemy's sword to be drawn in our land during the contest of #bj years4 ,think on the thousands and thousands of innocent men1 women1 and children1 who have fallen sacrifices1 and our country has enjoyed inward tranquillity1 peace1 domestic and public4 ,there are thirty poor houses1 for which ,i solicit from the farmers1 as a token of gratitude1 subscriptions which will enable me to fulfil my most eager desire for every family in the parish among the poor1 to have a ,testament and ,common ,prayer1 by which means they will learn their duty to ,god and their neighbour4 ,the day is hastening 7,o my parishioners7 when ,i shall meet you face to face1 and our mutual examination will pass before a merciful and impartial ,saviour and judge1 to give an account of all our actions2 when hypocrisy1 intemperance1 breaking the ,sabbath and ,god's holy commandments1 will receive their punishment1 and virtue1 religion1 and charity1 their rewards2 for ,i have done my duty as a faithful shepherd1 as far as my frail abilities have enabled me1 to reclaim the wicked1 and exhort the good1 having clothed the naked1 fed the hungry1 visited the sick1 and preached the blessed gospel of salvation to every one of you who have observed the sacred sabbath4 ,when you have shut your pew doors1 recollect1 as many as possible1 these verses of the ,psalm xix4 v4 #ad1 #ae4 8,let the words of my mouth1 and the meditation of my heart1 be always acceptable in thy sight1 ,o ,lord1 my strength and my ,redeemer40 ,when the sermon is finished1 before you go out of church1 ,psalm cxxxix4 v4 #bc1 #bd4 8,try me1 ,o ,god1 and search the ground of my heart1 prove me1 and examine my thoughts4 ,look well if there be any wickedness in me1 and lead me in the way everlasting40 ,i remain1 ,worthy parishioners1 ,your constant well-wisher in things temporal and eternal1 ,,joseph ,,phillimore4 ,vicar of ,orton4