W

Wait on the Lord and he will direct your way. Become his servant for this is the way to attain your truest liberty.
Weep with those who weep and 'fellow-feel' the afflictions of your brothers around the world. Christ in heaven accounts the sufferings of his saints his own, and we his members on earth must do the same. Religion and mercy are well matched by God and must not be divorced by man. As for the miseries and sins of the age in which you live, mourn also for them and pray to God for remedy.
Wish not a long life so much as good health; he has lived long who has lived well. A short life in grace sets into the everlasting life of glory.

UV

Vow to God and keep it: especially strive in performing the solemn vow of your baptism, and the covenant which you renew in the Lord's Supper
Variance and discord with men will not stand with your peace with God. If you love God, you will love men also, for God's image or else for his commandments sake.
Use the world as not using it, and your prosperity and liberty to be bettered by them. That is not gained which is got with the loss of your soul, and the soul is exchanged for a handful of the world, when it is not got and held: 1. in Christ restoring it, 2. with Christ the chief gain, 3. for Christ the Lord of it.

(the language is dense here but repays rereading a few times!!)

T

Take heed lest you perform 'holy duties' for fashions sake or without feeling and profit: for this is hypocrisy or profanity.
Thankfully requite, at least with 1. Acknowledgment, 2. Hearty affection, 3. Prayer, the good you get by any man: for there is no member in the body but stands in need of other men's gifts.
Think it the greatest work in the world to die well: which to do, you must inure yourself to die beforehand: 1. By dying to your sins; leaving the world in affection, before you actually leave it 2. In you last leaving of it, do it willingly, even joyfully, whensoever, wheresoever, or howsoever God shall call you.

S

Stick to God, as well in adversity as prosperity; the one being as necessary as the other. If you want necessaries, humble yourself for them: if you have them, be humble with them; and use them well, lest you forfeit them.
Seek reconciliation with your neighbour, freely forgiving those that have offended you, and earnestly desiring to be forgiven of all that have been offended by you.
Study to approve both your heart to God, and you life to God’s children in your particular calling, and especially as such, as to whom God has joined you: if a servant in obeying, if a master, in ruling, if a husband, in loving, if a wife, in reverence; for a good conscience, a good name, and good manners must go together.

R

Read daily something of God's book for the increase of knowledge and conscience; and add also meditation and prayer to that. For these three, faith , love, hope make a 'divine': all time spent this way is well spent. As for trashy and 'idle' books, shun them as rocks.
Rejoice in the good you know by another: praise God for it, pray for the increase of it. But if you know any evil by any, mourn for it and if you can by brotherly admonition amend it.
Refrain your ears, eyes, mouth and hands, from hearing, seeing, speaking or performing any wicked and vain thing, knowing that death often enters in at the windows.

Q

Quiet your heart and be still under the correcting hand of God, because: 1. He does it 2. For your best 3. He will moderate it 4. Supply strength 5. In the right time deliver out of it.
Question not that others should do you good first: it is praiseworthy to be first in well doing. If you do good to your enemies your reward is with God.
Quench not the Spirit nor suffer any good motion arising in your heart to pass away but feed it by reading, meditation, prayer and practice.

P

Praise the Lord for every new benefit given to you, and then use it to promote his glory, the Church's good and your own salvation. Esteem graces given as spurs to godliness and pledges of eternal life.
Prevent anger before it is kindled. It is wisdom to quench the least spark of fire before it begins to flame. Consider: 1. the origin of anger, being pride or self-love 2. the cursed fruits of anger, by giving the devil a foothold 3. God's patience 4. God's image in your brother 5. Your own weakness in the same kind 6. The wrong is not remedied by revenge, but just enlarged; nor is the wrong doer corrected, but imitated.
Prepare yourself for death and pull out his sting by 1. hating sins past 2. turning to God in the time to come 3. Purposing a new life. None can die ill that has had a care to live well. Persuade yourself that if you live well you will die well.

O

Often speak to the praise of God, never of yourself. For other things, because with many words sin is not absent, speak as few as you can, or rather, none that are not a blessing.
Open not your mouth to speak of other men's infirmities, especially behind their backs, but if to their face not without grief and sorrow.
Of every idle word account must be given, and much more every wicked word, and therefore let your speech be gracious, good and for the sake of others.

N

Never make show of more holiness outwardly than inwardly you have in your heart, which God sees, in which he desires truth; but don't be contented with your unprofitableness, unfitness or unwillingness to do good.
No man is owner, but steward of all that he has. You must therefore impart of the blessings you have, to those that are in need, wisely, heartily and in due season.
Note your own special corruptions whether they grow stronger or weaker, and you yourself can resist them: and if any assault you more strongly, pray and make the matter known to God: the best way for a woman solicited to folly, to be rid of the Tempter is to tell her husband.

M

Make not mention of God, or any word or work of his but with fear and reverence: nor of any man but with love and carefulness, using his name as you would have him use your own.
Mark other mens profiting in religion, to provoke yourself, their slips, to make yourself more wary, their risings, to be thankful to God for them.
Meditate often upon the four last things: 1. Death 2. Judgement 3. Heaven 4. Hell

L

Love all things for God’s sake, and God only for his own; and make him your friend whosoever becomes your enemy for it. This you shall do, if as an obedient child, you live in the eye of your heavenly Father.
Look upon the lives and behaviours of the wicked to avoid them; upon the godly to imitate them; upon the Life and Death of them both, as also your own not far off, to make you loathe this world & long after the life to come.
Let your diet, dress and relaxations be lawful, needful and moderate.

K

Know God in Christ which is life everlasting, kiss the Son of God lest he be angry, and know yourself to be a believer, and that Christ is in you and you in him.
Keep as your vows with God so also your lawful promises with men: for faith and truth must kiss each other in Christian conversation (living or life?)
Keep out wandering and worldly thoughts as much as possible, narrowly watching your heart; for the way you think and what you think about will will shape all your words, deeds and whole conversation (living or life?)

I & J

Justify God’s wisdom in all his proceedings concerning your self and others: his power in sustaining, his providence in maintaining, his Justice in punishing, his love in correcting, his bounty in promising, his faithfulness in performing, his grace in giving , his mercy in taking away: and in everything say from the heart, blessed be the name of the Lord
In every company receive some good and do some also according to your ability. Leave no ill favour behind you, neither do hurt by speech, silence, countenance or example. In your praises be discreet, in saluting courteous, in admonishing brotherly, and wise in moving and entertaining speech or conference.
It is fearful to sin, but much more to lie in it and therefore register all your sins daily, bewail them at fit times, pray for pardon of them, and strengthen against them. Don’t think that some sins are just ‘little’ ones, because God’s law has condemned it and Christ has died for it, or else you must eternally.

H

Humble yourself for your sins that the Lord may raise you up; for he that judges himself aright shall never be judged by the Lord.
Honour all men in their places, but no man so much for his greatness as for his goodness and thus shall you imitate the Lord himself, who accepts not persons, but in every nation accepts those that fear him.
Have special care to avoids the sins which you have found yourself most inclined to, and which have in times past most prevailed. For sin hates to be denied and Satan always seeks re-entry.

G

Grow up daily in the practice of every commandment, and in the faith of every promise of God; seeing God would have the plants in his house thrive, well living and more fruitful in their age: he that is not best at the end may fear whether ever he was good.
Give no offence justly to any man, whether within or without (the church?) for woe to them by whom offences come.
Grieve for nothing in the world so much as for your own sins and in them for nothing so much as for offending so loving a God; and that not only in committing of evil but also in omitting of good.

F

Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Fly and avoid places and people who are : infectious, wanton, idle, unthrify and bad company, which are to the soul as poisoned and infected air t o the body.
Follow with faithfulness and diligence your own business, in the lawful and particular calling in which God has placed you; only be careful in your earthly business to carry a heavenly mind.

E

Exercise your mind in meditating often on the works of God: his creating and governing of the world, his prospering and punishing the wicked, his blessing and correcting his children, his preparing of unspeakable joy for the one, and unutterable torment for the other. On the Sabbath, add to these meditations the holy exercises of prayer, preaching, sacraments, holy conference (I think this means talking with other believers about stuff that matters in a godly way?), and such like.
Esteem everyone better than yourself, and the more you outstrip someone else, be so much more humble towards them.
Examine your thoughts carefully to see where they are leading before you do what you want to do; if you find you thoughts are unprofitable, curious, vain, or such as you cannot give a sufficient reason to God or man for them, nip them in the bud, let them not live or breathe longer in you.

CD

Carefully set yourself in God’s presence all the day long, that setting him at your right hand you may not fall.
Carry yourself towards others in such a way as that the weak may be won, the strong comforted, and the wicked ashamed.
Consider the dignity of your soul; how beautiful it is to God and his angels, so long as you keep it unspotted. In this way may you cleanse your heart from the first motions of sinful thoughts, as lust, anger, envy, pride, ambition, covetousness, sullenness and the like, because the least sin deserves death.

Daily, morning and evening, solemnly on your knees make your confession and requests with thanksgiving: first preparing your heart to seek the Lord. In the morning think that this day may be your last; and when you go to bed, you know not whether you will rise unless it be to judgement. It is safest therefore to use prayer as a key to open the morning, and as a bar or lock to shut in the evening.
Delight to do all the good you can to God’s children; and to receive all the good you can from them.
Distrust not God’s providence in any matter, although you see the means wanting. And when you do have the means, do not rely on them more than on God himself; but let him be prayed to for the prosperous use of them.

A Threefold Alphabet of Rules Concerning Christian Living

by Thomas Taylor

[ TT was knocking around in the 16th and 17th Centuries .... so I have tried to lightly edit his work so that it is easier for a ‘modern’ like myself to read. I hope that this has not changed his meaning in any significant way.]

This was gathered at a friend’s request in this particular way to help with memorisation.

The first precept of every letter concerns our duty towards God; the second our duty towards our neighbours; the third our duty towards ourselves.

Awake with God in the morning, and before all things give him your first fruits and calves of your lips, in:
(a) confession of sin
(b) petition of necessities for the body and Soul
(c) thankfulness for mercies received, especially your late preservation, rest and the protection of you and yours.
Account it not enough that you yourself serve God, unless that you see all in your charge do the same.
Arm yourself against whatsoever the day may bring forth. And upon all occasions think on your happy redemption, with much thankfulness at so happy conjunction of justice and mercy.

Beware of occasions of sin, and wisely inure yourself in subduing the least, that at length the greater may be foiled.
Believe all that God speaks to you in his word, but not all that men tell you; nor tell to any other all that you hear, but only the truth, and that neither all, nor always.
Before you take in hand anything, counsel with God’s word if it be lawful, and then perform it with prayer, that it may be as successful as lawful.