they swear A. No this is but a vain excuse since sober and good men are easily believed on their bare word and common swearers are seldome thought to make conscience even of what they swear Q. Is it not enough to justifie these oaths that what is sworn is truth A. No for an oath must be taken only when we are lawfully called thereto in some weighty case which cannot otherwise be well determined Q. Who else may be said to take the name of God in vain A. They who are careless and irreverent in the worship of God and they who upon every light occasion cry out oh God or oh Lord when they have no sense nor thought of that glorious Majesty whose sacred name they rashly mention Q. What reason is urged to keep us from this sin A. The consideration of that vengeance which sooner or later God will certainly execute upon those who are guilty of this profaneness and contempt of his Majesty Q. What is the fourth Commandment A. Remember the Sabboth day to keep it holy six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabboth of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy Son nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant nor thy cattel nor the stranger that is within thy gates for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabboth day and hallowed it Q. What are you taught in the fourth Commandment A. The fourth Commandment teacheth us that it is our duty to set apart one day in seven for the solemn worship and service of God Q. What reason is here mentioned for the enforcing this Command A. Gods allowance of six days in the week for our worldly employments and his own example in resting on the seventh when he had made the world in six days before Q. Which day in the seven did the Jews keep their Sabboth A. They kept the seventh day which we now call Saturday Q. Why do we Christians keep the first day of the week A. In remembrance of our redemption wrought by the Lord Jesus especially of his Resurrection which was upon the first day of the week Q. What warrant have we for so doing A. The example of the Apostles and primitive Christians recorded in Scripture where this day is styled the Lords day the practice of the Church of God in all ages since as also the custom of our own Church and the commands of our Rulers both in Church and State Q. How ought we to spend the Lords day A. In the worship and Service of God both publick and private especially in meditating on and praising him for his works of Creation and Redemption Q. Are there no works lawful on this day A. Yes works of necessity and mercy whether to man or beast but we ought to abstain from such employments and recreations as either prevent the duties of this day or else hinder our due profiting by them Q. What is to be done in private that we may best profit by the publick service of this day A. We ought by prayer and serious consideration to prepare our selves before-hand for the publick worship of God and when we come home to meditate on what we have heard and Masters of Families ought to pray with and instruct those that are under their charge Q. Who are they then that do not remember this day to keep it holy but profane it A. They who without any necessity take journeys or follow their employments on this day or else spend the same in idleness and pleasure neglecting the service of God in publick or in their Family accounting it a burden to spend a day in works of Piety and devotion Thus much of the Commandments of the first Table which enjoyn the duties we owe more immediately to God Now follow those of the second Table which respect our duty to man What is the fifth Commandment A. Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long upon the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Q. What are we taught in the fifth Commandment A. The fifth Commandment teacheth us to honour our Parents obeying all their lawful commands succouring and maintaining them if they stand in need of our help Q. Are there none beside our natural Parents to whom we owe obedience A. Yes we are also bound to reverence and obey all those who by their place and power may well be called our Parents to wit the civil Magistrate and our Spiritual Pastours and Teachers Servants must be subject to their Masters shewing all diligence and faithfulness and we must give due honour and respect to all those who are in any regard our Superiours Q. What promise is made to those who keep this Commandment A. A promise of long life and prosperity so far as God shall see it for their good Q. What reason may be given why this promise was made peculiarly to the keeping of this Command A. Because obedience and Subjection both in families and kingdomes ordinarily produce that peace and quietness which tends very much to our happiness even in this world Q. What is the sixth Commandment A. Thou shalt not kill Q. What is forbidden in this Commandment A. The murdering of our selves or any other person Q. Is it sufficient if we abstain only from murder A. No but we moreover ought to abstain from all rash anger inward malice and revenge from railing and provoking language from quarrelling and fighting Q. But what if others shall injure us in word or deed may we not return the like to them A. No but we must bless them who curse us do good to them that hate us forgive and love our very enemies that so we may overcome evil with good Q. Is there then no way of seeking our own right when we are injured and abused A. Yes by just and lawful means we may seek our right but without any malice or revenge in our hearts Q. Is there any case wherein the taking away of a mans life may be allowed A. Yes in execution of publick justice upon malefactours in a lawful war or when we are constrained to it in the just defence of our own lives Q. Who may be said to break this Command by taking away their own lives A. Not only they who lay violent hands on themselves but all those who by immoderate eating and drinking or any such wicked and wilful course destroy their health and so shorten their days Q. What is the seventh Commandment A. Thou shalt not commit adultery Q. What is forbidden in the seventh Commandment A. The seventh Commandment forbiddeth adultery and fornication with all the occasions and beginnings of these sins Q. From what particularly ought we to abstain in obedience to this Commandment A. We ought carefully to abstain
of men we desire to render humble and hearty praise to thy divine Majesty Yea blessed and for ever praised be thy name oh God that thou hast not only shewn much mercy to our bodies but hast also made abundant provision for the everlasting welfare and happiness of our precious souls Most fully hast thou declared to the world both in thy word and by thy works that thou hast no delight in the death of sinners but hadst rather that they would turn and live For even then when we were fallen from thee and from that blessed estate wherein our first Parents were created and so stood liable to thy wrath and to everlasting damnation then wast thou pleased to take pity on us when none else in heaven or earth did pity or could relieve us Even then didst thou give thine own Son Iesus Christ from heaven to be our Saviour and Redeemer to teach us thy will to give us thy Spirit and to die for our sins that as many as believe on him and obey him should not perish but have everlasting life Oh what manner of love is this which thou the Father hast shewn and which thy Son Iesus hath shewn to us worthless creatures to us vile sinners The sense of our own unworthiness may justly encrease our admiration of thy kindness and when we consider all this thy goodness great cause we have to humble our souls before thee in the remembrance of our own sinful and most unsuitable carriage toward thee the God of love We did indeed bring along into the world with us sinful natures and inclinations for in sin we were conceived and brought forth in iniquity And alas how many sins have we committed since we came to the use of our Reason Though thou hast always been doing us good yet like foolish and unthankful wretches we have returned evil for good We have been far from loving thee and trusting in thee as beseems thy creatures but rather have we wasted our love upon the vain and fading enjoyments of this present world in them have we delighted and in them have we placed our confidence Though we have called thee our Maker and Owner yet have we not quietly and patiently submitted to thy will as we are therefore bound because we are thy own But very ready we have been both to murmur and repine at thy providences when they have gone cross to our carnal desires and to find fault with thy laws as if they were too strict and severe because they are contrary to our foolish sensual inclinations Oftentimes have we neglected the duties of thy worship mis-spent and profaned thy Holy day and have look'd on prayers Sermons and Sacraments as burthensome and needless things And very trifling and careless have we been in those duties we have performed not duly considering what an holy and glorious God thou art with whom we have to do Thou indeed hast commanded us to love our neighbours as our selves but we through the sinful and excessive love of our selves and our own concernments have been very much wanting in the duties of justice and charity to others Much of our precious time we have wasted in idleness and vanity in unprofitable and sinful company and too frequently we have abused thy good creatures for the satisfaction of our own base lusts Often have we given way to our own unruly passions and sinful inclinations breaking thy laws and grieving thy Spirit merely for the tasting those pleasures of sin that are but for a season And these deeds of darkness these sins of ours we have committed in the open light of thy Gospel contrary to the plain commands of thy word which we have often read and heard yea contrary to the motions of thy Spirit and the checks of our own consciences which we have felt within us Most justly therefore mightest thou pour out the hottest of thy fury upon us as having been of those disobedient servants who have known thy will and yet have not done the same Nor can we expect any other than to be made infinitely and eternally miserable if thou should'st deal with us after our deservings But there is yet through thy grace a door of hope open for us thou thy self hast provided a refuge to which poor sinners in this life-time may fly for safety and comfort For thou oh most merciful Father hast promised that thou wilt for thy Son Iesus sake have mercy on all those who are truly grieved for their sins humbly confessing and speedily for saking the same Now we must needs acknowledge those thy conditions of mercy are exceeding equal and gracious and most just it is we should perish for ever if we refuse the same For we cannot oh God in reason expect that our sins should be pardoned if we wilfully continue in them Nor can we ever hope that Christ should be our Saviour if we do not own and obey him as our Lord Nor can we look for the joys of heaven whilst we walk in those ways of wickedness which lead to Hell and damnation Oh wilt thou then make us sincerely willing to do what we our selves own to be so just and reasonable that we may not dare in an hardned and impenitent manner to go on in those ungodly courses which we are convinced are so dangerous and mischievous Let not our own vile lusts nor the temptations of Satan our malicious enemy prevail with us to reject our blessed Saviour and that eternal life which he purchast by his death and now offers to us in the Gospel How shall we then escape if we neglect so great salvation Or what shall we plead for our selves at the last great day if we that are called Christians should be found depisers of Christ How justly may he then destroy us not only as enemies but as Mockers and may give us our portion in the hottest place of the burning Lake with Hypocrites and unbelievers Wherefore we do now most humbly and earnestly beseech thee oh thou Father of mercies and God of all grace give us not up to such a reprobate mind and feared conscience but together with enlightned minds give us such soft and tender hearts that we may look back on the sins we have committed with shame and sorrow and may cast away from us even our most pleasant sins with bitter loathing and hatred never more to be reconciled to them And for thy Son Iesus sake be thou merciful to us own us as thy Redeemed ones and make us partakers of those great mercies and blessings which he hath purchast for all his faithful servants For his sake alone we beg from thee the forgiveness of our sins a freedome from thy wrath and from everlasting damnation And we do also beseech thee by him to deliver us from the evil of this present world even from the snares of the Devil and from the power of our own corruptions that no sin may reign in our mortal bodies so that we should yield obedience thereunto
And does that sign agree to that Sect who absurdly call themselvos Romane Catholicks A. Less than to any other Sect whatever for they are bound by the definitions of Popes Councils which if they contradict they cannot be Papists to judge all men damn'd that are not of their Sect thereby condemning many millions of Christians far better than themselves which horrid uncharitableness is enough to keep wise men from amongst them Q. Are the Churches which be reformed from Popish innovations parts of the Catholick Church of Christ A. Yes and the best and soundest parts thereof agreeing in all matters of substance with the Church of Christ in all ages and nations of the world Q. How prove you that A. In that these reformed Churches as particularly our Church of England do profess to hold nothing as necessary to salvation which is not contained in the holy Scriptures which same Scriptures are received and believ'd by all other Christian Churches who do thereby approve of all that we hold as necessary Q. But why did these reformed Churches at first depart from Communion with the Church of Rome A. Because the Romish Church imposed such new fangled doctrines and practises as were plainly contrary to the word of God and therefore it was in those things to be departed from by all those who would conform themselves to the ancient Church as it was settled by Christ and his Apostles Q. What mean you by Communion of Saints A. That Communion which Saints have with God and Christ their Head by partaking of his Holy Spirit and with one another in their mutual likeness and love and in their assembling together for the worship of God Q. What mean you by saying you believe the Forgiveness of Sins A. I hereby profess to believe that they who repent of their sins trust in and obey the Lord Jesus shall for his sake find God so gracious to them as to free them from that condemnation and punishment to which their sins made them liable Q. What mean you by Resurrection of the Body A. I hereby profess to believe that at the last day God will raise up all that were dead and change those that are then alive and that they shall appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ. Q. What mean you by Life everlasting A. I do hereby profess my belief of a future state after this life wherein the Righteous shall enjoy everlasting happiness and the wicked shall be sentenced into everlasting torments Q. But does it not seem very harsh to think that God should punish any the worst of sinners with everlasting torments A. No not when we consider what graciou terms were proposed to them for their obtaining of glory and escaping of this misery and how they themselves did wilfully refuse the offers of grace when they knew this misery would follow upon that refusal Q. What then is safest for us all to do in this case A. So to believe and fear these terrible threatnings of Christ as to take the only sure way to escape them by obeying his commands rather than to quarrel with them or presume they will prove false So much for the Articles of your Belief HAve you also a brief Summary of the whole duty of man in reference to is practice A. Yes the ten commandments Q. Rehearse the first A. I am the Lord thy God which brought the out of the land of AEgypt out of the house of bondage Thou shalt have no other Gods before me Q. What learn you from the first commandment and the Preface set before it A. I hence learn that we are bound to acknowledge that God who is our Maker Owner and the giver of all our mercies to be the only true and living God and to behave our selves toward him accordingly Q. How doth it beseem us creatures to behave our selves toward this our God A. We are bound to love him with our highest love to put our whole confidence in him to reverence admire and rejoyce in him to pray to him and praise him to obey all his commands without grudging and to submit to all his providences without murmuring or repining Q. Which is the second Commandment A. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth thou shalt not bow down thy self to them nor serve them for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments Q. What are we taught in the second Commandment A. The second Commandment teacheth us to worship God according to his own appointment and to take special heed that we make not any image or picture of him nor give religious worship to an Image upon any pretence whatsoever Q. What reason do you find given for the engaging our obedience to this Command A. The reason here given is that God is a jealous God who therefore will not suffer himself to be dishonoured by mens making and worshipping any thing as an Image of him but will severely punish such idolaters and their posterity whilst the true lovers and worshippers of him shall be plenteously rewarded even to many generations Q. What other reason do you find given in the repetition of the Law Deut. 4. 12 15 16. c. A. We there find this farther added that when God spake to the children of Israel they only heard a voice but saw no similitude or bodily shape and therefore it is unreasonable to make any image or resemblance of him Q. How ought we then to conceive of God when we worship him A. We ought not to conceive of him under any bodily shape but as a spiritual Being infinitely wise and powerful holy just and good who fills both heaven and earth with his presence and in his essence is unsearchable Q. What is the third commandment A. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain Q. What are we taught in the third Commandment A. The third Commandment enjoyns us to have so great reverence for God as not to take his name in vain Q. Who are they that take Gods name in vain A. Chiefly they who dare swear falsly by the name of God and they also who in their passion or ordinary discourse break forth into swearing Q. What Rule hath Christ given for our ordinary communication that we may avoid swearing A. That we should barely affirm or deny a thing using yes or no or the like expressions without oaths or imprecations Q. Is it enough to justifie these common oaths that some men will not as is pretended believe others except
Heathens and Infidels and that the coming of Christ in glory may be hastned Q. What do you pray for in the third Petition which is Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven A. We herein pray that God would so conform all our hearts to his will that we may in our measure serve and honour him as faithfully chearfully and unweariedly as the blessed Spirits in heaven do Q. What pray you for in the sourth Give us this day our daily bread A. We herein pray that God would of his mercy afford to our Bodies such a measure of things needful and convenient as our daily necessities call for Q What pray you for in the fifth petition Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us A. We herein pray that God would be merciful unto us and not inflict on us those punishments which we for our sins have deserved Q. What means that expression as we forgive them that trespass against us A. We hereby profess both that it is our duty and our practice to forgive such as trespass against us and are thence encouraged to hope for mercy from God this forgiveness of others being one condition of his forgiving us Q. When may we be said to forgive him that trespassed against us A. When we bear no more grudg nor ill will to him than to any other nor would revenge our selves by doing him any injury if it lay in our power nor do rejoyce in any hurt that does befall him but are ready to do him good if he stand in need of our help Q. What then is their case who though they know this rule in the Gospel and daily say this prayer yet will not forgive men their trespasses A. They are guilty of lying to God in their prayers and do moreover in effect desire God not to forgive their sins but to punish them with everlasting damnation Q. What is the best motive to the performance of this so needful and difficult duty of forgiving Offendours A. Gods readiness to pardon us who have yet done infinitely more against him than any of our fellow-creatures can possibly do against us the serious consideration whereof will be apt to make us such towards others as we desire God should be toward us Q. What do we pray for in the sixth petition Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil A. We herein pray that God would not leave us to our selves to run into temptation and sin but that he would make us ever so watchful and diligent that we may either avoid the occasions of sin or through the help of his grace may overcome the temptations we meet with Q. To what use serve those words in the conclusion For thine is the kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever A. These words serve as our encouragement to ask all these things from God to whom alone belongs all power and dominion and they direct us to render all praise and glory to his eternal and ever-blessed Majesty Q. Wherefore do we say Amen at the end of this and other prayers A. This word Amen which signifies as much as verily or so be it is used to express the earnest desire and great hopes we have that our prayers will be heard and answered To those especially for whose use the following Forms of Prayer were intended Beloved Friends YOu might with some reason be displeased with me should I question your belief of the being of a God and of your relation to him as he is your Creator Ruler and Benefactor but you can have no reason to be displeased with me for exhorting you to the performance of that duty which this belief doth strongly engage you to that is to testifie your acknowledgment of God and dependance upon him by your daily offering up a sacrifice of prayer and praise to his Divine Majesty For if you dare live at such a distance from God as not to come before him and worship him it s much to be feared you do not heartily believe that he is or that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him And this while alas how little do you differ from Heathens though you may carry the name of Christians And if wrath shall be poured out on the Heathen kingdoms and families that know not God nor call upon his name Ier. 10. 25. do you think it shall sare any better with the Families of those who are called Christians if whilst they profess to know God they do not worship and glorifie him as God Nay rather shall they not have a greater condemnation But I need not I hope stand arguing with you to shew either the necessity the reasonableness or benefit of this duty of prayer in general or of praying with your families If there should be any so perverse and quarrelsome as to call for arguments instead thereof to such let me only say If indeed you think that neither you nor yours are any way related to God nor owe him any service you may at your pleasure and also at your peril forbear to render him any If you think you stand in no need of daily protection or of any mercy either for soul or body or think that God cannot supply you therewith then chuse whether you will pray to him or no. And if you are not every day beholden to God for some good thing or other then you may neglect to give him thanks for his goodness And if on a Sick-bed or at a dying hour you think there will be no need of prayer you may then omit it in the time of life and health But for all those who wouldnot be thought guilty of such Atheism and profaneness I would beseech them to make conscience of this duty To this end let me advise you every day morning and evening to take the most convenient time when your whole family can come together and then to joyn all in humble solemn prayer and praise to that great and glorious God who is the maker and preserver of us all And for your more orderly performance of this duty if you have no better helps at hand you may if you see good make use of the Forms ensuing compos'd for that purpose Here fall not I beseech you to devising of excuses to shift off this work any more than you would do if you and your Family were invited to a feast or to share in some great Dole For shame pretend not you are so poor or so hard wrought that you cannot spare time for this service of God as if this was only for rich men who have nothing else to do I know indeed there is more required of them than of you that are poorer but yet you have souls to save as well as they and therefore if you have any love for your selves you will be as willing to take what pains you can to save them You would not leave it to rich men only to
Oh cleanse thou us from all secret sins and let not presumptuous sins have dominion over us But let thy holy Spirit ever rule in our hearts and so guide us in all our thoughts words and actions that we may ever render a sincere and chearful obedience to all thy commands Fill us with such a sense of thine infinite goodness that we may love thee our God with all our heart and soul. And help us to shew this our love to thee by our unfeigned love to thy people and to all men And make us still careful to deal with others so justly and charitably as we our selves desire to be dealt with Keep us ever depending upon thy grace for strength and assistance without which we can do nothing Oh do not thou leave us to our selves for then we perish Forsake us not oh God at any time through our whole lives nor suffer us to depart from thee but keep us ever stedfast and unwearied in well doing Wean our hearts from this world and all the comforts thereof make us always sensible that we are hasting away hence into eternity and prepare us for that time when we must e're long be called away thither Help us now to live in such frequent serious thoughts of death that it may not be terrible nor hurtful when it comes Now make us wise to set our affections on things above and to lay up for our selves a treasure in the heavens that when all things here below shall fail we may then be received into those everlasting habitations which thou hast provided for them that love thee With us shew mercy to the whole world Let the Gospel of thy Son run and be glorified throughout all the earth make it known to heathens and Infidels and let it be obeyed by all that are called Christians Let all Popish darkness ignorance and Idolatry with all other errours and heresies be driven away by the light and truth of thy pure Gospel and let the coming of Christ in glory be hastned Be merciful to these nations wherein we live and grant we may be so humbled and reformed that we may be pardoned and spared Be gracious to our dread Soveraign and all his Royal Relations enrich them with the graces of thy holy Spirit and make all our Magistrates faithful and zealous in punishing and suppressing wickedness and in promoting vertue and godliness Let thy blessing be upon the faithful Preachers of thy Gospel encrease daily their number and let their labours be blest and succeeded Let all our differences be so compos'd that we may live in peace and love and with one heart and one mouth may glorifie thee our God Bless our Friends and Relations and make them thy faithful servants Visit in mercy all the children of affliction whatever their particular necessities and burthens are whether of soul or body do thou seasonably and suitably comfort and relieve them And now oh God since through thy good providence thou hast brought us to the beginning of another day afford us we beseech thee thy gracious presence throughout the same Let thy blessing be upon us in our lawful Callings and endeavours Preserve us and all ours if it be thy will from all bodily dangers especially we beg that we may be kept from sin the worst of evils Where-ever we are or whatever we are doing keep us sensible of thy eye that is ever upon us that in all companies and employments we may approve our selves to thee in well doing and make us ever watchful against all sin and the temptations that lead to it As we now have prayed to thee in the Morning so let us remain in thy fear and service all the day long And do thou so guide us this day and all our days here on earth by thy counsel that we may at last be received to thy Glory And all we humbly beg for the Lord Jesus our dear Saviours sake with whose words we conclude these our imperfect prayers saying as he himself hath taught us Our Father which art c. EVENING PRAYER for a Family OH Eternal and ever-blessed God thou art the maker and Lord of all things who dost uphold the world by thy power and govern it with infinite wisdome and justice and we are the workmanship of thy hands who depend upon thy providence and in thee live move and have our beings From thy bounty we are daly supplied with mercies for our bodies and through thy patience it is we have yet leave to wait on thee and to seek from thee grace and glory for our immortal souls Oh what are we vile sinners that thou shouldst have such regard to us and so earnestly invite us to thy service who deserve not so much as to live on thy earth or once to appear in thy presence And 't is onely through thy forbearance of us that we have not long since met with the just wages of our sins in those eternal torments from which there is no recovery For we confess our selves to be by nature children of wrath even as others being stained with that foul Leprosy and pollution of sin which was derived from our first Parents But so little sense have we had of the evil and danger of this our estate that we have even taken the direct course to make our selves more miserable by adding daily our own actual sins to this corruption of our natures Oh how justly may we blush and be confounded in our selves when we look back upon our carriage in the world from our childhood and youth up even until now How much of this our time have we spent in sin and vanity but how little in thy service In every place and condition of life that we have been we may easily remember the many sins we have been guilty of but how little have we made it our business to obey thy laws and honour thy name either by doing good to others or getting good to our own souls We had soon learnt in words to acknowledge that we were made to serve thee our God but in works we have denyed and disobeyed thee We have been very forgetful of thee and of thy authority over us and have lived as if we owed thee no service as if we thought thou hadst no regard to our actions now nor wouldst ever call us to a reckoning for them hereafter Though in our infancy we were baptized into thy name and thereby bound to serve thee all our days in newness of life yet we have often broke this Covenant which we then entred into Instead of performing our vows to renounce this world and its pomps and vanities with the flesh and the lusts thereof we have been most eager lovers and followers of the world and have made provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Oh how often hath the temptation of some worldly profit or carnal sensual pleasure drawn us to cross thy will and wound our own consciences and to endanger the damning
earnest in these our prayers and help us to live as those that believe the great truths of thy Gospel that we may ever have such a sense of them upon our minds that we may not dare at any time upon any account to allow our selves in any one sin or in the neglect of any known duty but by patient continuance in well doing may seek after and make sure of that glory and immortality which thou hast promised through Iesus Christ to them that love and serve thee With us shew mercy to the whole world Let the Gospel of thy Son run and be glorified throughout all the earth let it be made known to Heathens and Infidels let it be obeyed by all that are called Christians Let all popish darkness ignorance and Idolatry with all other errours and heresies be driven away by the light and truth of thy pure Gospel and let the coming of Christ in glory be hastned Be merciful to these nations wherein we live and grant we may be so humbled and reformed that we may be pardoned and spared Be gracious to our dread Soveraign with all his royal Relations and enrich them with the graces of thy holy Spirit Make all our Magistrates faithful and zealous in punishing and suppressing wickedness and in promoting vertue and godliness and make us and all other Subjects loyal and obedient to our King and to all in power under him Let thy blessing be upon the faithful Preachers of thy Gospel encrease daily their number and let their labours be blest and succeeded Let all our differences be so composed that we may live in peace and love and with one heart and one mouth may glorifie thee our God Bless ad our friends and relations and make them thy faithful and obedient servants Visit in mercy all the children of affliction whatever their particular necessities and burthens are whether of soul or body do thou seasonably and suitably comfort and relieve them We humbly bless thy name for the mercies of this day that thou hast safely brought us to the end thereof and earnestly we beg thy pardon of whatever sins we have been guilty whether of omission or commission in thought word or deed Take us we beseech thee and all that is ours into thy care this night and keep us if it be thy will from all evil of body especially of soul And so refresh us with rest and sleep that we may be fitted for thy service and our lawful imployments in the following day And all we humbly beg for Christ Jesus our Saviours sake with whose words we conclude our imperfect prayers saying as he himself hath taught us Our Father which art in heaven c. Two Forms of Prayer especially intended for the Younger sort MORNING PRAYER GReat and Glorious Lord God Thou hast commanded us to remember thee our Creatour in the days of our youth and here am I thy unworthy servant desirous to manifest my remembrance of thee I praying to thee according to thine own appointment My only hope of acceptance is in thy goodness and mercy who art a loving and tender Father to us thy poor creatures and art ready to accept of the weak services and prayers of those who do heartily desire to please thee and obtain thy favour Wherefore I now most humbly beseech thee to be gracious and favourable to me a worthless sinful creature I have indeed been a transgressour from the womb and have shewn my evil and wicked nature by my great forwardness to run into any kind of wickedness that I have been capable of When I could do little else I had soon learnt to sin against thee very early I began to be stubborn and self-will'd proud and slothful quarrelsome and revengeful And to this very day have I continued in my sins which have encreased together with my years and have been given up to the pleasing of my self and satisfying my own vain and childish inclinations but have taken little thought for the pleasing and serving of thee my Maker and Preserver Though I have had so much reason that I could love my Parents and Friends those that did me good and have been afraid of displeasing them and of being corrected by them yet have I had little love for thee my God who art the giver of all good nor have I been afraid of thy wrath who canst destroy both body and soul in Hell This oh Lord hath been my great folly and a very great cause of all my other sins that I have lived most of all by sight and have little minded any thing but what is now before me Therefore have I forgotten thee and lived as if there was no God because I could not see thee with bodily eyes and have preferr'd any foolish pleasure now in hand before the everlasting joys of heaven which are yet to come and because I could not see Hell-torments nor hear the roarings and out-cries of those who are damned for their sins therefore have I made so light of sinning against thee But of this my folly and all my wickedness the fruit of it I desire to to be ashamed before thee confessing that I have herein behaved my self more like a bruit Beast than a reasonable creature whilst I have been led by my senses more than by my reason or by the belief of thy holy word And most justly mightest thou deal with me accordingly and mightest shut me out of those joys which I have so little loved and sought after and mightest make me for ever feel those torments of which I have not been afraid But I humbly beseech thee oh merciful Father for thy Son Iesus sake take pity on me and freely forgive me all my sins and save me from those miseries which for my sins I have deserved And I beseech thee to give me thy holy Spirit that I may thereby have my mind enlightned my heart softned and my nature so throughly renewed and changed that I may be taken off from the love of all sin and may take such pleasure in thy service here that I may live with thee in happiness for ever hereafter Since through thy great mercy I have been baptized in my infancy and thereby given up to thee my God and engaged to be thy servant do thou help me rightly to understand and carefully to perform the duties to which by my Baptism I am bound that I may in heart and life renounce the Devil and all his works the lusts of the flesh and the pomps and vanities of this world and may remain Christs faithful servant unto my lives end Let thy grace preserve me from all those snares and temptations which in these my younger years I am most in danger of Oh keep me that I may never fall into rioting and drunkenness whoredom or any kind of wantonness and uncleanness Do thou help me at all times to watch over my ways that I may not wilfully run into any temptations and occasions of sin that I may