either in Act or in Thought the sins whereof I shall not here reckon up And here I am Commanded all Chastity Sobriety and Temperance least I fall into them In short I must banish all Wanton Desires use all sober Means to keep my Body Chast and whenever I am tempted never to give way to it Lord have Mercy upon me c. Command VIII Thou shalt not steal THis Precept secures every mans Goods to him and therefore I must neither keep nor sue for that which is another Mans. I must not cheat steal rob or borrow with an intent never to pay again but must be content with my own Estate suffer every one to enjoy his own quietly pay every Man his full Due be just in my Dealings frugal in my Expences lest I spend that which is not mine restore what I have unjustly gotten and strive to do good with what I have Lord have Mercy upon me c. Command IX Thou shalt not bear false Witness c. ANd as I must not wrong my Neighbour in his Estate so I am not to take away his good Name but in all things I must speak the Truth nay I am bound to speak Charitably of my Neighbour and when I am called to be a Witness before a Lawful Magistrate I cannot be too cautious of what I say See the Third Commandment for a Larger Exposition on this Lord have Mercy upon me c. Command X. Thou shalt not Covet c. THis Commandment strikes deeper than all the rest it plucks up the Root and destroys the Seed of all Injustice and Uncharitableness As I must not take so I must not desire any thing that is my Neighbour's and if I never desire it I shall never wrong any Person What was hinted at before is now plainly spoken Here God reaches my Thoughts and most inward Intentions I must not covet nor desire other Men's Goods I must subdue all my Craving Lusts and mortify all the secret Inclinations of my perverse Nature Lord have Mercy upon me and write all these thy Laws in my Heart I most humbly and heartily beseech thee DEVOTIONS A Prayer to be said in the Morning O Most Gracious and Loving Father I the vilest of Sinners do acknowledge mine Unworthyness either to ask any thing of thee or to appear before thee For O Lord as I was conceived in Sin and brought forth in Iniquity so ever since as thou hast multiplyed the number of my days I have encreased the measure of my sins that if thou enter into Judgment with me to me belongeth nothing but Shame and Confusion both of Body and Soul yet O Gracious Father since thy Loving Mercy hath granted me so long time of Repentance and given thine only Son to suffer for me and to reconcile me unto thee Lord grant that I may feel the Comfort of the one and enjoy the Benefit of the other And though my Heart is so hardned with a constant Custom of sinning that I am not able to think a good Thought much less to turn heartily and penitently unto thee yet I humbly beg of thee to lay before mine Eyes such a sight of my Sins and such a Prospect of thy Judgments that I loathing the former and standing in awe of the latter may be drawn unto thy Son Jesus Christ who has most graciously promised Rest and Refreshment to those that are heavy laden with the Conscience and Burden of their Sins O Lord I beseech thee accept the Death of thy Son as sufficient Satisfaction for all my Sins and grant that I may feel the same effectually working in me a Death unto Sin killing in me the Lusts of the Old Adam Seal up in me the Truth of his Resurrection by raising me up to the Life of Righteousness that I may give my Soul and Body an holy living and acceptable Sacrifice unto thee which is but a reasonable Service And because that whilst I carry about me this earthly Tabernacle this body of Sin my whole Life is nothing but a continual Rebellion against thee I earnestly implore such a Measure of thy good Spirit as may work a Newness of Life in me and drive away the darkness of my Understanding that I may see the Way wherein I ought to walk subdue the Rebellion of my Will that it may submit to thy Commandments and correct my untamed Affections calling them from Hunting after Vanities to delight in thy Testimonies Give me also an Hope of thy Promises a Love of thy Majesty a tender Affection towards my Brethren a Care of my Duty and what other Graces thou knowest needful for a Member of Christ that thus I may live in thy Fear to the Honour and Glory of thy Name I may die in thy Favour to the Comfort of my Conscience and may receive the end of my Faith which is the Salvation of my Soul through the Merits and Mediation of Iesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour Furthermore O Lord I give thee most hearty Thanks for all thy Benefits bestowed upon me from the beginning of my days to this present time namely that thou hast Elected me before the Foundations of the World were laid Created me after thine own Image and Similitude Redeemed me by Iesus Christ's Death and Resurrection Sanctified me by the inward working of thy Holy Spirit and in due and convenient Time called me to the Knowledge of my Election Creation Redemption and Sanctification by the Preaching of the Gospel O Lord encrease day unto my years so grant that in the same I may grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ In whose name for these and for what ever else thy infinite Wisdom knows to be convenient for me I humbly Pray as he in compassion of mine infirmities hath taught me saying Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name thy Kingdom come thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that Trespass against us And lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from Evil for thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen A Prayer to be said in the Evening O Most Gracious and Loving Father I the vilest of Sinners do acknowledge mine Unworthyness either to ask any thing of thee or to appear before thee For O Lord as I was conceived in Sin and brought forth in Iniquity so ever since as thou hast multiplyed the number of my days I have encreased the measure of my sins that if thou enter into Judgment with me to me belongeth nothing but Shame and Confusion both of Body and Soul yet O Gracious Father since thy Loving Mercy hath granted me so long time of Repentance and given thine only Son to suffer for me and to reconcile me unto thee Lord grant that I may feel the Comfort of the one and enjoy the Benefit of the other And though my
Heart is so hardned with a constant Custom of sinning that I am not able to think a good Thought much less to turn heartily and penitently unto thee yet I humbly beg of thee to lay before mine Eyes such a sight of my Sins and such a Prospect of thy Judgments that I loathing the former and standing in awe of the latter may be drawn unto thy Son Jesus Christ who has most graciously promised Rest and Refreshment to those that are heavy laden with the Conscience and Burden of their Sins O Lord I beseech thee accept the Death of thy Son as sufficient Satisfaction for all my Sins and grant that I may feel the same effectually working in me a Death unto Sin killing in me the Lusts of the Old Adam Seal up in me the Truth of his Resurrection by raising me up to the Life of Righteousness that I may give my Soul and Body an holy living and acceptable Sacrifice unto thee which is but a reasonable Service And because that whilst I carry about me this earthly Tabernacle this body of Sin my whole Life is nothing but a continual Rebellion against thee I earnestly implore such a Measure of thy good Spirit as may work a Newness of Life in me and drive away the darkness of my Understanding that I may see the Way wherein I ought to walk subdue the Rebellion of my Will that it may submit to thy Commandments and correct my untamed Affections calling them from Hunting after Vanities to delight in thy Testimonies Give me also an Hope of thy Promises a Love of thy Majesty a tender Affection towards my Brethren a Care of my Duty and what other Graces thou knowest needful for a Member of Christ that thus I may live in thy Fear to the Honour and Glory of thy Name I may die in thy Favour to the Comfort of my Conscience and may receive the end of my Faith which is the Salvation of my Soul through the Merits and Mediation of Iesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour Furthermore O Lord I give thee most hearty Thanks for all thy Benefits bestowed upon me from the beginning of my days to this present time namely that thou hast Elected me before the Foundations of the World were laid Created me after thine own Image and Similitude Redeemed me by Iesus Christ's Death and Resurrection Sanctified me by the inward working of thy Holy Spirit and in due and convenient Time called me to the Knowledge of my Election Creation Redemption and Sanctification by the Preaching of the Gospel O Lord encrease these Blessings in me and my Thankfulness for them that I may grow from Vertue to Vertue from Strength to Strength from Faith to Faith till I come to that perfect Age that thou hast appointed me to grow in Christ Iesus I thank thee also O my God for all the temporal Blessings which thou hast bestowed upon me I have been cast upon thee ever since I was born thou art my Portion and the lifter up of my head I have none in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire in comparison of thee And now O Lord pardon the weakness of my thankfulness and grant that the meditation on these and all other thy Benefits may draw me to a true and hearty Repentance Grant that I seeing thee by so many and so great Testimonies to be my most dear and loving Father may at length cease to be an obstinate and rebellious Child And now O God having passed through the Works of this day being that the Frailties of my Flesh must needs have offended thy Majesty and I had fallen into most grievous sins if thy Grace had not prevented me I beseech thee O Lord let not the Sun go down upon thy wrath but as the darkness of the Night covers the face of the Earth so let my sins be hidden under the Veil of my Saviour's Flesh and buried in his Death that they never rise up again either here to shame me or hereafter to damn me That my Soul and Conscience being freed from the accusation of sin may partake with my body in quiet rest Let thy Gracious Providence O God watch over me for my Defence this Night and make me remember that as I lay down my body to rest so it shall be laid down in the Grave to be consumed to Earth from whence it was taken that Meditation may drive from me all vain Dreams all idle Fancies and wicked Imaginations that I may enjoy thine Ordinance of sleep soberly and quietly for the refreshing of my weak body and that I may rise again in the Morning to serve thee in the station wherein thou hast placed me walking always as becometh a Child of Light and as one that looks for the coming of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ In whose Name for these Mercies and what ever else thou knowest to be convenient for me I humbly Pray as he in compassion of my infirmities hath taught me saying Our Father which art c. A Prayer against the Temptation of the Flesh to any particular Sin. O GOD by whose only Power it is that Man Triumphs over all the Adversaries of his Salvation I acknowledge the Frailty of my own Nature that it is not only prone to the pleasures of sin but leads my Soul also captive to commit it tho' it be contrary to that Conscience or Spiritual Light that thou hast given me my weakness being too easily overcome I beseech thee whose strength appeareth in our infirmities to shew thy might in saving me from mine Enemies who have pitched their Tents round about me My Soul O Lord lieth as among Lions hungring and thirsting after my Blood who have whet their Teeth and opened their Mouths to devour me But thou O God who art of more Honour and Might awake for my defence Make haste O God to help me and hide me under the shadow of thy Wings until that Tyranny be over-past I am afraid of Satan that subtile and old Serpent with whom the World and the Flesh have conspired against me They have enticed away my outward senses and have won my corrupt affections so that they fight against me with my own weapons Whither then shall I flee for succour The World is spread abroad like a Net to ensnare me the flesh is an Iron Chain to bind me and my senses and affections are confederate with sin to betray me thus the Gates of Hell are prevailed against me and my sins have taken such hold upon me that they say Surely there is no help for him in his God. Nevertheless I have lifted up mine Eyes unto the Hills and will hope still in thy Salvation Tho' the Serpent is subtile yet the Son of God is Wisdom Tho' the World does entice me yet Heaven is my Inheritance Tho' the Flesh strives yet in the Cross of Christ I shall overcome Tho' mine Affections are unruly yet his Death will tame them And tho' Hell rage
Consecrated to his Service For through the Work of our Redemption he becomes our Lord both by the right of Conquest and of Purchase and by making us the Sons of God and providing heavenly Mansions for us he acquires a further Right to us which Right considering the Covenant we all make at our Baptism to serve him is at last compleated because we have bound our selves there under a voluntary Obligation to serve him And thus I believe in Iesus Christ his only Son our Lord. Article III. Who was Conceived by the Holy Ghost Born of the Uirgin Mary I Believe that the only begotten Son of God begotten by the Father before all Worlds very God of very God was Conceived and Born and so made Man taking to himself the humane Nature consisting of a Soul and Body joining it with the Divine Nature in the Unity of his Person I believe that the Word was in this manner made Flesh that he was really and truly Conceived in the Womb of a Woman but not Conceived as the Sons of Men are not by Carnal Copulation not by the common way of humane Propagation but by the singular powerful invisible immediate Operation of the Holy Ghost whereby a Virgin was beyond the Law of Nature able to Conceive and that which was Conceived in her was originally and compleatly sanctifyed Born of the Uirgin Mary I believe that there was a certain Woman known by the Name of Mary espoused unto Ioseph of Nazareth which before and after her Espousal was a pure and unspotted Virgin and continuing in the same Virginity did by the immediate Operation of the Holy Ghost conceive within her Womb the only begotten Son of God and after the natural time of other Women brought him forth as her First-born Son continuing still a most pure and immaculate Virgin whereby the Saviour of the World was born of a Woman under the Law without the least spot of Original Corruption that he might deliver us from the Guilt of Sin born of that Virgin which was of the House and Lineage of David that he might fit upon his Throne and rule for evermore And thus I believe that Iesus Christ was Conceived by the Holy Ghost and Born of the Uirgin Mory Article IV. Suffered under Pontius Pilate was Crucified Dead and Buried I Believe that the only begotten Son of God begotten of the Father and of the same Divine Nature with the Father did for the Redemption of Mankind really and truly suffer not in his Divinity for that could not suffer but in his Humanity which in the days of his Humiliation was subject unto our Infirmities That as he is a perfect Redeemer of the Whole Man so he was a compleat Sufferer in the whole in his Body by such grievous Infirmities as arise internally from humane Frailties and by such Pains as are inflicted by external Injuries in his Soul by fearful Apprehensions by unknown Sorrows by Anguish unexpressible Under Pontius Pilate I believe that the eternal Son of God did suffer for the sins of Men after the fifteenth Year of Tiberius the Roman Emperour and before his Death in the time of Pontius Pilate who was Tiberius's Deputy Governour of Iudea who to please the Iews did condemn him whom he had pronounced innocent and delivered him according to the Custom of that Empire and in order to the fulfilling the Prophecies To dye a painful and shameful Death upon the Cross. â—â— of such as do dye and being he dyed in the similitude of a Sinner his Soul went to the place where the Souls of Men are kept who dye for their sins and so did wholly undergo the Law of Death But because there was no sin in him and he had fully satisfied for the sins of others which he took upon him therefore as God suffered not his Holy One to see Corruption so he left not his Soul in Hell and thereby gave sufficient security to all those who belong to Christ that they should never come under the Power of Satan nor suffer in the Flames prepared for the Devil and his Angels He rose again I believe that the Eternal Son of God who was Crucified and dyed for our sins did not long continue in the State of Death but by his infinite power did revive and raise himself by re-uniting the same Soul which was separated to the same Body which was buried and so rose the same Man And this he did the third day from his death so that dying on Fryday the sixth day of the Week the day of the Preparation of the Sabbath and resting in the Grave on the Sabbath day on the Morning of the first day of the Week he returned to life again and thereby did consecrate the first day of the Week to be religiously kept holy until his coming again And thus I believe that Iesus Christ descended into Hell and rose again the third day from the Dead Article VI. He ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty I Believe that the only begotten and eternal Son of GOD after he rose from the Dead did with the same Soul and Body with which he rose by a true and local Translation convey himself from the Earth on which he lived through all the Regions of the Air through all the Celestial Orbs until he came into the Heaven of Heavens the most glorious presence of the Majesty of God. And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty I believe that Iesus Christ ascending into the highest Heavens after all the Troubles and Sufferings he endured here for our Redemption did there rest in everlasting Happiness He who upon earth had not where to lay his Head did take up a perpetual Habitation there and sit down upon the Throne as a Judge and as a King according to his Office of Mediator unto the end of the World which Right Hand of God the Father Almighty signifies his Omnipotent Power whereby he is able to do all things without Contradiction And thus I believe in Iesus Christ who ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty Article VII From thence he shall come to judge the Quick and the Dead I Believe that the only begotten and eternal Son of God in that humane Nature in which he dyed and rose again and ascended into Heaven shall certainly come from the same Heaven into which he ascended and at his coming shall gather together all those which shall be then alive and all which ever lived and shall be before that day dead When causing all to stand before his Judgment Seat he shall judge them according to their Works done in the Flesh and passing the Sentence of Condemnation upon all the Reprobates he shall deliver them to be tormented with the Devil and his Angels and pronouncing the Sentence of Absolution upon all the Elect he shall translate them into his Glorious Kingdom of which there shall be no end And thus
I believe in Iesus Christ who shall judge the Quick and the Dead Article VIII I believe in the Holy Ghost I Believe that besides all others whatsoever to whom the Name of Spirit is or may be given there is one particular and peculiar Spirit who is truly and properly a Person of a true real and personal Subsistence not a Created but an Uncreated Person and is therefore the true and one eternal God That though he be God yet he is not the Father nor the Son but the Spirit of the Father and the Son the third Person in the Blessed Trinity proceeding from the Father and the Son I believe that infinite and eternal Spirit to be not only of all perfect and infallible Holiness in himself but also to be the immediate Cause of all Holiness in us revealing the pure and undefiled Will of God inspiring the Blessed Apostles and enabling them to lay the Foundation and by a perpetual succession to continue the Edification of the Church illuminating the Understandings of particular Persons rectifying their Wills and Affections renewing their Corrupt Natures uniting their Persons unto Christ assuring them of the Adoption of Sons leading them in their Actions directing them in their Devotions by all ways and means purifying and sanctifying their Souls and Bodies to be fully and eternally accepted in the sight of God. This is the eternal Spirit of God and must consequently be Holy And thus I believe in the Holy Ghost Article IX The Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints I Believe that Christ by the preaching of the Apostles did gather unto himself a Church consisting of thousands of believing Persons and numerous Congregations to which he daily added such as should be saved and will successively and daily add unto the same unto the end of the World so that by the Virtue of his all-sufficient Promise I believe that there was hath been hitherto and now is and hereafter shall be so long as the Sun and Moon endure a Church of Christ one and the same This Church I believe to be Holy in general in respect of the Author the End the Institution and Administration of it and in particular in the Members whom I acknowledge to be really though but imperfectly holy here and shall be perfectly holy hereafter I look upon this Church not like that of the Iews limitted to one People confined to one Nation but by the Appointment and Command of Christ and by the Efficacy of his assisting Power to be spread over all Nations to be extended to all places to be propagated to all Ages to contain in it all Truths necessary to be known to require absolute Obedience from all men to the Commands of Christ and to furnish us with all Grace necessary to make our Persons acceptable and our Actions well pleasing in the sight of God. The Communion of Saints I believe that such Persons as are truly sanctified in the Church of Christ while they live among the Crooked Generations of men and struggle with all the Miseries of this World have Fellowship with God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost as dwelling with them and taking up their Habitations in them That they partake of the Care and Kindness of the blessed Angels who take delight to minister for their benefit that besides the external Fellowship which they have in the Word and Sacraments with all the Members of the Church they have an intimate Union and Conjunction with all the Saints on earth as the living Members of Christ nor is this Union separated by the Death of any one but as Christ in whom they live is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World so they have Fellowship with all the Saints which from the Death of Abel have ever departed in the true Faith and Fear of God and now enjoy the presence of the Father and follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth And thus I believe the Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints Article X. The Forgiveness of Sins I believe that whereas every Sin is a Transgression of the Law of God upon every Transgression there remains a Guilt upon the Transgressor and that Guilt brings an eternal Punishment so that all men being concluded under Sin they were all obliged to suffer the punishment of eternal Death yet it pleased God to give his Son his Son to give himself to be a surety for this Debt and to release us from these bonds And because without shedding of blood there is no Remission he gave his Life a Sacrifice for sin he laid it down as a Ransom even his precious Blood as a Price by way of Compensation and Satisfaction to the Will and Justice of God by which Propitiation God who was by our sins offended became reconciled and being so took off our Obligation to eternal punishment which is the Reward of our sins and appointed in the Church of Christ the Sacrament of Baptism for the first Remission and Repentance for the constant Forgiveness of all following Trespasses And thus I believe the Forgiveness of Sins Article XI The Resurrection of the Body I believe that as it is appointed for all men once to dy so it is also determined that all men shall rise from Death that the souls separated from our bodies are in the hand of God and live that the bodies dissolved into dust or scattered into ashes shall be gathered together again in themselves and re-united to their souls that the same Flesh which lived before shall be revived that the very same bodies which shall fall shall rise that this Resurrection shall be universal no man excepted no flesh left in the Grave that all the just shall be raised to a Resurrection of Life and all the Unjust to a Resurrection of Damnation that this shall be performed at the last day when the Trump shall sound And thus I believe the Resurrection of the Body Article XII And the Life everlasting I believe that the Unjust after their Resurrection and Condemnation shall be tormented for their sins in Hell and shall be kept there in Torments for ever so as the Justice of God shall never cease to inflict them nor the Persons of the wicked cease to be and suffer them And that the Just after their Resurrection and Absolution shall as the Blessed of the Father obtain the Inheritance and as the Servants of God enter into their Masters joy freed from all possibility of death sin and sorrow fill'd with all imaginable nay inconceivable fulness of Happiness confirmed in an absolute security of an eternal Enjoyment of this blessed state and so they shall continue with God and the Lamb for evermore And thus I believe the Life everlasting The LORD'S PRAYER Expounded in a Prayer The Order of the Petitions O Father of Mercies and God of all Pity who by thy eternal and only begotten Son Iesus Christ hast taught us to pray lend a gracious Ear to the Petitions of Creatures and