the Gospel as to such an holy obedience Ans. Where it is said that the Gospel teacheth us to live godly righteously and soberly in this present world Quest What obligation to holiness do these three expressions signify Ans. All that is required of a soul in this condition that is to lâ—ve godly to God justly to our neighbour and soberly to our selves Quest Forasmuch then that in them is contained the third great condition of salvation It concerns thee to be well informed what they oblige thee to And first what is it to live godly to God Ans. It binds me to perform to him all that holy worship and service which he hath required of me Quest Now because God hath appointed both publick and private worship for his faithful servants to perform To what duties do the publick worship of God oblige thee Ans. To worship him in all the publick exercises of the Church that is First in the administration of the Sacraments Secondly in the hearing the word preached and thirdly in adjoyning my self to the publick prayers of the Congregation Quest Conceiving thy readiness to entertain a clear understanding of thy duty in all these parts of his service First what and how many Sacraments hath Christ ordained to be observed Ans. Two Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord both instituted by himself to become outward and visible signs of inward and spirituall grace arguments of his love to us and actions of our service and obedience to him Quest What is Gospel-Baptisme Ans. A dipping or sprinkling with water in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Quest With what spirituall benefits doth Christ bless the baptized Ans. With grace to die unto sin and to be borne again to a life of righteousness thereby to put on Christ and to be received into the Covenant of Grace Quest To what respective duties do the baptized stand obliged by that Sacrament Ans. An engagement to give up themselves to the Kingdome of Christ by faith and holy living with whom they then entered covenant to forsake whatsoever is contrary to that his Kingdom that is the devil and all his works the Pomps and vanites of this wicked world and all the sinful lusts of the flesh Quest Are not christian parents bound in duty to Christ to present their infants to Baptisme Ans. Yes for Parents must consider that the promises were not made to themselves onely but to their children also to which promises they having a right as well as themselves are not to be debarred from nor deprived of the seal consignation of them in that blessed Sacrament Further as to the right of baptizing infants as it is proved by many necessary deductions from so as to the matter of fact it is collected by many probable instances in Scripture In either of which if the scruples of an unbeleeving and quarrelling age have raised doubts and questions the universal practice of the Churches of Christ in all ages and places hath determined it from which to depart in this or any other service of God that is grounded especially upon such binding consequences of Scripture gives a just reason for any man to be charged with private presumption and dangerous singularity Quest What is the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Ans. The receiving of bread and wine in remembrance of the death and passion of our Saviour which bread and wine being blessed by the Minister are the communion of the body and blood of Christ to the prepared receiver Quest What spiritual benefit doth God communicate to such a receiver Ans. The strengthening and refreshing his soul with all spiritual graces and the participation of Christ in all the effects of his death and passion Quest What preparation is required of them that come faithfull receivers to that Sacrament Ans. To examine themselves whether they repent them truly of their former sinnes stedfastly purposing to lead a new life To have a lively faith in Gods mercy through Christ with a thankful remembrance of his death and be in charity with all men Quest What other consideration may be added in order to the service of God in that Sacrament Ans. To make conscience of entertaining all possible opportunities to receive the same as my love to God will make it necessary to serve him as often as I can Omitting no present occasion lest it be the last that shall be offered to me and to decline which there can be no plea allowable before God either in respect of sins or enemies unless I can think it safe for me to dye which I may the next moment without repentance or charity Quest But may not the sinfull and scandalous conversation of some that are admitted to the same Sacrament with thee give thee a just cauâ—e to decline it Ans. No For had any detriment accrewed to the other Apostles by Judas his receiving with them Christ who knew his unpreparednesse by his desperate designe against him and other gross wickednesse and which was not likely to be unknown to the rest of the Apostles would certainly for presidents sake have debarred him the Sacrament And Saint Paul who punctually treated his Corinâ—hians about the holy communion and so fully described sharply reproved those scandalous persons who mixed themselves in the society of the faithful receivers would not certainly have passed over so necessary a reproof to the Ministers of Corinth for admitting them and to the faithfull for receiving with them had an unworthy receiver eat damnation or sin to any other besides himself Quest The second part of publick worship being hearing of the Word preached How mayest thou serve God acceptably in that Ans. To hear the Sermon attentively as a religious exercise and instrumentall to the work of Grace To treasure up the promises to my comfort the reproofs for my amendment and the directions for the rule of my life Not taking offence at Religion in general nor at that service in particular by the weakness or infirmities of him that ministers those holy things unto me Quest The third part of publick worship being to adjoyn thy self to the publick prayers of the congregation How mayest thou discharge thy duty to God therein Ans. To oblige my self conscioâ—ably to be present at them as at the hearing of the Sermon or the performing any other holy duties to come timely and with a pious mind to honour God and with a charitable spirit that the whole Church of Christ and the present congregation may receive the benefit of my prayers Quest What other directions may be propounded for the more pious performance of thy duty to God in all the publick worship Ans. That I be present with an humble and awfull mind a lowly and reverent comportment of my body
Let my bodily distemper cure my soules infirmities and that I may learn thereby to hate sin and fear thee to see the vanity of worldly dependencies and to flie unto thee as the only refuge Lord let not the vanities of my health and prosperity be now laid to my charge but accept of my repentance and sorrow for them and grant me a peace and reconciliation with thee through the blood of Christ In my straits let me look up to thee with comfort as to a gracious Father O do not appear to me in terrour as a dreadful Iudge Lord I am thy servant do with me as it pleaseth thee yet for thy mercies sake lay no more upon me then what thou seest necessarily to conduce to the salvation of my soul If it pleaseth thee that I survive this affliction O let me live answerably to thy gracious intention in chastising me and to all those my holy purposes and promises made unto thee in this my visitation that these light afflictions may be advantages to me to the obtaining the exceeding weight of Glory Through my dear Saviour and Mediatour Iesus Christ Amen If the sicknesse appear dangerous then adde this Prayer O Lord my God in whom alone is the power of life and death and who precisely knowest the number of my daies be pleased to go along with me in mercie to my last hour And if it be thy pleasure to order this sickness to end in my death Lord make that the entrance to a blessed life Help me in all my natural and spiritual distresses let neither my paines nor my sins make me impatient or unconfident Lord let not my faith in Christ nor hope of thy mercie faile in the bitter hour O let the light of thy countenance break through the terrours of death to comfort me and let thy Spirit assist me when my strength faileth me Grant O Lord that my death be neither very tormenting nor uncomelie and when my soul shall depart O receive me into the resting place of thy glorie for Iesus sake my only Saviour and Redeemer When thou hearest any of thy neighbours to be very weak in sickness Pray for him in this manner O blessed Lord and fountain of mercies I humbly beseech thee to look with thy tender compassions upon thy servant A. B. Give him faith to depend upon thee patience to submit unto thee and thy Spirit to comfort him in whatsoever afflictions thou shalt lay upon him Accept of his repentance and final preparation for the peace of his soul in Christ accept of his addresses to the throne of Grace hear and help when he calls upon thee Make his bed in the time of his sickness and provide for him all things needful in his distress both for soul and body If it be thy will raise him up to his former health but with an ingagement upon his Spirit to live answerable to thy mercies and deliverances and if it be thy will to take him out of this life O assist his Spirit in the terrours of a dying hour and receive his soul into the armes of thy mercy through Iesus Christ my blessed Saviour Amen A Prayer to be used by a woman great with child O Lord God who hast blest my womb with conception for which I praise thy providence and with that conception hast made me a partaker of the sorrow common to my sex for the sin of my first mother grant me a part in the promised seed of a woman my Lord Iesus who came to bruise the head of the Serpent And though he hath not delivered me from the trouble and miseries of my body yet O Lord give me deliverance by him from the sin of my soul Lord keep me from sad accidents and from an untimely birth Give my childe a perfect shape and fitted for right senses and a good understanding Grant it a naturall birth and me patience for the pain and a prepared soul for the perill of it when it shall be borne grant me a safe recovery my childe a timely Baptisme that it may afterward make profession of the faith of Christ and through thy grace may lead an holy life Through the same Iesus Christ my blessed Saviour and Redeemer Amen A Prayer to be used before and in a journey Almighty and merciful Father who with thine eye of Providence that runneth through the world beholdest me wheresoever I am in all my wayes and actions who leddest thy people through the wildernesse by a marvelous guidance and didst direct with safety the Wise men by a Starre to our blessed Saviour Defend me in this my journey from all kinds of dangers from all temptations to sin and forgetfulness of thee from the hands of evill men and all sad accidents whatsoever Blesse my design and all my relations that I have left behinde me grant that I may go in safety and return in peace through the might and mediation of Christ my Saviour Amen A short Prayer to be used by all at their entrance into the Congregation And I desire it may be taught to children as a means to oblige them to a mindfulnesse of Gods service MOst dreadful Majesty who hast promised thy presence with them that are most met in thy Name give me grace to serve thee reverently as in thy presence and to perform my duty in thy worship acceptably to thy Glory Through Jesus Christ Amen An Exercise of Humiliation to assist humble penitents upon days of their private fasting and for a due examination of themselves before the receiving of the blessed SACRAMENT A PSALM O Lord rebuke me not in thine indignation neither chasten me in thy displeasure For thou art a God that hast no pleasure in wickedness neither shall any evill dwell with thee Such as be foolish shall not stand in thy sight for thou hatest all them that work vanity Have mercy upon me O God after thy great goodnesse according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences Wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sins For I acknowledg my faults and my sin is ever before me Against thee only have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight that thou mightest be justified in thy saying and clear when thou judgest My misdeeds prevail against me O be thou merciful unto my sinnes I will therefore confess my wickedness and be sorry for my sinne Turn thy face away from my sins and put out all my misdeeds For thy Names sake O Lord be merciful to my sin for it is great For my wickednesses are gone over my head and are like a fore burthen too heavy for me to bear Withdraw not thou thy mercie from me let thy loving kindness and thy truth alwayes preserve me O Lord let it be thy pleasure to deliver me make haste O Lord to help me Haste thee to help me O Lord God of my salvation The confession of sins I. O Lord God Judge of all men and actions I am a miserable
such as were first disobedient to him And this way of God is most conspicuous in his dealing with his people the Jewes to whom those places in the question chiefly referre For his severity upon them was only unto such that first fell from him They had a day of mercy which they despised after which it was just with God to make it a time of hardening and excluding them from mercy Which when God shall so do what art thou O man that thou shouldst question his justice or reply against him who hath power as a Potter over his clay to make some vessells to honour and some to dishonour when some accept others reject and despise his grace Therefore Gods wayes are â—â—equal That this truth may yet be fully signified we argue that the stony and other unprofitable grounds wanted not their seed the unfruitful tree had its husbandry manuring and long forbearance before it was sentenced to be cut down The refusing guests at the great Supper had their invitation To conclude Ierusalem had a day of visitation in which they neglected the things of their peace before the fearful sentence was past that they should be hid from their eyes From all which it followes that to want grace to be hardened to be a vessel of dishonour can be no arguments to suspect God will deny such grace and sufficient spiritual assistancies but rather motives to beware of the abuse and neglect of grace when it is offered lest we forfeit our peace by neglecting the day of mercy Quest But further may I not fear to be shut out from grace and all hopes of salvation by a fatal and irrevocable reprobation from eternity the necessary consequence of an irrespective decree for the salvation of some Ans. I know some places of Scripture have administred occasion of endless dispute wherein men have waded as in the dark into an abyss of doubts of unfathomed depth and by their passionate disceptations even to uncharitablenesse about that which I am confident is no further revealed then what may make it necessary to be acknowledged a mystery and to put reason to a trial to submit to that which it could never comprehend by any enquiries have made conclusions about the point which in naturâ rei will have and must hinder and put a barre against a lively undertaking the purposes of strict Gospel-obediencence and weaken the applications of Gods grace in pressing endeavours to work out salvation by the performance of the conditions of the holy Covenant Therefore passing by the enumerations of the differing opinions of the divines both of the Romish and Protestant faith laying aside all examination of such secluse secrecies of God and all unnecessary disputes about them I set up my rest in this one thing that I am comfortably confident that whatsoever Gods election and predestination is it doth not contradict his promises of mercy nor his end of giving Christ unto the world both which by the universal scope of the Gospel are general and conditional And it is the doctrine of the Church of England in the end of the seventeenth Article that we must receive Gods promises in such wise as they be generally set forth to us in holy Scripture and in our doings that will of God is to be followed whiâ—h we have expressely declared unto us in the Word of God Quest Another scruple yet occurres that if salvation through Christ shall be given to them only that perform the conditions when I consider the weakness of my faith the defects of my repentance and my innumerable failings in every part of the performancies of holy living I find nothing but arguments of discouragement and little hopes of being accepted to salvation How may I satisfy my soul in such a discomfort Ans. Though as it is evident that the faith repentance and holinesse of Gods best servants have ever been and shall ever be defective and imperfect they being unable through their corruptions perfectly to perform those Gospel-conditions yet is God pleased to accept of their faithfull and sincere endeavour to fulfill them For the state of Grace doth not necessarily suppose a soule exempt from all sin but from the reigning power rule and dominion of it and a safe condition towards God is not to be accounted by a freedome from all sinning who then could appeare before God and the reflections of his own concience with comfort but is to be collected by observation that the spiritual part hath the greatest predominancy in the thoughts affections designes and actions and that the lusts and carnall part are lesse and every day lessening by the power of the predominant grace In which estate the failings and defects being suddenly retracted and the soule humbled for them are unquestionably pardoned through the blessed plea and advocation of Christs precious merits and his never ceasing intercession Quest Now because you have mentioned such an hope of pardon by the merits of Christ I conceive it will tend much to thy satisfaction in the first attempt and in the whole course of obeying the Gospel rightly to understand what Christ hath merited for thee that thy soul may know what comforts to rejoyce in for what mercies to blesse God and what duties stand on thy account to be performed What therefore hath Christ as a Mediatour and Redeemer merited for thee Ans. A new Covenant of Grace whereby man being at present enmity with God might be reconciled to him and being in a lost estate might be recovered and redeemed to life and salvation Now the whole work of Redemption may be represented in these five effects of his death and mediation Quest What is the first Ans. Christ hath by his universal passion especially by his death and price of his blood satisfied and attoned the justice of God for the sins of the world to become effectual to the justification and salvation of as many as shall by faith accept of him upon his own terms receive his grace and sincerely perform the conditions of the Covenant Quest What is the second Ans. Christ hath merited that those conditions should not be like the lawes imposed upon the Iewes numerous troublesome full of business and attendance to shadowie rites and ceremonies but should become a light burden an easie and pleasant yoke and that his Commandements should not be grievous but should become approveable to right reason and acts in themselves of the greatest prudence and most conducible to the peace and felicity of all societies and persons Quest You see here a most blessed progresse of mercy to mankind first a dreadful justice satisfied which the sacrifice of worlds could never have done by the suffering of him that was both God and Man then secondly a condition propounded in a law which man could not but have given himself had God allowed him a capacity to have chosen one whereby to
my countenance and my God Thou hast created me by thy power redeemed me by thy Christ sanctified me by thy Spirit and preserved me by thy watchful providence through the whole course of my life Lord I praise thee for the safety of my soul and body this day that thy grace hath kept me from grosse sins and thy protection from sad accidents O keep me this night by the covert of the same fatherly goodness through Jesus Christ my Lord Amen Let the intercession be the same that was used for the morning Service Now I commend this office as the fittest to be taught to servants in families and to be used by children before they come to mens and womens estate THE Third Form This third office I have here inserted for the benefit of those who usually accustoming themselves to the next and largest formes shall sometime be necessitated to shorten their service and may be ordinarily used by those who are not yet come up to so great designs of zeal for longer formes Morning PRAYER Our Father which art in c. Confession of sin O Lord God Almighty the God of all Glory Majesty and Power and the fountain of mercies I confesse I am unworthy to appear before thy holy presence having sinned against heaven and before thee and in thought word and deed continually rebelled against thee I have too much followed my lusts and desires and have not endeavoured to bring under my affections to the yoak of Christ I have loved the vanities of the world but too much undervalued thy Kingdom and promises I have not been so sincere and frequent in thy services so diligent in my calling so just and merciful in my carriage to others nor so sober and temperate in the use of my mind body and thy blessings as the strict holinesse of the Gospel hath required of me here make confession of particulars For which I stand here guilty of the breach of thy righteous commandments and lie lyable to the effects of thy wrath and displeasure Prayer for Pardon and Grace But O thou preserver of men for thine own compassion sake and for thy Iesus sake pity the troubles of a burthened soul and pardon all those sins I have committed against thee Let the blood of Christ satisfy thy justice and his intercession obtain thy mercy for a peace and reconciliation with thee that my sins may not separate from thy grace here nor thy glory hereafter And O Lord strenthen my weak soul with the graces of thy Spirit that I may hereafter overcome all the temptations of the devil the world and the flesh and may lead a new and holy life before thee Turn the stream of my affections to thee and take possession of my soul that all my thoughts words and actions may be subject to the law of Christ And having kept the faith and finished my conversation in holines I may at last through thy mercies in Christ obtain the crown of eternal glory Amen The Thanksgiving O merciful and Gracious Lord as I acknowledge my dependence upon thee for every part of my being so I desire to bless thy holy Name for all thy mercies to me especially for the redemption of my soul by the blood of thy Son and for the portion of thy grace that thou hast given me I praise thee O Lord for all temporall blessings as my health provision of food and rayment friends understanding senses and limbs and that I enjoy any thing that I have seen any others to want Blessed be thy Name for the safety of my soul and body this night past O keep me under the shadow of thy wings this day that I may fall into no sad accidents nor dangers and so defend me with thy grace that I may do nothing that may displease thee or that may occasion sin in others or give offence to the holy profession of Christ for his merits sake who is my blessed Jesus Amen Intercession Lord defend thy universall Church from all enemies persecutions and factions Preserve thy Churches in these nations restore them to their former peace and keep them from the dangers of their own divisions and enmities Grant that Magistrates and Ministers may concurre to the upholding thy truth and worship in this needful time Blesse my Parents children and all my near relationss with all spiritual blessings in Christ and all temporall comforts Relieve and comfort all that are in distresse all prisoners captives sick and poor persons distressed widowes and friendless children with every oppressed and sorrowful soul Convert the impenitent confirm the weak turn into the way of truth all that have erred and forgive and bless all mine enemies Lord hear these my prayers and grant me my requests for the mediation of Jesus Christ my Saviour to whom with thee and the holy Spirit be given all Glory Honour and Praise this day and for evermore Amen Evening PRAYER Our Father which c. O Most infinite Majesty and gracious Father in mercy thou hast added another day to my age O wretch that I am I have added many sins to my former score How often O Lord have I this day forgotten my obedience to thee How many vain thoughts hath my mind harboured How many vain and impertinent words hath my mouth uttered With how many passions have I been transported beyond the bounds of Religion How many sinful acts have I committed How many opportunities of doing good have I omitted wherein I might have glorified thy Name And whereas thou hast given it me as another day of grace to be getting oyle for my lamp and to be working out my salvation O unhappy Creature I have rather gone back upon the accounts of the Spirit Trifling away that precious time in my indulgencies to my carnal affections or pursuits of worldly advantages neglecting the great prize of Christ and treasures of eternity So that had I but the sins of this day to answer for at the barre of thy divine justice O Lord I might justly suffer thy wrath to all eternity O what hath my soul to plead for the sins of my whole life if the sins of this one day may confound me For Pardon and Grace And now Lord where is my hope truly my hope is even in thee who though thou art justly displeased with me for my sins yet hath thy Iesus fully satisfied thy justice for them and by the dear price of his blood purchased at thy hand forgiveness of them O my dear Lord I beseech thee therefore shut not up the bowels of thy compassion from me nor deny me the benefit of the death and passion of my Saviour Lord let his wounds heal me his blood cleanse me his death reconcile me to thy divine Majesty for ever And grant that in the residue of my dayes I may wholly conforme to the Kingdom of Christ that I may have peace of conscience here a comfortable death and a blessed eternitie through the merits of Iesus Christ my Saviour Amen
Thanksgiving O merciful Father after all thy mecies to me in the whole course of my life my soul hath this day further seen and tasted how good the Lord is in many significations of mercie and loving kindness to me I bless thee O Lord for the great work of mercie in Iesus Christ For that I have a time to repent me of those sins for which I might even now have been suffering in an eternal punishment I praise thee that I am not roating in a torment languishing in a disease pining in a prison nor a poor vagrant nor a disconsolate captive But on the contrary O my Lord thou hast given me a residence a protâ—ction a plenty a sound mind an healthful body and liberty But most especially that thou hast offered me sweet testimonies of thy present grace and a blessed hope of future glory Now O my Lord for every of these and for all other the blessed evidences of thy love and goodness to me I do from my soul acknowledg thy mercie and bless praise and magnity thy great and glorious Name for ever and ever And O Lord keep me this night under the same protection and let the mercy of my God so preserve me that neither sin nor danger may make me miserable through the might of Iesus Christ my ever blessed Saviour Amen Vse the same intercession that is set for the Morning Service THE Largest Forme FOR Private Exercise Morning PRAYER When thou addressest thy self to thy morning service first frame thy mind to meditate of the glorious excellencies and presence of God and worship him in this or the like manner Our Father which art c. O Most glorious and incomprehensible Lord God of heaven and earth whose immense essence and infinite perfections no tongue can express nor heart conceive Before whose Dreadful Majesty the holy Angels vaile their faces and the glorified Spirits cast their crowns Thou O Lord art only worthy to receive Glory Honour and Power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Therefore being sensible of my miserable nothing poverty and dependency and admiring thy absolute and infinite excellencies do throw my self my soul and body at the foot of thy Majesty and do adore and worship thy divine presence acknowledging that blessing honour and power is due unto thee for ever and ever Amen A Confession O Lord my God who art a God of purity and holiness and hatest the wayes of iniquity Though thou hast sentenced sin to a wages of death and an eternal punishment and hast declared a dislike of all wicked persons and their performances yet O Lord wretch that I am I have not ceased to do evill in thy sight and to depart from all thy holy wayes For I have yeelded my self too much to satisfy the vanity of my corrupt mind and my unholy lusts not considering their inconsistencie with the Kingdom of Christ I have inclined my affections desires and designes too much to present enjoyments and suffered my heart to be betrayed by them to a forgetfulness or thee and departure from thee O Lord I have either altogether omitted the duties of thy service and worship or performed them too loosely and subordinately or with too much hypocrisie or confidence in them I confesse I have every way lived unanswerably to the infinite mercies and strict commandments of the Gospel too much neglecting the great salvation and the excellencies of the peace of Christ O Lord my God when I consider the iniquities I have committed in my mind with evill thoughts in my tongue in sinfull words and how much all parts and faculties have concurred as instruments of sin how I have offended against the motions of thy Spirit and my own purposes against all thy lawes and all thy providences in all my actions and employments and in every part of my life my sins become an heavy burthen too heavy for me to bear Here open thy soul to God in particulars so that for them and all other my sins I have justly deserved thy wrath and indignation to afflict me in this life with signal punishments and in the life to come with eternall torments Petition for Pardon But O Lord my God give me a true and sincere repentance such as thou shalt please to accept in Christ O teach mine eyes to weep my heart to break my soul to mourn for all my sins O let my understanding alwayes perceive and be convinced of their filthinesse and deadliness even as when thou beholdest sinnes to punish them or as when thou requiredst the blood of my Saviour to satisfie thy justice for them Lord help me to purpose against them and truly to depart from them as if the shame and unprofitablenesse the curse and the hell of them were alwayes before me And O Lord I beseech thee for thy tender mercies and bowels of compassion sake who canst not delight in the death of a sinner to pitty my poor soul lying under the burthen of my sins O my dear Iesus let these wounds of my soul be healed by thy stripes and the divine justice that I have offended be satisfied by thy dear sufferings And since thou hast paid a price for my sins and still intercedest for the pardon of them O deliver me from the guilt and burthen of them an unpeaceable conscience and a miserable eternity the just wages of them Through the merits of my dear Iesus my Lord and Saviour Amen Petition for Grace O my most gracious God I being sensible of my spiritual poverty and inabilitie to understand desire or think of the things of my peace without thy assistance do beseech thee in thy tender mercies not to leave my soule to the guidance of my sinful nature nor to give me over to my own vile affections but rather grant me power through thy holy Spirit to crucify my lusts and to deny my self in all things that are inconsistent with thee O strengthen me to encounter with the temptations of the world and let not the seeming satisfactions of any outward enjoyment betray my soul to forget thee or to decline my obedience to thee Lord grant me the compleat armour of thy grace that I may alwayes prevent the wiles of the devil and overcome the powers and rulers of darkness in their temptations Give me a disposedness in all parts and faculties of soul and body to exercise their offices in obedience to Christ Enlighten my understanding to mind heavenly things draw my will after thee and command all my affections to thee Fill me O Lord with every grace of the Gospel whose exercise thou requirest of me as a disciple of Christ O make me able to live godly to thee in all parts of thy worship righteously to men by the strict rules of justice and soberly to my self in all temperance and chastity Lord make me humble sincere meek patient and peaceable and give me strength to obey the whole will of Christ in all his
commaudments That having run the race that is set before me I may obtain through thy undeserved mercie in Christ the perfect peace of thy presence for evermore Amen The Thanksgiving O Lord of Glory and Power whose eye of providence runneth through the world to guide govern and provide for all things in whom alone I live move and have my being and from whom I have received whatsoever comfort I enjoy O Lord my soul acknowledgeth thou hast done gracious things for me and hast given me a large portion of thy fatherly mercies every way I blesse thee that when thou formedst me in my mothers womb I received no signal defect in body or mind and that thou hast since kept them both from all fearful changes and deformities And that when the sentence of death was upon me in the common fall of Mankinde Lord thou gavest me thy dear Son to redeem my soul to a possibility of life I thank thee for every grace and good work that may evidence thy Spirit in me and for that I have not committed every grosse wickednesse to which nature and temptation have made me subject I praise thy Name O Lord for all the comforts I enjoy that concern this life my health peace liberty friends and livelihood and for the safety of my soul and body this night under the protection of thy sweet providence Keep me this day by the same fatherly goodnesse secure me from all sad accidents that attend upon my frail estate and most especially keep me from all offences to thy divine Majesty O let no temptation prevaile upon me nor let my soul give way to any occasion of evill Give me grace to perform to thee all that thou hast commanded me and all the good thou hast put in my power O let me so live this day as if this night following were to be my last sleep and to morrow the last judgement Through the might of Jesus Christ my Saviour Amen The intercâ—ssions are put after the evening prayer being to be used both after morning and evening exercises Evening PRAYER The addresse to God by way of worship in the morning Prayer the supplicant if he please may now use also Our Father which art in heaven c. The Confession MOst glorious Lord God that inhabitest eternity and art cloathed with Majesty and power I that am but dust and ashes and thy poor creature desire to fall low at the footstool of thy Glories magnifying thine excellencies and acknowledging my unworthiness to lift up mine eyes to heaven against which I have sinned or to appeal to those mercies which I have so much neglected and abused For Lord when I consider my self I am nothing but a masse of corruption and sin to which I have made all the faculties of my soul and members of my body which were created for good works and thy glory to become instrumental And all those excellent lawes which thou hast set before me to be the rule of my obedience I have both lightly regarded and wilfully transgressed in the whole course of my life Such O Lord as concern thy self and thy immediate worship I have either altogether omitted or carelesly perform'd in my dealings with men I have not so strictly as I should observed that rule of Christ to do to all men as I would they should do unto me neither have I been so carefull to observe the holy lawes of Christ concerning my self as I should in a temperate chaste and sober conversation And as I have contracted a heavie burthen upon my soul by the sinfulnesse of my whole life so have I this day in particular added much to my former wretched account For I have not restrained my thoughts from vain imaginations nor set a strict watch before the door of my lips to prevent sinful and impertinent discourses Lord I have been too dull remiss in thy service too negligent in the duties of my calling too carelesse of the opportunities of doing good to others And though thou hast given me this day as another day of grace yet I have made in it little ot no progress in the way of my salvation that shouldest thou deal with me according to the carriage of my soul this day before thee thou mightest justly deny me another day of mercie and leave me to my selfe and to the said wages of my sins for evermore For Pardon But O Lord my God whose mercies are over all thy works and hast graciously promised to forgive and to accept a poor penitent soul returning to thee in sorrow and true repentance have mercie upon me have mercie upon me O hide not thy face from me nor cast thy servant away in thy displeasure Remember not my sins and offences but think thou upon me according to thy great goodnesse And though I come to thee with a weak faith and an imperfect sorrow even with such a repentance as ought to be repented of yet Lord accept of me for I come in the plea of my Saviours blood that satisfied thy justice for all my sins Deny me not therefore O Lord the benefits of his blessed death and passion let my soul have a portion in the rich price of that blood by which I may have peace and reconciliation with thee my God for evermore Amen For Grace O merciful Father in the humble sense of my own insufficiencie not only not to do but not to think of any thing in concernment to my salvation without thy grace I do humbly beseech thee in thy tender compassions to help me with thy divine assistance that I may be able to live conformably to the example of Christ and the strict holinesse of the Gospel O convince my judgement that there is no peace nor profit in the wayes of sin and incline my will and ingage all my affections to the pursuit of spirituall things as the chiefest good Let not O Lord my carnal lusts and affections nor any thing that is desirable in the vaine world nor the policie of the devil deceive my soul to neglect my dutie to Christ or the things of my eternal peace Lord make me sincere and exemplarie in thy worship and service diligent in my calling and just in all my actions make me charitable to my power to all that want me and strictly sober chaste and temperate in my self and in the use of all thy creatures Lord help me to be such as I may please thee in all thy wayes and as I may comfortably appeare before thee when I come to death or judgement Through the might of Iesus Christ my blessed Saviour Amen Thanksgiving O Glorious Lord who art my good God and gracious Father thou hast from time to time given me large expressions of thy love and goodnesse even when for my rebellions against thee and forgetfulnes of thee I might before this time have been cast off from thy protection and made a spectacle of thy justice to others in some signal punishments O Lord how great
and wretched creature made so by my great rebellions against thee and departures from thee having all the daies of my life multiplied my transgressions before thee I humbly confess I have too much inclined my will to the bent of my sinful nature and corrupt desires too often satisfying my sensual appetite in forbidden enoyments And when the inward voice of thy Spirit hath checkt me and thy grace impowered me to contend with my unlawful desires I have suffered my carnal part to prevail against thy Grace and my duto to Christ here call thy self to particular observations of thy actions So that Lord thou mightest in justice have left me upon the account of a carnall estate which is death and enmitie against thee and cannot please thee But O Lord be merciful unto me and pittie my soul for thy blessed Iesus sake And let that degree of spiritualitie that is in me though very weak and imperfect upon my present sorrow and promise of future amendmen be reckoned for a state of Grace Son-ship and peace with thee for my blessed Saviours sake Amen II. Lord I am miserable and wretched for I have too much embraced this present world the love of which is inconsistent with all love to and from thee I have ingaged too many thoughts and cares and too strong designes for temporall things I have had too great a fondness for the honours pleasures profits and friends of this world here bewaile thy miscarriages herein So that in justice thou mayest cast me off as having too much of the world in me for Christs Kingdome But Lord be merciful unto me and accept of my weak and imperfect attempts to despise the world and to lay it aside and my present sorrowes for my present miscarriages that I may through thy mercies in Christ be accounted one though of the least and lowest of Christs Kingdom of Grace here and may have my portion of his Kingdome of Glory hereafter Amen III. Lord I am miserable and wretched for I have in some part of my life contracted and lived in many habits of sin as of c. here account before God the remembrance of them whereby I have been sold under sin and in a state of death and enmity to thee subject to every lust and prostitute to every temptation But Lord be merciful unto me and through thy infinite mercy let me stand in the account of a New man and under a free pardon of such sinful habits as if they had never been and that I may now appear washed sanctified and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of my God Amen IV. Lord I am miserable and wretched for besides my sad state of habitual wickednesse I have multiplied an innumerable number of actuall transgressions which surpasse the number of the starres and are an heavy burthen too heavie for me to bear If I measure my sins by my time here mention the years of thy pilgrimage Lord I confesse that in every day that I have lived I have heaped sin upon sin iniquity upon iniquity If by thy laws Lord I acknowledg there is no one precept of Christ that I have not transgressed having sinned against all the Commandments that concern my living godly to God justly to men and soberly to my self here account by the rules of life in the preceding larger Catechisme If I measure my sins by the exercises of all the faculties and parts of my soul and body I confesse O Lord that all of them in their several offices have been made instruments of unrighteousnesse here account the miscarriage of every faculty sense and member For all which O Lord I have deserved thou shouldest blot me out of the book of life and deliver me up to a state of death and reprobation But Lord be merciful unto me and accept of my hearty sorrow for these my sins my purpose against them and sincere endeavour to forsake them that I may be accounted capable of the grace of the Gospel and pardon in Christ Amen V. Lord I am miserable and wretched for thou hast required an uncessant course of service to thy self both publick and private in constant prayer praises and worship and a pure intention to glorifie thy Name in all of them But I have either altogether omitted them or have bin very slight and imperfect in the perrformance of them or have corrupted them with the mixture of many mean ends and designes acconnt thy failings herein Lord thou hast obliged me to abound in righteousness and every good work and to do good to all men to my highest capacity But I have neglected the opportunities and have often changed them into pleasures and worldly satisfactions confesse thy particular omissions Lord thou hast required of me diligence in my calling and a just peaceable and charitable conversation with all men But I have not been so watchful as I should have been in the use of my time nor so careful in my words and actions of doing to all men as I would they should do to me here charge thy soul with thy failings herein And now O Lord my God if none shall enter into thy Kingdom but those that keep thy Commandements where shall I appear that am justly chargeable with all these omissions But O Lord be merciful unto me and for Jesus sake pardon to my soul these great neglects of my duty to thee and graciously accept of my former weak and imperfect endeavours to perform them my present sorrow and future amendment to the comfort and peace of my soul Amen VI For O Lord my God I have no hope but in thy mercy and in my blessed Jesus in whom thou hast promised pardon to all sincere penitents and entered Covenant with us to be merciful to our unrighteousnesse and our sins to remember our iniquities no more O Lord make good this thy gracious promise to my sinful soul for my dear Jesus sake forgive unto me all these sins of which I have pleaded guilty before thee and all other my secret and unremembred transgressions And O merciful Father furnish my soul with thy divine Spirit which may according to thy promise write thy holy lawes in my mind and in my heart Strengthen me in the inner Man that I may crucifie all my lusts and overcome all the deceits and temptations of the world and the devill Lord turn the stream of my affections to things above and make mee diligently pursue them Give me grace to hate and forsake every sin as death and hell that in the whole course of my remaining life I may deny ungodlinesse and all worldly lusts and live soberly righteously and godly in this present world through Jesus Christ my onely Saviour and Redeemer Amen Lord have mercy upon me Christ have mercy upon me Lord have mercy upon me Our Father which art in heaven c. A Form for the Services of God in a FAMILY Morning PRAYER Our Father which art c.
Evening PRAYER for a Family Our Father c. Confession O Most infinite and Glorious Majesty Lord God of heaven and earth who hast granted us poor creatures and wretched sinners the mercy to appeal unto thee as unto a merciful and Gracious Father who might justly for our sins stand now confounded at thy presence as before the face of an angry Judge For Lord who have ever provoked thee to anger if we have not who were ever justly accounted sinful if we are not For if thou accountest our sins by our time what moment is it in which we have not offended thee if by the instruments of action what faculty of the mind affections of the heart what sense or member of the body have not been employed to sin against thee if thou numbrest our sins by thy holy lawes which of them that concern either our duties to thee our God our righteous carriage to others or the sober use of our selves or thy blessings have we not transgressed So that there appears a numberless number of sins before us such as become an heavie burthen too heavie for us to bear And yet O Lord as if it had not been enough to have thus offended thee in the former part of our lives we have this day added to the sad account by many sinful imaginations which we have given our mindes leave to multiply by many offensive sinful words by many omissions of serving thee and doing good to others and by many acts that cannot but displease thee That shouldst thou deal with us accordingly thou mightest justly cast us off from thy protection deprive us of our present comforts and sweet enjoyments and make us miserable by the effects of thy wrath here and eternally Petition for Pardon and grace But O Lord of mercy though thou hatest sin in it self and wicked men that continue in it yet are thy armes alwayes open to accept and thy mercies ready to pardon all them that acknowledge and forsake their sins We beseech thee therefore O Lord enable us truly to repent us of all our sins that we may sorrow for them and sincerely abhorre them that we may have real purposes against them and faithfully forsake them all the dayes of our lives And then O Lord be graciously pleased to forgive all those our sins unto us acquit us of the guilt unload us of the burthen of them and do thou accept of the blood of Christ in full satisfaction for them O Lord impute them not unto us either to punish us for them in this world with miseries and sad accidents or in the world to come with eternal torments And Lord do thou help us for the time to come with thy grace or we yet perish O enlighten our understandings and judgements with all spiritual wisdom that we may know and approve the things that are excellent incline our wills to pursue them and ingage all our affections to them Wean us from the love of the world and let our soules hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Grant that we employ our selves in all our worldly labor cares for the things of this life with affections so subordinate to spiritual things that we may first seek the Kingdom of God and its righteusnesse and use the world as if we used it not Lord keep us intire in our obedience to Christ that we may upon no temptation depart from the strict holiness of the Gospel Lord make us humble meek peaceable just and charitable make us zealous for thy glory and truth careful of doing good to others and of keeping our selves undefiled members of Christ to our last end Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen Here I also desire the supplicant may interpose the reading of Psalmes a Chapter and the Beleef as in the Morning Service The Thanksgiving O most blessed Lord God who art the fountain of blessing and Father of mercies who by thy providence orderest all our particular conditions for us in which we every where observe great evidences of thy love and goodnesse to us We humbly acknowledge our necessary dependence upon thee and do confess to thy Glory that every comfort we enjoy is of thy free gift and bounty We desire therefore according to our bounden duty to offer up unto thee this evening sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for all thy mercies and sweet providences to us Especially our souls magnify thy divine love that thou hast given us thy Son our Iesus to pay the price of his blood to satisfy thy justice for all our sins That thou hast engaged us by being born and living under the meanes of Grace to make profession of the faith of Christ and that thou hast not set us in the region and shadow of death We bless thee O Lord that thou hast given us power in any measure to love or fear thee to desire and intend heavenly things and that thou hast not given us up to a reprobate mind nor to be led away with the errour of the wicked to fall from our stedfastness We praise thy Name for the blessings of this life for the present estate and condition in which thou hast placed us and therein for our portion of health peace friends and provisions to live all which before this time thou mightest have justly taken from us for our manifold provocations Blessed be thy providence for the mercies of this day past thou hast given us hearts in any measure to serve thee and hast sweetened our affaires and enjoyments with any proportion of peace and contentment That we have been delivered from all fearful accidents such as might have made us to sit down in wo and filled our souls with amazement and sorrow Lord place us this night also under thy divine protection and providence Free us from all terrors and affrightments and the sudden surprise of any danger or accident and when we awake and rise grant O Lord that we may proceed in the way of good living and so persevere in it all the dayes of our lives that when we come to our last sleep and period of our time we may rest in and with thee to all eternity through thy infinite mercies in Iesus Chhrist our Saviour Amen Let the intercession be the same that is used in the morning Service The lesser CATECHISM FOR CHILDREN BY VV. SMYTH THE Lesser CATECHISME for Children QUESTION VVHat is the best thing to be desired and laboured for ANSWER To be saved Quest How is it to be obtained Ans. By the free gift of God in Christ Quest To whom will he give so great an happinesse Ans. To all them that perform the conditions of the Gospel-Covenant Quest What are those conditions Ans. These three to Beleeve Repent and Obey the Commandments of Christ Qu. Thousaidst thou must believe And what are the Articles of thy Christian faith as they are contracted into one summe called the Apostles Creed Ans. I beleeve in God the Father Almighty Maker