spirit of the humble and the heart of the Contrite ones for thou wilt not contend for ever neither wilt thou bee alwaies wroth for the spirit would fail before thée and the soul which thou hast made Look down in tender mercy on the affliction of this thy Servant O Lord rebuke him not in thy wrath neither chasten him in thy hot displeasure All his desire is before thée and his groaning is not hid from thée Have mercy upon him O Lord for hée is weak O Lord heal him whose boues and soul is vered In death there is no remembrance of thée In the grave who shall give thée thanks Remember that wée are but flesh a Wind that passeth away and cometh not again wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble Remember not the Iniquities of his youth or his transgressions look upon his Afffiction and his pain and forgive all his sins Though the sorrows of death do compass him about yet if it bée for thy glory and his good recover him and let him live and praise thy name Rebuke his sickness direct unto such means as thou wilt bless In the time of his trouble wée call upon thée do thou deliver him and let him glorifie thée however shew him the sin that doth offend thée let him search and try his waies and confess and turn from his Inquity and let it bée good for him that hée was afflicted Let this bée the fruit of it to purge and take away his sin That being chastened of the Lord hée may not bée condemned with the world And though chastisement for the present séemeth not to bée joyous but grievous yet afterwards let it yéeld the peaceable fruit of Righteousness to this thy Servant that is exercised therein In the mean time O Lord bée thou his Portion who art good to the Soul that séeketh thée and waiteth for thée Let him patiently and silently bear thy yoak let him hope and quietly wait for thy salvation Considering that thou wilt not cast off for ever that thy anger is but for a moment but in thy favour is Life Wéeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning and that whom thou lovest thou chastenest and scourgest every son whom thou receivest and that if hée indure Chastening thou dealest with him as a Son If hée bée recovered let him devote himself entirely to thy glory That when thou hast put off his sackcloath and mourning and girded him with gladness hee may speak thy praise and give thée thanks If hée receive the sentence of death in himself let it cause him to trust in thée that raisest the dead knowing that as thou didst raise up the Lord Jesus thou wilt raise him up also by Jesus Therefore suffer not his hope to faint but though his outward man perish yet let his inwardman bée renewed from day to day and let him live by faith and look at the things which are not séen even at the excéeding eternal weight of glory Let him bée found in Christ not having his own righteousness but that which is of God by faith Restrain the tempter and deliver thy servant from the sinful fears of death by Christ who through death destroyed the Devil that had the power of death That hée may finde that death hath lost his sting and Triumph over it by Faith in him through whom wée are made more than Conquerers That by faith and love his soul may now ascend with Christ that ascended unto his Father and our Father and to his God and our God and is gone to prepare a place for us and hath promised that where hée is there his servants shall bée also That they may behold the glory which thou hast given him Magnifie thy self in his Body whether by life or death and safely bring him into thy glorious presence where is fulness of Joy and Everlasting pleasures through Jesus Christ our Life and Righteousness Amen A Prayer for Women drawing neer the time of Childe-bearing MOst merciful Father who hast justly Sentenced Woman that was first in the Transgression to great and multiplyed sorrows and particularly in sorrow to bring forth Children yet grantest preservation and reliefe for the propagation of Mankinde Bée merciful to this thy servant bée néer her with thy present help in the néedful time of trouble and though in Travel shée hath sorrow give her strength to bring forth Being delivered let her remember no more the Anguish for ioy that a Childe is born into the World Bless her in the fruit of her body and being safely delivered let her return thée hearty thanks and devote it and the rest of her life to thy service through Jesus Christ our Saviour Amen A Thanksgiving for those that are restored from Dangerous Sickness WEe thank thée O Most Gracious God that thou hast heard us when wée cryed unto thée for thy servant in his weakness and distress that thou hast not turned away our Prayer nor thy mercy from him wée cryed to thée and thou hast delivered and healed him thou hast brought him from the grave thou hast kept him alive that hée should not go down into the Pit thou hast forgiven his iniquity and healed his diseases thou hast redéemed his life from destruction and hast crowned him with loving kindeness and tender mercies thou hast not deprived him of the residue of his years thou hast repented thée of the Evil His Age is nor departed Thou hast renewed his youth and given him to sée man with the Inhabitants of the World And to sée the Goodness of the Lord in the land of the living day and night thy hand was heavy upon him but thou hast turned away thy wrath and hast forgiven the iniquity of his sin for this every one that is godly shall pray unto thée in a time of trouble 〈◊〉 Thou art a hiding place thou preservest us from trouble when our Flesh and our heart faileth us thou art the strength of our heart and our Portion for ever indéed Lord thou art good unto thine Israel Even to such as are clean of heart many are the afflictions of the Righteous but thou deliverest them out of all Though all the day long they bée afflicted and chastened every morning yet are they continually with thée Thou holdest them by the right hand thou art a present help in trouble when all the help of man is vain Let thy servant love thée because thou hast heard his voice and supplication Let him offer unto thée the sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay his vowes to the most high and take the Cup of Salvation and call upon thée all his daies let him bée wholly devoted to thy praise and glorifie thée in Soul and Body as being Thine and seasonably depart in peace unto thy glory through Jesus Christ our life and righteousness Amen A
or the other according to His Majecties gracious Declaration concerning ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS THE Ordinary Publick-Worship ON THE LORDS-DAY The Congregation being reverently composed let the Minister first crave Gods assistance and acceptance of the Worship to bee performed in these or the like words ETERNAL Incomprehensible and Invisible GOD infinite in Power Wisdome and Goodness dwelling in the Light which no man can approach where thousand thousands minister unto Thée and ten thousand times ten thousand stand before Thee yet dwelling with the humble and contrite and taking pleasure in thy People Thou hast consecrated for usâ—…a new and living way that with boldness wée may enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus and hast bid us séek Thée while thou mayest be found Wée come to Thée at thy call and worship at thy Footstool Behold us in thy tender Mercies Despise us not though unworthy Thou art greatly to be feared in the Assembly of the Saints and to be had in Reverence of all that are about thée Put thy fear into our hearts that with Reverence wée may serve Thée sanctifie us that thou mayest be sanctified of us when wée draw nigh Thée Give us the Spirit of Grace and Supplication to help our infirmities that our prayers may be faithful fervent and effectual Let the desire of our souls bée to Thée Let us draw néer Thée with our hearts and not only with our lips and worship Thée who art a Spirit in Spirit and Truth Let thy Word be spoken and heard by us as the Word of God Give us attentive hearing Ears and opened beleeving understanding hearts that wee may no more refuse thy calls nor disregardthy merciful cut-stretched-hand nor sleight thy Counsels and Reproofs but be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of Fools Put thy Laws into our hearts and write them in our minds and let us bee all taught of God Let thy Word bee unto us quick and powerful a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the hearts mighty to pull down strong-holds casting down imaginations and reasonings and every high thing that advanceth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Let us magnifie Thée with thanksgiving and triumph in thy Praise Let us rejoyce in thy Salvation and glory in thy holy Name Open thou our lips O Lord and let our mouths shew forth thy praise And let the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts bee acceptable in thy sight through Jesus Christ our Lord and onely Saviour Amen Or thus when Brevity is necessary O Eternal Almighty and most gracious God Heaven is thy Throne and Earth is thy Footstool holy and reverend is thy Name Thou art praised by the heavenly Hosts and in the Congregation of thy Saints on Earth and wilt bee sanctified in all that come nigh unto Thee Wée are sinful and unworthy dust but being invited by Thée are bold through our blessed Mediator to present our selves and our supplications before Thée Receive us graciously help us by thy Spirit let thy Fear bee upon us let thy Word come unto us in power and bée received in love with attentive reverent and obedient minds Make it to us the savour of life unto life Cause us to be fervent in Prayer and joyful in thy Praises and to serve Thée this day without distraction that wee may finde that a day in thy Courts is better than a thousand and that it is good for us to draw néer to God through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen Next let one of the Creeds bee read by the Minister saying In the Profession of this holy Christian Faith wee are here assembled I beleeve in God the Father c. I beleeve in one God c. And sometimes Athanasius Creed The Ten Commandements God spake these Words and said c. For the right informing and affecting the People and moveing them to a penitent beleeving confession some of these sentences may bee read GOd created man in his Image By one man sin entred into the World and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God God so loved the world that hee gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Hee that beleeveth on him shall not bee condemned but hee that beleeveth not is condemned already because hee hath not beleeved in the name of the only begotten Son of God And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil For every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should bee reproved Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law beeing made a curse for us Except a man be born of water and of the spirit hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God That which is born of the Flesh is Flâ—sh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit Verily I say unto you except yee bee converted and become as little Children yee shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn yee turn yee from your evil waies for why will yee dye oh house of Israel I say unto you there is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over a sinner that repenteth I will arise and go to my Father and say unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to bee called thy Son The Confession of Sin and Prayer for Pardon and Sanctification O Most Holy Righteous and Gracious God who hatest all the workers of iniquity and hast appointed death to bée the wages of sin but yet for the glory of thy mercy hast sent thy Son to be the Saviour of the world and hast promised forgiveness of sin through his blood to all that beléeve in him and by true Repentance turn unto Thée and that whosoever confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall have mercy Wée confess that wée are vile and miserable sinners being conceived in sin by nature children of wrath and transgressors from the womb All wée like shéep have gone astray and turned every one to his own way Thou madest us and not wée our selves Thou boughtest us with a price and wée are not our own and therefore wée should have wholly given up our selves unto Thée and have glorified Thée with our souls and bodies as being Thine What ever wée did should have been done to thy glory and to please Thée in the obeying of Thy Will But wee have displeased and dishonoured Thée and turned from Thée exalting séeking and pleasing
of his that do his pleasure Bless the Lord all his Works in all places of his Dominions Bless the Lord O my soul my mouth shall speak the Praises of the Lord And let all Flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise yee the Lord. The Order of Celebrating the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ This or the like Explication of the Nature Use and Benefits of this Sacrament may bee used at the discretion of the Minister when hee seeth it needful to the Instruction of the Communicants THat you may discern the Lords body and understand the nature use and benefits of this Sacrament you must know that God created man in his own Image to know and love and serve his Maker That man fell under the guilt of sin and condemnation and left his holy Fitness for the work for which hee was created That hereupon the wonderful love and wisdome of God provided us a Remedy in our Redeemer to the end hee might not lose the glory of his Creation that hee might pardon and save us upon terms Securing the honour of his Justice and attaining the ends of his Law and Government and recover us to his love and service by appearing to the world in the greatest demonstrations of Goodness Love and Mercy By the greatest Miracle of Condiscension hee first promised and then gave his onely Son the Eternal Word to take mans nature into personal union with his God-head that being God and Man hee might bee a fit Mediator between God and Man to restore us and reconcile us to himself Thus Jesus Christ conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary became the second Adam the Physician and Saviour of undone Sinners the Captain of our Salvation to bee the glorious King and Head of all that are sanctified and saved Hee revealed the Holiness the Goodness and the Love of God by the perfect Holiness Goodness and Love of his Blessed Person Doctrine and Conversation and by suffering for us all the Afflictions of this life and at last the cursed death of the Cross as a Sacrifice and Ransome for us That all this might be effectual to our Recovery hee made for us a new and better Covenant and preached it himself undertaking the Pardon Justification and Sanctification of all that by unfeigned Faith do take him for their Saviour repenting of their sins and consenting to be sanctified by his Word and Spirit by which also hee inviteth and draweth men to himself and giveth them to beleeve Into this blessed pardoning saving Covenant wee are first solemnly entred by Baptism And when Christ was ready to leave the world and to give up himself a Sacrifice for us and intercede and exercise the fulness of his Kingly Power as the Churches Head and by his grace to draw men to himself and prepare them for his glory hee did himself institute this Sacrament of his body and blood at his last Supper to bee a continued Representation and Remembrance of his Death and therein of his own and his Fathers Love until his coming appointing his Ministers by the Preaching of the Gospel and Administration of these Sacraments to bee his Agents without and his Spirit within effectually to communicate his Grace The Lords Supper then is a holy Sacrament instituted by Christ wherein Bread and Wine being first by Consecration made Sacramentally or Representatively the body and blood of Christ are used by breaking and pouring out to represent and commemorate the Sacrifice of Christs Body and Blood upon the Cross once offered up to God for sin and are given in the Name of Christ unto the Church to signifie solemnize the renewal of his holy Covenant with them and the giving of himself unto them to expiate their sins by his Sacrifice and sanctifie them further by his Spirit and confirm their right to everlasting life And they are received Eaten and drunk by the Church to profess that they willingly receive Christ himself to the Ends aforesaid their Justification Sanctification and Glorification and to signifie and solemnize the Renewal of their Covenant with him and their holy Communion with him and with one another It being the renewing of a mutual Covenant that is here solemnized as wee commemorate Christs Sacrifice and receive him and his saving benefits so wee offer and deliver to him our selves as his redeemed sanctified people to bee a living Acceptable Sacrifice thankfully and obediently to live unto his Praise Before the receiving of this holy Sacrament wee must examine our selves and come preparedly In the receiving of it wee must exercise holy affections suited to the work And after the receiving of it wee must by consideration of it indeavour to revive the same Affections and perform our Covenant there renewed The holy Qualifications to bee before Provided and in Receiving exercised and after Receiving are these 1. A true beleef of the Articles of the Christian Faith concerning the Father Son and Holy Ghost the Person Offices Works and Sufferings and Benefits of Christ 2. The sense of our sinful and undone condition as in our selves and of our need of Christ so as humbly to loath our selves for our transgressions with the sense of our present weaknesses to bee strengthened and sins to bee forgiven 3. A true desire after Christ for pardon and spiritual Nourishment and Salvation 4. A thankful sense of the Wonderful Love of God declared in our Redemption and in the present offers of Christ and Life 5. The exercise of holy love and joy in the sense of this unspeakable Love if these two bee not felt before wee come yet in and after the Sacrament we must strive to exercise them 6. A love to one another and forgiving wrongs to one another with a desire after the Communion of Saints 7. The giving up our selves in Covenant to God with resolution of renewed Obedience 8. A patient hope for the coming of Christ himself and of the Everlasting Kingdome where wee shall bee perfectly united in him and glorified with him Those onely are to bee invited to the Lords Table and to come that truly repent and beleeve and unfeignedly consent to the terms of the Covenant though all are not to bee invited thus to beleeve and repent and so to come But those are to be admitted by the Pastors if they come who having the use of reason to understand what they do and examine themselves have made a Personal Profession of Faith Repentance and Obedience and are Members of the Church and not justly for Heresie or scandalous sin removed from its present Communion The benefit of the Sacrament is not to be judged of onely by present Experience and Feeling but by Faith God having appointed us to use it and promised his Blessing wee may and must beleeve that hee will make good his Promise and what ever wee feel at present that wee sincerely wait not on him in
peace to us wée returned again to Folly wée have deserved O Lord to bée cast out of thy presence And to bée forsaken as wée have forsaken thée and to hear to our confusion Depart from mée I know you not yée workers of iniquity Thou mayest justly tell us thou hast no pleasure in us nor wilt receive an offering at our hand But with thée there is abundant mercy And our Advocate Jesus Christ the Righteous is the propitiation for our sins who bare them in his body on the Cross and made himself an offering for them that hée might put them away by the sacrifice of himself Have mercy upon us and wash us in his blood Cloath us with his Righteousness take away our iniquities and let them not bée our ruine forgive them and remember them no more O thou that delightest not in the death of sinners heal our backslidings love us freely and say unto our souls that thou art our salvation Thou wilt in no wise cast out them that come unto thée receive us graciously to the Feast thou hast prepared for us cause us to hunger and thirst after Christ and his Righteousness that wée may bée satisfied Let his Flesh and blood bee to us Meat and Drink indéed And his spirit bée in us a well of living water Springing up to Everlasting life Give us to know thy Love in Christ which passeth knowledge Though wée have not séen him let us love him And though now wée see him not yet beleeving let us rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Though wée are unworthy of the crums that fall from thy Table yet féed us with the Bread of Life and speak and seal up Peace to our sinful wounded souls Soften our hearts that are hardened by the deceitfulness of sin Mortifie the Flesh and strengthen us with might in the inward man that wee may live and glorifie thy Grace through Jesus Christ our onely Saviour Amen Here let the Bread he brought to the Minister and received by him and set upon the Table and then the Wine in like manner or if they be set there before however let him bless them praying in these or the like words ALmighty God thou art the Creator and the Lord of all things Thou art the Soveraign Majesty whom wée have offended Thou art our most loving and merciful Father who hast given thy Son to reconcile us to thy self who hath ratified the New Testament and Covenant of Grace with his most precious blood and hath instituted this Holy Sacrament to bee celebrated in remembrance of him till his coming Sanctifie these thy Creatures of Bread and Wine which according to thy Institution and Command wee set apart to this holy use that they may bee Sacramentally The Body and Blood of thy Son Jesus Christ Amen Then or immediately before this Prayer let the Minister read the words of the Institution saying HEar what the Apostle Paul saith 1 Cor. 11. For I have received of the Lord that which also I deliver unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which hee was betrayed took Bread and when hee had given thanks hee brake it and said Take Eat This is my Body which is broken for you This do in remembrance of mee After the same manner also hee took the Cup when hee had supped saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood This do yee as oft as yee drink it in remembrance of mee For as often as yee eat this Bread and drink this Cup yee do shew the Lords death till hee come Then let the Minister say THis Bread and Wine being set apart and consecrated to this Holy use by Gods appointment are not now Common Bread and Wine but Sacramentally the Body and Blood of Christ Then let him thus Pray MOst merciful Saviour as thou hast loved us to the death and suffered for our sins the just for the unjust and hast instituted this holy Sacrament to bee used in remembrance of Thée till thy coming Wée beséech Thée by thine intercession with the Father through the Sacrifice of thy Body and Blood give us the pardon of our sins and thy quickening Spirit without which the Flesh will profit us nothing Reconcile us to the Father Nourish us as thy Members to Everlasting Life Amen Then let the Minister take the Bread and break it in the sight of the People saying THe Body of Christ was broken for us and offered once for all to sanctifie us Behold the sacrificed Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World In like manner let him take the Cup and pour out the Wine in the sight of the Congregation saying WEE were redeemed with the precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Then let him thus Pray MOst holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son by whom Christ was conceived by whom the Prophets and Apostles were inspired and the Ministers of Christ are qualified and called that dwellest and workest in all the members of Christ whom hou sanctifiest to the Image and for the service of their Head and comfortest them that they may shew forth his Praise Illuminate us that by Faith wée may sée him that is here represented to us Soften our hearts and humble us for our sins Sanctifie and quicken us That wée may rellish the Spiritual Food and feed on it to our Nourishment and growth in Grace Shed abroad the Love of God upon our hearts and draw them out in love to him Fill us with thankfulness and holy Joy and with love to one another Comfort us by witnessing that wée are the Children of God Confirm us for New Obedience Bée the Earnest of our Inheritance and seal us up to Everlasting Life Amen Then let the Minister deliver the Bread thus Consecrated and broken to the Communicants first taking and eating it himself as one of them when hee hath said TAke yée Eat yée This is the Body of Christ which is broken for you Do this in remembrance of him In like manner hee shall deliver them the Cup first drinking of it himself when hee hath said THis Cup is the New Testament in Christs Blood or Christs Blood of the New Testament which is shed for you for the remission of sins Drink yee all of it in remembrance of him Let it be left to the Ministers choice whether hee will consecrate the Bread and Wine together and break the Bread and pour out the Wine immediately or whether hee will consecrate and pour out the Wine when the Communicants have eaten the Bread If hee do the latter hee must use the fore-going Prayers and Expressions twice accordingly and let it bee left to his discretion whether hee will use any words at the breaking of the Bread and pouring out the Wine or not And if the Minister chuse to pray but once at the Consecration Commemoration and Delivery Let him pray as
Thanksgiving for the Deliverance of Women in Childe-bearing WEE return thée thanks Most Gracious God That thou hast heard our Prayers for this thy hand-maid and hast béen her helpin the time of her necessity and delivered her from her fears and sorrows death and life are in thy power thou killest and thou makest alive thou bringest down to the grave and thou bringest up Thou makest the Barren to keep house to bée a ioyful Mother of Children Wée thank thée that thou hast given thy servant to see the fruit of her Womb and that thou hast brought her again to thy Holy assembly to go with the multitude to thy house and worship thee with the voyce of ioy and praise that shée may enter into thy gates with thanksgiving and into thy Court with praise and wée may all bée thankful to thée on her behalf and speak good of thy Name Thou art good O Lord to all and thy tender mercies are over all thy works thou preserveit them that love thée thou raisest up them that are vowed down thou fulfillest the desire of them that fear thée thou also dost hear their cry and save them command thy blessing yet upon thy servant and her off-spring Let her not forget thée and thy mercies but let her devote the life which thou hast given her to thy service and educate her off-spring as a Holy séed in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and as thou hast said that thy scurse is in the house of the wicked but thou blessest the habitation of the just let her and her house serve thée and let holiness to the Lord bée written upon all wherewith thou blessest her Let her make thée her refuge and habitation Give her the ornament of a méek and quiet spirit which in thy sight is of great price let her not love the world nor minde Earthly things but use the world as not abusing of it Seeing the time is short and the fashion of this world passeth away Restore her Soul and lead her in the paths of righteousness though shée must walk through the valley of the shaddow of death let her fear no evil Let thy goodness and mercy follow her all the daies of her life and let her dwell for ever in thy Glorious presence Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen If the Childe bee dead those passage which imply its living must be omitted and if the Woman bee such as the Church hath cause to judge ungodly the Thanksgiving must bee in words more agreeable to her condition if any bee used Of Pastoral Discipline Publick Confession Absolution and Exclusion from the Holy Communion of the Church THe Recital of the Curses are said in the Book of Common Prayer to bee instead of the godly discipline of the primitive Church till it can bee restored again which is much to bee wished which is the putting of notorious sinners to open Penitence His Majesties Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical affairs determineth that all publick diligence bee used for the instruction and reformation of Scandalous offenders whom the Minister shall not suffer to partake of the Lords Table until they have openly declared themselves to have truly repented and amended their former naughty lives provided there bee place for due appeals to Superiour Powers And the law of Christ commandeth if thy Brother trespass against thee go and tell him his faults between him and thee alone if hee shall hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother but if hee will not hear thee then take to thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may bee Established and if hee shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church but if hee shall neglect to hear the Church let him bee unto thee as a Heathen man or as a publican Mat. 18. 15 16 17. And it is the office of the Pastors of the several Congregations not only to teach the people in General and guide them in the Celebration of the publick Worship but also to over-see them and watch over each member of their flock particularly to preserve them from Errours Heresies Divisions and other sins defending the truth confuting gain-sayers and seducers instructing the Ignorant exciting the Negligent incourageing the Despondent comforting the Afflicted confirming the weak rebuking and admonishing the disorderly and scandalous and directing all according to their needs in the matters of their Salvation and the people in such needs should have ordinary recourse to them as the officers of Christ for guidance and resolution of their doubts and for assistance in making their salvation sure and in proving maintaining or restoring the peace of their consciences and spiritual comfort If therefore any member of the Church bee a scandalous sinner and the Crime bee either notorious or fully proved let the Pastor admonish him and set before him the particular command of God which hee transgresseth the supream Authority of God which hee despiseth the promises and mercies which hee treadeth under foot and the curse and dreadful condemnation which hee draweth upon himself let this bee done with great compassion and tender love to the offenders soul and with gravity reverent and serious importunity as beseemeth men imployed on the behalf of God for the saving of a soul and yet with judgement and cautelous prudence not taking that for sin which is no sin nor that for a gross and scandalous sin which is but an ordinary humane frailty not dealing as unreverently with a Superiour as with an inferiour nor making that publick which should bee concealed nor reproving before others when it should bee done more secretly nor speaking unseasonably to those who through drink or passion are incapable of the benefit nor yet offending by bashfulness or the fear of man or lukewarmness negligence or slighting over great offences on the other extream Prudence also requireth them to bee cautelous of over-medling where the Magistrates honour or concernment or the Churches unity or peace or the reputation of others or the interest of their Ministry requireth them to forbear These Cautions observed If the scandalous offenders continue impeâ—itent or unreformed after due admonitions and patience let the Pastor in the Congregation when hee is present rebuke him before all that the Church may sufficiently disown the Crime and others may see the odiousness danger of the sin But let this also bee with the love and seriousness and prudence before mentioned If the offender in obstinacy will not bee there the Pastor may open the crime before the Congregation And present or absent in case hee remain impenitent if the case will bear so long delay it is convenient that the Pastor publickly pray for his conviction and repentance that hee may bee Saved And this hee may do one or two or three or more daies as the nature of the case and prudence shall direct him If during these means for his Recovery after the proof of the Crime there
that you return not to your vomit or to wallow again in the mire when you are washed but obey the spirit and keep close to God in the means of your preservation A Form of Thanksgiving and Prayer for the Restored Penitent OMost merciful Father Wée thank thée that thou hast brought us under so gracious a Covenant as not only to pardon the suis of our unregenerate state but also upon our Penitent confession and return to cleanse us from all our unrighteousness and pardon our falls by the blood of Christ and to restore our souls and lead us again in the Paths of Righteousness and command thy Servants to receive us Wée thank thée that thou hast thus restored this thy Servant giving him repentance and remissian of sin and returning him to the Communion of thy Church Wée beséech thée comfort him with the beleeving Apprehensions of thy forgiveness and reconciliation through Jesus Christ Restore unto him the joy of thy salvation and uphold him by thy frée spirit stablish strengththen settle him that with full purpose of heart he may cleave unto thée and now thou hast spoken peace to him hée may not return again to Folly as hée nameth the Name of Christ let him depart from Iniquity and never more dishonour Thée thy Church or truth nor his holy profession but save him from Temptation Let him watch and stand fast and sin no more least Worse befal him Let him not receive this grace in vain nor turn it into Wantonness nor continue in sin that grace may abound But let this old man bée crucified with Christ and the Body of sin be destroyed that henceforth hée may no more serve sin remembring what fruit hée had in those things whereof hée is now ashamed and that the Eud and waies of sin is death and let us all take warning by the falls of others and bee not high minded but fear And let him that thinketh hée standeth take héed least hée fall Let us watch and pray that wee enter not into Temptation remembring that the flesh is weak And our Adversary the Devil walketh about séeking whom hée may devour And let none of us hate our Brother in our hearts but in any wise rebuke our neighbour and not suffer sin upon him and confirm us unto the end that wée may bée blameless in the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom with thée O Father and thy Holy Spirit bée Kingdome and Power and Glory for ever Amen APPENDIX A Larger Letany or General Prayer to bee used at Discretion O Most Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost thrée persons and one God Infinite in Power Wisdome and Goodness our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier our Owner Governour and Father hear our Prayers and have mercy upon us Miserable sinners O Lord our Saviour whose Jucarnation Nativity Subjection Fasting Temptation Poverty Reproaches Agony and Bloody sweat Scourging Desertion Crucifying Death and Burial were all undergone to take away the sins of the World Who being risen ascended and glorified art the great Priest and Prophet and King of thy Universal Church for which thou makest Intercession which thou doest gather teach and guide by thy Spirit Word and Ministers which thou dost justifie and wilt glorifie with thyself who wilt come again and raise the Dead and judge the world in righteousness Wée beséech thée hear us Miserable sinners Cast us not out that come unto thée Make sure to us our Calling and Election our unfeigned faith and repentance that being justified and made the Sons of God wee may have peace with him as our Reconciled God and Father Let our hearts bee right with thee our God and stedfast in thy Covenant cause us to deny our selves and give up our selves entirely unto thee our Creatour Redeemer and Sanctifier as being not our own but thine Let thy Holy spirit dwell in us and sanctifie us throughout that wee may bee new creatures and holy as thou art Holy let it bee in us the spirit of Adoption and supplication and the seal and earnest of our Glorious Inheritance and let us know that wee are thine and thou abidest in us by the spirit which thou hast given us As thy name O Lord is Holy and thy glory covereth the Heavens so let the Earth bee filled with thy praises Let our souls ever Magnifie thee O Lord and our Tongues extoll thée Let us speak of the glorious honor of thy Majesty of thy Greatness thy Power thy glorious Kingdome thy Wisdome Holiness Truth and Righteousness thy Goodness thy Mercy and thy wonderous Works Let all Flesh bless thy Holy Name Let the desire of our Souls bee to thy Name Cause us to love thee with all our hearts to fear thee trust in thee and to delight in thee and bee satisfied in thee as our Portion and what ever wee do to do it to thy glory Kéep us from Inordinate self love from Pride and vain Glory and self séeking and from dishonouring thée thy Word or service in the World Let the world acknowledge thee the Universal King Give thy Son the Heathen for his Inheritance and the utmost parts of the Earth for his Possession Let the Kingdomes of the world become his Kingdomes Convert the Atheistical Idolatrous Infidel Mahomitan and ungodly Nations of thè Earth that every knée may bow to Christ and every tongue confess him the King of Kings and Lord of Lords To the Glory of God the Father Let the Word of thy Kingdome and Salvation be preached to all the World let it have frée course and be glorified and by the Power of thy Spirit convert many unto Christ and let him be thy Salvation to the Ends of the Earth Send forth more Labourers into the Harvest which is great and fit them for so great a work and deliver them from unreasonable and wicked men that to fill up their sins forbid them to speak to the People that they might be saved Deliver the Churches that are oppressed by Idolaters Mahomitans or other Infidels and Enemies Give all thy Servants Prudence Patience and Innocency that suffering as Christians and not as Evil-Doers they may not be ashamed but may glorifie thée and wait for thy Salvation committing the kéeping of their souls unto thée in hope of a Reward in Heaven Deliver the Church from the Roman Papal Usurpations and Corruptions dispel the deceits of Heresies and false Worship by the light of thy prevailing Truth Unite all Christians in Christ Jesus the true and onely Universal Head that by the true Christian Catholick Faith and Love they may grow up in him and may kéep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace the strong receiving and bearing the Infirmities of the weak Heal the divisions that are among Beléevers Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory but in lowliness of mind let each