generality of the World and therefore all Love all Glory be to thee Glory be to thee O all-powerful Love by whose inviâ—â—ble Grace we in Baptism die to sin to all carnal Affections renouncing and detesting them all and resolving to take no more pleasure in them than dead persons do in the comforts of life O may I ever thus die to Sin Glory be to thee O Jesu who from our death to Sin in our Baptism dost raise us to a new Life and dost breath into us the breath of Love 'T is in this Laver of regeneration we are born again by Water and the Spirit by a new Birth unto righâ—eoâ—â—ness that as the natural Birth propagated sin our spiritual Birth should propagate Grace for which all Love all Glory be to thee Glory be to thee O most indulgent Love who in our Baptism dost give us the holy spirit of Love to be the principle of new Life and of Love in us to infuse into our Souls a supernatural habitual Grace and ability to obey and love thee for which all Love all Glory be to thee Glory be to thee O compassionate Love who when we were conceived and Born in Sin of sinful Parents when we sprang from a root wholly corrupt and were all Children of Wrath hast in our Baptism made us Children of thy own Heavenly Father by Adoption and Grace When we were Heirs of Hell hast made us Heirs of Heaven even joynt Heirs with thy one self of thy own Glory for which with all the powers of my Soul I adore and love thee I know O dearest Lord that I am thine no longer than I Love thee I can no longer feel the saving efficacy of my Baptism than I am faithful to my Vow I there made no longer than I am a Penitent no longer am I Christian if I name the name of Christ I am to depart from Iniquity O do thou give me the Grace of True Repentance for all my Sin for my original Impurity and for all my actual Transgressions that I may abhor and â—â—rsake them all wound my Soul with a most affectionate sorrow for all the Injuries and Affronts and dishonours I have offered to infinite Love Glory be to thee O most liberal Jesu for all those exceeding great and pretious Promises of Pardon and Grace and Glory which thou hast made to us Christians in the Sacrament of Baptism O may I ever stedfastly believe O may I ever passionately Love may I ever firmly rely on thy superabundant Love in all these Promises for which I will ever adore and love thee Glory be to thee O sweetest Love who in my infancy didst admit me to holy Baptism who by thy preventing Grace when I was a little Child didst receive me into the evangelical Covenant didst take me up into the arms of thy Mercy and bless me Glory be to thee who didst early dedicate me to thy self to prepossess me by thy Love before the World should seize and defise me Ah Gratious Lord how long how often have I polluted my self by my Sins But I repent and deplore all those Pollutions and I consecrate my self to thee againâ—t O thou most reconcileable Love pardon and accept me and restore me to thy Love O let the intenseness of my future Love not only Love for the time to come but retrieve all the Love I have lost Glory be to thee O tenderest Jesu who when by reason of my Infancy I could not promise to repent and believe for my self didst mercifully accept of the promise of my Sureties who promisâ—â— both for me as thou didst accept for good to the Paralytick the charitable intentions of those that brought him to thee and of the Faith of the Woman of Canaan for the Cure of her Daughter for which merciful acceptance all Love all Glory be to thee O my God my Lord the promise which was made by my Sureties for me I acknowledg that as soon as I came to a competent Age I was bâ—â—â—d my self to perform and I own and renew my Obligation I promise O my Lord with all the force of my Soul to Love thee O do thou ever keep me true to my own promise â—â—ce thou art ever â—â—alterably true to thine for which I will ever adore and love thee Q. Why was the Sacrament of the Lords Supper ordained A. For the continual remembrance of the Sacrifice of the death of Christ and of the benefits which we receive thereby Q. What is the outward part or sign of the Lords Supper A. Bread and Wine which the Lord hath commanded to be received Q. What is the inward part or thing signified A. The body and blood of Christ which are verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful in the Lords Supper Q. What are the benefits where-we are partakers thereby A. The strengthening and refreshing of our souls by the body and bloud of Christ as our bodies are by the bread and wine Q. What is required of them who come to the Lords Supper A. To examin themselves whether they repent them truly of their former sins stedfastly purposing to lead a new life have a lively faith in Gods mercy through Christ with a thankful remembrance of his death and be in charity with all men Glory be to thee O crucified Love who at thy last Supper didst ordain the Holy Eucharist the Sacrament and Feast of Love It was for the continual remembrance of the Sacrifice of thy death O blessed Jesu and of the Benefits we receive thereby that thou wast pleased to ordain this sacred and awful Rite all Love all Glory be to thee Ah dearest Lord how little sensible is he of thy Love in dying for us who can ever forget thee Ah wo is me that ever a Sinner should forget his Saviour and yet alas how prone are we to do it Glory be to thee O Gracious Jesu who to help our memories and to impress thy Love deep on our Souls hast instituted the blessed Sacrament and commanded us Do this in remembrance of me O Jesu let the Propitiatory Sacrifice of thy Death which thou didst offer upon the Cross for the Sins of the whole World and particularly for my Sins be ever fresh in my remembrance O blessed Saviour let that mighty Salvation thy Love has wrought for us never slip out of my mind but especially let my remmbrance of thee in the Holy Sacrament be always most lively and affecting O Jesu if I love thee truly I shall be sure to frequent thy Altar that I may often remember all the wonderful Loves of my Crucified Redeemer I know O my Lord and my God that a bare remembrance of thee is not enough O do thou therefore fix in me such a remembranâ—e of thee as is suitable to the infinite Love I am to remember Work in me all the holy and heavenly affections as become the remembrance of a Crucified
bodily Sufferings O almighty Love were intolerable but yet thy inward were far greater I grieve I love I melt all o'er when I hear thee on the Cross crying out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Ah sinfull Wretch that I am how infinite and unconceivable were the inward Dolours and Agonies thou didst undergo for us Sinners when thou didst tread the Winepress of thy Father's wrath alone when it pleas'd thy own most beloved Father to bruise thee and to put thee to grief when the iniquities of the whole World were laid on thee and my numerous sins increast thy load and heightned thy torment when thy own Deity withdrew all consolation from thee when God offended by our sins did afflict thee in the day of his fierce anger no sufferings no love was ever like unto thine for me no grief no love but thy own should exceed mine for thee For whom O unutterable goodness didst thou suffer the extreme bitterness oâ— sorrow but for the vilest of all thy Creatures sinfull man and for me one of the worst of Sinners and therefore I praise and love thee For what end didst thou suffer O most ardent Charity but to save Sinners from all things that were destructive the Curse of the Law the Terrours of Death the Tyranny of Sin the Powers of Darkness and Torments Eternal to purchase for us all things conducible to our Happiness Pardon and Grace Consolation and Acceptance and the everlasting Joys and Glories of the Kingdom of Heaven and therefore I praise and love thee Out of what motive didst thou suffer O boundless Benignity but out of thy own preventing love free mercy and pure compassion and therefore I praise and love thee When no other Sacrifice could attone thy Father's Anger O thou the beloved Son of God and reconcile Divine Justice and Mercy together but the Sacrifice of God incarnate who as man was to die and to suffer in our stead as God was to merit and make satisfaction for our sins 't was then that thou O God the Son didst become Man the very meanest of Men didst take upon thee the form of a Servant and didst on the Cross shew us the mystery and the Miracle of Love God crucified for Sinners and Sinners redeem'd by the bloud of God O thou propitious Wonder God incarnate on the Cross by what Names shall I adore thee all are too short too scanty to express thee Love onely nothing but Love will reach thee thou art Love O Jesu thou art all love O tenderest O sweetest O purest O dearest Love soften sweeten refine love me into all Love like thee By the love of thy Cross O Jesu I live in that I will onely glory that above all things will I study that before all things will I value by the love of thy Cross I will take up my Cross daily and follow thee I will persecute and torment and crucify my sinfull Affections and Lusts which persecuted tormented and crucify'd thee and if thy love calls me to it I will suffer on the Cross for thee as thou hast done for me How illustrious and amiable were thy Graces amidst all thy Sufferings O thou afflicted Jesu I admire and I love thy profound Humility unwearied Patience Lamb-like Meekness immaculate Innocence invincible Courage absolute Resignation compassionate love of Souls and perfect Charity to thy Enemies O my Love I cannot love thee but I must desire above all things to be like my Beloved O give me grace to tread in thy steps and conform me to thy Divine Image that the more I grow like thee the more I may love thee and the more I may be lov'd by thee And Buried He descended into Hell I believe O crucified Lord that thou wast really dead and that there was a separation of thy Body and Soul That thy side was mortally wounded and pierced with a Spear on the Cross and thy sacred Body was buried to assure us of thy death All love all glory be to thee I believe O pierced O wounded Love that thy Soul in the state of separation did descend into Hell to vanquish Death and all the Spirits of darkness in their own Dominions and therefore I adore and love thee Glory be to thee O thou great Champion of Love who didst for our sakes singly encounter all our ghostly Enemies who didst thy self taste of death that thou mightst take away the sting of death who didst wrestle with principalities and powers and all the force of Hell that we might share in thy Victory for which wonderfull Salvation I will always praise and love thee The third day he rose again from the dead I believe O Almighty Love that according to the Types and Prophecies which went before of thee and according to thy own infallible predictions thou didst by thy own power rise from the dead the third day All love all glory be to thee Glory be to thee who didst lie so long in the Grave to undergo the full condition of the dead and to convince all the world thou wert dead and didst rise so soon that thou mightst not see corruption or retard our joy All love all glory be to thee He ascended into Heaven I believe O Victorious Love that thou after thy conquest over Death and Hell didst ascend in triumph to Heaven that thou mightst prepare Mansions for us and from thencâ— as Conquerour bestow the gifts of thy conquest on us and above all the gift of thy Holy Spirit that thou mightst enter into the Holy of Holies as our great High-priest to present to thy Father the sweet-smelling Sacrifice of his crucified Son the sole propitiation for Sinners and therefore all Love all glory be to thee Glory be to thee O Jesu who didst leave the world and ascend to Heaven about the 33 d year of thy age to teach us in the prime of our years to despise this world when we are best able to enjoy it and to reserve our full vigour for Heaven and for thy Love O thou whom my Soul loveth since thou hast left the world what was there ever in it worthy of our Love O let all my affections ascend after thee and never return to the earth more for whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none â—pon earth that I desire in comparison of thee And sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty I believe O Triumphant Love that thou now sittest in full and peacefull possession of bliss and at the right hand of God that thy humane Nature is exalted to the most honourable place in Heaven where thou sittest on thy throne of glory ador'd by Angels and interceding for Sinners and therefore all love all glory be to thee Glory be
take Heavenly delight in thy Gracious Presence that with Praise and Thansgiving with Jubilation and Triumph I may receive thee into my Heart there I will have Love only Love always Love to entertain thee Lord when I present my self and my Love as all the Gift I have to offer at thy Altar next to my Love to thee and for the sake of thy infinite Love to me which I there remember give me Grace to love my Neighbour and to be in Charity wiâ—h all men and to walk in Love as thou hast loved us and hast given thy self for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour for which all Love all Glory be to thee O most Reconcileable Jesu in this Memorial of thy Sufferings I see how thou didst forgive me and didst love me when I was thy Enemy O for thy dearest Love to me give me Love to forgive all my Enemies and to be at peace with the world as I desire to be Loved and Forgiven and to be at peace with thee All that have any way injured me O my God I freely forgive for thy sake O do thou also forgive them incline them to Brotherly Charity and let them at last feel the comfort of that Reconciliation thou didst make upon the Cross for which I will ever Adore and Love thee O my God if I have wronged or injured my Neigbour O give me Grace to beg his pardon and as I have opportunity to make him satisfaction and restitution according to my power O crucified Love whenever I see thee in any of thy poor Members Hungry or Naked or in Distress O let the Remembrance of thy Love in Dying for me engage me to contribute all I can to thy relief O may I ever be liberal in my Alms to thee who wert so liberal of thy inestimable Blood for me It is very adviseable that persons before they Communicate should read over the whole Communion-Office or at least the exhortations there which they will find to contain very proper and plain and excellent Instructions It were much to be wish'd that people would make more use of their Common Prayer Books than they do and apply the Prayers they meet with there to their own particular conditions for the Book is always at hand and the Prayers are most safe and familiar and devout and the more they affect us in our Closet the more they will affect us in the Congregation and well meaning souls will reap great spiritual advantage from this practice For example an humble poor Christian who it may be has no other Book but his Common Prayer Book and who intends to come to the Holy Communion may learn to turn the Communion-Office to his own private use after this manner Almighty God unto whom all hearts be open all desires known and from whom no secrets are hid cleanse the thoughts of my heart by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit that I may perfectly love thee and worthily magnifie thy Holy Name through Christ our Lord. Amen I give most humble and hearty thanks to thee O God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost for the Redemption of the World by the Death and Passion of our Saviour Christ both God and man who did humble himself even to the death upon the Cross for us miserable sinners who lay in darkness and the shadow of death that he might make us the Children of God and exalt us to everlasting Life Glory be to thee O Jesus our master and only Saviour who to the end that we should always remember thy exceeding great Love in thus dying for us and the innumerable benefits which by thy precious Blood-sheding thou hast obtained to us hast Instituted and Ordained Holy Mysteries as Pledges of thy Love and for a continual remembrance of thy Death to our great endless Comfort To thee therefore O blessed Saviour with the Father and the Holy Ghost I will give as I am most bounden continual thanks I submit my self wholly to thy Holy Will and Pleasure and will study to serve thee in true Holiness and Righteousness all the days of my Life Almighty God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Maker of all things Judg of all men I acknowledg and bewail my manifold sins c. I lift up my heart unto thee O Lord I give thanks unto thee O Lord our God it is meet and right so to do it is very meet right and my bounden duty that I should at all times and in all places give thanks unto thee O Lord Holy Father Almighty everlasting God But chiefly am I bound to praise thee for giving thy only Son Jesus to dye for my Sins and to rise a-again for my Justification Therefore with Angels and Archangels and with all the Company of Heaven I laud and magnifie c. I do not presume to come to thy Table O merciful Lord trusting in my own righteousness c. Glory be to God on high and on earth Peace good will towards men I praise thee c. To these as you see occasion you may add many very good Prayers short and plain and pertinent to your purpose which you may collect out of the Common Prayer and which will much further your Devotion such as these O Lord who never â—ailest to help and govern them whom thou doest bring up in thy stedfast Fear and Love keep me I beseech thee under the protection of thy good Providence and make me to have a perpetual Fear and Love of thy Holy Name through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen O God who hast prepared for them that love thee such good things as pass Mans understanding pour into my heart such Love toward thee that I loving thee above all things may obtain thy promises which exceed all that I can desire through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Lord of all power and migâ—t who art the Author and Giver of all gooâ— things graft in my Heart the Love of thy Name encrease in me true Religion nourish me with all goodness and of thy great mercy keep me in the same through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen O Lord who hast taught me that all my doings without Charity are nothing worth send thy Holy Ghost and pour into my Heart that most excellent gift of Charity the very bond of Peace and of all Vertues without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee Grant this for thy only Son Jesus Christs sake Amen Almighty God who hast given thy only Son to be unto us both a Sacrifice for Sin and also an example of Godly life give me grace that I may always most thankfully receive that his inestimable Benefit and also daily endeavour my self to follow the blessed steps of his most holy Life through the same Jesus Christ our Lord Amen They that are ignorant or that cannot read should go to their Parish Priest or to some
other discreet and learned Minister of Gods Word and desire him to teach them their Duty in private and they that thus sincerely seek the Law at the Priests mouth shall find that the Priests Lips do preserve Knowledge and shall not go away without a Blessing To God the Father who first loved us and made us accepted in the Beloved to God the Son who loved us and wash'd us from our Sins in his own Blood To God the Holy Ghost who sheds the Love of God abroad in our Hearts be all Love and all Glory for time and for eternity Amen FINIS To the poor Inhabitants within the Diocess of Bath and Wells THOMAS their unworthy Bishop wisheth the knowledge and the love of God Dearly beloved in our Lord THe Catechism truly teaches all Christians that they are not able of themselves to do those things they have vow'd in their Baptism to do namely To walk in the Commandments of God and to serve him without his special Grace oâ— favorable Assistance and this they are to learn at all times to call upon God for by diligent Prayer How good and seasonable this advice is you will all see if you consider what helpless and needy Creatures the very best of Men are Alas our weakness is very great our wants are very many our dependance on God for all things all our lives long is entire and absolute and necessary and there is no way in the World to gain help and supplies from God but by Prayer so that it is as easie and as possible to preserve a natural Life without daily Bread as a Christian Life without daily Prayer It was for this reason that our Saviour himself took a particular care to teach his Disciples to pray Luke 11.1 and it is for the same reason and in imitation of our Heavenly Master that I have joyn'd these directions for Prayer to the Catechism Sure I am the Zeal I ought to have for your Salvation can suggest to me nothing more conducing to the good of your Souls than to exhort and beseech you all of either Sex to learn how to Pray This is the first general Request I shall make to you and I am the more earnest in it because my own sad experience has taught me how strangely ignorant common People usually are of this duty insomuch that some never Pray at all pretending they were never taught or that their memories are bad or that they are not Book-learn'd or that they want mony to buy a Book and by this means they live and die rather like Beasts than Men nay their condition is much worse than that of Beasts for the misery of a Beast doth end at death but the misery of a wicked man does then begin and will endure to all Eternity To prevent then as much as lies in me the damnation of those Souls which God has committed to my care and to cure that lamentable ignorance and forgetfulness of God which is the cause of the damnation of so very many I do not only incessantly pray for you my self but I beg of you all to pray for your selves and I beseech you to read the following Instructions or if you cannot read your selves to get some honest charitable Neighbors to read them often to you that you may remember them and God of his great mercy reward the Charity of such Neighbors If any of you either by your own negligence or by the negligence of your Parents or for want of Catechising in your Parish are wholly ignorant of your duty though it be a most shameful and dangerous thing for one who calls himself a Christian to know nothing of Christ or Christianity yet if you are willing to learn and beg paâ—don of God for your wilful ignorance hitherto and will sincerely do your endeavor to get saving Knowledge and heartily pray to God to assist you you shall find that the very entrance of Gods word giveth light that it giveth understanding unto the simple Psal. 119.130 I must warn you before-hand that corrupt Nature will be very busie in hindering the learning of your duty and thoughts will arise in your mind that the task will be too hard and too tedious for you to undertake but I faithfully promise you to impose no hard or tedious task on you but such as you your selves shall confess to be very complying with your Infirmities for our most compassionate Saviour teaches me to say no more to you then you can bear Iohn 16.11 All I shall exhort you to is to learn your Catechism which you may do by degrees If you learn but a line or two in a day you will by Gods blessing in a very short time learn it all over and you will rejoice and thank God for the sudden and happy progress you have made God forbid you should ever think your selves too old to learn to serve God and to be saved both which are taught in the Catechism and therefore the Catechism is of necessity to be learned For how can you go to Heaven if you never learn'd the way thither How can you be sav'd if you do not know your Saviour 'T is a great Error to think that the Catechism was made for Children only for all Christians are equally concern'd in those saving Truths which are there taught and the Doctrine delivered in the Catechism is as proper for the study and as necessary for the salvation of a great Doctor as of a weak Christian or a young Child But you will be the more encouraged to learn your Catechism when you see how excellent a help it will be to Prayer for it will at the same time further your Knowledge and your Devotion both together and the Prayers I intend to commend to you are chiefly the very Answers in the Catechism which being daily repeated will be the better fix'd in your memory and you cannot imagine any advice for Prayer can be more easie and familiar than that which directs you to turn your very Catechism into Prayers You are by this time I hope satisfied that the Duty to which I exhort you is no hard task and yet I will endeavor by Gods assistance to make it more easie by putting you into an easie method to attain it If you are wholly ignorant of your Catochism let it be your first care to learn such Ejaculations such short Prayers as these and say them often and heartily Lord have mercy upon me Christ have mercy upon me Lord have mercy upon me Lord pardon all my wilful ignorance and gross â—arelessness of my duty for the sake of Iesus my Saviour Amen O my God assist me in the learning of my Duty Lord help me to know and to love thee Lord pity me Lord save me Father forgive me Glory be to thee O Lord who hast hitherto spared me O that I might at last learn to glorifie and love and serve thee Such short Prayers as these you may easily get by heart and the method