was before in into another place even Heaven Luk. 24.50 While he blessed them he was parted from them and received up into Heaven Q. How is it said by him Matth. 28.20 I am with you always if he be gone from Earth to Heaven A. Yes very well for tho' he be gone into Heaven and so hath left the Earth in Respect of his Bodily Presence as he said in the Gospel the poor ye have always with you but me ye have not always yet in Respect of his Divine Presence he was always with his People and cannot be absent from any place seeing he upholds all things Heb. 1.3 Q. What may these things serve for A. 1. They serve to confute the Papists that say the Body of Christ is really and properly present in their Sacrament Now Christ's Body is in Heaven he is ascended thither in that Respect And when he comes from it he shall come so as he went that is so as to be seen of men Acts 1.10 11. But he shall not so come till the Day of Judgment Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing 2 Tim. 4.1 2. To confound the Atheists that mock at Heaven as if it were an idle Fancy But let them say what they please and use their Wits to wrong their Souls yet we may safely think that to be a Real place and a happy place too into which our blessed Lord is really ascended 3. To teach Christians to look beyond this present World and raise their Thoughts to the things above thirsting far a nearer communion with Christ and to see the place where his Honour dwelleth Q. But considering how many Enemies poor Christians may meet with was it not ill for them that their Saviour should leave the world A. No not at all For as he would have them here to live by Faith and not by Sight so his care of them is as great now as when he lived on Earth he is the same yesterday to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 and in John 16.7 he saith 't is expedient for you that I go away Yea it was for their great advantage and on their account that he went to Heaven For he saith in John 14.2 I go to prepare a place for you And that Text in Heb. 9. is a wonderful ground of Comfort to all Godly Christians where he telleth them ver 24. that Christ is gone into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for them Q. Shall Christ continue always in Heaven whereto he is ascended A. No He shall come again to Judge the World 2 Cor. 5.10 We shall all stand before the Judgment-seat of Christ Matth. 25.31 The Son of man shall come in his Glory and all the Holy Angels with Him And then shall he sit upon the Throne of his Glory and before him shall be gathered all Nations 2 Tim. 4.1 before the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing Behold he cometh with Clouds and every Eye shall see him Rev. 1.7 Q. According to what shall men then be judged A. According to their works Behold I come quickly and my Reward is with me to give to every man according as his work shall be Rev. 22.12 Q. But mens works are some good and some bad in the best Men and the best have done evil as well as good in Gods sight shall they therefore be rewarded then for their good works and be punished also for their sins A. No. There shall then be no such Mixture of good and evil upon them but they shall be altogether Happy or Miserable and be adjudg'd to Everlasting Life or Happiness or else to everlasting punishment Matth. 25.46 Q. How then is it said that Christ will give every man according to his work A. By work understand not a particular work but his ordinary way and Course and the main Scope of his Conversation whereby he is in the Main a worker of Iniquity or a worker of a Righteousness and shews himself to be a godly or ungodly Man In which sense the Prophet seemeth to speak when he saith the work of Righteousness shall be peace or end in peace Q. Can any thing be so closely carried as to escape the Eye and Judgement of Christ A. No For God shall judge the secret Things of men by Jesus Christ as St. Paul saith Rom. 2.16 Q. Shall the sins of good Christians be discovered to the world at Judgment A. No. For all their Trespasses were forgiven in this life Col. 2.13 and if God forgive them in this life Men have nothing to do with them in the life to come Yea so far shall they be from having any Reproach for sin at Christs coming that they shall appear with him in Glory Col. 3.4 Q. Should Christ's true Servants be afraid of the Day of Judgment A. No For the Judge is their Advocate and his appearing is called The blessed Hope because they shall then enjoy the happiness they hope for according to the Scriptures Tit. 2.13 1 Joh. 2.1 Q. But what if through some Temptations of the Devil and snares of the world they should fall away and fall off from all Grace and Religion would not the Day of Judgment prove a Day of Perdition unto them A. 'T is little to the purpose what the Day of Judgment might prove to them in such a Case For such a thing is not to be supposed they shall not utterly fall from Grace and Perish by any means whatsoever For God will confirm them to the end that they may be blameless at the Day of Christ 1 Cor. 1.8 and in 1 Pet. 2.25 Christ is called the Shepherd of their Souls A word that importeth a special and particular care of them and therefore sure he will not suffer them to go so far astray as to perish at last Q. What will Christ say to the Rightcous at that Day A. He will say to them Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you Matth. 25.34 Q. What to the Wicked A. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting Fire Matth. 25.41 Q. Shall these sentences be certainly executed accordingly A. Yes For those shall go away into everlasting punishment and the Righteous into Life Eternal as we read expresly Matth. 25 46. Q. Shall the Righteous obtain that Happiness by their own deservings A. No. For they were sinners before and were by nature Children of wrath Eph. 2.3 But Christ hath merited for them and for his sake it is given them The gift of God 〈◊〉 Eternal Life through Jesus Christ Rom. 6 2â— Q. Do the wicked deserve such punishment A. Yes that Eternal Death of misâ—â— is the Wages of Sin Rom. 6.23 Q. But how can it be just to punish Everlastingly for the offences of a little time A. We read it shall be so with the wicked and Impenitent They shall go away into everlasting punishment And if God will have it so 't is
to save them in a way of suffering will not think Scorn of them when they Humbly and Penitently seek Him 3. And especially it should move us to think often of Heaven and to Thirst for that blessed place where we may better understand Christ's wonderful Love and give him the glory thereof for evermore saying with those in Rev. 5. Blessing and Honour and Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth on the Throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever Q. How often did Christ offer up himself a Sacrifice for Sin A. He did so but once on the Cross when he gave his Life a Ransom for many For so the Apostle tells us saying He needed not daily to offer up Sacrifice for this he did once when he offer'd up himself Heb. 7.27 So Heb. 9.28 Christ was once offered to bear the Sins of many Q. What may this teach us A. 1. It may teach us the Horrible Folly and Impiety of the Popish Religion in the Principal part and service of it The Mass as they call it wherein they pretend to offer up Christ as a Real proper and propitiatory Sacrifice for sin Whereas Christ's offering is past long since and it was but once saith the Apostle in those places But if Christ be really offered as a Sacrifice for Sin so often as their Masses are used he may be offered many times yea ten Thousand times ten Thousand For there may be Multitudes of Masses in the same Hour And there is no Reason why the Apostle's once should be should be thought to signifie so many thousand times and as little that we should think it meaneth any more than once indeed 2. It may teach us the Excellency and sufficiency of Christ's Sacrifice since it need be offered but once as the Repetition of the other Sacrifices shewed the Imperfection of them Q But how could Christ's Death and Sacrifice be sufficient for the Sins of so many seeing he dyed but once and offered himself but once A. Yes very well for as he bore the utmost Misery even the curse of the Law for Sin Gal. 3.13 So he that bare it was a Person of Infinite Excellency being the Son of God whom all the Angels of Heaven Worship and in a word very God of the same Substance with his Father 1 Joh. 5.20 Heb. 1.6 and therefore it was more for Christ himself to Dye and be a Sacrifice for Mens Sins than for all the Angels of heaven to do so if such a thing had been possible And accordingly his Love which was especially discovered in his Dying and offering himself He loved us and gave himself for us Eph. 5.2 I say this Love of his towards sinners is said to be such as passeth Knowledge that is all created Knowledge so that the most enlarged Understandings of Men or Angels are not able fully to conceive or comprehend it Eph. 3.19 Q. What must a Christian do when he hath done Amiss especially in any gross manner to the Dishonour of his holy Profession Must he think to make God any amends by doing Better afterwards or hope to make an attonement for himself and Reconcile himself to God by performing of Duties or enduring voluntarily any Sufferings or Hardships A. No by no means these are vain Imaginations and proceed from Pride and Ignorance of Christ and his Sacrifice 'T is true indeed They must Repent of their sins and must of their greatest and resolves by God's help to Reform what is amiss Repent and turn from your Transgressions Ezek. 18.30 They must take care of their Duties in the main and call Christ their Lord to little purpose if they do not take care to do as he commands them They must also submit themselves to God in the affliction that he lays upon them Jam. 4.7 But withal and above all they must in this Case have Recourse unto Christ and flee unto him in all Humility by Faith and Prayer as the Rock of their Salvation and the Refuge of a guilty Soul beseeching their Heavenly Father to apply unto them the Infinite Merit of that All-sufficient Sacrifice which his Son Christ Jesus hath offered Beging mercy and acceptance for his Name-sake in whom he is always well pleased Mat. 3.17 For 't is only through him that we can be accepted Eph. 1.6 and He is the propitiation for our Sins 1 Joh. 2.2 and He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sin of the World Joh. 1.29 in way of Sacrifice he means so as to remove the condemning Power of it from Penitent and Believing Sinners Q. By what may Sinners be made Righteous in the sight of God A. By Christ's Obedience imputed to them Rom. 5.19 By the Obedience of one speaking of Christ shall many be made righteous Q. VVhy did not Christ remain under the power of Death A. It was impossible that he should be holden of it Acts 2.24 As the Scripture tells us that he was the Son of God whom Angels worship and therefore the Lord of Life and Death So his Resurrection is told us as plainly as his Dying It is Christ that died yea rather that is Risen again Rom. 8.34 and in 1 Cor. 15.3 He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures Q. VVhat Vse is his Resurrection of A. 1. It is of use to confirm us in the Belief of that Satisfactory Sacrifice which in Dying he offered for the Sins of Men. What greater Testimony of acceptance could God the Father give than by Raising him from the Dead especially as it was a Resurrection to Glory and in order to his Ascension into Heaven Acts 3.15 Ye killed the Lord of Life whom God hath raised from the Dead whereof we are witnesses See Acts 4.10 2. It serveth to assure us of the Truth of that Religion and Doctrine which Christ hath Preached himself and appointed his Apostles to preach to the World For 't is certain if Christ had not been a true Preacher he should not have been raised from the dead to propagate and confirm his Doctrine God never did Honour any Deceiver in such a Manner And if he should it would lay the World under a necessity being deceived by him which may not be thought of the God of Truth and Holiness 3. It serveth to confirm the Doctrine of the Resurrection of the Dead at the appointed time For if the dead Rise not or not at all then is not Christ raised 1 Cor. 15 16. He arose as the Head of his Church and therefore his People shall be raised in due time Christ the first Fruits afterwards they that are Christs at his coming 1 Cor. 15.23 Q. How did Christ after his Resurrection Ascend into Heaven was it only in Mind and Affection A. No He ascended properly so as to pass from Earth to Heaven indeed Q. Where is that proved A. Among many Scriptures in these two Mark 16.19 After the Lord had spoken to them he was received up into Heaven received from the place he
A FORM of Sound WORDS OR A Brief Family-Catechisme Containing the Cheif Heads of CHRISTIAN RELIGION Fitted for the weakest Capacities Together with some Arguments against ATHEISME By J. B. a Minister of the Church of England Psal 119.124 Deal with thy Servant according to thy Mercy and Teach me thy Statutes 2 Tim. 3.16 From a Child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus LONDON Printed for Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lyon in St. Paul's Church-yard 1682. TO THE READER Christian Reader AS it hath been observed in War That small Shot hath commonly done more Mischeif than great So I think in the Christian Warfare that small Books especially Catechismes have done more good than larger ones for the most part For as many that have most need of them have but little money to lay out on books and but little time to read them So I believe They are the less apt to concern themselves with them when they see they are any thing large Wherefore I have studied Brevity herein And do satisfie my self the more with it because I judge as that Most Reverend Man of God That a few Articles of Religion may be of that weight that they may be sufficient to make a man wise to Salvation Bishop usher See his excellent Sermon on Eph. 4.13 p. 16. of whose Judgment it were easie to shew many others of the Lords Worthies * Prima ista pauca credibilia c. uti Doctiss Davenant in Adhortat pro pace Eccles to have been It is needless for me to enlarge in this place and no less vain to make an Apology for my self for as herein I desire not to displease any so I am confident I do no man wrong by this Paper And am not without hopes that it may do good to some Reader If Thou art one that can spare a little Money I would Request Thee to bestow a few of these Papers or some others that are better upon thy poor Neighbours for their Souls good and if thou art a Housholder to make use of some such for the good of them that are under thy Charge I have no more to add but my Wishes of thy Spiritual Welfare and to desire Thee to beg the Blessing of The God of all Grace upon all the means of Grace that are afforded us For whose sake I am Thy ready Servant J. Brandon A FAMILY CATECHISME WHereas thou hast a God to serve as at the End of this Paper is plainly proved and seeing thou shalt shortly have done with all this World and canst have no hopes of a better World hereafter unless thou dost serve him truly Here I would therefore know Quest What is the Rule according to which thou art to serve Him Answ The Holy Scripture is that Rule Q. Where doth that appear A. Isa 8.20 To the law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Gal. 6.16 As many as walk according to this Rule peace be upon them Q. How far forth can the Scripture instruct us A. It it able to make wise to Salvation 2 Tim. 3.16 Q. How doth it so A. By teaching us to know our selves and our God Q. What doth the Scriptures teach us of our selves A. That we are fallen from that Holy State in which Mankind was made and are become sinful and subject to the wrath of God through Sin Q. How so A. Adam though he was made upright as 't is written God made man upright Eccl. 7.29 turned from the Holy Commandment given unto Him and did eat of for-bidden Fruit Gen. 2.16 17. compared with Gen. 3.13 And so became a Sinner Q. But why must his posterity be 〈…〉 he himself was a sinner may no◠〈…〉 came of him be without sin A. No. He had Children after 〈…〉 likeness Gen. 5.3 And who can bring a 〈◊〉 thing out of an unclean Job 14.4 Q. Are all men become sinful A. Yes Who can say My Heart is clean I am pure from my Sin Prov. 20.9 If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves 1 Joh. 1.8 Q. What are men therefore in their Natural State A. Children of wrath Eph. 2.3 We were by Nature Children of wrath even as others Q. What doth sin make the sinner worthy of A. The wages of sin is Death Rom. 6.25 where it is to be noted That this is not spoken of any particular gross Sin only but of sin as such and therefore of every sin And the Death which the Apostle speaks of includes Eternal Death or Damnation It being such a Death as is opposed to Eternal Life in that Verse Q. Doth not this make all sins Equal for if every sin makes a man worthy of Damnation what can be said more of the greatest sins than is said of the least A. No. This doth not take away the differences or degrees of sin for tho' all Sin deserve Damnation that is Condemnation from God yet greater sins deserve the greater Damnation as we read of some that they should receive the greater Damnation because they devoured Widow's Houses and for a pretence made long Prayers Matth. 23.14 Q. Is it not strange That Sin should make a man worthy of so great a Misery A. No. No wonder at all because it is committed against so great a God being an Offence and Dishonour to him and a Transgression of his Law Rom. 2.23 Jam. 3.2 1 Joh. 3.4 Q. May a man therefore be ruined everlastingly for the first sin he is guilty of A. Yes doubtless and would be so indeed if God should enter into Judgment with him for it and shew him no favour Q. Can you shew any Examples from Scripture to confirm this A. Yes The Angels many of them tho' greater in Power than Man yet were ruined for their first Sin against God 2 Pet. 2.4 God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to Hell And therefore that He hath not dealt so with all Mankind is to be ascribed to His meer Mercy Q. Sin being so great an Evil because it is an offence against God Tell me therefore what God is A. God is a Spirit Uncreated Unchangable from Everlasting to Everlasting Most Holy and Wise Just and Merciful True and Powerful being in all Places and seeing all things at once First God is not a Bodily Substance but a Spiritual Substance Joh. 4.24 saith Christ himself God is a Spirit Q. What can you gather from thence A. Thence I gather three things especially 1. That God must be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth that we must glorifie God with our Spirits or Soules as well as with our Bodies thinking Highly and Honourably of him as well as speaking so 2. That 't is Vain and Ridiculous as well as impious to make any Picture or Image of God for no Image can be like a Spirit let men make something like
certainly just that it should be so whether we can see the Equity of it or not the Righteous God will act like himself and may as soon cease to be a God as lay any unjust punishment upon a Creature whether for ever or for one Hour Q. But what considerations may be urged for the cleering of it A. These following amongst many others 1. That the wicked shall dye a corporal Death no more after the Day of Judgment Those of them that were dead so many ages since shall then be raised to Life and so continue for ever and ever The Dead that is all the Dead shall be raised incorruptible in 1 Cor. 15.52 But the wicked shall not have an incorruptible state in Joy therefore certainly in punishment 2. The Desert of an Offence as to punishment is not to be measured by the shortness of the Time in which it was committed An offence against a King committed in a Minute may deserve perpetual Imprisonment and death 3. God that Sin offendeth is a God of Infinite and Eternal Majesty and Excellency 4. God is not bound to be reconciled to Offenders nor bound to pardon their offences at any time therefore he may justly punish them at all times or for ever Of this the Reader may see more in my Book entituled Everlasting Fire no Fancy Cap. 1. Sect. 3. pag. 19. Q. But will not the Terror of the Lord against the wicked in that Day strike Terror into the Hearts of the Righteous A. If it do it shall not be over-long nor shall be at all in any Miserable Sense or Manner For they shall see themselves safe in the Armes of his love before the dreadful Sentence shall be passed upon the wicked yea they shall meet Christ with peace when he is coming in the higher Regions St. Paul tells us in 1 Thes 4.17 that they shall be caught up together to meet the Lord in the Air. O wondrous word indeed Thrice Happy are they that shall partake of that Relicity And when once they have That they shall soon have all the priviledges of Heaven and be for Ever with the Lord 1 Thes 4.17 For which inexplicable Blessedness the Father of Mercies fit us more and more for His Son Christ Jesus sake To whom be Glory for Evermore The Lord's Prayer OUr Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this Day our Dayly Bread And forgive us our Debts as we forgive our Debtors And lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from Evil for thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen The Creed I Believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord which was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was Crucified Dead and Buried he descended into Hell the third Day he arose again from the Dead he ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty from whence he shall come to judge both the quick and the dead I believe in the Holy Ghost the Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints the Forgiveness of Sins the Resurrection of the Body and the Life Everlasting Amen The Ten Commandments Exodus XX. GOD spake all these words saying I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of Bondage I. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me II. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth thou shalt not bow down thy self to them nor serve them For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandments III. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain IV. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy son nor thy Daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant nor thy cattle nor the Stranger that is within thy Gates For in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it V. Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long upon the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee VI. Thou shalt not Kill VII Thou shalt not commit Adultery VIII Thou shalt not Steal IX Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neigbbour X. Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours house thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours wife nor his man-servant nor his maid-servant his Ox nor his Ass nor anything that is thy Neighbours Proofs that there is a God AND now good Reader I am to make good my word in the beginning of this Writing and if Solomon himself would sometimes apply his Heart to know the wickedness of Folly Eccl. 7. sure it cannot be below me or my Betters to spend some thoughts about the madness of those miserable Fooles that say in their Hearts there is no God And I fear there are too many that are not much ashamed to say so with their Lips in effect and consequentially at least where they do not say so expresly and directly as if they had been instructed by the Malmesbury-Man or thought that his Leviathan had devoured Religion or overturned it by main Force The Folly of such I shall make manifest by proving these two particulars 1. That none can be sure that there is no God 2. That a Man of sober Reason may be sure that there is a God 1. That none can assure us that there is no God For whence should they be sure of such a thing Religion cannot be pretended to teach them so for all Religion is grounded upon the Notion of a God nor can they be assured of it by Reason For those that believed there is a God and forsake all Worldly Comforts in Hope of that happiness after death which none but a God can give as the Martyrs in all Ages yet had Reason as well as others and great Learning also and the subtilest Atheists as yet have not shewed half so much of any kind of Learning as many of those that are followers of Godliness I confess some few men of Ingenuity have been Atheistical a curious Wit was sometimes so and would delight himself in disputing against Religion so vain a thing is the the best thing without Grace But
The Lord is known by the Judgments that he executeth Psal 9.16 And I am confident he that considers of them with the Reason of a Man shall not at the same time have ignorance enough to become an Atheist Some Examples whereof it will be proper to set down 1. A Souldier of King Pyrrhus being found dead and his Dog by him and could not be driven from him the King had notice of it and caused his Souldiers that were in those parts to be brought to the place and to pass in order two and two by the dead Body when the Murderers came the Dog fell upon them with the greatest fierceness imaginable upon which they confessed the Murder and dyed for it Which none can judge to be a story feigned in favour of Christanity since 't is reported by Plutarch a Heathen Writer in his Book De solertia Animalium Doth not this prove that there is a Supream Being that takes notice of mens wickedness and to whom it belongeth to execute wrath for it He that can think a Dog should do thus Naturally or by chance is a Person too bruitish to be disputed with Salust also a Heathen Writer tells us of Jugurtha that after the many Villanies he had committed and the disturbances he had made his Mind and Conscience was so strook with Terrours that he would go from one Room to another several times in the Night Season in a manner utterly unbecoming a Prince he durst not trust any man in any place he feared all Friends and Foes and would look pale at every noise he heard From whence the Author though a Heathen Man as was said concludeth that there is a God that observeth Mens Actions It is not my purpose to mention the Examples of God's Judgements recorded in Scripture or Church History for tho' those are most considerable in themselves yet too many in this Age can make light of these things supposing them to be the Politick Inventions of Christians to make their Religion regarded in the World But Arguments to the Eye-sight one would think may signifie something to these Men and are such as Mr. Hobbs his Philosophy will not teach them to deny or doubt of And such they might have had in various Instances One having stol'n some things at Reading in Berks being eating said If I know of them I wish to God this Bit may be my Death And by that next Bit he was choked presently and fell down dead in the sight of those that accused him and the things were found about him The Truth of which hath had Testimony enough in that place And more lately An Example beyond exexception was given us in the Year of our Lord 1677. one that had stollen a Bible wished That if he had done so his Hands might Rot off A few days after this wish there began to be a Blackness about his wrists which turn'd to a swelling exceeding painful to himself and as lothsome and offensive to others after it broke at length there came out wormes And having been a Spectacle of God's just Displeasure to Multitudes that came to see him for many weeks his hands did Rot off and he died a little time after on the 21. of June 1677. in King's Swinford in Staffordshire of which there is a Narrative in print published by Dr. Symon Ford with such concurrent Testimony as no sober man can cavil against If this doth not prove that there is a God that took notice of his Stealing and his wicked Wish aforesaid and that God was highly offended thereby I shall never know what is a sufficient proof of any thing And if any man shall impute this great thing to Fortune or Chance or to any thing else than to a Divine power that judgeth in the Earth I shall fear he is one of those who the Devil and Sin hath blinded to Destruction Thus Reader I have proved that an Atheist is a Fool and if thou art so wise as to live like a Christian endeavour to serve thy Lord with Joyfulness of Heart whatsoever Sorrows may threaten thee in the World For his mercy is to everlasting upon them that fear him Psal 103.17 VVhatsoever changes may be in thy self or others yet He who is thy Happiness changeth not Mal. 3.6 If all thy Friends on Earth should forsake thee yet thou shalt live under the care and compassions of thy Heavenly Father who will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.5 If thou art never so weak and thy Enemies never so strong yet thou shalt alwaies have an Infinite Goodness and Everlasting strength to trust unto If all the Streams of Creature Comforts should fail thee at once yet still thou shalt have a God to enjoy To whom be Glory for Evermore A Morning Prayer for A Family O Most Great and Glorious Lord our God thy Name alone is Excellent and thy Praise above Heaven and Earth we confess thou art infinitely pure and perfect in thy Self and hast been abundantly good and gracious towards us Thy great goodness hath followed us daily and thy Mercies have been renewed upon us every Morning And it is thy goodness alone O God that we have awaked in Comfort and not in Torment To thee therefore we desire to offer up our Morning Sacrifice of Prayer and Thanks-giving And tho' we are unworthy to offer thee any Sacrifice yet we beseech thee O Lord Accept of us and our services in the worthyness of thy Son Jesus Christ the Righteous for his sake we humbly pray thee forgive us all our Sins of what number or nature soever against thee by Thought Word or Deed by Negligence and Ignorance by Presumption and Wilfulness O let thy mercy be magnified in the pardon of them all And let them never be charged upon us to our Discouragement in this world or our Destruction in the world to come And O Lord we pray thee let us not only find Mercy with thee hereafter but also let us obtain powerful and effectual grace to live as becomes thy Servants Here. O turn our Hearts still more unto thee and fix our Affections on the things that are Above and give us Hearts suitable to those blessed Laws which thou hast commanded us to walk in O Lord we know thou hast the greatest Right unto us O do thou maintain thy Right within us Set up thy Throne in our Souls and let thine own Arm Rule for thee there And graciously subdue every Thought Affection and Passion that exalts it self against thy Law Give us thy Holy Spirit to Sanctifie our Natures more and more and to instruct us savingly in the Truths of thy Holy Word Lord help us so to make it the Rule of our Lives as that it may be our Comfort at our Deaths We know O God it is not in Man to direct his ways we pray thee do thou undertake the work and make our ways acceptable to thy Self To this End increase our Knowledge of thee quicken our Love to thee
and confirm our Resolutions of serving thee Help us by Faith to overcome the world to deny our selves and our own wills to follow thee Lord let thy Mercy Compass us about this day and preserve us from outward and Bodily Mischiefs for thou Lord only makest us to dwell in safety And especially be pleased to keep us from those things that may be hurtful to our Souls O let us not meet with Temptations to dishonour thee or else give us Grace and strength to Resist and overcome them And in the midst of all oppositions and Hindrances whatsoever Help us O God to look unto thee by Faith to wait upon thee by Prayer and to encourage our Selves in thy ways by the Hope of that Eternal Salvation which thou hast assured to them that truly obey thee Be gracious we beseech thee O Lord to this sinful Land and turn thy wrath away from us in the Causes of it Maintain thy true Religion among us and grant unto us and our posterity the blessed Liberty of looking into thy perfect Law for the Direction and comfort of our precious Souls Lord Bless in a special manner and with the choicest Blessings our Soveraign Lord the King and his Relations and Councils and grant That under Him we may lead quiet and peaceable Lives in all Godliness and Honesty Let his Reign be Prosperous and his Days many and make True Religion to flourish in his Time Bless our Relations Friends living in the World Lord give and continue to them what is needful for this Life and chiefly what is most needful for the Life to come And now also O our God we desire to Bless thy Holy Name for all thy Mercies to us sleeping and waking throughout all the parts and passages of our Lives that we have not this Night slept the sleep of Death but have awaked again because thou O Lord hast sustained us O help us still to live unto thee by whom we live And let our little time through thy Mercy and Grace prepare us for a Happy Eternity And all we beg in the Name and for the sake of the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord who hath taught us to pray saying Our Father c. An Evening Prayer for a Family MOst great and gracious Lord God who hast brought us by thy good Providence to the end of this Day thou art more than worthy of our evening Sacrifice of praises and Thanksgiving And though we are not worthy to lift up our Hands in thy Name yet O Father of Mercies accept our Prayers and Services which we offer up unto thee in the name of thy Son Jesus Christ O Lord we must needs Acknowledge we are by Nature Children of wrath we are sinful in our Natures and Sinful in our Lives transgressing thy Law dayly and do not know how often we have offended But all our offences are known unto thee who searchest the Hearts and art acquainted with all our ways We confess O God the least of them as committed against thy glorious Majesty makes us justly liable to thy Wrath and Displeasure for ever more O then into what a Depth of Destruction and Misery would all our sins together cast us if thou shouldst enter into Judgment with us and call us to strict Accounts for them even the sinning Angels could not stand in thy sight How then could we in such a Case But blessed be thy Name thou hast told us that thou art a Merciful God and that there is Forgiveness with thee O be gracious we beseech thee And let that Rich Mercy be shewed upon us O let the whole multitude of our Sins be blotted out in the greater multitude of thy tender Compassions Remember not any of our offences against us but pardon and Accept us O Heavenly Father for the sake of thy Son Jesus Christ in whom thou art alwaies well pleased For his sake we pray thee be Reconciled to us and shew us thy Salvation And as we Beg of thee that sin may not ruine us hereafter so we beseech thee O God Let it not Reign in us here but do thou vouchsafe to Rule us by thy Word and Spirit and so put thy Fear in our Hearts that we may not grosly depart from thee O teach us to do the things that please thee For thou art our God and there is none that teacheth like thee In the light of thy Law O Lord let us see light and know in this our Day the things that most concern our Everlasting Peace Give us such a deep sense of our own sinfulness as may make us prize us prize thy Christ above all this world and enable us so to come unto Him as that we may find in him true Rest for our Soules Lord make us to see the vanity of the Earth the vileness of Sin the beauty of Holiness and the benefit of thy Service And let our Hearts be in love with those holy Commandments in keeping of which there is great Reward And enable us so to be Followers of Righteousness as that the Day of our Death may be unto our Souls a Day of Peace And with us O God we pray thee be merciful to all thy Afflicted people that call upon thee send them help in time of need And let them find thy peace in due season that truly seek thy Mercy and Grace Be gracious to the Land wherein we live Lord forgive the crying Sins of the Nation O Consult thy own Compassions and turn from us those heavy Judgements that we have deserved And when the Day of Evil comes upon us O Remember us in thy goodness Lord mercifully grant to us and our Posterity the purity of thine Ordinances the liberty of thy Word and Worship O let thy Testimonies be our Heritage for ever And never leave us in the Hands of those Men that would hide thy Commandments from us And let thy Mercy O God be magnified upon and continued towards thy Servant and our Soveraign that now is over us Let thy Wisdom be his Guide and thy providence his Guard agaist all his Enemies Help him to Rule for thee in Earth and fit him to Raign with thee in Heaven Bless we pray thee also our Friends and Relations wheresoever dispersed upon the face of the Earth Lord graunt them the protections of thy Providence and call not for them out of this Life till thy grace hath fitted them for a Better Let our Enemies also find thy Favour fit them for thy Mercy and shew thy Mercy upon them Bless O Lord we pray thee All that belong to our Family and make all of them that are capable of knowing thy Name to serve thee acceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear And now O thou powerful preserver of Men without whom nothing is able to keep us in safety we pray thee keep us safe from the power of Evil Men or Spirits from Fire Frights and all dreadful Dangers whatsoever And now also O God we desire to offer up our unfeigned Praise and Thanks for All the manifold Benefits that we have received at thy merciful Hand For Food and Raiment Rest and Peace and all those things that are needful for our Bodies But especially for all those advantages that are afforded us for our Soul 's good O help us so to improve them for all purposes of Holiness as that at the Day of Jesus Christ we may find Peace and not be ashamed before Him at his Coming And all we humbly beseech at thy Hands for the same Christ Jesus sake in whose blessed Name and Words we pray as he hath taught us saying Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this Day our Daily Bread And forgive us our Debts as we forgive our Debtors And lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from Evil for thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen O Everlasting Lord most High Vouchsafe to hear for Jesus ' Merit And to my Soul do thou draw nigh By th'Influences of thy Spirit Thy Greatness cause me to Adore Who all my Breath hast in thy Hand And thine Assistance to implore That dost the Hosts of Heaven command And as the Hart that Hunted is Doth for the Streams of water Thirst So make me seek the path of Bliss And prize the Riches of thy Christ Oh fix my Thoughts on things Above And let my Soul more often Taste Even here on Earth by Faith and Love The Pleasures that for ever last FINIS