and the Third day rose again to Life now to dye no more and having sealed the Covenant in his Blood he left instructions with his Apostles to admit men into it by Baptism and teach them how to keep it and promised them the gift of the Holy Ghost After some dayes he in their sight went up into Heaven and is glorified at God's Right-hand in Power and Majesty And as King ruleth and protecteth his Church Reigneth in the hearts of his subjects subdueth all his Enemies and is our Advecate with the Father rendering our persons and services accepted of him and prevaising for all good blessings on us Shortly after his Ascension on the day of Pemecost Christ sent the Holy Ghost the Eternal Spirit of the Father and the Son upon the Apostles to guide them into all saving truth to enable them to Preach to every Nation in its own Language to write the Holy Scriptures and to seal and confirm the truth of them by many Miracles and wonderful works and to encourage them to a constant suffering for Christ even unto death The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the very Word of God which Holy men of God spake and writ as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and they contain all things necessary to Salvation and are the standing Sealed Rule of Faith and Life The Holy Ghost is Christ's Advocate pleading his cause with men He is our Sanctifier enlightening opening softning changing and renewing our hearts and minds to receive and grow in knowledge and grace Making the word effectual for our conviction and conversion helping us to pray and stirring us up to goodness comforting us with a sense of its operations and strengthening us to withstand temptations and hold out in a Christian course unto the end All those that are regenerated enlightened and converted by the Holy Ghost are one Holy Church whereof Christ is the only Head All that outwardly profess Christianity and have been Baptized are to be accounded Holy by a visible separation and dedication to God till they cut themselves off by Schism or are justly cast out by Excommunication Christ's Church is not limited to any Nation or People but extends to all places is propagated in all Ages and containeth all saving truth and in this sense is Vniversal or Catholick All the Sanctified Members of this Mystical Body of Christ have Fellowship with the Father and Son by one Holy Spirit with Angels in their love care and Ministries with the glorified Saints in Heaven in their love and prayers and with one another on Earth in the same Faith and Hope and Love Word and Sacraments bound to hold the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace All these have in consideration of Christ's satisfaction a full pardon of all past sins given of God and Sacramentally sealed unto them in Baptism with an assurance of final justification and Salvation upon condition of their perseverance in Repentance and Faith At death the souls of the faithful rest with God in peace and happiness and the souls of the wicked go into an endless state of misery The bodies of all men shall be raised again after death and shall be again united to their souls All men shall after the Resurrection appear before the Judgment seat of Christ where the wicked shall be condemned to Everlasting torments but the Righteous shall be finally acquitted and go into Everlasting Life and Joy happy in the constant and perfect love of God praising him delighting in him amongst all Blessed Angels and Saints to all Eternity The heads of the Christian's Duty IF any man would be saved he must first be born again of the Holy Spirit be converted and become a new creature Holy in Heart and Life otherwise he cannot enter in the Kingdom of God The grace of God hath appeared teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly and Righteously and Godly in this present World I must not think my self to be my own so that I may live as I list but must humbly acknowledge there is a God above me whose I am and whom I am bound to serve all the dayes of my Life I must take the true God alone for my God even the Father Son and Holy Ghost and worship him as my Maker Redeemer and Sanctifier I must by a daily diligent reading studying and meditating on his word and considering of his works labour get a true knowledge of God and not content my self in ignorance of him I must worship God in Spirit and in Truth with the heart and soul sincerely I must stedfastly believe the whole Word of God the History for my instruction the Precepts for my direction the Promises for my encouragement the threatnings to affright me from sin bewaring of all temptations to unbelief or a false Faith I must live in a patient expectation and hope of what God hath promised neither despairing of mercy if I repent nor presuming of Mercy if I repent not I must love God as the chief good with the highest love chusing him for my only portion delighting in him as my only comfort willing to part with Life it self to enjoy him and making light of all things so I may please him loving his Image as far as I see it in every man especially in Jesus Christ my Saviour It is my duty to stand in awe of God's threatnings and judgments and to be very cautious and circumspect in all my wayes watching over my thoughts words and actions fearing to offend him in any thing neither fearing nor loving any thing else so much as to venture upon the least sin I must intirely trust and confide in God both in all wants and dangers whether of Soul or Body Conscientiously using such means as he alloweth Praying devoutly unto him for his Blessing and casting all my care for the success upon him not doubting of his never failing power and goodness I must walk humbly before God thinking meanly of my self renouncing all my own worth or merits acknowledging all that I am have or hope for to be of his gift taking patiently and thankfully all his chastisements and labouring to profit by them and confessing that he doth all things wisely and well I must behave my self uprightly and sincerely as in his presence and do all I do as unto him with a pure heart avoiding all guile dissimulation and hypocrisie not indulging the least evil thought inclination or desire keeping up high and honourable thoughts of him and preserving my Conscience tender and my heart soft and easie to take the impressions of his word and spirit I must shun all gross representations of God or likening him so much as in my thoughts to any creature I am not to worship him after my own conceit or fancy but according to the rules he hath given in his word not with a formal but a spiritual worship drawing near unto him in Prayer and praise and all his
CHRISTIANITY in Short OR The way to be a good CHRISTIAN Recommended To the use of such as want either time or capacity for reading longer and Learneder discourses Mat. VII 13.14 Enter ye in at the strait Gate for wide is the Gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat Because strait is the Gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto Life and few there be that find it Ver. 21. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven By C. Ellis Author of the Gentile-sinner LONDON Printed for Tho. Guy at the Oxford Armes on the West side of the Royal Exchange 1682. To my Beloved Neighbours for whose Use this little Book is written My Dear Friends I Hope some of you need not much the help this little Book can afford and indeed it is a shame either for you or me that any of you should need it except Children Yet I fear it is too needful I pray God it may prove as useful to many of you I have often told you that neither an Ignorant nor a Carnal nor a Worldly nor a Formally Religious course of Life can ever bring you to Heaven I now â—ell it you again and at you love your Souls let me intreat you to believe me except you become other men than some of you yea than the most of you yet are you cannot be saved You have God's Word to read you may hear Sermons when you will you may be instructed privately when you will you have many good Books to instruct you you have so much sense as to know you are a dying you have understandings to consider what 's like to become of you you have sure the wit to know that all things here will have an end and that nothing can concern you so much as the Salvation of your Souls to all Eternity I am confident were you dying you would say so Can it be any thing then but a brutish inconsideration that keeps you in the state you are in Awake awake and see here in short what you have to do 'T is short that you may not plead you want time to read and learn it 'T is plain that you may not plead 't is above your capacity 't is cheap it shall cost you nothing but the pains of reading it for your instruction in the way of Life You will in a little room see what it is to be a Christian Practice then what here you read and then dye in Peace But if you slight these easie helps and will go on your old way I must leave you to God and comfort my self in this that I have not dealt deceitfully with you The good God make us all wise unto Salvation Amen Consider seriously Learn industriously Pray devoutly Believe firmly Repent sincerely Love unfeignedly Resolve deliberately Practice constantly Hope Patiently Receive Thankfully And Enjoy Eternally The Entrance into CHRISTIANITY I Must shortly dye and after death I must for ever be either endlesly happy or endlesly miserable It concerneth me therefore above all things in this short time of my Life so to prepare for Death that after Death I may be Eternally happy To this end two things are altogether necessary a sound Knowledge and a sincere Practice Two things are needful to be well known the End which I am to aim at and the Way which will lead me to it My daily practice must be to walk in the way in hopes of attaining the End What both these are JESVS CHRIST hath abundantly taught us in his Gospel which it therefore highly concerneth me diligently to read and learn Christ hath instituted two Sacraments the one for our entrance into the other for our confirmation and strengthning in the way of Life Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. In both these the whole substance of Christian Religion which is the way to happiness is summarily comprehended and represented Christ JESVS commanded his Apostles to go up and down in the World and by Preaching the Gospel to perswade men to be his Disciples and learn of him the way to Life He commanded them to admit men into his Church or the Society of his Disciples by Baptism or washing them with Water in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost This Ceremony of Washing with water did signifie and assure them that as many as continued Christ's faithful followers were washed from the guilt of their past sins and should be daily more and more Sanctified and prepared for Eternal Glory Persons of years to understand were thus in Baptism to give up themselves in an Holy Bond or Covenant to God and thus my Parents when I was an Infant did give and dedicate me to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost In this Baptismal Covenant God the Father doth give himself to be our reconciled Father and God the Son Jesus Christ to be our Saviour and God the Holy Ghost to be our Sanctifier In the same Covenant we do accept of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost to be our only God submitting to him as our Owner and Governour and chusing him as our chief good and portion and heartily consenting to be taught and ruled made Holy and â—saved by him in a firm belief of his word and humble Obedience to his Lawes We do also promise and resolve not to follow nor be led by the Devil the World nor the Flesh but to watch against and resist all their temptations and to persevere so doing unto our lives end Every one that keepeth this Covenant sincerely is a good Christian and hath the pardon of his sins and Eternal Life sealed and assured unto him by God in this Sacrament of Baptism As I therefore desire to be Eternally happy and would avoid Everlasting Torments it concerneth me to see that I keep Covenant with God which I cannot do without learning and knowing what I am to believe and do If I have not already learn'd this it is no time now any longer to delay it seeing my Eternal happiness depends upon it And I know not how soon no not whether this night God may call me out of this world by death when if I be either ignorant or wicked I am undone Soul and Body for ever The Christian Faith THere is a GOD and but one God the FATHER SON and HOLY GHOST God is an infinite and most glorious SPIRIT a most pure and living substance without body parts or passions God is invisible cannot be seen or perceived by sense God is incomprehensible cannot be perfectly known by any but himself God is Immortal cannot dye Impassible and cannot suffer God is Immense not limited to place but is every where God is Eternal not limited by time but without beginning or end God is Independent not caused or governed by any other God is Immutable not subject to change but necessarily
Ordinances with my heart and affections I must use the sacred name of God with all due reverence not profaning it by blasphemous idle or impertinent talk or by false common or needless swearing or by breaking my Holy Vows and Covenants nor any way giving occasion by my insincere profession of his name unto others to blaspheme or profane it I must honour the Lord in his day by spending it in his Worship meditating on and praising him for his wonderful works of Creation and Redemption Especially in the Publick Assemblies bearing my part devoutly in the Prayers of his Church attending to his word Preached and Read and Communicating in his Sacraments I must not think too highly of my self nor be proud of any thing I am have or can do seeing all is the undeserved gift of God I must not humour my passions but labour to be of a meek and quiet and docible Spirit I must make use of my reason in considering what I am and whence I came and whither I must go why I live and how I must dye and what shall become of me after death what I owe to God and men and my self and how I pay it I must often examine the state of my Soul and whether I be converted from the state of sin into the state of grace and all my thoughts words and actions whether they be conformable to the will of God I should often think of the vanity of this World and sinful pleasures the certainty of death the impartiality of judgment the glories of Heaven the terrors of Hell the comforts of a good Conscience and what I must do to be saved with the necessity of a Godly Life I must be heartily contented with my present lot and portion not murmuring or repining at God's dealings not ambitiously seeking a more high or plentiful condition not fretting at my wants or sufferings nor vexing my Soul with Worldly cares nor envying the more flourishing condition of others but conclude that best which God chuseth for me I must be a good husband of my time industriously improving it to the good of my self and others not wasting it unprofitably in idleness sports and vanities but labouring in an honest calling I must be chast and clean in Mind and Body entertaining no wanton thought or desire or look or dress shunning all lasciviousness and obscene discourse books gestures and enticements to lust and uncleanness I must be temperate and moderate in eating drinking sleeping recreations and apparel not pleasing my Appetite or wasting my Estate or loosing my time in any of them but using them onely in such a measure as may best preserve my bodily health to serve my Soul in serving God I must love my Neighbour as my self and do to all men as I would they should do to me that is all the good I can rendering to every man his due Especially I must love and do good to those that are of the Houshould of Faith and love every man the more by how much I see more of God's image upon him Above all I must labour to do good to mens Souls by teaching reproving exhorting comforting and Praying for them Not hurting grieving scandaâ—izing or tempting them to evil by advice countenance or example Parents must dedicate their children to God instruct and educate them in the knowledge and fear of God correct all vice in them and give them good example maintaining them and providing honest callings for them as they are able Children must love honour obey serve and as there is need relieve their Parents with all thankfulness Husbands and Wives must live in an holy mutual conjugal love to each other helping one another in serving God Educating their Children well Ruling their Servants and managing their necessary Affairs the Wife living in a quiet subjection to her Husband Masters must be kind and just to their servants instructing them in God's service as well as in their own and servants must obey and be faithful to their Masters All Superiors are to rule in Justice and Holiness seeking God's Glory and the publick good and all inferiors are to be subject to the higher powers paying tribute and obeying their just Lawes for Conscience sake not resisting but to taking it Patiently though they suffer wrongfully Ministers must fced and rule and watch over the Souls of their flocks and their flocks must freely contribute to their maintenance honour them in love and be obedient to them I must not take away anothers Life nor hurt his Body nor so much as be angry with him without a cause but must preserve as much as in me lyeth his bodily welfare even as my own I must not defile another's Wife nor be guilty of Fornication nor so much as look on any woman to lust after her but do all I can to preserve the chastity of all I must not wrong another of any part of his Estate by theft robbery fraud or deceit of any kind but must secure his right as much as my own pay my debts duely bargain honestly and make restitution and amends for every wrong I must not wrong another's good name or credit by false-witness slandering false-accusing tale-bearing reproaching back-biting but I must vindicate it as far as with truth I can acknowledging all the good I see in every man groundlesly suspecting no man I must not make or speak any lye but speak the truth plainly I must utterly cast off all selfishness and not be tempted by any desire of pleasing my self to covet any thing that is another mans I must love pray for and do good to my enemies not rendring evil for evil or seeking revenge but forgiving as God for Christ his sake hath forgiven me The matter of our Desires and Prayers I AM not able naturally either to understand the mysteries of Faith or to do the Spiritual duties which I am bound as a Christian to believe and do I must not therefore trust to my self but by frequent fervent and humble Prayer apply my self to God in the name of Jesus Christ for the help of his Holy Spirit to quicken my deadness enlighten my ignorance and strengthen my weakness Of my self I know not how to pray or for what to pray I must therefore learn of Christ who hath taught me thus to Pray Our Father c. I must with all Humility as an undone sinner approach unto God in a true sense of his right in me and dominion over me as my Owner and Governour and of his love to me as my Father so far reconciled unto all men in Jesus Christ that he pitieth us and hath as a gracious Father provided all things needful to make us happy and that he delighteth not in our death but would have us turn and live as his children happy in our Father's love and providence I must draw near unto him as a penitent dutiful and loving child heartily sorry that ever I offended him restlesly longing to be reconciled unto
him resolvedly willing to resign and give my self up unto him to be governed wholly by him stedfastly believing and trusting in his power to save and bless me and his willingness to receive me for his own adopted child in Jesus Christ Yet I must remember the greatness of his Divine Majesty and the infinite distance betwixt a powerful wise and good God in Heaven and me a weak foolish and sinful worm of the Earth and so come with all humble reverence falling down at his feet in a devout Adoration of his Majesty longing to be made more Holy and Heavenly that I may be capable of a nearer Communion with him I must first heartily desire that all the World may give him the glory due unto his Name That He may be more perfectedly known and loved and honoured by men and that in his Person his Name his Attributes his Word his Day his Ordinances his Ministers and all his children That he may be chosen and Magnified as the supream good have the chief place in our hearts and affections and glorified in the World by our Godly lives I must next pray that the Yoak of sin may be broken off and we freed from the Tyranny of Satan that we may joyfully own and submit to the authority of God That Christ's Church may flourish and be enlarged on earth and that the Civil Powers may cherish and protect it that the Power and malice of it's enemies may be restrained and frustrated that Christ may rule by his Spirit in our hearts subduing our Corruptions and ruling us in the way of Godliness that we may earnestly long for and diligently prepare for and patiently wait for and finally enter into God's Kingdome of glory I must in the 3 d. place pray That men may not make the will of the devil the Customs of the world or their own inclinations and appetites but the will of God alone the rule of their lives That we may all sincerely obey his commands and submit to his wisdome and rest in his government That we may alwaies endeavour after the perfection of duty and as the Holy Angels of Heaven rejoyce and delight in an Holy Obedience My next petition is That I may have all things needfull to preserve this life till I be fitted for a better That we may have health and Strength to serve God and other outward good things as they are expedient that we may be free from the temptations of riches or poverty contented with our present portion and wise to use it piously and Charitably That God would prosper our honest labours keep us from immoderate cares and desires from all idleness and intemperance In the next place I pray that God would grant us soft hearts and repentance unto life a perfect hatred of sin and power to leave it That He would through Christ forgive all our sins original and actual and grant us grace in thankfulness to him to forgive all that offend us and to return good for evil Lastly That God would enable us to watch against and manfully to resist all temptations that they may never prevail with us to do evil that he would frustrate all the malicious designs of the devil and all our enemies and protect us by his grace that we may persevere in obedience to our lives end I conclude my Prayers with ascribing unto God the honour of all his works acknowledging his Dominion and Soveraignty over all and my self happy in being his Subject his infinite power and my self happy in being under his protection I acknowledge all things to be from him our total dependance to be upon him and that the glory of all goodness is due unto him I desire this may by all the World be acknowledged for evermore And with all hearty desire and filial confidence to all this I say Amen So be it The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper CHrist Jesus hath instituted the night before he was betrayed a solemn Sacrament and Christian Feast to be celebrated by Christians even till his coming again in remembrance of him The outward matter to be received is Bread and Wine signifying the Body and Blood of Christ as the food and refreshment of our Souls The Bread is Blessed-broken and given to be received and eaten by us The Wine likewise Blessed poured out and given to be received and drunk by us to signifie that Christ was Consecrated and Crucified his body wounded his blood shed for our sins and that he giveth himself Crucified to be received and believed on as our Spiritual nourishment and comfort All that preparedly receive the Bread and Wine do with it really receive Christ Crucified and with him the pardon of their sins and Assurance of Eternal Life scaled a new unto them in this Sacrament for the confirming of their Faith and growth in Grace We joyn in the celebration of this Feast to signifie that we though many are yet Members of one Body the Church joyned unto one Head Jesus Christ whose Death and Sacrifice we unanimously commemorate with all thankfulness Professing that we all own the same Lord the same Faith the same Laws and are to live in love peace and holiness as the Members of the same body He that Communicateth in this Sacrament unworthily is accounted by God as guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ That we may avoid this guilt we must examine our selves whether we discern the Lord's Body and understand what he gives there unto us and what we there come to do We are also to examine how we keep our Baptismal Covenant of Repentance Faith and New Obedience and if we find our selves truly thankful for the Blessing of our Redemption by Jesus Christ If we find our selves sincere Christians resolving to keep Covenant with God we are there to renew our Covenant most seriously praising God in Christ for this inestimable priviledge rejoycing in his Salvation and so go our way and sin no more Some Texts of Scripture often and seriously to be Read and thought on IT is appointed unto men once to dye but after this the Judgment Heb. 9.27 Go to now ye that say to day or to morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow For what is your Life it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away Jam. 4.13 14. Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts Heb. 4.7 Remember now thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth Ecclesiastes 12.1 We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5.10 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5.11 If you call on the Father who
love this world and mind Earthly things most and prefer not God his grace and Heaven before all earthly joyes and pleasures If I dare not trust in Christ alone nor forsake all for him nor am willing to obey his Lawes how hard soever they seem or what cost or loss soever they put me to If my heart and life be not throughly changed but I yet must have my own will and please my own appetite and senses and cannot want my own desires or cross my own inclinations If I keep any known sin unmortified and not cast off if I do not watch against all temptations and pray heartily and frequently for grace to conquer all sin If I delight not in God's Word and in all Holy duties and esteem it not my greatest priviledge to serve him If my greatest care be not to please him and if his command prevail not more with me than all the world besides If I cannot content my self with him alone nor suffer any the greatest evil for him If I have not resolvedly given my self up to be wholly at his disposal and to be made in all things conformable to his will If the case be thus with me I am in a state of sin and death and cannot be saved till I be converted and made a new man The Christian's Confession of his Faith with a full Resignation of himself to God and binding himself in Covenant with GOD. I Believe Lord help thou my unbelief I do most freely and heartily own and with humble admiration and reverence I do adore the great and dreadful and incomprehensibly Glorious Majesty of Heaven and Earth Most joyfully do I accept of thee O Father Son and Holy Ghost for my only God Thou and thou alone art the inexhaustible Fountain of all Being Life Power and Goodness I acknowledge my total dependance upon thee for my Being Life Motion Vnderstanding and all things and it will be my happiness to enjoy thy love and blessing Thou O God art an Infinite Eternal and Immortal Spirit and the God and Father of Spirits who though unseen art every where present about me and within me by thy infinite power quickning upholding and protecting me by thine Infinite Wisdom providing for me ordering and directing me and by thy goodness blessing me To thee one Glorious God in Three Persons Blessed for ever do I freely and wholly give my self cheerfully dedicating and resigning my Soul and Body with all the powers and faculties of both to be wholly disposed of by thee in the service of thee O Blessed Trinity in Vnity Eternal Life Light and Love Power Wisdom and Holiness the Author of my preservation Sanctification and Salvation Thou in a wonder of condescending love offerest thy self as a gracious Father in Jesus Christ to all Believers Thou art the Maker of me and all the World I am nothing I have nothing I can do nothing I hope for nothing but from thy power wisdom and goodness to thee alone be the honour and praise of all I will more study my self and other creatures that I may learn to know admire and love thee more I can be proud of nothing glory in nothing but in thee in whom I live and move and have my being I am not my own I and all things are thine and unto thee I freely resign my self and all my concerns to use and dispose of me and them as it pleaseth thee Whatever thou dost with me thou canst do me no wrong no creature without thee can do me any good 'T is my perfection and happiness to know and love thee and delight in thee Thee alone I chuse for my portion and thou alone shalt ever be enough for me To thee as the Almighty Ruler of the World I heartily submit my self accepting thy Divine Will for my only Law by which my thoughts words and actions are to be all governed All thy Lawes I consent to as most holy just and good and most thankfully acknowledge that nothing can be better than to rest in thy will I will study thy will diligently do it heartily cheerfully submit unto it be well contented with and joyfully praise thee in whatsoever thou doest I will readily obey thy commands patiently bear thy chastisements and wholly confide in thy blessing and protection I confess Lord that I am born a corrupt thing and have added a thousand times more to that corruption I am fallen from that knowledge power and uprightness wherein thou madest Adam and am exceeding ignorant weak and wicked averse from truth and goodness inclined mightily to falshood and evil all this I sadly feel in my self it is an heavy burden unto me Except I be born again of thy Spirit be converted by thy word made a new man and a real change wrought both in my heart and life I must remain under thy wrath and curse Everlastingly wretched Our misery lying in our fall from thee our Creator to the creature and in our desire to please our selves more than thee our God our due portion is to perish by our own wretched choice and having chosen to sin with devils 't is but just we share with devils in Everlasting torments Having wilfully broken thy Laws we cannot hope for impunity from thee the just Governour of the World except some satisfaction be made unto thy Justice O the wonder even ravishing and astonishing wonder of thy rich mercy How should I ever be able to acknowedge thy unspeakable goodness in thy compassion to sinful men Early and freely didst thou promise us a Redeemer and a Saviour and I do very feelingly own thy faithfulness and truth in performing to the full that gracious promise How do I admire and adore thy wonderful wisdom in the rare contrivance of our rescue by sending thine own Eternal and only begotten Son to tender himself unto us for a Saviour and make us new and easie termes of peace and reconciliation Lord on the bended knees of my Soul I do accept thy mercy offering thy self again unto me as a reconciled Father desiring to love honour and obey thee for ever and humbly beseeching thee to own me amongst thy adopted children I do humbly admire and joyfully imbrace thine infinite love O blessed JESUS who being the great God blessed for ever yet humbledst thy self to be cloathed in our weak and frail nature to be born of a woman made under the Law to live a mean life in a wicked world to expose thy self to the temptations of Satan to suffer all indignities from sinners to shed thy precious blood upon a cursed tree and lie in a grave and undergo the condition of the dead for us sinful wretches Lord I am fully satisfied by thy rising again to life the third day that thou hast overcome the devil and death and given satisfaction to thy Father's Justice and finished the great work of our Redemption I know thou art now triumphant in Heaven invested with all power and glory on the Right-hand of thy
Father our prevailing advocate making intercession for us and thee I comfortably expect to be our Judge at the last day Thou O Glorious Jesus hast Established an Everlasting Covenant of peace and sealed it with thy blood and with all my Soul I praise thee for this thine inestimable love not doubting keeping of that pardon and grace and glory which thou therein hast assured unto us if I unfeignedly accept of thy mercy and enter in this Holy Covenant O JESUS CHRIST in all sincerity of heart and with all thankful love and joy I do accept of thee my only Saviour I do most humbly submit my self to be taught by thee and will make thy Gospel my dayly study I trust in thy merits only and give my self to be governed by thy Laws and denying my self I am ready to take up thy Cross and bid open War to all thine enemies and take thy easie Yoke and light burden upon me Lord the unfeigned desire of my Soul is that thou mayest be formed in me and take full possession of me that I may henceforth live by the Faith of thee the Son of God I resolve thy will shall be my will thy life my pattern thy Law my Rule I will set my self to resist the temptations of the devil despise the vanities of the world and mortifie the carnal desires of my flesh all afflictions shall seem light to me and death it self better than life that I may obey thee and live with thee I consecrate my self unto thee to dye daily unto sin to Crucifie the flesh to rise again unto Righteousness to have my Conversation in Heaven my heart and affections with thee my only treasure My confidence is in thy merits my Prayers sent to God in thy name and intercession my practice to be conformable to thy example the longings of my Soul to be with thee for ever I will do my endeavour that my thoughts words and actions may be such as thou wilt approve of in the day of Judgment I will not envy the present happiness of the wicked nor be dis-heartned by my suffering but referr all to thy Righteous Judgment I will watch over my heart and life and daily examine my Conscience and keep it tender and good and labour that the accuser may have nothing to lay to my charge before thy Judgment Seat I do heartily accept of thee O Holy Spirit of the Father and the Son for my Sanctifier my Guide and Comforter I embrace the Holy Scriptures given by thy inspiration as the infallible truth of God I own the Ministry as thine Ordinance and every good motion of my heart as thy work To thee O Holy Spirit do I give up my self in a constant attendance on the Word and Ordinances and secret workings longing to be quickned enlightned renewed and cleansed strengthned against all temptations carried on towards perfection confirmed in the hopes of Eternal Life and sealed unto the day of Redemption I look upon my self as a member of the common body of all Christians and own thee O Blessed Jesus the only head of this thy Body the Church I acknowledge it my Eternal Interest and Duty in the Holy Communion of all Believers to Worship thee O Glorious God in the Assemblies of thy Saints I look upon all Christians and my self amongst them as men separated from the wicked world enlivened by one Spirit professing one Faith of the Holy Trinity all Covenanted together with God in one Baptism bound to hold the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace loving God above all and each other as our selves with a fellow feeling of one another's sufferings a free Communicating to one another's necessities Temporal and Spiritual and a mutual rejoycing in one another's happiness Continuing in this Holy Society whereinto I have been graciously called by thy Word and Holy Spirit I will endeavour to solace and comfort my self in a joyful sense of the blessed priviledges thou therein affordest us Especially in the pardon of my sins by thy free mercy through the merits of Christ my Saviour and Sanctification of thy Holy Spirit tendered unto me in the Ministry of thy word and sealed in the Sacraments I should deserve a thousand Hells should I go on any longer in sin under so much mercy I resolve therefore to attend on the Ministry of reconciliation all the daies of my life and to strive against all sin for ever To this end my death shall be much in my thoughts and my life a continual preparation for it I will look upon every day as if it were my last and every day renew my Covenant So shall I be ready with joy when thou callest O Lord to bid farewel to all below and come to thee I doubt not but my body shall at the last day be raised again a glorious body no longer a burden or temptation to my Soul I will no longer wast my time in immoderate caring for it feeding adorning and pampering of that which must shortly be loathsome rottenness Stench and Worms meat which now loads and tempts my Soul to sin and hinders its Ascensions towards God but I will mortifie it and keep it low that thou mayest exalt it to glory O thy wonderful goodness who hast provided for us poor sinners a Life Everlasting who deserve not one single moment of this Life Lord grant me grace to be pure as thou art pure that I may see thee and rejoyce in thee for ever in thy Heavenly Kingdom O when shall I come and appear before God Lord it is certain that a worldly carnal heart unconverted unrenewed is not capable of taking any pleasure or delight in thee nor can it find any happiness in Heaven it self nor any relish in those Heavenly pleasures which are at thy Right-hand for evermore Cleanse me O Lord and renew me daily by thy Spirit then shall I cheerfully bid adieu to a vain world empty pleasures frail life and a 〈◊〉 self and feed only on the hopes of Eternal Life and enjoying loving praising thee my God my All for evermore This O Lord thou hast promised in thy word this thou hast assured us of and sealed unto us in the blood of thy Son This thou confirmest unto all the Sanctified Members of thy Church by thy Holy Spirit To all this I here most heartily say Amen Come Lord Jesus come quickly Amen FINIS