wée may be able to bear it u u Mark 9.24 We belieue Lord help our vnbeliefe * * Esai 26.8 The desire of our soule is thy name and to the remembrance of thee x x Dan. 9.18.19 O our God encline thine eare and heare open thine eyes and behold our desolations and the City which is called by thy name for we doe not present our supplications before thée for our righteousnesses but for thy great mercies y y Eph. 3.20 Now vnto thée that art able to doe excéeding abundantly aboue all that we aske or thinke according to the power that worketh in vs z z Vers 21. vnto thée be glory in the Church by Christ Iesus throughout al ages world without end Amen Parent Thirdly I pray you giue vs two easie and plaine formes of thanksgiuing for our daily vse at euery meale the one before the receiuing of our food and the other after to be vttered by my selfe if I be present or by some other of my house in the name of all that partake of the same meale Pastor I will A forme of Thankesgiuing to be vsed of an ignorant familie before meales MOst gratious God we acknowledge thée to be the author of all good gifts and blessings wée humbly pray thée to forgiue vs all our sinnes Grant vs faith and sobernesse in receiuing these thy good creatures blesse them to our nourishment and stirre vs vp thereupon to serue thy holy maiesty with true thanksgiuing through Iesus Christ thy Sonne and our Sauiour by thy holy spirit Amen After Meales TO thee our most bountifull Father and gracious Lord who hast made redeemed and euer hitherto preserued vs and at this time fedde and refreshed vs with thy good gifts and creatures be all glory and obedience rendred of vs and of all other thy people both now and euermore God saue the Church vniuersall blesse the kings Maiesty continue thy Gospell make thy holy word effectuall in our hearts comfort all thy poore and afflicted seruants and giue vs thy peace and whole truth in Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Parent Fourthly I pray you giue vs some formes of prayer for morning and euening on the Lords day for the whole houshold as you haue done for the worke-dayes Pastor Nay I would rather exhort you to vse your best indeuours to conceiue prayers of your selues according as the spirit of God shall inable you and your estate shall require for on the Sabbath day you haue most time to labour in prayer if you will make conscience to redeeme your time and verily if you would set your selues vnfainedly to the studie heereof by your humble and constant crauing * Zach. 12.10 of the Spirit of Prayer at the Lords hands by a conscionable exercising of your selues in the holy Scriptures of a true purpose and holy desire to wrestle with God * Gen. 32.24 25 c. with Hos 12.3 4. as Iacob did in supplication to his glory the Lord will bestow this ability vpon you Howbeit if you desire any further direction to traine you vp in this duty of prayer you may profitably imploy your selues for some conuenient space on the Lords days in that singular help which the Lord hath prouided for you by the paines of Master Iohn Brinsley in his second part of the True Watch containing The perfect Rule and Summe of Prayer whereunto I referre you for this your fourth request Yet I will giue you a forme of prayer for solitarie vse vpon the Lords day morning I meane for each one by himselfe apart For although it bee a Christians part both to pray solitarilie euery worke day and also to ioyn with the whole familie in priuate prayer on the Lords day and the same more largely and oftner then on other daies yet there seemeth to bee speciall reason and need for euery particular person to call vpon God by himselfe alone for preparation towards the beginning of the Lords day Because I. God must be intreated by al manner praier and means possible to inable vs vnto the duties of this day Reasons for solitary or secret prayer in the entrance of the Lords day II. This solitary praying will occasion and further vs to seeke our neerer reconciliation with God which as at al other times so cheefly on that day we must giue greatest diligence to be sure of III. It is a speciall meane to make vs the more carefull both to bestow the more time and labour vpon Gods seruice and to profit the better thereby on that day IV. Euery one knoweth best his owne particular corruptions and wants in former abuse of the Sabbath whereof hee ought to begge forgiuenesse at Gods hands in secret and to seeke his owne particular healing and comfort V. Lastly consider I pray you how you know that your heart is sincere and earnest in seeking the Lord on his day and what sound comfort you can haue in your selfe against the accusation of hypocrisie or of vaine glory when Satan shall by anie meanes charge you therewith if you be cold in your secret and solitarie prayers on that day and specially if you neglect them thereon altogether Furthermore remember that the Sabbath is the Bond of all Religion for which cause the Lord doth often stile * Esai 56.2 Lam. 1.7 Ezek. 20.11 c. his whole Religion by the name of the Sabbath and that therefore it is your part being a Christian Housholder as to haue a care of your selfe and of all your people for resorting vnto the publike worship of God with firme constancie and there to continue with reuerence from the beginning to the end of the whole so to call your selfe to a secret reckoning with God for your profiting that day and your people all togither before you inquiring of them one by one what they haue gained by ech Sermon and to teach them diligently labouring to haue conscience put vpon them by the Lord and to the same ends imploying your selfe and them more that day than any other in praiers and thanksgiuings singing of Psalmes and vse of the word in publike and priuate and * Psal 93. 107. throughout but specially v. 42 43. in a wise and holy obseruation and application of the workes of God For whosoeuer you be vnlesse you make conscience of all these things how can you expect Gods blessing vpon any publike exercise though neuer so holy in it selfe which you shall haue to doe withall on that day Therefore if you iudge this forme following fit for your estate vse it ech one seuerally by himselfe during your present ignorance and weaknesse A Forme of Prayer for the Sabbath day morning or the euening before to be vsed of a weake Christian by himselfe alone tending to his better preparation for the duties of the Sabbath A forme of solitarie prayer for the beginning of the Lords day a a Psal 21.1 VNto thée O Lord doe I lift vp my soule and
read many worthy testimonies to this purpose of which I will onely acquaint you with the graue and memorable speech of Chrysostome in his second Sermon vpon IOHN * Chrysost in Joan. Hom. 2. Illud vos admonendos hortandosque censeo pernecessarium vt quo nunc estis animo perseueretis neque in hoc tantùm consessu sed domi quoque vir cum vxore pater cū filio invitem de his frequenter vltro citroque suam ferant inquirant sententiam velintque probatissimam hanc pulcherrimā inducere consuetudinem Nec mihi quispiam dicat pueros in his occupari non oportere Non enim tantùm opus est vt his vacent admonitionibus verùm etiam solis And afterwards Nonne irā Dei in vos meritò provocatis cùm caeteris rebus certo tempore diligenti curâ adhibitâ in diuinarum rerum dectrinâ pueros exerceri molestū intempestivūque ducitis Nō sic non sic inquā fratres dilectissimi Haec profecto atas his maximè admonitionibus indiget Tenera est citò qua ei instillantur imbibit audita accipit tanquā sigillo auditus cera hoc est puerorū animis impresso Praeterea vita cius in auditu est in ipsis ferè inanis vt vel ad virtutem vel ad vitiū facilè possit deflectere Si quis igitur eos ab ipsis incunabulis quaso vitiorum vestibulis ad viam virtulis abstraheret in habitu quodā natura rectè viuendi cos confirmaret neque sponte sua facilè in deteriora prolaberentur cùm ciusmodi à teneris ad virtutem eos alliceret c. I iudge it very necessarie saith he to admonish and exhort you that you would continue in the minde you are now in and not onely in this assembly but at home also you would oftentimes speake reason and inquire of these things too and fro one with another bringing in this most commendable and excellent custome the husband with the wife and the father with the childe And let none obiect to me that children ought not to be busied herein For they haue neede not onely to intend these admonitions but also to giue themselues to nothing else And afterwards Do you not deseruedly prouoke the wrath of God against your selues seeing you take certaine times and vse diligent care for other matters but count it troublesome and vnseasonable to exercise your children in the learning of Gods matters These things ought not to be so as you doe my most beloued brethren Verily this age of childhood standeth in greatest neede of these admonitions For it is tender and quickly sucketh in whatsoeuer is instilled into it and what it heareth it receiueth and like as waxe taketh the impression of a seale so childrens mindes doe in hearing Moreouer their manner of life consisteth much in hearing and they are of that qualitie for the most part that they may easily be bowed either to vertue or vice If any then would waine them from their cradles as it were from the entry of vices vnto the way of vertue he may settle them in a certaine habit and nature of liuing well from whence they shall not easily fal back of their owne accord vnto any very bad courses sithens by such vsage they are allured vnto vertue from their tender age And vpon Matthew in Sermon 5. he exhorteth Housholders to call to remembrance and to repeat Sermons newly heard vpon the weeke day with their familie at home before they do busie themselues with other matters Now then you must not be discouraged by any such reprochfull termes from seeking and setting forth the sweet y 2 Cor. 2.14 sauour of the knowledg of God in your place and calling for Satan is euer wont z 1 Thess 2.18 to labor the hindrance of Gods word by the a Iude ver 14 15 16 17 18. vngodly speeches of foolish and malitious persons as by all other meanes he can vse whom b 1 Pet. 5.9 Ephes 6.10 11 c. to 21. 2 Thess 3.1 2. 2 Cor. 2.11 you must resist by Faith Prayer Wisdome and Diligence in all holy meanes vnto the vttermost of your power and then surely the Lord will bruise him vnder your feete shortly Rom. 16.20 To conclude I require you c 2 Tim. 4.1 c. before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall iudge the quicke and dead at his appearing in his kingdom that you neither neglect the publike preaching of his word d Act. 17.11 nor the tryall of doctrine by the holy Scriptures nor yet the priuate reading of the same vnder pretence of vsing this or any other good Bookes whatsoeuer For the holy Bible is the Booke of Bookes whereof I would wish you to read one Chapter at the least euery worke-day morning and to cause your folkes euery one both great and small seuerally to render you a sentence thereof in the euening before you goe to prayers with them * For their rawnesse sake you may appoint ech of them by name some short and pithy sentence out of the Chapter as soone as you haue read it in the morning and wish them to thinke of it in the day time that so they may giue you an account of it the more easily in the euening remembring that they are e Psal 1.2 Deut. 5.32 33. blessed who exercise themselues in Gods Law both day and night to do thereafter And f Act. 20.32 I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you vp and to giue you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified g Philip. 1.9 10 11. And I pray God that your loue may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement that you may approue things that are excellent that you may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousnes which are by Iesus Christ vnto the glory and praise of God Parent Amen Pastor So I leaue you to your Booke h 2 Cor. 13.11 Farewell Parent i 2 Thess 3.16 The Lord be with you THE COVNTRY-MAN WITH HIS HOVSHOLD A Forme of Prayer before Conference Parent TEach vs O Lord by thy most holy Spirit we heartily pray thée that wée may know Thée thy Law thy Gospell our selues our sinnes and duties aright and that we may put all to good vse namely to the glory of thy blessed Name to the further humiliation sanctification and true comfort of our owne Soules and Bodies and to the edification and profit of our Neighbours through thy onely Son Christ Iesus our Lord and Sauiour Childe Amen Seruant Amen Scholler Amen ☞ THE FIRST PART Concerning the Law or Couenant of Workes Parent WHat is the voice of the Law or Couenant of workes Child a Rom. 10.5 with Mat. 19.16 17. Do this and thou shalt liue for euer Parent Which is
l 2 Tim. 2.12 and to suffer with Christ that I may also reigne with him Finally I humbly pray thée to sanctifie my heart that I may m m Esai 58 13. turne away my foote from doing my pleasure on this thy holy-day and that I may call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and may honour thée not doing mine own waies nor finding mine owne pleasure nor speaking mine own words but n n 2 Pet. 1.5 giuing all diligence o o Phil. 2.12 to worke out my owne saluation with feare and trembling specially in p p Lam. 3.40 searching and trying my waies and turning againe vnto thée Lord according to thy blessed Gospell through thine onely Sonne Christ Iesus my Sauiour and Redéemer vnto whom with thy holy Maiestie and thy sanctifying and comforting Spirit be of me in my most willing and constant endeuours and of all other thy seruants in thy Church likewise ascribed and giuen all honour glory praise might maiestie and dominion both on this thine owne holiday and for euer world without end Amen Parent But what if any of vs seuerally and alone hauing no other to ioyne with vs but must pray solitarily vnlesse we altogither omit the dutie after the manner of our prophane and irreligious neighbours would vse those two formes of prayer which you haue composed for the whole Familie on the worke-daies Or what if my whole Familie or any two or more of them would in their priuate fellowship vse that forme of prayer which you haue drawne for a Christian in solitary towards the beginning of the Lords day May we not so vse either the one or the other as may be most for our comfort and edification Pastor Yea you may easily doe so if you will And you are bound to doe so rather then omit the dutie altogither Prouided that in such a case when you doe vse the two formes which are for the worke-daies as also for the formes of thanks-giuing before and after Meales you do heedfully put the singular number for the plurall as I for We Me for Vs My or Mine for Our c. And that when mo than one of you shall joyne togither in the forme which is for the Lords day you doe vse the plurall number for the singular as We for I Vs for Me Our for My or Mine c. The which course if you be driuen of necessitie to take or do sometimes voluntarily performe it will also proue one helpe to inable you to conceiue prayers of your selues without the helpe of these or any other formes to be read vpon a Booke much sooner For as I told you at the first that is the end I shoote at in setting you downe these formes and which you ought to labour for in vsing these or any other godly formes vnto the vttermost of of your power And assure your selues that though you be very ignorant and weake at this present yea and seeme to your selues that you can do litle or nothing this way I meane to conceiue prayer of your selues * Note these directiōs you ignorant persons and remember to follow them in the feare of God haue a speciall care to examine your selues on the Lords day in secret and to renew your peace with God in a more setled and comfortable turning of your feete vnto his testimonies Psal 119.19 with 92.11 12 13. yet if you will conscionably seeke the Lord your owne saluation diligently frequent the Ministerie that God hath sanctified vnto you delight in the often fellowship of the Godly whom the Lord hath indued with sauing knowledge already desire their helpe in prayer and therein ioyne with them and in their absence which to the greatest number of you must needs fall out very often attentiuely constantly and carefully vse these or any other godly formes of prayer and thanksgiuing God will blesse you with such vnderstanding of your spirituall estate that you shall in far shorter time then you thinke attaine to the end of your godly desires which is to lay away your Bookes and out of your owne feelings to make your petitions and thanksgiuings vnto the Lord vpon any occasion either ordinarie or more speciall and rare But if you shall neglect this counsell of God and profanely put off the holy duties of praier and thanksgiuing from time to time or performe them but coldly carelesly vnreuerently or vaine-gloriously as the hypocrites doe then verily be you afraid lest the Lord should in his wrath iudge you spiritually and so you continue blind and ignorant or after a sort superstitious in vsing a set forme now than and lest you haue alwaies such neede of a Booke to pray vpon that without it you shall be able to say litle more then * Behold a peece of the old wiues their very best prayers Lord haue mercy vpon vs forgiue vs our sinnes blesse our house and our harbour and all that euer we would haue good of and send vs heauen at our last end yea and lest you fall from praying vpon a Booke as I haue knowne some to meere nothing or worse than nothing Note Beware then of an idle forme and bare externall deuotion or ceremonie of Godlinesse without seeking the power thereof As also of such a manner of learning as neuer to be able to come to the knowledge of the truth Which fearefull iudgement God doth therefore commonly inflict because the heart is not zealous sincere nor godly disposed to see obey and continue in the whole sauing truth of God but resolueth to stand out against some part of it or to follow some sinfull lusts still 2 Tim. 3.5 6 7 8. Parent Lastly I pray you collect vs such a Hymne or Psalme out of Dauids Psalmes as breifely toucheth the most necessarie graces and which we may sing to Gods glorie and our owne edification and comfort in following the labours of our vocations and callings and at other times when we thinke good Pastor But you must consider Gods proceeding with you in all things your owne necessities and estate and accordingly seeke out and sing such Psalmes as God hath fitted for you in his Booke to vse vnto your better mouing and stirring vp to liue vnto his glorie and your owne spirituall growth in faith and a good conscience Parent We will not forget to bestow our labour that way euerie day once at the least in the choise of some Psalme or parcell of a Psalme according to our weake iudgement if God permit Howbeit because we haue not any one Psalme of conuenient shortnesse that setteth forth the cheifest points and most necessarie graces of Christianitie fitted for our capacitie and because many of my people are dull to learne manie Psalmes prescribe vs one which my ignorant ones may learne by heart and whereby we may haue a taste of the heauenly sweetnesse which the Godlie doe gather in their religious vse of diuine and spirituall songs Pastor Then
not any one of them worketh altogither after the same manner as another doth but ech one of them according to the distinct proprietie of his Person in speciall Parent How are the three Persons distinguished in their speciall Proprieties Pastor p Prov. 8.22 23 24 c. Psal 2.7 Iohn 15.26 The Father is of himselfe the Sonne is begotten of the Father from all eternitie and the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne Parent How in their working togither Pastor q Heb. 1.1 2. Iohn 5.17 19. The Father worketh of himselfe by the Sonne and the Holy Ghost and therefore the originall beginning of the action is ascribed to him r Rom. 8.11 Heb. 1.2 The Sonne worketh from the Father by the Holy Ghost and so the disposing of the action as it were by a Steward is attributed to him ſ Gen. 1.2 1 Cor. 12.11 The Holy Ghost worketh from the Father and the Sonne and therefore the efficacie and finishing of the action is in a speciall sort allotted vnto him Parent What knowledge of the Law is required for worthy Receiuing Child t Deut. 6.25 Rom. 7.7 8 9 10 11 13. That it requireth true righteousnesse and discouereth our corrupt nature sinne and condemnation Parent What of the Gospell Child u Act. 4.12 Gal. 3.13 That Christ is our sufficient Redéemer and onely remedie against Gods curse Parent What of our selues or of our owne estate Child * Ephes 2.3 4 5 6 7 8 c. That we do surely stand in grace though borne in sinne and wrath Parent What of the Sacraments Child x Esai 7.11 Rom. 4.11 Luk. 22.19 20. That they are fit worthie helps to strengthen our weake faith Seruant How are they so Scholler y Iere. 19.10 11. Act. 21.11 Iohn 3.12 Galat. 3.1 1 Ioh. 1.1 3. Because the Lord doth worke vpon other our senses and faculties as our séeing féeling being admitted and clensed receiuing eating and drinking tasting digesting being nourished refreshed chéered and strengthned thereby to confirme vnto our hearts his sauing grace which first by hearing the word we haue beléeued Parent II. Of Faith What Faith is required for the worthy receiuing of the Lords Supper Child Faith which taketh hold of Christ and his benefits and leadeth vs to true thankfulnesse * Of this grace we haue conferred already in the second part and also more in Part. 5. Parent What Repentance and Newnesse of Life is required III. Of Repentance and Newnesse of life Child * See more of this grace in Part. 2. and in Part. 5. That godly sorrow with causeth to forsake sinne togither with that effectuall grace which inableth to kéepe Gods Commandements increasing with the increase of God Parent What Charitie towards Men is required IV. Of Charitie towards men before you receiue the Lords Supper Child z 1 Iohn 5.1 Ioh. 13.34 35. 15.12 13. 2 Cor. 8.8 9. compared That which is wrought and groweth in my heart towards them for Iesus Christs sake who loued both them and me vnto the death Seruant How do you further know that you haue loue or charitie towards men Scholler First a Psal 16.3 1 Iohn 3 1◠4.1 1 P◠1.22 3.8 4.8 9. c. because I doe specially loue and reuerence godly persons Secondly b Math. 5.23.24 I séeke for conscience sake to be reconciled after offences committed Thirdly c Math. 5.44 Mark 11.25 26. I wish well euen in my heart vnto my very enimies being ready to pardon all their wrongs and praying for them Fourthly d 1 Cor. 14.1 16.14 Galat. 6.10 Hebr. 12.14 1 Pet. 3.11 2 Tim. 3.3 Mal. 2.10 14. I beare a louing affection towards all men following peace with them and endeuouring to doe them good but particularly those vnto whom I am bound in nature or by any other couenant of God * See more of this grace in part supra and in part 5. infra Parent V. Of earnest desire to receiue the Lords Supper Why must you earnestly desire to receiue the Lords Supper Child For two causes First e 1 Cor. 11 20 22 23 24 25. because the Lord hath both ordained and commanded it for his owne glory Secondly f 1 Cor. 11.17 Ephes 5.26 Act. 2.42 20.7.11 God giueth more grace by it than by the word preached alone Parent What more grace haue you by it than by the word preached alone Childe First g 1 Cor. 10.16 Christs death and merits are more particularly applied to me and so I am more fully assured to be kept still in grace yea and sealed vp vnto euerlasting saluation Secondly g 12.13 I am more stronglie bound as by a solemne renewing of an oath to continue in Grace Thirdly g Act. 2.42 c. I am more effectually stirred vp to make profession of Faith and obedience as often as I am called thereunto Seruant How often is euery Christian bound to receiue the Lords Supper Scholler h 1 Cor. 11.25 26. Act. 2.42 Of receiuing worthily As often as he may so that he be a worthy receiuer Parent But what is required of vs about the time of celebrating the Lords Supper that wee may vse it as Christ hath appointed and as becommeth so heauenly mysteries Childe There are required these three things First a due and holie preparation before Secondly a fit disposition in the action Thirdly other duties afterward I. Of preparation before Parent What preparation is required before Childe Wée must set our selues apart from all other businesse that we may First i 1 Cor. 11.28.31 search our selues throughly for the sanctified graces of Knowledge Faith Repentance Charitie and desire to the Lords Supper aforesaid Secondly k Psal 26.6 Num. 9.6 stirre them vp and renew them vnto better growth and practise Thirdly l 2 Chron. 30.18 19 20. Mat. 5.23 24. 1 Tim. 4.4 5. humblie craue the assistance of Gods spirit and reconciliation with God yea and with men also where néed is Seruant But what if you finde the sanctified graces of Gods spirit to be weake in your heart must you not then abstaine Scholler No m 2 Chr. 30.18 19.20 I must come and that with hope and chéerefulnesse vpon some conditions Seruant Why with hope and cheerfulnesse Scholler n Esai 7.11 Luk. 4.18 Mat. 15.24 with Luk. 22.19 20. Because the Lords Supper was ordained of purpose for the confirmation of the weake Seruant Vpon what conditions must you come Scholler First o Acts 8.37 if the graces aforesaid be sound in me though verie weake Secondly p John 4.10 if I féele my wants with gréefe Thirdly q Mark 9.24 if I labour against my weakenesse hungring and thirsting after Gods grace in Christ Seruant What speciall means hath the Lord appointed for our better direction to try and examine our selues Scholler r Math. 3.6 Acts 8.37 Iam. 5.16