they swear A. No this is but a vain excuse since sober and good men are easily believed on their bare word and common swearers are seldome thought to make conscience even of what they swear Q. Is it not enough to justifie these oaths that what is sworn is truth A. No for an oath must be taken only when we are lawfully called thereto in some weighty case which cannot otherwise be well determined Q. Who else may be said to take the name of God in vain A. They who are careless and irreverent in the worship of God and they who upon every light occasion cry out oh God or oh Lord when they have no sense nor thought of that glorious Majesty whose sacred name they rashly mention Q. What reason is urged to keep us from this sin A. The consideration of that vengeance which sooner or later God will certainly execute upon those who are guilty of this profaneness and contempt of his Majesty Q. What is the fourth Commandment A. Remember the Sabboth day to keep it holy six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabboth 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 cattel 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 Sabboth day and hallowed it Q. What are you taught in the fourth Commandment A. The fourth Commandment teacheth us that it is our duty to set apart one day in seven for the solemn worship and service of God Q. What reason is here mentioned for the enforcing this Command A. Gods allowance of six days in the week for our worldly employments and his own example in resting on the seventh when he had made the world in six days before Q. Which day in the seven did the Jews keep their Sabboth A. They kept the seventh day which we now call Saturday Q. Why do we Christians keep the first day of the week A. In remembrance of our redemption wrought by the Lord Jesus especially of his Resurrection which was upon the first day of the week Q. What warrant have we for so doing A. The example of the Apostles and primitive Christians recorded in Scripture where this day is styled the Lords day the practice of the Church of God in all ages since as also the custom of our own Church and the commands of our Rulers both in Church and State Q. How ought we to spend the Lords day A. In the worship and Service of God both publick and private especially in meditating on and praising him for his works of Creation and Redemption Q. Are there no works lawful on this day A. Yes works of necessity and mercy whether to man or beast but we ought to abstain from such employments and recreations as either prevent the duties of this day or else hinder our due profiting by them Q. What is to be done in private that we may best profit by the publick service of this day A. We ought by prayer and serious consideration to prepare our selves before-hand for the publick worship of God and when we come home to meditate on what we have heard and Masters of Families ought to pray with and instruct those that are under their charge Q. Who are they then that do not remember this day to keep it holy but profane it A. They who without any necessity take journeys or follow their employments on this day or else spend the same in idleness and pleasure neglecting the service of God in publick or in their Family accounting it a burden to spend a day in works of Piety and devotion Thus much of the Commandments of the first Table which enjoyn the duties we owe more immediately to God Now follow those of the second Table which respect our duty to man What is the fifth Commandment A. Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long upon the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Q. What are we taught in the fifth Commandment A. The fifth Commandment teacheth us to honour our Parents obeying all their lawful commands succouring and maintaining them if they stand in need of our help Q. Are there none beside our natural Parents to whom we owe obedience A. Yes we are also bound to reverence and obey all those who by their place and power may well be called our Parents to wit the civil Magistrate and our Spiritual Pastours and Teachers Servants must be subject to their Masters shewing all diligence and faithfulness and we must give due honour and respect to all those who are in any regard our Superiours Q. What promise is made to those who keep this Commandment A. A promise of long life and prosperity so far as God shall see it for their good Q. What reason may be given why this promise was made peculiarly to the keeping of this Command A. Because obedience and Subjection both in families and kingdomes ordinarily produce that peace and quietness which tends very much to our happiness even in this world Q. What is the sixth Commandment A. Thou shalt not kill Q. What is forbidden in this Commandment A. The murdering of our selves or any other person Q. Is it sufficient if we abstain only from murder A. No but we moreover ought to abstain from all rash anger inward malice and revenge from railing and provoking language from quarrelling and fighting Q. But what if others shall injure us in word or deed may we not return the like to them A. No but we must bless them who curse us do good to them that hate us forgive and love our very enemies that so we may overcome evil with good Q. Is there then no way of seeking our own right when we are injured and abused A. Yes by just and lawful means we may seek our right but without any malice or revenge in our hearts Q. Is there any case wherein the taking away of a mans life may be allowed A. Yes in execution of publick justice upon malefactours in a lawful war or when we are constrained to it in the just defence of our own lives Q. Who may be said to break this Command by taking away their own lives A. Not only they who lay violent hands on themselves but all those who by immoderate eating and drinking or any such wicked and wilful course destroy their health and so shorten their days Q. What is the seventh Commandment A. Thou shalt not commit adultery Q. What is forbidden in the seventh Commandment A. The seventh Commandment forbiddeth adultery and fornication with all the occasions and beginnings of these sins Q. From what particularly ought we to abstain in obedience to this Commandment A. We ought carefully to abstain
What then did Christ intend in becoming the Redeemer of mankind A. To deliver men from under the guilt and power of sin and to save them from misery and restore them to the love and favour of God Q. How did he bring to pass this great work A. Becoming man he lived a most holy and afflicted life by his doctrine and example shewing to men their duty and died a shameful painful death upon the Cross that he might purchase for us pardon of sin with grace to heal our natures and sit us for glory Q. By whom was Christ put to death A. Through the malice and procurement of the Iews he was condemned to be crucified by Pontius Pilate a Roman Governour the Iews being then in subjection to the Romans Q. But why did God spare man who had sinned and lay such sufferings on his innocent and beloved Son A. Because by this means he discovered his infinite mercy to mankind and yet in a way that gave great honour to his justice an atonement being made for sin and a ransome paid that the sinner might be redeemed Q. How is it for the honour of God not to pardon sin without an Atonement A. When God had made a law and threatned misery to the transgressours if he had given no testimony of his displeasure upon the transgression of it the world would have been apt to call his wisdome and holiness in question to slight his authority and be more bold to sin against him Q. How then do the sufferings of Christ vindicate the holiness and justice of God A. In that they do fully discover the horrid evil of sin and the holiness and justice of God in his hatred of it who would grant no pardon without the death of so glorious a person Q. What is the proper effect of this Consideration A. To make men sensible of their danger and humbled for their sins and thereupon to hate and forsake them Q. How doth the death of Christ engage us to Repentance and Obedience A. The infinite love of God and the Redeemer herein revealed is apt to make men love so good a God and to be careful to please him Q. What farther motive doth it afford hereto A. The consideration of what Christ himself suffered for our sakes only may assure us that dreadful vengeance will fall upon all those who reject this Saviour and must in their own persons suffer for their sins which consideration may well work upon all that love themselves to forsake their sins Q. For whom did Christ die A. Christ died for all men that they might be saved upon condition of their believing in him and so he is Lord of all as having bought them with his blood and hath full power of ruling judging and disposing of them Q. But who shall be actually saved by Christ A. Only they who upon hearing the Gospel perform the condition therein required of Believing in him Q. What plainly is meant by this Believing in Christ which is of so great necessity to our salvation A. Hereby is meant that we must so effectually believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Saviour of the world as to become heartily willing to be saved by him in the way appointed in his Gospel Q. What way hath he appointed in the Gospel for our obtaining of salvation A. That we should unfeignedly repent us of all our sins obey his commands imitate his example and for his sake alone hope for mercy and salvation from the free grace of God Q. Is it not enough then for our salvation to believe that our sins shall be pardoned and to rely upon Christ for this pardon A. No for unless we forsake our sins all our confidence and reliance upon Christ is but sond presumption since he is the Author of eternal salvation onely to those that obey him Q. What then are Obedience and Holiness as necessary as Faith A. Yes they are absolutely necessary since without holiness we shall never see God nor can we be put into a state of justification but by that faith which if life be continued will certainly produce obedience Q. When may a man be said to be in a state of justification A. When he is so far brought into the favour of God that according to the rule and tenour of the Gospel if he should die in that estate he should not be condemn'd for his sins Q. And is there any thing beside a reliance on Christs merits necessary to put us at first into this state of justification A. Yes there is also required of us Repentance for sin with a sincere resolution to lead an holy life which is as necessarily included in a right reliance on Christ as a resolution to follow the directions of a Physician is included in our relying on him for our recovery Q. Are we then to account obedience the meritorious cause of our justification A. No by no means nor Faith neither for that is to be ascrib'd purely to the sufferings of Christ only our dependance upon him and resolution to obey him both which do ever follow upon a true faith are required as the condition of this our justification Q. What more is required of us to continue us in this state and that we may be justified and saved at the day of judgment A. Even the actual performance of these resolutions in living an holy life and persevering therein to the end is the necessary condition of our continuance in Gods favour and of our compleat justification and salvation at the last day Q. What mean you by that Phrase that Christ descended into Hell A. I thereby understand his remaining under the power of death his soul being all this while in an invisible state as the souls of dead men are Q. How long did he thus remain under the power of death A. Till the third day on which he rose again from the dead Q. How long did he remain on earth after his Resurrection A. Fourty days only to give assurance of his Resurrection and to instruct his Disciples after which he ascended into the highest heavens Q. What mean you by his sitting at the right hand of God A. His being exal ed as Mediatour to divine dominion and glory all things being delivered into his hands by the Father Q. When will he fully manifest and declare his power A. When at the last day he shall come in power and glory to judge the world Q. Who are the quick and the dead A. All that shall then be found alive and all that had been dead before Q. For what are they to be judg'd A. For all actions done in the body whether good or bad open or secret Q. For what end must there be this future judgment A. That God the righteous governour of the world may be glorified in his condemning and punishing the wicked in his
Oh cleanse thou us from all secret sins and let not presumptuous sins have dominion over us But let thy holy Spirit ever rule in our hearts and so guide us in all our thoughts words and actions that we may ever render a sincere and chearful obedience to all thy commands Fill us with such a sense of thine infinite goodness that we may love thee our God with all our heart and soul. And help us to shew this our love to thee by our unfeigned love to thy people and to all men And make us still careful to deal with others so justly and charitably as we our selves desire to be dealt with Keep us ever depending upon thy grace for strength and assistance without which we can do nothing Oh do not thou leave us to our selves for then we perish Forsake us not oh God at any time through our whole lives nor suffer us to depart from thee but keep us ever stedfast and unwearied in well doing Wean our hearts from this world and all the comforts thereof make us always sensible that we are hasting away hence into eternity and prepare us for that time when we must e're long be called away thither Help us now to live in such frequent serious thoughts of death that it may not be terrible nor hurtful when it comes Now make us wise to set our affections on things above and to lay up for our selves a treasure in the heavens that when all things here below shall fail we may then be received into those everlasting habitations which thou hast provided for them that love thee With us shew mercy to the whole world Let the Gospel of thy Son run and be glorified throughout all the earth make it known to heathens and Infidels and let it be obeyed by all that are called Christians Let all Popish darkness ignorance and Idolatry with all other errours and heresies be driven away by the light and truth of thy pure Gospel and let the coming of Christ in glory be hastned Be merciful to these nations wherein we live and grant we may be so humbled and reformed that we may be pardoned and spared Be gracious to our dread Soveraign and all his Royal Relations enrich them with the graces of thy holy Spirit and make all our Magistrates faithful and zealous in punishing and suppressing wickedness and in promoting vertue and godliness Let thy blessing be upon the faithful Preachers of thy Gospel encrease daily their number and let their labours be blest and succeeded Let all our differences be so compos'd that we may live in peace and love and with one heart and one mouth may glorifie thee our God Bless our Friends and Relations and make them thy faithful servants Visit in mercy all the children of affliction whatever their particular necessities and burthens are whether of soul or body do thou seasonably and suitably comfort and relieve them And now oh God since through thy good providence thou hast brought us to the beginning of another day afford us we beseech thee thy gracious presence throughout the same Let thy blessing be upon us in our lawful Callings and endeavours Preserve us and all ours if it be thy will from all bodily dangers especially we beg that we may be kept from sin the worst of evils Where-ever we are or whatever we are doing keep us sensible of thy eye that is ever upon us that in all companies and employments we may approve our selves to thee in well doing and make us ever watchful against all sin and the temptations that lead to it As we now have prayed to thee in the Morning so let us remain in thy fear and service all the day long And do thou so guide us this day and all our days here on earth by thy counsel that we may at last be received to thy Glory And all we humbly beg for the Lord Jesus our dear Saviours sake with whose words we conclude these our imperfect prayers saying as he himself hath taught us Our Father which art c. EVENING PRAYER for a Family OH Eternal and ever-blessed God thou art the maker and Lord of all things who dost uphold the world by thy power and govern it with infinite wisdome and justice and we are the workmanship of thy hands who depend upon thy providence and in thee live move and have our beings From thy bounty we are daly supplied with mercies for our bodies and through thy patience it is we have yet leave to wait on thee and to seek from thee grace and glory for our immortal souls Oh what are we vile sinners that thou shouldst have such regard to us and so earnestly invite us to thy service who deserve not so much as to live on thy earth or once to appear in thy presence And 't is onely through thy forbearance of us that we have not long since met with the just wages of our sins in those eternal torments from which there is no recovery For we confess our selves to be by nature children of wrath even as others being stained with that foul Leprosy and pollution of sin which was derived from our first Parents But so little sense have we had of the evil and danger of this our estate that we have even taken the direct course to make our selves more miserable by adding daily our own actual sins to this corruption of our natures Oh how justly may we blush and be confounded in our selves when we look back upon our carriage in the world from our childhood and youth up even until now How much of this our time have we spent in sin and vanity but how little in thy service In every place and condition of life that we have been we may easily remember the many sins we have been guilty of but how little have we made it our business to obey thy laws and honour thy name either by doing good to others or getting good to our own souls We had soon learnt in words to acknowledge that we were made to serve thee our God but in works we have denyed and disobeyed thee We have been very forgetful of thee and of thy authority over us and have lived as if we owed thee no service as if we thought thou hadst no regard to our actions now nor wouldst ever call us to a reckoning for them hereafter Though in our infancy we were baptized into thy name and thereby bound to serve thee all our days in newness of life yet we have often broke this Covenant which we then entred into Instead of performing our vows to renounce this world and its pomps and vanities with the flesh and the lusts thereof we have been most eager lovers and followers of the world and have made provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Oh how often hath the temptation of some worldly profit or carnal sensual pleasure drawn us to cross thy will and wound our own consciences and to endanger the damning