or the other according to His Majecties gracious Declaration concerning ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS THE Ordinary Publick-Worship ON THE LORDS-DAY The Congregation being reverently composed let the Minister first crave Gods assistance and acceptance of the Worship to bee performed in these or the like words ETERNAL Incomprehensible and Invisible GOD infinite in Power Wisdome and Goodness dwelling in the Light which no man can approach where thousand thousands minister unto Thée and ten thousand times ten thousand stand before Thee yet dwelling with the humble and contrite and taking pleasure in thy People Thou hast consecrated for usâ—…a new and living way that with boldness wée may enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus and hast bid us séek Thée while thou mayest be found Wée come to Thée at thy call and worship at thy Footstool Behold us in thy tender Mercies Despise us not though unworthy Thou art greatly to be feared in the Assembly of the Saints and to be had in Reverence of all that are about thée Put thy fear into our hearts that with Reverence wée may serve Thée sanctifie us that thou mayest be sanctified of us when wée draw nigh Thée Give us the Spirit of Grace and Supplication to help our infirmities that our prayers may be faithful fervent and effectual Let the desire of our souls bée to Thée Let us draw néer Thée with our hearts and not only with our lips and worship Thée who art a Spirit in Spirit and Truth Let thy Word be spoken and heard by us as the Word of God Give us attentive hearing Ears and opened beleeving understanding hearts that wee may no more refuse thy calls nor disregardthy merciful cut-stretched-hand nor sleight thy Counsels and Reproofs but be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of Fools Put thy Laws into our hearts and write them in our minds and let us bee all taught of God Let thy Word bee unto us quick and powerful a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the hearts mighty to pull down strong-holds casting down imaginations and reasonings and every high thing that advanceth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Let us magnifie Thée with thanksgiving and triumph in thy Praise Let us rejoyce in thy Salvation and glory in thy holy Name Open thou our lips O Lord and let our mouths shew forth thy praise And let the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts bee acceptable in thy sight through Jesus Christ our Lord and onely Saviour Amen Or thus when Brevity is necessary O Eternal Almighty and most gracious God Heaven is thy Throne and Earth is thy Footstool holy and reverend is thy Name Thou art praised by the heavenly Hosts and in the Congregation of thy Saints on Earth and wilt bee sanctified in all that come nigh unto Thee Wée are sinful and unworthy dust but being invited by Thée are bold through our blessed Mediator to present our selves and our supplications before Thée Receive us graciously help us by thy Spirit let thy Fear bee upon us let thy Word come unto us in power and bée received in love with attentive reverent and obedient minds Make it to us the savour of life unto life Cause us to be fervent in Prayer and joyful in thy Praises and to serve Thée this day without distraction that wee may finde that a day in thy Courts is better than a thousand and that it is good for us to draw néer to God through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen Next let one of the Creeds bee read by the Minister saying In the Profession of this holy Christian Faith wee are here assembled I beleeve in God the Father c. I beleeve in one God c. And sometimes Athanasius Creed The Ten Commandements God spake these Words and said c. For the right informing and affecting the People and moveing them to a penitent beleeving confession some of these sentences may bee read GOd created man in his Image By one man sin entred into the World and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God God so loved the world that hee gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Hee that beleeveth on him shall not bee condemned but hee that beleeveth not is condemned already because hee hath not beleeved in the name of the only begotten Son of God And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil For every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should bee reproved Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law beeing made a curse for us Except a man be born of water and of the spirit hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God That which is born of the Flesh is Flâ—sh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit Verily I say unto you except yee bee converted and become as little Children yee shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn yee turn yee from your evil waies for why will yee dye oh house of Israel I say unto you there is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over a sinner that repenteth I will arise and go to my Father and say unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to bee called thy Son The Confession of Sin and Prayer for Pardon and Sanctification O Most Holy Righteous and Gracious God who hatest all the workers of iniquity and hast appointed death to bée the wages of sin but yet for the glory of thy mercy hast sent thy Son to be the Saviour of the world and hast promised forgiveness of sin through his blood to all that beléeve in him and by true Repentance turn unto Thée and that whosoever confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall have mercy Wée confess that wée are vile and miserable sinners being conceived in sin by nature children of wrath and transgressors from the womb All wée like shéep have gone astray and turned every one to his own way Thou madest us and not wée our selves Thou boughtest us with a price and wée are not our own and therefore wée should have wholly given up our selves unto Thée and have glorified Thée with our souls and bodies as being Thine What ever wée did should have been done to thy glory and to please Thée in the obeying of Thy Will But wee have displeased and dishonoured Thée and turned from Thée exalting séeking and pleasing
ready at last to bee revealed though when they are needful wee must for a season bee in heavyness under tribulations thou hast promised that all things shall work together for our good in all our straits thou grantest us access to the Throne of grace bidding us call upon thee in the time of trouble and promising to deliver us that wee may glorifie thee every where wee have leave to lift up unto thée holy hands Especially in the house of Prayer and the Assembly of the Saints Thou hast heard the voice of our supplications when wee have cried unto thee great is thy mercy towards us O Lord. Thou hast delivered our souls from the lowest Hell Thou hast sent forth from Heaven thy mercy and truth and saved us from the reproach of him that would swallow us up Thou art our Hiding place In the secrets of thy presence thou preservest us from trouble from the pride of men and from the strife of Tongues Thou doest compass us about with Songs of deliverance O love the Lord all yee his Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithful and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer Hee dealeth not with us after our sins his Anger is but for a moment but in his favour is life In his wrath hee remembereth mercy All thy paths O Lord are mercy and truth to such as keep thy Covenant Wee come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercies O give thanks unto the Lord for hee is good for his mercy Endureth for ever Glory yee in his Holy Name let the hearts of them rejoyce that seek him Blessed are the People that know the joyful sound They shall walk O Lord in the Light of thy Countenance In thy name shall they rejoyce all the day and in thy righteousness and favour shall they bee axalted Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praysing thee O satisfie us early with thy mercy that wee may rejoyce and bee glad in thee all our daies Guide us by thy Counsel and afterwards receive us unto thy glory where with all the blessed host of Heaven wee may behold admire and perfectly and joyfully praise thee Our most glorious Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier for ever and for ever Amen The Hymn The First Part. BLess the Lord O my Soul And all that is within mee bless his Holy Name Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine Iniquities and healeth all thy diseases who redeemed thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with loving kindeness and tender mercies As far as the East is from the West so far hath hee removed our transgressions from us Behold what love the Father hath bestowed on us that wee should bee called the Sons of God because thy loving kindeness is better than life my Lips shall praise thee Thus will I bless thee while I live I will lift up my Hands in thy name My Soul shall bee satisfied as with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that I desire besides thee My Flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my Portion for ever For lo all that are far from thee shall perish but it is good for mee to draw near to God I am continually with thee Thou hast holden mee by my right hand in the multitude of my thoughts within mee thy comforts delight my Soul Thou shalt guide me with thy Counsel and afterward receive mee to glory The Second Part. HOw excellent is thy loving kindeness O God therefore do the Sons of Men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings They shall bee abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy pleasures for with thee is the Fountain of life In thy sight we shall see Light therefore my Heart is glad and my Glory rejoyceth My Flesh also shall rest in hope Thou wilt shew mee the path of life In thy presence is fulness of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for ever more Surely Goodness and mercy shall follow mee all the daies of my life And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever O continue thy loving kindeness to them that know thee and thy righteousness to the upright in heart To the end that my glory may sing praise unto thee and not bée silent O Lord my God I will give thanks to thée for ever The Third Part. GLory to God in the Highest On Earth Peace Good will towards men Praise yée the Lord sing to the Lord a new Song His praise is in the Congregation of Saints For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people he will beautify the meek with salvation Let the Saints be joyful in glory Let the high praises of God bée in their mouths All thy works praise thée O Lord and thy Saints shall bless thée They shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdome and talk of thy Power To make known to the sons of men thy mighty Acts and the glorious Majestie of thy Kingdome Thy Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome and thy Dominions is through all Generations The Elders and Saints about thy Throne rest not night nor day saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created They sing unto thée the Song of Moses and of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty Just and true are thy waies thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thée O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou only art Holy For all Nations shall come and Worship before thee for thy judgements are made manifest Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Riches and Wisdome and Strength and Honour and Glory For thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood and made us Kings and Priests to God The Fourth Part. O That men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the Children of men Let them Sacrifice the Sacrifices of Thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoycing Sing unto the Lord bless his Name shew forth his Salvation from day to day Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness fear before him all the Earth Let the Heavens rejoyce and the Earth bee glad before the Lord For hee cometh For hee cometh to judge the Earth With Righteousness shall hée judge the World and the People with Equity Bless the Lord yée his Angels that excel in strength that do his Commandements hearkening to the voice of his Word Bless yée the Lord all yée his Hosts yee Ministers
vain The Exhortation YOu are invited hither Dear Brethren to bee Guests at this Holy Table by the Lords Command to receive the greatest Mercy and to perform the greatest duty On Christs part All things are made ready The Feast is prepared for you even for you that by sin have deserved to bee cast out of the presence of the Lord for you that have so oft neglected and abused Mercy A Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ free to you but dear to him You were lost and in the way to bee lost for ever when by the greatest Miracle of Condiscending-love hee sought and saved you You were dead in sin condemned by the Law the Slaves of Satan There wanted nothing but the Executing-stroak of Justice to have sent you into endless misery When our dear Redeemer pitied you in your blood and shed his own to wash and heal you Hee suffered that was offended that the offender might not suffer Hee cried out on the Cross My God My God Why hast thou forsaken mee that wee who had deserved it might not bee everlastingly forsaken Hee died that wee might live O how would the mercy of Redemption have affected you if you had first lyen one year or month or day in Hell Had you but seen your dying Lord or seen the damned in their misery how do you think you should have valued the Salvation that is now revealed and tendred to you see here Christ dying in this holy Representation Behold the sacrifized Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world It is his will to be thus frequently crucified before your eyes O how should wee bee covered with shame and loath our selves that have both procured the death of Christ by sin and sinned against it And how should wee all bee filled with joy that have such mysteries of Mercy opened and so great Salvation freely offered to us O hate sin O love this Saviour See that you come not hither without a desire to bee more Holy nor with a purpose to go on in wilful sin Bee not deceived God is not mocked but if you heartily repent and consent to the Covenant come and welcome Wee have commission from Christ to tell you that you are welcome Let no trembling contrite soul draw back that is willing to bee Christs upon his Covenant-terms but beleeve that Christ is much more willing to bee yours Hee was first willing and therefore died for you and made the Covenant of Grace and sent to invite and importune you to consent and stayed for you so long and gave you your Repentance your willingness and desire Question not then his willingness if you are willing It is Satan and unbeleef that would have you question it to the injury both of Christ and you Come neer observe beleeve and wonder at the Riches of his Love and Grace For hee hath himself invited you to see and taste that you may wonder You are sinners but hee inviteth you to receive a renewed sealed pardon of your sins and to give you more of his Spirit to overcome them See here his broken Body and his Blood the Testimonies of his Willingness Thus hath hee sealed the Covenant which pardoneth all your sins and secureth you of your Reconciliation with God and your Adoption and your right to Everlasting Blessedness Deny not your consent but heartily give up your selves to Christ and then doubt not but your Scarlet Crimson-sins shall bee made as white as Wooll or Snow Object not the number or greatness of them against his Grace There is none too great for him to pardon to penitent Beleevers Great sins shall bring great glory to his Blood and Grace But strive you then for great loathing of your sins and greater love to such a God and greater thanks to such a Saviour Unfeignedly say I am willing Lord to bee wholly Thine and then beleevingly take Christ and Pardon and Life as given you by his own appointment in the sealed Covenant And remember that hee is a coming Hee is coming with thousands of His Mighty Angels to execute judgement on the ungodly but to bee glorified in his Saints and admired in all that do beleeve And then wee shall have greater things than these Then shall you see all the Promises fulfilled which now are sealed to you on which hee causeth you to trust Revive now your love to one another and forgive those that have wronged you and delight in the Communion of the Saints And then you shall bee admitted into the Church Triumphant where with perfect Saints you shall perfectly rejoyce and love and praise the Lord for ever Receive now a crucified Christ here represented and bee contented to take up your Cross and follow him And then you shall reign with a glorified Christ in the Blessed Vision and Fruition of that God to whom by Christ you are now reconciled Let Faith and Love bee working upon these things while you are at this holy Table Then shall the Minister use this or the like Prayer MOst Holy God wée are as stubble before thée the Consuming Fire How shall wée stand before thy Holiness for wée are a sinful people laden with Iniquity that have gone backward and provoked the Holy one of Israel when wée were lost thy Son did séek and save us when wée were dead in sin thou madest us alive Thou sawest us polluted in our blood and saidst unto us live In that time of love thou coveredst our nakedness and enteredst into a Covenant with us and wée became thine own Thou didst deliver us from the power of Darkness and translate us into the Kingdome of thy dear Son and gavest us remission of sin through his blood But wée are grievous Revolters wée have forgotten the Covenant of the Lord our God wée were engaged to love thee with all our hearts and to hate iniquity and serve thée diligently and thankfully to set forth thy praise But wée have departed from thée and corrupted our selves by self love and by loving the world and the things that are in the world and have fulfilled the desires of the Flesh which wée should have crucified Wée have neglected our duty to thée and to our neighbour and the necessary care of our own Salvation Wée have béen unprofitable servants and have hid thy Talents and have dishonoured thée whom in all things wée should have pleased and glorified Wée have béen negligent in hearing and reading thy Holy Word and in meditating and conferring of it in publick and private Prayer and thanksgiving and in our preparation to this Holy Sacrament in the Examining of our selves and repenting of our sins and stirring up our hearts to a beleeving and thankfull receiving of thy grace and to love and Joyfulness in our Communion with thée and with one another Wée have not duely discerned the Lords Body but have prophaned thy Holy Name and Ordinance as if the Table of the Lord had been contemptible And when thou hast spoken
they are penitent beleevers comfortably to hope for the Kingdome which God hath promised to them that love him committing their souls to their Redeemer and quietly resting in the will and love and promises of God Resolving if God shall recover them to health to redeem the time and live the rest of their lives unto his glory And being willing if it bee their appointed time to depart and bee with Christ and they must bee exhorted to forgive such as have wronged them and to bee reconciled to those with whom they have been at variance and to make a pious just and charitable disposal of their Worldly Estates The Order for Solemnizing the Burial of the Dead IT is agreeable to nature and Religion that the Burial of Christians bee solemnly and decently performed as to the cases Whether the Corps shall bee carried first into the Church that is to bee buried in the Churchyard And whether it shall bee buried before the Sermon Reading or Prayer or after or in the midst of the reading or whether any Prayer shall bee made at the grave for the living Let no Christians uncharitably judge one another about these things let no people keep up groundless usages that being suspicioâ—s grieve their Minister and offend their Brethren Let no Minister that scrupleth the satisfying of peoples ungrounded desires in such things bee forced to do it against his Conscience and let Ministers that do use any of these Customes or Ceremonies have liberty when they suspect that the people desire them upon some Error to profess against that Error and teach the people better Whether the Minister come with the Company that brings the Corps from the house or whether hee meet them or receive them at the burial place is to bee left to his own discretion But while hee is with them let him gravely discourse of mans Mortality and the useful truths and duties thence to bee inferred And either at the Grave or in the Reading place or Pulpit by way of Sermon according to his discretion Let him at least if it bee desired instruct and exhort the people concerning death and the life to come and their necessary preparation Seeing the spectacle of Mortality and the season of mourning do tend to prepare men for a sober considerate entertainment of such Instructions and hee may read such Scriptures as may minde them of Death Resurrection and Eternal life as 1 Cor. 15. or from vers 10. to the end And Job 1. 21. 19. 25 26 27. John 11. 25 26. 5. 28 29. And his Prayer shall bee suited to the occasion When ever the Rain Snow or Coldness of the season make it unhealthful to the Minister or People to stand out of doors at least then let the Reading Exhortation and Prayers bee used within the Church Of Extraordinary Daies of Humiliation and Thanksgiving and Anniversary Festivals WHen great afflictions lye upon the Church or any special part or members of it or when any great sins have been Committed among them it is meet that in publick by fasting and prayer wee humble our selves before the Lord for the averting of his displeasure and on such occasions it is the Pastors duty to confess his own and the peoples sins with Penitence and tenderness of heart and by his Doctrine and Exhortation to Endeavour effectually to bring the People to the sight and sense of their sin and the deserts of it and to a firm Resolution of better obedience for the time to come being importunate with God in Prayer for pardon and renewed grace Upon the receipt of great and extraordinary mercies the Church having opportunity is to Assemble for publick Thanksgiving unto God and the Minister to stirre up the people to a lively sense of the greatness of those mercies and joyfully to Celebrate the praises of God the Author of them And it is not unmeet in these daies to express our joy in Feasting and outward signes of Mirth provided they bee used moderately spiritually and inoffensively and not to gratifie oursensual desires and that wee releeve the poor in their necessities which also on daies of Humiliation and other seasons wee must not forget The occasions of such daies of Humiliation and Thanksgiving being so various as cannot bee well suited by any standing forms the Minister is to apply himself to the respective duties suitable to the particular occasions Though it bee not unlawful or unmeet to keep Anniversary Commemoration by Festivals of some great and notable mercies to the Church or State the memory whereof should bee transmitted to posterity nor to give any persons their due honour who have been the Instruments thereof yet because the Festivals of the Churches Institution now observed are much abused and many sober Godly persons Ministers and others are unsatisfied of the Lawfulness of the Celebrating them as Holy daies let the abuse bee restrained and let not the Religious observation of those daies by publick Worship bee forced upon any that are thus unsatisfied provided they forbear all offensive behaviour thereupon Of Prayer and Thanksgiving for Particular Members of the Church BEsides the Petitions that are put up for all in such distresses in the General Prayer it is meet that Persons in dangerous sickness or other great affliction of Body or minde and Women that are neer the time of Childe-bearing when they desire it shall bee particularly recommended to God in the Publick Prayers of the Church Because all the members constitute one body and must have the same care one for another as suffering all with one that suffereth and rejoycing all with one that is honoured And the effectual servent prayer of the righteous especially of the whole Congregation availeth much with God But because diseases distresses and greif of minde are so various that no forms that are Particular can suit them all And because every Minister should bee able to suit his Prayers to such various Necessities of the people Wee desire that it may bee left to his discretion to pray for such according to their several Cases before or after Sermon But wee desire that except in case of sudden necessity they may send in their Bills of Request to him the night before that hee may consider of their cases and may publish only such in such Expressions as in prudence hee shall judge meet for the Ears of the Assembly In the more ordinary Cases of persons in sickness danger and distress and that are delivered from them these following Prayers may bee used or such like A Prayer for the Sick that is in hopes of Recovery MOst merciful Father Though our Sin doth finde us out and wée are justly afflicted for our Transgressions yet are wée not consumed in thy wrath but thou punishest us less than our Iniquities do deserve though thou causest Grief yet wilt thou have compassion according to the multitude of thy mercies for thou dost not willingly afflict and grieve the children of men Thou revivest the
bee a Communion of the Church in the Lords Supper Let the Pastor require him to forbear and not suffer him to partake of the Lords Table If yet the offender remain impenitent let the Pastor openly declare him â—â—meet for the Communion of the Church and require him to abstain from it and require the Church to avoid Communion with him And let him binde him by the denounciations of the threatings of God against the impenitent But before this is done let no necessary consultation with other Pastors or concurrence of the Church bee neglected And after let there bee place for due appeals and let Ministers consent to give account when they are accused of Mal-administration But if after private Admonition while the offence is such as requireth not publick confession the Sinner bee penitent let the Minister privately apply to his Consolation the promises of the Gospel with such cautelous prudence as is most suitable to his condition And if hee repent not till after publick admonition or that the scandall bee so great and notorious as that a publick confession is necessary let him at a seasonable time appointed by the Pastor with remorse of conscience and true contrition confels his sin before the Congregation and heartily lament it and clear the honour of his Christian profession which hee had stayned and crave the prayers of the Church to God for pardon and reconciliation through Christ and also crave the Ministerial Absolution and restauration to the Communion of the Church and profess his resolution to do so no more but to live in new obedience to God desiring also their prayers for Corroborating and preserving grace It is only a credible profession of repentance that is to bee accepted by the Church The foregoing Cautious must bee carefully observed in such confessions that they bee not made to the injuring of the Magistrate or of the Church or of the reputation of others or of the Life Estate or Liberty of the offender or to any other shame than is necessary to the manifesting of his repentance and the clearing of his Profession and the Righting of any that hee hath wronged and the honour and preservation of the Church When hee hath made a credible profession of repentance It is the Pastors duty Ministerially to declare him pardoned by Christ but in conditional terms If his repentance be sincere And to absolve him from the censureof non Communion with the Church if he was under such a censure before his penitence and to declare him meet for their Communion and to encourage him to come and require the Church to entertain him into their Communion with gladness and not upbraid him with his fall but rejoyce in his recovery and endeavour his confirmation and preservation for the time to come And it is his duty accordingly to admit him to Communion and theirs to have loving Communion with him All which the penitent person must beleevingly lovingly joyfully receive But if any by Notorious perfidiousness or frequent Covenant breaking have forfeited the Credit of their words or have long continued in the sin which they do confess so that their forsaking it hath no proof The Church then must have testimony of the Actual Reformation of such as these before they may take their Professions and promises as credible Yet here the difference of persons and offences is so great that this is to bee much left to the Prudence of Pastors that are present and acquainted with the persons Circumstances of the Case In the transacting of all this these following Forms to bee varied as the variety of Cases do require may bee made use of A Form of Publick Admonition to the Impenitent A. B. you are convict of gross and scandalous sin you have been admonished and intreated to repent The promises of mercies to the Penitent and the threatnings of God against the Impenitent have not been concealed from you wee have waited in hope for your repentance as having Compassion on your soul and desiring your Salvation But wee must say with grief you have hitherto disappointed us Wee are certain from the Word of God that you must bee penitent if ever you will bee pardoned and that except you repent you shall everlastingly perish Luke 13. 3 5. Act. 5. 31. Luke 12. 47. To acquaint you publickly with this and yet here to offer you mercy from the Lord is the next duty laid upon us for your recovery O! blame us not if knowing the terrours of the Lord wee thus perswade you and are loath to leave you in the power of Satan and loath to see you cast out into perdition and that your blood should bee required at our hands as not having discharged our duty to prevent it Bee it known unto you therefore that it is the God of Heaven and Earth the great the jealous and the terrible God whose Lawes you have broken and whose Authority you dispise you refuse his government who is coming with ten thousands of his Saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly of their ungodly Deeds and speeches who hath told us that evil shall not dwell with him The Foolish shall not stand in his sight Hee hateth all workers of Iniquity Jude 14 15. Psalm 5. 4 5. The ungodly shall not stand in judgement nor sinners in the Congregation of the Righteous Psalm 1. 5 6. God hath not made his Lawes in vain Though the wicked contemn God and say in their hearts hee will not require it Psalm 10. 13. Yet their damnation slumbereth not they are reserved to the day of judgement to bee punnished 2 Pet. 2. 3 9. And hee seeth that their day is coming Psalm 37. 13. If men cut off the lives of those that break their laws will God bee out-faced by the pride and stubborness of sinners Hee will not you shall know hee will not Hee threatneth not in jest Who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered Job 9. 4. Are you not as chaffe and stubble and is not our God a consuming Fire Psalm 1. 4. Isa 5. 24. Heb. 12. 19. If Briers and Thorns bee set against him in Battel will hee not go through them and burn them up together Isa 27. 4. Can your heart endure or your hands bee strong in the day when God shall deal with you It is the Lord that hath spoken it and hee will do it Ezek. 22. 14. What will you do when you must bear wich the pains of Hell from God that now can scarce endure to bee thus openly plainly warned of it If wee to please you should bee silent and betray you do you think the God of Heaven will fear or flatter you or bee unjust to please a worm Do you provoke the Lord to Jealousie are you stronger than hee 1 Cor. 10. 22. O man for your souls sake let not Satan abuse your understanding and sin befool you must you not die And doth not Judgement follow when all
secrets shall bee opened and God will no more intreat you to confess Heb. 9. 7. Matth. 10. 26. Behold the Judge standeth at the door Jam. 5. 9. will sin goe then with you for as light a matter as it doth now Will you then deny it or will you stand to all the reasonings or excuses by which you would now extenuate or cover it Will you defend it as your friend and bee angry with Ministers and Reprovers as your Enemies Or will you not mourn at last with weeping and gnashing of teeth And say How have I hated Instruction and my heart despised Reproof And have not obeyed the voyce of my Teachers nor inclined mine Ear to them that Instructed mee Pro. 5. 11 12 13. Mat. 13. 4◠50. O that you were wise that you understood this and that you would consider your latter End Deut. 32. 29. beleeve Gods wrath before you feel it bee convinced by the word and servants of the Lord before you are confounded by the dreadfulness of his Majesty yet there is hope but shortly there will be none if you now neglect it yet if you consess and forsake your sins you shall have mercy but if you cover them you shall not prosper Prov. 28. 13. And if being oft reproved you harden your Neck you shall suddenly bee destroyed and that without remedy Pro. 29. 1. Bee not deceived God is not mocked whatsoever you sow that shall you also reap Gal. 6. 7. O man you know not what it is to deal with an offended and revenging God Nor what it is to hear Christ say depart from mee yee workers of Iniquity I never knew you depart from mee yee wicked into everlasting fire Matth. 7. 23. and 25. 41. You know not what it is to bee shut out of Heaven and concluded under utter desperation and in Hell to look back upon this obstinate Impenitence and rejecting of the mercy that would have saved you And there to have Conscience telling you for ever what it is that you have done Did you not know what this is could you think a Penitent confessing and forsaking your sin to be a condition too hard for the preventing of such a Doleful state O No! you know not what a case you are casting your immortal soul into The Lord give you repentance that you may never know it by experience To prevent this is our business with you Wee delight not to displease or shame you But God hath told us that if any do err from the truth and one convert him let him know that hee which converteth the sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins Jam. 5. 20. I do therefore by the Command and in the name of Jesus Christ require and beseech you that you do without any more delay confess your sins and heartily bewail them and beg pardon of them and resolve and promise by the help of God to do so no more And bless God that you have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous whose blood will cleanse you from your sins if you penitently confess them 1 John 1. 7 9. and 2. 1 2. and that mercy may bee yet had on so easie terms If you had any sense of your sin and misery or any sense of the dishonour done to God or of the wrong that you have done to others and of the usefulness of your Penitent confession and amendment to the reparation of all these you would cast your self in the dust in shame and grief before the Lord and before the Church To day therefore if you will hear his voyce harden not your heart least God forsake you and give you over unto your own hearts lust to walk in your own counsels and resolve in his wrath you shall never enter into his rest Psalm 95. 8. 12. and 81. 11. 12. And then God and this Congregation will bee Witnesses that you were warned and your blood will bee upon your own head But if in Penitent confession you fly to Christ and loath your self for your iniquities and heartily forsake them I have Authority to promise you free Forgiveness and that your Iniquitie shall not bee your Ruine Luke 24. 4. 7. Ezek. 18. 30 31 32. A Form of Confession to bee made beeore the Congregation I do confess before God and this Congregation that I have greatly Sinned I have offended and dishonoured God wronged the Church and the Souls of others I have deserved to bée forsaken of the Lord and cast out of his presence and the communion of Saints into desperation and remediless misery in Hell I am no more worthy to bée called thy Son or to have a name or place among thy Servants I do here declare mine Iniquitys and am sorry for my sins They are gone over my head as a heavy burden they are too heavy for mée they take hold upon mée I am ashamed as unworthy to look up towards heaven but my hope is in the blood grace of Christ who made his life a Sacrifice for sin and came to séek and save that which was lost whose grace aboundeth where sin hath abounded The Lord bée merciful to mée a sinner I humbly beg of the Congregation that they will earnestly pray that God will wash mée throughly from mine Iniquity and cleanse mée from my sin that hée will forgive them and blot them out and hide his Face from them and remember them no more that hée will not cast mée away from his presence nor forsake mée as I have forsaken him nor deal with mée according to my deserts But that hée will create in mée a Clean heart and renew a right spirit in mée and grant mée the joy of his Salvation and I beg pardon of the Church and all that I have wronged and resolve by the grace of God to do so no more but to walk more watchfully as before the Lord and I desire all that are ungodly that they think never the worse of the Laws or waies or servants of the Lord for my misdoings For if I had béen ruled by God and by his servants I had never done as I have done There is nothing in Religion that befriendeth sin there is nothing so contrary to it as God and his Holy Laws which I should have obeyed Rather let all take warning by mée and avoid temptations and live not carelesly and hearken not to the Inclinatious or Reasonings of the Flesh nor trust not their weak and sinful hearts but live in godly fear and watchfulness and kéep under the Flesh and kéep close to God and hearken to the faithful Counsel of his servants and Intreat your Prayers to God that I may bée strengthened by his grace that I may sin thus no more least worse befal mée A Form of Prayer for a Sinner Impenitent after Publick Admonition MOst Gracious God According to thy Command wée have warned this sinner and told him of thy