either in Act or in Thought the sins whereof I shall not here reckon up And here I am Commanded all Chastity Sobriety and Temperance least I fall into them In short I must banish all Wanton Desires use all sober Means to keep my Body Chast and whenever I am tempted never to give way to it Lord have Mercy upon me c. Command VIII Thou shalt not steal THis Precept secures every mans Goods to him and therefore I must neither keep nor sue for that which is another Mans. I must not cheat steal rob or borrow with an intent never to pay again but must be content with my own Estate suffer every one to enjoy his own quietly pay every Man his full Due be just in my Dealings frugal in my Expences lest I spend that which is not mine restore what I have unjustly gotten and strive to do good with what I have Lord have Mercy upon me c. Command IX Thou shalt not bear false Witness c. ANd as I must not wrong my Neighbour in his Estate so I am not to take away his good Name but in all things I must speak the Truth nay I am bound to speak Charitably of my Neighbour and when I am called to be a Witness before a Lawful Magistrate I cannot be too cautious of what I say See the Third Commandment for a Larger Exposition on this Lord have Mercy upon me c. Command X. Thou shalt not Covet c. THis Commandment strikes deeper than all the rest it plucks up the Root and destroys the Seed of all Injustice and Uncharitableness As I must not take so I must not desire any thing that is my Neighbour's and if I never desire it I shall never wrong any Person What was hinted at before is now plainly spoken Here God reaches my Thoughts and most inward Intentions I must not covet nor desire other Men's Goods I must subdue all my Craving Lusts and mortify all the secret Inclinations of my perverse Nature Lord have Mercy upon me and write all these thy Laws in my Heart I most humbly and heartily beseech thee DEVOTIONS A Prayer to be said in the Morning O Most Gracious and Loving Father I the vilest of Sinners do acknowledge mine Unworthyness either to ask any thing of thee or to appear before thee For O Lord as I was conceived in Sin and brought forth in Iniquity so ever since as thou hast multiplyed the number of my days I have encreased the measure of my sins that if thou enter into Judgment with me to me belongeth nothing but Shame and Confusion both of Body and Soul yet O Gracious Father since thy Loving Mercy hath granted me so long time of Repentance and given thine only Son to suffer for me and to reconcile me unto thee Lord grant that I may feel the Comfort of the one and enjoy the Benefit of the other And though my Heart is so hardned with a constant Custom of sinning that I am not able to think a good Thought much less to turn heartily and penitently unto thee yet I humbly beg of thee to lay before mine Eyes such a sight of my Sins and such a Prospect of thy Judgments that I loathing the former and standing in awe of the latter may be drawn unto thy Son Jesus Christ who has most graciously promised Rest and Refreshment to those that are heavy laden with the Conscience and Burden of their Sins O Lord I beseech thee accept the Death of thy Son as sufficient Satisfaction for all my Sins and grant that I may feel the same effectually working in me a Death unto Sin killing in me the Lusts of the Old Adam Seal up in me the Truth of his Resurrection by raising me up to the Life of Righteousness that I may give my Soul and Body an holy living and acceptable Sacrifice unto thee which is but a reasonable Service And because that whilst I carry about me this earthly Tabernacle this body of Sin my whole Life is nothing but a continual Rebellion against thee I earnestly implore such a Measure of thy good Spirit as may work a Newness of Life in me and drive away the darkness of my Understanding that I may see the Way wherein I ought to walk subdue the Rebellion of my Will that it may submit to thy Commandments and correct my untamed Affections calling them from Hunting after Vanities to delight in thy Testimonies Give me also an Hope of thy Promises a Love of thy Majesty a tender Affection towards my Brethren a Care of my Duty and what other Graces thou knowest needful for a Member of Christ that thus I may live in thy Fear to the Honour and Glory of thy Name I may die in thy Favour to the Comfort of my Conscience and may receive the end of my Faith which is the Salvation of my Soul through the Merits and Mediation of Iesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour Furthermore O Lord I give thee most hearty Thanks for all thy Benefits bestowed upon me from the beginning of my days to this present time namely that thou hast Elected me before the Foundations of the World were laid Created me after thine own Image and Similitude Redeemed me by Iesus Christ's Death and Resurrection Sanctified me by the inward working of thy Holy Spirit and in due and convenient Time called me to the Knowledge of my Election Creation Redemption and Sanctification by the Preaching of the Gospel O Lord encrease day unto my years so grant that in the same I may grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ In whose name for these and for what ever else thy infinite Wisdom knows to be convenient for me I humbly Pray as he in compassion of mine infirmities hath taught me saying Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name thy Kingdom come thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that Trespass against us And lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from Evil for thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen A Prayer to be said in the Evening O Most Gracious and Loving Father I the vilest of Sinners do acknowledge mine Unworthyness either to ask any thing of thee or to appear before thee For O Lord as I was conceived in Sin and brought forth in Iniquity so ever since as thou hast multiplyed the number of my days I have encreased the measure of my sins that if thou enter into Judgment with me to me belongeth nothing but Shame and Confusion both of Body and Soul yet O Gracious Father since thy Loving Mercy hath granted me so long time of Repentance and given thine only Son to suffer for me and to reconcile me unto thee Lord grant that I may feel the Comfort of the one and enjoy the Benefit of the other And though my
grant that thy Holy Name may be worshipped and called upon by all men in the earth Petition II. Thy Kingdom come BEat down the Power of Satan and exalt thy Dominion amongst us do you reign more and more by thy ruling and reforming Spirit in the hearts of thy chosen Servants and let the number of Believers be daily encreased do thou rule and govern the hearts of all the Members of thy Church Militant in this thy Kingdom of Grace that in the World to come we may be Members of thy Church Triumphant and obtain an everlasting Inheritance in the Kingdom of Glory Petition III. Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven O Heavenly Father direct and govern our Wills by thy holy Spirit that we may as voluntarily as readily and as cheerfully submit to thee as thy Creatures in Heaven do and to that end correct our untamed Affections that they lead us not astray and drive away the darkness of our Understandings that we may see and know the true way wherein we ought to walk Give us grace to forsake our own perverse and wicked Wills and to frame our selves wholly according to thy Good and Holy Will lest in Prosperity we grow proud and secure or in Adversity murmur or despair Petition IV. Give us this day our daily Bread. O Thou Giver Preserver of all our lives bestow upon us what thou seest convenient for our sustenance and support Give thy Blessing also along with it or else tho' we abound never so much we confess it is not able to nourish us We are daily asking bread of thee but O Lord we are not distrustful of thy loving Providence and therefore we ask but for this day and depend upon thee for the next And we put up this Petition to thee in the Night also because our whole life time is but one day wherein our frail bodies have continual need of thy sustaining and upholding them But as we implore thy Care for our Bodies much more ought we to do it for our Souls Give us such a daily Measure of continual Grace as shall enable us to go through the Remainder of our War-fare Feed our Souls with the Graces of thy Holy Spirit that our Understandings may be enlightened our Wills and Affections rectified our Corrupt Natures renewed and our Souls and Bodies purified and sanctified that both our Souls and Bodies may be now and ever precious in thy sight Petition V. And forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us FOrgive us our Trespasses our spiritual Debts which bind us to an eternal Payment Alas The best of us is not able to satisfy thee for the least Trespass he commits and therefore with bended knees and prostrate souls we adore thy Goodness in sending thy Son to cloath and cover us with Holiness Innocency and Justice And as we can never hope to obtain this unless we also freely and heartily forgive others let this be the Token to know whether we desire Forgiveness of thee or not keep us from thinking that we deserve Forgiveness at thy hands for forgiving others yet by being merciful as thou art merciful lest this qualifie us for thy Pardon Petition VI. And lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from Evil. DEliver us O Lord out of those snares which the Devil our Lusts or the World have laid for us Our Enemies O Lord are mighty and vigilant and the best of us unable of himself to withstand the least of their Assaults Leave us not O God of our strength to be overcome by their Wiles or Power and suffer us not to be tempted above what thy Grace does enable us to bear And though in those Temptations that thou permittest us to be led into thy favour may seem to be shadowed from us for a time yet teach us so much spiritual Wisdom as not to despair of Deliverance but to be satisfied that thou hast appointed them their Limits which they are not able to go beyond The Doxology or giving of Glory to GOD. For thine is the Kingdom FOr thou art he that rules and governs all the World therefore we submit and surrender up both our bodies and souls to be wholly and solely at thy disposal The Power Thine is the Power therefore we sue to thee the Fountain of All-sufficiency for Grace Strength and what ever else thou seest convenient for us And the Glory And to thee we acknowledge the Thanks the Honour and the Glory due for what we are and for all that we have For ever and ever And thy Kingdom Power and Glory is from everlasting and shall continue world without end Amen So be it The Ten Commandments EXPOUNDED The Preface God spake these Words and said I am the Lord thy God. I Am here assur'd that the Lord my God is the Author of all these Laws and that I may gather from their duration from the trouble of my Conscience when I break them and from the Purity of the Laws themselves I am sure that he has Power to require my Obedience to these Laws and therefore I ought in duty to observe them that he has all Justice as my Lord to punish me if I transgress them and all Love as my God to reward me if I keep them and therefore the Fear of his Anger and the Hope of his sweet Love should make me obedient to them O Lord give me Grace and Strength to do what thou Commandest and then Command me what thou wilt The Order of the Precepts THese Laws are divided into Two Tables One tells me my Duty towards God and the other my Duty towards Man. Now it is but Reason as well as my Saviour's Precept that my Duty towards God should be set first And as the first Precept that relates to God bids me worship him and none but him that made me so the first Precept that concerns Man is to respect him first that begat me O God without thy help I am not able to keep the least Commandment therefore I am bound to pray unto thee by the first that thou maist give me Spiritual Power and Abilities to observe and keep the rest Commandment I. Thou shalt have none other Gods but me THere is a God above who influences all inferiour Beings and this God is but one and there is none besides him And therefore I am bound first To love him above all and all other things that I love must be beloved either as they come from him or as they are helpful to us in performing our Duties to him I may know whether I have this Love or not by examining whether I endeavour to keep his Commandments whether I love to frequent his Ordinances give Respect to his Embassadors pity and help Christ's distressed Lambs and desiring the Company of none but good Men. Secondly I am obliged by this Precept to fear him above all i. e. be afraid to offend or anger him and this Fear should be
THE Poor Man's Help BEING I. An Abridgement of Bishop Pearson on the Creed shewing What he is to Believe II. A short Exposition of the Lord's Prayer directing him What to Beg of GOD. III. The Ten Commandments Explain'd teaching him his Duty both to GOD and Man. With Some Additional Helps for his Private Devotion The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich he bringeth low and lifteth up He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill to set them among Princes and to make them inherit the Throne of Glory 1 Sam. 2. 7 8. London Printed for R. Clavell at the Peacock in Paul's Church-Yard 1689. TO THE PARISHIONERS OF St. Mildred's IN THE City of CANTERBURY My Friends COnsidering how convenient and beneficial little Books are for such as cannot reach the Price of bigger I here present you with an Explication of the Creed Lord's-Prayer and Ten Commandments as small as the Subject will permit And being that in my Iudgment the Creed cannot be better or shorter Paraphras'd than the most Learned and Iudicious Prelate Dr. Pearson has done it I have transcribed mine from thence that those most sound and necessary Truths might not be confined to those alone who are able to purchase that most Learned Work. And that the meanest capacity might not lose the Knowledge of such a safe and wholesome Exposition I have changed the more Eloquent and Difficult Words for such as are more Plain and Obvious The Lord's-Prayer is the same in Substance that I delivered to you Three Years ago when I Catechized the Children which I have now Expounded in the Form of a Prayer that the Poor Man may upon any pressing occasion know how to Express himself at large upon any Petition The Precepts of the first Table you know I Expounded to you all the last Summer till Advent the Heads of which bating the Points in Controversy I here present you with And those of the second I shall in due time Treat of if God prosper my Studies in the mean while to compleat the Exposition I here give you the Substance of them And being that in several Discourses immediately after Christmas last I did press the necessity of a daily Service to God from the Words of Zacharias Luk. 1.74 75. I have added a short Morning and Evening Form to be used before and after your daily Work A Prayer against the Temptation of the Flesh to any particular Sin to keep your Bodies in subjection to your Reason Another for your use in the time of Sickness And when at other times you shall have particular occasion for other Services I have given a short Direction where to be furnished in the Psalms And this I did not to hinder any that are able from buying Books of more peculiar use but to comply with the necessities of those that are not of which I am very sensible there is too great a number I had no other inducement to meddle with this but my Charity to the Souls of the Poor for whom Christ died as well as for the Rich And if hereby I shall gain but one Soul I shall thank God for making me an Instrument of so much good And if none be better'd by it yet I have this satisfaction that I have endeavoured for God's sake and your own to shew my self Your Affectionate Pastor and Servant Hump. Bralesford The Poor Man's Help OR A SHORT DIRECTION What he is to Believe The Creed I Believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth And in Iesus Christ his only Son our Lord who was Conceived by the Holy Ghost Born of the Uirgin Mary Suffered under Pontius Pilate was Crucified Dead and Buried He descended into Hell the third day he rose again from the Dead he ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty from thence he shall come to judge the Quick and the Dead I believe in the Holy Ghost the Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints the Forgiveness of Sins the Resurrection of the Body and the Life everlasting Amen Article I. I believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth ALthough these Articles of my Faith which are contained in the Creed are not apparent to my sense though they are not of themselves evident to my understanding nor appear true to me by any Natural or Necessary Cause yet being they are contained in the Scriptures the Writings of the Blessed Apostles and Prophets being that those Apostles and Prophets were Endued with miraculous Power from above and immediately inspired by the Holy Ghost and consequently what they delivered was the Word of GOD and not of Man being that GOD is of such universal Holiness and infinite Wisdom that it is impossible he should be deceived of that perfect Holiness that it is not imaginable he should intend to deceive me and consequently what he has delivered for a Truth must be necessarily and infallibly true I readily and stedfastly assent unto them as most certain Truths and am fully and absolutely and more concernedly perswaded of them than of any thing I see and know And because that God who has reveal'd them has done it not for my benefit alone but for the advantage of others nor for that alone but also for the Manifestation of his own Glory being that for these Ends he has Commanded me to profess them and hath promised an Eternal Redemption upon my Profession of them being that every particular person is to expect the Justification of himself and the Salvation of his Soul upon the Condition of his own Faith As with a certain and full perswasion I assent unto them so with a fixed and undaunted Resolution I will profess them and with this Faith in my Heart and Confession in my Mouth to the whole body of the Creed and to every Article and Part of it I sincerely readily and resolvedly say I believe I believe in God. Forasmuch as the Eternal Power and Godhead is made known by all the things that are Created and the dependency of the Creatures proves That there must be an infinite Being that depends on nothing whereas all things are made for some End and all their Operations are directed to it though they cannot understand the Reason why they are and why they work therefore both their Creation and their Work must be guided by some Universal and Over-ruling Wisdom Seeing that God is not only revealed in his Creatures but has frequently declar'd his Deity by most infallible Predictions and supernatural Operations therefore I freely acknowledge clearly profess and fully Believe that there is a God. Again seeing that there is one Being that depends upon nothing that does suppose that all other Beings must depend upon it seeing that the intire Fountain of all Perfections cannot have a double Head and the most perfect Order of the World declares the supream Dominion of one absolute Lord upon this Account I believe
that God is but one And that there neither is nor can be any more And thus I believe in God. I believe in God the Father I believe that this one God is the Father of all things of Men and Angels because they are his Off spring by Creation and that he is in a more peculiar manner the Father of all those whom he regenerates by his Spirit whom he adopteth in his Son as Heirs and Co-heirs with him whom he crowneth with the Reward of an eternal Inheritance in the Heavens But far above all this besides his general Off-spring and peculiar People to whom he hath given power to become the Sons of God I believe him in a more eminent manner to be the Father of one singular and proper Son his own his beloved his only begotten Son whom he hath not only begotten of the Blessed Virgin by the coming of the Holy Ghost and the over-shadowing of his Power not only sent with special Authority as the King of Israel not only raised from the Dead and made Heir of all things in his House but before and in order to all this hath begotten him from all eternity in the same Divinity and Majesty with Himself whereby I acknowledge him to be always a Father as much as always a God. And in this Relation I believe That as he is the Original Cause of all things because they were Created by him so he is the Fountain of the Son begotten by him and of the Holy Ghost proceeding from him Almighty I believe that this Father is not subject to the Infirmities of Age and that there is no weakness attending the Ancient of days but on the contrary I believe that Omnipotency is part of the Being of the God-head and that thereby he has not only power to work or do any thing but Authority and an eternal Right both of making what when and how he pleaseth and of possessing whatsoever he makes and of using and disposing all things which he thus possesseth I believe that this power is most absolute because he that has it depends upon none neither is he to give any account for the Use and Exercise of it that it is infinite for largeness as being a power over all things without exception that it is full and perfect as being over every thing without limitation to be Eternal as having neither Beginning nor End. Maker of Heaven and Earth I believe that both Heaven and Earth and all things contained in them have not their Being of themselves but were made in the beginning that there was nothing at first but God who produced most part of this World out of nothing and the rest out of that which was formerly made out of nothing This I believe was done by the most free and voluntary Act of the Will of God of which no Reason or Motive can be given but his Goodness And that this was done by the determination of his Will at what time he pleased probably within an hundred and thirty Generations of Men most certainly within six or seven thousand years I acknowledge this God who is the Creator of the World to be the same God who is the Father of our Lord JESVS CHRIST And thus I Believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth Article II. And in Iesus Christ his only Son our Lord. I Believe that there was and is a Man whose Name by the Ministry of an Angel was Called Iesus I believe this Iesus to be the Saviour of the World in that he hath revealed to the Sons of Men the only way for the Salvation of their Souls and has wrought out this Salvation for them by his own Blood obtaining Remission for Sinners making Reconciliation for his Enemies paying the price of Redemption for Captives and that he shall at last actually confer this salvation which he hath revealed and procured upon all those that unfeignedly and stedfastly believe in him I acknowledge that there is no other way to Heaven than this which he hath shewn us that there is no other means that can procure it for us but his blood and that there is no other person that shall confer it on us but himself And in Iesus Christ. I believe that there was a man promised by God foretold of the Prophets to be the Messias the Redeemer of Israel and the expectation of the Nations I believe that this Messias is already come that the Man born in the days of Herod of the Virgin Mary who by an Angel from Heaven was Called Iesus is that true Messias so long and so often promised that as he was the Messias he was also the Christ that is the Anointed of God and that he was anointed to three special Offices belonging to him as the Mediator between God and Man that he was a Prophet revealing to us the whole Will of God for the Salvation of man that he was a Priest and hath given himself a Sacrifice for Sin and so hath made an atonement for us that he is a King set down at the Right hand of God far above all Principalities and Powers whereby when he hath subdued all our Enemies he will confer actual perfect and eternal Happiness upon us I believe that this Unction by which he became the true Messias was not performed by any material Oyle but by the Spirit of God which he received as the Head and conveyeth to his Members His only Son. I believe that Iesus Christ the Saviour and Messias is the true proper and natural Son of God begotten of the substance of the Father which substance cannot be multiplyed or divided and yet it is so totally communicated to the Son that he is of the same Being with the Father God of God Light of Light very God of very God. And as he is the Son of God so he alone was begotten of God by a proper and natural Generation all God's other Sons which are said to be begotten being Sons only by Adoption Our Lord. I believe that Iesus Christ the only begotten Son of God is the true Jehovah whose Being is of it self from all eternity and on whom all other things do depend and therefore he hath an absolute supream and universal Dominion over all things as he is God and is invested with all Power in Heaven and Earth as he is Man. That he hath this Power partly for the compleating our Redemption and the Destruction of our Enemies that this Power is to continue to the end of all things and then to be resigned to the Father That he has this Power also partly because the God-head and Manhood is united or it was due to him for suffering so obediently and therefore this Power must be eternal because it belongs unto that Kingdom which shall have no end And though he is thus Lord of all things by right of the first Creation and constant Preservation of them yet he is more peculiarly the Lord of us who by Faith are
Consecrated to his Service For through the Work of our Redemption he becomes our Lord both by the right of Conquest and of Purchase and by making us the Sons of God and providing heavenly Mansions for us he acquires a further Right to us which Right considering the Covenant we all make at our Baptism to serve him is at last compleated because we have bound our selves there under a voluntary Obligation to serve him And thus I believe in Iesus Christ his only Son our Lord. Article III. Who was Conceived by the Holy Ghost Born of the Uirgin Mary I Believe that the only begotten Son of God begotten by the Father before all Worlds very God of very God was Conceived and Born and so made Man taking to himself the humane Nature consisting of a Soul and Body joining it with the Divine Nature in the Unity of his Person I believe that the Word was in this manner made Flesh that he was really and truly Conceived in the Womb of a Woman but not Conceived as the Sons of Men are not by Carnal Copulation not by the common way of humane Propagation but by the singular powerful invisible immediate Operation of the Holy Ghost whereby a Virgin was beyond the Law of Nature able to Conceive and that which was Conceived in her was originally and compleatly sanctifyed Born of the Uirgin Mary I believe that there was a certain Woman known by the Name of Mary espoused unto Ioseph of Nazareth which before and after her Espousal was a pure and unspotted Virgin and continuing in the same Virginity did by the immediate Operation of the Holy Ghost conceive within her Womb the only begotten Son of God and after the natural time of other Women brought him forth as her First-born Son continuing still a most pure and immaculate Virgin whereby the Saviour of the World was born of a Woman under the Law without the least spot of Original Corruption that he might deliver us from the Guilt of Sin born of that Virgin which was of the House and Lineage of David that he might fit upon his Throne and rule for evermore And thus I believe that Iesus Christ was Conceived by the Holy Ghost and Born of the Uirgin Mory Article IV. Suffered under Pontius Pilate was Crucified Dead and Buried I Believe that the only begotten Son of God begotten of the Father and of the same Divine Nature with the Father did for the Redemption of Mankind really and truly suffer not in his Divinity for that could not suffer but in his Humanity which in the days of his Humiliation was subject unto our Infirmities That as he is a perfect Redeemer of the Whole Man so he was a compleat Sufferer in the whole in his Body by such grievous Infirmities as arise internally from humane Frailties and by such Pains as are inflicted by external Injuries in his Soul by fearful Apprehensions by unknown Sorrows by Anguish unexpressible Under Pontius Pilate I believe that the eternal Son of God did suffer for the sins of Men after the fifteenth Year of Tiberius the Roman Emperour and before his Death in the time of Pontius Pilate who was Tiberius's Deputy Governour of Iudea who to please the Iews did condemn him whom he had pronounced innocent and delivered him according to the Custom of that Empire and in order to the fulfilling the Prophecies To dye a painful and shameful Death upon the Cross. â—â— of such as do dye and being he dyed in the similitude of a Sinner his Soul went to the place where the Souls of Men are kept who dye for their sins and so did wholly undergo the Law of Death But because there was no sin in him and he had fully satisfied for the sins of others which he took upon him therefore as God suffered not his Holy One to see Corruption so he left not his Soul in Hell and thereby gave sufficient security to all those who belong to Christ that they should never come under the Power of Satan nor suffer in the Flames prepared for the Devil and his Angels He rose again I believe that the Eternal Son of God who was Crucified and dyed for our sins did not long continue in the State of Death but by his infinite power did revive and raise himself by re-uniting the same Soul which was separated to the same Body which was buried and so rose the same Man And this he did the third day from his death so that dying on Fryday the sixth day of the Week the day of the Preparation of the Sabbath and resting in the Grave on the Sabbath day on the Morning of the first day of the Week he returned to life again and thereby did consecrate the first day of the Week to be religiously kept holy until his coming again And thus I believe that Iesus Christ descended into Hell and rose again the third day from the Dead Article VI. He ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty I Believe that the only begotten and eternal Son of GOD after he rose from the Dead did with the same Soul and Body with which he rose by a true and local Translation convey himself from the Earth on which he lived through all the Regions of the Air through all the Celestial Orbs until he came into the Heaven of Heavens the most glorious presence of the Majesty of God. And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty I believe that Iesus Christ ascending into the highest Heavens after all the Troubles and Sufferings he endured here for our Redemption did there rest in everlasting Happiness He who upon earth had not where to lay his Head did take up a perpetual Habitation there and sit down upon the Throne as a Judge and as a King according to his Office of Mediator unto the end of the World which Right Hand of God the Father Almighty signifies his Omnipotent Power whereby he is able to do all things without Contradiction And thus I believe in Iesus Christ who ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty Article VII From thence he shall come to judge the Quick and the Dead I Believe that the only begotten and eternal Son of God in that humane Nature in which he dyed and rose again and ascended into Heaven shall certainly come from the same Heaven into which he ascended and at his coming shall gather together all those which shall be then alive and all which ever lived and shall be before that day dead When causing all to stand before his Judgment Seat he shall judge them according to their Works done in the Flesh and passing the Sentence of Condemnation upon all the Reprobates he shall deliver them to be tormented with the Devil and his Angels and pronouncing the Sentence of Absolution upon all the Elect he shall translate them into his Glorious Kingdom of which there shall be no end And thus
induced by his Precepts his Mercy his Omniscience his Omnipresence and the Consideration of my own Weakness and God's infinite Protection Such a Fear brings me Spiritual Wisdom Protection Blessing from God Joy in my Soul Pardon of my Sins past and Grace to withstand Temptations for the time to come Thirdly I must pray to him and to none but him and this is a sign that I love and fear him My Saviour has bid me serve him only and God is jealous of his Honour I must not say O Saint pray to my Father to help me but Our Father which art in Heaven c. If I be a penitent Sinner God has promised to hear me if I be impenitent the Saints will not pray for me To obtain God's Ear I need no Spokes-man but a Devout Mind He alone can help me he will help me when he sees fit he knows the fittest time to help me in my Prayers do certainly reach his Ears he knows what I want better than I do he alone corrects me and I am sure he loves me Fourthly I must acknowledge him to be the sole Governour of all things in the World and therefore I must trust in him He gave me all that I have and therefore I ought to be thankful to him Lord have Mercy upon me and incline my Heart to keep this Law. Command II. Thou shalt not make to thy self any Graven Image c. HEre I am told that no Images of God are to be made I may make an Image or Picture of my King or my Friend for a civil Use but I must neither represent God by any likeness nor make any use of any Picture or Image in my Devotion I must not bow down to any Image that I make for the Gentiles could say We do not adore these Statues which are made of Brass Iron Wood or Stone but by them we do honour to the invisible Gods yet the goodness of their intention did not excuse the Wickedness of their Act For he is the Lord my God therefore I must serve him after the manner that he directs me He is a jealous God and will not suffer the least part of his Honour to be given to any other Being He will punish me to the Third and Fourth Generation if I obey him not and if my Posterity continue to do the same and he has Mercy in store for Thousands of such as love him and keep his Commandments Lord have Mercy upon me c. Command III. Thou shalt not take the Name c. AFter God has confined my Heart to him alone he here claims Reverence from my Tongue I must not take his Name in vain His Essence his Mysteries his Words his Commands must be reverenced not used foolishly rashly fallaciously or falsly which implys that they may be used upon a Solemn and Lawful Account I must forbear all Blasphemies Tavern-Oaths Street-Oaths Shop-Oaths and all Forged Oaths and Cursing and Banning And if these be so odious to be sure all deliberate Perjuries must be abundantly worse If I keep not up the Honour and Majesty of his Name I shall not be held guiltless all my sins shall be imputed to me and then I am sure to be damned and therefore Lord have Mercy upon me c. Command IV. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath Day c. I Must publickly as well as privately give Worship and Honour to the Name of my God and that on all days but particularly on the Sabbath day because God rested on that day from the Creation of the World that I may admire the Handy-Work of God praise and honour him first and give my self that day wholly to him in hearing his Word praying to and praising him and receiving the Sacraments these are the publick Duties of the day but there are also Private ones to be done such as Private Examination and Prayer calling our Families to an Account Meditating on what we have heard Catechizing our Servants or Children Reading the Scriptures and making Charitable Visits to the Sick. If I thus call all to an Account once a Week I may keep my Family as well as my own Soul in Order though indeed my private Reckonings should be oftner made The Iews kept it Saturday but I on the Lords day because that day was honoured with my Saviours Resurrection If I have no Calling I have the more time to serve my God and to do good to others but if I have one God who has a Right to all my time has left me six days in seven to my particular Employment and yet any one of these six may be sanctified to God upon any particular Occasion but the Sabbath is his and therefore I must do none but his Work on that day none but what Necessity compels Charity enforces Piety commands or Duty to God enjoins Lord have Mercy upon us c. Command V. Honour thy Father and thy Mother c. BEsides my Duty to God I owe a Duty to man whether I am a superiour equal or inferiour The Words Father and Mother include all superiours as well a Civil Parent the King and his Magistrates a Master a Mistriss or an Husband and an Ecclesiastical Parent the Bishop and Ministers as the natural Parent that begat and bore thee To all these I owe Reverence and Obedience Service and Maintenance Love and Honour And I must have from my Natural Father Maintenance Education Instruction Correction and Blessing From my King Justice Reforming Abuses in Religion Encouragement to the Good Punishment to the Bad From my Husband Love Direction Maintenance and Protection From my Master or Mistress Instruction Food Correction Wages From my Minister a good Example and wholesome Administration of Spiritual Things I must observe to do all this according to my station that God may give me long Life in the Land. And though there are many Good Persons who have but short Lives yet if this Precept be true for the most part it is sufficient And he that is the soonest taken out of this Life loseth nothing because he is translated to a better Lord have Mercy upon me c. Command VI. Thou shalt do no Murder GOD having secured my Superiour now he takes care of my Equals or Inferiours I am to kill no body neither in mind by Anger Envy Hatred Malice nor in deed either by my Tongue by Murdering their Reputation or by my Hand directly striking them to death or indirectly by Usuring Oppression keeping harmful Cattle committing Bastard Children to such as will take no care of them or the like But on the contrary my mind must be peaceable ready to prevent Mischiefs apt to forgive Wrongs Long-suffering c. The punishment due to the Breach of this Precept is Eye for Eye Tooth for Tooth Lord have Mercy upon me c. Command VII Thou shalt not Commit Adultery HEre I am Commanded to abstain from defiling my Neighbour's Wife and indeed I am forbidden all kind of Uncleanness