God or any Creature or by the Blood Death or Wounds of Jesus or any other Oath whatever Thou shalt not take any Oath of thy self or swear unless called to it by Authority no promissory Oath especially or Oath by which thou dost promise any thing shall be taken by thee of thy own accord For the Communication of a Christian should be Yea yea and Nay nay Thou shalt not contentedly and patiently endure to hear the Name of God dishonoured by Oaths Blasphemies or otherwise Thou shalt by no means entertain any murmuring unkind or irreverent Thoughts of God Thou shalt not mention the name of thy God and Saviour irreverently wantonly vainly and for every trifle Thou shalt not mention it without just and solemn Occasion much less in telling Fortunes in Lots Jests and Charms Thou shalt not Blaspheme or Curse God or Repine and Murmur against him or Curse any Creature by him Thou shalt not prophane any thing dedicated to the Honour of his Name As holy Churches holy Utensils of the Church holy Customs holy Sacraments Thou shalt make no unlawful rash Vows neither shalt thou break a lawful Vow As these things are forbidden in this Commandment so are we commanded in it To magnifie exalt Duties commanded and glorifie the Holy Name of God 1. In Thought by thinking reverently of him 2. In Word by speaking reverently of him and his Attributes by Praises and Thanksgivings 3. In our Actions by a holy Conversation To perform all our faithful Promises and Vows To use the Name of God with a religious Reverence and Awe whenever we are called to a lawful Oath To have a due regard for all Things Persons and Places that have his Name and Stamp upon them To perform carefully and conscionably all our lawful Oaths And among our Vows faithfully to perform our Baptismal Vow and all our repeated Vows of amendment that so we may not name the Name of Christ in vain So that if we consider as we ought what 't is that is enjoined us in this Commandment and what is forbidden in it and then reflecting upon our own lives find any of the Duties of it neglected by us or any â—f the Sins against it sadly adventured on in Thought Word or Action how affectionately should we say with the Church Lord have Mercy upon us and incline our Hearts to keep this Law That is Lord pity and pardon all our past Breaches of this Commandment and so incline our Hearts to Love and Obedience for the future that by the Grace we may very sincerely keep this Law of thine for the remainder of our Days IV. COMMANDMENT Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day Sir days shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do c. THE meaning is Thou shalt set apart some Portions of thy time for the publick Offices of Religion Duties commanded and the Glorification of God That if God or his holy Church have appointed One Day in Seven for religious Purposes we are carefully to employ it to these Uses That as the Jews kept the Seventh Day by divine Command in memory of the Creation so we Christians are to keep Holy the First Day of the Week or Lord's Day from Apostolical Practice in memory of our Lord's Resurrection and our Redemption That this Day be spent in holy Offices religious Duties in publick and private Worship in all Actions 1. Of Piety 2. Of Charity I. Of Piety As 1. in frequenting the Assemblies of the Saints 2. In Attendance on the Word in reading or hearing it read preach'd or expounded to us That we may have leisure and ease and freedom from the distractions of the World with Tranquillity of Mind to hear our Lord speak to us from thence and acquaint us with his Will and upon what Conditions we may be admitted to him 3. In attendance on the Sacraments in having leisure for the receiving those Tokens and Pledges of the divine Love to us 4. In Catechising or Instructing those under our Charge 5. In pious Conferences and devout Meditations 6. In Praises and Thanksgivings to the sacred Name of God Beginning that bless'd Imployment here below which shall be continued perfected and compleated in the Mansions of Eternity above 7. In stating Doubts and Scruples to the Guides of Souls and desiring Peace and Satisfaction 8. To reflect on and consider the great Works of the eternal God The great Work of the Creation of the World and the greater Work of the Redemption of it and the Resurrection of our Saviour II. In Actions of Mercy and Charity according to our Abilities and Opportunities As 1. To reconcile Differences 2. To provide for the Necessities of the Poor and Needy 3. To visit the Sick 4. To give ease and rest to our Servants and refreshment from their ordinary Labours Nay to give ease to our very Cattle is a Mercy to them 5. To provoke one another to good Works 6. To reprove exhort and edifie one another in Love To do these or any other instances of Mercy and Charity is a proper Work of the Lord's-Day That the Fasts and Festivals of the Church should in some measure be attended to and observed by us as she prescribes has always been esteemed fit to be reduced to this Commandment That we on the Lord's Day rest from all Desires Lusts Words Works and Pleasures which are our own I mean proceeding from our corrupt Nature and which are not seasoned with Grace that so we may on the Lord's Day keep a truly Spiritual Sabbath And lastly Devoutly then to remember this our Christian Sabbath is but a Type that is a Figure or shadowing out of that eternal Rest and Sabbath which we expect in Heaven This being commanded what we are forbidden in it is Sins forbidden To do or compel or cause others to do any servile Works on this Day except Works of Necessity or Charity Decency or Mercy To put no difference between this and the common Days of the Week All Judaizing Severity is to be laid aside by us Christians that is we being delivered from the Rigour though not the Piety of the Jewish Sabbath are not so to observe it as if Works of Necessity Mercy Decency and Charity were not to be done by us on it We are forbidden to spend it in Idleness and Wantonness in Sleep and Recreations or any part of it in unlawful Recreations in Vanity and Folly Gluttony or Drunkenness Drowsiness and Inconsideration Worldly-mindedness and Lust Sin and Iniquity To refuse to come to the publick Assemblies or neglect the Duties of the Day Publick or Private To Buy or Sell or Travel to manage Business or any worldly Undertaking and Imployment without Necessity It has ever been accounted by the Church unfit if not unlawful to Fast upon the Lord's-Day Superiors are not to suffer those under their Authority to be absent from and neglect holy Duties nor to refuse to allow them liberty time and leisure for them
If we now consider as we ought what 't is that is enjoined us in this Commandment and what 't is that is forbidden in it and then reflecting upon our own lives find any of the Duties of it neglected by us in Thought Word or Action how affectionately should we say with the Church Lord have Mercy upon us and incline our Hearts to keep this Law That is Lord pity and pardon all our past Breaches of this Commandment and so incline our Hearts to Love and Obedience for the future that by thy Grace we may very sincerely keep this Law of thine for the remainder of our Days But before we pass from this Fourth Commandment it may not be amiss to touch upon the Reasons of the Change of the Jewish Seventh Day into the Christian Lord's Day the First Day of the Week This Precept of keeping Holy the Seventh Day or Sabbath is partly Ceremonial and partly Moral Now the Ceremonial part of the Jewish Law is done away but the Moral part of it is confirmed perfected and compleated by the Gospel The Ceremonial part of this Commandment was that God be publickly worshipped precisely on the Jewish Sabbath or the Seventh Day The Moral part of it is That a certain and determined time be set out for the publick Worship of the Eternal God And divine Love and Gratitude in us Christians should engage us not to come behind the Jews in the return of our solemn Days of publick Worship Nay Equity requires we should set out One Day in the Week to the more immediate Glorification of God and our religious Duties So that the Jewish Sabbath being abolished as they kept the Seventh Day in memory of the Creation so the Apostles and the Primitive Church and all Ages of it since kept the First Day of the Week in memory of our Lord's Resurrection and our Redemption For as the Redemption of the World was a greater Mercy than the Creation of it and as God rested from his Labours of the Creation on the Seventh Day and our Saviour rested from his Laboure of the New Creation or his Labours of our Redemption on the First Day of the Week when he arose from the Dead so the Apostles and the Church in all Ages since have set apart the First Day of the Week as the Jews were to set apart the Seventh for the peculiar Worship and Service and Glorification of God That our Lord rose from the Dead upon the First Day of the Week we see St. John xx That the Disciples assembled together on the First Day of the Week we are told St. John xx 19. That St. Paul preached and the Disciples met to break Bread that is to receive the Sacrament on the First Day of the Week we read Acts xx 7. That the Holy Ghost descended on the Apostles on the First Day of the Week is certain Acts ij 1. And that Saint John expresly calls it the Lord's-day we read Rev. i. 10. So that as the Moral Equity of the Commandment as well as divine Love and Gratitude obliges us to set apart One Day in Seven for a holy Rest and for religious Purposes so by the Practice of the Apostles and all following Ages of the Church the First Day of the Week was substituted in the room of the Jewish Sabbath which compared with the Scriptures before-mentioned is sufficient to warrant our Practice So that to sum up the whole They the Jews celebrated the Seventh Day by divine Command we the First Day by Apostolical Practice They the Seventh Day or last Day of the Week under the Law of Moses we the First Day of the Week by divine Law under the Gospel Their Seventh Day or Sabbath was Blessed and Sanctified by the Lord's command our First Day was Blessed and Sanctified by our Lord's Resurrection Their Seventh Day was Hallowed by God's resting on it from the Works of the Creation our First Day was Hallowed by our Lord 's resting on it from the Works of the New-Creation when he arose from the Grave Their Seventh Day was kept by them in memory of the great Work of the Creation of the World our First Day kept by us in memory of the greater work of its Redemption Their Seventh Day called the Lord's Sabbath Lev. xxiij 38. and elsewhere in the Old Testament our First Day called the Lord's Day in the New Rev. i. 10. As for any distinct Text in the Gospel for Christ's Abrogating the Judaical Sabbath there is no more reason to expect it than the like for Sacrifices or Circumcision or the Judaical Priesthood Vid. Dr. Hammond in St. Matthew xij 8. a. V. COMMANDMENT Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long c. THE meaning is Thou shalt pay a due Respect and Love Duties commanded and Reverence in Heart in outward Speech and Behaviour to all Superiors Thou shalt Reverence and Honour and Love and Pray for thy Natural Parents thy Father and Mother Thou shalt obey their lawful and just Commands and support them in their Needs if thou art able Thou shalt obey honour and love the King pray for him and pay him Tribute Thou shalt obey Magistrates If thou art a Servant thou shalt be faithful and obedient to thy Master and serve him with a conscionable care and diligence Thou shalt esteem respect and love and obey the Doctrines of thy Pastor which are faithfully tendred to thee from the Gospel and pay him his just Dues and Maintenance Thou shalt respect and honour the Aged thy Betters and those that are above thee in Learning Wisdom Goodness or any other Gifts and Graces It is here to be remembred too that all Superiors are to perform their Duties to their Inferiors Kings and those in Authority to protect defend and govern their Subjects Parents to nourish baptize provide for and instruct and bless their Children by their Example and their Prayers Husbands to be faithful to love to defend to protect the Wife as the Wife is to be obedient faithful and affectionate to the Husband Masters to be just to admonish to instruct to be examples to their Servants Ministers to feed the Flock faithfully and diligently by Life and Doctrine Sins forbidden These things are commanded in it and the contrary Vices are forbidden As Inferiors are forbidden to behave themselves proudly scornfully and rudely toward their Betters in Age Gifts or Estate Children forbidden to be undutiful stubborn disobedient and unkind to their Parents Subjects forbidden to rebel against dishonour disobey the King or those in Authority under him People forbidden to despise reject hate or defraud their lawful Pastor Servants forbidden to be stubborn negligent unfaithful or disobedient to their Masters And to encourage all to the Duties of this Commandment as well as to disswade them from the Sins forbidden in it here is added a Promise to the conscionable observers of it of a prosperous and peaceable living upon Earth a long and happy life
own State and Condition Yes May a Man envy or grieve at his Neighbour's Good or Prosperity No. Ought we not to be just towards others not only in our actions but in our very thoughts desires and intentions Yes Should we consent to any motions of the heart of contriving to get what 's our Neighbours by unjust or unlawful means No. Is discontentedness repining and murmuring forbidden to a Christian Yes Should a Christian with vexation or greediness or immoderately seek Riches Honours or Pleasures No. Did not your Godfathers and Godmothers promise for you that you should keep these Commandments Yes And will you labour to keep them that you may please God and be admitted to him when you die Yes Will you shew your Love by your Obedience Yes Question What dost thou chiefly learn by these Commandments Answer I learn two things my Duty towards God and my c. Question What is thy Duty towards God Answer My Duty towards God is to believe in him c. IS it not your Duty to believe in God Yes Do you believe him to be an infinitely wise just powerful holy and good Spirit Yes Is not a Christian to fear God so as to be afraid to offend him Yes May a Christian fear Man more than God No. May a Man commit a Fault to please Men though he displease God No. Should we not love him who is infinitely lovely Yes Should we not love him with all our Heart Soul Mind and Strength Yes Is it not reasonble to love a great and good and wise and merciful God Yes Should we ever cease to love that God that is willing we should be saved No. Can we cease to love him who sent his Son to die for us No. Is it not reasonable we should fall down and worship that God that made us and all the World Yes Is it not reasonable we should fall down and Worship that God that can send us to Hell in an instant Yes Is it not reasonable we should give him thanks who gives us Food and Raiment Yes Must not a Christian put his whole Trust in God in all his Needs and Dangers Yes May a Christian seek to deliver himself out of them by any unlawful means No. Is not this to distrust God Yes Must not a Christian call upon him in Prayer Yes Is it not reasonable we should call upon that God that is able to help us Yes And is he not willing and ready to help us in all needs and dangers if he see it fit for us Yes Is it not reasonable we should Honour his holy Name seeing to glorifie it was the great End of our Creation Yes Is it not reasonable we should honour and love that Word which is the Message of Divine Love to us Yes Is it unreasonable we should serve such a God and obey him truly all the days of our Life No. Has he not provided eternal Rewards in Heaven for our moment's obedience here Yes And can we expect more for doing less No. Question What is thy Duty towards thy Neighbour Answer My Duty towards my Neighbour is to love him as c. SHould we not do to all men as we should be content they should do to us if they were in our condition and we in theirs Yes Are we willing to have any Evil done to our own Souls No. Should we therefore do any Evil to any other Man's No. Are we willing to have our own Bodies maimed or wounded No. Are we willing to have our own Goods or Estates injured by any Man No. Should we therefore do so to any other Mans No. Are we willing to have our own good Name taken away and slandered No. Should we then do so to any other Man's No. Are we willing to have our own Needs and Wants relieved by them that are able to do it Yes Should we therefore according to our ability relieve the Needs of others Yes Would we not have all Men deal fairly honestly and justly with us in all Cases Yes And ought we not to deal so with others Yes Is not this to love our Neighbour as our selves Yes Should a Christian hurt any man by word or deed No. Should he be just and upright in all his Dealings Yes May he bear malice hatred or ill will to any in his Heart No. May a Christian be given to lying evil-speaking and backbiting No. Should a Christian be sober chast and temperate Yes Should a Christian that hopes to see God be a Whoremonger Glutton or Drunkard No. Should we wish or desire to deprive our Neighbour of any thing that belongs to him No. Should a Christian be diligent in his calling Yes And should he be content with his State and Condition Yes SECT IV. Postulanda Or Things to be prayed for Of the Lord's Prayer Catechist MY good Child know this that thou art not able to do these things of thy self nor to walk in the commandments of God and to serve him without his special Grace which thou must learn at all times to call for by diligent Prayer Let me hear therefore if thou caust say the Lord's Prayer Answer Our Father c. CAN we keep God's Commandments without his help No. Should we not daily pray to God for his Grace and Strength to do his Will Yes Should any Christian pray less than twice every day No. Should not those who have leisure do well to do it oftner Yes Must our Heart go along with our Mouths when we pray Yes Should a Christian kneel upon his knees when he prays Yes In our Prayers should we ever leave out the Lord's Prayer No. PREFACE Our Father which art in Heaven I. PETITION Hallowed be thy Name IS not God who created us our Father Yes Are we not his Children by Adoption too Yes Is he not then our Father by Creation and our Father in Christ Jesus Yes Is this good Father of ours unwilling to hear us if we ask aright No. Is not this our Father in Heaven Yes When you say Father doth not this teach you to pray with the Affections of a Child and with reverential Love Yes When you say Our Father doth not this teach you to pray for others as well as your self Yes When we say hallowed be thy Name do we not mean Sanctified be thy Name Yes When we say hallowed be thy Name do we not desire God to enable us to Worship Glorifie and Honour him Yes Can we Reverence and Adore and Glorifie him aright unless he enable us No. Is it not fit therefore we should first desire him to strike an awe into our Hearts while we are praying to him Yes II. PETITION Thy Kingdom come WHen we say Thy Kingdom come do we not pray that God's Kingdom of Grace may come to us here Yes And do we not pray that his Kingdom of Glory may come to us hereafter Yes Can we pray for any thing better or more desirable than the Kingdom of Grace here and the
Kingdom of Glory hereafter No. And do we not pray that Satan's Kingdom may be destroyed in us Yes So that do we not pray that Christ as King may rule in our Hearts by his Grace here Yes And that the blessed time may hasten when all his Saints shall reign with him in Glory hereafter Yes III. PETITION Thy will be done in Earth As it is in Heaven WHen we say Thy will be done do we not pray that God would enable us to obey his will Yes Can we do God's will unless he enable us No. And do we not pray that God would enable us to suffer his will patiently in all Afflictions Yes So that do we not mean thy will be done by us and thy will be done in us Yes When we say in Earth as it is in Heaven do we not pray that we may do his will on Earth with the like sincerity and chearfulness as the Angels do in Heaven Yes IV. PETITION Give us this day our daily bread WHen we say Give us this day our daily bread do we not pray that God would give us all things needful for our Bodies Yes And do we not pray that God would bless our lawful endeavours in order to such Supplies Yes And do we not pray that God would give us the continual Supply of his Grace for our Souls Yes Is it reasonable to expect Grace for the Soul and Food and Raiment for the Body unless we pray for it No. By saying Bread are we not taught to pray for necessaries not superfluities Yes In saying our bread do we not mean that which is procured by direct and honest means Yes Our bread that is our own not another's is it not Yes Do we not mean by daily bread that which is convenient for our present condition and occasions Yes In short do we not here pray for all Blessings temporal and spiritual to our Souls aâ—â— Bodies Yes V. PETITION And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive them that trespass against us WHen we say Forgive us our trespasses do we not pray for pardon of Sins Yes Do we not pray that God would for Jesus sake acquit us from the Guilt and Punishment of our Sins Yes Can a Christian pray rightly to God with hatred malice or desires of revenge in his heart No. Can we expect forgiveness of God unless we forgive others their Offences against us No. But if a man have considerably trespassed us may we seek reasonable satisfaction Yes But may we seek it with any hatred or malice or revenge to the Person No. Must not a Christian then seek satisfaction for damages without rigour spight or bitterness Yes Is it not an unchristian thing to go to Law for trifles Yes Or to go to Law for revenge and stoutness of Humour Yes May I go to Law meerly because another has disquieted me by that means No. Must a Christian love his Enemies Yes Though this be hard yet is not Heaven a great reward for it Yes Must a Christian do good to them that hate him when it lies in his power Yes Though this be hard yet is not the promise of a Crown of Glory enough to make amends for it Yes Should we Christians then return these injuries to others which we receive from them No. When we pray Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive c. do we not pray that no man may fare the worse in the day of Judgment for any wrongs done to us Yes And do we not pray in this Petition that God would give us the Grace of Charity and Forgiveness Yes VI. PETITION And lead us not into temptation ARE not the World the Flesh and the Devil alway by their Temptations drawing us to Sin Yes Can we overcome their Temptations without God's help No. When we say Lead us not into Temptation do we not pray that God would not suffer us to be overcome by their Temptations Yes Do we not pray that God would not withdraw his Grace from us Yes Can we stand in Temptations without his Grace No. Well then do we not pray that we may not be grievously tempted to sin Yes Or if we are tempted do we not pray that we may not fall into it Yes And do we not pray that we may not live impenitently in sin if we should fall into it Yes Is it a sin to be tempted No. Does not the sin lie in yielding to the Temptation Yes Can the Devil tempt us without God's permission No. In short do we not pray that God would either restrain the Temptation or assist us in it Yes And is there not daily need of this Petition Yes VII PETITION But deliver us from evil WHen we say Deliver us from evil do we not pray that God would deliver us from all Evils of this life and that to come Yes Especially that he would deliver us from the Evils to which we are tempted Yes Can we deliver our selves out of any Evil without God's help No. And do we not pray that God would keep none of his wrath in store for us Yes Do we pray that God would deliver us from the evil One that is Satan Yes And from the evil of Sin Yes And from the evil of Punishment Yes And from the evil World Yes And from our own evil Heart Yes From evil Thoughts evil Words and evil Actions Yes The CONCLUSION For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever Amen WHen we pray to God should we ever omit to praise him too No. When we say For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory do we not praise him Yes Do we not in these Words acknowledge God to be of infinite Power and Glory Yes Doth not this teach us that the right end of our Prayers should be the Glory of God Yes When we say Amen do we not express our Belief that God can and our desire that he will grant these Requests Yes Is not this therefore an excellent Form of Prayer Yes When a Christian prays to God should he ever leave out this Prayer No. Question What desirest thou of God in this Prayer Answer I desire my Lord God our heavenly Father to send c. DO we not solemnly own God in this Prayer to be our heavenly Father Yes Is not the word Father an endearing word Yes And should you not live in his sight with the reverential Affections the Love and Obedience of a Child Yes And seeing he is a tender Father should not this encourage us to pray to him Yes Would any Man methinks be excused from asking good Things of him who is the giver of all Goodness No. Is it not reasonable we should beg the Grace of God seeing we can do no good thing without it Yes Can we worship him serve him and obey him without the assistance of his Grace No. Is it not reasonable we should beg daily bread all things needful for our Souls and Bodies of our Father from whom alone
Wine the outward part of the Lord's Supper Yes And is not the inward and spiritual part this The giving of Christ to us his very Body and Blood and all the Benefits and Merits of his Death and Sufferings Yes Doth not the breaking of the Bread shew forth to us that the Body of Christ was broken upon the Cross for us Yes And doth not the Wine poured out shew forth Christ's Blood shed for us Yes Doth not this Sacrament nourish and strengthen our Souls Yes Doth it not nourish and strengthen them in Faith Yes Doth it not nourish and strengthen them in Hope Yes Doth it not nourish and strengthen them in Love to Christ Yes Doth it not nourish and strengthen them in Charity to one another Yes Doth it not encourage every good Christian in a holy Life when he receives these Tokens of his Saviour's Love Yes But may we receive this Sacrament unworthily No. If we would come worthily must we not examine our selves Yes That is to say must we not examine our Faith whether we believe in Christ and believe his Gospel Yes If we would come worthily must we not examine our selves whether we repent of our Sin Yes If we would come worthily must we not examine our selves whether we resolve sincerely to obey Christ's Laws Yes If we would come worthily must we not examine our selves whether we be in Love and Charity with our Neighbours Yes If we would come worthily must we not come and thankfully remember Christ's dying for us Yes If we would come worthily should we not earnestly beg God in Prayer to make us worthy Yes If we come after this manner will God refuse to accept of us No. If we come after this manner shall we not find it a very comfortable Duty Yes If we come after this manner will God cease to love us or refuse to pardon us No. And if we persevere and hold out will he take us to himself when we die Yes Should notorious customary Sinners presume to come to this Sacrament without Repentance No. In Repentance must we not bewail our Sins to God Yes Must we not sorrow because we have offended him we love Yes In Repentance must we not Confess our Sins to God Yes In Repentance must we not stedfastly purpose amendment of Life Yes Does our Repentance signifie any thing without intentions of Reformation No. If we thus repent of our Sins and leave them heartily is not God willing for Christ's sake to be Friends with us Yes Did not Christ die for the Sins of all true Penitents Yes Will not Christ Seal a Pardon to us in the Sacrament if we come faithful Penitents Yes And is it not a strange thing that Men will not come to the Sacrament with Faith Repentance and Charity that so they may have their Pardon sealed Yes Should we not in the Sacrament remember and think upon the wonderful Love of Christ in dying for us Yes Should malicious and uncharitable and revengeful Persons so continuing come to the Sacrament No. Must we not therefore take care to come in Charity Yes Suppose we have done any Man any considerable Injury should we not be ready to make him Satisfaction and reconcile him to us before we come to the Sacrament Yes Suppose a Man have done us an Injury should we forgive him and be willing to be reconciled to him Yes May not a Man lawfully seek Satisfaction for greater Injuries Yes But if we do seek for Satisfaction by Law for a great Injury should it not be without Spite Malice and purposes of Revenge Yes Should we not at the Sacrament offer up something to God for the Use of the Poor Yes Should a Christian that hopes to see God wilfully neglect the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper No. Can he do it without endangering his Salvation No. Should you not therefore take all fit Opportunities to come to this Sacrament after you come to years of Discretion Yes Is it not a good sign of devout Affections and divine Love to come to it frequently Yes Shall not those that conscionably do these things be happy in their change of Worlds Yes Is not eternal Happiness well worth a Christian Life for a few Years Yes Is he wise who will chuse to live wickedly for a little while and live in Hell for ever No. Is it not infinitely better to live and die in Peace Yes AN EXPOSITION OF THE Church-Catechism IN A Continued full and plain Discourse PART II. IN Order to the Explication of this Excellent Catechism we are to consider 't is made up of Five Chief Parts which like the Five Pillars placed near the Door of the Tabernacle Exod. 26.36 37. are the fittest and best Entrance upon Christian Knowledge after our first admission into the Church in the whole World 1. The First Part of it contains an account of our baptismal Benefits Vow and Covenant that is it teaches us to understand and consider what was done for us and in our Name when we were received into the Family of our Saviour into the Christian Church And takes care that we should know what we then promised to do our selves 2. The Second Part of it contains a brief Account of what is to be believed by every Man that hopes Salvation by the Name of Jesus This is comprehended in short in the Apostles Creed 3. The Third Part of it contains an Account in short of what is to be done by every Christian what is to be performed by us if we hope to see God and desire to shew our Love of him by our Obedience And this is briefly comprehended in the Ten Commandments 4. The Fourth Part of it contains a short and comprehensive Account of what is to be prayed for by every Christian And this is contained in the Lord's Prayer which is that very self-same Prayer which our Saviour taught his Disciples when he came to visit us in great Humility and lived upon Earth 5. The Fifth Part of it contains the Doctrine of the Two Sacraments Or a most brief but excellent Account of the Sacrament of Baptism and the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper SECTION I. 1. The First Part of the Catechism contains an Account of our baptismal Benefits Vow and Covenant That is it teaches us to understand and consider what was done for us and in our Name when we were received into the Family of our Saviour into the Christian Church And takes care that we should know what we then promised to do our selves Question WHAT is your Name Answer N. or M. THE First Question is What is your Name and the Reason of it is this That we may remember that when our Name was given us we were received into Christ's Church made Disciples of his and admitted into the number of his Flock by Baptism That we may remember whose we are and to whom we belong That we may remember whose Faith and Love and Obedience we have undertaken here from whose Merits and
our Souls are thus strengthened so are they refreshed too by the comfortable Apprehensions of having renewed the Covenant of Grace with our God and Saviour to the Conditions of which if we sincerely stand on our part we are certainly intituled to Heaven and Glory and Immortality We are refreshed as we before intimated by the comfortable Hopes of Pardon of Sin and of being restored to the Divine Favour which we certainly then are if we fail not of our part These are strengthenings and refreshings of the Soul as great as any that can be given to the Body by bread and wine Question What is required of them who come to the Lord's Supper Answer To examine themselves whether they repent them c. THE meaning is All that come to this Sacrament if they hope to feast comfortably on the body and blood of their Saviour and to partake of all the benefits of his Death and Sufferings are to come daily prepared And to that end are as the Apostle advises 1 Cor. 11.28 to examine themselves Now this Examination is chiefly to be touching these Five things which are here summed up together in this Answer 1. touching their Repentance 2. Touching their Resolutions of a new Life or Obedience 3. Touching their Faeith 4. Touching their Charity 5. Touching their Thankfulness and Devotion 1. Touching their Repentance Repentance in short is this A change of Life a turning from Sin to God with Confession and Contrition a lasting durable State of new Life and Reformation 2. Touching resolutions of a new Life and Obedience That is a future sincere universal constant and persevering discharge of all known Duty to our God our Selves and Neighbours and where at any time we fail of perfection through Infirmity there instantly to rise again by Repentance a greater diligence and watchfulness 3. Touching our Faith Faith in short is this Such a belief of Jesus Christ and his Gospel as makes us sincerely obedient to his Laws and to live accordingly We are to come with Faith in God's Mercy that is stedfastly believing that for the sake of our Saviour our God will not fail to be reconciled to us upon Repentance Reformation and a persevering future Obedience 4. Touching our Charity Charity in brief is this A sincere Love of God and of our Neighbour for God's sake Now this Charity is to shew its self to our Neighbour in a readiness to Give and Forgive To forgive Injuries that is all lesser and more inconsiderable Injuries so as to seek no satisfaction In greater instances or in considerable and insupportable matters though we may seek for legal Reparation from the injurious Person yet we are so far to forgive as not to seek it with spite and rigour and malice and hatred and with designs of gratifying our revengeful Humour But still to carry a treatable and friendly a Christian and charitable Disposition toward the Person And to be ready to make satisfaction to and to seek a reconciliation with them whom we have injured In giving to them of need and in this holy Sacrament never to appear before the Lord empty In short to be charitably inclined to all Men not only our Friends but even our bitterest Enemies and not to be hindred from it by the difficulty of the Duty considering the Example of our Master and the Crown before us 5. Touching our Thankfulness and Devotion That is to come to these holy Mysteries with a thankful remembrance of Christ's astonishing and most endearing Love in dying for us with a Heart and Soul and Mouth full of Thanks and Praises and Zeal and Devotion Divine Love and purposes of Obedience full of the most affectionate admiration that our God and Saviour should do so much more for us fallen Men than he did for the fallen Angels As for that unworthiness the Apostle speaks of in not discerning the Lord's body that consists in these Four Things 1. In not discerning it by Faith from a common meal or from common food Not discerning Christ's body in the consecrated bread and Christ's blood in the consecrated wine 2. In not by Faith discerning this holy Sacrament from the Jewish Passover as some of the half converted Jews did not 3. In not discerning Christ's body and blood in the consecrated bread and wine so as to come to it irreverently 4. Not so to discern Christ's body as to come to it with a remaining affection to sin with a known willful sin unrepented of unresolved against particularly hatred and malice These are the chief parts of unworthiness So that if we examine our selves touching the Five things mentioned 1. Repentance 2. Faith in the Holy Jesus 3. Resolutions of a Christian Life and a new Obedience 4. Our Charity 5. Our Thankfulness and Devotion and find them in the Soul though in lower degrees and measures yet if we find there withal desires of having them greater let us not then fear of eating and drinking our own Damnation but ever come with a holy chearful humble and devout heart to this most heavenly Duty Thus have I briefly explained the Nature and the meaning and the benefits of the Two Sacraments which are necessary for all men in general to Salvation and which our blessed Saviour a little before he left this lower World appointed and ordered to be continued by us in his Church to the Worlds end to be dispensed by the Ministers of the Gospel to all believers as the ordinary way and means to keep us in Covenant with him and to convey Grace to his People Accordingly he has appointed and set apart a whole Order of Men in succession down from the Apostles to administer the Word and both these Sacraments to all faithful People till his second coming to judge the World The First of these I mean Baptism is the Sacrament by which we are admitted into his Church the Second of these the Lord's Supper is the Sacrament by which we solemnly and thankfully own our having been so The First of these is the Sacrament by which we are admitted to the Favour of our God and Saviour the Second is that Sacrament by which we are to continue our selves in that Favour Again The First of these is the Sacrament by which we are admitted and received into the Covenant of Grace before we knew it the Second of these is the Sacrament by which we renew and confirm this gracious Covenant with our God and Saviour The First of these the Sacrament by which we have a Title given us to a Kingdom of Glory the Second is the Sacrament to which God mercifully invites us to ratifie confirm and renew that Title of ours to a Crown of Life The First of these the Sacrament by which we are new-born to Righteousness the Second of them is the Sacrament by which we are nourished up in it The First of these the Sacrament by which we are made Christians or Disciples of the Holy Jesus the other the Sacrament by which we solemnly