to hear his Children Praying our Saviour received little Children in his arms and unto little Children the Kingdom of Heaven belongs And as a good Man saith I had rather have my House filled with my Childrens Prayers than with Diamonds and Pearls Secondly Take heed of telling Lies Lye not one to another saith the Apostle Let your Communion be year yea and nay nay saith our Saviour Remember Lyars shall have their part in Fire and Brimstone Rev. 22.4 Thirdly Delight thy self in Reading good Books read not foolish and wanton Books and Ballads which tend only to the nourishment of Vice. Fourthly Let not thy Children scoff and jeer at the Antient be they never so poor Remember the dreadful Iudgment of God upon those wicked Children in 2 Kin. 2.23 24. who mocked and scoffed at the Propher they in derision called they Propher Bald pate and God in judgment for this wickedness caused two Bears to devour two and forty of them Love the Poor and plead their cause remember what God saith Blessed is he that considereth the Poor and Needy Fifthly frequent the Word of God sleep not at Churth or at prayer for remember whosoever sleeps at Church or at Prayer the Devil rocks the Cradle Sixthly Let thy Apparel be decent and comely take heed of Pride in thy Apparel Remember Jezabel her wicked end how sadly Gon met with her in her Painting those Persons who are so curious in Painting and dressing themselves surely the Devil holds them the Looking Glass Seventhly Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy for surely those Children that Sweat and Lye and break the Sabbath are the Devils Children and they that spend the Sabbath in Playing and Caming have the Devil for their Play-fellow Take heed then I say that you make not the Lords day a day of Sports and Pastime as the Children of the Devil do Remember God hath allowed thee six days do not then be so wicked as to rob him of the seventh but God did not appoint the Sabbath for a day of sporting and pleasure but for a day of Worshipping and serving God a Day for Preaching and Prayer Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy. Eighthly See that you reverence and esteem the Ministers of Gods Holy Word account of them as they are indeed the Ministers of Christ Remember what our Saviour saith He that despiseth you saith be to his Apostles despiseth me and he that despiseth me shall be for ever despised of God. Ninthly If thou beest a Child of God avoid then the Company of the Devils Children that is such as Swear and Curse and Lye and Steal and use all manner of filthy talk Keep not company with such least thou for thy pains learnest their Vices and so partake of their punishment that so when others shall answer for their idle words thou may'st be rewarded Tenthly Love honour and obey your Parents in the Lord Consider how God hath commanded you so to do and God will severely punish those that dispise their Parents see that dreadful place Prov. 30.17 The eye that mocketh his Father and dispiseth to obey his Mother the Ravens of the Valley shall pick it out and the young Eagle shall eat it Eleventhly Remember thy Creator in the days of thy Youth Labour to serve God with the strength and best of thy days Live to God whilst thou livest and thou shalt be sure to live with God when thou Dyelt Remember Samuel how he was dedicated to God from his Birth and Timothy how he rejoyed that of a Child he had known the Holy Scriptures Lastly Walk constantly in the fear of the Lord all the day long in the Morning when thou risest bless God for his merciful preservation of thee the night past give him thanks for that he hath given thee to see the light of another day and when thou preparest thy self for thy Bed prepare thy self as for thy Grave remembrings that many go to Bed and never rise again and therefore do not sleep till thou haft committed thy self by Prayer to God forsurely they that go to Bed without Praying the Devil is their Bed-fellow Now that thou mayest carefully perform those things in the first place seek to God by Prayer for God loves Praying Children be sure to pray unto God both morning and thening and when thou prayest say Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done in Earth as it in Heaven Give us this day our daily Bread And sorgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them thay Trespass against us And lead us not into Temptation But deliver us from evil for thine is the Kingdom the power and glory for ever and ever Amen This is the Prayer which Christ himself commands us to use and therefore it is called The Lords Prayer the best pattern for Prayer in the whole world Therefore it were to be wished that all Parents would he careful to reach their Children the Lords Prayer as soon as they can be fit to learn it and having learned this by heart then let them use some other and so use both together A short form of Prayer very necessary for Children and Youth to be used in the Morning O Lord our God thou art the Father of Heaven and the Father of mercis by whom alone we live and move and have our being who tookest us out of our Mothers Womb hast ever since preserved us to this day blessed be thy name We bless thee that thou hast safely desended us this night past that thou hast brought us safe to the beginning of another day We pray thee defend us in the same by thu mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin keep us safe from the tamptation of Sathan Deliver us we pray thee from all evil and grant O Lord that we may live this day and all the rest of our days as becometh thy Children in Holiness and true Righteousness bless out Parents O lord give them Grace that they may bring us up in thy Commandments as thou hast made us their Children by nature good Lord make us thy Children by Grace that so we may obey our Parents and serve thee our God all our days that so it may be well with us here and here after Bless O Lord all the rest of our friend O Lord let our friends by thy friends give us Grace to serve thee here with all our strength and with all our might that so when this mortal Life shall be ended we may live and reign with thee for ever in Glory Amen The Lord bless us and make his Fare to shine upon us and the Lord be with us both in our going forth and in our coming in this day and all our days for ever and ever Amen An Evening Prayer for Children O Most holy most gracious and most Glorious Lord God we thy poor Children do here again prostrate our selves before thy Majesty this Ovening humly
beseeching thee for Iesus Chirst his sake to pardon and forgive us all our Sins and to blot out our Transgressions our of thy Remembrance we confess Lord we are by nature Children of Wrath but we pray thee make us thy Children O Lord by Grace and Adoption and as we grow in yeace so Lord we pray thee let us grow in Grace let us not be children in malice and witkedness but Chrildren in Love and Unity as thou hast loved us O Lord so we pray thee let us love thee our God and love one another Bless our parents in their Godles especially bless them in their Souls bless them in their Baskets and in their Store instruct them O Lord that they may instruct us he with us all this Night in our down-lying O Lord let us sleep in thy fear let is lye down in the love and rise again in thy lavour and grant we beseeth the most merciful Father that whether sleeping of waking living or dying we may be always thine watch over us this Night and defend us in the same by the mighty power and preserve us from sin defend us from Satan continue thy love to us and he with us and all ours Bless Guide Peserve defend and keep us both in Soul and in Body this night and evermore Amen And then if thou wouldest be a Child of God always after Prayer in the morning see that you Read some Lesson of Chapter out of the Bible and be always Reading of good Books as The Practice of Piety the Plain-mans Path-way to Heaven Mrs. Baxter's Call to the Unconverted The Great Assize the Silver Watch-Bell and others and be sure thou never lookest upon any idle foolish jesting Book which tend only to the noutishment of Vice and spending of precious time but delight thy self in reading the Holy Bible and other Godly Books that so the Lord may bless thee here and thou mayest be blessed hereafter for Godliness hath not only the promise of this life but of the life to come that thou mayest give account at the great and Terrible Day of Iudgement as well for every idle hour thou spendest as for thery idle word thou speakest when thou are disposed to be merry laying assde all ungodly Songs and Ballads which tend only to the nourishment of Vice and Wickedness and the corruption of Youth If any be merry let him sing Psalms the Apostle doth not say If any be merry let him any merry Songs and merry Ballads but if any be merry let him sing Psalms And be sure always that you sing with Grace in your heart making melody to the Lord. PSALM CXXVIII BLessed art thou that fearest God and walkeft in his way For of thy Labour thou shalt eat Happy art thou I say Like fruitful Vine on the House side so doth thy Wife spring out The Children stand like Olive Plants thy Table round about Thus art thou blest that fearest God and he shall let thee see The promised Jerusalem and her felicity Thou shalt thy Childrens Children see to thy great joys increase And likewise Grace to Israel prosperity and peace Then in the next place be sure to get and learn some good Catechism that so thou mayest be instructed in the Principles of Religion as that excellent Catechism of Mr. Perkins called The six Principles of Religion Mr. Balls Catechism c. A Short but Necessary Catechism for Children Q. WHo made you A. God. Q. For what did God make you A. God made me that I might serve him and for his glory Q. Who Redeemed you A. Iesus Christ Q. From what did Christ Iesus Redeem you A. Iesus Christ redeemed me by his blood from Sin and Hell. Q. Who sanctified and preserved you A. God the Holy Ghost Q. What is God A. God is a Spirit Q. How many Gods are there A. One only true God divided into three persons God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost Q. In what state did God make man at first A. God made man at first after his own Image in Righteousness and True Holiness Q. Did man continue in this state A. No. Q. How did he fall A. By disobeying the Commandments of God in eating the forbidden Fruit. Q. What followed thereupon A. Hereupon followed Sin Death and Hell. Q. Did God leave man in this fallen estate A. No God provided for fallen Man a Saviour and Redeemer our Lord Iesus Christ the Righteous Q. How many Commandments are there A. Ten. Q. Which be they let me hear you rehearse them I. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me II. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven Image nor the likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above or that is in the Earth beneath or that is in the water under the Earth thou shalt not bow down to them nor serve them for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me and shew mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandments III. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain IV. Remember the sabbath-Sabbath-day to keep it holy six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy Son nor thy Daughter thy Man-Servant nor thy Maid Servant nor thy Cattel nor the Stranger that is within thy gates for in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day and hallowed it V. Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee VI. Thou shalt not kill VII Thou shalt not commit Adultery VIII Thou shalt not steal IX Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour X. Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours House thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours Wife nor his Man Servant nor his Maid-Servant nor his Ox nor his Ass nor any thing that is thy Neighbours Q. What dost thou chiefly learn by these Commandment A. I learn by these Commandments that it is my duty to serve God according to his Word and love my Neighbour as my self Q. Art thou able to keep the Commandments A. No. Q. How then shalt thou expect to be saved A. Only by Faith in Iesus Christ Q. What is Faith A. Faith is the Gift of God whereby we lay hold on Iesus Christ for Eternal Salvation Rehearse the Articles of the Christian Faith. 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 Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was Crucified Dead and Buried he descended into Hell the
The School of GRACE Or A Book of Good Nurture for the Admonition and Instruction of Youth and Age in the fear of the Lord. With Godly Instructions Graces Prayâ—rs describing the whole Duty of a Christian By I. Hart B. B. The 19th Edition Fear God Honour the King. Printed for W. Thackeray and I. Par singer Come ye Children hearken unto me and I will teach you the fear oâ— the Lord Psalm 34.11 Ephes 6.1 2 3 4 5 6. â—hildren obey your Parents in the Lord for this is right â—onour thy Father and Mother Which is the first Commandment with promise â—…t it is may be well with thee and thou mayest live long on the Earth â—…l ye Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath but bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. THe Blessed Apostle in the former Chapter having laid down several Chistian duties in the general comes here to assert and lay down the several Duties 1. Of Husbands and Wives 2. Of Children and Parents 3. Of Masters and Servants These words contain the particular Duties of Children and Parents Children obey your Parent here is the Childrens Duty Secondly here is the manner of performance of this Duty in the Lord Children obey your Parents in the Lord. In the next place the Apostle does lay down several Reasons and motives to encourage Christian Children to this Chistian Duty 1. It is GODS Commandment so to do Honour thy Father and Mother 2. It is very beneficial for Children so to do for first it shall be well with them if they do so and secondly their days shall be long upon the Earth In the second place we have here the duty of Parents First Negatively what Parents should not by And then secondly Affirmatively what they should do 1. Negatively they should not provoke their Children to Wrath. And 2. Affirmatively They must bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. From the words thus opened I gather these two Observations 1. That it is the duty of Children to obey their Parents in the Lord. 2. That it is the duty of Parents to Educate instruct and bring up their Children in the fear of the Lord. Hearken to thy Father that begat thee with Solomon and despise not thy Mother when she is old Prov. 23.22 Train up a Child in his Youth saith Solomon in the way he should go and he will not depart from it Prov. 22.6 Now that I may the better enforce this Duty I shall a little open the particular duties of both For one main reason why Children do so much neglect their Duty is because Parents are so negligent of their own Duties for it Parents did take more care as their Duty is to bring up their Children in the fear of God surely Children would make more Conscience of performing their duty to their Parents And that Children and Parents for the time to come may the better perform their Duties I shall say down sundry Christian and Bodly Directions suitable to all persons upon all occasions and so conclude with some few patierns of Prayers and Graces for the better benesit and Instruction of Children in the seat of God. The first Duty of Parents is That they give their Children Christian Baptism and thereby to Dedicate them unto the Lord. Secondly Give unto your Children good Examples for Children are prone by nature to follow the had Example of any more especially their Parents Thirdly Pray unto God for a Blessing upon thy Children that God would make them his Children by enriching their Souls with Grace Fourthly Learn to instruct them be times by some good Catechisms in the Principles of Christian Religion and to Instruction wisely and Correction For he that spareth the Rod saith Solomon hateth his Child but he that loveth him Chastneth him Fifthly Keep a constant and awful Authority over them not suffeting them to be irrevetent for this end according to antient and laudible custom teech them reverently to ask thee blessing on their Knees Sixthly Labour to suppress all Sin and wickedness in thy Children and to this end suffer them not to lye swear curse or prophane the Lords day else will thy Children have cause to curse thee to all Eternity We find it recorded in Scripture of Goodly Parents Educating their Children in the fear of the Lord Abraham commanded his Children and Servants Gen. 8.16 So likewise Joshua and holy David Job and others The Godly Life of the Child discovers the Godliness of the Parents and thus if thou labourest to bring up thy Children in the fear of God that thy Children may be Gods Children how Gloriously then have you provided for them God is their Father and they that have God for their Father shall never want for as the Apostle saith Godliness is profitable having the promise of the Life that now is and the Life to come Though thou leavess but a little of this World yet remember God hath provided a Kingdom for them that serve him Lastly Cause thy Children friquently to frequent the Ordinances of Christ both publique and private do not only pray with them and for them but cause them to pray for themselves and one for another bring them constantly to hear the publick Preaching of the word of God and be assured by the blessing of God your Children may be inriched with Grace here and filled with glory hereafter and in so doing thou may'st have joy and comfort God may have Glory and honour and thy Children Everlasting life through Iesus Christ Now the Duty of Children to their Parents in the first place you see is Obedience Children obey your Parents in the Lord And this obedience of Children to their Parents you see it must be in the Lord and only in the Lord for if Parents command their Children to do any thing contrary to the Word of God then hey are not to obey them they sin in so doing for remember we must obey God rather than Man. Children are to learn good Instructions from their Parents My Son saith Solomon hear the Instruction of thy Father and forfake not the law of thy Mother Prov. 1.1 c. 3. Children are to honour and reverence their Parents Honour thy Father and thy Mâ—…her saith the Lord Honour thy Parents by thy modest silent humble and respective carriage towards them Fourthly Children ought to be thankful to their Parents endeavouting if need be to requite them for their Fatherly love and care towards them honouring relieving and supplying them in all their several needs and necessities And thus much briefly of the Duries of Parents and Children I come now in the next place to give you some directions and instructions for the better performance of those several Duties And my first advice to Children is that they make daily Prayers to God. How precious a thing is it to hear Children praying and low dreadful a thing to hear them Swearing and Cursing as soon as they can speak God loves