image nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above or in the earth beneath or in the water under the earth Thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God and visit the sins of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shew mercy unto thousands in them that love me and keep my commandments Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this law 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 Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this law Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day Six days shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt do no manner of work thou and thy son and thy daughter thy man-servant and thy maid-servant thy cattel and 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 seventh day and hallowed it Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this law Honour thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this law Thou shalt do no murther Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this law Thou shalt not commit adultery Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this law Thou shalt not steal Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this law Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this law Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife nor his servant nor his maid nor his ox nor his ass nor any thing that is his Lord have mercy upon me and write all these thy laws in my heart I beseech thee Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind This is the first and great commandment And the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets Matth. 22. v. 37 38 39 40. The Lord's Prayer the best form of your Christian Devotion either for the beginning or end of your Prayers 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 After this manner therefore pray ye Our Father c. Matth. 6. v. 9. When the Soldier stands Sentinel Take ye heed watch and pray for ye know not when the time is Mark 13.33 When he goes out to mount or dismount the Guard The Lord preserve my going out and my coming in from this time forth and for evermore Psal 121. v. 8. When he goes to fight the Enemy Plead thou my cause O Lord with them that strive with me and fight thou against them that fight against thee Take hold of shield and buckler and stand up for mine help Psal 35. v. 1 2. ¶ God be with you in your life and at your death and make your Soul and Body precious in the sight of the Lord with whom I pray that you may live for evermore Amen FINIS
thy God to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day Deut. 28. v. 15. The Lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies thou shalt go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth Deut. 28. v. 25. And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in his ways and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul Deut. 10. v. 12. Up sanctifie the people and say Sanctifie your selves against to morrow for thus saith the Lord God of Israel There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee O Israel thou canst not stand before thine enemies until ye take away the accursed thing from among you Josh 7. v. 13. And you in any wise keep your selves from the accursed thing lest ye make your selves accursed when ye take of the accursed thing and make the camp of Israel a curse and trouble it Josh 6. v. 18. Take good heed therefore unto your selves that ye love the Lord your God Josh 23. v. 11. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man Eccles 12. v. 13. And the soldiers likewise demanded of him saying And what shall we do And he said unto them Do violence to no man neither accuse any falsly and be content with your wages Luke 3. v. 14. Besides this giving all diligence add to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity for if these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. v. 5 6 7 8 9. Wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall 2 Pet. 1.10 The works of the flesh are manifest which are these adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness idolatry witchcraft hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murders drunkenness revilings and such like they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God Gal. 5.19 20 21 22. But as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1. v. 15. EXERCISE II. A Christian Soldier must exercise the Acts of daily Repentance by hearty Contrition sorrow ful Confession and the sincere Resolution of Holy amendment for the time to come HAve mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindness according unto the multitude of thy mercies blot out my transgressions Ps 51. v. 1. Wash me throughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin Ps 51. v. 2 c. For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities Ps 51. v. 9. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Ps 51 v. 10. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Ps 51.17 Deliver me then O God from blood guiltiness from the sins of malice and uncharitableness of whoredom and drunkenness of murmuring and disobedience of swearing and profanation of thy name c. * Here recollect the sins you are guilty of thou God of my salvation Ps 51. v. 14. I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men Job 7. v. 20. I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin For this shall every one that is godly pay unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found Psal 36.5 6. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1 Joh. 1.9 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance Luk. 3. v. 8. Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Act. 3.19 Sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee Joh. 5.14 God having raised up his son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Act. 3.26 I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service And be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God Rom. 12. v. 1 2. EXERCISE III. A Christian Soldier must meditate upon the infinite love and goodness of God in giving his Son to be the Saviour of the World THis is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life St. Joh. 3.16 John seeth Jesus coming unto him and saith Behold the lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world Joh. 1.29 He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed Is 53.5 To him give all the prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins Act. 10.43 God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us Much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him Rom. 5. v. 8 9. And if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world 1 Joh. 2. v. 1 2. EXERCISE IV. A Christian Soldier must exercise himself in a constant and babitual Preparation for Death considering the many fatal Accidents and Dangers to which his life is exposed in the time of War O That they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Deut. 32. v. 20. Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow for what is your life it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away Jam. 4.14 Surely men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are alike to be laid in the balance they are altogether lighter than vanity Ps 62.9 Seeing his days are determined the number of his months are with thee thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass Job 14.5 So teach us to number our days
THE SOLDIER 's Religious Exercise IN THE TIME of WAR BEING Some Proper Texts Portions of Holy-Scripture and Prayers useful for those OFFICERS and SOLDIERS who are engaged abroad in Their Majesties Service Publish'd by a late Chaplain to the Army JOSH. 1. 8 9. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good success Have not I commanded thee Be strong and of a good courage be not afraid neither be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest LONDON Printed for Ric. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCXC Imprimatur Jan. 4. 1689. To the Honourable the Colonels and others the chief Officers of Their Majesties Army HAving been some time since ingaged in the Service of the Army I considered with my self what course would be most proper and expedient to discharge the Obligations of the Chaplain's Duty And I am of Opinion That there is no way more useful to his purpose in order to promote the Practical Exercise of Religion among the ordinary and private Soldiers who are generally very ignorant of the common Rudiments and Principles of Christianity than to advise the frequent reading of the Holy Scriptures which indeed I found by sad experience was shamefully neglected by some of them to the great scandal and abuse of Religion And this I chiefly impute to the want of Bibles among them for I dare say were a strict search and enquiry made in every Regiment of the Army we should not find many possess'd of this Holy Treasure which does so nearly concern the necessary good and Salvation of their Precious and Immortal Souls And therefore to supply that defect or rather the want of Holy Instruction from those sacred Oracles of God's inspired Word give me leave I pray you to dedicate to your use this small Bible or Summary of Devotional Scripture which being of a lesser size is more fitly accommodated for the Soldier 's carriage and may be in some sense as useful as it contains a brief Collection of all those necessary and pertinent Tâ—xts which are adapted for a Soldier 's Christian Duty and Service in the time of War And which as it may serve to instruct the more ignorant and unlearned in the common rules and ways of Salvation so I hope it will not altogether prove useless or insufficient to remember those who are more knowing of their Christian Duty and Calling that so both may become more sincerely vertuous and Religions towards God and honestly faithful and serviceable to the Interest of Their Majesties present Government as they desire to serve the common Rights and Liberties of the Church and Nation And now I humbly desire all the chief Officers and Commanders of Their Majesties Army to whose faâ—our I present this small Treatiâ—e or Religious Exercise of Devotional Scripture that they will be pleased to give in strict charge or command to all their subalterns both Officers and Soldiers that this may be read by them as they have leisure and opportunity either in the Camp or Garison and especially to those who are engaged in Their Majesties Service both in Holland and Ireland for whom I have fitted those Holy Collects or Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer in the Close of this Book which will not be improper to be used by every particular Officer or Soldier who keeps constant to the Exercise of daily Devotion and besides 't is necessary that he do reflect upon some of those Holy Passages of Scripture which I have here reduced under so many several Heads which I judged to be most proper for the Soldier 's Christian Duty during his Service in the Wars And now because among the private Men the Education of some is so Illiterate that they cannot Read I have thought of this expedient to help the ignorant which is That his fellow Soldier or Comrade do by frequent reading inculcate unto his Memory some few of those chief Texts or Portions of Holy Scripture And if these Orders and Rules of Religion be strictly observed and put in Execution by you who are the chief Officers you will soon find the benefit of this Holy Discipline to be not only serviceable to your seives in keeping your Men orderly and sober in their Behâ—viour and so no less quietly submissive and obedient to the Words of your Command But then what is more happy this will be in some measure greatly instrumental for the publick Service of Religion in reforming those Scandalous Vices and Immoralities of Drunkenness and Swearing which are so generally risen among the more Ignoble and Plebeian sort And thus you will come to gain not only the credit of esteem and Reputation to your selves but you will do no less real honour and service to Their Majesties by your diligence and fidelity in this present juncture wherein we must expect either the lasting happiness or intire Ruine of the Peace and Prosperity of this Church and Nation as God is pleased to give success to Their Majesties Arms which we all know are now chiefly engaged to maintain the free Exercise of our Religion which is so happily modelled according to the excellent Doctrine and Precepts of the Holy Bible And of which this being a small Epitome or Part I hope it will come the more acceptable for that publick Good and Practical Exercise of Holiness for which 't is chiefly intended for the use of those Officers and Soldiers who are now employ'd abroad in Their Majesties Service for the common safety and defence of our Religion and Country and to which I pray God give a Blessing that we may all fight the good fight of faith to lay hold of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen THE SOLDIER 's Religious Exercise IN THE TIME of WAR EXERCISE I. A Christian Soldier must be strictly Vertuous and Religious in his Life and Conversation WHEN the Host goeth forth against thine Enemies then keep thee from every wicked thing Deut. 23. v. 9. For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy Camp to deliver thee and to give up thine Enemies before thee therefore shall thy Camp be Holy that he see no unclean thing in thee and turn away from thee Deut. 23. ver 14. If ye forsake the Lord and serve strange gods then he will turn and do you hurt and consume you after that he hath done you good Josh 24. ver 20. Be ye therefore very couragious to keep and do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left Josh 23. v. 6. But cleave unto the Lord your God as ye have done unto this day Josh 23. v. 8. If thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord
may make me uncapable of thy future favours I desire to praise and glorifie thy holy name for all thy Temporal and Spiritual Blessings for the particular preservations of thy good Providence that thou hast defended my life hitherto from the violence of the Enemy and be thou pleased to continue still watchful over me help me O God of my Salvation for the glory of thy name and let me not be delivered over into the Hands of merciless and cruel Men and since I know not what sudden dangers may encompass me give me serious thoughts to prepare for the Hour of Death and the Day of Judgment that I may not be surprized at any sudden change or accident of mortality but may patiently submit to thy Holy Will and whether I live or die chearfully resign both my Soul and Body into the Protection of thy good Providence for the sake of Christ Jesus who is the God of my hope and Salvation and in whom I will trust for my deliverance from the Enemy and therefore devoutly pray as he hath taught me in his Holy Gospel saying Our Father c. A Private Prayer for the Evening O Lord God merciful and gracious Father who bearest the most tender love and compassion to the Children of Men who hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked but rather that he should turn from his way and live Be graciously pleased to accept of the hearty Contrition and repentance of thy humble Servant who meekly confess my sins and acknowledge my vileness * Hear mention the sins of the day I have sinned against thee O what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of Men I have indeed sinned against thy Mercies and thy Judgments against the checks of my own Conscience and the deliberate Vows and Purposes of Holy amendment But now O Father I come unto thee in the mercies of the Holy Jesus and pray thee That thou wilt accept of the Sacrifice of his Blood to be a Propitiation for my sins O let the sprinkling of that everlasting Covenant wash and purifie my Soul clean and undefiled from all the Pollutions of Vice and Wickedness and do thou fill me with such a Measure and Portion of thy Grace that I may resist all future Temptations and diligently apply my heart to fulfil all thy Commandments by serving thee in true Holiness and Righteousness all the days of my life remember with me the sorrowful State and Condition of Mankind shew thy mercy and compassion to the manifold fins and Provocations of this Land and Nation and punish us not according to our iniquities for then how shall we escape O God if thou be extreme to mark what we have done amiss O remember not against us our former iniquities but let thy tender mercies speedily help and prevent us heal all our Divisions and Differences in Opinion and unite us all by the bands of Brotherly Love and Charity that we may become a chosen Generation and a peculiar People zealous of Good Works Let us not continue unthankful for thy late Mercies but let us all O Lord consider thy Work and the power of thy Providence and so repent of this our backsliding wickedness that iniquity may not be out Ruine And that Truth and Peace may flourish in our daies bless the Supream Power and Government of Their Majesties King William and Queen Mary prosper thou the Great Work of Their Hands O prosper thou Their handywork that They may become Victorious over all Their Enemies And to this end give a blessing of strength and courage to Their Forces both by Land and Sea particularly I pray for the chief Commanders the Officers and Soldiers of this * As occasion requires Camp or Garison Give us all the Spirit of Christian Fortitude and Resolution that we may be strong and of good courage to stand before the Enemy in the day of Battel O preserve thou the Life of thy Servant who now calls upon thee let the Enemy have no advantage over me nor the wicked approach to hurt me but let me be continually guarded by the Protection of thy good Providence until these Calamities be over-past And as thou hast been pleased to defend me this day and all the days of my Life for which my Soul does praise and magnifie thy Holy Name for this and all other thy mercies so let no evil happen unto me this Night nor any Destruction come nigh my Tent or Dwelling but O blessed Lord the keeper of Israel who never slumberest nor sleepest watch over me and all the Camp of our Israel that we may be secure from all dangers both of Soul and Body Give me serious Apprehensions of Death that I may consider the few and uncertain days of my Pilgrimage here and since I know not how short my time is to live make me sensible of all the sudden accidents and dangers of War that I may never live in such a state as I shall be afraid to die but may be always ready with chearfulness and joy to resign my self into the Hands of my merciful Redeemer and grant O Lord that whether I sleep or wake live or die I may always continue thy faithful Servant even unto the end of my life for the sake of Jesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour in whose Name I further call upon thee 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 Amen Repeat the Apostles Creed which is the right Confession of your Christian Faith I Believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth And in Jesus 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 third day he rose again from the dead He ascended into Heaven And sitteth on 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 And this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith 1 John 5.4 That is the word of faith which we preach that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thy heart that God hat raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Rom. 10.8 9. Repeat often the Decalogue or the Ten Commandments which is the Rule of your Obedience GOD spake these words and said I am the Lord thy God Thou shalt have none other Gods but me Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this law Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven