necessary O Most great most iust and gracious God thou art of purer eyes than eo behold iniquity thou condemnest the ungodly impenitent and unbeleevers but hast promised mercy through Jesus Christ to all that repent and beleeve in him Wee confess that wee were conceived in sin and are by nature Children of wrath And have all sinned and come short of the glory of God In our Baptisme thou tookest us into the bond of the holy Covenant but wee remembered not our Creator in the daies of our youth with the fear and love and obedience which wee owed thee not pleasing and glorifying thee in all things nor walking with thee by faith in an Heavenly conversation nor serving thee fervently with all our might but fulfilled the desires of the flesh and of the Carnal minde Wee have neglected and abused thy Holy Worship thy Holy Name and thy Holy Day Wee have dishonoured our superiours and neglected our inferiours Wee have dealt unjustly and uncharitably with our Neighbours not loveing them as our selves nor doing to others as wee would they should do to us wee have not sought first Thy Kingdome and Righteousness and been contented with our dayly bread but have been careful ond troubled about many things neglecting the one thing necessary Thou hast revealed thy wonderful love to us in Christ and offered us pardon and salvation in him but wee made light of it and neglected so great salvation and resisted thy Spirit Word and Ministers and turned not at thy reproof Wee have run into temptations and the sin which wee should have hated wee have committed in thy sight both secretly and openly ignorantly and carelesly rashly and presumptuously against thy precepes thy promises and threats thy mercies and thy judgements our transgressions are multiplied before Thee and our sins testifie against us if Thou deal with us as wee deserve Thou wilt cast us away from thy presence into Hell where the worm never dieth and the fire is not quenched But in thy mercy thy Son and thy Promises is our hope Have mercy upon us most merciful Father Bee reconciled to us and let the blood of Jesus Christ cleanse us from all our sins Take us for thy children and give us the Spirit of thy Son Sanctifie us wholly shed abroad thy love in our hearts and cause us to love Thee with all our hearts O make thy face to shine upon thy servants save us from our sins and from the wrath to come make us a peculiar people to Thee zealous of good works that wee may please Thee and shew forth thy praise Help us to redeem the time and give all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure Give us things necessary for thy service and keep us from sinful discontent and cares And seeing all these things must bee dissolved let us consider what manner of persons wee ought to be in all holy conversation and godliness Help us to watch against temptations and resist and overcome the Flesh the Devil and the World and being delivered out of the hand of all our enemies let us serve Thee without fear in holiness and righteousness before Thee all the daies of our life Guide us by thy Counsel and after receive us into thy glory through Jesus Christ our onely Saviour Amen Here use the Lords Prayer as before For the strengthening of Faith and raising the Penitent some of these sentences of the Gospel may bee here read Hear what the Lord saith to the absolution and comfort of Penitent Beleevers THe Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you if yee return unto hine If any man sin wee have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and hee is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole World Bee it known unto you men and Brethren that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that beleeve are justified from all things from which they could not bee justified by the Law of Moses Where sin abounded grace did much more abound That as sin reigned unto death even so might grace reign through Righteousness unto Eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. If wee walk in the light as hee is in the Light wâ—â— have fellowship one with another And the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin If wee say that wee have no sin wee deceive our selves and the truth is not in us If wee confess our sin hee is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness Come unto mee all yee that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my yoak upon you and learn of mee for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall finde rest unto your souls For my yoak is easie and my barden is light Whosoever will let him take of the Water of life freely All that the Father hath given mee shall come to mee and him that cometh to mee I will in no wise cast out I will bee mercifull to their unrighteousness and their sins and Iniquities I will remember no more Hear also what you must Bee and Do for the time to come if you would bee Saved NOw if any man have not the Spirit of Christ hee is none of his If any man bee in Christ hee is a new Creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit For they that are after the flesh do minde the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit For to bee carnally minded is death but to bee spiritually minded is life and peace For the Carnal minde is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can bee So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God For if yee live after the Flesh yee shall die but if through the spirit yee mortifie the deeds of the body you shall live Now 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 Revellings and such like of the which I tell you before as I have told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdome of God But the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no Law And they that are Christs have crucyfied the flesh with the affections and lusts Let us walk honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkenness not in chambering and wanionness not in strife and envying But
Thanksgiving for the Deliverance of Women in Childe-bearing WEE return thée thanks Most Gracious God That thou hast heard our Prayers for this thy hand-maid and hast béen her helpin the time of her necessity and delivered her from her fears and sorrows death and life are in thy power thou killest and thou makest alive thou bringest down to the grave and thou bringest up Thou makest the Barren to keep house to bée a ioyful Mother of Children Wée thank thée that thou hast given thy servant to see the fruit of her Womb and that thou hast brought her again to thy Holy assembly to go with the multitude to thy house and worship thee with the voyce of ioy and praise that shée may enter into thy gates with thanksgiving and into thy Court with praise and wée may all bée thankful to thée on her behalf and speak good of thy Name Thou art good O Lord to all and thy tender mercies are over all thy works thou preserveit them that love thée thou raisest up them that are vowed down thou fulfillest the desire of them that fear thée thou also dost hear their cry and save them command thy blessing yet upon thy servant and her off-spring Let her not forget thée and thy mercies but let her devote the life which thou hast given her to thy service and educate her off-spring as a Holy séed in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and as thou hast said that thy scurse is in the house of the wicked but thou blessest the habitation of the just let her and her house serve thée and let holiness to the Lord bée written upon all wherewith thou blessest her Let her make thée her refuge and habitation Give her the ornament of a méek and quiet spirit which in thy sight is of great price let her not love the world nor minde Earthly things but use the world as not abusing of it Seeing the time is short and the fashion of this world passeth away Restore her Soul and lead her in the paths of righteousness though shée must walk through the valley of the shaddow of death let her fear no evil Let thy goodness and mercy follow her all the daies of her life and let her dwell for ever in thy Glorious presence Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen If the Childe bee dead those passage which imply its living must be omitted and if the Woman bee such as the Church hath cause to judge ungodly the Thanksgiving must bee in words more agreeable to her condition if any bee used Of Pastoral Discipline Publick Confession Absolution and Exclusion from the Holy Communion of the Church THe Recital of the Curses are said in the Book of Common Prayer to bee instead of the godly discipline of the primitive Church till it can bee restored again which is much to bee wished which is the putting of notorious sinners to open Penitence His Majesties Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical affairs determineth that all publick diligence bee used for the instruction and reformation of Scandalous offenders whom the Minister shall not suffer to partake of the Lords Table until they have openly declared themselves to have truly repented and amended their former naughty lives provided there bee place for due appeals to Superiour Powers And the law of Christ commandeth if thy Brother trespass against thee go and tell him his faults between him and thee alone if hee shall hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother but if hee will not hear thee then take to thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may bee Established and if hee shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church but if hee shall neglect to hear the Church let him bee unto thee as a Heathen man or as a publican Mat. 18. 15 16 17. And it is the office of the Pastors of the several Congregations not only to teach the people in General and guide them in the Celebration of the publick Worship but also to over-see them and watch over each member of their flock particularly to preserve them from Errours Heresies Divisions and other sins defending the truth confuting gain-sayers and seducers instructing the Ignorant exciting the Negligent incourageing the Despondent comforting the Afflicted confirming the weak rebuking and admonishing the disorderly and scandalous and directing all according to their needs in the matters of their Salvation and the people in such needs should have ordinary recourse to them as the officers of Christ for guidance and resolution of their doubts and for assistance in making their salvation sure and in proving maintaining or restoring the peace of their consciences and spiritual comfort If therefore any member of the Church bee a scandalous sinner and the Crime bee either notorious or fully proved let the Pastor admonish him and set before him the particular command of God which hee transgresseth the supream Authority of God which hee despiseth the promises and mercies which hee treadeth under foot and the curse and dreadful condemnation which hee draweth upon himself let this bee done with great compassion and tender love to the offenders soul and with gravity reverent and serious importunity as beseemeth men imployed on the behalf of God for the saving of a soul and yet with judgement and cautelous prudence not taking that for sin which is no sin nor that for a gross and scandalous sin which is but an ordinary humane frailty not dealing as unreverently with a Superiour as with an inferiour nor making that publick which should bee concealed nor reproving before others when it should bee done more secretly nor speaking unseasonably to those who through drink or passion are incapable of the benefit nor yet offending by bashfulness or the fear of man or lukewarmness negligence or slighting over great offences on the other extream Prudence also requireth them to bee cautelous of over-medling where the Magistrates honour or concernment or the Churches unity or peace or the reputation of others or the interest of their Ministry requireth them to forbear These Cautions observed If the scandalous offenders continue impeâ—itent or unreformed after due admonitions and patience let the Pastor in the Congregation when hee is present rebuke him before all that the Church may sufficiently disown the Crime and others may see the odiousness danger of the sin But let this also bee with the love and seriousness and prudence before mentioned If the offender in obstinacy will not bee there the Pastor may open the crime before the Congregation And present or absent in case hee remain impenitent if the case will bear so long delay it is convenient that the Pastor publickly pray for his conviction and repentance that hee may bee Saved And this hee may do one or two or three or more daies as the nature of the case and prudence shall direct him If during these means for his Recovery after the proof of the Crime there
our selves Thou art the King of all the world and Thy Laws are holy iust and good But wée have denied Thée our due subjection and obedience being unruly and self-willed minding the things of the flesh and making provision for its lusts Wée have staggered at Thy Word through unbeléef and have not fully placed our trust and hope in Thée Wée have rather feared man that is dust and can but kill the body than Thée that canst destroy both soul and body in Hell Thou art infinitely good and love it self yet have wée not fully taken Thée for our portion nor loved Thée with all our heart and soul and might nor mads Thée our full desire and delight But wée have inordinately loved our selves and the world and the things of the world and lived by sense when wée should have lived by Faith and cared and laboured for the food that perisheth when wée should have laboured for the one thing néedful and that which indureth to everlasting life wée have béen slothful servants yéelding to temptations ashamed of our duty losing our precious time when wee should have béen fervent in spirit serving the Lord cleaving to Thée with full resolution redéeming the time and with diligence making sure our Calling and Election Wée have not with due holiness and reverence drawn neer Thée and used thy holy Name thy Worship and thy Day Wée have dishonoured and disobeyed our Superiours and neglected our Inferiours Wée have béen guilty of not loving our Neighbours as our selves and not doing to others as wée would they should do to us but have sought our own against their welfare not forbearing and forgiving not loving our enemies as wee ought nor following peace nor studying to do good to all according to our power Wee have sinned secretly and openly in thought word and déed ignorantly and presumptuously in passion and upon deliberation against thy Precepts Promises and Threats against thy mercies and thy judgements under thy patience and in thy sight against our consciences our purposes and our covenants when wée were hasting to death and judgement for which through all our lives wée should have prepared Thou hast commended thy wonderful love towards us in giving thy Son to dye for sinners to reconcile us to Thée while wée were enemies and all things being made ready thou hast sent thy Messengers to invite us to come in preaching to us the glad tidings of salvation and fréely offering us pardon and life in Jesus Christ but wee have made light of it and neglected this great Salvation and made excuses or too long delaies undervaluing our Redeemer his blood and merits his offered grace and endless glory rejecting his holy Doctrine and Example resisting his Spirit Ministers and Wrod Wee have sinned O Lord against Thée and against our own souls and are not worthy to be called thy children Wée have deserved everlasting wrath to us belongeth confusion but mercy and forgiveness unto Thée Have mercy upon us O God according to the multitude of thy Mercies Heal our souls that have sinned against Thée and enter not into judgement with thy servants Hide thy face from our sins and blot out all our iniquities Cast us not away from thy presence and avenge not upon us the quarrel of thy Covenant Wash us in the blood of the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world Accept us in thy Beloved Son who was made a curse for us and was wounded for our transgressions that wée might bee healed by his stripes Turn us O God of our salvation and cause thy face to shine upon us Give us Repentance unto life cause us to loathe our selves for all the evils that wée have committed Give us that broken contrite Spirit which thou wilt not despise Create in us a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within us Take out of us the old and strong heart and give us a new and tender heart Give us the Spirit of thy Son and bee our God and let us bée thy People Enlighten our understandings to know the wonderful things of thy Law the dimensions of thy love in Christ the mysteries of thy Kingdome and the riches of the glory of thy Inheritance in the Saints and that wee may approve the things that are excellent and may escape the snares of the Devil and may hate every false way Shed abroad thy love in our hearts by thy holy Spirit and cause us so to love Thee that nothing may separate us from thy love Put thy fear into our hearts that wee may never depart from Thee Cause us to seek first thy Kingdome and its Righteousness and as those that are risen with Christ to seek the things that are above and to lay up a treasure in Heaven and let our hearts and conversations bee there mortifie our earthly inclinations and desires Crucifie the world to us and us unto the world by the Cross of Christ Cause us to live by Faith and look at the things that are unseen and use the world as not over-using it seeing the fashion of it passeth away striving to enter in at the strait gate and running so as to obtain let us no longer live the rest of our time to the lusts of men but to the will of God studying in all things to please Thee and to bee accepted of Thee let us not seek our own wills but the will of him that called us yea let us delight to do thy will O God let our delight bee in thy Law and let us meditate therein day and night cause us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soverly and righteously and godly in this present world as obedient children not fashioning our selves to the former lusts of our ignorance but as hee that hath called us is holy let us be holy in all manner of conversation Cause us to love one another with a pure heart fervently forbearing and forgiving one another if any have a quarrel against other even as Christ forgave us Give us the wisdome which is first pure and then peaceable In our eyes let a vile person bee contemned but let us honour them that fear the Lord. Cause us to walk circumspectly without offence and to bee zealous of good Works to love our enemies and not to give place to wrath and in patience to possess our souls Help us to deny our selves and take up our Cross and follow Christ esteeming his reproach to bee greater riches than the treasures of the world that having suffered with him wee may also bee glorified with him Though wee must bee tempted help us to overcome and bee faithful unto the death and then let us receive that Crown of Life through the merits and intercession of Christ Jesus our Lord and onely Saviour in whose comprehensive words wee summ up our Requests saying as hee hath taught us Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed bee thy Name Thy Kingdome come c. Or thus when Brevity is
ready at last to bee revealed though when they are needful wee must for a season bee in heavyness under tribulations thou hast promised that all things shall work together for our good in all our straits thou grantest us access to the Throne of grace bidding us call upon thee in the time of trouble and promising to deliver us that wee may glorifie thee every where wee have leave to lift up unto thée holy hands Especially in the house of Prayer and the Assembly of the Saints Thou hast heard the voice of our supplications when wee have cried unto thee great is thy mercy towards us O Lord. Thou hast delivered our souls from the lowest Hell Thou hast sent forth from Heaven thy mercy and truth and saved us from the reproach of him that would swallow us up Thou art our Hiding place In the secrets of thy presence thou preservest us from trouble from the pride of men and from the strife of Tongues Thou doest compass us about with Songs of deliverance O love the Lord all yee his Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithful and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer Hee dealeth not with us after our sins his Anger is but for a moment but in his favour is life In his wrath hee remembereth mercy All thy paths O Lord are mercy and truth to such as keep thy Covenant Wee come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercies O give thanks unto the Lord for hee is good for his mercy Endureth for ever Glory yee in his Holy Name let the hearts of them rejoyce that seek him Blessed are the People that know the joyful sound They shall walk O Lord in the Light of thy Countenance In thy name shall they rejoyce all the day and in thy righteousness and favour shall they bee axalted Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praysing thee O satisfie us early with thy mercy that wee may rejoyce and bee glad in thee all our daies Guide us by thy Counsel and afterwards receive us unto thy glory where with all the blessed host of Heaven wee may behold admire and perfectly and joyfully praise thee Our most glorious Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier for ever and for ever Amen The Hymn The First Part. BLess the Lord O my Soul And all that is within mee bless his Holy Name Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine Iniquities and healeth all thy diseases who redeemed thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with loving kindeness and tender mercies As far as the East is from the West so far hath hee removed our transgressions from us Behold what love the Father hath bestowed on us that wee should bee called the Sons of God because thy loving kindeness is better than life my Lips shall praise thee Thus will I bless thee while I live I will lift up my Hands in thy name My Soul shall bee satisfied as with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that I desire besides thee My Flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my Portion for ever For lo all that are far from thee shall perish but it is good for mee to draw near to God I am continually with thee Thou hast holden mee by my right hand in the multitude of my thoughts within mee thy comforts delight my Soul Thou shalt guide me with thy Counsel and afterward receive mee to glory The Second Part. HOw excellent is thy loving kindeness O God therefore do the Sons of Men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings They shall bee abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy pleasures for with thee is the Fountain of life In thy sight we shall see Light therefore my Heart is glad and my Glory rejoyceth My Flesh also shall rest in hope Thou wilt shew mee the path of life In thy presence is fulness of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for ever more Surely Goodness and mercy shall follow mee all the daies of my life And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever O continue thy loving kindeness to them that know thee and thy righteousness to the upright in heart To the end that my glory may sing praise unto thee and not bée silent O Lord my God I will give thanks to thée for ever The Third Part. GLory to God in the Highest On Earth Peace Good will towards men Praise yée the Lord sing to the Lord a new Song His praise is in the Congregation of Saints For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people he will beautify the meek with salvation Let the Saints be joyful in glory Let the high praises of God bée in their mouths All thy works praise thée O Lord and thy Saints shall bless thée They shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdome and talk of thy Power To make known to the sons of men thy mighty Acts and the glorious Majestie of thy Kingdome Thy Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome and thy Dominions is through all Generations The Elders and Saints about thy Throne rest not night nor day saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created They sing unto thée the Song of Moses and of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty Just and true are thy waies thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thée O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou only art Holy For all Nations shall come and Worship before thee for thy judgements are made manifest Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Riches and Wisdome and Strength and Honour and Glory For thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood and made us Kings and Priests to God The Fourth Part. O That men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the Children of men Let them Sacrifice the Sacrifices of Thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoycing Sing unto the Lord bless his Name shew forth his Salvation from day to day Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness fear before him all the Earth Let the Heavens rejoyce and the Earth bee glad before the Lord For hee cometh For hee cometh to judge the Earth With Righteousness shall hée judge the World and the People with Equity Bless the Lord yée his Angels that excel in strength that do his Commandements hearkening to the voice of his Word Bless yée the Lord all yée his Hosts yee Ministers
of his that do his pleasure Bless the Lord all his Works in all places of his Dominions Bless the Lord O my soul my mouth shall speak the Praises of the Lord And let all Flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise yee the Lord. The Order of Celebrating the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ This or the like Explication of the Nature Use and Benefits of this Sacrament may bee used at the discretion of the Minister when hee seeth it needful to the Instruction of the Communicants THat you may discern the Lords body and understand the nature use and benefits of this Sacrament you must know that God created man in his own Image to know and love and serve his Maker That man fell under the guilt of sin and condemnation and left his holy Fitness for the work for which hee was created That hereupon the wonderful love and wisdome of God provided us a Remedy in our Redeemer to the end hee might not lose the glory of his Creation that hee might pardon and save us upon terms Securing the honour of his Justice and attaining the ends of his Law and Government and recover us to his love and service by appearing to the world in the greatest demonstrations of Goodness Love and Mercy By the greatest Miracle of Condiscension hee first promised and then gave his onely Son the Eternal Word to take mans nature into personal union with his God-head that being God and Man hee might bee a fit Mediator between God and Man to restore us and reconcile us to himself Thus Jesus Christ conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary became the second Adam the Physician and Saviour of undone Sinners the Captain of our Salvation to bee the glorious King and Head of all that are sanctified and saved Hee revealed the Holiness the Goodness and the Love of God by the perfect Holiness Goodness and Love of his Blessed Person Doctrine and Conversation and by suffering for us all the Afflictions of this life and at last the cursed death of the Cross as a Sacrifice and Ransome for us That all this might be effectual to our Recovery hee made for us a new and better Covenant and preached it himself undertaking the Pardon Justification and Sanctification of all that by unfeigned Faith do take him for their Saviour repenting of their sins and consenting to be sanctified by his Word and Spirit by which also hee inviteth and draweth men to himself and giveth them to beleeve Into this blessed pardoning saving Covenant wee are first solemnly entred by Baptism And when Christ was ready to leave the world and to give up himself a Sacrifice for us and intercede and exercise the fulness of his Kingly Power as the Churches Head and by his grace to draw men to himself and prepare them for his glory hee did himself institute this Sacrament of his body and blood at his last Supper to bee a continued Representation and Remembrance of his Death and therein of his own and his Fathers Love until his coming appointing his Ministers by the Preaching of the Gospel and Administration of these Sacraments to bee his Agents without and his Spirit within effectually to communicate his Grace The Lords Supper then is a holy Sacrament instituted by Christ wherein Bread and Wine being first by Consecration made Sacramentally or Representatively the body and blood of Christ are used by breaking and pouring out to represent and commemorate the Sacrifice of Christs Body and Blood upon the Cross once offered up to God for sin and are given in the Name of Christ unto the Church to signifie solemnize the renewal of his holy Covenant with them and the giving of himself unto them to expiate their sins by his Sacrifice and sanctifie them further by his Spirit and confirm their right to everlasting life And they are received Eaten and drunk by the Church to profess that they willingly receive Christ himself to the Ends aforesaid their Justification Sanctification and Glorification and to signifie and solemnize the Renewal of their Covenant with him and their holy Communion with him and with one another It being the renewing of a mutual Covenant that is here solemnized as wee commemorate Christs Sacrifice and receive him and his saving benefits so wee offer and deliver to him our selves as his redeemed sanctified people to bee a living Acceptable Sacrifice thankfully and obediently to live unto his Praise Before the receiving of this holy Sacrament wee must examine our selves and come preparedly In the receiving of it wee must exercise holy affections suited to the work And after the receiving of it wee must by consideration of it indeavour to revive the same Affections and perform our Covenant there renewed The holy Qualifications to bee before Provided and in Receiving exercised and after Receiving are these 1. A true beleef of the Articles of the Christian Faith concerning the Father Son and Holy Ghost the Person Offices Works and Sufferings and Benefits of Christ 2. The sense of our sinful and undone condition as in our selves and of our need of Christ so as humbly to loath our selves for our transgressions with the sense of our present weaknesses to bee strengthened and sins to bee forgiven 3. A true desire after Christ for pardon and spiritual Nourishment and Salvation 4. A thankful sense of the Wonderful Love of God declared in our Redemption and in the present offers of Christ and Life 5. The exercise of holy love and joy in the sense of this unspeakable Love if these two bee not felt before wee come yet in and after the Sacrament we must strive to exercise them 6. A love to one another and forgiving wrongs to one another with a desire after the Communion of Saints 7. The giving up our selves in Covenant to God with resolution of renewed Obedience 8. A patient hope for the coming of Christ himself and of the Everlasting Kingdome where wee shall bee perfectly united in him and glorified with him Those onely are to bee invited to the Lords Table and to come that truly repent and beleeve and unfeignedly consent to the terms of the Covenant though all are not to bee invited thus to beleeve and repent and so to come But those are to be admitted by the Pastors if they come who having the use of reason to understand what they do and examine themselves have made a Personal Profession of Faith Repentance and Obedience and are Members of the Church and not justly for Heresie or scandalous sin removed from its present Communion The benefit of the Sacrament is not to be judged of onely by present Experience and Feeling but by Faith God having appointed us to use it and promised his Blessing wee may and must beleeve that hee will make good his Promise and what ever wee feel at present that wee sincerely wait not on him in
vain The Exhortation YOu are invited hither Dear Brethren to bee Guests at this Holy Table by the Lords Command to receive the greatest Mercy and to perform the greatest duty On Christs part All things are made ready The Feast is prepared for you even for you that by sin have deserved to bee cast out of the presence of the Lord for you that have so oft neglected and abused Mercy A Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ free to you but dear to him You were lost and in the way to bee lost for ever when by the greatest Miracle of Condiscending-love hee sought and saved you You were dead in sin condemned by the Law the Slaves of Satan There wanted nothing but the Executing-stroak of Justice to have sent you into endless misery When our dear Redeemer pitied you in your blood and shed his own to wash and heal you Hee suffered that was offended that the offender might not suffer Hee cried out on the Cross My God My God Why hast thou forsaken mee that wee who had deserved it might not bee everlastingly forsaken Hee died that wee might live O how would the mercy of Redemption have affected you if you had first lyen one year or month or day in Hell Had you but seen your dying Lord or seen the damned in their misery how do you think you should have valued the Salvation that is now revealed and tendred to you see here Christ dying in this holy Representation Behold the sacrifized Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world It is his will to be thus frequently crucified before your eyes O how should wee bee covered with shame and loath our selves that have both procured the death of Christ by sin and sinned against it And how should wee all bee filled with joy that have such mysteries of Mercy opened and so great Salvation freely offered to us O hate sin O love this Saviour See that you come not hither without a desire to bee more Holy nor with a purpose to go on in wilful sin Bee not deceived God is not mocked but if you heartily repent and consent to the Covenant come and welcome Wee have commission from Christ to tell you that you are welcome Let no trembling contrite soul draw back that is willing to bee Christs upon his Covenant-terms but beleeve that Christ is much more willing to bee yours Hee was first willing and therefore died for you and made the Covenant of Grace and sent to invite and importune you to consent and stayed for you so long and gave you your Repentance your willingness and desire Question not then his willingness if you are willing It is Satan and unbeleef that would have you question it to the injury both of Christ and you Come neer observe beleeve and wonder at the Riches of his Love and Grace For hee hath himself invited you to see and taste that you may wonder You are sinners but hee inviteth you to receive a renewed sealed pardon of your sins and to give you more of his Spirit to overcome them See here his broken Body and his Blood the Testimonies of his Willingness Thus hath hee sealed the Covenant which pardoneth all your sins and secureth you of your Reconciliation with God and your Adoption and your right to Everlasting Blessedness Deny not your consent but heartily give up your selves to Christ and then doubt not but your Scarlet Crimson-sins shall bee made as white as Wooll or Snow Object not the number or greatness of them against his Grace There is none too great for him to pardon to penitent Beleevers Great sins shall bring great glory to his Blood and Grace But strive you then for great loathing of your sins and greater love to such a God and greater thanks to such a Saviour Unfeignedly say I am willing Lord to bee wholly Thine and then beleevingly take Christ and Pardon and Life as given you by his own appointment in the sealed Covenant And remember that hee is a coming Hee is coming with thousands of His Mighty Angels to execute judgement on the ungodly but to bee glorified in his Saints and admired in all that do beleeve And then wee shall have greater things than these Then shall you see all the Promises fulfilled which now are sealed to you on which hee causeth you to trust Revive now your love to one another and forgive those that have wronged you and delight in the Communion of the Saints And then you shall bee admitted into the Church Triumphant where with perfect Saints you shall perfectly rejoyce and love and praise the Lord for ever Receive now a crucified Christ here represented and bee contented to take up your Cross and follow him And then you shall reign with a glorified Christ in the Blessed Vision and Fruition of that God to whom by Christ you are now reconciled Let Faith and Love bee working upon these things while you are at this holy Table Then shall the Minister use this or the like Prayer MOst Holy God wée are as stubble before thée the Consuming Fire How shall wée stand before thy Holiness for wée are a sinful people laden with Iniquity that have gone backward and provoked the Holy one of Israel when wée were lost thy Son did séek and save us when wée were dead in sin thou madest us alive Thou sawest us polluted in our blood and saidst unto us live In that time of love thou coveredst our nakedness and enteredst into a Covenant with us and wée became thine own Thou didst deliver us from the power of Darkness and translate us into the Kingdome of thy dear Son and gavest us remission of sin through his blood But wée are grievous Revolters wée have forgotten the Covenant of the Lord our God wée were engaged to love thee with all our hearts and to hate iniquity and serve thée diligently and thankfully to set forth thy praise But wée have departed from thée and corrupted our selves by self love and by loving the world and the things that are in the world and have fulfilled the desires of the Flesh which wée should have crucified Wée have neglected our duty to thée and to our neighbour and the necessary care of our own Salvation Wée have béen unprofitable servants and have hid thy Talents and have dishonoured thée whom in all things wée should have pleased and glorified Wée have béen negligent in hearing and reading thy Holy Word and in meditating and conferring of it in publick and private Prayer and thanksgiving and in our preparation to this Holy Sacrament in the Examining of our selves and repenting of our sins and stirring up our hearts to a beleeving and thankfull receiving of thy grace and to love and Joyfulness in our Communion with thée and with one another Wée have not duely discerned the Lords Body but have prophaned thy Holy Name and Ordinance as if the Table of the Lord had been contemptible And when thou hast spoken
followeth or to this sense ALmighty God thou art the Creator and the Lord of all Thou art the Soveraign Majesty whom wee have offended Thou art our merciful Father who hast given us thy Son to reconcile us to thy self who hath ratified the New Testament and Covenant of Grace with his most precious blood and hath instituted this Holy Sacrament to bée Celebrated in memorial of him till his coming Sanctifie these thy Creatures of bread and wine which according to thy will wée set apart to this holy use that they may bée Sacramentally the Body and Blood of thy Son Jesus Christ And through his sacrifice and intercession give us the pardon of all our sins and bée reconciled to us and nourish us by the body and blood of Christ to Everlasting life And to that end give us thy quickning spirit to shewChrist to our beléeving souls that is here represented to our senses Let him soften our hearts and humble us for our sins and cause us to féed on Christ by Faith Let him shed abroad thy love upon our hearts and draw them on in love to thée and fill us with Holy Joy and thankfulness and fervent love to one another let him comfort us by witnessing that wée are thy Children and confirm us for New obedience and bée the Earnest of our Inheritance and seal us up to life Everlasting through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen Let it bee left to the Ministers discretion whether to deliver the Bread and Wine to the People at the Table onely in General each one taking it and applying it to themselves or to deliver it in General to so many as are in each particular form or to put it into every persons hand As also at what season to take the Contribution for the Poor And let none of the people be forced to sit stand or kneel in the Act of Receiving whose Judgement is against it The Participation being ended let the Minister pray thus or to this sense MOst Glorious God how wonderful is thy power and wisdome thy Holiness and Justice thy love and mercy in this work of our Redemption by the Incarnation life death resurrection intercession and dominion of thy Son No power or wisdome in Heaven or Earth could have delivered us but thine The Angels desire to pry into this Mystery the Heavenly Host do celebrate it with praises saying Glory bée to God in the Highest On Earth peace Good will towards men The whole Creation shall proclaim thy Praises Blessing Honour Glorie and power bée unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Honour and Glory for hée hath redeemed us to God by his blood and made us Kings and Priests unto our God Where sin abounded Grace hath abounded much more And hast thou indéed forgiven us so great a debt by so precious a Ransome Wilt thou indéed give us to reign with Christ in Glory and sée thy face and love thée and bée beloved of thée for ever Yea Lord thou hast forgiven us and thou wilt glorifie us for thou art faithful that hast promised With the blood of thy Son with the Sacrament and with thy spirit thou hast sealed up to us these precious promises And shall wée not love thée that hast thus loved us Shall wée not love thy Servants and forgive our Neighbours their little debt After all this shall wée again forsake thée and deal falsly in thy Covenant God forbid O set our affections on the things above where Christ sitteth at thy right hand Let us no more minde Earthly things but let our Conversation bée in Heaven from whence wée expect our Saviour to come and change us into the likeness of his glory Teach us to do thy will O God and to follow him who is the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that do obey him Order our steps by thy word and let not any iniquity have dominion over us Let us not henceforth live unto our selves but unto him who died for us and rose again Let us have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but reprove them And let our light so shine before men that they may glorifie thée In Simplicity and Godly Sincerity and not in Fleshly wisdome let us have our Conversation in the world O that our waies were so directed that wée might kéep thy statutes Though Satan will bée desirous again to sift us and séek as a roaring Lion to devour strengthen us to stand against his Wiles and shortly bruise him under our féet Accept us O Lord who resign our selves unto thée as thine own and with our thanks and praise present our selves a living Sacrifice to bée acceptable through Christ Useful for thine honour Being made frée from sin and become thy Servants let us have our fruit unto Holiness and the End Everlasting Life Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen Next add this or some such Exhortation if there bee time DEar Brethren wee have been here feasted with the Son of God at his Table upon his Flesh and Blood in preparation for the Feast of Endless Glory You have seen here represented what sin deserveth what Christ suffered what wonderful Love the God of infinite Goodness hath expressed to us You have had Communion with the Saints you have renewed your Covenant of Faith and thankful Obedience unto Christ You have received his renewed Covenant of Pardon Grace and Glory unto you O carry hence the lively sense of these great and excellent things upon your hearts You came not onely to receive the mercy of an hour onely but that which may spring up to Endless Joy You came not onely to do the duty of an hour but to promise that which you must perform while you live on Earth Remember daily especially when temptations to unbeleef and sinful heaviness assault you what pledges of Love you here received Remember daily especially when the Flesh the Devil or the World would draw your hearts again from God and temptations to sin are laid before you what bonds God and your own consent have laid upon you If you are Penitent Beleevers you are now forgiven and washed in the Blood of Christ O go your way and sin no more No more through wilfulness and strive against you sins of weaknesse Wallow no more in the mire and return not to your vomit Let the exceeding Love of Christ constrain you having such Promises to cleanse your selves from all Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of God And as a Chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation a Peculiar People to bee Zealous of good works and shew forth the Praises of him that hath called you Next sing some part of the Hymn in meeter or some other sit Psalm of Praise as the 23. 116. or 103. or 100 c. And conclude with this or the like Blessing NOw the God of
sins and renounce the Flesh the Devil and the World and consent to the Covenant of Grace giving up your self to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost as your Creator and Reconciled Father your Redeemer and your Sanctifier Ans I do Or thus rather if the Parent bee fit to utter his own Faith Quest Do you remain stedfast in the Covenant which you made in Baptism your self Ans Repenting of my sins I do renounce the Flesh the Devil and the World and I give up my self to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost my Creator and Reconciled Father my Redeemer and my Sanctifier Quest Do you present and dedicate this Childe unto God to bee baptized into this Faith and solemnly ingaged in this Covenant unto God the Father Son and Holy Ghost against the Flesh the Devil and the World Ans It is my desire or I do present and dedicate him for this end Quest Do you here solemnly promise that if God continue it with you till it bee capable of Instructions you will faithfully indeavour to acquaint this Childe with the Covenant in which hee was here by you ingaged and to instruct and exhort him to perform this Covenant as ever hee looks for the blessings of it or to escape the curses and wrath of God that is That hee renounce the Flesh the World and the Devil and live not after them And that hee beleeve in this One God in Three Persons the Father Son and Holy Ghost his Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier That hee resign himself to him as his absolute Owner and obey hâ—m as his Supream Governour and love him as his most gracious Father hoping to injoy him as his Felicity in Endless Glory Ans I will faithfully indeavour it Quest Will you to this end faithfully endeavour to cause him to learn the Articles of the Christian Faith the Lords Prayer and the ten Commandements and to read or hear the holy Scriptures and to attend on the Publick Preaching of Gods Word Will you endeavour by your own Teaching and Example and Restraint to keep him from wickedness and train him up in a holy life Answ I will faithfully endeavour it by the help of God Then let the Minister pray thus or to this sense O Most merciful Father by the first Adam sin entred into the world and death by sin and wée are all by nature Children of Wrath But thou hast given thy only Son to bée the séed of the Woman the Saviour of the World the Captain of our Salvation to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself and to wash us in his blood and reconcile us unto thée and to renew us by the Holy Ghost and to bruise Satan under our féet In him thou hast established the Covenant of grace and hast appointed this Holy Sacrament of Baptism for our solemn Entrance into the Bonds of the Covenants and stating us in the blessings of it which thou extendest to the faithful and their séed Wée dedicate and offer this Childe to thée to bée received into thy Covenant and Church Wée beséech thée to accept him as a member of thy Son and wash him in his blood from the guilt of Sin as the Flesh is washed by this water Bée reconciled to him and take him for thy Childe renew him to the Image of thy Son make him a fellow Citizen with the Saints and one of thy Houshold Protect him and provide for him as thy own and finally preserve him to thy Heavenly Kingdome through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen Then the Minister shall ask of the Parent the name of the Childe to bee Baptized and naming him shall either dip him under the water or else pour water upon his face if hee cannot be safely or conveniently dipt and shall use these words without Alteration I Baptise thée in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost And hee shall thus Declare THis Childe is now received by Christs appointment into his Church and solemnly entred into the holy Covenant and engaged if heâ— lives to the use of Reason to rise with Christ to newness of life as being buried with him by Baptism and to bear his Cross and confess Christ crucified and faithfully to fight under his Banner against the Flesh the Devil and the World and to continue his Faithful Souldier and Servant to the death that hee may receive the Crown of Life Then hee shall give Thanks and Pray WEe thank thée most merciful Father that when wée had broken thy Law and were condemned by it thou hast given us a Saviour and life in him and hast extended thy Covenant of Grace to Beleevers and to their â—éed and hast now received this Childe into thy Covenant and Church as a member of Christ by this Sacrament of Regeneration Wée beséech thée let him grow up in Holiness and when hee comes to years of discretion let thy spirit reveal unto him the mysteries of the Gospel and the riches of thy love in Jesus Christ and cause him to renew and perform the covenant that hée hath now made and to resign himself and all that hée hath entirely unto thée his Lord to bée subject and obedient to thée his Governour and to love thée his Father with all his heart and soul and might and adhere unto thée and delight in thée as the Portion of his soul desiring and hoping to enjoy thée in everlasting Glory Save him from the Lusts and Allurements of the Flesh the temptations of the Devil and the Baits of the pleasure profit and honour of the world and from all the Corruptions of his own heart and all the hurtful violence of his Enemies Kéep him in Communion with the Saints in the love and use of thy word and worship Let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow Christ the Captain of his Salvation and bée faithful unto the death and then receive the Crown of life through Jesus Christ our Saviour Amen Then use this Exhortation or the like to the Parents YOu that have devoted this Childe to God and ingaged it in Covenant to him must bee thankful for so great a mercy to the Childe and must be faithful in performing what you have promised on your parts in instructing and educating this Childe in the Faith and Fear of God that hee may own and perform the Covenant now made and receive all the Blessings which God hath promised Hear what God hath made your duty Ephes 6. 4. Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Prov. 22. 6. Train up a childe in the way hee should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Prov. 19. 15. The Rod and Reproof give Wisdome but a Childe left to himself bringeth his Mother to shame Deut. 6. 5 6 7. Thou shalt love thy Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might
person bee able and willing let him before the Congregation give the foresaid account at large of his Knowledge Faith and Obedience But if through backwardness or disability for publick speech hee shall refuse it let him make the same Profession privately to the Minister and own it in the Assembly when the Minister shall declare it and ask him whether hee owns it But unless it bee in case of some extraordinary natural Imperfection and disability of utterance let him at least openly recite the Creed and profess his consent to the Covenant with God the Father Son and Holy Ghost Let the Minister of every Parish keep a double Register one of the Names of all that are there baptized another of the Names of all that are approved upon their foresaid credible Profession and so admitted into the number of Communicants or that have a certificate of such Approbation regularly elsewhere performed And if Confirmation bee continued let His Majesties Declaration bee observed requiring That Confirmation bee rightly and solemnly performed by the Information and with the consent of the Minister of the place Let no Minister bee inforced to admit any himself to the Lords Supper who hath been clancularly and irregularly approved Those that after this Approbation prove scandalous offenders shall not by the Minister be suffered to partake of the Lords Table until they have openly declared themselves to have truly repented and amended their former naughty lives Of the Celebration of Matrimony BEfore the Solemnizing of Marriage between any Persons their purpose of marriage shall bee published by the Minister three several Lords daies in the Congregation at the place or places of their most usual abode respectively And of this Publication the Minister who is to joyn them in marriage shall have sufficient Testimony before hee proceed to Solemnize the Marriage The Parents consent being first sufficiently made known At the Celebration the Minister shall either by a Sermon or other Exhortation open to them the Institution Ends and Use of Marriage with the conjugal Duties which they are faithfully to perform to each other And then shall demand of them whether it bee their desire and purpose to bee joyned together in the Bond of the Marriage-Covenant and if they answer affirmatively hee shall say to them I require and charge you as you will answer at the dreadful day of Judgement when the secrets of all hearts shall bee disclosed that if either of you do know any Impediment by Preconâ—ract or otherwise why you may not lawâ—ully bee joyned together in marriage you discover it and proceed not If no Impediment bee discovered by them or others hee shall Proceed to Pray MOst merciful Father who hast ordained Marriage for mutual help and for the increase of mankinde with a legitimate Issue and of the Church with a Holy séed and for prevention of uncleanness Bless thy own Ordinance to these persons that entring this state of Marriage in thy fear they may there â—â—tirely devote themselves unto thée and bée faithful in all conâ—…gal Affections and duties unto each other and if thou bless them with Children let them bee devoted unto thée and accepted as thine own and blessed with thy grace and educated in thy fear Subdue those corruptioins that would make their lives unholy or uncomfortable and deliver them from temptations to impiety worldlyness unquietness discontent or disaffection to each other or to any Unfaithfulness to thée or to each other make them meet helps to each other in thy fear and in the lawful management of the affairs of this World Let them not hinder but provoke one another to love and good to works and foreséeing the day of their separation by death let them spend their daies in a Holy Preparation and live here together as the Heirs of life that must reâ—oyce at the great marriage day of the Lamb and live for ever with Christ and all the Holy Angels and Saints in the presence of thy glory Amen The Woman if shâ—e bâ—e under Parents or Governours being by one of them or some deputed by them given to bâ—e married the Man with his Right hand shall take the Woman by the Right hand and shall say I. A. do take thée B. to bée my Married Wife and do promise and Covenant in the presence of God and before this Congregation to bée a loving and faithful Husband to thée till God shall separate us by death Then the Woman shall take the Man by the Right hand with her Right hand and say I. B. do take thée A. to bée my Married Husband and I do promise and Covenant in the presence of God and before this Congregation to bée a loving obedient and faithful Wife unto thée till God shall separate us by death Then let the Minister say These two persons A. and B. being lawfully married according to Gods Ordinance I do pronounce them Husband and Wife And those whom God hath conjoyned let no man put asunder Next hee may read the duty of Husbands and Wives out of Eâ—hes 5. 2. Coll. 4. 2. 1 Pet. 3. and Psalm 128. or some other Pertinent Psalm may bee said or sung And let the Minister exhort them to their several duties and then Pray MOst merciful Father let thy Blessings rest upon these Persons now joyned in lawful Marriage Sanctify them and their Conversations their Family Estates and 〈◊〉 unto thy Glory Furnish them with love to thée and to each other with méekness patience and contentedness Let them not live unto the Flesh but unto the spirit that of the spirit they may reap Everlasting Life through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen Then let him Conclude with a Benediction GOd Almighty the Creator Redéemer and Sanctifier bless you in your Souls and Bodies Family and Affairs and preserve you to his Heavenly Kingdome Amen The Visitation of the Sick and their Communion THe Visitation of the Sick being a private duty and no part of the Pubâ—ick Liturgy of the Church and the case of the Sick being so exceeding various as to soul and body and it being requisite that Ministers bee able to suiâ— their Exhortations and Prayers to the Condition of the Sick let the words of such Exhortations and Prayers bee left to their Prudence So urgent is the necessity of the Sick and so seasonable and advantagious the opportunity that Ministers may not negligently over-pass them but in love and tenderness instruct them according to their several Conditions Endeavouring the Conversion of the ungodly the strengthening of the weak and comforting such as need Consolation directing them how to improve their afflictions and helping them to bee sensible of the evil of sin the negligences and miscarriages of their lives the vanity of the World their necessity of a Saviour the sufficiency of Christ the Certainty and Excellency of the Everlasting Glory Exhorting them to repentance and to faith in Christ and to set their affections on the things above And if
spirit of the humble and the heart of the Contrite ones for thou wilt not contend for ever neither wilt thou bee alwaies wroth for the spirit would fail before thée and the soul which thou hast made Look down in tender mercy on the affliction of this thy Servant O Lord rebuke him not in thy wrath neither chasten him in thy hot displeasure All his desire is before thée and his groaning is not hid from thée Have mercy upon him O Lord for hée is weak O Lord heal him whose boues and soul is vered In death there is no remembrance of thée In the grave who shall give thée thanks Remember that wée are but flesh a Wind that passeth away and cometh not again wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble Remember not the Iniquities of his youth or his transgressions look upon his Afffiction and his pain and forgive all his sins Though the sorrows of death do compass him about yet if it bée for thy glory and his good recover him and let him live and praise thy name Rebuke his sickness direct unto such means as thou wilt bless In the time of his trouble wée call upon thée do thou deliver him and let him glorifie thée however shew him the sin that doth offend thée let him search and try his waies and confess and turn from his Inquity and let it bée good for him that hée was afflicted Let this bée the fruit of it to purge and take away his sin That being chastened of the Lord hée may not bée condemned with the world And though chastisement for the present séemeth not to bée joyous but grievous yet afterwards let it yéeld the peaceable fruit of Righteousness to this thy Servant that is exercised therein In the mean time O Lord bée thou his Portion who art good to the Soul that séeketh thée and waiteth for thée Let him patiently and silently bear thy yoak let him hope and quietly wait for thy salvation Considering that thou wilt not cast off for ever that thy anger is but for a moment but in thy favour is Life Wéeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning and that whom thou lovest thou chastenest and scourgest every son whom thou receivest and that if hée indure Chastening thou dealest with him as a Son If hée bée recovered let him devote himself entirely to thy glory That when thou hast put off his sackcloath and mourning and girded him with gladness hee may speak thy praise and give thée thanks If hée receive the sentence of death in himself let it cause him to trust in thée that raisest the dead knowing that as thou didst raise up the Lord Jesus thou wilt raise him up also by Jesus Therefore suffer not his hope to faint but though his outward man perish yet let his inwardman bée renewed from day to day and let him live by faith and look at the things which are not séen even at the excéeding eternal weight of glory Let him bée found in Christ not having his own righteousness but that which is of God by faith Restrain the tempter and deliver thy servant from the sinful fears of death by Christ who through death destroyed the Devil that had the power of death That hée may finde that death hath lost his sting and Triumph over it by Faith in him through whom wée are made more than Conquerers That by faith and love his soul may now ascend with Christ that ascended unto his Father and our Father and to his God and our God and is gone to prepare a place for us and hath promised that where hée is there his servants shall bée also That they may behold the glory which thou hast given him Magnifie thy self in his Body whether by life or death and safely bring him into thy glorious presence where is fulness of Joy and Everlasting pleasures through Jesus Christ our Life and Righteousness Amen A Prayer for Women drawing neer the time of Childe-bearing MOst merciful Father who hast justly Sentenced Woman that was first in the Transgression to great and multiplyed sorrows and particularly in sorrow to bring forth Children yet grantest preservation and reliefe for the propagation of Mankinde Bée merciful to this thy servant bée néer her with thy present help in the néedful time of trouble and though in Travel shée hath sorrow give her strength to bring forth Being delivered let her remember no more the Anguish for ioy that a Childe is born into the World Bless her in the fruit of her body and being safely delivered let her return thée hearty thanks and devote it and the rest of her life to thy service through Jesus Christ our Saviour Amen A Thanksgiving for those that are restored from Dangerous Sickness WEe thank thée O Most Gracious God that thou hast heard us when wée cryed unto thée for thy servant in his weakness and distress that thou hast not turned away our Prayer nor thy mercy from him wée cryed to thée and thou hast delivered and healed him thou hast brought him from the grave thou hast kept him alive that hée should not go down into the Pit thou hast forgiven his iniquity and healed his diseases thou hast redéemed his life from destruction and hast crowned him with loving kindeness and tender mercies thou hast not deprived him of the residue of his years thou hast repented thée of the Evil His Age is nor departed Thou hast renewed his youth and given him to sée man with the Inhabitants of the World And to sée the Goodness of the Lord in the land of the living day and night thy hand was heavy upon him but thou hast turned away thy wrath and hast forgiven the iniquity of his sin for this every one that is godly shall pray unto thée in a time of trouble 〈◊〉 Thou art a hiding place thou preservest us from trouble when our Flesh and our heart faileth us thou art the strength of our heart and our Portion for ever indéed Lord thou art good unto thine Israel Even to such as are clean of heart many are the afflictions of the Righteous but thou deliverest them out of all Though all the day long they bée afflicted and chastened every morning yet are they continually with thée Thou holdest them by the right hand thou art a present help in trouble when all the help of man is vain Let thy servant love thée because thou hast heard his voice and supplication Let him offer unto thée the sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay his vowes to the most high and take the Cup of Salvation and call upon thée all his daies let him bée wholly devoted to thy praise and glorifie thée in Soul and Body as being Thine and seasonably depart in peace unto thy glory through Jesus Christ our life and righteousness Amen A
estéem other better than himself and let all men know that wée are Christs Disciples by our fervent love to one another Let us be heartily and entirely thy Subjects beléeving that thou art just and the Rewarder of them that diligently séek thée kéep us from Atheism Idolatry and Disobedience from Infidelity Ungodliness and Sensuality from Security Presumption and Despair Let us study to please thée in all things Let thy Law bée written in our hearts and let us delight to do thy Will Let our Faith and Lives be ruled by thy Word which is able to make us wise unto Salvation let us love it search it and understand it and meditate in it day and night Let us not please our selves or other men against thee nor be led by the wisdome or desires of the World and Flesh nor regard lying vanities nor through carelesness rashness or presumption offend thée As all Nations must be judged by thée let them be ruled by thy Laws and not make them void by mens traditions nor worship thée in vain teaching for Doctrine the Commandments of men But what ever thou commandest let them take héed to do it Let them add nothing thereto nor take ought therefrom Let us not take thy holy Name in vain but use it in truth and reverence Kéep us from all Blasphemy Perjury Prophane swearing from lying before the God of Truth and from contempt and forgetfulness of thy presence from false unworthy unreverent thoughts or spéeches of God and holy things and from neglecting or abusing thy holy Word and Worship Help us to kéep holy thy Day in remembrance of the blessed work of our Redemption and reverently to attend thée in Publick Worship and obediently to receive thy Word and fervently to call upon thy Name and to delight our selves in Thanksgiving and joyful Praises to thy Holiness in the Communion of thy Saints and let us carefully sée that our housholds and all within our gates do serve thée and not abuse thy holy Day Have mercy on the Kings and Rulers of the Earth that they may escape the Temptations of Worldly Greatness Honours and Prosperity which would captivate them to the flesh and draw their hearts from thée thy Laws and Waies and would engage them against thée and thy Servants And as they are thy Ministers and Magistracy is thine Ordinance sanctifie and dispose them to be Nursing Fathers to thy Church to own thy Interest and Rule for thée Especially have mercy on thy Servant Charls our King illuminate and sanctifie him by thy holy Spirit that above all things hée may séek thy Glory the increase of Faith and Obedience to thy Laws and may rule us as being thy Minister for good not to be a terrour to good Works but to Evil that under him wée may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty Have mercy upon all the Royal Family the Lords of the Counsel and all the Nobility the Judges and Magistrates of these Lands Cause them to fear thee and to be Eminent in Sobriety Righteousness and Godliness to protect the Innocent and be a terrour to the Wicked hating Injustice Covetousness and Pride Let every soul be subject to the Higher Powers and not resist Let them obey the King and all that are in Authority under him not onely for wrath but for conscience sake as knowing that they rule by thée and for thée Give all the Churches able holy faithful Pastors and cause them laboriously to preach and rightly to divide the Word of truth to féed thy People with Knowledge and lead them in the way of Faith and Love of Holiness and Peace and to watch for their souls as those that must give account over-seeing and ruling them not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind not as being Lords over thy Heritage but as the Servants of all and Ensamples to the Flock That when the chief Pastor shall appear they may receive a Crown of Glory Let the Congregations know those that have the ruling of them and are over them in the Lord that labour among them preaching to them the Word of God Let them submissively and obediently hear and esteem them very highly in love for their works sake and account them worthy of double honour Let Parents bring up their Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord diligently teaching them thy Word talking of it when they are in their house and when they walk by the way when they lye down and when they rise up that they may know their Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier in the daies of their youth And cause Children to hear love honour and obey their Parents that they may have the blessing of thine especial Promise unto such Let Husbands love their Wives and prudently guide them in knowledge and holiness And let Wives love honour and obey their Husbands as méet helpers to them Let Masters rule their Servants in Holiness and mercy remembring they have a Master in Heaven and let Servants reverently singly and willingly bée obedient and do service to their Masters as to the Lord from him expecting their reward Kéep us from Murder Uiolence and all injury to our neighbours life or health from malice cursing reviling and unadvised Anger Let us not resist evil with evil but forbear one another and not give place to wrath Kéep us from Adultery Fornication and all uncleanness and the occasions and appearances thereof Let us take care as becometh saints that they bée not immodestly named among us and that no Corrupt Communication procéed out of our Mouths Kéep us from Chambering and wantonness from lustfull thoughts and all immodest attire behaviour looks and actions Kéep us from Theft and Oppression and any way wronging our Nieghbour in his Propriety and Estate Kéep us from False witness-bearing lying and deceiving from slandering backbiting unjust uncharitable censuring or reproaching from all perverting of justice and wronging the reputation of our Neighbour and from all consent or desire of such wrongs Kéep us from Envy and from coveting any thing that is our Neighbours to his wrong and from séeking our own or drawing to our selves to the Injury of his welfare but let us love our Neighbours as our selves and do to others as wée would they should do to us Teach us to love Christ and his holy Image in his Members with a dear and special love and to love our Enemies and pray for them that hate and persecute us and to do good to all as wée are able but Especially to them of the Houshold of faith Cause us with patience to submit to all the Disposals of thy Will and wait thy End and to love the demonstrations of thy Holiness and iustice though grievous to the Flesh and kéep us from Impatient Murmurings and discontent and Arrogant reasoning against thy Will Give us
our daily bread our necessary sustentation and provision for thy service and let us use it for thée and not to satisfie the flesh Let us depend on thée and trust thée for it in the lawful use of means And bless thou our labours and give us the fruits of the Earth in season and such temperate weather as tendeth thereunto Deliver us and all thy Servants from such wants distresses griefes and sicknesses as will unseasonably take us off thy service and from untimely death And teach us to value and redéem our time and work while it is day Kéep us from Gluttony Drunkenness and all intemperance from sloth and idleness from inordinate desires of pleasures or abundance but having food and Rayment let us bée therewith contented Of thy abundant mercy through the sacrifice and merits of thy Son according to thy promise forgive us all our sins and save us from thy deserved wrath and condemnation Remember not O Lord our offences nor the offences of our fore-Fathers but though our Iniquities testifie against us spare us and save us for thy mercy sake O Let not our sin deprive us of thy spirit or of access unto thée or Communion with thée or of thy favour or comfort or the light of thy Countenance or of everlasting life Cause us to forgive from our hearts the Injuries done against us as wée expect to bée forgiven by thée the greatest debt Kéep us from all revengfull desires and attempts And do thou convert and pardon our Enemies slanderers oppressors persecutors and others that have done us wrong Keep us from running upon Temptations suffer not the tempter by subtilty or importunity to corrupt our judgements Wills Affections or Conversations Cause us to maintain a diligent and constant watch over our thoughts and hearts our senses and Appetites our words and actions and as faithful Souldiers by the conduct and strength of the Captain of our Salvation with the whole Armour of God to resist and overcome the world the Devil and the Flesh unto the End Save us from the Temptations of Prosperity and adversity let us not bée drawn from thée to sin by the pleasures profits or honours of the world strengthen us for sufferings let us not forsake thee or fall in time of tryal help us to deny our selves and take up our Cross and follow Christ Accounting the sufferings of this present time unworthy to bée compared with the glory to bée revealed Deliver us from the Enmity and Rage of Satan and his Instruments and give not up thy Servants their Souls or Bodies their Peace or Liberties Estates or Names to their Malicious Wills but save us and preserve us to thy Heavenly Kingdome Wée ask all this of thée O Lord for thou art the Universal King Holy and just to whom it belongeth in righteousness to judge the World and save thy people All power is thine to execute wrath upon thine Enemies and to deliver and Glorifie thy Flock and none is able to resist thée Of Thée and through Thée and to Thée are all things and the Glory shall bée Thine For Ever Amen The Churches Praise For our Redemption to bee used at Discretion OUr Souls do magnifie thée O Lord Our spirits rejoyce in God our Saviour who remembred us in our Low and lost Estates for his mercy endureth for ever By one man sin entred into the World and death by sin Wée kept not the Covenant of God and refused to walk in his Law For all have Sinned and come short of the Glory of God and Judgement came upon all men to Condemnation But Blessed bée the Lord God of Israel that hath visited and redéemed his people and hath raised up a mighty Salvation for us in the House of his servant David As hée spake by the Mouth of his Holy Prophets which have béen since the World began A Uirgin hath conceived and brought forth The Holy Ghost did come upon her the power of the Highest did over-shadow her therefore the Holy one that is born of her is called the Son of God His name is called Jesus for hée saveth his people from their sins To us is born a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. Hée is the Image of the Invisible God The first born of every Creature for by him All things are created that are in Heaven and in Earth visible and invisible whether Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers All things were Created by him and for him and hée is before all things and by him all things do consist Hée is the Power of God and the Wisdome of God The true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world The Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us and men beheld his Glory as the Glory of the onely begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell When the fulness of time was come God sent his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redéem them that are under the Law This is the beloved Son in whom the Father is well pleased For such a high Priest became us who is Holy Harmless Undefiled separate from sinners hée did no sin neither was there any guile found in his mouth when hée was reviled hée reviled not again leaving us an Ensample Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the Trée For God layed on him the Iniquity of us all and by his stripes wée are healed When wée were without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly the just for the unjust In this was manifest the Love of God towards us that God sent his only begotten Son into the World that wée might live by him Forasmuch as the Children were Partakers of Flesh and Blood hée himself likewise took part with them that hée might destroy through death him that had the Power of death that is the Devil and might deliver them who through fear of Death were all their life time subject to Bondage Having spoiled Principalities and Powers hée made shew of them openly triumphing over them in his Cross Hée was Buried and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures For God raised him having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that hée should bée holden of it hée hath abolished death and brought life and Immortality to light by the Gospel O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Uictory All Power is given him in Heaven and Earth when hée asscended up on high hée led Captivity Captive and gave gifts to men And hee gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and some Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the Edifying of the Body of Christ till wee all come in the unity of the Faith of the knowledge