Evening PRAYER for a Family Our Father c. Confession O Most infinite and Glorious Majesty Lord God of heaven and earth who hast granted us poor creatures and wretched sinners the mercy to appeal unto thee as unto a merciful and Gracious Father who might justly for our sins stand now confounded at thy presence as before the face of an angry Judge For Lord who have ever provoked thee to anger if we have not who were ever justly accounted sinful if we are not For if thou accountest our sins by our time what moment is it in which we have not offended thee if by the instruments of action what faculty of the mind affections of the heart what sense or member of the body have not been employed to sin against thee if thou numbrest our sins by thy holy lawes which of them that concern either our duties to thee our God our righteous carriage to others or the sober use of our selves or thy blessings have we not transgressed So that there appears a numberless number of sins before us such as become an heavie burthen too heavie for us to bear And yet O Lord as if it had not been enough to have thus offended thee in the former part of our lives we have this day added to the sad account by many sinful imaginations which we have given our mindes leave to multiply by many offensive sinful words by many omissions of serving thee and doing good to others and by many acts that cannot but displease thee That shouldst thou deal with us accordingly thou mightest justly cast us off from thy protection deprive us of our present comforts and sweet enjoyments and make us miserable by the effects of thy wrath here and eternally Petition for Pardon and grace But O Lord of mercy though thou hatest sin in it self and wicked men that continue in it yet are thy armes alwayes open to accept and thy mercies ready to pardon all them that acknowledge and forsake their sins We beseech thee therefore O Lord enable us truly to repent us of all our sins that we may sorrow for them and sincerely abhorre them that we may have real purposes against them and faithfully forsake them all the dayes of our lives And then O Lord be graciously pleased to forgive all those our sins unto us acquit us of the guilt unload us of the burthen of them and do thou accept of the blood of Christ in full satisfaction for them O Lord impute them not unto us either to punish us for them in this world with miseries and sad accidents or in the world to come with eternal torments And Lord do thou help us for the time to come with thy grace or we yet perish O enlighten our understandings and judgements with all spiritual wisdom that we may know and approve the things that are excellent incline our wills to pursue them and ingage all our affections to them Wean us from the love of the world and let our soules hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Grant that we employ our selves in all our worldly labor cares for the things of this life with affections so subordinate to spiritual things that we may first seek the Kingdom of God and its righteusnesse and use the world as if we used it not Lord keep us intire in our obedience to Christ that we may upon no temptation depart from the strict holiness of the Gospel Lord make us humble meek peaceable just and charitable make us zealous for thy glory and truth careful of doing good to others and of keeping our selves undefiled members of Christ to our last end Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen Here I also desire the supplicant may interpose the reading of Psalmes a Chapter and the Beleef as in the Morning Service The Thanksgiving O most blessed Lord God who art the fountain of blessing and Father of mercies who by thy providence orderest all our particular conditions for us in which we every where observe great evidences of thy love and goodnesse to us We humbly acknowledge our necessary dependence upon thee and do confess to thy Glory that every comfort we enjoy is of thy free gift and bounty We desire therefore according to our bounden duty to offer up unto thee this evening sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for all thy mercies and sweet providences to us Especially our souls magnify thy divine love that thou hast given us thy Son our Iesus to pay the price of his blood to satisfy thy justice for all our sins That thou hast engaged us by being born and living under the meanes of Grace to make profession of the faith of Christ and that thou hast not set us in the region and shadow of death We bless thee O Lord that thou hast given us power in any measure to love or fear thee to desire and intend heavenly things and that thou hast not given us up to a reprobate mind nor to be led away with the errour of the wicked to fall from our stedfastness We praise thy Name for the blessings of this life for the present estate and condition in which thou hast placed us and therein for our portion of health peace friends and provisions to live all which before this time thou mightest have justly taken from us for our manifold provocations Blessed be thy providence for the mercies of this day past thou hast given us hearts in any measure to serve thee and hast sweetened our affaires and enjoyments with any proportion of peace and contentment That we have been delivered from all fearful accidents such as might have made us to sit down in wo and filled our souls with amazement and sorrow Lord place us this night also under thy divine protection and providence Free us from all terrors and affrightments and the sudden surprise of any danger or accident and when we awake and rise grant O Lord that we may proceed in the way of good living and so persevere in it all the dayes of our lives that when we come to our last sleep and period of our time we may rest in and with thee to all eternity through thy infinite mercies in Iesus Chhrist our Saviour Amen Let the intercession be the same that is used in the morning Service The lesser CATECHISM FOR CHILDREN BY VV. SMYTH THE Lesser CATECHISME for Children QUESTION VVHat is the best thing to be desired and laboured for ANSWER To be saved Quest How is it to be obtained Ans. By the free gift of God in Christ Quest To whom will he give so great an happinesse Ans. To all them that perform the conditions of the Gospel-Covenant Quest What are those conditions Ans. These three to Beleeve Repent and Obey the Commandments of Christ Qu. Thousaidst thou must believe And what are the Articles of thy Christian faith as they are contracted into one summe called the Apostles Creed Ans. I beleeve in God the Father Almighty Maker
Thine in all the offices of his holy Calling W. S. THE First Forme Thy child having been baptized and thereby made a member of Christ as soon as thou perceivest the eye of its reason to open direct it to that Kingdom of Christ to which its name was given up by Baptisme Begin to instruct it in the lesser Catechisme and as it maketh progresse in it morning and evening let it use such little services to God as this A Morning PRAYER for a Childe Our Father which art in heaven Hallowed be thy Name c. ALmighty God and merciful Father who hast kept me this night in all safety preserve me likewise this day from all sad accidents Keep my mind from evill thoughts my tongue from swearing lying and all evill speakiug and let all my actions be such as please thee And as I grow in age let me enerease in grace and goodnesse through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour Amen An Evening PRAYER Our Father which c. LOrd I Blesse thee that thou hast defended me this day from all evills and dangers I beseech thee forgive me wherein I have offended thee in thought word or deed Keep me this night in safety let me rest in the armes of thy providence that no evill spirits do violence to me nor any sad accident befall me through Jesus Christ my Saviour Amen As thou perceivest an improvement in capacity so adde this short intercession to both these Prayers O Lord protect thy Church be mercifull to this nation comfort all afflicted spirits return my Parents cares and love into their bosomes Blesse my brothers and sisters my friends and all thy people with grace and salvation for Jesus sake Amen THE Second Form When thou observest the former office to be too little for thy childes capacity be carefull according to its increase in knowledge that it may be obliged to larger services For that purpose I have prepared these following prayers Now supposing by this time that thy childe is made perfect in the lesser Catechisme I desire that first it rehearseth the Articles of its Christian Faith that so they may be accustomed upon its spirit and by prayer fastened upon the soul that it may never depart from that faith upon any temptation I beleeve in God the Father Almighty maker of heaven and earth c. After which let it be taught to say this short PRAYER O Lord preserve my soul in this faith let me not depart from it through any temptation but give me grace to continue in the profession of it to my lives end for thy mercies sake in Christ my Saviour Amen After which it will be expedient that thy childe should recite all or some of the Commandments by several periods that it may understand that it is necessary Christ should be obeyed as well as beleeved After which whole or part rehearsed let it be taught this short PETITION O Lord which hast made known thy will and pointed out thy wayes unto me wherein I should walk O let thy holy Spirit incline my affections to love them and strengthen my soule to keep them through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Morning PRAYER Our Father which art c. Confession of sin and Prayer for Pardon and Grace O Lord God dreadful in thy justice and power Gracious in thy mercies and loving kindnesse I that am thy poor and sinful creature do present my self my soul and body to thy divine Majesty trusting in thy tender mercies and acknowledging my unworthinesse to appear before so holy a presence For Lord I am thine enemy by nature the imaginations of my heart are evill continnally and as thou hast added years to my life so have my corruptions increased My sins do multiply every day my own lusts and the worlds temptations do more and more prevaile upon me O Lord be merciful unto me forgive me what is past and for the time to come prevent me with thy grace restrain my lusts suffer me not to be ingaged in the sinful courses of the world nor be betrayed to any gross sins by the ill examples of men Lord make me to love and to submit to the holy Religion of Christ and in the strength of thy grace to lead a godly righteous and sober life through Jesus Christ my Saviour Amen The thanksgiving Lord I blesse thee for all the expressions of thy love and sweet providence to me Praised and for ever praised be thy Name for the Redemption of Mankind by Iesus Christ and for the particular work of thy grace upon my soul for all thy temporal blessings my health peace plenty friends and safety for that thou hast kept me this night from every evill due in justice to my sins O Lord preserve me this day under the protection of thy providence keep me that I may not offend thee in thought word or deed nor fall into any danger of soul or body through the might of Iesus Christ my Saviour Amen The intercession Lord be mercifull unto all men preserve thy universal Church from the enemies of the Gospel Be gracious to thy Churches planted in these nations in all these present dangers and departures from the faith Blesse all Christian Magistrates and preserve the Ministers of the Gospel that thy people may lead a godly and quiet life Blesse my Parents and near relations Releeve all in affliction hear their cry and help them Forgive mine enemies and give thy Grace to all people through Iesus Christ our Lord and blessed Saviour Amen Evening PRAYER Our Father c. Confession of sin and Petition for Grace and Pardon O Lord I that am but dust and ashes a finful and therefore miserable creature do again in confidence of thy goodness and my Iesus address my poor soul unto thee and lay my selfe at the foot of thy grace and mercy I confess I may justly be ashamed to appear before that holy presence which I have so often and so heinously offended this day in thought word and deed had I not a blessed Advocate that sitteth at thy right hand to make intercession for me O my dear Iesus have mercy upon me have mercy upon me receive me into the armes of thy compassion who like a lost sheep have this day ssrayed from thee into many errors and vanities Lord lay them not to my charge but put them upon the account of thy sufferings that I may never suffer thy vengeance for them in this world nor the world to come And now I commit my self to the protection of thy mercy this night defend me from all those miseries my sins have deserved and so hereafter direct me with thy Grace that I may live to thy glory all the dayes of my life through Jesus Christ our Saviour Amen Thanksgiving O Lord the heavens declare thy glory and all the creatures blesse thee O my soul do thou also praise the Lord and let all that is within me blesse his holy Name For thou only O Lord art the light of
my countenance and my God Thou hast created me by thy power redeemed me by thy Christ sanctified me by thy Spirit and preserved me by thy watchful providence through the whole course of my life Lord I praise thee for the safety of my soul and body this day that thy grace hath kept me from grosse sins and thy protection from sad accidents O keep me this night by the covert of the same fatherly goodness through Jesus Christ my Lord Amen Let the intercession be the same that was used for the morning Service Now I commend this office as the fittest to be taught to servants in families and to be used by children before they come to mens and womens estate THE Third Form This third office I have here inserted for the benefit of those who usually accustoming themselves to the next and largest formes shall sometime be necessitated to shorten their service and may be ordinarily used by those who are not yet come up to so great designs of zeal for longer formes Morning PRAYER Our Father which art in c. Confession of sin O Lord God Almighty the God of all Glory Majesty and Power and the fountain of mercies I confesse I am unworthy to appear before thy holy presence having sinned against heaven and before thee and in thought word and deed continually rebelled against thee I have too much followed my lusts and desires and have not endeavoured to bring under my affections to the yoak of Christ I have loved the vanities of the world but too much undervalued thy Kingdom and promises I have not been so sincere and frequent in thy services so diligent in my calling so just and merciful in my carriage to others nor so sober and temperate in the use of my mind body and thy blessings as the strict holinesse of the Gospel hath required of me here make confession of particulars For which I stand here guilty of the breach of thy righteous commandments and lie lyable to the effects of thy wrath and displeasure Prayer for Pardon and Grace But O thou preserver of men for thine own compassion sake and for thy Iesus sake pity the troubles of a burthened soul and pardon all those sins I have committed against thee Let the blood of Christ satisfy thy justice and his intercession obtain thy mercy for a peace and reconciliation with thee that my sins may not separate from thy grace here nor thy glory hereafter And O Lord strenthen my weak soul with the graces of thy Spirit that I may hereafter overcome all the temptations of the devil the world and the flesh and may lead a new and holy life before thee Turn the stream of my affections to thee and take possession of my soul that all my thoughts words and actions may be subject to the law of Christ And having kept the faith and finished my conversation in holines I may at last through thy mercies in Christ obtain the crown of eternal glory Amen The Thanksgiving O merciful and Gracious Lord as I acknowledge my dependence upon thee for every part of my being so I desire to bless thy holy Name for all thy mercies to me especially for the redemption of my soul by the blood of thy Son and for the portion of thy grace that thou hast given me I praise thee O Lord for all temporall blessings as my health provision of food and rayment friends understanding senses and limbs and that I enjoy any thing that I have seen any others to want Blessed be thy Name for the safety of my soul and body this night past O keep me under the shadow of thy wings this day that I may fall into no sad accidents nor dangers and so defend me with thy grace that I may do nothing that may displease thee or that may occasion sin in others or give offence to the holy profession of Christ for his merits sake who is my blessed Jesus Amen Intercession Lord defend thy universall Church from all enemies persecutions and factions Preserve thy Churches in these nations restore them to their former peace and keep them from the dangers of their own divisions and enmities Grant that Magistrates and Ministers may concurre to the upholding thy truth and worship in this needful time Blesse my Parents children and all my near relationss with all spiritual blessings in Christ and all temporall comforts Relieve and comfort all that are in distresse all prisoners captives sick and poor persons distressed widowes and friendless children with every oppressed and sorrowful soul Convert the impenitent confirm the weak turn into the way of truth all that have erred and forgive and bless all mine enemies Lord hear these my prayers and grant me my requests for the mediation of Jesus Christ my Saviour to whom with thee and the holy Spirit be given all Glory Honour and Praise this day and for evermore Amen Evening PRAYER Our Father which c. O Most infinite Majesty and gracious Father in mercy thou hast added another day to my age O wretch that I am I have added many sins to my former score How often O Lord have I this day forgotten my obedience to thee How many vain thoughts hath my mind harboured How many vain and impertinent words hath my mouth uttered With how many passions have I been transported beyond the bounds of Religion How many sinful acts have I committed How many opportunities of doing good have I omitted wherein I might have glorified thy Name And whereas thou hast given it me as another day of grace to be getting oyle for my lamp and to be working out my salvation O unhappy Creature I have rather gone back upon the accounts of the Spirit Trifling away that precious time in my indulgencies to my carnal affections or pursuits of worldly advantages neglecting the great prize of Christ and treasures of eternity So that had I but the sins of this day to answer for at the barre of thy divine justice O Lord I might justly suffer thy wrath to all eternity O what hath my soul to plead for the sins of my whole life if the sins of this one day may confound me For Pardon and Grace And now Lord where is my hope truly my hope is even in thee who though thou art justly displeased with me for my sins yet hath thy Iesus fully satisfied thy justice for them and by the dear price of his blood purchased at thy hand forgiveness of them O my dear Lord I beseech thee therefore shut not up the bowels of thy compassion from me nor deny me the benefit of the death and passion of my Saviour Lord let his wounds heal me his blood cleanse me his death reconcile me to thy divine Majesty for ever And grant that in the residue of my dayes I may wholly conforme to the Kingdom of Christ that I may have peace of conscience here a comfortable death and a blessed eternitie through the merits of Iesus Christ my Saviour Amen