with his own Blood By the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one both night and day with tears S. Luke 12. 42. Who then is that faithfull and wise Steward whom his Lord shall make Ruler over his Houshold to give them their portion of meat in due season Col. 1. 28. Whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all Wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Mal. 2. 7. For the Priests lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts S. Mark 4. 34. And when they were alone he expounded all things to his Disciples Hebr. 5. 12. Ye have need that one teach you again which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God and are become such as have need of Milk and not of strong Meat 1 Cor. 4 1. Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God Hebr. 13. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as they that must give an account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you 1 Thess 5. 12 13. We beseech you Brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake and be at peace among your selves A brief Explication or Profession of our Faith taken out of Scripture for the better understanding and improvement of the Apostles Creed I Believe that there is one only true God who is a Spirit infinitely glorious and being One in Nature is yet Three in Persons the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost which are three and one after a wonderfull and mysterious manner The Father God the Son God and the Holy Ghost God and yet not three Gods but one God infinite in Being Wisdom Power and Goodness the Maker Preserver and Disposer of all things the must just and most mercifull Lord of all I believe that Mankind being fallen by sin from God and Happiness under the wrath of God the curse of his Law and the power of the Devil God so loved the World that he gave his only Son to be their Redeemer who being God and one with the Father became Man also in the same Person by taking to him our Nature as to which he was conceived by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary and born of her without sin and named Jesus Christ and having lived on earth without sin and wrought many miracles for a witness of his Truth he gave up himself a Sacrifice for our sins and a Ransom for us in suffering death on the Cross and being buried he rose again the third day and afterward ascended into Heaven where he is Lord of all in Glory with the Father And having ordained and appointed that all that truly repent and believe in Him and love him above all things and sincerely obey him and that to the death shall be saved and that they that will not shall be damned and commanded his Ministers to publish thus much and to preach the Gospel to the World he will come again and raise the bodies of all Men from death and will judge all men according to what they have done in the Body I believe that God the Holy Ghost the Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son was sent by them to inspire and guide the Prophets and Apostles that they might fully reveal the Doctrine of Christ and by multitudes of evident Miracles to be the great witness of Christ and of the Truth of his holy Word and also to dwell and work in all that are drawn to believe that being first joyned unto Christ their Head and into one Church which is his Body and so pardoned and made the Sons of God they may be a peculiar People sanctified to Christ and may overcome the world the flesh and the devil and being zealous of good Works may serve God in Holiness and Righteousness and may live in the special love and Communion of the Saints and in hope of Christs appearing and of everlasting life I do heartily take this One God in the Trinity of Persons for my only God and my chief good And this Jesus Christ for my only Lord-Redeemer and Saviour And this Holy Ghost for my Sanctifier and Comforter and the Doctrine by him revealed and witnessed by his Miracles and now contained in the Holy Scriptures I do take for the Law of God and the rule of my Faith and Life And repenting unfeignedly of my sins I do resolve through the grace of God sincerely to obey him both in Holiness to God Righteousness to Men and in special love to the Saints and in Communion with them against all the temptations of the devil flesh or world and this to death The Catechism or Christian Doctrine and Practice Note that the first eight Questions and Answers contain the foregoing Profession and the four last do express the Particulars contained in the two words Holiness and Righteousness and in the Ten Commandments Question 1. What do you believe concerning God THere is one only God in three Persons the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost who is Infinite in Being Power Wisdom and Goodness the Maker Preserver and Disposer of all things and the most just and mercifull Lord of all 1 Cor. 8. 4 6 1 John 5. 7. 1 Tim. 1. 17. Psal 139. 7 8 9 Isa 40. 17. Revel 4. 8. Psal 147. 5. Nehem 9. 6. Psal 135. 6. Revel 15. 3. Exod. 34. 6. Quest 2. How did God make man and who Law did he give him God made Man for himself after his own image in Righteousness and true Holiness and gave him a righteous Law requiring perfect obedience upon pain of death Prov. 16. 4. Gen. 1. 26 27. 2. 16 17. Rom. 6. 23. Deut. 27. 26. Gal. 3. 10. Quest 3. Did man keep or break this Law Man being tempted by Satan did wilfully sin and so fall from God and Happiness under the wrath of God the curse of the Law and the power of the Devil so that we are by Nature dead in sin and prone to do more evil continually and to grow worse and to depart yet further from God Gen. 3. Rom. 5. 12 18. 3. 23. 6. 23. Eph. 2. 12. Hos 14. 1. Eph. 2. 2 3 5. Gal. 3. 10 13. Acts 26. 18. Gen. 6. 5. 2 Tim. 3. 13. Hos 13. 2. 2 Tim. 2. 16. Quest 4. How was Man redeemed God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son to be their Redeemer who being God and One with the Father did take to him our Nature and became Man being conceived by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary and born of her and called Jesus Christ and having lived on earth without sin and wrought many Miracles
thee Thirdly Set thy self as in the Presence of God with awfull and reverent thoughts of thy crucified Lord. If the blessed Apostle S. Peter seeing but a glimpse of Christs Almighty Power thought himself unworthy to stand in the same Boat with him how unworthy art thou to sit with Christ at the same Table where thou mayest behold so much of his infinite Grace and Mercy displayed Yet if thou comest humbly in Faith Repentance and Charity abhorring thy sins past and purposing unfeignedly to amend thy life henceforth let not thy former sins affright thee for they shall never be laid to thy Charge and this Sacrament shall seal to thy Soul that all thy sins are fully pardoned and clean washed away by the Blood of Christ For this Sacrament was not ordained for them who are perfect but to help penitent sinners towards Perfection Christ came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance And he saith That the whole need not the Physician but they that are sick Bathe thou therefore thy Soul in this fountain of Christs Blood and doubtless according to the Promise Zech. 13. 1. Thou shalt be healed of all thy sins and uncleannesses Not sinners but they who are unwilling to repent of their sins are debarred this Holy Ordinance Fourthly When the Minister begins to read the sentences of Scripture before the Offertory let them be considered by thee to stirr up thy Charity to the Poor Let Gods bounty to thee in Spirituals provoke thy Mercy to others in Temporals Hoping to be refreshed with the saving benefits of Christs Death be willing to thy Power to refresh the bowels of his poor Members What we do to them we do to Christ and who would not thus relieve Christ who made himself Poor to make us Rich in the best things And now the Sacrament being begun to be administred apply thy self with diligent Attention and fervent Devotion to go along with the Minister in all Actions Rites Prayers Confessions Readings Exhortations or Thanksgivings which are used in and about the Holy Sacrament When therefore thou seest the Minister putting apart Bread and Wine on the Lords Table and consecrating them by Prayers and rehearsal of the words of Christs Institution to be an holy Sacrament of the blessed Body and Blood of Christ then meditate how God the Father of his meer love to Mankind did set apart and seal his only begotten Son to be the All-sufficient means and only Mediator to redeem us from sin and to reconcile us to Himself and to bring us to Glory When thou seest him break the Bread meditate how Jesus Christ was put to death as to his humane Nature and his blessed Body wounded and pierced and both Soul and Body as we may say broken asunder for our sins and withall call to mind the hainousness of them and the greatness of Gods hatred against them seeing his Justice could not be satisfied but by such a Sacrifice When he is drawing towards Thee with the consecrated Bread and offering it unto thee then meditate that Christ himself cometh unto thee and both offereth and giveth indeed unto thy Faith Himself and all the merits of his Death and Passion to feed thy Soul unto Eternal life The bread of the Lord is given by the Minister but the Bread which is the Lord is given by Christ himself Ejaculations and Meditations which we may use while the Minister is giving the Bread and Wine to others 1. O Holy Jesus I behold thee stretched upon the Cross with thy arms spread ready to embrace and receive all Mankind into thy Bosom 2. I see the Symbols the Holy Bread and the blessed Cup but I also think of thy Authority ordaining these Rites of thy voice blessing these Symbols of thy Mercy reaching out my pardon thy Holy Spirit sanctifying my Spirit thy blessed Self making intercession for me at the eternall Altar in Heaven 3. Thy infinite Arms of Mercy are reached unto us and our Arm of Faith reacheth unto thee blessed be Jesus who will be joyned unto Servants 4. I am helped by these outward signs blessed Saviour to remember thy Body and thy Blood but by these I do not feel thy Wounds My Lord had the smart but we the ease his were the Sufferings but ours the Mercy and after he had paid the Price we got the Purchase Oh that my heart therefore by love and desire might reach out after him and by joy and delight ever rest in Him 5. I desire to know nothing but Jesus and him crucified O let the power of thy Cross prevail against all the powers of Darkness Let the Peace of thy Cross give me Peace with God and in my own Conscience Let the Victory of thy Cross mortifie all my evil and corrupt affections Let the Triumph of thy Cross lead me on to a state of Holiness And let the Wisdom of thy Cross make me wise unto Salvation 6. Thou wilt not dwell in a polluted House make my Soul clean and do thou consecrate it into a Temple O theu great Bishop of our Souls by the indwelling of thy holy Spirit and let the Members of Christ never become the instruments of Unrighteousness 7. O God my God assist me now and ever greatly and graciously Grant that I may not receive Bread onely nor Wine onely for man cannot live by that but that I may eat Christ not by Papal Transubstantiation but by Sacramental Participation 8. I am nothing I have nothing I desire nothing but Jesus my Saviour make haste O Lord behold my heart is ready thou hast opened my heart to receive Thee into the seat of Love Come Lord Jesus come quickly As thou eatest the Bread thankfully praise God for the saving benefits of Christs Death And further think with thy self As verily as I now cat this Bread so verily was Christs Body broken for the sins of the World and if I sincerely believe in Him as I now desire to do unfeignedly devoting my self unto him relying upon Gods Mercy in and through him being willing to be guided by his Word and sanctified by his Spirit so verily are my sins pardoned for the merits of his precious Death Here before the Cup be brought to thee thou mayest use one or more of the foregoing Ejaculations Thou mayest also have time to bless God for the Death of Christ to meditate upon his Sufferings to admire the greatness of his Love in dying for thee resolving to take the Cup of Salvation and to pledge his love with love to renew thy Covenants with God to reinforce thy purposes of better Obedience to beg of God strength to performe such Duties as thou hast formerly neglected against such sins and temptations as have too easily prevailed against thee to pray also for all Patience under such troubles and afflictions as may befall thee before another Sacrament Day come about Having received the Cup at the Ministers hand in the instant of Drinking and as soon after it as may
cantained though the very words be not by each one so fully remembred Inhabitants that are most knowing grave and vertuous should be forward thus to entertain holy Christian Conference with their Ministers about such weighty and excellent things because in this respect by their godly Examples they may do very much good in drawing on others who need it For by this means Truth may often be defended errour avoided sin and wickedness hindred Piety and Goodness promoted and encouraged Thus peoples mistakes may be rectified their doubts removed and that hurtfull strangeness that is too often between them and their Ministers taken away Moreover thus the weak and ignorant may be better informed the careless and secure awakened and converted the wavering confirmed and settled and the publick Ministry of the Word and Sacraments made more effectual and profitable In short by this means none shall be hurt or shamed but all that are willing to it and sincere in it shall God assisting be bettered credited comforted edified and greatly furthered by a consciencious improving their present opportunites and the precious time of this life in order to an happy Eternity Bishop Taylor in a Preface of his to his Treatise of Repentance I hope says he of himself I have received many of the Mercies of a repenting Sinner and have felt the turnings and varieties of Spiritual Intercourses and have been taught something of the Secret of Souls And I have says he often observed the advantages in Ministring to others and am confident that the greatest benefits of our Office may with best effect be communicated to Souls in personal and particular Ministrations M r Thorndyke speaking of some Persons neglecting formerly to Administer the Sacrament The way says he to have reformed us should not have been to leave off Communions but to make them more frequent and to endeavour that there might be more Personal Instruction by which People might be better fitted for frequent Communion D r H. Hammond of the Power of the Keys Cap. 4. Sect. 104. There will says he be little matter of doubt or controversie but that private frequent spiritual Conference betwixt fellow Christians but espicially and in matters of high concernment and difficulty between the Presbyter and those of his Charge even in the time of Health and peculiarly that part of it which is spent in the discussion of every mans special sin and infirmities and inclinations may prove very usefull and advantageous in order to special Directions Reproof and Comfort to the making the Man of God perfect And to tell Truth if the pride and self-conceit of some the wretchlesness of others the bashfulness of a third sort the nauseating and instant satiety of any good in the fourth the follies of Men and artifices of Satan had not put this Practice out of fashion among us there is no doubt but more good might be done by Ministers this way then is now done by any other means separated from the use of this particularly then by that of Publick Preaching which yet need not be neglected the more when this is used which hath now the fate to be cried up and almost solely depended on it being the likelier way as Quintilian saith comparing publick and private Teaching of Youth to fill narrow mouth'd Bottles and such are the most of us by taking them single in the hand and pouring water into each then by setting them altogether and throwing never so many bottles of water on them M r Baxter in one of his Prefaces to his Reformed Pastor My advice to you is this See that you obey your faithfull Teachers and improve their help for your Salvation while you have it and take heed that you refuse not to learn when they would teach you And in particular see that you refuse not to submit to them in this Duty of private Instruction Go to them when they desire you and be thankfull for their help Yea at other times when you need their Advice go to them of your own accord and ask it Their Office is to be your Guides in the way of Life If you seek not their direction it seems you either despise Salvation it self or else you are so proud as to think your selves sufficient to be your own Directors Shall God in Mercy send you Leaders to teach and conduct you in the way to Glory and will you stoutly send them back or refuse their Assistance and say we have no need of their Direction Is it says he for their own ease or gain that they trouble you or is it for your own everlasting Gain Remember that Christ hath said to his Messengers He that despiseth you despiseth me If your obstinate refusal of their Instruction do put any of them to bear witness against you in Judgement and to say Lord I would have taught these and admonished them better but they would not so much as come to me or speak with me look you to it and answer it as you can for my part I would not be then in your case for all the World M r Gurnall says of many If the Minister stay for them till they send for him to instruct them he may sooner hear the Bell go for them then any messenger come for him You must says he of such seek them out and not expect that they will come to you I confess says he it is no small unhappiness to some of us who have to do with a Multitude that we have neither time nor strength to make our addresses to every particular Person in our Congregations and attend on them as their needs require and yet cannot well satisfie our Consciences otherwise But let us look to it that though we cannot do to the height of what we should we be not found wanting in what we may Let not the difficulty of our Province make us like some who when they see they have more work upon their hands then they can well dispatch grow sick of it and sit down out of a lazy Despondency and do just nothing O if once our Hearts were but filled with Zeal for God and Compassion to our Peoples Souls we would up and be doing though we could but lay a brick a day and God would be with us In the sixth general Council at Trull in Constantinople it is thus decreed Can. 78. That they that are baptized ought to learn the Belief and on the first day of the Week to say it over to the Bishop or Presbyter It would be endless to reckon up the sayings and exhortations of eminent Divines to this purpose let it suffice to add further our warrant from God in holy Scripture Acts 20. 20 28 31. And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you but have shewed you and have taught you publickly and from house to house Take heed therefore to your selves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased
for a witness of his Truth he gave up himself a Sacrifice for our sins in suffering death on the Cross and being buried he rose again the third day and afterward ascended into Heaven where he is Lord of all in Glory with the Father John 3. 16 17. 1 John 2. 2. John 4. 42. Rom. 9. 5. John 10. 30. 17. 11. Heb. 2. 3 4. 4. 15. â— 14. 6. 1 Tim. 2. 5. Luke 1. 27 31 35. Mat. 1. 18 20 23. Heb. 4. 15. 7. 26. Acts 2. 22. 7. 36. 1 Tim. 2. 6. Mat. 27. 31 35 60. Tit. 2. 14. Heb. 9. 26. 1 Cor. 15. 3 4 5 6 7 12. Acts 1 9 11. Eph. 4. 8 9 10 11. Acts 10. 36. 2. 36. Rom. 14. 9. Mat. 28. 18. Eph. 1. 20 21 22. Quest 5. How and on what terms is Salvation offered in the Gospel Our Lord Jesus Christ hath ordained in his Testament that all they that receive him by a true effectual Faith and that by Repentance forsake the devil and all his works the pomps and vanities of the world and the sinfull lusts of the flesh and heartily turn from them unto God shall freely receive the pardon of their sins and become the Sons of God and Heirs of everlasting Life And that if they sincerely love and obey him unto death they shall be glorified And that they that will not do all this shall be damned And this he hath commanded his Ministers to preach to all the World 1. Cor. 9. 14. Heb. 9. 15. Col. 2. 6. John 1. 12. Mark 16. 15 16. Gal. 5. 6. Jam. 2. 24. Acts 26. 18. Luke 24. 47. Acts 5. 31. 11. 18. 20. 21. 3. 19. 2. 28. 8. 22. 26. 20. Luke 13. 3. Mark 4. 12. Isa 55. 7. 1. 16. Ezek. 18. 21 to 32. 33. 11. to 20. Mat. 19. 27 29. 10. 37. Luke 14. 26 27 33. Tit. 3. 5 7. Heb. 3. 14. Col. 1. 23. John 15. 1. to 12. 8. 31. Rom. 11. 22. Heb. 10. 26 38. Rev. 3. 12. 2 Thes 2. 12. Mark 16. 15 16. Mat. 28. 19 20 21. Quest 6. How did Christ reveal and prove his Doctrine The Holy Ghost was sent by the Father and the Son to inspire and guide the Prophets and Apostles and Evangelists that they might truly and fully reveal the Doctrine of Christ and deliver it in Scripture to the Church as the rule of our Faith and Life And by multitudes of evident uncontrolled Miracles to be the great Witness of Christ and of the Truth of his Holy Word Joh. 14. 26. 15. 26. 1 Pet. 1. 10 11 12. 2 Pet. 1. 21. 2 Tim. 3. 16. Joh. 16. 13. Eph. 3. 3 5. 2. 20. 4. 11 12 13. Mat. 28. 20. 1 Tim. 6. 14. Isa 8. 20. Rev. 22. 18 19. Heb. 3. 2 3. 2. 3 4. Acts 2. 22 19. 11. to 19. Gal. 3. 1 2 3 4 5. John 14. 12. 3. 2. 10. 25 37 38. 1 Cor. 14. Quest 7. How are men brought to partake of Christ and Life The same Holy Spirit doth by the Word enlighten mens Understandings and soften and open their Hearts and turn them from the power of Satan unto God by Faith in Christ that being joyned to Christ the Head and into one Church which is his Body and freely justified and made the Children of God they may be a peculiar People unto him zealous of good Works serving God in Holiness and Righteousness and living in special love and Communion of the Saints and in hope of Christs coming and of everlasting Life Acts 26. 18. Joh. 6. 44. Rom. 8. 9 10 11. Acts 16. 14. Ezek. 36. 26. Acts 15. 9. 1 Cor. 6. 11 19. Col. 1. 18. 2. 19. Eph. 5. 30 31 32. 3. 17. 1 Cor. 12. 13 27. Rom. 3 24. Gal. 4. 6. Joh. 1. 12. Gal. 3. 26. Tit. 2. 14. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Rom. 8. 1. to 14. Gal. 5. 17 24. 1 Joh. 2. 15. Gal. 6. 14. 1 Joh. 3. 8. Luke 1. 74 75. 1 Pet. 1. 22. Joh. 12. 34 35. Eph. 2. 19. Heb. 10. 25. 1 Cor. 1. 7. 2 Pet. 3. 11 12. Tit. 1. 2. 3. 7. Quest 8. What shall be the end of the Righteous and of the Wicked The Lord Jesus Christ will come again at the end of this World and will raise the Bodies of all Men from the dead and judge all men according to their works And the Righteous shall go into everlasting Life and the rest into everlasting Punishment Acts 1. 11. 1 Cor. 15. 1 Thes 4. 16 17 18. Joh. 5. 22 27. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Rom. 2. 6 7. Mat. 25. 2 Thes 1. 8 9 10. 2. 12. 2 Tim. 4. 8 18. Luke 10. 11. Joh. 17. 24. 12. 26. Mat. 13. 40. to 43. Quest 9. What are the publick means which Christ hath appointed to Salvation Christ hath appointed that fit Men shall be ordained Bishops and Pastors in his Church to disciple the uncalled and baptize all that are Disciples in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and to congregate his Disciples and to oversee and guide the several Congregations and each Member thereof Particularly to teach them the Word of God to pray and praise God with them and for them to administer the Lords Supper in remembrance of him and to bless them in the Name of the Lord Especially on the Lords-Day which he hath appointed for Holy Communion in such works Also to rebuke with authority the scandalous and unruly and to reject those that are obstinately impenitent and unreformed It is therefore the Peoples duty to joyn with such Churches in the foresaid worship of God and to know hear submit to and obey these their Guides that are over them in the Lord and to avoid Discord and Division and to live in Unity Love and Peace Mat. 28. 19 20. Mark 16. 15. Rom. 10. 7 8 14 15. 1 Tim. 3. 1 2. 2 Tim. 2. 2. Acts 14. 23. Acts 2. 42. 20. 7 28. Eph. 4. 11 12 14. Ezek. 3. 17 18 21. Mal. 2. 7. 1 Cor. 12. 17 28 29. Col. 1. 28. Acts 26. 18. Jam. 5. 14. Neh. 11. 17. 9. 5. 8. 4 5 6 8. 1 Cor. 10. 16. 9. 13 14. 11. 24. Num. 6. 23 24. Deut. 10. 8. 1 Chr. 23. 13. Heb. 7. 7 8 9 10. 1 Cor. 9. 1 Cor. 4. 1. 1 Tim. 4 13 14 15. Rev. 1. 10. Acts 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16. 2. Mark 1â— 2 9. Joh. 20 1 19. Tit. 2. 15. 1 9 11. 1 Tim. 5. 1 19 20. 3. 5. Tit. 3. 10. 1 Cor. 5. 4 5 11 13. Acts 2. 42. Heb. 13. 7 17 24. 1 Thes 5. 17. 1 Cor. 16. 16. Luke 12. 42. 10. 16. 1 Cor. 1. 10. 3. 3. Rom. 16. 17. Eph. 4. 2 15 16. Col. 2. 2. 2 Cor. 13. 11. Quest 10. What are the secret Holy Duties which every one must use The secret Duties of Holiness are frequent and serious Meditation of God and his
Word and Works of our own sin and danger of our Redemption of our Duty of our Death Judgement and the endless Joy or Torment after it The diligent examination of our own hearts and watching over our thoughts affections words and actions The mortifying of our sins especially unbelief error hardness of Heart pride worldliness sensuality and hypocrisie The exercise of all Graces watching against temptations and resolute resisting them And secret Prayer unto God Psal 104. 34. 119. 97 99. 1. 2. 63. 6. 77. 12. 143. 5. 119. 59. Hag. 1. 5. Deut. 32. 29. Psal 50. 22. 2 Cor. 13. 5. Psal 4. 4. Prov. 4. 23. Mat. 5. 28. 12. 34 15. 18 19. Psal 119. 113. 39. 1. Mar. 13. 33. Luke 21. 8 34. 1 Cor. 10. 12. Col. 3. 5. Heb. 3. 12 13 14. Mat. 24. 4. Luke 12. 15. Rom. 13. 13 14. Mat. 6. 6 16. 1 Cor. 3. 18. Jer. 17. 9. 1 Pet. 2. 1. 2 Tim. 1. 6. 4. 7. Acts 24. 16 Mat. 26. 41. 1 Cor. 16. 13. Eph. 6. 11. to 19. 1 Thes 5. 17. Acts 10. 9. Luke 6. 12. Quest 11. What private duties of Holiness must be performed with others The private duties of Holiness to be performed with others are these Parents and Masters must teach their children and servants the Word and fear of God and pray with them and for them and hinder them from sin Children and Servants must willingly learn and obey Husbands and Wives must be loving faithfull and helpfull to each other especially in the best things which concern their eternal Welfare We must seek advice in the matters of Salvation especially of our Teachers we must friendly prudently and faithfully admonish and exhort one another using gracious and edifying Conference and a winning Conversation Eph. 6. 4. Deut. 6. 7. 11. 18. Josh 24. 15. Psal 101. 2 3. Acts 10. 30. Gen. 18. 19. Prov. 22. 6 15. 25. 13. 1 Sam. 2. 23 29. Col. 3. Eph. 6. 1 5 6 7 8. Deut. 21. 18 20. Mal. 2. 7. Jer. 6. 16. 50. 5. 1 Cor. 14. 35. Acts 2. 37. 16. 30. Rom. 15. 14. Heb. 3. 13. Eph. 4. 29. 1 Pet. 3. 1 2. Jam. 3. 13. Acts 12. 5 12. Col. 1. 3. 4. 3. 1 Thess 3. 10. Quest 12. What are the necessary duties of Righteousness and Mercy towards Men The necessary duties of Righteousness and Mercy towards Men are such as these Superiours must rule for God and the Common-good with justice and mercy Inferiours must willingly obey them in the Lord. We must deal truly and be diligent in our Places and Callings We must love our Neighbours as our selves and do as we would be done by behaving our selves to all Men in meekness harmlesness sobriety and truth not wronging any in their Bodies Chastity Estates or Names no not in desire but forbearing and forgiving one another loving our very Enemies and doing good to all according to our Power Deut. 1. 17. 2 Chr. 19. 6 7. Deut. 17. 18 19. Josh 1. 8. Isa 56. 1. Zach. 7. 9. Rom. 13. 1 2 3. 1 Pet. 2. 13. Eph. 6. 1 5. 1 Cor. 7. 20 21. Col. 3. 20 22 23 24. Mat. 19. 19. 22. 39. 7. 12. Eph. 4. 2. Phil. 2. 3 15. Mat. 10. 16. Eph. 4. 25. Tit. 2. 12. Col. 3. 25. 1 Cor. 6. 7 8. Mat. 5. 21 22 23 24 25 27 28 39 44 45. Eph. 4. 28. Exod. 20. 16. Psal 15. 3. Col. 3. 13. Eph. 4. 2. Mat. 5. 44. Gal. 6. 10. Heb. 13. 16. Mat. 25. Phil. 2. 4 20 21. 2 Cor. 8. 11 12. Concerning the Sick FIrst When thou findest thy self visited with sickness thou art presently to remember that it is God who with rebukes doth chasten Man for sin and therefore let thy first care be to find out what it is that provokes him to smite thee and to that purpose examine diligently thine own heart and ways and confess thy sins humbly and penitently unto God begging most earnestly his Mercy and Pardon in Christ Jesus and putting on sincere and zealous Resolutions of forsaking every evil way for the rest of that time which God shall spare thee Secondly That your own Heart deceive you not in this so weighty a business which is for Eternity it will be your Wisdom before your Disease prevail too much upon you to send for some godly Divine your own Minister especially under whose care you live and who may be best acquainted with your Condition using his help to settle your Conscience aright and to make your Peace with God And to that end open your heart so freely unto him that he may be able to judge whether your Repentance be such as may give you Confidence to appear before Gods dreadfull Tribunal and if it be not that he may help you what he can towards the making of it so Thirdly Let it be remembred that there is also a Private Communion of the Sick which People generally are so far from seeking after that though we often and earnestly desire them they are but few comparatively who as S. James enjoyns Ch. 5. 14. Call or send for the Elders of the Church or Ministers of Religion to pray with or over them and to perform such other Duties belonging to the Visitation of the Sick as may fit them if they recover for a more holy Life or if they die for a more happy Death Lastly Take notice that I have not here set down any Prayers for the Sick as is usually done in such Books of Devotion because I would have Neighbours oftner to acquaint me with their sickness in order to my Visiting of them And then as occasion shall require I shall be ready to help them to such Prayers and Meditations as may be sutable to their Condition which they may make use of in my absence Grace before Meat O God be mercifull unto us and bless us and injoying of these thy Gifts give them strength to nourish us and us Grace to serve and please Thee through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen After Meat Gods holy Name be blessed and praised for these and all other his Benefits vouchsafed unto us he save his Church our King Queen and these Realms comfort the afflicted and send us Peace in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A short Grace before Meat O God bless these thy good Creatures unto our use and us unto thy service through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen After Meat We praise thee O God for these and all other thy Mercies bestowed upon us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Or this Enable us O God with thankfull hearts to live in the strength of these thy Mercies to thy Praise and Glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Children or Servants may be taught to say the larger or at least the shorter of these Graces when Parents or Family-Guides please not to do it themselves It is a duty of daily Practice to own and praise God as being the Authour and Giver of all our outward Enjoyments and to crave his Blessing upon them It is very unseemly for Christians to go to their Meals like brute creatures we are taught better by the Holy Scriptures S. Mat. 14. 19. S. John 6. 9 10 11. Acts 27. 35. 1 Tim. 4. 3 4 5. FINIS S. Mat. 6. 33. Ph. 2. 12. S. Luke 24. 47. 2 Cor. 6. 8. Acts 20. 30. 1 Cor. 11. 19. 2 Pet. 3. 16. Eph. 4. 12 14. Heb. 13. 9. Heb. 10. 23. Conf. l. 1 c. 4. If in the Morning If in the Evening Here thou mayst confess to God those sins thou art most guilty of * Here beg strength against those sins thou are especially in danger of * Here praise God for special Blessings concerning thy self or others * Leaving out the three last Lines and saying Particularly for the Mercies of the Day past it will also be a Prayer for the Evening * Here thou mayst pray for special Mercies for thy self or others See the Lords Prayer and Blessing page 23. Canon 13. of those 103. Vide late Act for the Lords-Day * Here reckon up those particular sins which thou art conscious of Psal 103. * Here make thy special Requests for thy self and others * Page 62 63.