and the Third day rose again to Life now to dye no more and having sealed the Covenant in his Blood he left instructions with his Apostles to admit men into it by Baptism and teach them how to keep it and promised them the gift of the Holy Ghost After some dayes he in their sight went up into Heaven and is glorified at God's Right-hand in Power and Majesty And as King ruleth and protecteth his Church Reigneth in the hearts of his subjects subdueth all his Enemies and is our Advecate with the Father rendering our persons and services accepted of him and prevaising for all good blessings on us Shortly after his Ascension on the day of Pemecost Christ sent the Holy Ghost the Eternal Spirit of the Father and the Son upon the Apostles to guide them into all saving truth to enable them to Preach to every Nation in its own Language to write the Holy Scriptures and to seal and confirm the truth of them by many Miracles and wonderful works and to encourage them to a constant suffering for Christ even unto death The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the very Word of God which Holy men of God spake and writ as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and they contain all things necessary to Salvation and are the standing Sealed Rule of Faith and Life The Holy Ghost is Christ's Advocate pleading his cause with men He is our Sanctifier enlightening opening softning changing and renewing our hearts and minds to receive and grow in knowledge and grace Making the word effectual for our conviction and conversion helping us to pray and stirring us up to goodness comforting us with a sense of its operations and strengthening us to withstand temptations and hold out in a Christian course unto the end All those that are regenerated enlightened and converted by the Holy Ghost are one Holy Church whereof Christ is the only Head All that outwardly profess Christianity and have been Baptized are to be accounded Holy by a visible separation and dedication to God till they cut themselves off by Schism or are justly cast out by Excommunication Christ's Church is not limited to any Nation or People but extends to all places is propagated in all Ages and containeth all saving truth and in this sense is Vniversal or Catholick All the Sanctified Members of this Mystical Body of Christ have Fellowship with the Father and Son by one Holy Spirit with Angels in their love care and Ministries with the glorified Saints in Heaven in their love and prayers and with one another on Earth in the same Faith and Hope and Love Word and Sacraments bound to hold the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace All these have in consideration of Christ's satisfaction a full pardon of all past sins given of God and Sacramentally sealed unto them in Baptism with an assurance of final justification and Salvation upon condition of their perseverance in Repentance and Faith At death the souls of the faithful rest with God in peace and happiness and the souls of the wicked go into an endless state of misery The bodies of all men shall be raised again after death and shall be again united to their souls All men shall after the Resurrection appear before the Judgment seat of Christ where the wicked shall be condemned to Everlasting torments but the Righteous shall be finally acquitted and go into Everlasting Life and Joy happy in the constant and perfect love of God praising him delighting in him amongst all Blessed Angels and Saints to all Eternity The heads of the Christian's Duty IF any man would be saved he must first be born again of the Holy Spirit be converted and become a new creature Holy in Heart and Life otherwise he cannot enter in the Kingdom of God The grace of God hath appeared teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly and Righteously and Godly in this present World I must not think my self to be my own so that I may live as I list but must humbly acknowledge there is a God above me whose I am and whom I am bound to serve all the dayes of my Life I must take the true God alone for my God even the Father Son and Holy Ghost and worship him as my Maker Redeemer and Sanctifier I must by a daily diligent reading studying and meditating on his word and considering of his works labour get a true knowledge of God and not content my self in ignorance of him I must worship God in Spirit and in Truth with the heart and soul sincerely I must stedfastly believe the whole Word of God the History for my instruction the Precepts for my direction the Promises for my encouragement the threatnings to affright me from sin bewaring of all temptations to unbelief or a false Faith I must live in a patient expectation and hope of what God hath promised neither despairing of mercy if I repent nor presuming of Mercy if I repent not I must love God as the chief good with the highest love chusing him for my only portion delighting in him as my only comfort willing to part with Life it self to enjoy him and making light of all things so I may please him loving his Image as far as I see it in every man especially in Jesus Christ my Saviour It is my duty to stand in awe of God's threatnings and judgments and to be very cautious and circumspect in all my wayes watching over my thoughts words and actions fearing to offend him in any thing neither fearing nor loving any thing else so much as to venture upon the least sin I must intirely trust and confide in God both in all wants and dangers whether of Soul or Body Conscientiously using such means as he alloweth Praying devoutly unto him for his Blessing and casting all my care for the success upon him not doubting of his never failing power and goodness I must walk humbly before God thinking meanly of my self renouncing all my own worth or merits acknowledging all that I am have or hope for to be of his gift taking patiently and thankfully all his chastisements and labouring to profit by them and confessing that he doth all things wisely and well I must behave my self uprightly and sincerely as in his presence and do all I do as unto him with a pure heart avoiding all guile dissimulation and hypocrisie not indulging the least evil thought inclination or desire keeping up high and honourable thoughts of him and preserving my Conscience tender and my heart soft and easie to take the impressions of his word and spirit I must shun all gross representations of God or likening him so much as in my thoughts to any creature I am not to worship him after my own conceit or fancy but according to the rules he hath given in his word not with a formal but a spiritual worship drawing near unto him in Prayer and praise and all his
him resolvedly willing to resign and give my self up unto him to be governed wholly by him stedfastly believing and trusting in his power to save and bless me and his willingness to receive me for his own adopted child in Jesus Christ Yet I must remember the greatness of his Divine Majesty and the infinite distance betwixt a powerful wise and good God in Heaven and me a weak foolish and sinful worm of the Earth and so come with all humble reverence falling down at his feet in a devout Adoration of his Majesty longing to be made more Holy and Heavenly that I may be capable of a nearer Communion with him I must first heartily desire that all the World may give him the glory due unto his Name That He may be more perfectedly known and loved and honoured by men and that in his Person his Name his Attributes his Word his Day his Ordinances his Ministers and all his children That he may be chosen and Magnified as the supream good have the chief place in our hearts and affections and glorified in the World by our Godly lives I must next pray that the Yoak of sin may be broken off and we freed from the Tyranny of Satan that we may joyfully own and submit to the authority of God That Christ's Church may flourish and be enlarged on earth and that the Civil Powers may cherish and protect it that the Power and malice of it's enemies may be restrained and frustrated that Christ may rule by his Spirit in our hearts subduing our Corruptions and ruling us in the way of Godliness that we may earnestly long for and diligently prepare for and patiently wait for and finally enter into God's Kingdome of glory I must in the 3 d. place pray That men may not make the will of the devil the Customs of the world or their own inclinations and appetites but the will of God alone the rule of their lives That we may all sincerely obey his commands and submit to his wisdome and rest in his government That we may alwaies endeavour after the perfection of duty and as the Holy Angels of Heaven rejoyce and delight in an Holy Obedience My next petition is That I may have all things needfull to preserve this life till I be fitted for a better That we may have health and Strength to serve God and other outward good things as they are expedient that we may be free from the temptations of riches or poverty contented with our present portion and wise to use it piously and Charitably That God would prosper our honest labours keep us from immoderate cares and desires from all idleness and intemperance In the next place I pray that God would grant us soft hearts and repentance unto life a perfect hatred of sin and power to leave it That He would through Christ forgive all our sins original and actual and grant us grace in thankfulness to him to forgive all that offend us and to return good for evil Lastly That God would enable us to watch against and manfully to resist all temptations that they may never prevail with us to do evil that he would frustrate all the malicious designs of the devil and all our enemies and protect us by his grace that we may persevere in obedience to our lives end I conclude my Prayers with ascribing unto God the honour of all his works acknowledging his Dominion and Soveraignty over all and my self happy in being his Subject his infinite power and my self happy in being under his protection I acknowledge all things to be from him our total dependance to be upon him and that the glory of all goodness is due unto him I desire this may by all the World be acknowledged for evermore And with all hearty desire and filial confidence to all this I say Amen So be it The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper CHrist Jesus hath instituted the night before he was betrayed a solemn Sacrament and Christian Feast to be celebrated by Christians even till his coming again in remembrance of him The outward matter to be received is Bread and Wine signifying the Body and Blood of Christ as the food and refreshment of our Souls The Bread is Blessed-broken and given to be received and eaten by us The Wine likewise Blessed poured out and given to be received and drunk by us to signifie that Christ was Consecrated and Crucified his body wounded his blood shed for our sins and that he giveth himself Crucified to be received and believed on as our Spiritual nourishment and comfort All that preparedly receive the Bread and Wine do with it really receive Christ Crucified and with him the pardon of their sins and Assurance of Eternal Life scaled a new unto them in this Sacrament for the confirming of their Faith and growth in Grace We joyn in the celebration of this Feast to signifie that we though many are yet Members of one Body the Church joyned unto one Head Jesus Christ whose Death and Sacrifice we unanimously commemorate with all thankfulness Professing that we all own the same Lord the same Faith the same Laws and are to live in love peace and holiness as the Members of the same body He that Communicateth in this Sacrament unworthily is accounted by God as guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ That we may avoid this guilt we must examine our selves whether we discern the Lord's Body and understand what he gives there unto us and what we there come to do We are also to examine how we keep our Baptismal Covenant of Repentance Faith and New Obedience and if we find our selves truly thankful for the Blessing of our Redemption by Jesus Christ If we find our selves sincere Christians resolving to keep Covenant with God we are there to renew our Covenant most seriously praising God in Christ for this inestimable priviledge rejoycing in his Salvation and so go our way and sin no more Some Texts of Scripture often and seriously to be Read and thought on IT is appointed unto men once to dye but after this the Judgment Heb. 9.27 Go to now ye that say to day or to morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow For what is your Life it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away Jam. 4.13 14. Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts Heb. 4.7 Remember now thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth Ecclesiastes 12.1 We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5.10 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5.11 If you call on the Father who
love this world and mind Earthly things most and prefer not God his grace and Heaven before all earthly joyes and pleasures If I dare not trust in Christ alone nor forsake all for him nor am willing to obey his Lawes how hard soever they seem or what cost or loss soever they put me to If my heart and life be not throughly changed but I yet must have my own will and please my own appetite and senses and cannot want my own desires or cross my own inclinations If I keep any known sin unmortified and not cast off if I do not watch against all temptations and pray heartily and frequently for grace to conquer all sin If I delight not in God's Word and in all Holy duties and esteem it not my greatest priviledge to serve him If my greatest care be not to please him and if his command prevail not more with me than all the world besides If I cannot content my self with him alone nor suffer any the greatest evil for him If I have not resolvedly given my self up to be wholly at his disposal and to be made in all things conformable to his will If the case be thus with me I am in a state of sin and death and cannot be saved till I be converted and made a new man The Christian's Confession of his Faith with a full Resignation of himself to God and binding himself in Covenant with GOD. I Believe Lord help thou my unbelief I do most freely and heartily own and with humble admiration and reverence I do adore the great and dreadful and incomprehensibly Glorious Majesty of Heaven and Earth Most joyfully do I accept of thee O Father Son and Holy Ghost for my only God Thou and thou alone art the inexhaustible Fountain of all Being Life Power and Goodness I acknowledge my total dependance upon thee for my Being Life Motion Vnderstanding and all things and it will be my happiness to enjoy thy love and blessing Thou O God art an Infinite Eternal and Immortal Spirit and the God and Father of Spirits who though unseen art every where present about me and within me by thy infinite power quickning upholding and protecting me by thine Infinite Wisdom providing for me ordering and directing me and by thy goodness blessing me To thee one Glorious God in Three Persons Blessed for ever do I freely and wholly give my self cheerfully dedicating and resigning my Soul and Body with all the powers and faculties of both to be wholly disposed of by thee in the service of thee O Blessed Trinity in Vnity Eternal Life Light and Love Power Wisdom and Holiness the Author of my preservation Sanctification and Salvation Thou in a wonder of condescending love offerest thy self as a gracious Father in Jesus Christ to all Believers Thou art the Maker of me and all the World I am nothing I have nothing I can do nothing I hope for nothing but from thy power wisdom and goodness to thee alone be the honour and praise of all I will more study my self and other creatures that I may learn to know admire and love thee more I can be proud of nothing glory in nothing but in thee in whom I live and move and have my being I am not my own I and all things are thine and unto thee I freely resign my self and all my concerns to use and dispose of me and them as it pleaseth thee Whatever thou dost with me thou canst do me no wrong no creature without thee can do me any good 'T is my perfection and happiness to know and love thee and delight in thee Thee alone I chuse for my portion and thou alone shalt ever be enough for me To thee as the Almighty Ruler of the World I heartily submit my self accepting thy Divine Will for my only Law by which my thoughts words and actions are to be all governed All thy Lawes I consent to as most holy just and good and most thankfully acknowledge that nothing can be better than to rest in thy will I will study thy will diligently do it heartily cheerfully submit unto it be well contented with and joyfully praise thee in whatsoever thou doest I will readily obey thy commands patiently bear thy chastisements and wholly confide in thy blessing and protection I confess Lord that I am born a corrupt thing and have added a thousand times more to that corruption I am fallen from that knowledge power and uprightness wherein thou madest Adam and am exceeding ignorant weak and wicked averse from truth and goodness inclined mightily to falshood and evil all this I sadly feel in my self it is an heavy burden unto me Except I be born again of thy Spirit be converted by thy word made a new man and a real change wrought both in my heart and life I must remain under thy wrath and curse Everlastingly wretched Our misery lying in our fall from thee our Creator to the creature and in our desire to please our selves more than thee our God our due portion is to perish by our own wretched choice and having chosen to sin with devils 't is but just we share with devils in Everlasting torments Having wilfully broken thy Laws we cannot hope for impunity from thee the just Governour of the World except some satisfaction be made unto thy Justice O the wonder even ravishing and astonishing wonder of thy rich mercy How should I ever be able to acknowedge thy unspeakable goodness in thy compassion to sinful men Early and freely didst thou promise us a Redeemer and a Saviour and I do very feelingly own thy faithfulness and truth in performing to the full that gracious promise How do I admire and adore thy wonderful wisdom in the rare contrivance of our rescue by sending thine own Eternal and only begotten Son to tender himself unto us for a Saviour and make us new and easie termes of peace and reconciliation Lord on the bended knees of my Soul I do accept thy mercy offering thy self again unto me as a reconciled Father desiring to love honour and obey thee for ever and humbly beseeching thee to own me amongst thy adopted children I do humbly admire and joyfully imbrace thine infinite love O blessed JESUS who being the great God blessed for ever yet humbledst thy self to be cloathed in our weak and frail nature to be born of a woman made under the Law to live a mean life in a wicked world to expose thy self to the temptations of Satan to suffer all indignities from sinners to shed thy precious blood upon a cursed tree and lie in a grave and undergo the condition of the dead for us sinful wretches Lord I am fully satisfied by thy rising again to life the third day that thou hast overcome the devil and death and given satisfaction to thy Father's Justice and finished the great work of our Redemption I know thou art now triumphant in Heaven invested with all power and glory on the Right-hand of thy