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
Father our prevailing advocate making intercession for us and thee I comfortably expect to be our Judge at the last day Thou O Glorious Jesus hast Established an Everlasting Covenant of peace and sealed it with thy blood and with all my Soul I praise thee for this thine inestimable love not doubting keeping of that pardon and grace and glory which thou therein hast assured unto us if I unfeignedly accept of thy mercy and enter in this Holy Covenant O JESUS CHRIST in all sincerity of heart and with all thankful love and joy I do accept of thee my only Saviour I do most humbly submit my self to be taught by thee and will make thy Gospel my dayly study I trust in thy merits only and give my self to be governed by thy Laws and denying my self I am ready to take up thy Cross and bid open War to all thine enemies and take thy easie Yoke and light burden upon me Lord the unfeigned desire of my Soul is that thou mayest be formed in me and take full possession of me that I may henceforth live by the Faith of thee the Son of God I resolve thy will shall be my will thy life my pattern thy Law my Rule I will set my self to resist the temptations of the devil despise the vanities of the world and mortifie the carnal desires of my flesh all afflictions shall seem light to me and death it self better than life that I may obey thee and live with thee I consecrate my self unto thee to dye daily unto sin to Crucifie the flesh to rise again unto Righteousness to have my Conversation in Heaven my heart and affections with thee my only treasure My confidence is in thy merits my Prayers sent to God in thy name and intercession my practice to be conformable to thy example the longings of my Soul to be with thee for ever I will do my endeavour that my thoughts words and actions may be such as thou wilt approve of in the day of Judgment I will not envy the present happiness of the wicked nor be dis-heartned by my suffering but referr all to thy Righteous Judgment I will watch over my heart and life and daily examine my Conscience and keep it tender and good and labour that the accuser may have nothing to lay to my charge before thy Judgment Seat I do heartily accept of thee O Holy Spirit of the Father and the Son for my Sanctifier my Guide and Comforter I embrace the Holy Scriptures given by thy inspiration as the infallible truth of God I own the Ministry as thine Ordinance and every good motion of my heart as thy work To thee O Holy Spirit do I give up my self in a constant attendance on the Word and Ordinances and secret workings longing to be quickned enlightned renewed and cleansed strengthned against all temptations carried on towards perfection confirmed in the hopes of Eternal Life and sealed unto the day of Redemption I look upon my self as a member of the common body of all Christians and own thee O Blessed Jesus the only head of this thy Body the Church I acknowledge it my Eternal Interest and Duty in the Holy Communion of all Believers to Worship thee O Glorious God in the Assemblies of thy Saints I look upon all Christians and my self amongst them as men separated from the wicked world enlivened by one Spirit professing one Faith of the Holy Trinity all Covenanted together with God in one Baptism bound to hold the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace loving God above all and each other as our selves with a fellow feeling of one another's sufferings a free Communicating to one another's necessities Temporal and Spiritual and a mutual rejoycing in one another's happiness Continuing in this Holy Society whereinto I have been graciously called by thy Word and Holy Spirit I will endeavour to solace and comfort my self in a joyful sense of the blessed priviledges thou therein affordest us Especially in the pardon of my sins by thy free mercy through the merits of Christ my Saviour and Sanctification of thy Holy Spirit tendered unto me in the Ministry of thy word and sealed in the Sacraments I should deserve a thousand Hells should I go on any longer in sin under so much mercy I resolve therefore to attend on the Ministry of reconciliation all the daies of my life and to strive against all sin for ever To this end my death shall be much in my thoughts and my life a continual preparation for it I will look upon every day as if it were my last and every day renew my Covenant So shall I be ready with joy when thou callest O Lord to bid farewel to all below and come to thee I doubt not but my body shall at the last day be raised again a glorious body no longer a burden or temptation to my Soul I will no longer wast my time in immoderate caring for it feeding adorning and pampering of that which must shortly be loathsome rottenness Stench and Worms meat which now loads and tempts my Soul to sin and hinders its Ascensions towards God but I will mortifie it and keep it low that thou mayest exalt it to glory O thy wonderful goodness who hast provided for us poor sinners a Life Everlasting who deserve not one single moment of this Life Lord grant me grace to be pure as thou art pure that I may see thee and rejoyce in thee for ever in thy Heavenly Kingdom O when shall I come and appear before God Lord it is certain that a worldly carnal heart unconverted unrenewed is not capable of taking any pleasure or delight in thee nor can it find any happiness in Heaven it self nor any relish in those Heavenly pleasures which are at thy Right-hand for evermore Cleanse me O Lord and renew me daily by thy Spirit then shall I cheerfully bid adieu to a vain world empty pleasures frail life and a 〈◊〉 self and feed only on the hopes of Eternal Life and enjoying loving praising thee my God my All for evermore This O Lord thou hast promised in thy word this thou hast assured us of and sealed unto us in the blood of thy Son This thou confirmest unto all the Sanctified Members of thy Church by thy Holy Spirit To all this I here most heartily say Amen Come Lord Jesus come quickly Amen FINIS
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