me c. S. Mat. 26. 41. Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation Jer. 10. 25. Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen that have not known thee and upon the Families that call not on thy Name S. Mat. 6. 6. But thou when thou prayest enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father who seeth in secret shall reward thee openly 1 Cor. 11. 26 27 28. For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lords death till he come Wherefore whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup unworthily shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. But let a Man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. S. Luke 22. 19 20. And he took Bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave unto them saying this is my Body which is given for you this do in remembrance of me Likewise also the Cup after Supper saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you We may sometime begin our Closet Prayers admiring with S. Augustine Gods glorious Perfections WHAT art thou O my God what art thou I beseech thee but the Lord my God for who is Lord besides our Lord or who is God besides our God O thou Supreme most powerfull most mercifull most just most secret most present most beautifull most incomprehensible most constant and yet changing all things immutable never new and never old and yet renewing all things ever in Action yet ever at rest heaping up yet needing nothing creating upholding filling protecting nourishing and perfecting all things Thou lovest and yet thou art not transported thou art angry yet never art unquiet thou art jealous yet void of fear thou dost repent yet art thou free from sorrow Thou requirest profit at our hands yet who hath any thing but of thy Gift Thou payest debts when thou owest nothing Thou forgivest debts and yet thou loosest nothing And what shall I say O my God my life my joy my holy dear delight or what can any Man say when he speaketh of Thee and wo be to them that speak not of Thee but are silent in thy Praise for even they who speak most of Thee may be accounted to be but dumb Have mercy upon me O Lord that I may speak unto thee and praise thy Name Amen A Prayer for all Conditions of Men. Note that one alone may say We and Our and Us as usually in the Lords Prayer because of the Communion of Saints O God the Creator and Preserver of all Mankind we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of Men that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them thy Saving Health unto all Nations More especially we pray for the good estate of the Catholick Church that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of Truth and hold the Faith in unity of Spirit in the bond of Peace and in Righteousness of life And we also commend unto thy Fatherly Goodness all those who are any ways afflicted or distressed in Mind Body or Estate that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them according to their severall necessities giving them Patience under their Sufferings and an happy Issue out of all their Afflictions and this we beg for Jesus Christ his sake Amen A Prayer for the King and Kingdom ANd that in one Blessing we may all of us be blest I beseech thee O thou who art the Maker and Saviour of all Kings and Nations of the earth to bless our dread Soveraign Lord King CHARLES with the richest Blessings of thy Grace Strengthen him with the faith of Abraham endue him with the mildness of Moses arm him with the magnanimity of Joshua exalt him with the humility of David assist him with the counsel of Hushai beautifie him with the wisdom of Solomon and replenish him with the Goodness and Holiness of them all that so he may be a powerfull Protector of his People a religious Defender of thy sacred Faith a bountifull comforter of thy Holy Church a glorious Triumpher over all his enemies a gracious Governour of all his Subjects and a happy Father of children to rule this Nation by Succession in all ages O let his Reign be prosperous and his Days many let Peace and Plenty Love and Piety Justice and Truth and all Christian vertues flourish in his time Let his People serve him with honour and obedience and let him so love and serve Thee here on Earth that he may hereafter everlastingly reign with Thee in Heaven through Jesus Christ our Lord. Here may be added the Prayers or Thanks-givings in the Book of Common Prayer upon their severall Occasions Sometimes also the Creed may be repeated with that pithy Ejaculation said before it Lord I believe help my unbelief And the Ten Commandments with that short Prayer after them Lord have mercy upon us and write all these thy Laws in our Hearts we beseech thee Here also may be said the Morning or Evening Collect respectively on our own and the behalf of those that belong to us O Lord our Heavenly Father Almighty and Everlasting God who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this Day defend us in the same with thy Mighty Power and grant that this Day we fall into no sin neither run into any kind of danger but that all our doings may be ordered by thy Governance to do alwaies that which is righteous in thy sight through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Lighten our darkness we beseech thee O Lord and by thy great Mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this Night for the love of thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ Amen A general Thanksgiving O Most gracious God I give thee humble and hearty Thanks for all thy Goodness and Loving kindness to me and to all men I bless thee for my Creation Preservation and all the Blessings of this life but above all for thine inestimable love in the Redemption of the World by our Lord Jesus Christ for the means of Grace and for the hope of Glory And I beseech thee give me that due sense of all thy Mercies that my heart may be unfeignedly thankfull and that I may set forth thy Praise not only with my lips but in my life by giving up my self to thy Service and by walking before thee in Holiness and Righteousness all my days through Jesus Christ my Lord to whom with Thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory world without end Amen A devout Prayer which may be used at any time by one alone GRant me O gracious Lord in what lawfull undertaking soever a pure intention of Heart and a stedfast regard of thy Glory let Christ be my pattern thy Word my rule
Morning on the Week-Days you may pray by your self thus O Most gracious God and mercifull Father I thine unworthy servant do here acknowledge that as I was born in sin so I have lived in iniquity and broken thy Righteous Laws in thought word and deed following too much the desires of my own Will and not caring as I ought to be governed by thy holy Word and Spirit and am therefore liable to all shame and misery both in this Life and that which is to come But O Heavenly Father I beseech Thee for the Merits of thy dear Son to forgive me all my sins and not to inflict that punishment which is due unto me for them And send thy Holy Spirit into my heart which may assure me that thou art my reconciled Father and that thou lovest me with an unchangeable Love And let the same thy good Spirit lead me in the ways of Truth and Righteousness and crucifie in me more and more all worldly and carnall lusts And here O Lord from the bottom of my heart I thank Thee for all thy Blessings bestowed upon my Soul or Body Particularly for any measure of Refreshment given unto me the Night past and that thou hast brought me safe to the light of another Day O Lord I pray Thee continue to be gracious unto me let thy Fear be always before my eyes and thy Grace so rule in my heart that whatever I shall think speak or do may tend to thy Glory the Good of others and the peace of my own Conscience I now recommend my self and all my concerns together with all near Relations and those that belong unto me to thy mercifull Direction and Protection intreating Thee to keep us from all evil and to give a Blessing to all our honest and lawfull Endeavours and to make all thy Providences towards us to work together for our good Bless O Lord the Kings Majesty and all the Royal Family with all inferiour Magistrates under Him Bless the Bishops and Pastors of the Church Comfort all that are sick and comfortless And O Lord keep me in a continual readiness by Faith and Repentance for my last end that whether I live or die I may be thine accepted of Thee through Christ Jesus my only Saviour in whose prevailing Name I sue for these and all other needfull Graces and Mercies continue to pray unto Thee as he himself hath taught me saying Our Father c. Praying alone unless removed out of the hearing of others speak with a whispering rather then a loud Voice as Hannah did 1 Sam. 1. 13. She spake in her heart onely her lips moved but her voice was not heard Thus not being heard of others they cannot suspect you to affect any vain glory in what you do Yet you will find this way usefull both to stir up your Affections and to help your Attention of Mind by keeping you from many wandring and distracting thoughts which you would otherwise be liable unto Note further that when alone in Secret you may sometimes makeless use of a set Form of Prayer and take more freedom in opening your Heart and particular Condition unto God as he shall enable you He knows and will graciously answer your humble and sincere desires Greater heed is to be taken for Method and Expression when we pray with others that they may joyn with us to their Edification At Evening on the Week-Days when the Family is come together at the fittest time before they go to their Rest let the Governours themselves or some Child or Servant whom they shall appoint reading first some portion of Scripture if they have time distinctly and leasurely read one of the two following Prayers A Family-Prayer for the Evening on the Week-Days O Lord the Creator of the World and the Redeemer of Mankind who knowest all things and canst do what thou pleasest and hast done us very much Good already and promised to do more for us if we be obedient then we can ask or think we here fall down before Thee in the lowest manner to express our fear and reverence to thy Almighty Power our admiration of and submission to thy unsearchable Wisdom our hearty love and thankfull acknowledgment of thy wondrous Goodness our trust and confidence in thy Faithfull Promises with our ready and sincere purposes to perform all Obedience to thy holy Commands There is nothing O Lord so afflictive to us as the remembrance that we have at any time offended thy Sovereign Authority We are heartily sorry for the breaking any of thy Righteous and Good Laws and therefore beseech Thee for the sake of Christ to pardon the same unto us and that we may abhor the thoughts of doing so again ever resolving by thy Assistance to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live Righteously Soberly and Godly in this present World and to strive to be like our Saviour Christ in meekness and lowliness of Spirit in Purity and Zeal for thy Worship and Glory and in being ready as we have opportunity to take the more pains that we may do the more good in the World Oh do thou we pray thee strengthen in us these resolutions which thou hast inspired us withall and ever further them by thy continued Grace that no sudden desires ineffectual purposes or partial performances may deceive or lead us into a false Opinion of our selves but that we may bring forth actually and with a constant Spirit all the fruits of Righteousness which are by Christ Jesus to the Praise and Glory of thee our God O let us be so sensible of thy great kindness to us of our many engagements unto Thee that we may love thee our God and Saviour with all our heart soul and strength that we may strive to credit our Religion and glorifie thy Name all the ways we are able with all that we are have or can do that not only by the special Duties of thy Worship but also by the right management of our outward Affairs and our moderate use of the good things of this Life we may serve Thee and be brought nearer unto Thee Thus we pray Thee let Religion be the very business of our lives and let our greatest pleasure be to please Thee in every thing and our highest design to attain that Blessed Immortality which Christ Jesus hath promised Lift up our affections we intreat Thee more and more to those things above where He is that Heaven may have our hearts while this World hath our bodies and we may have perfect Contentment of mind in Well-doing and patient suffering and the good hope we have of being eternally beloved of Thee the Lord of Heaven and Earth may make us rejoyce evermore Free us O Lord from all inordinate cares for the things of this Life from all distrust of thy good Providence from all repining at any thing that befalls us and enable us in every thing to give Thanks believing that all things
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
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