to hear his Children Praying our Saviour received little Children in his arms and unto little Children the Kingdom of Heaven belongs And as a good Man saith I had rather have my House filled with my Childrens Prayers than with Diamonds and Pearls Secondly Take heed of telling Lies Lye not one to another saith the Apostle Let your Communion be year yea and nay nay saith our Saviour Remember Lyars shall have their part in Fire and Brimstone Rev. 22.4 Thirdly Delight thy self in Reading good Books read not foolish and wanton Books and Ballads which tend only to the nourishment of Vice. Fourthly Let not thy Children scoff and jeer at the Antient be they never so poor Remember the dreadful Iudgment of God upon those wicked Children in 2 Kin. 2.23 24. who mocked and scoffed at the Propher they in derision called they Propher Bald pate and God in judgment for this wickedness caused two Bears to devour two and forty of them Love the Poor and plead their cause remember what God saith Blessed is he that considereth the Poor and Needy Fifthly frequent the Word of God sleep not at Churth or at prayer for remember whosoever sleeps at Church or at Prayer the Devil rocks the Cradle Sixthly Let thy Apparel be decent and comely take heed of Pride in thy Apparel Remember Jezabel her wicked end how sadly Gon met with her in her Painting those Persons who are so curious in Painting and dressing themselves surely the Devil holds them the Looking Glass Seventhly Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy for surely those Children that Sweat and Lye and break the Sabbath are the Devils Children and they that spend the Sabbath in Playing and Caming have the Devil for their Play-fellow Take heed then I say that you make not the Lords day a day of Sports and Pastime as the Children of the Devil do Remember God hath allowed thee six days do not then be so wicked as to rob him of the seventh but God did not appoint the Sabbath for a day of sporting and pleasure but for a day of Worshipping and serving God a Day for Preaching and Prayer Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy. Eighthly See that you reverence and esteem the Ministers of Gods Holy Word account of them as they are indeed the Ministers of Christ Remember what our Saviour saith He that despiseth you saith be to his Apostles despiseth me and he that despiseth me shall be for ever despised of God. Ninthly If thou beest a Child of God avoid then the Company of the Devils Children that is such as Swear and Curse and Lye and Steal and use all manner of filthy talk Keep not company with such least thou for thy pains learnest their Vices and so partake of their punishment that so when others shall answer for their idle words thou may'st be rewarded Tenthly Love honour and obey your Parents in the Lord Consider how God hath commanded you so to do and God will severely punish those that dispise their Parents see that dreadful place Prov. 30.17 The eye that mocketh his Father and dispiseth to obey his Mother the Ravens of the Valley shall pick it out and the young Eagle shall eat it Eleventhly Remember thy Creator in the days of thy Youth Labour to serve God with the strength and best of thy days Live to God whilst thou livest and thou shalt be sure to live with God when thou Dyelt Remember Samuel how he was dedicated to God from his Birth and Timothy how he rejoyed that of a Child he had known the Holy Scriptures Lastly Walk constantly in the fear of the Lord all the day long in the Morning when thou risest bless God for his merciful preservation of thee the night past give him thanks for that he hath given thee to see the light of another day and when thou preparest thy self for thy Bed prepare thy self as for thy Grave remembrings that many go to Bed and never rise again and therefore do not sleep till thou haft committed thy self by Prayer to God forsurely they that go to Bed without Praying the Devil is their Bed-fellow Now that thou mayest carefully perform those things in the first place seek to God by Prayer for God loves Praying Children be sure to pray unto God both morning and thening and when thou prayest say Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done in Earth as it in Heaven Give us this day our daily Bread And sorgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them thay Trespass against us And lead us not into Temptation But deliver us from evil for thine is the Kingdom the power and glory for ever and ever Amen This is the Prayer which Christ himself commands us to use and therefore it is called The Lords Prayer the best pattern for Prayer in the whole world Therefore it were to be wished that all Parents would he careful to reach their Children the Lords Prayer as soon as they can be fit to learn it and having learned this by heart then let them use some other and so use both together A short form of Prayer very necessary for Children and Youth to be used in the Morning O Lord our God thou art the Father of Heaven and the Father of mercis by whom alone we live and move and have our being who tookest us out of our Mothers Womb hast ever since preserved us to this day blessed be thy name We bless thee that thou hast safely desended us this night past that thou hast brought us safe to the beginning of another day We pray thee defend us in the same by thu mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin keep us safe from the tamptation of Sathan Deliver us we pray thee from all evil and grant O Lord that we may live this day and all the rest of our days as becometh thy Children in Holiness and true Righteousness bless out Parents O lord give them Grace that they may bring us up in thy Commandments as thou hast made us their Children by nature good Lord make us thy Children by Grace that so we may obey our Parents and serve thee our God all our days that so it may be well with us here and here after Bless O Lord all the rest of our friend O Lord let our friends by thy friends give us Grace to serve thee here with all our strength and with all our might that so when this mortal Life shall be ended we may live and reign with thee for ever in Glory Amen The Lord bless us and make his Fare to shine upon us and the Lord be with us both in our going forth and in our coming in this day and all our days for ever and ever Amen An Evening Prayer for Children O Most holy most gracious and most Glorious Lord God we thy poor Children do here again prostrate our selves before thy Majesty this Ovening humly
beseeching thee for Iesus Chirst his sake to pardon and forgive us all our Sins and to blot out our Transgressions our of thy Remembrance we confess Lord we are by nature Children of Wrath but we pray thee make us thy Children O Lord by Grace and Adoption and as we grow in yeace so Lord we pray thee let us grow in Grace let us not be children in malice and witkedness but Chrildren in Love and Unity as thou hast loved us O Lord so we pray thee let us love thee our God and love one another Bless our parents in their Godles especially bless them in their Souls bless them in their Baskets and in their Store instruct them O Lord that they may instruct us he with us all this Night in our down-lying O Lord let us sleep in thy fear let is lye down in the love and rise again in thy lavour and grant we beseeth the most merciful Father that whether sleeping of waking living or dying we may be always thine watch over us this Night and defend us in the same by the mighty power and preserve us from sin defend us from Satan continue thy love to us and he with us and all ours Bless Guide Peserve defend and keep us both in Soul and in Body this night and evermore Amen And then if thou wouldest be a Child of God always after Prayer in the morning see that you Read some Lesson of Chapter out of the Bible and be always Reading of good Books as The Practice of Piety the Plain-mans Path-way to Heaven Mrs. Baxter's Call to the Unconverted The Great Assize the Silver Watch-Bell and others and be sure thou never lookest upon any idle foolish jesting Book which tend only to the noutishment of Vice and spending of precious time but delight thy self in reading the Holy Bible and other Godly Books that so the Lord may bless thee here and thou mayest be blessed hereafter for Godliness hath not only the promise of this life but of the life to come that thou mayest give account at the great and Terrible Day of Iudgement as well for every idle hour thou spendest as for thery idle word thou speakest when thou are disposed to be merry laying assde all ungodly Songs and Ballads which tend only to the nourishment of Vice and Wickedness and the corruption of Youth If any be merry let him sing Psalms the Apostle doth not say If any be merry let him any merry Songs and merry Ballads but if any be merry let him sing Psalms And be sure always that you sing with Grace in your heart making melody to the Lord. PSALM CXXVIII BLessed art thou that fearest God and walkeft in his way For of thy Labour thou shalt eat Happy art thou I say Like fruitful Vine on the House side so doth thy Wife spring out The Children stand like Olive Plants thy Table round about Thus art thou blest that fearest God and he shall let thee see The promised Jerusalem and her felicity Thou shalt thy Childrens Children see to thy great joys increase And likewise Grace to Israel prosperity and peace Then in the next place be sure to get and learn some good Catechism that so thou mayest be instructed in the Principles of Religion as that excellent Catechism of Mr. Perkins called The six Principles of Religion Mr. Balls Catechism c. A Short but Necessary Catechism for Children Q. WHo made you A. God. Q. For what did God make you A. God made me that I might serve him and for his glory Q. Who Redeemed you A. Iesus Christ Q. From what did Christ Iesus Redeem you A. Iesus Christ redeemed me by his blood from Sin and Hell. Q. Who sanctified and preserved you A. God the Holy Ghost Q. What is God A. God is a Spirit Q. How many Gods are there A. One only true God divided into three persons God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost Q. In what state did God make man at first A. God made man at first after his own Image in Righteousness and True Holiness Q. Did man continue in this state A. No. Q. How did he fall A. By disobeying the Commandments of God in eating the forbidden Fruit. Q. What followed thereupon A. Hereupon followed Sin Death and Hell. Q. Did God leave man in this fallen estate A. No God provided for fallen Man a Saviour and Redeemer our Lord Iesus Christ the Righteous Q. How many Commandments are there A. Ten. Q. Which be they let me hear you rehearse them I. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me II. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven Image nor the likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above or that is in the Earth beneath or that is in the water under the Earth thou shalt not bow down to them nor serve them for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me and shew mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandments III. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain IV. Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy Son nor thy Daughter thy Man-Servant nor thy Maid Servant nor thy Cattel nor the Stranger that is within thy gates for in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day and hallowed it V. Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee VI. Thou shalt not kill VII Thou shalt not commit Adultery VIII Thou shalt not steal IX Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour X. Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours House thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours Wife nor his Man Servant nor his Maid-Servant nor his Ox nor his Ass nor any thing that is thy Neighbours Q. What dost thou chiefly learn by these Commandment A. I learn by these Commandments that it is my duty to serve God according to his Word and love my Neighbour as my self Q. Art thou able to keep the Commandments A. No. Q. How then shalt thou expect to be saved A. Only by Faith in Iesus Christ Q. What is Faith A. Faith is the Gift of God whereby we lay hold on Iesus Christ for Eternal Salvation Rehearse the Articles of the Christian Faith. I Believe in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth And in Iesus Christ his only Son our Lord who was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was Crucified Dead and Buried he descended into Hell the
They are cast into Hell there to be tormented with the Devil and his Angels Application ANd so I now come in the last place to wind up all in a word of Application both to Parents and Children and then in the first place if it be the duty of Parents to instruct their Children in the fear of God then you may observe from hence the great wickedness of such wicked Parents who instead of instructing their Children in the fear of God bring them up in all manner of sin and wickedness How many such wicked Parents are there in the World who forbid their Children to hear Sermons and to read good Books but on the contrary teach their Children to despise Holiness and encourage them in all manner of wickedness Oh wretcked Sinner hadst thou rather have thy Child the Devils Child then Gods Child will you neither be Holy your selves nor suffer your Children to be Holy Will it not one day he miserable enough think you to damn your own Soul but must you also drive your Children to Hell before you The Lord awaken all such Parents Is it not enough that you have made your Children the Children of Wrath as all Men Women and Children are by nature for as holy David said so may we all We are conceived in sin and in Iniquity were we brought forth But will ye also hinder them from being made Children of Grace are not your Children prone enought to sin of themselves but must you also help on their Damnation are there not Devils enough to tempt them to sin but must you also prove Devils incarnate to them your selves are not your Children always near enough even at the brink of Hell and will ye also seek to tumble them into the Lake of Fire do you think the way to Heaven is to despise Preaching and to mock at Holiness ought not you to be nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers to your Children and will you nurse them up for the Devil Let wicked Parents consider and tremble Secondly Here is also a use of comfort for all Gods Children they that fear God and spend their time in Reading and Praying they shall for ever be Singing Praises and Hallelujahs to God in Heaven where thou shalt be with God and Christ Saints and Angels to all Eternity when those Wicked Children who delight in nothing but Swearing and Lying who despise Holiness and would not walk in thy ways of God shall be sent to Hell with a Go ye Cursed into Everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Ah! poor Creatures they delighted in Cursing and now they are Cursed they despised Holiness but now they are despised themselves this shall he the portion of all the wicked they shall be tumbled into Hell when Gods Children shall be received into Heaven I beseith you then as you love your own precious Souls if you would escape this Hell. if you would enjoy this Heaven then for the Lords sake Children be Holy pray Morning and Evening obey your Parents love God serve him with all your Souls if ye do thus and he thus then blessed shall ye be for Christ shall say unto you Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world unto which Kingdom the Lord bring us all Amen Now for the fuctlerance of Holiness I have here thought fit to insert a very Godly Morning and Evening Prayer to be used in Families A Morning Prayer for a Family ALmighty God most merciful Father we do not present our selves here before thy Majesty trusting in our own meries or Worthiness but in thy manifold mercies which hast promised to hear our Prayers and grant our requests which we shall make to thee in the Name of thy beloved Son Iesus Christ our Lord who hath also commanded us to assemble our selves together in his Name with full assurance that he will not only be amongst us but also be our Mediator and Advocate towards thy Majesty that he may obtain all things which shall seem expedient to thy blessed will for our Necessities Therefore we beseech thee most merciful Father to turn thy loving Countenance towards us and impute not to us our manifold sins and Offences where we may justly deserve the wrath and sharp punishment but rather receive us to thy mercy for Iesus Christ's sake accepting his Death and Passion as a just recompence for all our Offences in whom onely thou art pleased and through whom thou canst not be offended with us and seeing of thy great Mercies we have quietly passed this night grant O Heavenly Father that we may bestow this day wholly in thy service so that our thoughts words and deeds may redound to the glory of thy name and good example of all Men who seeing our good works may glorifie thee our Heavenly Father And forasmuch as of thy meer favour and love thouhast not only treated us in thy own similitude and likeness but also hast chosen us to be Heirs with thy dear Son Iesus Christ of that immortal Kingdom which thou preparedst for us before the beginning of the world we beseech thee to increase our faith and knowledge and to enlighten our hearts with thy holy Spirit that we may in the mean time live in Godly Conversation and integrity of life knowing that Idolators Adulterers covetous men contentious persons Drunkards Gluttons and such like shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. And because thou hast commanded us to Pray one for another we do not only make request O Lord for our selves and for them that thou hast already called to the true understanding of thy Heavenly Will but for all people and nations of the world who as they know by the wonderful works thou art God over all so they may be instituted by thy Holy Spirit to believe in thee their only Saviour and Redeemer But forasmuch as they cannot believe except they hear nor cannot hear but by Preaching and none can Preach except they be sent therefore O Lord raise up faithful distributers of thy Mysteries who setting apart all worldly respects may both in their life and Doctrine only seek thy Glory Contrarily confound Satan Antichrist with all Hirelings who thou hast already cast off into a Reprobate sense that they may not by Seas and Schisms Heresies and Errors disquiet thy little flock O Lord thy people Israel many times by their Sins provoked thine anger and thou punishedst them by thy just Judgement yet though their Sins were never so grievous if they once returned from their iniquity thou recervedst them to Mercy We therefore most wretched Sinners bewail our manifold sins and earnestly Repent us of our former wickedness and ngodly behaviour towards thee and whereas we cannot of our seves purchase us our Pardon yet we humbly beseech thee for Iesus Christ's sake to shew thy mercy upon us and receive us again to thy favour Grant us dear Father these our requests and all other things which are