certainly just that it should be so whether we can see the Equity of it or not the Righteous God will act like himself and may as soon cease to be a God as lay any unjust punishment upon a Creature whether for ever or for one Hour Q. But what considerations may be urged for the cleering of it A. These following amongst many others 1. That the wicked shall dye a corporal Death no more after the Day of Judgment Those of them that were dead so many ages since shall then be raised to Life and so continue for ever and ever The Dead that is all the Dead shall be raised incorruptible in 1 Cor. 15.52 But the wicked shall not have an incorruptible state in Joy therefore certainly in punishment 2. The Desert of an Offence as to punishment is not to be measured by the shortness of the Time in which it was committed An offence against a King committed in a Minute may deserve perpetual Imprisonment and death 3. God that Sin offendeth is a God of Infinite and Eternal Majesty and Excellency 4. God is not bound to be reconciled to Offenders nor bound to pardon their offences at any time therefore he may justly punish them at all times or for ever Of this the Reader may see more in my Book entituled Everlasting Fire no Fancy Cap. 1. Sect. 3. pag. 19. Q. But will not the Terror of the Lord against the wicked in that Day strike Terror into the Hearts of the Righteous A. If it do it shall not be over-long nor shall be at all in any Miserable Sense or Manner For they shall see themselves safe in the Armes of his love before the dreadful Sentence shall be passed upon the wicked yea they shall meet Christ with peace when he is coming in the higher Regions St. Paul tells us in 1 Thes 4.17 that they shall be caught up together to meet the Lord in the Air. O wondrous word indeed Thrice Happy are they that shall partake of that Relicity And when once they have That they shall soon have all the priviledges of Heaven and be for Ever with the Lord 1 Thes 4.17 For which inexplicable Blessedness the Father of Mercies fit us more and more for His Son Christ Jesus sake To whom be Glory for Evermore The Lord's Prayer OUr Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this Day our Dayly Bread And forgive us our Debts as we forgive our Debtors And lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from Evil for thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen The Creed I Believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord which 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 third Day he arose again from the Dead he ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty from whence he shall come to judge both the quick and the dead I believe in the Holy Ghost the Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints the Forgiveness of Sins the Resurrection of the Body and the Life Everlasting Amen The Ten Commandments Exodus XX. GOD spake all these words saying I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of Bondage I. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me II. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or any 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 thy self 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 shewing 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 Sabbath 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 cattle 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 upon 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 Neigbbour X. Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours house thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours wife nor his man-servant nor his maid-servant his Ox nor his Ass nor anything that is thy Neighbours Proofs that there is a God AND now good Reader I am to make good my word in the beginning of this Writing and if Solomon himself would sometimes apply his Heart to know the wickedness of Folly Eccl. 7. sure it cannot be below me or my Betters to spend some thoughts about the madness of those miserable Fooles that say in their Hearts there is no God And I fear there are too many that are not much ashamed to say so with their Lips in effect and consequentially at least where they do not say so expresly and directly as if they had been instructed by the Malmesbury-Man or thought that his Leviathan had devoured Religion or overturned it by main Force The Folly of such I shall make manifest by proving these two particulars 1. That none can be sure that there is no God 2. That a Man of sober Reason may be sure that there is a God 1. That none can assure us that there is no God For whence should they be sure of such a thing Religion cannot be pretended to teach them so for all Religion is grounded upon the Notion of a God nor can they be assured of it by Reason For those that believed there is a God and forsake all Worldly Comforts in Hope of that happiness after death which none but a God can give as the Martyrs in all Ages yet had Reason as well as others and great Learning also and the subtilest Atheists as yet have not shewed half so much of any kind of Learning as many of those that are followers of Godliness I confess some few men of Ingenuity have been Atheistical a curious Wit was sometimes so and would delight himself in disputing against Religion so vain a thing is the the best thing without Grace But
their Souls before they undertake to make the likeness of their God 3. That they are Fools or worse than such that will not believe there is a God because they never saw Him For a Spirit as such cannot be seen Secondly God is a Spirit Uncreated for 't is He that is the Creatour In the Beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth Gen. 1.1 Q. What learn you from that A. Thus much That the Creatures received all their perfection from God but he received none from them Thirdly God is Unchangeable Mal. 3.6 I the Lord change not Jam. 1.17 With him is no variableness nor shaddow of turning Q. What learn you from hence A. 1. That we should be constant in the way of Religion and Obedience For all those Attributes of his his Greatness and Goodness and the rest that should engage us to his Service and encourage us in it are the same at all times 2. That we should possess our selves in Patience and not be discontented at any changes we meet with in the World for God on whom all our Happiness dependeth is still the same as able to help us and as ready to receive us if we return unto him as ever he was Fourthly God is Eternal Isa 40.28 The Everlasting God fainteth not neither is weary Psal 90.2 From everlasting to everlasting thou art God Q. What do you gather from that A. 1. That All Creatures are as nothing in Comparison of Him for they had their beginning and could not continue but by his Power and Providence 2. That God hath an Eternity to do all his works in That he can punish the wicked with Everlasting punishment and give his Servants Everlasting Joy Fifthly God is most Holy Exod. 15.11 Glorious in Holiness Isa 6.3 Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts Q. What Gather you from this A. 1. That he is holy in all his works and cannot be the Author or approver of any Sin 2. That an unholy Person is not fit to enjoy Him in Heaven 3. That we must be Holy because the Lord our God is holy 1 Pet. 1.16 Sixthly God is most Wise Jer. 10.12 By his wisdom he established the world And His Vnderstanding is infinite Psal 147.5 Q. What may we gather from it A. 1. That God knows what is best for us in the world 2. That he alone can give us the true wisdom and 3. That it is our wisest course to do as he commands us in his Holy Word The fear of the Lord that is wisdom and to depart from Evil is understanding Job 28.28 Seventhly God is most Just Isa 45.20 A just God and a Saviour Psal 92.15 The Lord is upright and there is no unrighteousness in Him Q. What can you conclude from it A. 1. That he will do no unjustice himself nor approve of it in his Creatures The Righteous Lord loveth righteousnes Psal 11.7 And will punish the wicked for their iniquity Isa 13.11 2. That He will judge the told in Righteousness Psal 9.8 3. That the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 Eighthly God is Merciful Exod. 34.6 The Lord God Merciful and Gracious Eph. 2.4 God who is rich in mercy Q. VVhat learn you from that A. Several things 1. That we must seek to him in our trouble whether should Men flee for help in Misery but to Him who is the God of all Mercy Psal 50.15 God saith Call upon me in the time of Trouble 2. That they are utterly inexcusable that refuse to serve a Mercifull God 3. That we must be Merciful because our Father in Heaven is Merciful Luke 6.36 Ninthly God is most True Exod 34.6 Abundant in Goodness and Truth A God that cannot Lye Titus 1.2 Q. VVhat do you gather thence A. 1. That All is true that his Word tells us and that therefore his Threatnings against the wicked and his Promises to the godly shall be accomplished in time in that way as they are made 2. That He is a Lover of Truth and that Lying Lips are an abomination to Him Prov. 12.22 Tenthly God is most Powerful 2. Cor. 6.18 Saith the Lord Almighty 1. Chron. 29.19 In thy Hand is all Power and Might Q. VVhat follows from this A. 1. That we are safe enough if God defend us whatsoever dangers we may be in 2. That he can deliver us out of the greatest Distresses and make a way for us to Escape when we can see no way for it 3. That All out States and Concerns are in his hand He is able to save and to destroy Jam. 4.13 Eleventhly God is present in all Places VVhither shall I flee from thy Presence Psal 139.7 And Jer. 23.24 Do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord Q. VVhat do you gather from thence A. 1. That no place can secure us from his Displeasure if we provoke him by wicked Courses 2. That if we serve and please him in the main we may be assured that we have a Friend at hand wherever we be that is every way sufficient for us 3. That seeing we cannot flee from him we have no way left for our safety but to return unto him in true Obedience and to beg his Mercy Protection and Salvation Twelfthly God seeth all things at once Job 28.24 He looketh unto the Ends of the Earth He seeth under the whole Heaven Heb. 4.13 All things are open unto his Eyes with whom we have to do Q. VVhat do you infer from hence A. That he is acquainted with all our ways Psal 139.3 and that therefore we are concerned to take heed to our ways and Rule our selves according to his Word Psal 119.9 2. That it is a folly for Men to hide their Sins by lies or excuses or any other ways 3. That we want for Encouragement in secret Duties VVe can do no good so privately but our God takes notice of it He can see his Servants in secret and will one day through his Mercy reward them openly Matth. 6.6 Q. God being such a God as you have now said and proved VVhat can you most easily conclude from it A. I conclude from Hence that He is a glorious God indeed and hath none like unto him that he is every way fit to be the Ruler of Heaven and Earth the Disposer of all Things the Judge of all Men the Revenger of VVickedness the Rewarder of VVell-doing the Portion and Felicity of all his Servants Q. God being so great and glorious Is it not enough that we Love and Honour Him If we do so what matter is it how we behave our selves as to our Neighbours or our Governours or how we stand affected towards Them A. No VVe must keep a good Conscience towards Men also in Acts 14.16 Paul did exercise himself thereunto to have a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards Men. Our Saviour also teaches us to do as we would be done by Matth. 7.12 So 1 John 4.21 This Commandment we have of him that
The Lord is known by the Judgments that he executeth Psal 9.16 And I am confident he that considers of them with the Reason of a Man shall not at the same time have ignorance enough to become an Atheist Some Examples whereof it will be proper to set down 1. A Souldier of King Pyrrhus being found dead and his Dog by him and could not be driven from him the King had notice of it and caused his Souldiers that were in those parts to be brought to the place and to pass in order two and two by the dead Body when the Murderers came the Dog fell upon them with the greatest fierceness imaginable upon which they confessed the Murder and dyed for it Which none can judge to be a story feigned in favour of Christanity since 't is reported by Plutarch a Heathen Writer in his Book De solertia Animalium Doth not this prove that there is a Supream Being that takes notice of mens wickedness and to whom it belongeth to execute wrath for it He that can think a Dog should do thus Naturally or by chance is a Person too bruitish to be disputed with Salust also a Heathen Writer tells us of Jugurtha that after the many Villanies he had committed and the disturbances he had made his Mind and Conscience was so strook with Terrours that he would go from one Room to another several times in the Night Season in a manner utterly unbecoming a Prince he durst not trust any man in any place he feared all Friends and Foes and would look pale at every noise he heard From whence the Author though a Heathen Man as was said concludeth that there is a God that observeth Mens Actions It is not my purpose to mention the Examples of God's Judgements recorded in Scripture or Church History for tho' those are most considerable in themselves yet too many in this Age can make light of these things supposing them to be the Politick Inventions of Christians to make their Religion regarded in the World But Arguments to the Eye-sight one would think may signifie something to these Men and are such as Mr. Hobbs his Philosophy will not teach them to deny or doubt of And such they might have had in various Instances One having stol'n some things at Reading in Berks being eating said If I know of them I wish to God this Bit may be my Death And by that next Bit he was choked presently and fell down dead in the sight of those that accused him and the things were found about him The Truth of which hath had Testimony enough in that place And more lately An Example beyond exexception was given us in the Year of our Lord 1677. one that had stollen a Bible wished That if he had done so his Hands might Rot off A few days after this wish there began to be a Blackness about his wrists which turn'd to a swelling exceeding painful to himself and as lothsome and offensive to others after it broke at length there came out wormes And having been a Spectacle of God's just Displeasure to Multitudes that came to see him for many weeks his hands did Rot off and he died a little time after on the 21. of June 1677. in King's Swinford in Staffordshire of which there is a Narrative in print published by Dr. Symon Ford with such concurrent Testimony as no sober man can cavil against If this doth not prove that there is a God that took notice of his Stealing and his wicked Wish aforesaid and that God was highly offended thereby I shall never know what is a sufficient proof of any thing And if any man shall impute this great thing to Fortune or Chance or to any thing else than to a Divine power that judgeth in the Earth I shall fear he is one of those who the Devil and Sin hath blinded to Destruction Thus Reader I have proved that an Atheist is a Fool and if thou art so wise as to live like a Christian endeavour to serve thy Lord with Joyfulness of Heart whatsoever Sorrows may threaten thee in the World For his mercy is to everlasting upon them that fear him Psal 103.17 VVhatsoever changes may be in thy self or others yet He who is thy Happiness changeth not Mal. 3.6 If all thy Friends on Earth should forsake thee yet thou shalt live under the care and compassions of thy Heavenly Father who will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.5 If thou art never so weak and thy Enemies never so strong yet thou shalt alwaies have an Infinite Goodness and Everlasting strength to trust unto If all the Streams of Creature Comforts should fail thee at once yet still thou shalt have a God to enjoy To whom be Glory for Evermore A Morning Prayer for A Family O Most Great and Glorious Lord our God thy Name alone is Excellent and thy Praise above Heaven and Earth we confess thou art infinitely pure and perfect in thy Self and hast been abundantly good and gracious towards us Thy great goodness hath followed us daily and thy Mercies have been renewed upon us every Morning And it is thy goodness alone O God that we have awaked in Comfort and not in Torment To thee therefore we desire to offer up our Morning Sacrifice of Prayer and Thanks-giving And tho' we are unworthy to offer thee any Sacrifice yet we beseech thee O Lord Accept of us and our services in the worthyness of thy Son Jesus Christ the Righteous for his sake we humbly pray thee forgive us all our Sins of what number or nature soever against thee by Thought Word or Deed by Negligence and Ignorance by Presumption and Wilfulness O let thy mercy be magnified in the pardon of them all And let them never be charged upon us to our Discouragement in this world or our Destruction in the world to come And O Lord we pray thee let us not only find Mercy with thee hereafter but also let us obtain powerful and effectual grace to live as becomes thy Servants Here. O turn our Hearts still more unto thee and fix our Affections on the things that are Above and give us Hearts suitable to those blessed Laws which thou hast commanded us to walk in O Lord we know thou hast the greatest Right unto us O do thou maintain thy Right within us Set up thy Throne in our Souls and let thine own Arm Rule for thee there And graciously subdue every Thought Affection and Passion that exalts it self against thy Law Give us thy Holy Spirit to Sanctifie our Natures more and more and to instruct us savingly in the Truths of thy Holy Word Lord help us so to make it the Rule of our Lives as that it may be our Comfort at our Deaths We know O God it is not in Man to direct his ways we pray thee do thou undertake the work and make our ways acceptable to thy Self To this End increase our Knowledge of thee quicken our Love to thee
and confirm our Resolutions of serving thee Help us by Faith to overcome the world to deny our selves and our own wills to follow thee Lord let thy Mercy Compass us about this day and preserve us from outward and Bodily Mischiefs for thou Lord only makest us to dwell in safety And especially be pleased to keep us from those things that may be hurtful to our Souls O let us not meet with Temptations to dishonour thee or else give us Grace and strength to Resist and overcome them And in the midst of all oppositions and Hindrances whatsoever Help us O God to look unto thee by Faith to wait upon thee by Prayer and to encourage our Selves in thy ways by the Hope of that Eternal Salvation which thou hast assured to them that truly obey thee Be gracious we beseech thee O Lord to this sinful Land and turn thy wrath away from us in the Causes of it Maintain thy true Religion among us and grant unto us and our posterity the blessed Liberty of looking into thy perfect Law for the Direction and comfort of our precious Souls Lord Bless in a special manner and with the choicest Blessings our Soveraign Lord the King and his Relations and Councils and grant That under Him we may lead quiet and peaceable Lives in all Godliness and Honesty Let his Reign be Prosperous and his Days many and make True Religion to flourish in his Time Bless our Relations Friends living in the World Lord give and continue to them what is needful for this Life and chiefly what is most needful for the Life to come And now also O our God we desire to Bless thy Holy Name for all thy Mercies to us sleeping and waking throughout all the parts and passages of our Lives that we have not this Night slept the sleep of Death but have awaked again because thou O Lord hast sustained us O help us still to live unto thee by whom we live And let our little time through thy Mercy and Grace prepare us for a Happy Eternity And all we beg in the Name and for the sake of the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord who hath taught us to pray saying Our Father c. An Evening Prayer for a Family MOst great and gracious Lord God who hast brought us by thy good Providence to the end of this Day thou art more than worthy of our evening Sacrifice of praises and Thanksgiving And though we are not worthy to lift up our Hands in thy Name yet O Father of Mercies accept our Prayers and Services which we offer up unto thee in the name of thy Son Jesus Christ O Lord we must needs Acknowledge we are by Nature Children of wrath we are sinful in our Natures and Sinful in our Lives transgressing thy Law dayly and do not know how often we have offended But all our offences are known unto thee who searchest the Hearts and art acquainted with all our ways We confess O God the least of them as committed against thy glorious Majesty makes us justly liable to thy Wrath and Displeasure for ever more O then into what a Depth of Destruction and Misery would all our sins together cast us if thou shouldst enter into Judgment with us and call us to strict Accounts for them even the sinning Angels could not stand in thy sight How then could we in such a Case But blessed be thy Name thou hast told us that thou art a Merciful God and that there is Forgiveness with thee O be gracious we beseech thee And let that Rich Mercy be shewed upon us O let the whole multitude of our Sins be blotted out in the greater multitude of thy tender Compassions Remember not any of our offences against us but pardon and Accept us O Heavenly Father for the sake of thy Son Jesus Christ in whom thou art alwaies well pleased For his sake we pray thee be Reconciled to us and shew us thy Salvation And as we Beg of thee that sin may not ruine us hereafter so we beseech thee O God Let it not Reign in us here but do thou vouchsafe to Rule us by thy Word and Spirit and so put thy Fear in our Hearts that we may not grosly depart from thee O teach us to do the things that please thee For thou art our God and there is none that teacheth like thee In the light of thy Law O Lord let us see light and know in this our Day the things that most concern our Everlasting Peace Give us such a deep sense of our own sinfulness as may make us prize us prize thy Christ above all this world and enable us so to come unto Him as that we may find in him true Rest for our Soules Lord make us to see the vanity of the Earth the vileness of Sin the beauty of Holiness and the benefit of thy Service And let our Hearts be in love with those holy Commandments in keeping of which there is great Reward And enable us so to be Followers of Righteousness as that the Day of our Death may be unto our Souls a Day of Peace And with us O God we pray thee be merciful to all thy Afflicted people that call upon thee send them help in time of need And let them find thy peace in due season that truly seek thy Mercy and Grace Be gracious to the Land wherein we live Lord forgive the crying Sins of the Nation O Consult thy own Compassions and turn from us those heavy Judgements that we have deserved And when the Day of Evil comes upon us O Remember us in thy goodness Lord mercifully grant to us and our Posterity the purity of thine Ordinances the liberty of thy Word and Worship O let thy Testimonies be our Heritage for ever And never leave us in the Hands of those Men that would hide thy Commandments from us And let thy Mercy O God be magnified upon and continued towards thy Servant and our Soveraign that now is over us Let thy Wisdom be his Guide and thy providence his Guard agaist all his Enemies Help him to Rule for thee in Earth and fit him to Raign with thee in Heaven Bless we pray thee also our Friends and Relations wheresoever dispersed upon the face of the Earth Lord graunt them the protections of thy Providence and call not for them out of this Life till thy grace hath fitted them for a Better Let our Enemies also find thy Favour fit them for thy Mercy and shew thy Mercy upon them Bless O Lord we pray thee All that belong to our Family and make all of them that are capable of knowing thy Name to serve thee acceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear And now O thou powerful preserver of Men without whom nothing is able to keep us in safety we pray thee keep us safe from the power of Evil Men or Spirits from Fire Frights and all dreadful Dangers whatsoever And now also O God we desire to offer up our unfeigned Praise and Thanks for All the manifold Benefits that we have received at thy merciful Hand For Food and Raiment Rest and Peace and all those things that are needful for our Bodies But especially for all those advantages that are afforded us for our Soul 's good O help us so to improve them for all purposes of Holiness as that at the Day of Jesus Christ we may find Peace and not be ashamed before Him at his Coming And all we humbly beseech at thy Hands for the same Christ Jesus sake in whose blessed Name and Words we pray as he hath taught us saying Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this Day our Daily Bread And forgive us our Debts as we forgive our Debtors And lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from Evil for thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen O Everlasting Lord most High Vouchsafe to hear for Jesus ' Merit And to my Soul do thou draw nigh By th'Influences of thy Spirit Thy Greatness cause me to Adore Who all my Breath hast in thy Hand And thine Assistance to implore That dost the Hosts of Heaven command And as the Hart that Hunted is Doth for the Streams of water Thirst So make me seek the path of Bliss And prize the Riches of thy Christ Oh fix my Thoughts on things Above And let my Soul more often Taste Even here on Earth by Faith and Love The Pleasures that for ever last FINIS