for a troubled and wounded Conscience 464 The END of the Table A briefe and necessarie Catechisme Very meet to be knowne of euery one before they bee admitted vnto the Supper of the Lord. Question WHat is the cheefest thing which euery one ought to bee most carefull of as long as they liue An. Euery one ought to be most careful of these two points First and chiefely â—ow we can be saued in the day of iudgement before Gods iudgement seate and so come to life euerlasting Secondly how to liue according to Gods holie will during our life In which two points wholly standeth the glory of God so much as of man ought to bee sought for Que. How can we know this how wee are discharged before Gods iudgement seate An. We can neuer know how we bee discharged before the iudgement seate of God vntill such time as we know our owne miserable estate by reason of the greatnesse of our sinnes and the horrible punishment which we deserue for them Que. How doest thou know the greatnesse of thy sinne and the horrible punishment due to the same An. The greatnes of my sinne and the horrible punnishment thereof I knowe â—y the Law of God rightly vnderstood the sum whereof is contained in the tenne Commandements Quest Rehearse the tenne Commandements An. God spake all these wordes and saide I am the Lord thy God which brought â—hee out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of â—ondage 1 THou shalt haue none other but Gods me 2 Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image nor the likenesse of any thing that â—s in Heauen aboue nor in the â—arth beneath nor in the water vnder the earth thou shalt not bowe downe to them nor worship them For I the Lord thy God am a iealous God and visit the sinnes of the Fathers vpon the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shew mercie vnto thousands in them that loue mee and keepe my Commandements 3 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy GOD in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine 4 Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day six daies shalt thou labour and doe all that thou hast to do But the seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt do no manner of worke thou thy sonne and thy daughter thy manseruant and thy maidseruant try cattle and the stranger that is within thy gates For in sixe dayes the LORD made heauen and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seuenth day wherfore the Lord blessed the seauenth day and hallowed it 5 Honor thy Father thy Mother that thy dayes may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giueth thee 6 Thou shalt do no murder 7 Thou shalt not committe Adultery 8 Thou shalt not steale 9 Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbor 10 Thou shalt not couet thy Neighbours house thou shalt not couet thy Neighbours wife nor his manseruant nor his maide nor his Oxe nor his Asse nor any thing that is his Qu. What is the first Commandement An. Thou shalt haue no other Gods but me Que. What is the meaning of this Commandement A. The Lord God straitly chargeth vs in this first commandement that wee worship God alone which worshippe standeth in three points First that wee loue God aboue all SecoÌ„dly that we make our praiers to none but to God Thirdly that we acknowledge God alone to be the guider and gouernour of all things of whom wee receiue all the benefites we haue and therefore that we trust and stay vpon him alone Que. What is the second Commandement An. Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image or the likenesse of any thing that is in heauen aboue c. Qu. What is the meaning of this Commandement An. In this second Commandement bee contained three things First that wee should not think God to be like either man or woman or any other thing therefore that we make no image of God in any case Secondly that we make no image of any other thing either to worship the image it selfe either God Saint or Angell by the image neyther yet to this end to bee the better put in minde of God by the Image Thirdly that we worship not God in any other outward worship according to our owne fantasies but as God commandeth vs in his word Que. What is the 3. Commandement An. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine Que. What is the meaning of this Commandement Ans God chargeth vs in this third Commandement these three things First that we vse with a most high reuerence the name of GOD whensoeuer we either speak or thinke vpon him Secondly that wee neuer blaspheme the name of God in our common talke although the matter bee neuer so true but only where the glory of God is sought or the saluation of our Bretheren or else before a Magistrate in witnessing the truth when we are thereunto lawfully called In which causes we must onely sweare by the name of God But as for Saints Angels Rood Book Crosse Masse or any other thing wee ought in no case by them to sweare Que. What is the 4 Commandement An. Remember that thou keepe holy the Sabbath day Que. What is the meaning of this Commandement An. The hallowing of the Sabbath day is to rest from our labours in our Calling and in one place to assemble our selues together and with feare and reuerence to hear marke and lay vppe in our hearts the word of GOD preached vnto vs to pray all together that which we vnderstand with one consent And at the times appointed to vse the Sacraments in Faith and Repentance and all our life long to rest from wickednesse that the Lord by his holy Spirit may work in vs his good worke and so begin in this life the euerlasting rest Que. What is the fift Commandement An. Honor thy Father thy Mother Que. What is the meaning of this Commandement An. The meaning of the fift Commandement is that we should honour that is to say loue feare obey and releeue our Parents or any other that are vnto vs in their stead As our Princes Rulers and Magistrates our Pastours and Teachers our Masters and all other which are aboue vs in any calling placed by God the Aged and â—ray headed and that all Superiors do shew themselues indeed Parents in defending and guiding their Inferiours Qu. What is the sixt Commandement Ans Thou shalt doe no murther Que. What is the meaning of this Commandement An. First the Lord God forbiddeth vs in this Commandement all killing fighting and quarrelling all reproaches mocks and taunts Secondly he forbiddeth all killing in heart that is al anger and malice all desire of reuenge Thirdly on the other side he commandeth vs to preserue life by exercising the workes of
be now and shall bee to the end of the world Of the which number I beleeue that I am one I beleeue that God knoweth them all and hath a most tender care ouer them Que. What callest thou the Communion of Saints An. The Communion of Saints is the society that all we which beleeue haue one with another as members of one head Iesus Christ whereby wee are ready to communicate all Gods benefites both Spirituall and Temporall to the mutuall health and comfort one of another according vnto the measure which we haue receyued of God in this life Que. What is it to beleeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes An. I beleeue that Iesus Christ hath wholy appeased God for my sinnes paide the full punishment due to them and therfore that they be freely forgiuen mee and shall neuer be laide vnto my charge Que. What beleeuest thou of the rising againe of the body Ans I beleeue that after this life eÌ„nded my soule shal go to God that gaue it and my body shall rest in the graue vntill the appoynted time and then I shall see God in my flesh and mine eyes shall looke vpon him and this my bodie shall bee made like to the glorious body of Christ without al corruption Que. What is it that thou sayest of Life euerlasting An. I beleeue that when God shall raise againe this my body and ioyn it againe together with my soule that then I shall liue with Christ for euer in his euerlasting kingdome of glory Que. By what means do we attaine to this which thou hast heere confessed An. The holy Ghost hath appointed the preaching of the word to be the ordinary meanes whereby hee worketh in our hearts this true and liuely faith and without this preaching of the Word we can neuer haue faith Que. After that GOD by the meanes of his word hath wrought in our hearts faith by what meanes afterward doeth he strengthen the same An. This faith doth God strengthen in vs by the selfe same preaching of the word and also by the vse of the Sacraments Que. What callest thou the Sacraments An. Sacraments bee outward signes ordaind of God for the greater assurance and strengthening of our Faith beeing vnto vs sure pledges of these benefits of our Saluation which we receiue in Christ to be ours and are represented vnto vs by the outward signes of water in baptisme and Bread and Wine in the Supper of the Lord. They serue also for a marke of our profession whereby we differ from other people which be Heathen Qu. How many Sacraments be there An. There be two Sacraments that is to say Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. Qu. What strength of faith hast thou through Baptisme Ans I am taught and assured by Baptisme that my sinnes are forgiuen mee for as the water washeth away the filthinesse of my bodie euen so should I through the holy Ghost be thereby fully certified and perswaded that the bloud of Christ beeing sprinkled vpon my soule by the hand of Faith hath washed away both the guiltinesse of my sinne and the punishment due vnto the same the fruite and effect whereof appeareth heerein that through the power of Christ his death and resurrection I am dead as touching sin and raised vp againe in newnesse of life vvhich two things in whomsoeuer they appeare not they may well haue the name title of Baptisme but indeed they are no Christians Qu. What strength of faith do wee finde in the vse of the Lords Supper Ans The Supper of the Lord thorough the holy-Ghost doth strengthen my Faith that I should not doubt but as surely as I receiue the Bread and Wine into my body to become wholly mine so my soule receiueth withall Christ with his passion and righteousnesse to be wholy mine as surely as if I had wrought them mine owne selfe Que. Are not then the bread and wine in the supper of the Lord turned into the body and bloud of Christ An. The bread and wine as touching their nature and substance are not turned but as touching the vse of them they differ from common Bread and Wine in that they are appointed of God to serue vnto vs as Seales â—ledges of those benefits which Christ in his body hath wrought for vs. Qu. In what maner oughtest thou to prepare thy selfe to the receiuing these misteries An. In preparing my selfe to receiue the supper of the Lord I ought diligently to obserue these three things First to examine my selfe whether I stand in faith or no which I shall know if I feele my hart assured by the Spirit of God that the punishment of my sins is fully discharged in Christ and that whatsoeuer hee hath done pertaineth not onely to others but euen to me Secondly to examine my selfe whether I find my hart inwardly sorry for my sins with inward hatred and lothing of sin and an earnest desire and sure purpose wholy to conforme my selfe to the will of Gods word Thirdly if any offence be betwixt others and me that I reconcile my selfe vnto them All these things although they ought earnestly to be considered in the whole course of our life yet then especially when wee come to the supper of the Lord. Que. Now seeing wee be saued by Christes Works without our deseruings wherto then now serueth our wel doings or what auaileth it to do good workes An. We must do good workes not to deserue our saluation by them but by our works to glorifie God in walking as becommeth Gods Children declaring thereby our thankfulnes to God for our redemption Secondly by our works to make our election more certaine vnto our selues Thirdly to winne others vnto Christ by our holy life and conuersation Quest What works callest thou good works An. Our works can neuer be accepable and good in the sight of God vnlesse in doing them wee keepe these two things First that they be framed according to the rule of Gods lawes Commandements not after our owne deuice Secondly that they proceede from an heart purged by faith If either of these two pointes be lacking our workes are abhominable in the eyes of Almighty God although they appeare neuer so glorious in the sight of men Que. Because prayer is one especiall meanes which Gad will haue vs vse to increase our faith tell me what belongeth to true prayer An. It is requisite in true prayer that we obserue these fiue things First that we make our prayers onely to God thorough Christ and not to Saints Secondly that we be inwardly touched with neede of the thing we aske hauing our minde wholly bent therupon and not caried away with by-thoghts Thirdly that our prayers be grounded vppon Gods promise with full assurance that they shall be granted so farre as the Lord doth know them to be meete and needfull for vs. Fourthly that we continue in prayer although we haue not our requests at the first Fiftly that we aske not those things which we thinke
and dye to thee with them and for them glorifie thy most holy name for euer and euer We beseech thee also good Lord our God for all our Bretheren wheresoeuer that those which are in thy Church in peace and safety may prosper and goe for ward and stand in thy truth for euer that thy goodnesse may bee assured vnto them-and that thou wouldst keepe their place and maintaine their cause against all that labour to trouble them And for such as doe yet labour vnder tyranny and affliction whose sufferings thou knowest O Lord better then we can declare It may please thee to breake the rodde of their oppressours to quench the fire of their aduersaries to lighten or rather cleane take away that burthen that they so presse them withall that they together with vs may ioyne in thy Congregation and feede safely So that there may bee none to scar vs. Let thy Spirit of comfort possesse our hearts that all trouble may seeme lesse then thy trueth and glory so lighten our eies that in our darknesse we may haue such sight of thy glory and of Iesus Christ who is in that high Mountaine where hee is now so glorious that our griefes may bee swallowed vp A Speciall Morning Prayer for the Sabbath MOst Mighty and glorious Lord of Hosts God of Sabbaths Who though thou didst rest from all thy workes of Creation yet daily workest in all the world disposing and preseruing all things therein by thy generall prouidence and especially rulest in thy Church and Children doing all their workes for them and daily preseruing them from the euils of the time encouraging them daily by the renuing of thy mercies to seeke thy face refreshing thy Beloued daily from Sabbath to Sabbath with the fruits of thy house that they may bee fitted to rest for euer with thee in thine eternall Sabbath It is thy singular mercy great patience O Lord our God that thy vnworthy vnprofitable seruants hauing so often prouoked thee to call vs to an account and take our Talents from vs are yet respited to a further vse of thy blessings and redeeming of the time in better husbanding thereof But O Lord our God how wonderfully and aboue all other vnspeakeable is this thy goodnesse that though wee haue no better then prophaned this thy holy day generally heretofore by speaking our owne words and thinking our owne thoughts therein so far from being bettered by thine ordinances that wee still remaine more hardened and inexcusable thereby more leauened with hypocrisie and worldlynes more barren in vprightnesse and holynesse of conuersation and so deserue for euer to be plucked vp by the rootes and cast out of thy presence Yet hast thou offered vs once againe this gracious opportunity of thy blessed Presence and to drawe neere vnto thee his thy day in the vse of thy holy ordinances How iustly mightest thou long since either fatted vp our hearts and so giuen vs vp to our owne lust and reprobate waies that all good motions might bee vtterly quenched in vs all desire of thy presence wholly extinguished Or though wee had any desire yet thou mightest iustly hide thy face from vs and turne this day of our visitation into a perpetuall night Hast thou not thus reckoned with our neighbours round about And what mightest thou find in vs O blessed Lord that any way could stay this fearefull reckoning Is it because wee haue enioyed more fauours longer then they haue done Lord what may wee truly expect herefrom then to be beaten with more stripes And though thy patience bee more enlarged towards vs yet shall not the reckoning bee the more intollerable Or is it not thy singular wisdome to warne vs graciously by our Bretherens harmes and humble vs the more by the sence of our vnprofitablenes as if our case were bootlesse desperate Or is it because thou hast giuen vs some remorse of Iosephs affliction and enlarged our hearts with some compassion towards them Oh how doth this continue our cruelty towards them that while wee seeke to ease them of their smart by our cold compassions wee yet encorage them by our example in sinne How doth this challenge our want of mercy to our selues while wee more harden our hearts hereby in wickednesse as if we were more righteous then they because wee are spared and they are punished and so heape vp more wrath against our selues by our impenitencie while we labour to reclaime others from the fury thereof Thus find wee nothing by our selues why wee fare better then others but that our best fare is like to proue our deadly bane Onely in thee O our God there is absolute power to doe with thine owne what thou wilt with thee there is free mercy to spare whome thou pleasest In thee there is infinite wisdome to draw thy Children vnto thee by contrary meanes some by feare plucking out of the fire alluring others by thy tender compassions that thou onely mightest haue the glory of all thy workes melting some by thy patience which harden others and hardning some by thy corrections which soften others Meditate O my soule on this Power Wisdome and mercy of thy glorious God Exalt him and say who is like our God that spareth and punisheth whome hee pleaseth that punisheth by sparing and spares by punishing And solet thy heart beginne this day with such deuoute Meditation and rauishment therewith that it may truely cast thee downe before his glorious presence and vtterly cast thee out of all carnall confidence and so wholy cast out of thee all vaine and earthly thoughts that may interrupt thy sweete fellowship with thy glorious God while thou labourest to power out thy soule before him in iudging thy selfe iustifying his free goodnes for thy former preseruation and crying for acceptance in thy Sauiour for the pardon of thy sinnes and to be cloathed with his righteousnesse that thou mayest appeare all faire in the presence of thy God and so be safely carried by his Spirit into the Chamber of thy Mother there to sucke and bee satisfied O grant vs gracious God thus to beginne this day in thee and with thee And that wee may bee better quickened and enabled hereunto and set to the spending thereof wholy in thy feare Perswade our hearts wee pray thee Blessed Lord of the moralitie and equitie of this thine owne ordinâ—nce that what thou hast for thine owne intire and solemme worship so vnchangeably ratified wee may not esteeme common and indifferent as either to seeke my selfe any whit therein or els not to seeke thee in all thy waies as if either thou hadst imposed rest from our worldly imployments because idlenes pleaseth thee and the ease of the flesh were part of the worship or els might excuse vs from spirituall imployments or else that herein also wee might take our ease and serue our selues refreshing the labours of our soules by satisfing the flesh But cause vs gracious God to know that
preuailed against my vnworthynesse Thou mightest for my sinnes haue left me to perish in mine extremities but thou hast compassed mee about with ioyfull deliuerance thou mightest haue made my wombe a graue to burie the dead or in affoording life to another thou mightest haue procured my death but yet thou hast not onely made my wombe a wel-spring of life but restored life vnto me also for the cherishing thereof Marueilous O Lord are thy workes infinite are thy mercies my soule by present experience knoweth it well O my soule praise thou the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy Name My soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefits Thou hast heard my prayers and looked vppon my sorrow thou hast redeemed my life from death and healed mine infirmities and crowned mee with thine euerlasting compassions O giue me I humbly pray thee a thankfull heart not onely now while the memorie and sense of thy fauour is fresh before mee but continually euen so long as I haue any being Grant that I may learne by this liuely euidence of thy power and mercy for euer heereafter to depend onely on thee Quicken mee also to all holy duties that my thankfulnesse may appeare in my pure and Christian carriage Make mee a kind and carefull mother willing to vndergoe the paine and trouble of education Let no nicenesse or curiositie hinder mee from those seruices to which both nature and religion hath appointed me let me also be carefull when time requireth to season the fruite thou hast giuen mee with the sauing knowledge of thee and thy deere Sonne that my desire may manifestly appeare to be set for the encrease of thy Kingdome Vouchsafe so to order my affections and to bring them in obedience vnder thee that if it should be thy pleasure either now or heerafter to take this Infant from me I may as willingly part with it as thou freely gaue it me And now O God perfect in mee that strength which thou hast begunne make me to grow in care to serue thee faithfully both in the duties of pietie and in other businesse of my place and calling that I may bee a comfort to my husband and example to my neighbours a grace to my profession and a meanes of glorie to thy Name through Iesus Christ my Lord and Sauiour Amen A Prayer for those who are employed in the assistance of a trauailing woman HOly Father who hast commanded vs to serue one another in loue and hast made this the triall of our true loue vnto thee and our neighbour that wee helpe them in the time of need Be present we pray with vs â—y thy gracious Spirit to seale vp the pardon of our sinnes that they hinder vs not in this businesse and to assist vs with such conscience and diligence that our labour may not bee in vaine Wee confesse O Lord that wee are not worthy of â—ny gâ—â—d for our selues much lesse that wee should smother the good of others neither that any labour of ours can further thy good without thy speciall Grace enabling vs therein and accepting the same Accept vs therefore wee pray thee in the blood of thy Son shed thy loue into our hearts by thine holy Spirit that all our labour may be done in loue In loue to thy Maiesty who enablest vs to all good and in loue to our Christian Sister especially to her soule And therefore keepe vs wee pray thee from all idle sauours and superstitious conceits as auaileable heereunto from all rotten and vnsauoury speech which may interrupt the worke and teach vs to seeke helpe onely from thy Grace vsing al gracious communication both among our selues and to the comfort of the distressed that shee may only depend vpon thy mighty power applying all diligence and wisedome in affoording seasonable helpe for the easing of the paine or furthering of the birth Furnish vs with skill and her with strength patiently to awaite the appointed time of her deliuerance and knit all our hearts vnto thee that wee may feare thy Name obseruing the passages of thy prouidence in this and all other thy great workes and studying to giue thee praise and glory for the same in Iesus Christ our onely Lord and Sauiour Amen A thankesgiuing vpon the blessing of their labour in the Deliuerance HOly Father who hast reuealed thy selfe in thy word to bee a God that hearest prayer and hast now made good this promise vnto vs thine vnworthy seruants in hearing our prayers in the behalfe of this distressed woman Giue vs hearts we humbly pray thee to conceiue wisely of this thy great kindnesse and open our mouths we beseech thee that wee declare this thy goodnesse for the comfort of others that by this liuely example we may beleeue in thy great Name What hast thou not done heerein O Lord euen aboundantly aboue what wee could thinke or aske And what can we repay vnto thee worthy of so great saluation Wee confesse our selues vnworthy to aske much lesse to obtain for our selues yet behold thou hast heard our cries and releeued this thy desolate seruant It is not enough that thou hast giuen ease and deliuerance to the Mother vnlesse also thou didst liue to her Babe that so in it her life might bee againe receiued yea thou hast made our cup to run ouer with ioy and gladnesse who were almost ouerwhelmed with sorrow and dispaire Thine O Lord bee the onely glorie and praise heereof O fill our hearts with thankefulnesse that our reioycing may bee in trueth and humble vs vnfeignedly in the consciences of our owne vnworthinesse that we may giue thee the onely glory of all thy mercies Let our humility appeare in seruing each other in loue and let our loue bee manifest in prouoking each other to trust in thee alone for the time to come let our confidence in this prepare vs to this or the like occasion that so we may finde a gracious issue in our greatest extremities And let our experience of thy good hand heerein weane vs from the loue of the world wherin wee are like continually to meet with what will oppose or ensnare vs and prouoke vs to long for our dissolution when all teares shall be wiped from our eyes And let our desire to bee with thee make vs alwaies ready for thee in all sobriety modesty humility patience and perseuerance that so wee may bee found faithfull when our Maister commeth And that wee may bee found in peace at his glorious appearance O grant vs daily to deny our selues that still wee may bee found of thee in the righteousnes of our Sauiour may by the power thereof be daily accepted of thee by the efficacie of the same may bee more and more conformed to thine holy Image and so may at length be fully satisfied therewith And as thou hast now added one vnto the number of mankinde shewing thy wisedome and power in the framing of him in the wombe in bringing him