of his that do his pleasure Bless the Lord all his Works in all places of his Dominions Bless the Lord O my soul my mouth shall speak the Praises of the Lord And let all Flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise yee the Lord. The Order of Celebrating the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ This or the like Explication of the Nature Use and Benefits of this Sacrament may bee used at the discretion of the Minister when hee seeth it needful to the Instruction of the Communicants THat you may discern the Lords body and understand the nature use and benefits of this Sacrament you must know that God created man in his own Image to know and love and serve his Maker That man fell under the guilt of sin and condemnation and left his holy Fitness for the work for which hee was created That hereupon the wonderful love and wisdome of God provided us a Remedy in our Redeemer to the end hee might not lose the glory of his Creation that hee might pardon and save us upon terms Securing the honour of his Justice and attaining the ends of his Law and Government and recover us to his love and service by appearing to the world in the greatest demonstrations of Goodness Love and Mercy By the greatest Miracle of Condiscension hee first promised and then gave his onely Son the Eternal Word to take mans nature into personal union with his God-head that being God and Man hee might bee a fit Mediator between God and Man to restore us and reconcile us to himself Thus Jesus Christ conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary became the second Adam the Physician and Saviour of undone Sinners the Captain of our Salvation to bee the glorious King and Head of all that are sanctified and saved Hee revealed the Holiness the Goodness and the Love of God by the perfect Holiness Goodness and Love of his Blessed Person Doctrine and Conversation and by suffering for us all the Afflictions of this life and at last the cursed death of the Cross as a Sacrifice and Ransome for us That all this might be effectual to our Recovery hee made for us a new and better Covenant and preached it himself undertaking the Pardon Justification and Sanctification of all that by unfeigned Faith do take him for their Saviour repenting of their sins and consenting to be sanctified by his Word and Spirit by which also hee inviteth and draweth men to himself and giveth them to beleeve Into this blessed pardoning saving Covenant wee are first solemnly entred by Baptism And when Christ was ready to leave the world and to give up himself a Sacrifice for us and intercede and exercise the fulness of his Kingly Power as the Churches Head and by his grace to draw men to himself and prepare them for his glory hee did himself institute this Sacrament of his body and blood at his last Supper to bee a continued Representation and Remembrance of his Death and therein of his own and his Fathers Love until his coming appointing his Ministers by the Preaching of the Gospel and Administration of these Sacraments to bee his Agents without and his Spirit within effectually to communicate his Grace The Lords Supper then is a holy Sacrament instituted by Christ wherein Bread and Wine being first by Consecration made Sacramentally or Representatively the body and blood of Christ are used by breaking and pouring out to represent and commemorate the Sacrifice of Christs Body and Blood upon the Cross once offered up to God for sin and are given in the Name of Christ unto the Church to signifie solemnize the renewal of his holy Covenant with them and the giving of himself unto them to expiate their sins by his Sacrifice and sanctifie them further by his Spirit and confirm their right to everlasting life And they are received Eaten and drunk by the Church to profess that they willingly receive Christ himself to the Ends aforesaid their Justification Sanctification and Glorification and to signifie and solemnize the Renewal of their Covenant with him and their holy Communion with him and with one another It being the renewing of a mutual Covenant that is here solemnized as wee commemorate Christs Sacrifice and receive him and his saving benefits so wee offer and deliver to him our selves as his redeemed sanctified people to bee a living Acceptable Sacrifice thankfully and obediently to live unto his Praise Before the receiving of this holy Sacrament wee must examine our selves and come preparedly In the receiving of it wee must exercise holy affections suited to the work And after the receiving of it wee must by consideration of it indeavour to revive the same Affections and perform our Covenant there renewed The holy Qualifications to bee before Provided and in Receiving exercised and after Receiving are these 1. A true beleef of the Articles of the Christian Faith concerning the Father Son and Holy Ghost the Person Offices Works and Sufferings and Benefits of Christ 2. The sense of our sinful and undone condition as in our selves and of our need of Christ so as humbly to loath our selves for our transgressions with the sense of our present weaknesses to bee strengthened and sins to bee forgiven 3. A true desire after Christ for pardon and spiritual Nourishment and Salvation 4. A thankful sense of the Wonderful Love of God declared in our Redemption and in the present offers of Christ and Life 5. The exercise of holy love and joy in the sense of this unspeakable Love if these two bee not felt before wee come yet in and after the Sacrament we must strive to exercise them 6. A love to one another and forgiving wrongs to one another with a desire after the Communion of Saints 7. The giving up our selves in Covenant to God with resolution of renewed Obedience 8. A patient hope for the coming of Christ himself and of the Everlasting Kingdome where wee shall bee perfectly united in him and glorified with him Those onely are to bee invited to the Lords Table and to come that truly repent and beleeve and unfeignedly consent to the terms of the Covenant though all are not to bee invited thus to beleeve and repent and so to come But those are to be admitted by the Pastors if they come who having the use of reason to understand what they do and examine themselves have made a Personal Profession of Faith Repentance and Obedience and are Members of the Church and not justly for Heresie or scandalous sin removed from its present Communion The benefit of the Sacrament is not to be judged of onely by present Experience and Feeling but by Faith God having appointed us to use it and promised his Blessing wee may and must beleeve that hee will make good his Promise and what ever wee feel at present that wee sincerely wait not on him in
peace to us wée returned again to Folly wée have deserved O Lord to bée cast out of thy presence And to bée forsaken as wée have forsaken thée and to hear to our confusion Depart from mée I know you not yée workers of iniquity Thou mayest justly tell us thou hast no pleasure in us nor wilt receive an offering at our hand But with thée there is abundant mercy And our Advocate Jesus Christ the Righteous is the propitiation for our sins who bare them in his body on the Cross and made himself an offering for them that hée might put them away by the sacrifice of himself Have mercy upon us and wash us in his blood Cloath us with his Righteousness take away our iniquities and let them not bée our ruine forgive them and remember them no more O thou that delightest not in the death of sinners heal our backslidings love us freely and say unto our souls that thou art our salvation Thou wilt in no wise cast out them that come unto thée receive us graciously to the Feast thou hast prepared for us cause us to hunger and thirst after Christ and his Righteousness that wée may bée satisfied Let his Flesh and blood bee to us Meat and Drink indéed And his spirit bée in us a well of living water Springing up to Everlasting life Give us to know thy Love in Christ which passeth knowledge Though wée have not séen him let us love him And though now wée see him not yet beleeving let us rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Though wée are unworthy of the crums that fall from thy Table yet féed us with the Bread of Life and speak and seal up Peace to our sinful wounded souls Soften our hearts that are hardened by the deceitfulness of sin Mortifie the Flesh and strengthen us with might in the inward man that wee may live and glorifie thy Grace through Jesus Christ our onely Saviour Amen Here let the Bread he brought to the Minister and received by him and set upon the Table and then the Wine in like manner or if they be set there before however let him bless them praying in these or the like words ALmighty God thou art the Creator and the Lord of all things Thou art the Soveraign Majesty whom wée have offended Thou art our most loving and merciful Father who hast given thy Son to reconcile us to thy self who hath ratified the New Testament and Covenant of Grace with his most precious blood and hath instituted this Holy Sacrament to bee celebrated in remembrance of him till his coming Sanctifie these thy Creatures of Bread and Wine which according to thy Institution and Command wee set apart to this holy use that they may bee Sacramentally The Body and Blood of thy Son Jesus Christ Amen Then or immediately before this Prayer let the Minister read the words of the Institution saying HEar what the Apostle Paul saith 1 Cor. 11. For I have received of the Lord that which also I deliver unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which hee was betrayed took Bread and when hee had given thanks hee brake it and said Take Eat This is my Body which is broken for you This do in remembrance of mee After the same manner also hee took the Cup when hee had supped saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood This do yee as oft as yee drink it in remembrance of mee For as often as yee eat this Bread and drink this Cup yee do shew the Lords death till hee come Then let the Minister say THis Bread and Wine being set apart and consecrated to this Holy use by Gods appointment are not now Common Bread and Wine but Sacramentally the Body and Blood of Christ Then let him thus Pray MOst merciful Saviour as thou hast loved us to the death and suffered for our sins the just for the unjust and hast instituted this holy Sacrament to bee used in remembrance of Thée till thy coming Wée beséech Thée by thine intercession with the Father through the Sacrifice of thy Body and Blood give us the pardon of our sins and thy quickening Spirit without which the Flesh will profit us nothing Reconcile us to the Father Nourish us as thy Members to Everlasting Life Amen Then let the Minister take the Bread and break it in the sight of the People saying THe Body of Christ was broken for us and offered once for all to sanctifie us Behold the sacrificed Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World In like manner let him take the Cup and pour out the Wine in the sight of the Congregation saying WEE were redeemed with the precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Then let him thus Pray MOst holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son by whom Christ was conceived by whom the Prophets and Apostles were inspired and the Ministers of Christ are qualified and called that dwellest and workest in all the members of Christ whom hou sanctifiest to the Image and for the service of their Head and comfortest them that they may shew forth his Praise Illuminate us that by Faith wée may sée him that is here represented to us Soften our hearts and humble us for our sins Sanctifie and quicken us That wée may rellish the Spiritual Food and feed on it to our Nourishment and growth in Grace Shed abroad the Love of God upon our hearts and draw them out in love to him Fill us with thankfulness and holy Joy and with love to one another Comfort us by witnessing that wée are the Children of God Confirm us for New Obedience Bée the Earnest of our Inheritance and seal us up to Everlasting Life Amen Then let the Minister deliver the Bread thus Consecrated and broken to the Communicants first taking and eating it himself as one of them when hee hath said TAke yée Eat yée This is the Body of Christ which is broken for you Do this in remembrance of him In like manner hee shall deliver them the Cup first drinking of it himself when hee hath said THis Cup is the New Testament in Christs Blood or Christs Blood of the New Testament which is shed for you for the remission of sins Drink yee all of it in remembrance of him Let it be left to the Ministers choice whether hee will consecrate the Bread and Wine together and break the Bread and pour out the Wine immediately or whether hee will consecrate and pour out the Wine when the Communicants have eaten the Bread If hee do the latter hee must use the fore-going Prayers and Expressions twice accordingly and let it bee left to his discretion whether hee will use any words at the breaking of the Bread and pouring out the Wine or not And if the Minister chuse to pray but once at the Consecration Commemoration and Delivery Let him pray as
vain The Exhortation YOu are invited hither Dear Brethren to bee Guests at this Holy Table by the Lords Command to receive the greatest Mercy and to perform the greatest duty On Christs part All things are made ready The Feast is prepared for you even for you that by sin have deserved to bee cast out of the presence of the Lord for you that have so oft neglected and abused Mercy A Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ free to you but dear to him You were lost and in the way to bee lost for ever when by the greatest Miracle of Condiscending-love hee sought and saved you You were dead in sin condemned by the Law the Slaves of Satan There wanted nothing but the Executing-stroak of Justice to have sent you into endless misery When our dear Redeemer pitied you in your blood and shed his own to wash and heal you Hee suffered that was offended that the offender might not suffer Hee cried out on the Cross My God My God Why hast thou forsaken mee that wee who had deserved it might not bee everlastingly forsaken Hee died that wee might live O how would the mercy of Redemption have affected you if you had first lyen one year or month or day in Hell Had you but seen your dying Lord or seen the damned in their misery how do you think you should have valued the Salvation that is now revealed and tendred to you see here Christ dying in this holy Representation Behold the sacrifized Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world It is his will to be thus frequently crucified before your eyes O how should wee bee covered with shame and loath our selves that have both procured the death of Christ by sin and sinned against it And how should wee all bee filled with joy that have such mysteries of Mercy opened and so great Salvation freely offered to us O hate sin O love this Saviour See that you come not hither without a desire to bee more Holy nor with a purpose to go on in wilful sin Bee not deceived God is not mocked but if you heartily repent and consent to the Covenant come and welcome Wee have commission from Christ to tell you that you are welcome Let no trembling contrite soul draw back that is willing to bee Christs upon his Covenant-terms but beleeve that Christ is much more willing to bee yours Hee was first willing and therefore died for you and made the Covenant of Grace and sent to invite and importune you to consent and stayed for you so long and gave you your Repentance your willingness and desire Question not then his willingness if you are willing It is Satan and unbeleef that would have you question it to the injury both of Christ and you Come neer observe beleeve and wonder at the Riches of his Love and Grace For hee hath himself invited you to see and taste that you may wonder You are sinners but hee inviteth you to receive a renewed sealed pardon of your sins and to give you more of his Spirit to overcome them See here his broken Body and his Blood the Testimonies of his Willingness Thus hath hee sealed the Covenant which pardoneth all your sins and secureth you of your Reconciliation with God and your Adoption and your right to Everlasting Blessedness Deny not your consent but heartily give up your selves to Christ and then doubt not but your Scarlet Crimson-sins shall bee made as white as Wooll or Snow Object not the number or greatness of them against his Grace There is none too great for him to pardon to penitent Beleevers Great sins shall bring great glory to his Blood and Grace But strive you then for great loathing of your sins and greater love to such a God and greater thanks to such a Saviour Unfeignedly say I am willing Lord to bee wholly Thine and then beleevingly take Christ and Pardon and Life as given you by his own appointment in the sealed Covenant And remember that hee is a coming Hee is coming with thousands of His Mighty Angels to execute judgement on the ungodly but to bee glorified in his Saints and admired in all that do beleeve And then wee shall have greater things than these Then shall you see all the Promises fulfilled which now are sealed to you on which hee causeth you to trust Revive now your love to one another and forgive those that have wronged you and delight in the Communion of the Saints And then you shall bee admitted into the Church Triumphant where with perfect Saints you shall perfectly rejoyce and love and praise the Lord for ever Receive now a crucified Christ here represented and bee contented to take up your Cross and follow him And then you shall reign with a glorified Christ in the Blessed Vision and Fruition of that God to whom by Christ you are now reconciled Let Faith and Love bee working upon these things while you are at this holy Table Then shall the Minister use this or the like Prayer MOst Holy God wée are as stubble before thée the Consuming Fire How shall wée stand before thy Holiness for wée are a sinful people laden with Iniquity that have gone backward and provoked the Holy one of Israel when wée were lost thy Son did séek and save us when wée were dead in sin thou madest us alive Thou sawest us polluted in our blood and saidst unto us live In that time of love thou coveredst our nakedness and enteredst into a Covenant with us and wée became thine own Thou didst deliver us from the power of Darkness and translate us into the Kingdome of thy dear Son and gavest us remission of sin through his blood But wée are grievous Revolters wée have forgotten the Covenant of the Lord our God wée were engaged to love thee with all our hearts and to hate iniquity and serve thée diligently and thankfully to set forth thy praise But wée have departed from thée and corrupted our selves by self love and by loving the world and the things that are in the world and have fulfilled the desires of the Flesh which wée should have crucified Wée have neglected our duty to thée and to our neighbour and the necessary care of our own Salvation Wée have béen unprofitable servants and have hid thy Talents and have dishonoured thée whom in all things wée should have pleased and glorified Wée have béen negligent in hearing and reading thy Holy Word and in meditating and conferring of it in publick and private Prayer and thanksgiving and in our preparation to this Holy Sacrament in the Examining of our selves and repenting of our sins and stirring up our hearts to a beleeving and thankfull receiving of thy grace and to love and Joyfulness in our Communion with thée and with one another Wée have not duely discerned the Lords Body but have prophaned thy Holy Name and Ordinance as if the Table of the Lord had been contemptible And when thou hast spoken
followeth or to this sense ALmighty God thou art the Creator and the Lord of all Thou art the Soveraign Majesty whom wee have offended Thou art our merciful Father who hast given us thy Son to reconcile us to thy self who hath ratified the New Testament and Covenant of Grace with his most precious blood and hath instituted this Holy Sacrament to bée Celebrated in memorial of him till his coming Sanctifie these thy Creatures of bread and wine which according to thy will wée set apart to this holy use that they may bée Sacramentally the Body and Blood of thy Son Jesus Christ And through his sacrifice and intercession give us the pardon of all our sins and bée reconciled to us and nourish us by the body and blood of Christ to Everlasting life And to that end give us thy quickning spirit to shewChrist to our beléeving souls that is here represented to our senses Let him soften our hearts and humble us for our sins and cause us to féed on Christ by Faith Let him shed abroad thy love upon our hearts and draw them on in love to thée and fill us with Holy Joy and thankfulness and fervent love to one another let him comfort us by witnessing that wée are thy Children and confirm us for New obedience and bée the Earnest of our Inheritance and seal us up to life Everlasting through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen Let it bee left to the Ministers discretion whether to deliver the Bread and Wine to the People at the Table onely in General each one taking it and applying it to themselves or to deliver it in General to so many as are in each particular form or to put it into every persons hand As also at what season to take the Contribution for the Poor And let none of the people be forced to sit stand or kneel in the Act of Receiving whose Judgement is against it The Participation being ended let the Minister pray thus or to this sense MOst Glorious God how wonderful is thy power and wisdome thy Holiness and Justice thy love and mercy in this work of our Redemption by the Incarnation life death resurrection intercession and dominion of thy Son No power or wisdome in Heaven or Earth could have delivered us but thine The Angels desire to pry into this Mystery the Heavenly Host do celebrate it with praises saying Glory bée to God in the Highest On Earth peace Good will towards men The whole Creation shall proclaim thy Praises Blessing Honour Glorie and power bée unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Honour and Glory for hée hath redeemed us to God by his blood and made us Kings and Priests unto our God Where sin abounded Grace hath abounded much more And hast thou indéed forgiven us so great a debt by so precious a Ransome Wilt thou indéed give us to reign with Christ in Glory and sée thy face and love thée and bée beloved of thée for ever Yea Lord thou hast forgiven us and thou wilt glorifie us for thou art faithful that hast promised With the blood of thy Son with the Sacrament and with thy spirit thou hast sealed up to us these precious promises And shall wée not love thée that hast thus loved us Shall wée not love thy Servants and forgive our Neighbours their little debt After all this shall wée again forsake thée and deal falsly in thy Covenant God forbid O set our affections on the things above where Christ sitteth at thy right hand Let us no more minde Earthly things but let our Conversation bée in Heaven from whence wée expect our Saviour to come and change us into the likeness of his glory Teach us to do thy will O God and to follow him who is the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that do obey him Order our steps by thy word and let not any iniquity have dominion over us Let us not henceforth live unto our selves but unto him who died for us and rose again Let us have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but reprove them And let our light so shine before men that they may glorifie thée In Simplicity and Godly Sincerity and not in Fleshly wisdome let us have our Conversation in the world O that our waies were so directed that wée might kéep thy statutes Though Satan will bée desirous again to sift us and séek as a roaring Lion to devour strengthen us to stand against his Wiles and shortly bruise him under our féet Accept us O Lord who resign our selves unto thée as thine own and with our thanks and praise present our selves a living Sacrifice to bée acceptable through Christ Useful for thine honour Being made frée from sin and become thy Servants let us have our fruit unto Holiness and the End Everlasting Life Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen Next add this or some such Exhortation if there bee time DEar Brethren wee have been here feasted with the Son of God at his Table upon his Flesh and Blood in preparation for the Feast of Endless Glory You have seen here represented what sin deserveth what Christ suffered what wonderful Love the God of infinite Goodness hath expressed to us You have had Communion with the Saints you have renewed your Covenant of Faith and thankful Obedience unto Christ You have received his renewed Covenant of Pardon Grace and Glory unto you O carry hence the lively sense of these great and excellent things upon your hearts You came not onely to receive the mercy of an hour onely but that which may spring up to Endless Joy You came not onely to do the duty of an hour but to promise that which you must perform while you live on Earth Remember daily especially when temptations to unbeleef and sinful heaviness assault you what pledges of Love you here received Remember daily especially when the Flesh the Devil or the World would draw your hearts again from God and temptations to sin are laid before you what bonds God and your own consent have laid upon you If you are Penitent Beleevers you are now forgiven and washed in the Blood of Christ O go your way and sin no more No more through wilfulness and strive against you sins of weaknesse Wallow no more in the mire and return not to your vomit Let the exceeding Love of Christ constrain you having such Promises to cleanse your selves from all Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of God And as a Chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation a Peculiar People to bee Zealous of good works and shew forth the Praises of him that hath called you Next sing some part of the Hymn in meeter or some other sit Psalm of Praise as the 23. 116. or 103. or 100 c. And conclude with this or the like Blessing NOw the God of
or the other according to His Majecties gracious Declaration concerning ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS THE Ordinary Publick-Worship ON THE LORDS-DAY The Congregation being reverently composed let the Minister first crave Gods assistance and acceptance of the Worship to bee performed in these or the like words ETERNAL Incomprehensible and Invisible GOD infinite in Power Wisdome and Goodness dwelling in the Light which no man can approach where thousand thousands minister unto Thée and ten thousand times ten thousand stand before Thee yet dwelling with the humble and contrite and taking pleasure in thy People Thou hast consecrated for usâ—…a new and living way that with boldness wée may enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus and hast bid us séek Thée while thou mayest be found Wée come to Thée at thy call and worship at thy Footstool Behold us in thy tender Mercies Despise us not though unworthy Thou art greatly to be feared in the Assembly of the Saints and to be had in Reverence of all that are about thée Put thy fear into our hearts that with Reverence wée may serve Thée sanctifie us that thou mayest be sanctified of us when wée draw nigh Thée Give us the Spirit of Grace and Supplication to help our infirmities that our prayers may be faithful fervent and effectual Let the desire of our souls bée to Thée Let us draw néer Thée with our hearts and not only with our lips and worship Thée who art a Spirit in Spirit and Truth Let thy Word be spoken and heard by us as the Word of God Give us attentive hearing Ears and opened beleeving understanding hearts that wee may no more refuse thy calls nor disregardthy merciful cut-stretched-hand nor sleight thy Counsels and Reproofs but be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of Fools Put thy Laws into our hearts and write them in our minds and let us bee all taught of God Let thy Word bee unto us quick and powerful a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the hearts mighty to pull down strong-holds casting down imaginations and reasonings and every high thing that advanceth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Let us magnifie Thée with thanksgiving and triumph in thy Praise Let us rejoyce in thy Salvation and glory in thy holy Name Open thou our lips O Lord and let our mouths shew forth thy praise And let the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts bee acceptable in thy sight through Jesus Christ our Lord and onely Saviour Amen Or thus when Brevity is necessary O Eternal Almighty and most gracious God Heaven is thy Throne and Earth is thy Footstool holy and reverend is thy Name Thou art praised by the heavenly Hosts and in the Congregation of thy Saints on Earth and wilt bee sanctified in all that come nigh unto Thee Wée are sinful and unworthy dust but being invited by Thée are bold through our blessed Mediator to present our selves and our supplications before Thée Receive us graciously help us by thy Spirit let thy Fear bee upon us let thy Word come unto us in power and bée received in love with attentive reverent and obedient minds Make it to us the savour of life unto life Cause us to be fervent in Prayer and joyful in thy Praises and to serve Thée this day without distraction that wee may finde that a day in thy Courts is better than a thousand and that it is good for us to draw néer to God through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen Next let one of the Creeds bee read by the Minister saying In the Profession of this holy Christian Faith wee are here assembled I beleeve in God the Father c. I beleeve in one God c. And sometimes Athanasius Creed The Ten Commandements God spake these Words and said c. For the right informing and affecting the People and moveing them to a penitent beleeving confession some of these sentences may bee read GOd created man in his Image By one man sin entred into the World and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God God so loved the world that hee gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Hee that beleeveth on him shall not bee condemned but hee that beleeveth not is condemned already because hee hath not beleeved in the name of the only begotten Son of God And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil For every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should bee reproved Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law beeing made a curse for us Except a man be born of water and of the spirit hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God That which is born of the Flesh is Flâ—sh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit Verily I say unto you except yee bee converted and become as little Children yee shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn yee turn yee from your evil waies for why will yee dye oh house of Israel I say unto you there is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over a sinner that repenteth I will arise and go to my Father and say unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to bee called thy Son The Confession of Sin and Prayer for Pardon and Sanctification O Most Holy Righteous and Gracious God who hatest all the workers of iniquity and hast appointed death to bée the wages of sin but yet for the glory of thy mercy hast sent thy Son to be the Saviour of the world and hast promised forgiveness of sin through his blood to all that beléeve in him and by true Repentance turn unto Thée and that whosoever confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall have mercy Wée confess that wée are vile and miserable sinners being conceived in sin by nature children of wrath and transgressors from the womb All wée like shéep have gone astray and turned every one to his own way Thou madest us and not wée our selves Thou boughtest us with a price and wée are not our own and therefore wée should have wholly given up our selves unto Thée and have glorified Thée with our souls and bodies as being Thine What ever wée did should have been done to thy glory and to please Thée in the obeying of Thy Will But wee have displeased and dishonoured Thée and turned from Thée exalting séeking and pleasing
our selves Thou art the King of all the world and Thy Laws are holy iust and good But wée have denied Thée our due subjection and obedience being unruly and self-willed minding the things of the flesh and making provision for its lusts Wée have staggered at Thy Word through unbeléef and have not fully placed our trust and hope in Thée Wée have rather feared man that is dust and can but kill the body than Thée that canst destroy both soul and body in Hell Thou art infinitely good and love it self yet have wée not fully taken Thée for our portion nor loved Thée with all our heart and soul and might nor mads Thée our full desire and delight But wée have inordinately loved our selves and the world and the things of the world and lived by sense when wée should have lived by Faith and cared and laboured for the food that perisheth when wée should have laboured for the one thing néedful and that which indureth to everlasting life wée have béen slothful servants yéelding to temptations ashamed of our duty losing our precious time when wee should have béen fervent in spirit serving the Lord cleaving to Thée with full resolution redéeming the time and with diligence making sure our Calling and Election Wée have not with due holiness and reverence drawn neer Thée and used thy holy Name thy Worship and thy Day Wée have dishonoured and disobeyed our Superiours and neglected our Inferiours Wée have béen guilty of not loving our Neighbours as our selves and not doing to others as wée would they should do to us but have sought our own against their welfare not forbearing and forgiving not loving our enemies as wee ought nor following peace nor studying to do good to all according to our power Wee have sinned secretly and openly in thought word and déed ignorantly and presumptuously in passion and upon deliberation against thy Precepts Promises and Threats against thy mercies and thy judgements under thy patience and in thy sight against our consciences our purposes and our covenants when wée were hasting to death and judgement for which through all our lives wée should have prepared Thou hast commended thy wonderful love towards us in giving thy Son to dye for sinners to reconcile us to Thée while wée were enemies and all things being made ready thou hast sent thy Messengers to invite us to come in preaching to us the glad tidings of salvation and fréely offering us pardon and life in Jesus Christ but wee have made light of it and neglected this great Salvation and made excuses or too long delaies undervaluing our Redeemer his blood and merits his offered grace and endless glory rejecting his holy Doctrine and Example resisting his Spirit Ministers and Wrod Wee have sinned O Lord against Thée and against our own souls and are not worthy to be called thy children Wée have deserved everlasting wrath to us belongeth confusion but mercy and forgiveness unto Thée Have mercy upon us O God according to the multitude of thy Mercies Heal our souls that have sinned against Thée and enter not into judgement with thy servants Hide thy face from our sins and blot out all our iniquities Cast us not away from thy presence and avenge not upon us the quarrel of thy Covenant Wash us in the blood of the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world Accept us in thy Beloved Son who was made a curse for us and was wounded for our transgressions that wée might bee healed by his stripes Turn us O God of our salvation and cause thy face to shine upon us Give us Repentance unto life cause us to loathe our selves for all the evils that wée have committed Give us that broken contrite Spirit which thou wilt not despise Create in us a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within us Take out of us the old and strong heart and give us a new and tender heart Give us the Spirit of thy Son and bee our God and let us bée thy People Enlighten our understandings to know the wonderful things of thy Law the dimensions of thy love in Christ the mysteries of thy Kingdome and the riches of the glory of thy Inheritance in the Saints and that wee may approve the things that are excellent and may escape the snares of the Devil and may hate every false way Shed abroad thy love in our hearts by thy holy Spirit and cause us so to love Thee that nothing may separate us from thy love Put thy fear into our hearts that wee may never depart from Thee Cause us to seek first thy Kingdome and its Righteousness and as those that are risen with Christ to seek the things that are above and to lay up a treasure in Heaven and let our hearts and conversations bee there mortifie our earthly inclinations and desires Crucifie the world to us and us unto the world by the Cross of Christ Cause us to live by Faith and look at the things that are unseen and use the world as not over-using it seeing the fashion of it passeth away striving to enter in at the strait gate and running so as to obtain let us no longer live the rest of our time to the lusts of men but to the will of God studying in all things to please Thee and to bee accepted of Thee let us not seek our own wills but the will of him that called us yea let us delight to do thy will O God let our delight bee in thy Law and let us meditate therein day and night cause us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soverly and righteously and godly in this present world as obedient children not fashioning our selves to the former lusts of our ignorance but as hee that hath called us is holy let us be holy in all manner of conversation Cause us to love one another with a pure heart fervently forbearing and forgiving one another if any have a quarrel against other even as Christ forgave us Give us the wisdome which is first pure and then peaceable In our eyes let a vile person bee contemned but let us honour them that fear the Lord. Cause us to walk circumspectly without offence and to bee zealous of good Works to love our enemies and not to give place to wrath and in patience to possess our souls Help us to deny our selves and take up our Cross and follow Christ esteeming his reproach to bee greater riches than the treasures of the world that having suffered with him wee may also bee glorified with him Though wee must bee tempted help us to overcome and bee faithful unto the death and then let us receive that Crown of Life through the merits and intercession of Christ Jesus our Lord and onely Saviour in whose comprehensive words wee summ up our Requests saying as hee hath taught us Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed bee thy Name Thy Kingdome come c. Or thus when Brevity is
necessary O Most great most iust and gracious God thou art of purer eyes than eo behold iniquity thou condemnest the ungodly impenitent and unbeleevers but hast promised mercy through Jesus Christ to all that repent and beleeve in him Wee confess that wee were conceived in sin and are by nature Children of wrath And have all sinned and come short of the glory of God In our Baptisme thou tookest us into the bond of the holy Covenant but wee remembered not our Creator in the daies of our youth with the fear and love and obedience which wee owed thee not pleasing and glorifying thee in all things nor walking with thee by faith in an Heavenly conversation nor serving thee fervently with all our might but fulfilled the desires of the flesh and of the Carnal minde Wee have neglected and abused thy Holy Worship thy Holy Name and thy Holy Day Wee have dishonoured our superiours and neglected our inferiours Wee have dealt unjustly and uncharitably with our Neighbours not loveing them as our selves nor doing to others as wee would they should do to us wee have not sought first Thy Kingdome and Righteousness and been contented with our dayly bread but have been careful ond troubled about many things neglecting the one thing necessary Thou hast revealed thy wonderful love to us in Christ and offered us pardon and salvation in him but wee made light of it and neglected so great salvation and resisted thy Spirit Word and Ministers and turned not at thy reproof Wee have run into temptations and the sin which wee should have hated wee have committed in thy sight both secretly and openly ignorantly and carelesly rashly and presumptuously against thy precepes thy promises and threats thy mercies and thy judgements our transgressions are multiplied before Thee and our sins testifie against us if Thou deal with us as wee deserve Thou wilt cast us away from thy presence into Hell where the worm never dieth and the fire is not quenched But in thy mercy thy Son and thy Promises is our hope Have mercy upon us most merciful Father Bee reconciled to us and let the blood of Jesus Christ cleanse us from all our sins Take us for thy children and give us the Spirit of thy Son Sanctifie us wholly shed abroad thy love in our hearts and cause us to love Thee with all our hearts O make thy face to shine upon thy servants save us from our sins and from the wrath to come make us a peculiar people to Thee zealous of good works that wee may please Thee and shew forth thy praise Help us to redeem the time and give all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure Give us things necessary for thy service and keep us from sinful discontent and cares And seeing all these things must bee dissolved let us consider what manner of persons wee ought to be in all holy conversation and godliness Help us to watch against temptations and resist and overcome the Flesh the Devil and the World and being delivered out of the hand of all our enemies let us serve Thee without fear in holiness and righteousness before Thee all the daies of our life Guide us by thy Counsel and after receive us into thy glory through Jesus Christ our onely Saviour Amen Here use the Lords Prayer as before For the strengthening of Faith and raising the Penitent some of these sentences of the Gospel may bee here read Hear what the Lord saith to the absolution and comfort of Penitent Beleevers THe Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you if yee return unto hine If any man sin wee have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and hee is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole World Bee it known unto you men and Brethren that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that beleeve are justified from all things from which they could not bee justified by the Law of Moses Where sin abounded grace did much more abound That as sin reigned unto death even so might grace reign through Righteousness unto Eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. If wee walk in the light as hee is in the Light wâ—â— have fellowship one with another And the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin If wee say that wee have no sin wee deceive our selves and the truth is not in us If wee confess our sin hee is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness Come unto mee all yee that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my yoak upon you and learn of mee for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall finde rest unto your souls For my yoak is easie and my barden is light Whosoever will let him take of the Water of life freely All that the Father hath given mee shall come to mee and him that cometh to mee I will in no wise cast out I will bee mercifull to their unrighteousness and their sins and Iniquities I will remember no more Hear also what you must Bee and Do for the time to come if you would bee Saved NOw if any man have not the Spirit of Christ hee is none of his If any man bee in Christ hee is a new Creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit For they that are after the flesh do minde the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit For to bee carnally minded is death but to bee spiritually minded is life and peace For the Carnal minde is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can bee So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God For if yee live after the Flesh yee shall die but if through the spirit yee mortifie the deeds of the body you shall live Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Uncleanness Lasciviousness Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditions Heresies Envyings Murders Drunkenness Revellings and such like of the which I tell you before as I have told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdome of God But the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no Law And they that are Christs have crucyfied the flesh with the affections and lusts Let us walk honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkenness not in chambering and wanionness not in strife and envying But
Peace which brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ that great Shepherd of the Shéep through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his Will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom bée Glory for ever and ever Amen THE Celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism LEt no Minister that is therein unsatisfied be forced against his Judgement to baptize the Childe of open Atheists Idolaters or Infidels or that are unbaptized themselves or of such as do not competently understand the Essentials of Christianity what it is to be a Christian and the Essentials of Baptism nor of such as never since they were baptized did personally own their Baptismal Covenant by a credible Profession of Faith and Obedience received and approved by some Pastor of the Church as before Confirmation is required and in His Majesties Declaration Nor yet the Childe of Parents justly excommunicate or that live in any notorious scandalous sin or have lately committed such a sin as if the Childe be gotten in Adultery or Fornication and being justly convict of it refuseth penitently to confess it and promise Reformation But if either of the Parents bee duly qualified and present the Childe to bee baptized or another for them in case they cannot bee present the Childe is to bee received unto Baptism And if both the natural Parents are Infidels Excommunicate or otherwise unqualified yet if any become the Pro-parents and owners of the Childe and undertake to educate it in the Faith of Christ and Fear of God and so present it to bee baptized let it bee done by a Minister whose judgement doth approve it but let no Minister be forced to it against his judgement Let the Parents or owners come to the Minister at some convenient time the week before and acquaint him when they intend to offer their Childe to Baptism and give an account of their fore-said capacity and receive his further Ministerial Assistance for the fuller understanding of the use and benefits of the Sacrament and their own duty The Font is to bee placed to the greatest conveniency of the Minister and People The Childe or Children being there presented the Minister may begin with this or the like speech directed to the Parent or Parents that presenteth it THat you may perform this service to God with understanding you must know that God having made man in his own Image to love and serve him our first Parents wilfully corrupted themselves by sin and became the Children of Death and the Captives of Satan who had overcome them by his temptation And as by one man sin entred into the World and death by sin so death passed upon all for that all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God Wee are conceived in sin and are by nature children of wrath For who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean By the offence of one Judgement came upon all men to condemnation But the infinite Wisdome and Love of the Father hath sent his Son to bee the Saviour of the World The Word was made Flesh and dwelt on Earth and overcame the Devil and the World Fulfilled all Righteousness and suffered for our sins upon the Cross and rose again and reigneth in Glory and will come again and judge the World in Righteousness In him God hath made and offered to the World a Covenant of Grace and in it the Pardon of sin to all true Penitent Beleevers and power to bee the Sons of God and Heirs of Heaven This Covenant is extended to the seed also of the Faithful to give them the benefits suitable to their age the Parents dedicating them unto God and entring them into the Covenant and so God in Christ will bee their God and number them with his People This Covenant is to be solemnly entred into by Baptism which is a holy Sacrament instituted by Christ in which a person professing the Christian Faith or the Infant of such is baptized in water into the Name of the Father the Son and Holy Ghost in signification and solemnization of the holy Covenant in which as a Penitent Beleever or the seed of such hee giveth up himself or is by the Parent given up to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost from henceforth or from the time of natural capacity to beleeve in love and fear this Blessed Trinity against the Flesh the Devil and the World and this especially on the account of Redemption and is solemnly entred a Visible Member of Christ and his Church a Childe of God and an Heir of Heaven How great now is the Mercy and how great the Duty that is before you Is it a small Mercy for this Childe to bee accepted into the Covenant of God and washed from its Original sin in the Blood of Christ which is signified and sealed by this Sacramental washing in water to be accepted as a Member of Christ and of his Church where hee vouchsafeth his Protection and Provision and the Means and Spirit of Grace and the renewed pardon of sin upon Repentance and for you to see this happiness of your Childe The duty on your part is first to see that you are stedfast in the Faith and Covenant of Christ that you perish not your self and that your Childe is indeed the Childe of a Beleever And then you are beleevingly and thankfully to dedicate your Childe to God and to enter it into the Covenant in which you stand And you must know that your Faith and Consent and Dedication will suffice for your Children no longer than till they come to age themselves and then they must own their Baptismal Covenant and personally renew it and consent and give up themselves to God or else they will not bee owned by Christ You must therefore acquaint them with the Doctrine of the Gospel as they grow up and with the Covenant now made and bring them up in the fear of the Lord. And when they are actually penitent Beleevers they must present themselves to the Pastors of the Church to bee approved and received into the Communion of the Adult Beleevers If the Persons bee before well instructed in the nature of Baptism and Time require Brevity the Minister may omit the first part of this speech and begin at the description of Baptism or after it If there bee need of satisfying the People of the duty of Baptizing Infants the Minister may here do it otherwise let the Questions here immediately follow The Minister shall here say to the Parent and the Parent answer as followeth IT being the Faithful and their seed to whom the Promises are made And no man will sincerely dedicate his Childe to that God that hee beleeveth not in himself I therefore require you to make Profession of your own Faith Quest Do you beleeve in God the Father Almighty c Answ All this I do unfeignedly beleeve Quest Do you repent of your
sins and renounce the Flesh the Devil and the World and consent to the Covenant of Grace giving up your self to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost as your Creator and Reconciled Father your Redeemer and your Sanctifier Ans I do Or thus rather if the Parent bee fit to utter his own Faith Quest Do you remain stedfast in the Covenant which you made in Baptism your self Ans Repenting of my sins I do renounce the Flesh the Devil and the World and I give up my self to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost my Creator and Reconciled Father my Redeemer and my Sanctifier Quest Do you present and dedicate this Childe unto God to bee baptized into this Faith and solemnly ingaged in this Covenant unto God the Father Son and Holy Ghost against the Flesh the Devil and the World Ans It is my desire or I do present and dedicate him for this end Quest Do you here solemnly promise that if God continue it with you till it bee capable of Instructions you will faithfully indeavour to acquaint this Childe with the Covenant in which hee was here by you ingaged and to instruct and exhort him to perform this Covenant as ever hee looks for the blessings of it or to escape the curses and wrath of God that is That hee renounce the Flesh the World and the Devil and live not after them And that hee beleeve in this One God in Three Persons the Father Son and Holy Ghost his Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier That hee resign himself to him as his absolute Owner and obey hâ—m as his Supream Governour and love him as his most gracious Father hoping to injoy him as his Felicity in Endless Glory Ans I will faithfully indeavour it Quest Will you to this end faithfully endeavour to cause him to learn the Articles of the Christian Faith the Lords Prayer and the ten Commandements and to read or hear the holy Scriptures and to attend on the Publick Preaching of Gods Word Will you endeavour by your own Teaching and Example and Restraint to keep him from wickedness and train him up in a holy life Answ I will faithfully endeavour it by the help of God Then let the Minister pray thus or to this sense O Most merciful Father by the first Adam sin entred into the world and death by sin and wée are all by nature Children of Wrath But thou hast given thy only Son to bée the séed of the Woman the Saviour of the World the Captain of our Salvation to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself and to wash us in his blood and reconcile us unto thée and to renew us by the Holy Ghost and to bruise Satan under our féet In him thou hast established the Covenant of grace and hast appointed this Holy Sacrament of Baptism for our solemn Entrance into the Bonds of the Covenants and stating us in the blessings of it which thou extendest to the faithful and their séed Wée dedicate and offer this Childe to thée to bée received into thy Covenant and Church Wée beséech thée to accept him as a member of thy Son and wash him in his blood from the guilt of Sin as the Flesh is washed by this water Bée reconciled to him and take him for thy Childe renew him to the Image of thy Son make him a fellow Citizen with the Saints and one of thy Houshold Protect him and provide for him as thy own and finally preserve him to thy Heavenly Kingdome through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen Then the Minister shall ask of the Parent the name of the Childe to bee Baptized and naming him shall either dip him under the water or else pour water upon his face if hee cannot be safely or conveniently dipt and shall use these words without Alteration I Baptise thée in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost And hee shall thus Declare THis Childe is now received by Christs appointment into his Church and solemnly entred into the holy Covenant and engaged if heâ— lives to the use of Reason to rise with Christ to newness of life as being buried with him by Baptism and to bear his Cross and confess Christ crucified and faithfully to fight under his Banner against the Flesh the Devil and the World and to continue his Faithful Souldier and Servant to the death that hee may receive the Crown of Life Then hee shall give Thanks and Pray WEe thank thée most merciful Father that when wée had broken thy Law and were condemned by it thou hast given us a Saviour and life in him and hast extended thy Covenant of Grace to Beleevers and to their â—éed and hast now received this Childe into thy Covenant and Church as a member of Christ by this Sacrament of Regeneration Wée beséech thée let him grow up in Holiness and when hee comes to years of discretion let thy spirit reveal unto him the mysteries of the Gospel and the riches of thy love in Jesus Christ and cause him to renew and perform the covenant that hée hath now made and to resign himself and all that hée hath entirely unto thée his Lord to bée subject and obedient to thée his Governour and to love thée his Father with all his heart and soul and might and adhere unto thée and delight in thée as the Portion of his soul desiring and hoping to enjoy thée in everlasting Glory Save him from the Lusts and Allurements of the Flesh the temptations of the Devil and the Baits of the pleasure profit and honour of the world and from all the Corruptions of his own heart and all the hurtful violence of his Enemies Kéep him in Communion with the Saints in the love and use of thy word and worship Let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow Christ the Captain of his Salvation and bée faithful unto the death and then receive the Crown of life through Jesus Christ our Saviour Amen Then use this Exhortation or the like to the Parents YOu that have devoted this Childe to God and ingaged it in Covenant to him must bee thankful for so great a mercy to the Childe and must be faithful in performing what you have promised on your parts in instructing and educating this Childe in the Faith and Fear of God that hee may own and perform the Covenant now made and receive all the Blessings which God hath promised Hear what God hath made your duty Ephes 6. 4. Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Prov. 22. 6. Train up a childe in the way hee should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Prov. 19. 15. The Rod and Reproof give Wisdome but a Childe left to himself bringeth his Mother to shame Deut. 6. 5 6 7. Thou shalt love thy Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might
secrets shall bee opened and God will no more intreat you to confess Heb. 9. 7. Matth. 10. 26. Behold the Judge standeth at the door Jam. 5. 9. will sin goe then with you for as light a matter as it doth now Will you then deny it or will you stand to all the reasonings or excuses by which you would now extenuate or cover it Will you defend it as your friend and bee angry with Ministers and Reprovers as your Enemies Or will you not mourn at last with weeping and gnashing of teeth And say How have I hated Instruction and my heart despised Reproof And have not obeyed the voyce of my Teachers nor inclined mine Ear to them that Instructed mee Pro. 5. 11 12 13. Mat. 13. 4◠50. O that you were wise that you understood this and that you would consider your latter End Deut. 32. 29. beleeve Gods wrath before you feel it bee convinced by the word and servants of the Lord before you are confounded by the dreadfulness of his Majesty yet there is hope but shortly there will be none if you now neglect it yet if you consess and forsake your sins you shall have mercy but if you cover them you shall not prosper Prov. 28. 13. And if being oft reproved you harden your Neck you shall suddenly bee destroyed and that without remedy Pro. 29. 1. Bee not deceived God is not mocked whatsoever you sow that shall you also reap Gal. 6. 7. O man you know not what it is to deal with an offended and revenging God Nor what it is to hear Christ say depart from mee yee workers of Iniquity I never knew you depart from mee yee wicked into everlasting fire Matth. 7. 23. and 25. 41. You know not what it is to bee shut out of Heaven and concluded under utter desperation and in Hell to look back upon this obstinate Impenitence and rejecting of the mercy that would have saved you And there to have Conscience telling you for ever what it is that you have done Did you not know what this is could you think a Penitent confessing and forsaking your sin to be a condition too hard for the preventing of such a Doleful state O No! you know not what a case you are casting your immortal soul into The Lord give you repentance that you may never know it by experience To prevent this is our business with you Wee delight not to displease or shame you But God hath told us that if any do err from the truth and one convert him let him know that hee which converteth the sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins Jam. 5. 20. I do therefore by the Command and in the name of Jesus Christ require and beseech you that you do without any more delay confess your sins and heartily bewail them and beg pardon of them and resolve and promise by the help of God to do so no more And bless God that you have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous whose blood will cleanse you from your sins if you penitently confess them 1 John 1. 7 9. and 2. 1 2. and that mercy may bee yet had on so easie terms If you had any sense of your sin and misery or any sense of the dishonour done to God or of the wrong that you have done to others and of the usefulness of your Penitent confession and amendment to the reparation of all these you would cast your self in the dust in shame and grief before the Lord and before the Church To day therefore if you will hear his voyce harden not your heart least God forsake you and give you over unto your own hearts lust to walk in your own counsels and resolve in his wrath you shall never enter into his rest Psalm 95. 8. 12. and 81. 11. 12. And then God and this Congregation will bee Witnesses that you were warned and your blood will bee upon your own head But if in Penitent confession you fly to Christ and loath your self for your iniquities and heartily forsake them I have Authority to promise you free Forgiveness and that your Iniquitie shall not bee your Ruine Luke 24. 4. 7. Ezek. 18. 30 31 32. A Form of Confession to bee made beeore the Congregation I do confess before God and this Congregation that I have greatly Sinned I have offended and dishonoured God wronged the Church and the Souls of others I have deserved to bée forsaken of the Lord and cast out of his presence and the communion of Saints into desperation and remediless misery in Hell I am no more worthy to bée called thy Son or to have a name or place among thy Servants I do here declare mine Iniquitys and am sorry for my sins They are gone over my head as a heavy burden they are too heavy for mée they take hold upon mée I am ashamed as unworthy to look up towards heaven but my hope is in the blood grace of Christ who made his life a Sacrifice for sin and came to séek and save that which was lost whose grace aboundeth where sin hath abounded The Lord bée merciful to mée a sinner I humbly beg of the Congregation that they will earnestly pray that God will wash mée throughly from mine Iniquity and cleanse mée from my sin that hée will forgive them and blot them out and hide his Face from them and remember them no more that hée will not cast mée away from his presence nor forsake mée as I have forsaken him nor deal with mée according to my deserts But that hée will create in mée a Clean heart and renew a right spirit in mée and grant mée the joy of his Salvation and I beg pardon of the Church and all that I have wronged and resolve by the grace of God to do so no more but to walk more watchfully as before the Lord and I desire all that are ungodly that they think never the worse of the Laws or waies or servants of the Lord for my misdoings For if I had béen ruled by God and by his servants I had never done as I have done There is nothing in Religion that befriendeth sin there is nothing so contrary to it as God and his Holy Laws which I should have obeyed Rather let all take warning by mée and avoid temptations and live not carelesly and hearken not to the Inclinatious or Reasonings of the Flesh nor trust not their weak and sinful hearts but live in godly fear and watchfulness and kéep under the Flesh and kéep close to God and hearken to the faithful Counsel of his servants and Intreat your Prayers to God that I may bée strengthened by his grace that I may sin thus no more least worse befal mée A Form of Prayer for a Sinner Impenitent after Publick Admonition MOst Gracious God According to thy Command wée have warned this sinner and told him of thy
that you return not to your vomit or to wallow again in the mire when you are washed but obey the spirit and keep close to God in the means of your preservation A Form of Thanksgiving and Prayer for the Restored Penitent OMost merciful Father Wée thank thée that thou hast brought us under so gracious a Covenant as not only to pardon the suis of our unregenerate state but also upon our Penitent confession and return to cleanse us from all our unrighteousness and pardon our falls by the blood of Christ and to restore our souls and lead us again in the Paths of Righteousness and command thy Servants to receive us Wée thank thée that thou hast thus restored this thy Servant giving him repentance and remissian of sin and returning him to the Communion of thy Church Wée beséech thée comfort him with the beleeving Apprehensions of thy forgiveness and reconciliation through Jesus Christ Restore unto him the joy of thy salvation and uphold him by thy frée spirit stablish strengththen settle him that with full purpose of heart he may cleave unto thée and now thou hast spoken peace to him hée may not return again to Folly as hée nameth the Name of Christ let him depart from Iniquity and never more dishonour Thée thy Church or truth nor his holy profession but save him from Temptation Let him watch and stand fast and sin no more least Worse befal him Let him not receive this grace in vain nor turn it into Wantonness nor continue in sin that grace may abound But let this old man bée crucified with Christ and the Body of sin be destroyed that henceforth hée may no more serve sin remembring what fruit hée had in those things whereof hée is now ashamed and that the Eud and waies of sin is death and let us all take warning by the falls of others and bee not high minded but fear And let him that thinketh hée standeth take héed least hée fall Let us watch and pray that wee enter not into Temptation remembring that the flesh is weak And our Adversary the Devil walketh about séeking whom hée may devour And let none of us hate our Brother in our hearts but in any wise rebuke our neighbour and not suffer sin upon him and confirm us unto the end that wée may bée blameless in the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom with thée O Father and thy Holy Spirit bée Kingdome and Power and Glory for ever Amen APPENDIX A Larger Letany or General Prayer to bee used at Discretion O Most Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost thrée persons and one God Infinite in Power Wisdome and Goodness our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier our Owner Governour and Father hear our Prayers and have mercy upon us Miserable sinners O Lord our Saviour whose Jucarnation Nativity Subjection Fasting Temptation Poverty Reproaches Agony and Bloody sweat Scourging Desertion Crucifying Death and Burial were all undergone to take away the sins of the World Who being risen ascended and glorified art the great Priest and Prophet and King of thy Universal Church for which thou makest Intercession which thou doest gather teach and guide by thy Spirit Word and Ministers which thou dost justifie and wilt glorifie with thyself who wilt come again and raise the Dead and judge the world in righteousness Wée beséech thée hear us Miserable sinners Cast us not out that come unto thée Make sure to us our Calling and Election our unfeigned faith and repentance that being justified and made the Sons of God wee may have peace with him as our Reconciled God and Father Let our hearts bee right with thee our God and stedfast in thy Covenant cause us to deny our selves and give up our selves entirely unto thee our Creatour Redeemer and Sanctifier as being not our own but thine Let thy Holy spirit dwell in us and sanctifie us throughout that wee may bee new creatures and holy as thou art Holy let it bee in us the spirit of Adoption and supplication and the seal and earnest of our Glorious Inheritance and let us know that wee are thine and thou abidest in us by the spirit which thou hast given us As thy name O Lord is Holy and thy glory covereth the Heavens so let the Earth bee filled with thy praises Let our souls ever Magnifie thee O Lord and our Tongues extoll thée Let us speak of the glorious honor of thy Majesty of thy Greatness thy Power thy glorious Kingdome thy Wisdome Holiness Truth and Righteousness thy Goodness thy Mercy and thy wonderous Works Let all Flesh bless thy Holy Name Let the desire of our Souls bee to thy Name Cause us to love thee with all our hearts to fear thee trust in thee and to delight in thee and bee satisfied in thee as our Portion and what ever wee do to do it to thy glory Kéep us from Inordinate self love from Pride and vain Glory and self séeking and from dishonouring thée thy Word or service in the World Let the world acknowledge thee the Universal King Give thy Son the Heathen for his Inheritance and the utmost parts of the Earth for his Possession Let the Kingdomes of the world become his Kingdomes Convert the Atheistical Idolatrous Infidel Mahomitan and ungodly Nations of thè Earth that every knée may bow to Christ and every tongue confess him the King of Kings and Lord of Lords To the Glory of God the Father Let the Word of thy Kingdome and Salvation be preached to all the World let it have frée course and be glorified and by the Power of thy Spirit convert many unto Christ and let him be thy Salvation to the Ends of the Earth Send forth more Labourers into the Harvest which is great and fit them for so great a work and deliver them from unreasonable and wicked men that to fill up their sins forbid them to speak to the People that they might be saved Deliver the Churches that are oppressed by Idolaters Mahomitans or other Infidels and Enemies Give all thy Servants Prudence Patience and Innocency that suffering as Christians and not as Evil-Doers they may not be ashamed but may glorifie thée and wait for thy Salvation committing the kéeping of their souls unto thée in hope of a Reward in Heaven Deliver the Church from the Roman Papal Usurpations and Corruptions dispel the deceits of Heresies and false Worship by the light of thy prevailing Truth Unite all Christians in Christ Jesus the true and onely Universal Head that by the true Christian Catholick Faith and Love they may grow up in him and may kéep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace the strong receiving and bearing the Infirmities of the weak Heal the divisions that are among Beléevers Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory but in lowliness of mind let each