But who hath hardened himself against thee and hath prospered The whole Creation proclaimeth thy Perfection But it is Heaven where the Blessed see thy Glory and the Glory of our Redeemer where the Angels and Saints behold thee admire thee adore thee love thee and praise thee with triumphant joyful Songs the Holy Holy Holy God the Father Son and Holy Ghost who was and is and is to come Of Thee and through Thee and to Thee are all things To Thee be Glory for ever Amen A short Prayer for Families MOst Glorious Ever-living God Father Son and Holy Ghost Infinite in thy Power Wisdom and Goodness Thou art the Creator of all the World the Redeemer of lost Mankind and the Sanctifier of thine Elect. Thou hast made us living reasonable Soulâ— placed a while on Earth in Flesh to seek and know and love and serve thee which we should have done with all our Soul and Might For we and all things are Thine own and Thou art more to us than all the World This should have been the greatest Businesâ— Care and Pleasure of our Lives We were bound to 〈◊〉 by thy Law and invited by thy Love and Mercy and the Promise of a Reward in Heaven And in our Baptism we were devoted to this Christian Life of Faith and Holiness by a solemn Covenant and Vow But with Grief and Shame we do confess that we have been too unfaithful to that Covenant and too much neglected the Lord our Father our Saviour and our Sanctifier to whom we were devoted And have too much served the Flesh and the World and the Devil which we renounced We have added to our Original Sin the guilt of Unthankfulness for a Saviour and resisting his Spirit and Grace that should have renewed governed and saved us We have spent much of our Lives in fleshly and worldly Vanity and finfully neglected the greatest work of making a sure Preparation for Death and Judgment and our endless State In a Custom of sinning we have hardened our Hearts against thy Word and Warnings and the Reproofs of thy Ministers and of our Consciences that have oft told us of our Sin and Danger and called us to Repent And now O Lord our convinced Souls confess that we deserve to be forsaken by thee and left to our own lust and folly and to the deceits of Satan and untoendless Misery But seeing thou hast given a Saviour to lost Man and a pardoning Covenant through the Merits of Christ promising Forgiveness and Salvation to every true penitent Believer we thankfully accept thy offered Mercy and penitently bewail our Sin and cast our miserable Souls upon thy Grace and the Sacrifice Merits and Intercession of our Redeemer Forgive all the sins of our Hearts and Lives and as a reconciled Father take us as thy adopted Children in Christ O give us thy renewing Spirit to be in us a powerful and constant Author of Holy Light and Love and Life to fit us for all our Duty and for Communion with thee and for Everlasting Life And to dwell in us as thy Witness and Seal of our Adoption Let him be better to our Souls than our Souls are to our Bodies Teaching us thy Word and Will and bringing all our love and will to a joyful compliance with thy Will and quickening our dull 〈◊〉 drowsie Hearts to a Holy and Heavenly Conversation Let him turn all our sinful Pleasures and Desires into the delightful love of thee and of thy Ways and Servants Save us from the great Sins of Selfishness Pride and Worldliness and give us Self-denial Humility and a Heavenly Mind That while we are on Earth our Hearts may be in Heaven where we hope to live in thy joyfull Love and praise with Christ and all his Holy Ones for even Let us never forget that this Life is short and that the Life to come is endless That our Souls are precious and our Bodies vile and must shortly turn to rottenness and dust that Sin is odioâ—s and Temptationâ— dangerous and Judgment dreadful to unprepaved guilty Souls and that without a Saviour and his Grace and Spirit there is no Salvation Cause us to live as we would die and let no Temptation Company or Business draw us to forget our God and our everlasting state Lord bless the World and specially these Kingdoms â—ith Wise Godly Just and Peaceable Princes and â—nferiour Judges and Magistrates and guide protect â—nd prosper them for the common good and the proâ—oting of Godliness and suppressing of sin And blesâ—â—ll Churches with able godly faithful Pastors that are â—ealous Lovers of God and Goodness and the Peoples â—ouls And save the Nations and Churches from Opâ—essing Tyrants and Deceivers and from melignanâ— Enemies to serious Piety And cause Subjects to live in just Obedience and in Love and Peace Bless Families with wise religious Governours who will carefully instruct their Children and Servants and restrain them from Sin and keep them from Temptation Teach Children and Servants to fear God and honour and obey their Governours O Our Father which art in Heaven Let thy Name bâ— hallowed Let thy Kingdom comâ— Let thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven 〈◊〉 in this day our daily Breâ—d Forgive us our Trespasses as 〈◊〉 forgive them that Trespass against us Lead us not into Temptation but Deliver us from Evil For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever Amen Before Meat MOst Gracious God who hast given 〈◊〉 Christ and with him all that is necessary to Life and Godliness We thankfully take this our Food as the Gift of thy Bounty procured by his Merits Bless it to the Nourishment and Strength of our frail Bodies to fiâ— us for thy chearful Service And save us from the abuse of thy Mercies by Gluâ—tony Drunkennesâ— Idleness or sinful fleshly Lusts for the sake of Jesus Christ our only Saviour and Lord. Amen After Meat MOst Merciful Father Accept of our Thanks for these and all thy Mercies And give us yet more thankful Hearts O give us more of the great Mercies proper to thy Children even by Sanctifying and Comforting Spirâ—â— assuâ—â—nce of thy Love thrâ—ugh Christ and a â—reasure and 〈◊〉 Conversation in Heaven And bring and keep 〈◊〉 in a constant readiness for a safe and Comfortable Death For the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen FINIS a Mar. 8. 36. Mat. 6. 33. Job 21. 14. and 22. 17. Psal 1. 2 3. Psal 14. and 12. b Psal 8. 4 5 6. Gen. 1. 26 27 Gen. 9. 6. Col. 3. 10. c Joh. 17. 3. 1 Joh. 4. 6 7. Jer. 9. 24. d Luk. 12. 4 5. e Psal 16. 5 to 11. f Isa 45. 18. g Psal 14. 1. Gen. 1. 1. Rev. 1. 8. Rom. 1. 19. 20. Psal 46. 10. Psal 9. 10. Psal 100. and 23. Psal 19. 1 2 3. Psal 47. 7. Ezek. 18. 4. Gen. 18. 25. Mal. 1. 6. h Matth. 22. 37. Jer. 5. 22. 2 Cor. 5. 8 9. Titus 2. 14.
to all the adopted Sons of God to cause them with filial Affection and Dependance to cry Abba Father Know not desire not love not any Creature but purely as subordinate to God! Without him let it be nothing to you but as the Glass without the Face or scattered Letters without the Sense or as the Corps without the Soul Call nothing Prosperity or Pleasure but his Love and nothing Adversity or Misery but his Displeasure and the Cause and the Fruits of it When any thing would seem lovely and desirable which is against him call it Dung And hear that Man as Satan or the Serpent that would entice you from him and count him but Vanity a Worm and Dust that would affright you from your Duty to him Fear him much but love him more Let Love be the Soul and End of every other Duty It is the End and Reason of all the rest but it hath no End or Reason but its Object Think of no other Heaven and End and Happiness of Man but Love the final Act and God the final Object Place not your Religion in any thing but the Love of God with its Means and Fruits Own no Grief Desire or Joy but a mourning a seeking and a rejoycing Love V. Live in the belief and hopes of Heaven and seek it as your Part and End and daily delight your Souls in the sore-thoughts of the endless Sight and Love of God As God is seen on Earth but as in a Glass so is he proportionably enjoyed But when mourning seeking Love hath done and Sin and Enemies are overcome and we behold the Glory of God in Heaven the Delights of Love will then be perfect You may desire more on Earth than you may hope for Look not for a Kingdom of this World nor for Mount Zion in the Wilderness Christ reigneth on Earth as Moses in the Camp to guide us to the 〈◊〉 and of the Promise Our perfect Blessedness will be where the Kingdom is delivered up to the Father and God is All in All. A Doubt or a strange heartless thought of Heaven is Water cast on the sacred Fire to quench your Holiness and your Joy Can you travel one whole day to such an End and never think of the Place that you are going to which must be intended in every righteous Act either notedly or by the ready unobserved Act of a potent Habit. When Earth is at the best it will not be Heaven You live no further by Faith like Christians than you either live for Heaven in seeking it or else upon Heaven in Hope and Joy VI. Labour to make Religion your Pleasure and Delight Look oft to God to Heaven to Christ to the Spirit to the Promises to all your Mercies Call over your Experiences and think what matter of high Delight is still before you and how unseemly it is and how injurious to your Profession for one that saith he hopeth for Heaven to live as sadly as those that have no higher hopes than Earth How should that Man be filled with Joy who must live in the Joys of Heaven for ever Especially rejoyce when the Messengers of Death do tell you that your endless Joy is near If God and Heaven with all our Mercies in the way be not reason enough for a joyful Life there can be none at all Abhor all Suggestions which would make Religion seem a tedious irksome Life And take heed that you represent it not so to others for you will never make them in love with that which you make theâ— not perceive to be delectable and lovely Not as the Hypocrite by forcing and framing his Religion to his carnal Mind and Pleasure but bringing up the Heart to a holy suitableness to the Pleasures of Religion VII Watch as for your Souls against this flattering tempting World especially when it is represented as more sweet and delectable than God and Holiness and Heaven This World with its Pleasures Wealth and Honours is it that is put in the Ballance by Satan against God and Holiness and Heaven And no Man shall have better than he chooseth and preferreth The Bait taketh advantage of the brutish part when Reason is asleep and if by the help of Sense it get the Throne the Beast will ride and rule the Man and Reason become a slave to Sensuality When you hear the Serpent see his Sting and see Death attending the forbidden Fruit When you are rising look down and see how far you have to fall His Reason as well as Faith is weak who for such Fools-gawds as the Pomp and Vanitles of this World can forget God and his Soul and Death and Judgment Heaven and Hell yea and deliberately command them to stand by What Knowledge or Experience can do good on that Man who will venture so much for such a World which all that have tried it call vanity at the last How deplorable then is a Worldâ—ings case Oh fear the World when it smileth or seems sweet and amiable Love it not if you love your God and your Salvation VIII Fly from Temptations and crucify the Flesh and keep a constant Government over your Appetite and Seâ—â—â—es Many who had no designed stated Vice or worldly Interest have shamefully fallen by the sudden surprize of Appetite or Lust When custom hath taught these to be greedy and violent like a hungry Dog or a lusting Bâ—ar it is not a sluggish Wish or Purpose that will mortify or rule them How dangerous a case is that Man in who hath so greedy a Beast continually to restrain that if he do but neglect his Watch one Hour is ready to run him headlong into Hell Who can be safe that standeth long on so terrible a precipice The Tears and Sorrows of many Years may perhaps not repair the loss which one Hour or Act may bring The â—ase of David and many others are dreadful Warnings Know what it is that you are most in Danger of whether Lust and Idleness or Excess in Meats or Drinks or Play and there set your strongest Watch for your Preservation Make it your daily Business to mortify that â—ust and scorn that your brutish Sense or Appetite should conquer Reason Yet trust not purposes alone but away from the Temptation Touch not yea look not on the tempting Bait keep far enough off if you â—esire to be safe What Miseries come from small beginnings Temptation leads to Sin and small Sins to greater and those to Hell And Sin and Hell are not to be played with Open your Sin or Temptation to some Friend that shame may save you from Danger IX Keep up a constant skilful Government over your Passions and your Tongues To this end keep a tender Conscience which will smart when in any of these you sin Let Holy Passions be well ordered and selfish carnal Passions be restrained Let your Tongues know their Duties to God and Man and labour to be skilful and
Loveâ— Loving God as God for himself above all and loving my self as his Servant especially my Soul and seeking 〈◊〉 Holiness and Salvation and Loving my Neighbour 〈◊〉 my self I must avoid all Idolatry of Mind or Body â—nd must Worship God according to his Word by â—earning and Meditating on his Word by Prayer Thanksgiving Praise and use of his Sacrament I must not profane but holily use his holy Name I must keep holy the Lord's Day especially in Communion with the Church Assemblies I must Honour and Obey my Parents Magistrates Pastors and other â—â—lers I must not wrong my Neighbour in thought word or deed in his Soul his Body his Chastity Estate Right oâ— Propriety but do him all the good I can And do as I would be done by which is summed up in the Ten Commandments God spake these words saying c. A Prayer for Families in the method of the Lords Prayer being â—ut an Exposition of it MOST Glorious GOD who art Power and Wisdom and Goodness it self the Creator 〈◊〉 all things the Owner the Ruler and the Benefactor of the World but especially of thy Church and Chosen Ones Though by sin original and actual we were thy Enemies the Slaves of Satan and our Flesh and under thy displeasure and the condemnation of thy Law yet thy Children Redeemed by Jesus Christ thy Son and Regenerated by thy Holy Spirit have leave to call thee their reconciled Father For by thy Covenant of Grace thou hast given them thy Son to be their Head their Teacher and their Saviour And in Him thou haâ—t pardoned adopted and sanctified them sealing and preparing them by thy Holy Spirit for thy Câ—â—lestial Kingdom and beginning in them that holy life and light and love which shall be perfected with thee in Everlasting Glory O with what wondrous love hast thou loved us that of Rebels we should be made the Sons of God! Thou hast advanced us to this dignity that we might be devoted wholly to Thee as Thine Own and might delightfully obey Thee and entirely love Thee with all our Heart and so might glorifie Thee here and for ever O cause both us and all thy Churches and all the World to hallow thy great and holy Name And to 〈◊〉 to Thee as our Ultimate End that thy shining 〈◊〉 on Holy Souls may Glorifie thy Divine Perfection And cause both us and all the Earth to cast off the Tyranny of Satan and the Flesh and to acknowledge thy Supream Authority and to become the Kingdomâ— of Thee and Thy Son Jesus by a willing and absolute subjection O perfect thy Kingdom of Grace in our selves and in the World and hasten the Kingdom of Glory And cause us and thy Churches and all people of the Earth no more to be ruled by the Luâ—â—s of the Flesh and their Erroneous Conceits and by Self-will which is the Idol of the Wicked but by thy perfect Wisdom and holy Will revealed in thy Laws Make known thy Word to all the World and send them the Messengers of Grace and Peace and cause Men to understand believe and obey the Gospel of Salvation and that with such Holiness Unity and Love that the Earth which is now too like to Hell may 〈◊〉 made liker unto Heaven and not only thy scattered imperfect Flock but those also who in their carnal and ungodly minds do now refuse a holy Life and think thy Word and Ways too strict may desire to imitate even the Heavenly Church where Thou art obeyed and loved and praised with high Delight in Harmony and Perfection And because our Being is the subject of our well-being maintain us in the Life which thou hast here given us until the work of Life be finished and give us such health of Mind and Body and such protection and supply of all our wants as shall best 〈…〉 our Duty and make us contented with our daily Bread and patient if we want it And save us from the love of the Riches and Honours and Pleasures of this World and the Pride and Idleness and Sensuality which they cherish And cause us to serve thy Providence by our diligent Labours and to serve thee faithfully with all that thou givest us And let us not make provision for the Flesh to satisfie its desires and lusts And we beseech thee of thy Mercy through the Sacrifice and Propitiation of thy Beloved Son forgive us all our sins original and actual from our Birth to this Hour our omissions of Duty and committing of what thou didst forbid Our sins of heart and word and deed our sinful thoughts and affections our sinful passions and discontents our secret and our open sins our sins of negligence and ignorance and rashness but especially our sins against Knowledge and Conscience which have made the deepest guilt and wounds Spare us O Lord and let not our sins so find us out as to be our ruin but let us so find them out as truely to repent and turn to thee Especially punish us not with the loss of thy Grace Take not thy Holy Spirit from us and deny us not his assistance and holy operations Seal to us by that Spirit the pardon of our Sins and lift up the light of thy Countenance upon us and give us the joy of thy Favour and Salvation And let thy Love and Mercy so fill us not only with Thankfulness to Thee but with Love and Mercy to our Brethren and our Enemies that we may heartily forgive them that do us wrong as through thy Grace we hope we do And for the time to come suffer us not to cast our selves wilfully into Temptations but carefully to avoid them and resolutely to resist and Conquer what we cannot avoid And O mortifie those inward Sins and Lusts which are our constant and most dangerous Temptations And let us not be tempted by Satan or the World or tryed by thy Judgments above the strength which thy Grace shall give us Save us from a fearless confidence in our own strength And let us not dally with the snare nor taste the bait nor play with the Fire of thy wrath But cause us to fear and depart from evil lest before we are aware we be entangled and overcome and wounded with our Guilt and with thy Wrath and our End should be worse than our Beginning Especially save us from those radical Sins of Error and Unbelief Pride Hypocrisie Hardheartedness Sensuality Slothfulness and the love of this present World and the loss of our love to Thee to thy Kingdom and thy Ways And save us from the malice of Satan and of wicked Men and from the Evils which our sins would bring upon us And as we crave all this from thee we humbly render our Praises with our future Service to thee Thou art the King of all the World and more than the Life of all the Living Thy Kingdom is Everlasting Wise and Just and Merciful is thy Government Blessed are they that are thy faithful Subjects