discharge thy heart from all desire of revenge and canst thou be content to be nothing for Christ Art thou willing to perform all offices of charity in working reconciliation betwixt neighbour and neighbour and communicating to the necessities of the Church If it be thus with thee thou hast that Charity which is fit for the Sacrament Now look backward and let me see what thou hast profited Seeing there are but two Sacraments Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord Tell me Q. What is Baptisme A. A washing with water consecrated by him that hath authority to preach in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost to signifie and seal our grafting into Christ Q. What is the Lords Supper A. Bread and wine consecrated broken and given by a Minister received eaten and drunk by Gods people to signifie and seal our growing in Christ Q. What comfort do you receive by Baptisme A. A confirmation of my new estate above what I had by nature Q. What gottest thou in this new estate A. The forgivenesse of my sins Q. How can Baptisme forgive thy sinnes A. As a signe and seal Sacramentally Q. How is that A. With reference to the covenant when I make it a baptisme of Repentance to amendment of life God makes a baptisme for forgivenesse of sinnes Q. Why then should'st thou be baptized before thou repentest and beleevest A. Because I am while I am in Infancie a beleever in state though not in manifested act Q. How doth that appear A. By the promise which GOD makes to beleevers and their seed Q. Was not this made onely to the Jewes A. No but to them also that were a farre off even to so many as God shall call Q. What followes hereupon A. That if Jewes children had right to circumcision which was a seal of the righteousnesse of faith so have the children of Christians to Baptisme which is no more though more clearly Q. What comfort doest thou receive by the Lords Supper A. A reall communion of the body and bloud of Christ Q. How canst thou do that seeing Christ is in heaven A. By vertue of the covenant of God with my beleeving soul Q. How doth God offer Christ unto thy soul A. In a promise Q. How doth thy soul receive him A. By beleeving Gods promise Q. How must thou prepare thy soul to receive Christ in the Sacrament A. By examining my self Q. What is it to examine thy self A. To commune with my heart by asking my soul questions how fit it is Q. What must thou examine thy self of A. Whether I have a fit desire repentance faith thankfulnesse and charity Q. Why must thou have desire A. Because God filleth the hungry with good things Q. What must thy desire be grounded on A. Upon the knowledge of my God my sinne my Christ and the doctrine and use of the Sacraments Q. What must thou desire A. To renew my Covenant with God Q. Why must thou have repentance A. Because there can be no communion betwixt light and darknesse Q. What must be the ground of thy repentance A. An assurance that I have broke my covenant in Baptisme Q. How doest thou know thy repentance A. By sorrow for my sinne and a conscionable care to doe the will of Christ with all my strength Q. Why must thou have faith A. Because the Lords Supper is appointed to encrease and confirme faith Q. What must be the ground of thy faith A. The offer of Christs body and bloud in the Lords Supper Q. How knowest thou whether thou hast faith A. If my heart close with Christs promise and I rest upon him for salvation with confidence and rejoycing Q. Hast thou a license to rest upon Christ thus A. Yes if I am weary and heavy laden under the burthen of sinne Q. Why must thou have thankfulnes A. Because the end of the sacrament is a thankful remembrance of Christs death Q. What must be the ground of thy thankfulnesse A. A speciall love to God for this high favour Q. How knowest thou whether thou art thankfull A. If I speake of this mercy to others praise God himself for it and submit unto him in all things Q. Why must thou have charitie A. Because we that are partakers of one bread are one bread and one body Q. What must be the ground of thy charitie A. The Communion of Saints and samenesse of nature Q. How knowest thou whether thou hast charitie A. If my heart be pacified from all desire of revenge and I be willing to live in love with all especially with the houshold of faith and communicate to their necessities Thou must remember now my good child how farre we are gone I have learned thee to know God and thy self Thou hast seen thy creation thy fall thy curse thy remedy by our Lord Jesus Christ Thou hast seen that Christ must become thine by faith I have discovered how faith is begotten in thee and how it is encreased namely by the word of God and Sacraments I have shewed thee the nature the number and the use of the Sacraments from God I have shewed thee how thou shouldst use them for thy comfort and especially how thou must prepare thy self for the Lords Supper so as thou mayst carry Christ home with thee from thence There is but one thing more wherein I desire to informe thy childish understanding in and that is prayer Tell me then 34. Q. Is not prayer an excellent means to make thy faith grow A. Yes It is a speciall means appointed of God Mark this truth Prayer is an excellent means to encrease faith The word of God and Sacraments are sweet means But how these will be made effectuall without thy prayer thou canst not tell Christ saith Matth. 7.7 Aske and ye shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you All these phrases presse upon thee prayer for the enjoying of any blessing Act. 4.31 When the Disciples had prayed the place was shaken where they were assembled and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost God answered them extraordinarily to confirm them upon their prayers And therefore when the Apostles found their faith weake for the forgiving of wrongs Luk. 17.5 they prayed Lord encrease our faith Gods promises goe along with power Psal 145.19 Psal 34.15.17 He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him His eares are open to their cry Therefore David looks upon God with confidence and saith Psal 4.3 The Lord will heare when I call And thou canst not wonder that prayer should be such a powerfull means to encrease thy faith For it moves God to be mindfull of us amid a thousand vexations When Christ was on the crosse and vexed from heaven and earth yet when the good thiefe prayed Christ he answered This day shalt thou be with me in Paradice Yea prayer doth in a manner binde God and therefore when Moses prayed God said Now Moses let
propheticall blessing the fatnesse of the earth and the dew of heaven Judg. 1. Achsah Caleb's daughter ask'd him a blessing and what did she mean Springs above and springs below that is a convenient situation for dwelling So when God blesseth he gives a blessing to things or persons Thus the Lord blessed that is gave a blessing to the Sabbath day Before the giving of the Law the blessing of Patriarchs who were Priests Prophets and Kings of their Families to regulate under and from God the private and publique worship After the Law the blessing of Levites Priests and Prophets So in these times of grace he gives the blessing of Apostles Evangelists Ephes 4. and Prophets by their writings and Pastors and Doctors by their teachings from the word to be as blessings to the Lords day Now because we are so worldly and wicked that we would not make use of this blessing of the means of worship by the Ministery of the Word if we were left unto our selves therefore God hath hallowed the seventh part of time and set it apart to holy uses and enjoyned us to apply it to such uses that we making use of this blessing may learn to know God and serve him with his owne worship and in his owne manner Marke then that the meanes for the advancement of the worship of God is the blessing of the Ministery of the word of God which is set apart for interpretation and instruction of us in Gods will by the Scriptures The time that God hath set apart for this end is the seventh part of time at the least For if he required of a Jew thus much whose mercies were not so great much more of us Christians whose mercies are greater Vse Therefore my good child think this Commandement to be as Joseph to provide for all the rest and when thou seest that all men are not Prophets 1 Cor. 1.10 nor all Teachers but God hath gifted out of all now some to be apt to teach by taking more speciall heed to themselves to the word of God to reading and to doctrine 1 Tim. 4.23 and when thou considerest that God challengeth the seventh part of time that thou mayst make use of the gifts of these men gifted for thy edification and lastly when thou weighest that that seventh part of time which was allotted to the Jews as a type of Christs resting in the grave is now vanished and another seventh part of time consecrated by the acts of Christ and his Apostles and the practise of the Church in all Ages which is particularly called the Lords day the like grounds for observing any other seventh part being impossible for us now to have therefore with all care and conscience doe thou remember the time and apply it unto holy uses both in preparation and practise that by the publique Ministery of the Word and private meditation of it and conference about it and prayer to make it profitable to thee thou maist make it a market day to thy soule to provide for the knowledge and service of thy God according to his good will both for matter and manner Thus have I shewed the summe of the foure first Commandements The sum of the first Table as thou art able to receive it now and that thou conceive them clearly I le thus represent it unto thee Thou art born into this world and when thou comest to yeers of discretion then bethinkest thy selfe how thou mayst live in after time First therefore thou puttest thy selfe to a Master to bring thee up in some good Imployment When thou hast a Master thou knowest that thou must doe his work If thou doe his work thou knowest thou must doe it in his manner He had rather thou should'st let it alone then not doe it according to his mind and in case he be not bodily present but hath left his Stewards to give directions at set time how he would have all his businesse dispatched according to his will thou must wait upon them in their seasons that thou mayst be punctuall and exact in all his affaires Just thus must it be with thee in this businesse for thy souls good Thou desirest to know how it may be well with thee in after-time Therefore first thou must choose God to be thy onely Lord and Master there is the first Commandement Next thou must doe his worke and worship not according to the fancies of Idolaters but according to his will there is the second Commandment Next thou must doe it in his manner so as it be not in vaine Esa 1. for otherwise he will say Who required this at thy hand there is the third Commandement And lastly because he is not visibly present but hath left his Stewards and Ambassadours to direct thee in his will at times by him appointed therefore must thou especially at those times hang upon their lips to be satisfied in thy Masters will that thou mayst serve him with his own service and in his own manner Now proceed and tell me 13. Q. What is the fifth Commandement A. Exod. 20.12 Honour thy father and thy mother that thy dayes may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Here God establisheth Superiours What God requires in the fifth Commandement and Ineferiours and their severall duties When he hath ordered every thing concerning himselfe and his worship then thy good God comes to order the world And because it can never be put in order by a parity and equality he doth establish first the throne of excellency He would not have Haile fellow well met in the world but he would have some high some low some rich some poore some Governours some governed and some Superiours some inferiours for the better marshalling and ordering the world There shall be fathers and mothers this he speaketh to superiours Ye shall honour your fathers and mothers this he speakes to inferiours Fathers and Mothers are all those that are in state of excellency above thee If they be more excellent in Age as old men and women who beare an Image of Gods eternitie or more excellent in Grace who are fuller of Gods Spirit and beare an Image of Gods goodnesse Or more excellent in Nature who have priority in time of us and are instruments of our derivation into the world and so beare an Image of Gods Paternity Or more excellent in Place who have power and government over us and so beare an Image of Gods Soveraignty all these are thy Fathers and Mothers These are commanded to be Fathers and Mothers that is so to carry themselves in nature in grace in age and in place that they doe not lay their honours in the dust and make their inferiours to despise them By honouring of father and mother thou must understand those respects which are due to severall excellencies To naturall excellency Reverence obedience and all thankfulnesse under God To gracious excellency acknowledgement and submission To
MILK FOR BABES OR A. MOTHERS CATECHISM for Her CHILDREN Wherein chief saving Principles of Christian Religion through the body of it fit first to inform Children in are 1 Propounded 2 Expounded 3 Applied The sum of which is set down in the following Pages Together with the Questions and Answers which are the grounds of the Catechism Whereunto also annexed THREE SERMONS Preached at Andrews Holborn at a publike Fast and at Covent-Garden upon severall occasions By ROBERT ABBOT Preacher of Gods Word at Southwick in Hantshire PSA 34.11 Come ye children hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. LONDON Printed by John Legate for Philemon Stephens dwelling in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the gilded Lyon 1646. I Have perused this Catechism intituled Milk for Babes and these three Sermons on severall Texts And approving them as pious and profitable I license them to be printed and published IOHN DOWNAME The Sum of the following Catechism may be conceived thus IT speaks to a threefold state of ours Our estate 1 Of Creation Of which you may finde two points 1 Our Creatour who is 1 Confessed Q. 1. 2 Distinguished from the Sonne Q. 2. Holy Gh. Q. 3. 3 Described 1 By his unity in Trinity Q. 4. 2 By his Sufficiency Efficiency Q. 5. 2 His end in making us which is 1 Propounded Q. 6. 2 Amplified by the 1 Manner Q. 7. 2 Meanes teaching Q. 8. 1 Commandement 1. Q. 9. 2 Commandement 2. Q. 10. 3 Commandement 3. Q. 11. 4 Commandement 4. Q. 12. 5 Commandement 5. Q. 13. 6 Commandement 6. Q. 14. 7 Commandement 7. Q. 15. 8 Commandement 8. Q. 16. 9 Commandement 9. Q. 17. 10 Commandement 10. Q. 18. 2 Of Corruption of which it sets down our misery 1 By sinne Q. 19. 2 By punishment Q. 20. 3 Of Renovation Of which it teacheth us 1 The means working it Christ Jesus Q. 20. Who is further described by his 1 Natures Q. 22. 2 Work for use Set down two wayes 1 By the greatest manifestation of it at the latter end where two 1 His Passion Q. 13. 2 His possibility to undergo it 2 By the efficacy of it both in respect 1 Of the end Q. 24. 2 Of the persons for whom Q. 25. 2 The means applying it Faith described 1 By the nature of it Q. 26. 2 By the working of it in respect of 1 The beginning of it Q. 27. 2 The growth of it by means 1 Without us which are two 1 The Word of Christ 2 The Sacraments of Christ Q. 28. which are described 1 By their Nature Q. 29. 2 By their Number Q. 30. 3 By their use both of 1 Baptism Q. 31. 2 Supper of the Lord about which 1 What use of it Q. 32. 2 To whom Q. 33. 2 Within us and by us Prayer Q. 34. Which is further described 1 By the nature of it Q. 35. 2 By the matter The Lords Prayer Q. 36. Expounded by the 1 Preface Q. 37. 2 Petition 1. Q. 38. 3 Petition 2. Q. 39. 4 Petition 3. Q. 40. 5 Petition 4. Q. 41. 6 Petition 5. Q. 42. 7 Petition 6. Q. 43. 8 Conclusion Q. 44. A CATECHISM FOR Children thorough the chief points of the Body of Divinity to prepare them for the Lords Supper 1 Question WHo made thee A. God the Father 2 Q. Who redeemed thee A. Jesus Christ 3 Q. Who sanctified thee A. The Holy Ghost 4 Q. How many Gods are there A. There are three persons and to us Christians but one God 5 Q. What is God A. He is that Almighty one who made and governeth all things 6 Q. Wherefore did God make thee A. To do him service 7 Q. How oughtest thou to serve him A. As he hath commanded in his lawes 8 Q. Which are these lawes A. Those tenne words which God wrote in two Tables of stone and are set down in Exodus and Deuteronomy 9 Q. What is the first Commandement A. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me 10 Q. What is the second A. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image nor any likenesse of things that are in heaven above nor in the earth beneath nor in the waters under the earth thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shewing mercy to thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandements 11 Q. What is the third Commandement A. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vain 12 Q. What is the fourth Commandement A. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant nor thy cattle nor thy stranger that is within thy gates For in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it 13 Q. What is the fift Commandement A. Honour thy Father and Mother that thy dayes may be long upon the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee 14 Q. What is the sixt A. Thou shalt not kill 15 Q. What is the seventh A. Thou shalt not commit adultery 16 Q. What is the eight A. Thou shalt not steal 17 Q. What is the ninth A. Thou shalt not bear false witnesse against thy neighbour 18 Q. What is the tenth Commandement A. Thou shalt not covet thy neighhours house thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife nor his man-servant nor his maid-servant nor his oxe nor his asse nor any thing that is thy neighbours 19 Q. Art thou able to keep these commandements A. No let me do what I can yet I break them every day more then I can expresse 20 Q. What punishment is appointed for the breakers of Gods commandements A. Gods curse which is the everlasting destruction of body and soul 21 Q. How shalt thou escape this curse A. Onely by Jesus Christ our Lord. 22 Q. What is Jesus Christ A. He is the eternall sonne of God made man 23 Q. What hath Christ Jesus done for thee A. He suffered the pains of death for me 24 Q. Seeing Christ was God how could he dye A. He was God and man as he was God he died not but as man he died for my sinnes and rose again for my justification 25 Q. Are all men saved by Christs death A. No onely they are saved who have a true faith 26 Q. What is this true faith A. It is the resting of the soul upon Christ for salvation 27 Q. How must this faith be wrought in thee A. The Holy Ghost must work it in my heart
the husband hath his wife Prov. 2. and the wife hath her husband by vertue of the Covenant of God by which they are made one flesh So mayst thou have God by Covenant when thou cleavest unto him by knowledge faith feare love confidence worship and the like Use Be thou sure my good child to have the true God onely to be thy God thus When thou knowest not God and doest not beleeve love and feare him nor put thy trust and confidence in him that thou mayst enjoy him and use him as thine thou hast him not no nor thou doest not give him these graces alone Thou hast there articles of the Covenant for him alone and for other things and persons under him and for his honour onely 10. Q. What is the second Commandement A. Exod. 20.4 5 6. Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven Image nor any likenesse of things that are in heaven above nor in the earth beneath nor in the waters under the earth thou shalt not bowe down to them nor worship them For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquitie of the Fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shewing mercy to thousands of them that love me and keep my commandements Here God requires the worshipping of God with his own outward worship What God requires in the second commandement God sees the vaine wickednesses of Idolaters Because they are carnall they must have carnall helps of their own inventions Hence is it because they have not bodily communion with their gods they ordinarily see them not heare them not feele them not therefore they set up their Images likenesses and similitudes they doe honour and worship to them in the place of their gods they adorn them they cense to them they kneele bowe courtesie and pray to them they think that there is a religious and divine power and presence in them to be a chariot of their devotions and to convey the Influences of their hearts and words to their patrons their great gods But God will not be worshipped in this carnall way Deut. 4.15 16 17 18. He manifested no similitude on the day that the Lord spake out of the midst of the fire lest we should corrupt our selves and make a graven Image the similitude of any figure the likenesse of male or female God is a consuming fire Deut. 4.24 and a Jealous God and will have none of his worship conveyed to any devises of man or by them to him but he will have his own worship by an acknowledgement of such divine excellencies as are in him in the way and by the means that he hath appointed that is by the Word Sacraments and Prayer Vse Therefore my child look upon all Idolaters so as to hate their abominable course Doe not thinke to please God by devices of thine owne or others Imagine not that Images or Idols either graven or carved or painted can carry thy worship to those Gods or divine things or Persons whom they represent Bestow not thy divine respects upon any thing or person but God alone Frame not any will-worship thy selfe for the true and good God But as thou learnest out of the word the worship to give him all manner of prayers and prayses to heare his word to receive his Sacraments and to offer up any spirituall sacrifices so doe that thou provoke not God to jealousie and so to hate thee and to plague thine before thy face to thy confounding discomfort 11. Q. What is the third Commandement A. Exod. 20.7 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 Here God requires the worshipping of him in his owne manner What God requires in the third Commandement so as it may not be in vaine If it be not done as he would have it as good never a whit as not done as he would have it The name of God is God himselfe any wayes made knowne unto thee Thou art knowne by thy name and God hath a name whereby he is or may be made known to all mankind to wit his works his word his titles his attributes his religion his worship this is his name To take it signifies to take it up or to challenge it from contempt and blasphemy so as God may not be dishonoured by thine or others use of it To take it in vaine is to use it to no end to a fruitlesse end or to a wicked end as when thou usest the names titles and attributes of God to tosse them like Tennice balls to no use but as fruitlesse imbellishments of thy speech when thou usest them in asseverations and oathes to belch out the passions and bitternesse of thy heart to or against others and when thou usest them in word or actions to vent the malice or hypocrisie in thy heart Vse Take heed of doing thus my child Thou art a Christian and wouldest be accounted godly and so thou takest up Gods name Do it so as God and his people may not be ashamed to acknowledge thee for such Thou sometimes takest up the name of God in thy mouth doe it with all reverence When thou swearest doe it when thou art justly called unto it Joh. 7. Heb. 6. Jer. 4.2 to cleare the innocency or to end strife among men in truth in righteousnesse and in judgement When thou prayest hearest vowest or receivest the Sacraments doe them as sincerely desiring to draw thy self into communion with God in Christ If thou doe not though men are found to be carefull for preserving of their owne names more then Gods yet God tenderly respects his owne name and will account thee guilty and bind thee over to be plagued in this world and for ever 12. Q. What is the fourth Commandement A. Exod. 20.8 9 10 11. Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day Six dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy work But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt not doe any worke thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant nor thy cattell nor thy stranger that is within thy gates For in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it Here God requires the worshipping of God by his owne meanes upon that time which is appointed It is said What God requires in the fourth Commandement That the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it which thou must not conceive to be an idle repetition of words of the same value in so short a summe and therefore compare other Scriptures and the sense will be cleare and distinct unto Esau cries out to Jacob Gen. 27. Blesse me even me also my father and then Jacob gave him a
to keep the Lords day when it comes thou breakest that Commandement Thou seest many worldly men they bury themselves under the earth all the weeke and they have neither life nor leasure to come to the Congregation of Gods people on the Lords day or if they doe they sit like blocks upon benches and have more mind of the world then of the word of their pence then of their prayers So thou seest many a wanton boy and girle who would nothing but play all the weeke and when the Lords day comes they mind nothing else and so are disgraces to the Assemblies where they are These sinne against the Lords day before it comes and so mayst thou and heed it not Thou mayst also break it when it is gone by not answering the end of it The Prophet Esay Esa 2. speaking of these dayes saith That we shall encourage one another to goe up to the house of the Lord that he may teach us his wayes and we walke in his pathes This should be thy end now of keeping the Lords dayes But when God doth not teach thee his wayes and then thou dost not walke in his pathes notwithstanding all the teaching which shines about thee then thou breakest the Lords day when it is gone And thus thou now seest how thou breakest all the Commandements every day And never wonder at it seeing the Law exacts perfect obedience to justification but is weake to give it Rom. 8.3 because of the flesh Indeed the Gospel gives more strength so as by grace thou mayst keep it in desires purposes endevours with all sincerity and willingnesse for thy sanctification though not perfectly for thy justification but I enquire yet of thy naturall state and of that thy answer is given and opened by me Vse Therefore my child seriously think upon it that it may wound thy heart with the spirit of bondage so farre as to bring thee over to Jesus Christ Rom. 8. Most men are like Saul who when he saw Samuel after the destruction of Amalek said 1 Sam. 15. Blessed be thou of the Lord I have kept the commandements of God so they have kept them also they are neither whore nor thiefe they keep their Church and are good neighbours and some men say as Shadrach Dan. 3. Meshech and Abednego to Nebuchadnezzar in another case We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter or to keep thy commandement so they care not to enquire into it or know whether they keep or breake them But as thou lovest thy soul let it not be so with thee As I have asked thee carefully so feele conscionably thy answer that thou breakest them that thou mayst lye down in shame and confusion in thy selfe that thou mayst be prepared for Jesus Christ Think that thou wert in Adam when he brake the whole Law of nature Thinke how prone thy nature is to all sinnes even the worst that ever were committed Thinke how thou sinnest daily against the whole body of Justice in many petty sinnes which makes thee groane and cry daily forgive us our trespasses Thinke that though there be but one Market day in seven for provision for thy soule yet thou sinnest against it before it comes and when it is gone as well as when it is and so barrest the blessing of it from thy soule And when thou seriously thinkest of these things between God and thy own soule thinke again what will become of thee if thou die in thy sinnes and come to answer before a just God who cannot endure to behold iniquitie It may be that if God blesse thy conscience may be rowzed to hearken further concerning thy estate and never give over hearkening and enquiring till thou have found a way into Jesus Christ If thou wilt know more tell me 20. Q. What punishment is appointed for them that breake Gods commandements A. Gods curse which is the everlasting destruction both of body and soule Remember how farre thou hast gone Of Gods curse upon sinners Thou wert made to serve God thou shouldst serve him according to his laws thou breakest all these laws and for this by nature thou doest lye under this curse of God of which thou here speakest Deut. 27.26 Deut. 28. Levit. 26. Moses speaks of this Cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words of the Law to doe them and He shews the particulars of this curse upon body soule and state Gal. 3.10 Paul expounds it more clearly Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law to doe them And Christ speaks of the height of it Matth. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and his angels It is most miserable to be in such a case yet thou art in it by nature Eph. 2. as thou art born a child of wrath an heire of hell God curseth when he doth inflict punishment Men curse when they wish ill one to another as poxe plague gallows vengeance and confusion or hurt any way to body or soule These are kinds and formes of speech savouring of the belched-up froth of carnall and devillish hearts But God curseth when he inflicteth punishments Thou wouldst thinke it a great curse to have a father mother master or mistresse who should doe nothing but beat bruise and wound thee day and night In stead of feeding thee beat thee in stead of cloathing thee beat thee in stead of refreshing thee beat thee in stead of giving thee rest and sleep beat thee so is it a farre more miserable estate to lye day and night under Gods flayles of punishments The punishment which God inflicts is eternall destruction of body and soule To be destroyed in body is a fearefull punishment to be destroyed in soule is more fearefull to be destroyed in body and soule is more fearefull yet but to be destroyed in body and soule everlastingly is most fearfull it cannot be expressed it is endlesse easelesse and remedilesse What the destruction of body and soule is This destruction is double the destruction of sin and the destruction of misery By this thou mayst know that thou hast the destruction of sinne when thou art not used to that end which God made thee for God made thee to serve him thou shouldst serve him by keeping the law thou breakest the law and hast this part of the curse the destruction of sinne If I had a piece of timber squared fawed and framed if I use it not to this end but let it lye and rot in the durt it is destroyed If thou hadst good apparell and shouldst not weare it but let it lye in the high way for horse and carriages to go over for swine to rent it is destroyed so it is with thee when the world flesh and devill abuseth thee and thou art not used to Gods end By this thou mayst know that thou hast the destruction of misery when
me alone Exod. 32.16 Gen. 18.33 and God went not from Abraham a foot before he had left praying yea further and let it be spoken to the honour of our great God countenancing of his own ordinance prayer doth in a manner command God Esa 45.11 Aske of me saith he and concerning the works of my hands command thou me as if he should say if I am able to doe it I will doe it if thou pray Yea in truth prayers are so powerfull that when God purposeth not to grant he shuts them out When I cry and shout Lam. 3.8.44 he shuts out my prayer he covereth himselfe with a cloud that prayer should not passe thorough It is no marvell then that it should be so effectuall to encrease faith Vse Therefore my child if thou wouldst have faith and have it in aboundance be sure that thou duely adde this to all other means Oh it is a comfortable thing to have the word of God and Sacraments but these will never worke kindly upon thy soule without Gods blessed assistance and that must be obtained by prayer Gods nature doth assure thee that he will heare thee He is prone to doe us good above all that we can speak or think The Egyptians made Gods of wood and not of gold and silver and other more untractable mettals to signifie the easinesse of their nature to work upon Joh. 5.6 And Christ at the poole of Bethesda to shew his readinesse went to the man of infirmities and said without being asked Numb 20. Wilt thou be made whole God bade Moses take his rod and speak to the rock Moses he strook and strook twice and God was angry because it might bring a slander upon him that he was hardly to be entreated to confirm his peoples faith Again this assures thee that he will hear thee because prayers are most acceptable to God He is ready to hear at all times Moses saith Exod. 8.9 when shall I do it When shall I pray for thee As if he should say he is a God of all houres He is angry when we sue to others not to him When Ahaziah received an hurt 2 King 1.2 3 4. he went to Baalzebub the God of Ekron for his cure and not to him God was angry and Ahaziah must dye for it God puts his own sonne to his prayers for what he hath purchased He hath a double right to all the world a right of inheritance and a right of purchase yet God saith unto him Psal 2. Ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost part of the earth for thy possession Yea God hath so ordered the matter that his servants have nothing to give that is better then prayer What shall I give unto the Lord Psal 116. saith David for all his benefits I will call upon the name of the Lord As if he should say because he hath given me many blessings I will honour him by asking more All this shewes that prayers are most acceptable to God and therefore thou hast no cause to doubt but if thou prayest to God to encrease thy faith that God will grant it Let me therefore ask thee further 36. Q. What is prayer A. It is a religious moving of our soules to God to draw our selves into Communion with him against sinne and for grace and all blessings Mark this seriously The nature of Prayer When thou lookest upon thy self thou seest thousands of wants Thou doest not know how to help thy self Thou seest an all-sufficiency in God thy faithfull creatour redeemer and sanctifier The souls moving to God If thou hast not communion with him thou shalt have none of thy necessities relieved Therefore thy soul must move out of it self into communion with him that thou maist gain his help against sin and for grace Phil. 3. and all other blessings This is prayer and by this thou shalt be able to do all things through Christ that helpeth thee Psa 10.17 Rom. 8.26 Lam. 3.41 Psal 25.1 Prayers are a motion towards God and therefore they are called our desires and sighes that cannot be expressed and lifting up of our hearts with our hands to God in heaven of our hands to help us of our hearts to do the work and our drawing neer to God Wherein thou must not exclude the motion of the understanding 1 Cor. 14.13 for as thou must pray with the spirit thou must pray with the understanding also Thou must minde God thou prayest unto Thou must minde the things thou prayest for Thou must minde the disposition of thy own heart from which thou prayest and without which thou canst not watch in prayer wherein though thou hast not a constant and distinct attendance yet thou must have a constant desire endeavour and disposition Yet principally thou must desire the motion of thy will to honour thy God in thy prayer First by presenting no desires but good and honest Next by stirring up such affections as are fit for the presence of God as such as immediately follow faith hope and charity and lastly by resting upon Christ for the obtaining of whatsoever thou desirest Secondly A religious moving to God prayer is a religious moving of the soul to God A man may civilly move his heart to any of his superiours that have a civill excellency in them as when they pray to them to help them according to their civill or naturall power to help them to any good or to remove any evill in their power but for the religious motion of the soul Rō 10.14 Exo. 14.31 it must be onely to God For how shalt thou call on him in whom thou hast not beleeved And I am sure that thou must beleeve onely in God and in these that are immediately sent from God for Gods message sake Thus must thou move to God in prayer to draw thy self into communion with him For communion with him For as a man that is faln into a pit and catcheth hold of a bough doth not desire to pull the bough to him for that will drown him the sooner but doth desire to pull himself to the bough that he may escape danger so he that prayeth doth not desire to pull God down to him for this would overwhelm him but doth desire to pull himself to God that he may have the love of the Father 2 Cor. 13. the grace of the Sonne and the communion of the Holy Ghost to bring him to life Lastly thou must desire this Rō 15.30 and strive with God in prayer to have his assistance against sinne for grace and all other blessings Against sin and for grace Job 20.12 To the ungodly wickednesse is sweet in his mouth he hides it under his tongue as one loath to confesse it He cares not for any of Gods graces because they are enemies to his lusts and corruptions which he loveth He saith to God