put yee on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof Love not the World neither the things that are in the world if any man love the world the love of the father is not in him For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world Enter yee in at the strait gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there bee that go in thereat Because strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there bee that finde it For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts wee should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Who gave himself for us that hee might redeeme us from all Iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Blessed is the man that walketh not in the Counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of Sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the Scornful But his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his law hee doth meditate day and night The ungodly shall not stand in the Judgement nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous Wherefore wee receiving a Kingdome which cannot bee moved let us have grace whereby wee may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming Fire Seeing then that these things shall bee dissolved what manner of persons ought yee to bee in all holy conversation and godliness looking for and hasting to the Comming of the day of God Therefore my beloved Brethren bee yee stedfast unmovable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as yee know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord Then may bee said the 95. or the 100. Psalm or the 84. And next the Psalms in order for the day And next shall be read a Chapter of the Old Testament such as the Minister findeth most seasonable or with the liberty expressed in the Admonition before the second book of Homilies After which may be sung a Psalm or the Te Deum said then shall bee read a Chapter of the New Testament and then the Prayer for the King and Magistrates And after that the 67. or 98. or some other Psalm may bee sung or said or the Benedictus or Magnificat And the same order to bee observed at the Evening Worship if time allow it NExt after the Psalm the Minister shall in the Pulpit first reverently prudently and servently pray according to the State and necessities of the Church and those especially that are present and according to the subject that hee is to preach on And after prayer hee shall preach upon some Text of holy Scripture suiting his matter to the necessities of the Hearers and the manner of delivery to their quality and benefit Alwaies speaking from faith and holy experience in himself with plainness and perspicuity with reverence and gravity with convincing evidence and authority with prudence caution faithfulness and impartiality with tender love and melting compassion with servent zeal and perswading importunity and with frequency and unwearied Patience waiting on God for the success After Sermon hee shall pray for a blessing on the word of Instruction and Exhortation which was delivered And in his Prayers before or after Sermon ordinarily hee shall pray for the Conversion of Heathens Jews and other Infidels the subversion of Idolatry Infidelity Mahometanisme Heresie Papal Tiranny and Superstition Schisme and Prophaneness and for the free progress of the Gospel and the increase of Faith and godliness the honouring of Gods name the enlargement of the Kingdome of Christ and the obedience of his Saints through the Nations of the Earth And in special for these Nations for the Kings Majestie and the rest of the Royal Family for the Lords of his Majesties Counsel the Judges and other Magistrates of the Land for the Pastors of the Church and all Congregations committed to their Care and Government Alwaies taking heed that no mixtures of impâ—â—dent disorderly expressions of private discontent and passion of unreverent disobedient seditious or factious Intimations tending to corrupt and not to edifie the peoples minds do turn either Prayer or Preaching into sin And ordinarily in Church Communion especially on the Lords Day which is purposely separated for the joyful Commemoration of the Blessed Work of mans Redemption a considerable proportion of the Publick Worship must consist of Thanksgiving and Praises to God especially for Jesus Christ and his Benefits still leaving it to the Ministers discretion to abbreviate some parts of Worship when hee seeth it needful to bee longer or some other The Sermon and Prayer being ended let the Minister dismiss the Congregation with a Benediction in these or the like words Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it The Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face to shine on you and bee gracious unto you The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you Peace The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the Communion of the Holy Ghost bee with you all Amen Except there bee a Communion in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to bee celebrated or any further Worship to be performed and then the Minister may delay the Benediction till the End And because when there is leisure the Prayers of the Church should bee as full as the Rule and our Necessities require let the following General Prayer bee used when the Ministers findeth it convenient instead of the Letany and Collects Here are also adjoyned a Thanksgiving for Christ and his benefits and a Hymn to bee used at the discretion of the Minister either after Sermon or at the Communion or on other daies A Prayer for the King the Royal Family and Magistrates ALmighty God by whom Kings reign and Princes decree Justice who rulest in all the Kingdomes of men and givest them to whomsoever thou wilt who by thy special Providente hast set over us thy Servant Charls our King Crown him with thy Blessings and satisfie him with thy Goodness Save him by thy right hand and defend him against such as rise up against him prolong his life in Peace and Righteousness grant him the Spirit of Wisdome and Counsel the Spirit of Holiness and the fear of the Lord that he may know how to go in and out before this great People over whom thou hast fet him Let not thy Law depart out of his mind or mouth but let him meditate in it day and
night Make him as an Angel of God to discera between good and evil that in his eyes a vile person may be contemned due hee may honour them that fear the Lord that his eyes may bee upon the faithful of the Land that they may dwell with him and they that are perfect in the way serve him Remove the Wicked from before him that his Throne may bee established in Righteousness and grant that under him wee may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and Honesty And when hee hath finished his course on Earth let him inherit a Crown of Righteousness and reign with Christ for ever Bless the Queen Mother the Illustrious Prince James Duke of York and the rest of the Royal Family endue them with thy Holy Spirit inrich them with thy heavenly Grace and make them blessings in their Generation Endue the Lords of His Majesties Counsel and all the Nobility the Judges and all the Magistrates of the Land with Wisdome from above that they may rule as in thy fear and iudge Righteous Judgement and may take heed what they do as iudging not for man but for the Lord that Justice may run down as Water and Righteousness as a mighty stream Let all His Maiesties Subiects duly submit to him and obey him not only for wrath 〈◊〉 for conscience sake Let all his Kingdâ—mes bee the Kingdâ—mes of the Lord and of his Son Christ that God may dwell amongst us and if it may bee said of them The Lord bless thee O Habitation of Justice and Mountain of Holiness For Thine O Father with the Son and Holy Ghost is the Kingdome and Power and Glory for ever Amen The General Prayer OMost Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost Three Persons and One God our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier our Lordâ— our Governour and Father hear us and have mercy upon 〈◊〉 miserable sinners O Lord our Saviour God and man 〈◊〉 who having assumâ—… our nature by thy sufferings and death and burial wast made 〈◊〉 Ransome to take away the sins of the World who being raises from the dead ascended and glorified art made Head over all things to the Church which thou gatherest justifiest sanctifiest rulest and preservest and which at thy coming Thou wilt raise and judge to endless Glory Wee beseech Thee to hear us miserable sinners 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 thy holy Spirit sanctifie us and dwell in us and cause us to deny our selves and to give up our selves entirely to Thee as being not our own but Thine As the World was created for thy Glory let thy Name bee glorified throughout the World Let Self-love and Pride and Uain-glory bee destroyed cause us to love Thee fear Thee and trust in Thee with all our hearts and to live to Thee Let all the Earth subject themselves to Thee their King Let the Kingdomes of the World become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ Let the Atheists Idolaters Mahometans Jews and other Infidels and ungodly People bee converted Send forth meet Labourers into the Harvest and let the Gospel bee preached throughout all the World Preserve and bless them in thy Work Sustain in patience and seasonably deliver the Churches that are oppressed by Idolaters Infidels Mahometans or other enemies or by the Roman Papal 〈◊〉 Unite all Christians in Jesus Christ the true and onely universal Head in the true Christian and Catholick Faith and Love cast out Heresies and Corruptions heal divisions let the strong receive the weak and bear their Infirmities Restrain the spirit of Pride and Cruelty and let nothing bee done in strife or vain-glory Keep us from Atheism Idolatry and Rebellion against Thee from Infidelity Ungodliness and Sensuality from Security Presumption and Despair Let us delight to please Thee and let thy Word bee the Rule of our Faith and Lives let us love it and understand iâ— and meditate in it day and night Let us not corrupt or neglect thy Worship nor take thy Holy Name in vain keep us from Blasphemy Perjury prophane Swearing Lying contempt of thy Ordinances and from false unworthy and unreverent thoughts and speeches of God or holy things and from the neglect and prophanation of thy Holy Day Put it into the hearts of the Kings and Rulers of the World to submit to Christ and rule for him as Nursing-Fathers to his Church and save them from the temptations that would drown them in sensuality or would break them upon Christ as a Rock of offence by engaging them against his holy Doctrine Waies and Servants Have mercy on thy Servant Charls our King protect his Person illuminate and sanctifie him by thy Spirit that above all things hee may seek thine honour the encrease of Faith and holy Obedience to thy Laws and may govern us as thy Minister appointed by Thee for the terrour of evil doers and the praise of them that do well that under him wee may live a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and Honesty Have mercy upon all the Royal Family upon the Lords of the Counsel and all the Nobility the Judges and other Magistrates of these Lands Let them fear Thee and hee Ensamples of Piety and Temperance haters of Injustice Covetousness and Pride and Defenders of the Innocent in their eyes let a vile person bee contemned but let them honour them that fear the Lord. Let every soul bee subject to the Higher Powers and not resist Let them obey the King and all in Authority not only for wrath but for conscience sake Give all the Churches able holy faithful Pastors that may soundly and diligently preach thy Word and guide the Flocks in waies of Holiness and Peace over-seeing and ruling them not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready minde not as being Lords over thy Heritage but the Servants of all and Ensamples to the Flock that when the chief Pastor shall appear they may receive the Crown of Glory Let the people know those that are over them in the Lord and labour among them preaching to them the Word of God let them highly esteem them in love for their works sake account them worthy of double honour and obey them in the Lord. Let Parents bring up their Children in Holy Nurture that they may remember their Creatour in the daies of their youth and let Children love honour and obey them Let husbands love their Wives and guide them in knowledge and holiness and let Wives love and obey their Husbands Let Masters rule their servants in thy fear and servants obey their Masters in the Lord. Kéep us from Murders and violence and injurious passionate words and actions Kéep us from Fornication and all uncleanness from Chambering and wantonness from Lustful thoughts
ready at last to bee revealed though when they are needful wee must for a season bee in heavyness under tribulations thou hast promised that all things shall work together for our good in all our straits thou grantest us access to the Throne of grace bidding us call upon thee in the time of trouble and promising to deliver us that wee may glorifie thee every where wee have leave to lift up unto thée holy hands Especially in the house of Prayer and the Assembly of the Saints Thou hast heard the voice of our supplications when wee have cried unto thee great is thy mercy towards us O Lord. Thou hast delivered our souls from the lowest Hell Thou hast sent forth from Heaven thy mercy and truth and saved us from the reproach of him that would swallow us up Thou art our Hiding place In the secrets of thy presence thou preservest us from trouble from the pride of men and from the strife of Tongues Thou doest compass us about with Songs of deliverance O love the Lord all yee his Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithful and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer Hee dealeth not with us after our sins his Anger is but for a moment but in his favour is life In his wrath hee remembereth mercy All thy paths O Lord are mercy and truth to such as keep thy Covenant Wee come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercies O give thanks unto the Lord for hee is good for his mercy Endureth for ever Glory yee in his Holy Name let the hearts of them rejoyce that seek him Blessed are the People that know the joyful sound They shall walk O Lord in the Light of thy Countenance In thy name shall they rejoyce all the day and in thy righteousness and favour shall they bee axalted Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praysing thee O satisfie us early with thy mercy that wee may rejoyce and bee glad in thee all our daies Guide us by thy Counsel and afterwards receive us unto thy glory where with all the blessed host of Heaven wee may behold admire and perfectly and joyfully praise thee Our most glorious Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier for ever and for ever Amen The Hymn The First Part. BLess the Lord O my Soul And all that is within mee bless his Holy Name Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine Iniquities and healeth all thy diseases who redeemed thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with loving kindeness and tender mercies As far as the East is from the West so far hath hee removed our transgressions from us Behold what love the Father hath bestowed on us that wee should bee called the Sons of God because thy loving kindeness is better than life my Lips shall praise thee Thus will I bless thee while I live I will lift up my Hands in thy name My Soul shall bee satisfied as with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that I desire besides thee My Flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my Portion for ever For lo all that are far from thee shall perish but it is good for mee to draw near to God I am continually with thee Thou hast holden mee by my right hand in the multitude of my thoughts within mee thy comforts delight my Soul Thou shalt guide me with thy Counsel and afterward receive mee to glory The Second Part. HOw excellent is thy loving kindeness O God therefore do the Sons of Men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings They shall bee abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy pleasures for with thee is the Fountain of life In thy sight we shall see Light therefore my Heart is glad and my Glory rejoyceth My Flesh also shall rest in hope Thou wilt shew mee the path of life In thy presence is fulness of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for ever more Surely Goodness and mercy shall follow mee all the daies of my life And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever O continue thy loving kindeness to them that know thee and thy righteousness to the upright in heart To the end that my glory may sing praise unto thee and not bée silent O Lord my God I will give thanks to thée for ever The Third Part. GLory to God in the Highest On Earth Peace Good will towards men Praise yée the Lord sing to the Lord a new Song His praise is in the Congregation of Saints For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people he will beautify the meek with salvation Let the Saints be joyful in glory Let the high praises of God bée in their mouths All thy works praise thée O Lord and thy Saints shall bless thée They shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdome and talk of thy Power To make known to the sons of men thy mighty Acts and the glorious Majestie of thy Kingdome Thy Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome and thy Dominions is through all Generations The Elders and Saints about thy Throne rest not night nor day saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created They sing unto thée the Song of Moses and of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty Just and true are thy waies thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thée O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou only art Holy For all Nations shall come and Worship before thee for thy judgements are made manifest Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Riches and Wisdome and Strength and Honour and Glory For thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood and made us Kings and Priests to God The Fourth Part. O That men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the Children of men Let them Sacrifice the Sacrifices of Thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoycing Sing unto the Lord bless his Name shew forth his Salvation from day to day Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness fear before him all the Earth Let the Heavens rejoyce and the Earth bee glad before the Lord For hee cometh For hee cometh to judge the Earth With Righteousness shall hée judge the World and the People with Equity Bless the Lord yée his Angels that excel in strength that do his Commandements hearkening to the voice of his Word Bless yée the Lord all yée his Hosts yee Ministers
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
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
Nations under the Heavens of God as far as wee can learn that have more able holy faithful laborious and truly peaceable Preachers of the Gospel proprotionably than those are that are now cast out in England and are like in England Scotland and Ireland to bee cast out if the old Conformity bee urged This witness is true which in Judgement wee bear and must record against all the reproaches of uncharitableness which the Justifier of the Righteous at his day will effectually confute Wee therefore beseech you that when thousands of souls are ready to famish for want of the bread of Life and thousands more are grieved for the Ejection of their faithful Guides the Labourers may not bee kept our upon the account of such Forms or Ceremonies or Re-ordination at least till you have enow as fit as they to supply their places and then wee shall never petition you for them more 3. And wee beseech you consider when you should promote the joy and thankfulness of His Majesties Subjects for his happy Restauration whether it bee equal and seasonable to bring upon so many of them so great calamities as the change of able faithful Ministers for such as they cannot comfortably commit the conduct of their souls to and the depriving them of the Liberty of the Publick Worship calamities far greater than the meer loss of all their worldly substance can amount to In a day of Common Joy to bring this causelesly on so many of His Majesties Subjects and to force them to lye down in heart-breaking-sorrows as being almost as far undone as Man can doe it this is not a due requital of the Lord for so great deliverances Especially considering that if it were never so certain that it is the sin of the Ministers that dare not bee Re-ordained or conform its hard that so many thousand innocent people should suffer even in their souls for the faults of others 4. And if wee thought it would not bee mis-interpreted wee would here remember you how great and considerable a part of the three Nations they are that must either incur these sufferings or condole them that undergo them and how great a grief it will be to His Majesty to see his grieved subjects and how great a joy it will bee to him to have their hearty thanks and prayers and see them live in prosperity peace and comfort under his most happy Government 5. And wee may plead the nature of their cause to move you to compassionate your poor afflicted Brethren in their sufferings It is in your own account but for refusing Conformity to things indifferent or at the most of no necessity to salvation It is in their account for the sake of Christ because they dare not consent to that which they judge to be an usurpation of his Kingly power and an accusation of his Laws as insufficient and because they dare not bee guilty of addition to or diminution of his Worship or of worshipping him after any other Law than that by which they must bee judged or such as is meerly subordinate to that Suppose they bee mistaken in thinking the things to bee so displeasing to God yet it is commendable in them to bee fearful of displeasing him and careful to obey him a disposition necessary to all that will bee saved and therefore to bee loved and cherished in them by the Pastors of the Church who should bee very tender of putting them to suffering or casting them out of the Church because they dare not do that which they judge to bee so great a sin against the Lord deserving damnation to themselves Should not the love of Christ command us to bee tender of those that are so tender of his honour and to take heed what wee do to men for taking heed of sin and being afraid to offend the Lord and should not the special love of Christians and the common love of men command us to bee loath to drive men by penalties upon that which they judge doth tend to their everlasting damnation and which indeed doth tend to it because they judge it so to do For hee that will do that which hee thinks to bee so great a sin as is before described to please men or to escape their punishment no doubt deserveth the wrath of God and should wee not bee loath to drive men upon sin and condemnation though wee were sure that their own infirmity is the occasion If it bee said that by this Rule nothing shall bee commanded if men will but scruple it Wee answer Things in themselves necessary or commanded by God must bee commanded by man because scruples make them not unnecessary and make not void the Laws of God and it will bee a sin even to the scrupulous to disobey But things dispensible and of themselves unnecessary should not bee rigorously urged upon him to whom they would bee a sin and cause of condemnation It is in case of things indifferent in your own judgement that wee now speak If it bee said that it is humour pride or singularity or peevishness or faction and not true tenderness of conscience that causeth the doubts or non-conformity of these men Wee answer such crimes must bee fastened onely on the Individuals that are first proved guilty of them and not upon multitudes unnamed and unknown and without proâ—â— and you know it is the prerogative of God to search the heart and that hee hath said Judge not that yee be not judged for with what judgement yee judge yee shall bee judged and with what measure yee mete it shall bee measured to you again Mat. 7. 1 2. And who art thou that judgest another mans servant to his own Master hee standeth or falleth yea hee shall bee holden up for God is able to make him stand Rom. 14. 4. And who can pretend to bee better acquainted with their hearts than they are themselves For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man which is in him 1 Cor. 2. 11. And they are ready to appeal to the dreadful God the searcher of hearts and the hater of Hypocrisie that if it were not for fear of sinning against him and wounding their consciences and hazarding and hindering their salvation they would readily obey you in all these things That it is their fear of sin and damnation that is their Impediment they are ready to give you all the assurance that man can give by the solemnest professions or by oath if justly called to it And one would think that a little Charity might suffice to enable you to beleeve them when their non-compliance brings them under suffering and their compliance is the visible way to favour safety and prosperity in the world And if men that thus appeal to God concerning the intention of their own hearts cannot bee beleeved even when the State of their worldly interest bears witness to their professions but another shall step into the Throne of the heart-searching God
the Churches that it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and them to lay upon them no greater burden than necessary things imposing them because antecedently necessary for that is given as the reason of their selection and imposition and not only making unnecessary things necessary by imposition for then the Imposition had been unnecessary though it was not a simple unchangeable necessity yet it was a necessity by accident pro tempore loco antecedent to the imposition of that assembly Seeing then such things commend us not to God and if you use them at least you are not the better Sin not against Christ by sinning against your brethren 1 Cor. 8. 8 9 11 12. much more take heed of forcing them to sin Wee have presumed to bee thus plain and large in shewing you some of our Reasons for your consent to the necessary abatement of things unnecessary to the Consciences of your Brethren In the conclusion wee beseech you to compare with these the Reasons that can move you to deny us these requests If you will needs use such things your selves will it gain you so much to force them upon others as will answer all the foresaid Inconveniences Will it cost you as dear to grant this Liberty or abate these things as the Imposition will cost your Brethren and you O how easily how safely how cheaply yea with what commodity and delight may you now make this Nation happy in granting your Brethren these requests If you say that others will bee still unsatisfied and you shall never know when you have done Wee answer 1. The cause of the Non-conformists hath been long ago stated at the troubles at Frank-ford and having continued still the same you have no reason to suspect them of any considerable change 2. Grant us but the freedome that Christ and his Apostles left unto the Churches use necessary things as necessary and unnecessary as unnecessary and charitably bear with the infirmities of the weak and tolerate the tolerable while they live peaceably and then you will know when you have done And for the intolerable wee beg not your Toleration Wee intercede for those that have Christ for their Intercessor in the Highest Wee know when all 's done there will bee Heresies 1 Cor. 11. 19. There will bee self-lovers covetous bousters proud blasphemers disobedient to Parents unthankful unholy without natural affection truce breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good traytors heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more than of God having a form of godliness while they deny the power 2 Tim. 3. 2 3 4. There will bee filthy dreamers that defile the Flesh despise Dominion speak evil of dignities Jud. 8. And many will follow their pernicious ways by reason of whom the way of truth will be evil spoken of 2 Pet. 2. 2. It is not these for whom wee are Petitioners But for those that are faithful to God and the King that fear offending that agree with you in all things necessary to Salvation and the common union of Beleevers and that you are like to see at Christs right hand who will finally justifie them and take them to his glory If you suppose us in all this to have Pleaded our own cause Wee hope wee are not such as are intolerable in the Ministry or communion of the Church if you suppose us to Plead the cause of others wee hope you will accept our desires as impartial when it is supposed the persons differ from us as well as from you Wee have now faithfully and not unnecessarily or unreasonably spread before you the Case of thousands of the upright of the Land Wee have proposed honest and safe remedies for our present distractions and the preventing of the feared increase Wee humbly beg your Favourable Interpretation of our plain and earnest language which the urgency of the Cause commands and your consent to these our necessary requests which if you grant us you will engage us to thankfulness to God and you and to imploy our faculties and interests with Alacrity to assist you for the common peace But if you reject our suit which God forbid Wee shall commit all to him that judgeth Righteously and wait in hope for the blessed day of Universal Judgement when the Lord of Hosts their strong redeemer shall throughly plead his peoples cause and execute Judgement for them and bring them forth into the light and they shall behold his Righteousness In the mean time wee will bear the indignation of the Lord because wee have sinned against him Come Lord Jesus Come quickly Amen THE REFORMATION OF THE LITURGY Presented to the Right Reverend Bishops by the Divines appointed by His Majesties Commission to treat with them about the Alteration of it Right Reverend HAVING already given you our judgement of several things in the Book of Common-Prayer and our desires for the altering of some parts of it leaving the rest unaltered wee here tender you some of the said Alterations which in our former Paper wee shewed to bee needful and some Additional Forms in Scripture Phrase as neer as wee well could suited to the nature of the several parts of Worship The Texts are cited in the Margin to justifie partly the Matter and partly the Phrase If any be mis-applied which wee hope will not bee found wee shall be willing upon Information to retract such mis-application If some of the Prayers here offered seem of too great a length the substance of them being allowed wee shall upon conference and mutual consideration endeavour to contract them And whereas His Majesties Commission doth impower and authorize us To take into our Consideration the several Directions Rules and Forms of Prayer and things contained in the Book of Common-Prayer And further addeth When wee shall have drawn our Consultations to any Resolution and Determination which wee shall agree upon as needful or expedient to bee done for the altering diminishing or enlarging the Book of Common-Prayer or any part thereof c. Wee have here accordingly added some Rules or Directions as requisite to give light to the whole shewing when and how those several Prayers shall bee used But if any of those Rules or Directions upon debate shall bee judged by the Commissioners unnecessary or over long wee shall bee very ready to submit either to the Alteration or Omission of them And since wee for our parts do so freely profess not to insist on any thing now or formerly proposed which shall bee manifested to bee unmeet so wee humbly crave and hope for your consent to all the rest And that these Alterations and Additions now offered may finde your favourable interpretation and acceptance and may by our joynt consent bee presented to His Majesty to the end they may obtain his gracious Approbation And the several particulars thereof may bee inserted into the several respective places of the Liturgy to which they do belong and left to the Ministers choice to use the one
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
and these words which I command thee this day shall bee in thy heart and thou shalt reach them diligently unto thy Children and thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in the house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up Joshuah saith Josh 24. 15. As for mee and my house wee will serve the Lord. And Paul saith of Timothy 2 Tim. 3. 15. From a Childe thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus Then say to the People thus or to this sense YOu have heard Beloved how great a dignity we were advanced to in our Baptism to how great duty wee are all ingaged O search and try whether you have kept or broken the Convenant which you made and have lived according to the dignity of your Calling And if any of you bee Atheists Unbeleevers or Ungodly and love not God above all and neglect Christ and his Salvation and are yet unsanctified and live after the Flesh the Devil and the World which you here renounced As you love your souls bewail your perfidious Convenant-breaking with God Trust not the water of Baptism alone if you are not born again of the Spirit also you cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Joh. 3. 5 6. Baptism will not save you if you have not the answer of a good conscience unto God 1 Pet. 3. 21. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his Rom. 8. 9. Much less those wretches that hate Sanctification and despise and scorn a holy life when they were by Baptism engaged to the Holy Ghost the Sanctifier Can you think to bee saved by the Covenant which you keep not O no! your perfidiousness aggravateth your sin and misery Eccles 5. 4 5. When thou vowest a vow to God defer not to pay it for hee hath no pleasure in Fools Pay that which thou hast vowed better it is that thou shouldest not vow than that thou shouldest vow and not pay O bless the Lord that it is a Covenant of such Grace which is tendred to you that yet upon true Repentance and Coversion even your Covenant-breaking shall bee forgiven And therefore penitently cast down your selves before the Lord and beleevingly cast your selves on Christ and yeeld to the teachings and sanctifying operations of the Holy Ghost yet know the day of your Visitation and forsake the Flesh the Devil and the World and turn to God with all your hearts and give up your selves intirely to your Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier and hee will have mercy upon you and will abundantly pardon you But if you still live after the Flesh you shall dye And if you continue to neglect this great Salvation there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgement and Fire which shall devour the Adversaries Let no Children bee privately baptized nor any Minister forced to baptize them any where besides in the Publick Assembly unless upon some special weighty cause if there be occasion for baptizing the Adult let the Minister accordingly sute his expressions Of Catechizing and the Approbation of those that are to bee admitted to the Lords Supper SEEing none can bee saved at years of discretion that do not actually beleeve and personally give up themselves in Covenant to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost Therefore as Parents must do their parts so Ministers must catechize the Ignorant and Diligently labour to cause them both to learn the Form of wholsome words even the Lords Prayer and the ten Commandements and some brief yet full and sound Catechism and to understand the meaning of them and to engage their hearts into the love of God and a holy Obedience to his Laws To this end let the Minister either every Lords Day before the Evening Prayers or at some convenient hour or on some other day of the week as oft as hee can examine publickly such as are not admitted to the Lords Supper and take an account of their learning and understanding the Creed the ten Commandements the Lords Prayer and the Catechism And let him by questioning and explication help them to understand them And let such of the several Families of the Parish come in their turns when they are called by the Minister to bee thus Catechized Also let the Minister either go to their houses or rather appoint the persons aforesaid in their courses at a certain hour and place in the Church or any other fit place to come to him for personal Instructions where hee may confer with those that are unmeet to bee catechized Publickly or unwilling to submit to it and there with humble prudent serious Instruction and Exhortation let him indeavour to acquaint them with the substance of Christian-Faith and Duty and to help them to make sure their Calling and Election and to prepare for Death and Judgement and exhort them to love and to good works and warn them lest they bee hardened through the deceltfulness of sin But let him not in publick or private meddle with Impertinencies or spend the time about smaller matters or singular Opinions nor sift people to know things unfit or unnecessary to bee disclosed nor meddle with matters that do not concern him as a Minister to inquire after But help them to learn and understand and practise the Christian Religion expressed in the Catechism The Catechism LEt none be admitted by the Minister to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper till they have at years of discretion understood the meaning of their Baptismal Covenant and with their own mouths and their own consent openly before the Church ratified and confirmed and also promised that by the Grace of God they will evermore endeavour themselves faithfully to observe and keep such things as by their own mouth and confession they have assented to And so being instructed in the Christian Religion do openly make a credible Profession of their own Faith and promise to bee obedientt o the Will of God A Profession is credible when it is made understandingly seriously voluntarily deliberately and not nullified by contradiction in Word or Deed And that Profession is incredible that is made ignorantly ludicrously forcedly rashly or that is nullified by verbal or practical contradiction And it must bee practice first that must make words credible when the person by perfidiousness hath forfeited his Credit It is not private persons onely but the Pastors of the Church that must approve of this Profession Therefore before any are admitted to the Lords Supper they shall give a good account of their Knowledge Faith and Christian Conversation conformable thereunto unto the Pastors of their respective Congregations or else shall produce a certificate that they have been approved or admitted to the Lords Supper in another Congregation of which they were members and that by an allowed Minister upon such approved Profession as aforesaid If the
they are penitent beleevers comfortably to hope for the Kingdome which God hath promised to them that love him committing their souls to their Redeemer and quietly resting in the will and love and promises of God Resolving if God shall recover them to health to redeem the time and live the rest of their lives unto his glory And being willing if it bee their appointed time to depart and bee with Christ and they must bee exhorted to forgive such as have wronged them and to bee reconciled to those with whom they have been at variance and to make a pious just and charitable disposal of their Worldly Estates The Order for Solemnizing the Burial of the Dead IT is agreeable to nature and Religion that the Burial of Christians bee solemnly and decently performed as to the cases Whether the Corps shall bee carried first into the Church that is to bee buried in the Churchyard And whether it shall bee buried before the Sermon Reading or Prayer or after or in the midst of the reading or whether any Prayer shall bee made at the grave for the living Let no Christians uncharitably judge one another about these things let no people keep up groundless usages that being suspicioâ—s grieve their Minister and offend their Brethren Let no Minister that scrupleth the satisfying of peoples ungrounded desires in such things bee forced to do it against his Conscience and let Ministers that do use any of these Customes or Ceremonies have liberty when they suspect that the people desire them upon some Error to profess against that Error and teach the people better Whether the Minister come with the Company that brings the Corps from the house or whether hee meet them or receive them at the burial place is to bee left to his own discretion But while hee is with them let him gravely discourse of mans Mortality and the useful truths and duties thence to bee inferred And either at the Grave or in the Reading place or Pulpit by way of Sermon according to his discretion Let him at least if it bee desired instruct and exhort the people concerning death and the life to come and their necessary preparation Seeing the spectacle of Mortality and the season of mourning do tend to prepare men for a sober considerate entertainment of such Instructions and hee may read such Scriptures as may minde them of Death Resurrection and Eternal life as 1 Cor. 15. or from vers 10. to the end And Job 1. 21. 19. 25 26 27. John 11. 25 26. 5. 28 29. And his Prayer shall bee suited to the occasion When ever the Rain Snow or Coldness of the season make it unhealthful to the Minister or People to stand out of doors at least then let the Reading Exhortation and Prayers bee used within the Church Of Extraordinary Daies of Humiliation and Thanksgiving and Anniversary Festivals WHen great afflictions lye upon the Church or any special part or members of it or when any great sins have been Committed among them it is meet that in publick by fasting and prayer wee humble our selves before the Lord for the averting of his displeasure and on such occasions it is the Pastors duty to confess his own and the peoples sins with Penitence and tenderness of heart and by his Doctrine and Exhortation to Endeavour effectually to bring the People to the sight and sense of their sin and the deserts of it and to a firm Resolution of better obedience for the time to come being importunate with God in Prayer for pardon and renewed grace Upon the receipt of great and extraordinary mercies the Church having opportunity is to Assemble for publick Thanksgiving unto God and the Minister to stirre up the people to a lively sense of the greatness of those mercies and joyfully to Celebrate the praises of God the Author of them And it is not unmeet in these daies to express our joy in Feasting and outward signes of Mirth provided they bee used moderately spiritually and inoffensively and not to gratifie oursensual desires and that wee releeve the poor in their necessities which also on daies of Humiliation and other seasons wee must not forget The occasions of such daies of Humiliation and Thanksgiving being so various as cannot bee well suited by any standing forms the Minister is to apply himself to the respective duties suitable to the particular occasions Though it bee not unlawful or unmeet to keep Anniversary Commemoration by Festivals of some great and notable mercies to the Church or State the memory whereof should bee transmitted to posterity nor to give any persons their due honour who have been the Instruments thereof yet because the Festivals of the Churches Institution now observed are much abused and many sober Godly persons Ministers and others are unsatisfied of the Lawfulness of the Celebrating them as Holy daies let the abuse bee restrained and let not the Religious observation of those daies by publick Worship bee forced upon any that are thus unsatisfied provided they forbear all offensive behaviour thereupon Of Prayer and Thanksgiving for Particular Members of the Church BEsides the Petitions that are put up for all in such distresses in the General Prayer it is meet that Persons in dangerous sickness or other great affliction of Body or minde and Women that are neer the time of Childe-bearing when they desire it shall bee particularly recommended to God in the Publick Prayers of the Church Because all the members constitute one body and must have the same care one for another as suffering all with one that suffereth and rejoycing all with one that is honoured And the effectual servent prayer of the righteous especially of the whole Congregation availeth much with God But because diseases distresses and greif of minde are so various that no forms that are Particular can suit them all And because every Minister should bee able to suit his Prayers to such various Necessities of the people Wee desire that it may bee left to his discretion to pray for such according to their several Cases before or after Sermon But wee desire that except in case of sudden necessity they may send in their Bills of Request to him the night before that hee may consider of their cases and may publish only such in such Expressions as in prudence hee shall judge meet for the Ears of the Assembly In the more ordinary Cases of persons in sickness danger and distress and that are delivered from them these following Prayers may bee used or such like A Prayer for the Sick that is in hopes of Recovery MOst merciful Father Though our Sin doth finde us out and wée are justly afflicted for our Transgressions yet are wée not consumed in thy wrath but thou punishest us less than our Iniquities do deserve though thou causest Grief yet wilt thou have compassion according to the multitude of thy mercies for thou dost not willingly afflict and grieve the children of men Thou revivest the
our daily bread our necessary sustentation and provision for thy service and let us use it for thée and not to satisfie the flesh Let us depend on thée and trust thée for it in the lawful use of means And bless thou our labours and give us the fruits of the Earth in season and such temperate weather as tendeth thereunto Deliver us and all thy Servants from such wants distresses griefes and sicknesses as will unseasonably take us off thy service and from untimely death And teach us to value and redéem our time and work while it is day Kéep us from Gluttony Drunkenness and all intemperance from sloth and idleness from inordinate desires of pleasures or abundance but having food and Rayment let us bée therewith contented Of thy abundant mercy through the sacrifice and merits of thy Son according to thy promise forgive us all our sins and save us from thy deserved wrath and condemnation Remember not O Lord our offences nor the offences of our fore-Fathers but though our Iniquities testifie against us spare us and save us for thy mercy sake O Let not our sin deprive us of thy spirit or of access unto thée or Communion with thée or of thy favour or comfort or the light of thy Countenance or of everlasting life Cause us to forgive from our hearts the Injuries done against us as wée expect to bée forgiven by thée the greatest debt Kéep us from all revengfull desires and attempts And do thou convert and pardon our Enemies slanderers oppressors persecutors and others that have done us wrong Keep us from running upon Temptations suffer not the tempter by subtilty or importunity to corrupt our judgements Wills Affections or Conversations Cause us to maintain a diligent and constant watch over our thoughts and hearts our senses and Appetites our words and actions and as faithful Souldiers by the conduct and strength of the Captain of our Salvation with the whole Armour of God to resist and overcome the world the Devil and the Flesh unto the End Save us from the Temptations of Prosperity and adversity let us not bée drawn from thée to sin by the pleasures profits or honours of the world strengthen us for sufferings let us not forsake thee or fall in time of tryal help us to deny our selves and take up our Cross and follow Christ Accounting the sufferings of this present time unworthy to bée compared with the glory to bée revealed Deliver us from the Enmity and Rage of Satan and his Instruments and give not up thy Servants their Souls or Bodies their Peace or Liberties Estates or Names to their Malicious Wills but save us and preserve us to thy Heavenly Kingdome Wée ask all this of thée O Lord for thou art the Universal King Holy and just to whom it belongeth in righteousness to judge the World and save thy people All power is thine to execute wrath upon thine Enemies and to deliver and Glorifie thy Flock and none is able to resist thée Of Thée and through Thée and to Thée are all things and the Glory shall bée Thine For Ever Amen The Churches Praise For our Redemption to bee used at Discretion OUr Souls do magnifie thée O Lord Our spirits rejoyce in God our Saviour who remembred us in our Low and lost Estates for his mercy endureth for ever By one man sin entred into the World and death by sin Wée kept not the Covenant of God and refused to walk in his Law For all have Sinned and come short of the Glory of God and Judgement came upon all men to Condemnation But Blessed bée the Lord God of Israel that hath visited and redéemed his people and hath raised up a mighty Salvation for us in the House of his servant David As hée spake by the Mouth of his Holy Prophets which have béen since the World began A Uirgin hath conceived and brought forth The Holy Ghost did come upon her the power of the Highest did over-shadow her therefore the Holy one that is born of her is called the Son of God His name is called Jesus for hée saveth his people from their sins To us is born a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. Hée is the Image of the Invisible God The first born of every Creature for by him All things are created that are in Heaven and in Earth visible and invisible whether Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers All things were Created by him and for him and hée is before all things and by him all things do consist Hée is the Power of God and the Wisdome of God The true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world The Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us and men beheld his Glory as the Glory of the onely begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell When the fulness of time was come God sent his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redéem them that are under the Law This is the beloved Son in whom the Father is well pleased For such a high Priest became us who is Holy Harmless Undefiled separate from sinners hée did no sin neither was there any guile found in his mouth when hée was reviled hée reviled not again leaving us an Ensample Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the Trée For God layed on him the Iniquity of us all and by his stripes wée are healed When wée were without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly the just for the unjust In this was manifest the Love of God towards us that God sent his only begotten Son into the World that wée might live by him Forasmuch as the Children were Partakers of Flesh and Blood hée himself likewise took part with them that hée might destroy through death him that had the Power of death that is the Devil and might deliver them who through fear of Death were all their life time subject to Bondage Having spoiled Principalities and Powers hée made shew of them openly triumphing over them in his Cross Hée was Buried and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures For God raised him having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that hée should bée holden of it hée hath abolished death and brought life and Immortality to light by the Gospel O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Uictory All Power is given him in Heaven and Earth when hée asscended up on high hée led Captivity Captive and gave gifts to men And hee gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and some Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the Edifying of the Body of Christ till wee all come in the unity of the Faith of the knowledge