vain The Exhortation YOu are invited hither Dear Brethren to bee Guests at this Holy Table by the Lords Command to receive the greatest Mercy and to perform the greatest duty On Christs part All things are made ready The Feast is prepared for you even for you that by sin have deserved to bee cast out of the presence of the Lord for you that have so oft neglected and abused Mercy A Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ free to you but dear to him You were lost and in the way to bee lost for ever when by the greatest Miracle of condiscending-Condiscending-love hee sought and saved you You were dead in sin condemned by the Law the Slaves of Satan There wanted nothing but the Executing-stroak of Justice to have sent you into endless misery When our dear Redeemer pitied you in your blood and shed his own to wash and heal you Hee suffered that was offended that the offender might not suffer Hee cried out on the Cross My God My God Why hast thou forsaken mee that wee who had deserved it might not bee everlastingly forsaken Hee died that wee might live O how would the mercy of Redemption have affected you if you had first lyen one year or month or day in Hell Had you but seen your dying Lord or seen the damned in their misery how do you think you should have valued the Salvation that is now revealed and tendred to you see here Christ dying in this holy Representation Behold the sacrifized Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world It is his will to be thus frequently crucified before your eyes O how should wee bee covered with shame and loath our selves that have both procured the death of Christ by sin and sinned against it And how should wee all bee filled with joy that have such mysteries of Mercy opened and so great Salvation freely offered to us O hate sin O love this Saviour See that you come not hither without a desire to bee more Holy nor with a purpose to go on in wilful sin Bee not deceived God is not mocked but if you heartily repent and consent to the Covenant come and welcome Wee have commission from Christ to tell you that you are welcome Let no trembling contrite soul draw back that is willing to bee Christs upon his Covenant-terms but beleeve that Christ is much more willing to bee yours Hee was first willing and therefore died for you and made the Covenant of Grace and sent to invite and importune you to consent and stayed for you so long and gave you your Repentance your willingness and desire Question not then his willingness if you are willing It is Satan and unbeleef that would have you question it to the injury both of Christ and you Come neer observe beleeve and wonder at the Riches of his Love and Grace For hee hath himself invited you to see and taste that you may wonder You are sinners but hee inviteth you to receive a renewed sealed pardon of your sins and to give you more of his Spirit to overcome them See here his broken Body and his Blood the Testimonies of his Willingness Thus hath hee sealed the Covenant which pardoneth all your sins and secureth you of your Reconciliation with God and your Adoption and your right to Everlasting Blessedness Deny not your consent but heartily give up your selves to Christ and then doubt not but your Scarlet Crimson-sins shall bee made as white as Wooll or Snow Object not the number or greatness of them against his Grace There is none too great for him to pardon to penitent Beleevers Great sins shall bring great glory to his Blood and Grace But strive you then for great loathing of your sins and greater love to such a God and greater thanks to such a Saviour Unfeignedly say I am willing Lord to bee wholly Thine and then beleevingly take Christ and Pardon and Life as given you by his own appointment in the sealed Covenant And remember that hee is a coming Hee is coming with thousands of His Mighty Angels to execute judgement on the ungodly but to bee glorified in his Saints and admired in all that do beleeve And then wee shall have greater things than these Then shall you see all the Promises fulfilled which now are sealed to you on which hee causeth you to trust Revive now your love to one another and forgive those that have wronged you and delight in the Communion of the Saints And then you shall bee admitted into the Church Triumphant where with perfect Saints you shall perfectly rejoyce and love and praise the Lord for ever Receive now a crucified Christ here represented and bee contented to take up your Cross and follow him And then you shall reign with a glorified Christ in the Blessed Vision and Fruition of that God to whom by Christ you are now reconciled Let Faith and Love bee working upon these things while you are at this holy Table Then shall the Minister use this or the like Prayer MOst Holy God wée are as stubble before thée the Consuming Fire How shall wée stand before thy Holiness for wée are a sinful people laden with Iniquity that have gone backward and provoked the Holy one of Israel when wée were lost thy Son did séek and save us when wée were dead in sin thou madest us alive Thou sawest us polluted in our blood and saidst unto us live In that time of love thou coveredst our nakedness and enteredst into a Covenant with us and wée became thine own Thou didst deliver us from the power of Darkness and translate us into the Kingdome of thy dear Son and gavest us remission of sin through his blood But wée are grievous Revolters wée have forgotten the Covenant of the Lord our God wée were engaged to love thee with all our hearts and to hate iniquity and serve thée diligently and thankfully to set forth thy praise But wée have departed from thée and corrupted our selves by self love and by loving the world and the things that are in the world and have fulfilled the desires of the Flesh which wée should have crucified Wée have neglected our duty to thée and to our neighbour and the necessary care of our own Salvation Wée have béen unprofitable servants and have hid thy Talents and have dishonoured thée whom in all things wée should have pleased and glorified Wée have béen negligent in hearing and reading thy Holy Word and in meditating and conferring of it in publick and private Prayer and thanksgiving and in our preparation to this Holy Sacrament in the Examining of our selves and repenting of our sins and stirring up our hearts to a beleeving and thankfull receiving of thy grace and to love and Joyfulness in our Communion with thée and with one another Wée have not duely discerned the Lords Body but have prophaned thy Holy Name and Ordinance as if the Table of the Lord had been contemptible And when thou hast spoken
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
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
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
worship It is easier to agree upon few things than upon many upon great and certain and necessary things than upon small uncertain and unnecessary things and upon things that God himself hath revealed or appointed than upon things that proceed from no surer an Original than the wit or will of man The strict prohibition of adding to or diminishing from the things commanded by the Law-giver of the Church Deut. 12. 3â— doth put such a fear in the minds of multitudes of the loyal subjects of Christ lest by such additions or diminutions in the matters of his worship they should provoke him to displeasure as will bee a certain perpetual hindrance to any common unity or Concord in such humane impositions of which many of the servants of the jealous God will have a continual jealousie With grieved hearts wee now renew the lamentable divisions occasioned already by these Impositions ever since the Reformation in the daies of King Edward 6th and the grievous fruits of those Divisions How they destroyed Charity the character of Christs Disciples and exasperated mens minds against each other How they corrupted mens prayers and other exercises of devotions and made them pray and preach against one another How their tongues were emboldned to the censuring of each other one party calling the other Factious Schismatical Singular and Disobedient and the other calling them Antichristian Proud Tirannical Superstitious Persecutors and Formalists And such language still increasing the uncharitableness and divisions till the increase of imposing rigour on the one side and of impatience under Sufferings on the other side was too great a preparation to those greater calamities which are yet bitter to the remembrance of all whose interests or passions have not Conquered their humanity And the continuance of so much of the causes and effects doth infallibly prove that if the same impositions bee setled upon us the same Heart-divisions will bee still continued Brethren will disdain the name and love of Brethren to each other which yet Christ himself by condiscending and reproving love vouchsafeth to them all Instead of loving one another with a pure heart fervently there will bee if not hating yet grudging at one another censuring and despising one another Which effects will still increase their cause and make one side think that they are necessitated to bee more rigorous in their Coercions and the other think that they are allowed to bee more censorious against those by whom they suffer And how many thousands on both sides by such a stream of temptations will undoubtedly bee carried on in a course of Sin from day to day and by heart sin and tongue sin by Pulpit sins or sins in other parts of Worship will dishonour God and provoke him to indignation against them and the Land wee may not without astonishment and grief of heart foresee or foretell And its easie to foresee how the innocent will bee numbred with the faulty and those that do but feel their sufferings and the sufferings of the Church on these occasions and do but groan and sigh to God and pray for succour and deliverance will bee thought to bee guilty of discontent and faction and bringing the Government of the Church and consequently of the Kingdome into hatred or dislike and so their sufferings will be increased And hee that is commanded by the Laws of humanity to be compassionately sensible of the Calamities of others shall bee thought an offender for being sensible of his own It s easie to fore-see how those expressions in mens Sermons or Prayers or familiar Conference which seem to any mis-understanding or suspicious or masicious hearers to intimate any sense of sufferings will be carried to the ears of Rulers and represented as a crime And nature having planted in all men an unwillingness to suffer and denied to all men a love of calamity and necessitated men to feel when they are hurt and made the tongue and countenance the Index of our sense these Effects will be unavoidable while such Impositions are continued and while a fear of sinning will not suffer men to swallow and digest them and what wrong such divisions about Religion will be to the Kingdome and to His Majesty wee shall not mention because our Governours themselves may better understand it On the other side what universal ease and peace and joy would be the fruits of that happy unity and concord which the reasonable forbearances which wee humbly petition for would certainly produce how comfortable would our Ministerial labours bee when wee had no such temptations burdens or disquietments When wee lay not under the Reproofs of Conscience nor the suspicions or displeasure of our Superiours but might serve the Lord without distraction and bee among his servants without such fears Phil. 1. 14. 1 Cor. 16. 10. How much would the hands of the Builders be strengthened for the work of God when they speak the same things and there are no divisions among them but they are perfectly joyned together in the same minde and judgement 1 Cor. 1. 10. when they are like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one minde doing nothing through strife or vain glory which will never be while the one calls the other factious and schismatical and the other calleth him superstitious and tyrannical but when Christ hath taught us in lowliness of minde to esteem others better than our selves and not to look every man on his own things his own gifts and virtues and worth and interest but every man also on the things of others and till the same mind bee in us that was in Christ Jesus that humbled himself and took upon him the form of a servant and made himself of no Reputation Phil. 1. 2 to 9. How much should wee honour the Body the Spirit the Hope the Lord the Faith the Baptism the God and Father of all Beleevers which are one if wee were one among our selves which will never be till with lowliness and meekness and long-suffering wee forbear one another in love instead of hating reviling and persecuting one another and till wee endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit though given in various degrees rather than an unity in unnecessary things in the bond of peace Ephes 4. 2 3 4 5 6 7. and till the well-joynted and compacted body do edifie it self in love by a due contribution of mutual supply and grow in Christ the proper head instead of contending with it self and dis-joynting and tearing it self into peeces because of our different measure of understanding and our unavoidable differences about some small unnecessary things vers 13 14 15 16. How beautiful would our holy Assemblies be and how delightful the worship of God there celebrated if wee had all laid by the unchristian spirit of hatred envy emulation murmuring wrath variance strife heresies seditions and all uncharitableness and with one minde and one mouth did glorifie God Gal. 5. 19 20 21. Rom. 15. 16. which will never
our selves Thou art the King of all the world and Thy Laws are holy iust and good But wée have denied Thée our due subjection and obedience being unruly and self-willed minding the things of the flesh and making provision for its lusts Wée have staggered at Thy Word through unbeléef and have not fully placed our trust and hope in Thée Wée have rather feared man that is dust and can but kill the body than Thée that canst destroy both soul and body in Hell Thou art infinitely good and love it self yet have wée not fully taken Thée for our portion nor loved Thée with all our heart and soul and might nor mads Thée our full desire and delight But wée have inordinately loved our selves and the world and the things of the world and lived by sense when wée should have lived by Faith and cared and laboured for the food that perisheth when wée should have laboured for the one thing néedful and that which indureth to everlasting life wée have béen slothful servants yéelding to temptations ashamed of our duty losing our precious time when wee should have béen fervent in spirit serving the Lord cleaving to Thée with full resolution redéeming the time and with diligence making sure our Calling and Election Wée have not with due holiness and reverence drawn neer Thée and used thy holy Name thy Worship and thy Day Wée have dishonoured and disobeyed our Superiours and neglected our Inferiours Wée have béen guilty of not loving our Neighbours as our selves and not doing to others as wée would they should do to us but have sought our own against their welfare not forbearing and forgiving not loving our enemies as wee ought nor following peace nor studying to do good to all according to our power Wee have sinned secretly and openly in thought word and déed ignorantly and presumptuously in passion and upon deliberation against thy Precepts Promises and Threats against thy mercies and thy judgements under thy patience and in thy sight against our consciences our purposes and our covenants when wée were hasting to death and judgement for which through all our lives wée should have prepared Thou hast commended thy wonderful love towards us in giving thy Son to dye for sinners to reconcile us to Thée while wée were enemies and all things being made ready thou hast sent thy Messengers to invite us to come in preaching to us the glad tidings of salvation and fréely offering us pardon and life in Jesus Christ but wee have made light of it and neglected this great Salvation and made excuses or too long delaies undervaluing our Redeemer his blood and merits his offered grace and endless glory rejecting his holy Doctrine and Example resisting his Spirit Ministers and Wrod Wee have sinned O Lord against Thée and against our own souls and are not worthy to be called thy children Wée have deserved everlasting wrath to us belongeth confusion but mercy and forgiveness unto Thée Have mercy upon us O God according to the multitude of thy Mercies Heal our souls that have sinned against Thée and enter not into judgement with thy servants Hide thy face from our sins and blot out all our iniquities Cast us not away from thy presence and avenge not upon us the quarrel of thy Covenant Wash us in the blood of the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world Accept us in thy Beloved Son who was made a curse for us and was wounded for our transgressions that wée might bee healed by his stripes Turn us O God of our salvation and cause thy face to shine upon us Give us Repentance unto life cause us to loathe our selves for all the evils that wée have committed Give us that broken contrite Spirit which thou wilt not despise Create in us a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within us Take out of us the old and strong heart and give us a new and tender heart Give us the Spirit of thy Son and bee our God and let us bée thy People Enlighten our understandings to know the wonderful things of thy Law the dimensions of thy love in Christ the mysteries of thy Kingdome and the riches of the glory of thy Inheritance in the Saints and that wee may approve the things that are excellent and may escape the snares of the Devil and may hate every false way Shed abroad thy love in our hearts by thy holy Spirit and cause us so to love Thee that nothing may separate us from thy love Put thy fear into our hearts that wee may never depart from Thee Cause us to seek first thy Kingdome and its Righteousness and as those that are risen with Christ to seek the things that are above and to lay up a treasure in Heaven and let our hearts and conversations bee there mortifie our earthly inclinations and desires Crucifie the world to us and us unto the world by the Cross of Christ Cause us to live by Faith and look at the things that are unseen and use the world as not over-using it seeing the fashion of it passeth away striving to enter in at the strait gate and running so as to obtain let us no longer live the rest of our time to the lusts of men but to the will of God studying in all things to please Thee and to bee accepted of Thee let us not seek our own wills but the will of him that called us yea let us delight to do thy will O God let our delight bee in thy Law and let us meditate therein day and night cause us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soverly and righteously and godly in this present world as obedient children not fashioning our selves to the former lusts of our ignorance but as hee that hath called us is holy let us be holy in all manner of conversation Cause us to love one another with a pure heart fervently forbearing and forgiving one another if any have a quarrel against other even as Christ forgave us Give us the wisdome which is first pure and then peaceable In our eyes let a vile person bee contemned but let us honour them that fear the Lord. Cause us to walk circumspectly without offence and to bee zealous of good Works to love our enemies and not to give place to wrath and in patience to possess our souls Help us to deny our selves and take up our Cross and follow Christ esteeming his reproach to bee greater riches than the treasures of the world that having suffered with him wee may also bee glorified with him Though wee must bee tempted help us to overcome and bee faithful unto the death and then let us receive that Crown of Life through the merits and intercession of Christ Jesus our Lord and onely Saviour in whose comprehensive words wee summ up our Requests saying as hee hath taught us Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed bee thy Name Thy Kingdome come c. Or thus when Brevity is
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
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
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
estéem other better than himself and let all men know that wée are Christs Disciples by our fervent love to one another Let us be heartily and entirely thy Subjects beléeving that thou art just and the Rewarder of them that diligently séek thée kéep us from Atheism Idolatry and Disobedience from Infidelity Ungodliness and Sensuality from Security Presumption and Despair Let us study to please thée in all things Let thy Law bée written in our hearts and let us delight to do thy Will Let our Faith and Lives be ruled by thy Word which is able to make us wise unto Salvation let us love it search it and understand it and meditate in it day and night Let us not please our selves or other men against thee nor be led by the wisdome or desires of the World and Flesh nor regard lying vanities nor through carelesness rashness or presumption offend thée As all Nations must be judged by thée let them be ruled by thy Laws and not make them void by mens traditions nor worship thée in vain teaching for Doctrine the Commandments of men But what ever thou commandest let them take héed to do it Let them add nothing thereto nor take ought therefrom Let us not take thy holy Name in vain but use it in truth and reverence Kéep us from all Blasphemy Perjury Prophane swearing from lying before the God of Truth and from contempt and forgetfulness of thy presence from false unworthy unreverent thoughts or spéeches of God and holy things and from neglecting or abusing thy holy Word and Worship Help us to kéep holy thy Day in remembrance of the blessed work of our Redemption and reverently to attend thée in Publick Worship and obediently to receive thy Word and fervently to call upon thy Name and to delight our selves in Thanksgiving and joyful Praises to thy Holiness in the Communion of thy Saints and let us carefully sée that our housholds and all within our gates do serve thée and not abuse thy holy Day Have mercy on the Kings and Rulers of the Earth that they may escape the Temptations of Worldly Greatness Honours and Prosperity which would captivate them to the flesh and draw their hearts from thée thy Laws and Waies and would engage them against thée and thy Servants And as they are thy Ministers and Magistracy is thine Ordinance sanctifie and dispose them to be Nursing Fathers to thy Church to own thy Interest and Rule for thée Especially have mercy on thy Servant Charls our King illuminate and sanctifie him by thy holy Spirit that above all things hée may séek thy Glory the increase of Faith and Obedience to thy Laws and may rule us as being thy Minister for good not to be a terrour to good Works but to Evil that under him wée may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty Have mercy upon all the Royal Family the Lords of the Counsel and all the Nobility the Judges and Magistrates of these Lands Cause them to fear thee and to be Eminent in Sobriety Righteousness and Godliness to protect the Innocent and be a terrour to the Wicked hating Injustice Covetousness and Pride Let every soul be subject to the Higher Powers and not resist Let them obey the King and all that are in Authority under him not onely for wrath but for conscience sake as knowing that they rule by thée and for thée Give all the Churches able holy faithful Pastors and cause them laboriously to preach and rightly to divide the Word of truth to féed thy People with Knowledge and lead them in the way of Faith and Love of Holiness and Peace and to watch for their souls as those that must give account over-seeing and ruling them not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind not as being Lords over thy Heritage but as the Servants of all and Ensamples to the Flock That when the chief Pastor shall appear they may receive a Crown of Glory Let the Congregations know those that have the ruling of them and are over them in the Lord that labour among them preaching to them the Word of God Let them submissively and obediently hear and esteem them very highly in love for their works sake and account them worthy of double honour Let Parents bring up their Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord diligently teaching them thy Word talking of it when they are in their house and when they walk by the way when they lye down and when they rise up that they may know their Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier in the daies of their youth And cause Children to hear love honour and obey their Parents that they may have the blessing of thine especial Promise unto such Let Husbands love their Wives and prudently guide them in knowledge and holiness And let Wives love honour and obey their Husbands as méet helpers to them Let Masters rule their Servants in Holiness and mercy remembring they have a Master in Heaven and let Servants reverently singly and willingly bée obedient and do service to their Masters as to the Lord from him expecting their reward Kéep us from Murder Uiolence and all injury to our neighbours life or health from malice cursing reviling and unadvised Anger Let us not resist evil with evil but forbear one another and not give place to wrath Kéep us from Adultery Fornication and all uncleanness and the occasions and appearances thereof Let us take care as becometh saints that they bée not immodestly named among us and that no Corrupt Communication procéed out of our Mouths Kéep us from Chambering and wantonness from lustfull thoughts and all immodest attire behaviour looks and actions Kéep us from Theft and Oppression and any way wronging our Nieghbour in his Propriety and Estate Kéep us from False witness-bearing lying and deceiving from slandering backbiting unjust uncharitable censuring or reproaching from all perverting of justice and wronging the reputation of our Neighbour and from all consent or desire of such wrongs Kéep us from Envy and from coveting any thing that is our Neighbours to his wrong and from séeking our own or drawing to our selves to the Injury of his welfare but let us love our Neighbours as our selves and do to others as wée would they should do to us Teach us to love Christ and his holy Image in his Members with a dear and special love and to love our Enemies and pray for them that hate and persecute us and to do good to all as wée are able but Especially to them of the Houshold of faith Cause us with patience to submit to all the Disposals of thy Will and wait thy End and to love the demonstrations of thy Holiness and iustice though grievous to the Flesh and kéep us from Impatient Murmurings and discontent and Arrogant reasoning against thy Will Give us
of the Son of God to a perfect man hee is set at Gods right hand in the Celestials far above all Principalities and Powers and Might and Dominion and every name that is named not only in this World but in that to come God hath put all things under his feet and gave him to bee head over all things to the Church which is his Body the fulness of him that filleth all in all Without Controversie great is the Mystery of Godliness God manifested in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached to the Gentiles beleeved on in the World received up into glory This is the Record that God hath given us Eternal life and this Life is in his Son Hee that hath the Son hath life and hee that hath not the Son hath not life Hee was in the World and the World was made by him and the world knew him not Hee came to his own and his own received him not This is the Condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their Deeds are Evil. But as many as receive him to them gives hee Power to become the Sons of God even to them that beleeve in his Name There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit He forgiveth our Iniquities and will remember our sins no more who shall lay any thing to Charge of Gods elect It is God that Justifieth who is hee that Condemneth It is Christ that died Yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Who gave himself for us that hee might redéem us from all Iniquity purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works If any man have not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his Hee that nameth the name of Christ must depart from Iniquity If wee regard Iniquity in our hearts God will not hear our Prayers But wee are washed wee are sanctified wee are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God Not by works of Righteousness which wee have done but according to his mercy hee saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost And being justified by faith wee have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also wee have Access by Faith into this Grace wherein wee stand and rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us For if when wee were Enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being Reconciled wee shall bee saved by his life Hee that spared not his own Son but gave him up for us All how shall hee not with him also freely give us all things hee that is gone to prepare a place for us will come again and receive us to himself that where hee is there wee may bee also It is his will that they that the Father hath given him bee with him where hee is that they may behold the Glory that is given him Because hee liveth wee shall live also For wee are dead and our life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall wee also appear with him in Glory when hee shall come to bee glorified in his Saints and to bee admired in all them that do beleeve Then shall men discern between the Righteous and the Wicked between those that serve God and those that serve him not Then shall the Righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdome of their Father Hee that overcometh shall inherit all things Hee shall enter into the Joy of his Lord Hee shall bee a Pillar in the Temple of God and shall go out no more Christ will grant him to fit with him in his Throne even as hee overcame and is set down with his Father in his Throne hee will rejoyce ever as with joy hee will test in his love Even in the Holy City the new Jerusalem prepared as a Bride adorned for her 〈◊〉 where the Tabernacle of God will bee with men and hee will dwell with them and they shall bee his people and God himself shall bee with them their God and shall wipe away all tears from their Eyes and there shall bee no more death nor sorrow nor crying nor pain for the former things are passed away And the City needeth not the Sun or the Moon to shine in it for the Glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof The Throne of God and of the Lamb shall bee in it and his Servants shall serve him and shall see his face who is the Blessed and only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Of him Through him and To him are all things To him bee Glory for ever Amen FINIS 1 Tim. 1. 17. Psal 147. 5. Mat. 19. 17. 1 Tim. 6. 16. Dan. 7. 10. Isa 57. 15. Psal 149. 4. Heb. 10. 19 20. Isa 55. 6. Psa 95. 6. 1 2. 99. 5. 51. 1 17. 89. 7. Jer. 32. 40. Heb. 12. 28. 1 Thes 5. 23. Levit. 10. 3. Zech. 12. 10. Rom. 8. 26. Jam. 5. 16. 1. 6. Isa 26. 8. Matth. 15. 18. Joh. 4. 23 24. 1 Thes 2. 13. Act. 16. 14. Mark 4. 12. Phil. 1. 29. Prov. 1. 24 25. Eccles 5. 1. Joh. 6. 45. Heb. 4. 12 13. 2 Cor. 10. 4 6. Psal 69. 30. Psal 106. 46. Psal 9. 14. Psal 105. 3. Psal 51. 15. Psal 19. 14. Heb. 13. 21. Isa 66. 1. Psa 111. 9. Luke 2. 13. Psa 103. 20. Heb. 1. 6. Psa 149. 1. Lev. 10. 3. Gen 18 27. 2 Tim. 2. 5. Dan. 9. 18. Hos 14. 2. Rom. 8. 26. Heb. 12. 28. 〈◊〉 Thes 2. 10. Luke 19. 48. Isa 1. 19. 2 Cor. 2. 16. James 5 16. Psal 63. 5. 1 Cor. 7. 35. Psal 84. 10. 73. 28. Gen. 1. 27. Rom. 5. 12. Rom. 3. 23. Joh. 3. 16. 18 19 20. Gal. 3. 13. Joh. 3. 5. 6. Mat. 18. 3. Eze. 33. 11. Luk. 15. 10 18 19. Psal 5. 5. Rom. 6. 23. Ephes 1. 6. 12. John 4. 42. Rom. 3. 25. Ephes 1. 5. Luk. 24. 47. Act. 5. 37. Prov. 28. 13. Rev. 3. 17. Psal 51. 5. Ephes 2. 3. Isa 48. 8. Isa 53. 6. Psal 100. 3. 1 Corinth 6. 20. 2 Cor. 8. 5. 1 Cor. 10. 31. 7. 32. 1 Thes 4. 1. 1 Joh. 3. 22. Rom. 2. 23. 1 Chron. 21. 7. Phil. 2. 21. Luke 18. 14. Rom. 15. 1. Psal 47. 7. Rom. 7. 12. Dan. 9. 9. 10. Tit. 1. 7 10. Rom 8. 5. 13. 14. 4 20. Psal 78. 7. 22. Isa 51. 7 8.