Answer when you think of the Third thing your Fidelity to him saying I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous Judgments I have inclined my heart to perform thy Statutes always even unto the end CXIX Psal 106.112 It is reasonable that whatsoever I doe in word or deed I should doe all in the Name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by Him III. Coloss 17. IV. And when you think lastly of having Communion with Him say What greater Happiness can I wish then to be one with Christ and to be made partaker with Him in the Merits of his Death whereby I am sure that I shall partake with Him in the glory of his Resurrection By this I know that I dwell in Him and He in me because He hath given me of his Spirit O make me Blessed Lord more and more one with Thee by making me more perfectly of the same mind spirit and disposition with Thee A Prayer at home on that day If you be by such means as these duly affected with our Saviour's Love towards you the remembrance of it will not presently slip out of your mind nor will you be willing to part with it And while it continues there it will make all your Christian Duty easy and delightfull and it will be a hard matter to persuade you to offend Him Do not fail therefore to endeavour to preserve it by affecting your heart again with such thoughts as these repeating some time or other on that day the foregoing Meditations and adding this Prayer I can never thank Thee enough O Father of mercies and God of all comfort for the innumerable benefits I have received from thy bounty And therefore ought to take all opportunities to bless Thee and to speak good of thy Name especially now that I have newly tasted how gracious Thou art in giving thy onely Son our Saviour Jesus Christ not onely to die for us but also to be our spiritual food and sustenance in that Sacrament which I have this day received When I think onely what a kindness it is that I have my daily bread and never want things convenient for the support and comfort of this present life I find that I am indebted to Thee upon that account exceedingly above all that I can express But that Thou art pleased to admit me to thy own Table and there entertain me with the blessed hope of being with my Saviour where He is and rejoycing with Him for ever Lord how much doth it surpass the highest of my thoughts and with what delight and satisfaction ought it to fill my heart Possess me I beseech Thee most mercifull Father with such a lively sense of this Love that I may never forget how happy I am in being so nearly related to Christ Jesus But always account it such an honour to be one of his Servants that I may constantly and chearfully obey Him and delight in this and all other Duties of a Christian life It is a great favour I ought to be sensible that I may have the liberty alway to resort unto Him as my most gracious Lord and Master and enjoy Him not onely in the publick Offices of Religion but here at home in these private addresses unto Him 0 that by all such means I may grow more like Him and carry away such a resemblance of his Holiness Goodness Humility Meekness and Patience that every body may see I have been with Jesus O that there may be such a pious sense of his Love and such devout affections towards Him left in my heart that I may not content my self merely with my daily Prayers much less with these present expressions of Love to Him but it may he my constant care every day to approve my self unto Him so faithfully in all well-doing that I may not be afraid to appear again before Him at the next invitation I have to his Table And let the hearts of all those who have this day devoutly attended on thy service be joyfull and glad in Thee Help us all to keep our selves pure and undefiled and to walk so steddily in the fear of God and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost that others seeing our good conversation in Christ may be in love with Religion and glorify Thee our heavenly Father Have mercy also as we have this day most humbly prayed upon the whole Church And so rule the heart of thy chosen Servant CHARLES our King and Governour that in all his thoughts words and works he may ever seek thy honour and glory and study to preserve thy people committed to his charge in wealth peace and godliness And grant also unto all them that are admitted into the fellowship of Christ's Religion that they may eschew those things that are contrary to their Profession and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same for thy dear Sons sake Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen If this seem too long here follows a shorter I prostrate my self here again before Thee O Lord of Heaven and Earth to bless and praise Thee for all thy Mercies towards me especially for those which Thou hast this day bestowed on me I would not be so ungratefull as presently to forget such a wonderfull Grace as Thou hast vouchsafed me but desire most earnestly to have a lasting remembrance of it in my heart provoking me to love and to good works And for that end I now renew my humble supplications unto Thee that Thou wilt constantly excite and assist me by thy Holy Spirit to walk worthy of my high and heavenly calling in Christ Jesus by such a sober righteous and godly life adorning his Doctrine in all things that He may own me for his good and faithfull Servant at that great Day when we shall see Him not in these shadows and figures of Him but face to face And have mercy upon thy whole Church Whose Prayers I beseech Thee to hear for every Member of the same more especially for our Sovereign and all that are in authority under him that by their pious care and watchfulness thy Church may joyfully serve Thee in all godly quietness through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen CHAP. VIII Directions for a godly Life sutable to this holy Communion I. TAKE some time every day to call to mind how much you stand engaged to our Saviour Christ first by your Baptismal Vow secondly by your solemn Ratification of it at your Confirmation and thirdly by your renewing it lately at the Holy Communion when you professed how much you were indebted to Him both upon the account of his offering Himself upon the Cross for you and of his giving Himself there again to you II. If these three come into your mind as soon as you awake in the morning it will be a great security to you And to make your self more sensible of your obligation you may begin the day with this Reflection I am not my own but the Lord
continual danger of falling into the fire or water or other mischief Make this your own case for your frequent falling into Sin notwithstanding your resolutions and ingagements is far more dreadfull and dangerous and no means ought to be refused for a cure of so great an evil CHAP. XI The Duties of Children THIS Book being intended for Beginners and such as may be supposed to have least knowledge of their Duty I shall conclude it with a few Advices to Children to poor Servants and to all sorts of Young people The Duty of Children is comprehended in two words to honour and to obey their Parents Therefore remember I. First It is your Duty to Honour your Parents which is the first of all the Commandments of the Second Table And consists 1. In an Esteem of them as your Superiours and greatest Benefactours because under God they were the Authours of your Being and took care of your Education when you could not look after your selves 2. In a reverent Behaviour towards them even when they do not perform their Duty but provoke you to wrath by their peevish crosness 3. In requiting their Love by supplying their necessities if they fall into a low condition and you be able to support them Reade I Tim. V. 4. XV. Matt. 5 6. 4. In bearing with their Infirmities either of body or mind especially in their old age or declining years II. Secondly Obey your Parents VI. Ephes 1. so as to be subject to them II. Luk. 51. That is 1. Be subject to their good Instructions and Admonitions to which you ought to listen diligently 2. To their Commands when they bid you doe any thing that is not contrary to the Divine Commandments 3. To their Corrections also for your faults to which you ought reverently to submit XII Hebr. 9. 4. And to their Directions also about the choice of your Calling if you have not a natural aversation to it 5. But especially in the buisiness of Marriage in which Parents have always had a right to dispose of their Children Not indeed to force them to marry one whom they cannot love but to oblige them to endeavour to love those whom they recommend to their choice And when you cannot bring your self to a compliance with their desires in that point you must with due reverence and respect dissent from them and humbly beseech them to press you no farther If they will not harken to your repeated requests you are not bound or rather you are bound not to follow their directions in such a case But on the other side do not marry any body else without their consent unless they be so unreasonable that they will let you marry none at all and you find a necessity of it to prevent your being led away contrary to your Vow in Baptism by fleshly Lusts In that case repair to the Magistrate or your Minister who are common Parents and let them deal with them and if they cannot prevail I have no more to say about your Obedience in this particular use your liberty prudently and with good advice of Friends and due respect to your Parents But as the Common-Prayer-Book exhorts you in the Office of Matrimony do not enterprise nor take in hand such a weighty thing as Marriage unadvisedly lightly or wantonly meerly to satisfy carnal lusts and appetites like brute Beasts that have no understanding but reverently discreetly advisedly and in the fear of God duly considering for what ends it was ordained and then you cannot doe amiss Be carefull in the performance of these Duties and God before whom such things are good and acceptable will give you his Blessing Reade III. Ecclesiasticus beginning unto v. 17. CHAP. XII The Duties of Servants THough Servants be not now mere Slaves and Bondmen as they were in the Apostles days yet they are in a state of subjection and are tied to such Obedience as we find enjoyned in the Apostolical Writings even for this reason because they are now in a far better condition Harken therefore to your Duty as it is plainly set forth in the Holy Scripture And remember I. First of all that you are bound to study to please your Masters and Mistresses by doing as they bid you in their buisiness wherein they imploy you II. Titus 9. A branch of which is as you will find in that place not to contradict them and stand disputing with them Much less ought you to I be saucy and irreverent in your Answers or in your Behaviour towards them 1 Tim. VI. 1. II. Remember also to be Faithfull in your trust and never to deceive them in the smallest matter but be sure to shew all good fidelity as the Apostle there teaches you II. Tit. 10. III. Part of which Fidelity is to be diligent in your buisiness and to dispatch it as soon as you can and to be solicitous also to doe your work well which S. Peter and S. Paul seem to mean when they bid you serve them with all fear 1 Pet. II. 18. and with fear and trembling VI. Ephes 5. IV. And both this Diligence and Solicitude and Trustiness must be performed not onely when they have their eye upon you but when their back is turned and they are absent from you VI. Ephes 6. III. Coloss 22. If you gad abroad or slacken your labour and care when they are not at home or do not see you you do not serve them as Christians that study to please God but as vile Slaves and Men-pleasers that mind nothing but to avoid their anger V. Be content also with your Allowance and submit to such Restraints as they lay upon you which seems to be included in the Apostolical Precept before mentioned II. Tit. 10. For more then this you ought to take their hard Words nay and Corrections patiently I cannot say but you may seek a remedy from your Governours and theirs if they abuse you but a Blow that does no hurt much more an angry Chiding should not seem any great matter to you But you had better bear it saying nothing or meekly praying them to spare you then increase their wrath by answering again angrily Howsoever all ill words are utterly unlawfull Reade 1 Pet. II. 18. VI. The Apostles also would have you to serve them with good will VI. Ephes 7. and whatsoever you doe to doe it heartily III. Coloss 23. One note of which is when you go about your buisiness chearfully and do not grumble at your work much less grumble at this that you are Servants and not as good as those whom you serve It is very uncomfortable to your Masters as well as your selves when you go about your work with a discontented spirit and a sour heart lowring and pouting as we speak which proceeds from hence that you forget you are serving the Lord when you are diligent in their buisiness and look upon your selves onely as Servants of Men. This the Apostles correct when they bid you be obedient to your Masters
as unto Christ Not with eye-eye-service as men-pleasers but as the servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart With good will doing service as unto the Lord and not unto men VI. Ephes 5 6 7. Where he four times within the compass of 3 verses puts you in mind of this that you are doing God's will and serving the Lord Christ when you are doing their buisiness which they enjoyn you If you think of this you will not goe about it heavily and discontentedly especially if you consider the motive whereby the Apostle incourages you knowing that whatsoever good thing a man doeth though in the meanest place the same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be bond or free VI. Ephes 8. Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance for ye serve the Lord Christ III. Coloss 24. CHAP. XIII Advices to all Young persons I. IT is of the greatest consequence to begin well And therefore at your first setting out into the World take a special care lest you contract any evil habit especially of Idleness the bane of Youth and lest you entertain any prejudices against things before you be able to judge as we see too many have done against the Common Prayers of the Church which they abhorr they know not why merely from an early disgust they took to them before they could distinguish between good and evil II. And check your desire of Pleasure which now above all other times will intice you and of Novelty also which is comprehended in the youthfull Lusts as we render the words spoken of in 2 Tim. II. 22. unto which mankind is strangely prone in their inconsiderate age loathing ancient forms and craving new entertainment for their fancies III. Avoid Harlots as you would the Plague remembring the repeated cautions and admonitions which the Wise man gives to his Son about this matter Reade them seriously II. Prov. 18 19. V. Prov. 3 4 5. VII the whole Chapter and follow his counsels lest thou mourn at the last when thy flesh and thy body are consumed saying How have I hated instruction and my heart despised reproof and have not obeyed the voice of my teachers nor inclined my ear to them that instructed me IV. In order to Chastity be exactly temperate in meat and drink Drink no wine which will adde fire to fire study hard or use your selves to labour and watchings avoid all provocations to your carnal appetite V. Take heed what Friendships you contract for Youth is prone to familiarity and thereby drawn easily into ill company VI. Reverence your Elders XIX Levit. 32. 1 Pet. V. 5 6. particularly your Tutors and Guardians who are in stead of Parents Which Reverence is to be expressed not merely by your outward Behaviour and in your Language but in desiring their Advice harkening to their Counsels enterprising nothing without their Direction and submitting to their Reprehension VII In order to which be sober-minded as S. Paul exhorts you II. Tit. 6. Whereby he means either Seriousness and the study of Discretion or Humility and Modesty Which Modesty is an exceeding great ornament of Youth an indication also of a good Mind and a hopefull blossom of excellent fruit as one of the Ancients speaks But it doth not consist merely in your Looks but in your low opinion of your selves sense of your imprudence and weakness and in a humble attention to the opinions and counsels of your Elders VIII Finally remember that Youth is like the Spring-time which will soon be over and if you onely play in it and take no care to sow good seeds of Wisedom and Piety you will lose the opportunity of making provision for a happy life Of this you are in great danger because there is nothing to which young men are more prone then to squander away their time Be serious therefore and considerate that you may not be undone by the folly of Youth which as Solomon notes inclines men so eagerly to follow their own humour in every thing that they do not love to have any check in their mirth and jollity That which will check them most is the thoughts of the future especially the remembrance as he there observes XI Eccles. 9. of the account they must make And therefore I conclude with that advice Rejoyce O young man in thy youth c. But know that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment CHAP. XIV Directions about them that cannot reade I. AS for those who cannot reade themselves which in our days are but few blessed be God in comparison with former Ages their Masters or their Mistresses or their Fellow-servants or some good Neighbour or Relation are desired to be so charitable as to reade to them their duty about this matter shewing them the necessity and the ends of it and praying them to mark and observe what is read II. Or if their Memories be very weak tell them in short that they are bound by their Vow in Baptism to doe God's will and keep his Commandments and that this is one of his Commandments that they should commemorate his Love by coming unto the Holy Communion which will help them to doe the rest of his will better III. Reade to them also their Baptismal Vow together with their Duty to God and their Duty to their Neighbour as it is laid down in the Catechism and ask them if they intend to doe all this by God's gracious assistence IV. If they consent to it tell them they ought to go and receive Confirmation as was said before and then go to the Holy Communion to thank God for calling them into this state of Salvation by Jesus Christ and for working such a good will in them and to promise Him that they will continue his faithfull Servants to their lives end V. And let them know that if they can doe no more at the Holy Communion but onely give God thanks heartily for sending his Son to die for them and devote themselves unto Him in resolution of sincere Obedience it will be acceptable to Him and in time they will understand more and doe this Duty better VI. Therefore teach them that the thoughts of their imperfections and ignorance ought not to discourage them from coming to the Communion for the very doing of that which Christ commands I mean the Minister's taking Bread and Wine blessing them breaking the one and pouring out the other giving them to his people and their receiving these in remembrance of his Death and Passion is a thing in it self gratefull to Him And if they know thus much and with honest hearts give thanks to God and promise Him to be his faithfull Servants He will take it kindly and increase his Graces in their hearts VII And that He may tell them that since they cannot reade they must be the more diligent in attending to what is read in the Church or in private and to the Sermons they hear preached laying
's He hath bought me with a price and I have devoted my self again and again unto Him Therefore I will glorify Him with body and Soul which are his Or to affect your heart the more you may put it thus O how happy am I in being ingaged to serve such a gracious Lord and Master as Christ Jesus I will never lose this Happiness by being unfaithfull to Him and unmindfull of his Love III. To keep your self stedfast in this Resolution reade seriously every day your Duty to God and your Duty to your Neighbour as they are plainly set down in the Church-CATECHISM See p 29. of this Book And say at the end of it This I have promised this I have vowed when I became a Christian this I have again confirmed and this by God's grace I will faithfully perform IV. And resolve at the same time to be watchfull all that day especially in those things wherein you observed at your last examination of your self you have been most defective and most apt to be surprised Excite your self therein to use greater diligence and set a stricter guard upon your heart carefully avoiding such places company and occasions as have been wont to indanger you And call your self to an account at night according to the Advice p. 33. of this Book V. There is no body sure so imployed but may find time for such short Exercises as these In which if they would be serious and not slubber them over too fast they would find the happy fruit of them in their hearts and lives And to make them the more effectual adde this short Prayer as oft as you can every day Almighty God who hast given thine onely Son to be unto us both a Sacrifice for Sin and also an Ensample of godly Life give me grace that I may always most thankfully receive that his inestimable Benefit and also daily endeavour my self to follow the blessed steps of his most holy Life through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen VI. If your buisiness be such that you cannot every day reade over your Duty to God and your Duty to your Neighbour do not fail to doe it once or twice a week And pause a while at the end of every particular saying This is my Duty this I will doe by God's grace And at the end of all to make your reading the more effectual say I heartily thank our Heavenly Father that He hath called me upon these terms into the state of Salvation and I beseech Him to give me his grace that I may continue in the same unto my life's end VII Resolve also by this means to fit your self to receive the Holy Communion as often as you can remembring that as by Baptism you are made a Member of Christ and enter into the state of Salvation so by this Communion with Him you continue in that blessed state Which they cannot justly pretend unto who constantly neglect to doe this in remembrance of Christ They give no sufficient testimony that they are of the Christian Society nor have any reason to look upon themselves as living Members of Christ and in a state of Salvation VIII And if you do not come up to your Resolution in every thing but find rather you have severall ways failed in the performance of your Duty to God and your Neighbour let not that hinder you from going to the Communion when you have opportunity But onely humble your self the more before God by unfeigned Repentance and go to strengthen your Christian Resolution by receiving the spiritual Food which Christ hath prepared for you and beseech Him to impart more spiritual strength unto you IX And if you still start back again let not that discourage you nor make you think you shall never grow better But hope in God rather that by the constant and frequent use of this and all other holy means you shall at last be stedfast and unmovable in well-doing You will never be so if you leave off to communicate but you will grow more and more careless in other things and therefore continue to doe this as Christ bids you and doe it for this end that you may tie your self faster to Him and increase in power and strength to have victory and to triumph over the Devil the World and the Flesh X. And lastly be not hindred by Doubts and Scruples wherewith many are wont to perplex and dishearten themselves from receiving the benefit of frequent Communion I have not room to consider them all in this little Book but if any person cannot in this way which I have directed satisfy his Conscience let him not fail to follow the Counsel which is given him in the Communion-Service which is to goe to his Guide or some other discreet and learned Minister of God's Word and open his grief to him that by the Ministry of God's Holy Word he may receive the benefit of Absolution together with ghostly counsel and advice to the quieting of his Conscience and avoiding of all Scruple and Doubtfulness CHAP. IX Touching Doubts and Scruples IT will doe some service perhaps to well-disposed Souls if I shew how easily some of their most common Scruples may be satisfied if they will but advise with God's Ministers about them though I cannot insist upon all the causes of their Doubtfulness I will bestow this Chapter therefore upon that buisiness I. We ordinarily hear this objected to us when we tell men of their neglect of this Duty I do not delight in that nor in other holy Duties and therefore to what purpose is it to doe them The plain Answer is this If you prefer the doing of your Duty before your Pleasure or your Gain then you cannot but take a rational satisfaction if you understand your self in what you have done Nay if you consider it well you will have a high Satisfaction proportionable to the greatness of the Pleasure or the worldly Advantage which you denied for God's sake Who you must remember is satisfied in your doing what you can especially when you are tempted another way and therefore so should you be too Hoping that by constant practice of Vertue He will give you that Delight in it which you desire I am sure this is the way to get it if it be to be had II. Others complain of a great Dulness that is upon them in holy Duties which makes them have no list to them This doth not differ much from the former and therefore I shall onely adde that when you have taken all the pains with your self which I have directed in the foregoing Chapter you ought not to be troubled at your Dulness but ascribe it either to your natural Constitution or to some present Indisposition of body Neither of which is in your power to remedy but onely to submit unto and endure with patience In short let not this afflict you much less hinder your Communicating if by your receiving the Holy Communion you find that you are made more