he who loveth God should love his Brother also And for the other St. Paul tells Christians they must needs be subject not only for wrath but also for Conscience sake Rom. 13.5 St. Peter also joyns together Fear God and Honour the King 1 Pet. 2.17 that none may think he doth the one as he ought while he refuseth to do the other Q. Having told me from Scripture what God is tell me also who is God A. The Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost Mat. 28.19 Go saith Christ to his Apostles Teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Q. How doth this prove Each of them to be true and very God A. It proves it unanswerably and plainly too For 1. We are obliged to worship and serve in a Religious Manner Him in whose Name we are Rightly Baptized And therefore St. Paul would not have it be thought that he Baptized any in his own Name 1 Cor. 1.15 2. Faith and Baptisme are Joyned together Ephes 4.5 But we are to believe in None but God therefore not to be Baptized in the Name of any but God 3. Baptisme truly so called is but one as 't is said in the same Text. But if either of those Persons were a meer Creature there would be two sorts of Baptism For 'T is confessed by all Christians that the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is true and very God As Christ himself said I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth Matth. 11.25 Now If the Son of the Father Christ himself or the Holy Ghost were but a Creature then the Baptizing in the Name of of those three would bring in apparently Two Baptismes vastly different also One in the Name of God the other in the Name of a meer Creature And if either of those Persons be but a Creature our Lord in commanding the Apostles to Baptize in the Name of his Father and of himself and of the Holy Ghost should command them to Baptise in the same manner and at the same time in the 〈…〉 the glorious God and a meer Creature and so should give the same glory to the one as to the other therein than which what can ever be imagined more wickedly absurd and unreasonable Q. What Scriptures are there that do prove particularly the Godhead of the Son A. Very many and amongst them these two Rom. 9.5 The Apostle speaking of Christ saith He is over all God blessed for ever Joh. 20.28 The Apostle saith unto him My Lord and my God Q. What places prove the Holy Ghost to be true and very God A. Amongst others these two especially 1 Cor. 2.10 The Spirit searcheth all things even the deep things of God Now 〈◊〉 deep things of God is a Word that extendeth to all things in God His Nature Attributes Purposes and Providences for there is no Exception or Limitation added so to seurch them is throughly to know and understand them As God's infallible knowledge of what is in Man is call'd in Scripture his searching the Heart Thus the Spirit the Holy Ghost so called searcheth all things yea the deep things of God which certainly no Creatures are able to do In respect of them that of Paul is ever true That God's Judgments are unsearchable and his ways past finding out Rom. 11.33 So in Isa 6.8 9. What the Lord God said to the Prophet the Apostle applies to the Holy Ghost saying Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the Prophet Acts 28.25 And that very expression is a clear proof for it was God that spake by the Prophets Jer. 1.9 I have put my words in thy mouth Therefore the Holy Ghost is God also of the same substance with the Father and the Son Q. Then there should seem to be three Gods and why can it be said there is but one God when each of these three Persons is God A. They are three Persons and yet but one God because one and the same Divine Nature is in each of them which appears by this that the sarne Divine Honour is to be given to each of them for we are to Baptize in the Name of each of them and we are unchangeably engaged to the Religious worship and service of him in whose Name we are to be Baptized and therefore St. Paul abhorred the thoughts of Baptizeing any in his own Name 1 Cor. 1.15 And as Scripture tells us which Reason it self may inform us of that there is One God or but one God as there is but one Mediator Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 So it assures us that each of these Persons is true and very God so that both are certainly true Q. But how can this be we cannot conceive so strange a thing A. 'T is true indeed this Doctrine of the Trinity is the Highest Mystery in holy Story And it were no Mystery at all if we were able to comprehend it and conceive the manner of it Yet we have Reason to believe what Scripture tells us tho' it be that which is above the reach of humane Reason As we may safely believe that the Dead shall be raised to Life because of Scripture Testimony Joh. 5.28 All that are in the Graves shall hear Christs Voice and come forth Though we cannot conceive the manner of the Refurrection nor answer all curious questions that may be made about it Q. What is the Rule and Pattern of Prayer A. The Lords Prayer After this manner Pray ye c. in Matth. 6.9 Q. Is it therefore only a Rule of Prayer A. No it is also a Prayer it self and to be used as such For our Saviour saith thus Luk. 11.2 when ye Pray say Our Father c. that is Say these words Q. Is it lawful to pray in a Form or to use the same Expressions in Prayer over and over A. Yes For the Lord's Prayer is such a Form and is to be used in those very expressions to the VVorld's End Say Our Father and so forth And Christ's Example is beyond exception herein He prayed the third time saying the same words Matth. 26.44 So Mark 14.39 And again He went away and prayed speaking the same words Surely he had the Spirit indeed and could as easily have prayed in other words if it had been better so to do Q. But what need we pray for God knows our wants without our Prayers and what he gives us he gives for his own goodness sake and not for our Prayer's sake A. Yes we must pray for all that because he hath commanded us to Pray Psal 50.15 Call upon me Isa 55.6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found He is a God that heareth Prayer Psal 65.2 Ask and ye shall have Matth. 7.7 that is in Gods due time And though he had promised Mercies to his People yet for those things he would be sought unto Ezek. 36 37. Q. How many Sacraments are mentioned for Christians to partake of A. Two only Baptisme
and the Lords Supper Q. May Baptisme be administred in the Name of a meer Creature A. No. For we are by Baptisine Consecrated to the Holy VVorship and Service of Him in whose Name we are Baptized VVherefore Paul abhorred that any should think he Baptized in his own Name 1 Cor. 1.13 14 15. Q. May Infants be Baptized A. Yes For the command to Baptize the Nations makes for it for the word Nations includeth Infants They therefore being of professing Parents may be Baptized Matth. 28.19 And tho' Teaching be mentioned also yet that affords no Reason to the contrary For tho' Infants be not capable of being taught yet they are capable of being consecrated to God by Baptisme Q. VVhy and how should Christians partake of the Lords Supper A. For Christ's command sake and in Remembrance of Him Luk. 22.19 Q. VVhat must they do on that occasion A. As they must rely in Christ for Acceptance and beg acceptance for his sake so they must be in Charity with Men and endeavour to renew their Repentance and Resolutions of Obedience For they do in a special manner draw near unto Christ therein who hath given us the best Example of good Living and the greatest engagements and encouragements to it And of these things aforesaid we must Examine our selves 1 Cor. 11.28 Q. But is the Bread in the Sacrament the real and substantial Body of Christ or is Christ present therewith or therein as to his Bodily presence A. No certainly Christ is not now to be seen by us in Heaven much less on Earth Ye see him not saith St. Peter twice in a Verse 1 Pet. 1.8 But if the Sacramental bread were the very Body of Christ we should see Him as often as we see That 2. VVe see the Bread to be for substance Bread indeed and nothing else And Scripture doth not require us to believe any thing to be other than what we see it to be The Disciples had not nor did they need to have any better proof of Lazarus his being raised from the dead than this that they saw him Alive after he had been Dead Q. But how doth Christ then say This is My Body A. It is spoken Figuratively that is 't is his Body Sacramentally a Sign Token Representation and Memorial of it as the Apostle saith That Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 10.4 yet no man thinks therefore that Christ was really a Rock much less that particular Rock mentioned by Moses in Exod. 17. Q. VVho is Christ A. The only begotten Son of God even the Father John 1.18 Jesus Christ the Son of the Father in 2 Epist John the 3 verse Q. VVhat a Son is He A. He is such a Son as is true and very God of the same Substance with his Father Heb. 1.8 Vnto the Son he saith thy Throne O God is for ever and ever And all must honour the Son even as they honour the Father John 5.23 Q. VVhat is Christ A. Christ is God and Man at once Rom. 9.5 Of whom came Christ according to the Flesh who is over all God blessed for ever and in 1 Tim. 3.16 He that was believed on in the world and received up into glory which can be none but Christ is said to be God manifested in the Flesh And in Matth. 1. we read of his Birth And the Angel said to the Virgin Mary that she should bring forth a Son and his Name should be called Jesus Matth. 1.21 23. Q. Why did the Son of God became Man A. Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 Q. But why should he become Man for the saving of Sinners A. Because he was to save them in a way of suffering for them He came to redeem them from the curse of the Law being made himself a Curse for them Gal. 3.13 He came to give his Life a Ransom for many Matth. 20.28 as St. Peter also saith Christ suffered for Sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God 1 Pet. 3.18 And the Prophet foretold that the Saviour of Mankind should be true man and be born of a Virgin which was fulfilled in Christ Isa 7.14 compared with Matth. 1.23 Q. What may we learn from these things A. 1. That Man was fallen into a dreadfull Depth of Misery by Sin seeing he hath need of such a mighty Saviour to deliver him from the guilt and punishment thereof 2. That our own works and services are not sufficient to save us for then what need of Christ to save us through the merit of his Sufferings 3. That Christ having done and suffered so much for Sinners therefore Returning Sinners fleeing to him for Mercy shall be sure to find it for his sake He himself saith whosoever cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out Joh. 6.37 Q. But why would Christ become subject to Death and such extreme Sorrows for Sinners sake A. It was his Love that moved him thus to suffer for them He loved us and gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice as we read in Eph. 5.2 Q. But how could it be Just that Christ should suffer so great Miseries for he being free from evil of Sin Holy Harmless Undefiled in Heb. 7. did not deserve any evil of Suffering A. Very sure since Christ was such an one he could deserve no Suffering and therefore could not justly be exposed to such Sufferings upon his own Account he became therefore a Sufferer upon the Account of Sinners undertaking for them and offering himself as the great High Priest of his Church and People Eph. 5.2 He gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice Heb. 7.26 Such a High Priest became us as is Holy Harmless Vndefiled and in 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ suffered for Sins The just for the unjust Q. But was it not a wrong to Him to be such a Sufferer A. He suffered indeed wrongfully from Men because he deserved not those Evils which they layed upon by crucifying him by reproaching him and the like that we read of in the Gospel But it was no wrong to be exposed thereto by the appointment of his Heavenly Father who was infinitely Just and Holy and yet delivered Him to punishment that is for our offences as in Rom 4.25 And as he came to do the will of God his Father Lo I come to do thy will Heb. 10.9 So it was his own will to suffer for sinners and he came for that purpose into the World The Son of man said Christ of himself came to give his Life a Ransome for many Matth. 20.28 Q. What may this teach us A. 1. It may teach us that Christ was the great Example of Lowliness and Love and to think nothing too much to do for his glory whose Loving-kindness moved him to stoop so Low and suffer so much for the sake and Salvation of Sinners 2. It may assure us that Christ who in his abundant Love came to seek and to save lost Sinners and
and confirm our Resolutions of serving thee Help us by Faith to overcome the world to deny our selves and our own wills to follow thee Lord let thy Mercy Compass us about this day and preserve us from outward and Bodily Mischiefs for thou Lord only makest us to dwell in safety And especially be pleased to keep us from those things that may be hurtful to our Souls O let us not meet with Temptations to dishonour thee or else give us Grace and strength to Resist and overcome them And in the midst of all oppositions and Hindrances whatsoever Help us O God to look unto thee by Faith to wait upon thee by Prayer and to encourage our Selves in thy ways by the Hope of that Eternal Salvation which thou hast assured to them that truly obey thee Be gracious we beseech thee O Lord to this sinful Land and turn thy wrath away from us in the Causes of it Maintain thy true Religion among us and grant unto us and our posterity the blessed Liberty of looking into thy perfect Law for the Direction and comfort of our precious Souls Lord Bless in a special manner and with the choicest Blessings our Soveraign Lord the King and his Relations and Councils and grant That under Him we may lead quiet and peaceable Lives in all Godliness and Honesty Let his Reign be Prosperous and his Days many and make True Religion to flourish in his Time Bless our Relations Friends living in the World Lord give and continue to them what is needful for this Life and chiefly what is most needful for the Life to come And now also O our God we desire to Bless thy Holy Name for all thy Mercies to us sleeping and waking throughout all the parts and passages of our Lives that we have not this Night slept the sleep of Death but have awaked again because thou O Lord hast sustained us O help us still to live unto thee by whom we live And let our little time through thy Mercy and Grace prepare us for a Happy Eternity And all we beg in the Name and for the sake of the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord who hath taught us to pray saying Our Father c. An Evening Prayer for a Family MOst great and gracious Lord God who hast brought us by thy good Providence to the end of this Day thou art more than worthy of our evening Sacrifice of praises and Thanksgiving And though we are not worthy to lift up our Hands in thy Name yet O Father of Mercies accept our Prayers and Services which we offer up unto thee in the name of thy Son Jesus Christ O Lord we must needs Acknowledge we are by Nature Children of wrath we are sinful in our Natures and Sinful in our Lives transgressing thy Law dayly and do not know how often we have offended But all our offences are known unto thee who searchest the Hearts and art acquainted with all our ways We confess O God the least of them as committed against thy glorious Majesty makes us justly liable to thy Wrath and Displeasure for ever more O then into what a Depth of Destruction and Misery would all our sins together cast us if thou shouldst enter into Judgment with us and call us to strict Accounts for them even the sinning Angels could not stand in thy sight How then could we in such a Case But blessed be thy Name thou hast told us that thou art a Merciful God and that there is Forgiveness with thee O be gracious we beseech thee And let that Rich Mercy be shewed upon us O let the whole multitude of our Sins be blotted out in the greater multitude of thy tender Compassions Remember not any of our offences against us but pardon and Accept us O Heavenly Father for the sake of thy Son Jesus Christ in whom thou art alwaies well pleased For his sake we pray thee be Reconciled to us and shew us thy Salvation And as we Beg of thee that sin may not ruine us hereafter so we beseech thee O God Let it not Reign in us here but do thou vouchsafe to Rule us by thy Word and Spirit and so put thy Fear in our Hearts that we may not grosly depart from thee O teach us to do the things that please thee For thou art our God and there is none that teacheth like thee In the light of thy Law O Lord let us see light and know in this our Day the things that most concern our Everlasting Peace Give us such a deep sense of our own sinfulness as may make us prize us prize thy Christ above all this world and enable us so to come unto Him as that we may find in him true Rest for our Soules Lord make us to see the vanity of the Earth the vileness of Sin the beauty of Holiness and the benefit of thy Service And let our Hearts be in love with those holy Commandments in keeping of which there is great Reward And enable us so to be Followers of Righteousness as that the Day of our Death may be unto our Souls a Day of Peace And with us O God we pray thee be merciful to all thy Afflicted people that call upon thee send them help in time of need And let them find thy peace in due season that truly seek thy Mercy and Grace Be gracious to the Land wherein we live Lord forgive the crying Sins of the Nation O Consult thy own Compassions and turn from us those heavy Judgements that we have deserved And when the Day of Evil comes upon us O Remember us in thy goodness Lord mercifully grant to us and our Posterity the purity of thine Ordinances the liberty of thy Word and Worship O let thy Testimonies be our Heritage for ever And never leave us in the Hands of those Men that would hide thy Commandments from us And let thy Mercy O God be magnified upon and continued towards thy Servant and our Soveraign that now is over us Let thy Wisdom be his Guide and thy providence his Guard agaist all his Enemies Help him to Rule for thee in Earth and fit him to Raign with thee in Heaven Bless we pray thee also our Friends and Relations wheresoever dispersed upon the face of the Earth Lord graunt them the protections of thy Providence and call not for them out of this Life till thy grace hath fitted them for a Better Let our Enemies also find thy Favour fit them for thy Mercy and shew thy Mercy upon them Bless O Lord we pray thee All that belong to our Family and make all of them that are capable of knowing thy Name to serve thee acceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear And now O thou powerful preserver of Men without whom nothing is able to keep us in safety we pray thee keep us safe from the power of Evil Men or Spirits from Fire Frights and all dreadful Dangers whatsoever And now also O God we desire to offer up our unfeigned Praise and Thanks for All the manifold Benefits that we have received at thy merciful Hand For Food and Raiment Rest and Peace and all those things that are needful for our Bodies But especially for all those advantages that are afforded us for our Soul 's good O help us so to improve them for all purposes of Holiness as that at the Day of Jesus Christ we may find Peace and not be ashamed before Him at his Coming And all we humbly beseech at thy Hands for the same Christ Jesus sake in whose blessed Name and Words we pray as he hath taught us saying Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this Day our Daily Bread And forgive us our Debts as we forgive our Debtors And lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from Evil for thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen O Everlasting Lord most High Vouchsafe to hear for Jesus ' Merit And to my Soul do thou draw nigh By th'Influences of thy Spirit Thy Greatness cause me to Adore Who all my Breath hast in thy Hand And thine Assistance to implore That dost the Hosts of Heaven command And as the Hart that Hunted is Doth for the Streams of water Thirst So make me seek the path of Bliss And prize the Riches of thy Christ Oh fix my Thoughts on things Above And let my Soul more often Taste Even here on Earth by Faith and Love The Pleasures that for ever last FINIS