not be given up to idleness gaming nor the excessive love of any sports or pleasures nor may venture amongst such wicked companions as would entice me to ungodly courses neither let their jeers and scorns ever make me ashamed of a strict and holy life Make me ever careful to hearken to the reproofs and instructions of godly friends and to keep my self employed in honest and lawful labours or in the duties of religion And whilst I shall continue in this dangerous world be thou oh God my upholder and my guide I desire heartily to give up my self to thee to be disposed of as seems good in thy sight begging only that in every condition through my whole life I may be kept faithful to thee and diligent in thy service that so at length I may be brought safe through all difficulties and dangers into that everlasting rest which remains for thy people Be merciful to the whole world fill the same with the knowledge of thy Gospel and let the coming of Christ in glory be hastned Be gracious to these nations to our King with all his royal Relations and all Magistrates under him Bless the Ministers of thy holy word with all thy people and my kindred and friends Shew mercy to all them that are in affliction and let thy blessing be upon this Family to which I belong I praise thy name for the mercies of this last night and beg thy presence with me this day that I may not do any thing which is displeasing to thee but may ever so live in thy fear that I may be sure of thy favour both here and to all eternity And all I humbly beg for thy dear Son Jesus sake who hath taught us to pray saying Our Father which art in heaven Hallowed c. EVENING PRAYER MOst great and glorious Lord God Thou dwellest in the highest heavens and yet thou regardest the meanest of thy creatures here on this earth and art ever ready to shew mercy to such as do humbly and earnestly seek to thee for the same Wherefore I do now most humbly beseech thee to take pity on me a weak and worthless creature and to deal with me not after my deserts but according to the multitude of thy tender compassions I cannot alas plead any deserts of my own for though I am thy creature yet am I a vile sinner one that deserves not the least of all thy mercies I was born into this world with a sinful and corrupt nature which is prone to wickedness and very backward and listless to any thing that is good And I have already shewn forth the sinfulness of my nature in those sins which I have committed against thee Though my years have been but few yet my sins have been many and very grievous Of that little time which I have lived in the world I have wasted much in folly and idleness in sports and pleasures seldom thinking what I was sent into the world for or how I might do to make my self happy for ever I have indeed been often taught that I was made on purpose to serve thee oh God in obeying thy commandments that so I might live with thee for ever in heaven yet have I grievously neglected thy service and have not made it my business to get acquainted with thy holy laws and those plain commands which I have known I have often wilfully broken Little delight have I had in praying to thee in reading or hearing thy holy word but have greatly neglected these duties and have oft spent the Lords day in idleness and playing Yea with shame I must confess I have taken pleasure in reading any foolish book rather than in the holy Bible And though I could well enough remember idle stories vain and wanton songs yet have I soon forgotten thy blessed word after I have read or heard the same Many times have I been disobedient to my Parents and to those who have had rule over me and when I have committed faults I have been presently ready to tell lies for the excusing my self though I knew I did ill therein Very easily have I been drawn into ill company and to joyn with them in doing evil and though I have seen many of my companions as young as I die before me yet have I seldome thought with my self how I should do to get fitted for death or what would become of me after death in another world Now oh Lord I beseech thee to open my eyes and soften my heart and work in me a true sorrow and repentance for these and all other the sins which I have at any time committed against thee that so I may find mercy and forgiveness from thee Have mercy upon me oh thou God of mercy and for the Lord Jesus sake be at peace with me Let his precious blood wash me from all my sins and procure thy favour that I may escape those eternal torments which I have most justly deserved Through the Lord Jesus do thou become my gracious loving Father owning me as thy dutiful child And help me to shew that I am so by living in a careful obedience to all thy holy laws Oh that the time past of my life may suffice to have spent so vainly and carelesly Lord make me for the time to come diligent and careful in serving thee and in working out my own salvation Make me so wise for my own good that I may put off the amending of my ways and leading a godly life till hereafter Let me not think it too soon to set about that work for which all my life was given me and is all little enough Justly then maist thou shorten my days if I should wilfully defer my repentance and reformation Yea justly maist thou refuse to accept of me in old age if now I spend my youth and the best of my days in serving the Devil and satisfying my own lusts Wherefore oh Lord I beseech thee now betimes to encline my heart to thy fear and service that when I am old I may never depart from thee Make me always sensible of the shortness and uncertainty of my life that numbring my days I may apply my heart to wisdome and through my whole life may make this my great study and care to get an everlasting happiness in the world to come Oh never suffer me good God to become so foolish as for any pleasures of sin to part with the hopes of eternal glory and to sell my soul into the hands of Satan to be tormented with him for ever But do thou oh Lord strengthen me by thy grace against all his temptations and against the allurements of the world and the flesh that they may not prevail over me Help me to flee all youthful lusts and to follow after sobriety chastity and all manner of purity virtue and godliness When-ever I am ready to run into sin oh then fill my mind with the thoughts of that Hell to which sin leads and let the hopes of
And does that sign agree to that Sect who absurdly call themselvos Romane Catholicks A. Less than to any other Sect whatever for they are bound by the definitions of Popes Councils which if they contradict they cannot be Papists to judge all men damn'd that are not of their Sect thereby condemning many millions of Christians far better than themselves which horrid uncharitableness is enough to keep wise men from amongst them Q. Are the Churches which be reformed from Popish innovations parts of the Catholick Church of Christ A. Yes and the best and soundest parts thereof agreeing in all matters of substance with the Church of Christ in all ages and nations of the world Q. How prove you that A. In that these reformed Churches as particularly our Church of England do profess to hold nothing as necessary to salvation which is not contained in the holy Scriptures which same Scriptures are received and believ'd by all other Christian Churches who do thereby approve of all that we hold as necessary Q. But why did these reformed Churches at first depart from Communion with the Church of Rome A. Because the Romish Church imposed such new fangled doctrines and practises as were plainly contrary to the word of God and therefore it was in those things to be departed from by all those who would conform themselves to the ancient Church as it was settled by Christ and his Apostles Q. What mean you by Communion of Saints A. That Communion which Saints have with God and Christ their Head by partaking of his Holy Spirit and with one another in their mutual likeness and love and in their assembling together for the worship of God Q. What mean you by saying you believe the Forgiveness of Sins A. I hereby profess to believe that they who repent of their sins trust in and obey the Lord Jesus shall for his sake find God so gracious to them as to free them from that condemnation and punishment to which their sins made them liable Q. What mean you by Resurrection of the Body A. I hereby profess to believe that at the last day God will raise up all that were dead and change those that are then alive and that they shall appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ. Q. What mean you by Life everlasting A. I do hereby profess my belief of a future state after this life wherein the Righteous shall enjoy everlasting happiness and the wicked shall be sentenced into everlasting torments Q. But does it not seem very harsh to think that God should punish any the worst of sinners with everlasting torments A. No not when we consider what graciou terms were proposed to them for their obtaining of glory and escaping of this misery and how they themselves did wilfully refuse the offers of grace when they knew this misery would follow upon that refusal Q. What then is safest for us all to do in this case A. So to believe and fear these terrible threatnings of Christ as to take the only sure way to escape them by obeying his commands rather than to quarrel with them or presume they will prove false So much for the Articles of your Belief HAve you also a brief Summary of the whole duty of man in reference to is practice A. Yes the ten commandments Q. Rehearse the first A. I am the Lord thy God which brought the out of the land of AEgypt out of the house of bondage Thou shalt have no other Gods before me Q. What learn you from the first commandment and the Preface set before it A. I hence learn that we are bound to acknowledge that God who is our Maker Owner and the giver of all our mercies to be the only true and living God and to behave our selves toward him accordingly Q. How doth it beseem us creatures to behave our selves toward this our God A. We are bound to love him with our highest love to put our whole confidence in him to reverence admire and rejoyce in him to pray to him and praise him to obey all his commands without grudging and to submit to all his providences without murmuring or repining Q. Which is the second Commandment A. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth thou shalt not bow down thy self to them nor serve them for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments Q. What are we taught in the second Commandment A. The second Commandment teacheth us to worship God according to his own appointment and to take special heed that we make not any image or picture of him nor give religious worship to an Image upon any pretence whatsoever Q. What reason do you find given for the engaging our obedience to this Command A. The reason here given is that God is a jealous God who therefore will not suffer himself to be dishonoured by mens making and worshipping any thing as an Image of him but will severely punish such idolaters and their posterity whilst the true lovers and worshippers of him shall be plenteously rewarded even to many generations Q. What other reason do you find given in the repetition of the Law Deut. 4. 12 15 16. c. A. We there find this farther added that when God spake to the children of Israel they only heard a voice but saw no similitude or bodily shape and therefore it is unreasonable to make any image or resemblance of him Q. How ought we then to conceive of God when we worship him A. We ought not to conceive of him under any bodily shape but as a spiritual Being infinitely wise and powerful holy just and good who fills both heaven and earth with his presence and in his essence is unsearchable Q. What is the third commandment A. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain Q. What are we taught in the third Commandment A. The third Commandment enjoyns us to have so great reverence for God as not to take his name in vain Q. Who are they that take Gods name in vain A. Chiefly they who dare swear falsly by the name of God and they also who in their passion or ordinary discourse break forth into swearing Q. What Rule hath Christ given for our ordinary communication that we may avoid swearing A. That we should barely affirm or deny a thing using yes or no or the like expressions without oaths or imprecations Q. Is it enough to justifie these common oaths that some men will not as is pretended believe others except
from all immodest looks unchast thoughts and discourses from wanton songs books and pictures from lascivious dalliance light carriage and attire from idleness and intemperance the usual occasions of farther wickedness Q. What is the eighth Commandment A. Thou shalt not steal Q. What is forbidden in the eighth Commandment A. The eighth Commandment forbiddeth our doing any thing unjustly to the lessening of our neighbours estate whether by stealing from him or by cozenage and cheating in our bargains by wilful neglect to pay our debts or by oppression and extortion Q. Is this all that is required of us not to rob others of their wealth A. No But we must moreover be ready to lend or give to those that need according to our ability Q. What especially is to be done by us that we may avoid the breach of this Commandment A. We ought diligently to follow our several honest callings and employments and to live in such a sober and thrifty manner suitable to our estates and conditions that we may be able to pay our debts and relieve the poor and so shall not be put upon stealing gaming cheating or any wicked course for our livelihood Q. What is the ninth Commandment A. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour Q. What are we especially enjoyned in this ninth Commandment A. That when in any case we are called to be witnesses we speak nothing but the truth Q. What farther ought we to abstain from A. We ought to abstain from raising receiving or spreading false reports of our neighbour and from doing any thing to lessen his just esteem from rash and uncharitable censures from tale-bearing and tatling of other mens matters and from all lying in our communication one with another Q. What is the tenth Commandment A. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife nor his man servant nor his maid-servant nor his ox nor his asse nor any thing that is thy neighbours Q. What are we enjoyned in this Commandment A. The tenth Commandment enjoyneth us to be so thoroughly well content with our own condition that we should not envy or repine at any thing our neighbour enjoys nor covetously desire it from him Q. What are those general rules in the Gospel which include the whole of our duty to one another A. That we should love our neighbour as our selves and deal with all others as we our selves desire to be dealt with were we in their case Q. Give me some particular instances of this last Rule A. Masters ought to deal with their Servants as they themselves were they servants would in reason desire to be dealt with we must not give that ill language to others nor raise or entertain such stories of them as we our selves cannot bear when we are so us'd The Seller must deal as honestly and justly as he desires to be dealt with when he comes to buy c. Q. Can you by your own power perform these duties required of you A. No but we need the assistance of Gods grace which we are to seek for by prayer Q. To whom ought our prayers to be made A. To God only in the name of Iesus Christ. Q. May we not then pray to Angels and Saints A. No for we have no warrant for it from Scripture which in so weighty a matter of religion is necessary but very much against it Q. Name to me some one Text of Scripture where we are commanded to worship God only A. Mat. 4. 10. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Q. Where are we expresly forbidden the worship of Angels A. In Rev. 22. 9. when St. Iohn being about to worship the Angel he said to him see thou do it not for I am thy sellow-servant worship God Q. But may we not pray to Saints and Angels as our Mediatours that they would pray to God for us as when we put up a petition to the King we make use of some Courtier to present it for us A No for there is no likeness in the case God himself being most gracious and always near to us and moreover it tends to the great dishonour of the Lord Jesus who is our only Mediatour by whom we are to offer up our prayers to God Q. Name me some one Text to prove that Christ is our onely Mediatour A. 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is one God and one Mediatour betwixt God and Men the Man Christ Iesus Q. What farther reason can you alledge against praying to Saints and Angels A. It is in vain to pray to them because we have no reason to believe that they can hear the prayers that are made to them from several parts of the world it being proper to God only to be in all places at once Q. Is it lawful before hand to know the words we intend to use in prayer that is to use a form of our own or others making A. Yes it is lawful since it is no where forbidden in Scripture and the directions there given concerning prayer may be practised either with or without a form Q. But we are taught in Scripture to pray with or in the Script and does not that forbid the use of a Form A. No not at all since we may pray with the Spirit even then when we use a Form Q. When therefore may a man be said to pray with the Spirit A. When in his prayers he is hearty and serious his soul being filled with those holy desire and affections which are wrought in him by the Spirit of God Q. Is there in the Gospel any Form given us for our direction in prayer A. Yes that which Christ taught his Disciples and therefore called the Lords prayer Q. Let me hear you repeat it A. Our Father which art in heaven Hallowed be thy name Thy kingdom come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us and Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen Q. Into what parts may this prayer fitly be divided A. The Preface six petitions and the Conclusion Q. What learn you from the Preface Our Father which art in heaven A. That in all our addresses to God we ought to come before him with humility and reverence and yet with a firm confidence in his fatherly mercy and goodness Q. What do you pray for in the first Petition Hallowed be thy name A. That God may be known honoured and worshiped aright both by us and the whole world Q. What do you pray for in the second Petition Thy kingdom come A. That God may rule in the hearts and lives of men by his Spirit and laws that the Church may be enlarged by the conversion of
Heathens and Infidels and that the coming of Christ in glory may be hastned Q. What do you pray for in the third Petition which is Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven A. We herein pray that God would so conform all our hearts to his will that we may in our measure serve and honour him as faithfully chearfully and unweariedly as the blessed Spirits in heaven do Q. What pray you for in the sourth Give us this day our daily bread A. We herein pray that God would of his mercy afford to our Bodies such a measure of things needful and convenient as our daily necessities call for Q What pray you for in the fifth petition Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us A. We herein pray that God would be merciful unto us and not inflict on us those punishments which we for our sins have deserved Q. What means that expression as we forgive them that trespass against us A. We hereby profess both that it is our duty and our practice to forgive such as trespass against us and are thence encouraged to hope for mercy from God this forgiveness of others being one condition of his forgiving us Q. When may we be said to forgive him that trespassed against us A. When we bear no more grudg nor ill will to him than to any other nor would revenge our selves by doing him any injury if it lay in our power nor do rejoyce in any hurt that does befall him but are ready to do him good if he stand in need of our help Q. What then is their case who though they know this rule in the Gospel and daily say this prayer yet will not forgive men their trespasses A. They are guilty of lying to God in their prayers and do moreover in effect desire God not to forgive their sins but to punish them with everlasting damnation Q. What is the best motive to the performance of this so needful and difficult duty of forgiving Offendours A. Gods readiness to pardon us who have yet done infinitely more against him than any of our fellow-creatures can possibly do against us the serious consideration whereof will be apt to make us such towards others as we desire God should be toward us Q. What do we pray for in the sixth petition Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil A. We herein pray that God would not leave us to our selves to run into temptation and sin but that he would make us ever so watchful and diligent that we may either avoid the occasions of sin or through the help of his grace may overcome the temptations we meet with Q. To what use serve those words in the conclusion For thine is the kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever A. These words serve as our encouragement to ask all these things from God to whom alone belongs all power and dominion and they direct us to render all praise and glory to his eternal and ever-blessed Majesty Q. Wherefore do we say Amen at the end of this and other prayers A. This word Amen which signifies as much as verily or so be it is used to express the earnest desire and great hopes we have that our prayers will be heard and answered To those especially for whose use the following Forms of Prayer were intended Beloved Friends YOu might with some reason be displeased with me should I question your belief of the being of a God and of your relation to him as he is your Creator Ruler and Benefactor but you can have no reason to be displeased with me for exhorting you to the performance of that duty which this belief doth strongly engage you to that is to testifie your acknowledgment of God and dependance upon him by your daily offering up a sacrifice of prayer and praise to his Divine Majesty For if you dare live at such a distance from God as not to come before him and worship him it s much to be feared you do not heartily believe that he is or that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him And this while alas how little do you differ from Heathens though you may carry the name of Christians And if wrath shall be poured out on the Heathen kingdoms and families that know not God nor call upon his name Ier. 10. 25. do you think it shall sare any better with the Families of those who are called Christians if whilst they profess to know God they do not worship and glorifie him as God Nay rather shall they not have a greater condemnation But I need not I hope stand arguing with you to shew either the necessity the reasonableness or benefit of this duty of prayer in general or of praying with your families If there should be any so perverse and quarrelsome as to call for arguments instead thereof to such let me only say If indeed you think that neither you nor yours are any way related to God nor owe him any service you may at your pleasure and also at your peril forbear to render him any If you think you stand in no need of daily protection or of any mercy either for soul or body or think that God cannot supply you therewith then chuse whether you will pray to him or no. And if you are not every day beholden to God for some good thing or other then you may neglect to give him thanks for his goodness And if on a Sick-bed or at a dying hour you think there will be no need of prayer you may then omit it in the time of life and health But for all those who wouldnot be thought guilty of such Atheism and profaneness I would beseech them to make conscience of this duty To this end let me advise you every day morning and evening to take the most convenient time when your whole family can come together and then to joyn all in humble solemn prayer and praise to that great and glorious God who is the maker and preserver of us all And for your more orderly performance of this duty if you have no better helps at hand you may if you see good make use of the Forms ensuing compos'd for that purpose Here fall not I beseech you to devising of excuses to shift off this work any more than you would do if you and your Family were invited to a feast or to share in some great Dole For shame pretend not you are so poor or so hard wrought that you cannot spare time for this service of God as if this was only for rich men who have nothing else to do I know indeed there is more required of them than of you that are poorer but yet you have souls to save as well as they and therefore if you have any love for your selves you will be as willing to take what pains you can to save them You would not leave it to rich men only to
of a Prince or Iudge and labour to be like affected whilst you are begging from God forgiveness of sins and eternal life Whilst you are blessing God for his goodness let your hearts be drawn sorth to the exercise of holy love and delight in him Inwardly thirst after that grace you pray for resolving with diligence to labour for it c. And by what I have now said you may plainly perceive that the sincerity of your hearts in prayer is to be known not so much by your present servour and affection as by your behaviour afterward and by the constant tenour of your lives He and he only is the true worshipper of God and prays to him aright who by his daily actions and endeavours doth manifest the same inward setled apprehensions and desires which his words express whil'st he is praying For instance you beg of God to take off your hearts from the world and all things here below and to increase in you a love to himself to his Son Iesus and to the glory which is above Now to manifest that you are sincere in this request you must do your part toward the obtaining of what you beg that is you must set your selves to the serious consideration of the vanity the shortness and emptiness of present things you must consider the nature of your own souls and the allsufficiency of God you must reflect upon the goodness he hath already shown the love of Christ in dying for us and the great and precious promises of the Gospel and by this means you shall find the Spirit of God working in you those graces which you pray for So when you pray against this or that sin to which you are most enclined and in danger of you must both use particular considerations against it and must keep out of the temptations avoid the place and company where you are like to be drawn to it c. Otherwise what do you but solemnly mock God As if one man should come to another and with a great deal of adoe beg his help in any labour and then run away and never set's own hand to 't Or as if a man should pray to have his house kept from burning and then straight way go and put fire to it In prayers for temporal mercies you do not do thus for beside praying for your daily bread you take pains to get it in your several trades and employments And do you think you are not bound to do as much for your souls as for your bodies Or have you promises of grace any more than of daily bread without endeavouring for it in the way God hath set you Nay rather whereas you are oft restrained from too much care about the world you are again and again enjoyned to labour for the meat which endures to everlasting life Ioh. 6. 27. For the Lords sake then beware of cheating your souls with that common mistake which is the ruine of thousands both of this party and that whilst they foolishly imagine that their much praying and hearing will serve turn for their salvation instead of an holy heart and life and so they are but devout in the Church or Closet it matters not what liberty they take in the market in the shop or at the Alehouse and when they have but said a good prayer in the morning they may do what they list all the day after or at least they can make all whole by praying devoutly at night How grosly do such men abuse themselves and their services who would by these excuse themselves from holiness when as one great reason of them is to help and strengthen us for strict and holy living And therefore have I endeavoured so to contrive the ensuing Forms that they who use them might even thereby find themselves instructed and engaged to be holy in all manner of Conversation For which there seems sufficient warrant in our Blessed Saviours own example in that most absolute Form which he hath given us whilst with the petition for that great and comprehensive mercy of the Gospel Forgiveness of sins he hath interwoven an engagement to that great duty which will prove us to be Christians indeed the forgiving of all those who who have trespast against us Let this then be firmly believed and deeply fixt in your minds that as you would be loth to take up with a parcel of good words from your servants every day instead of the work you set them so no more will God be put off with prayers Sermons or any thing instead of a sincere and hearty endeavour to render a constant universal obedience to his pure and righteous commands Christ himself hath plainly enough told us what 's like to become of all those who only cry Lord Lord and yet do not obey the will of God Mat. 7. 21. We must wash our hands in innocency and so compass Gods Altar if we would have our offerings accepted of him Psal. 26. 6. And beside our endeavours to glorifie God by offering up of praise we must order our conversation aright if ever we would see the salvation of God Psal. 50. 23. Of almost all men I know I pray God deliver my soul from the state of those who can pray devoutly be it with book or without and yet go on in sin securely But 't is time for me to conclude though I have much ado to confine my self on so needful a Subject To shut up all then who-ever thou art that readest this Let thy soul to use the Psalmists phrase Psal. 63. 8. follow hard after God in earnest prayer both in the Church thy Closet and thy Family and beside this do thou follow after peace and holiness Heb. 12. 14. in thy life and conversation so shalt thou certainly see and enjoy God in that glory where prayers shall be turned into everlasting praises Amen MORNING PRAYER for a Family MOst Holy and ever-blessed Majesty Thou renewest thy mercies upon us every Morning and every Morning we desire to renew our thanksgivings And here we are now come before thee humbly to offer up thanks and praise for our safety and refreshment this last night to thee the God of love who givest us daily cause to admire thy bounty and to speak good of thy name We acknowledge thee oh God to be our Maker and Preserver thou didst at first give us life and reason and from thee it is we have received all the comforts of life from the very day of our birth to this present morning Through thy goodness it is we have enjoyed any measure of health and strength and have been furnisht with things needfull and convenient for this present state Thy good hand of providence hath still been over us either in keeping us out of dangers and troubles or else in supporting and helping us under them or in delivering us out of the same For these and all other thy mercies at any time bestowed on us or ours or any of the Sons
of men we desire to render humble and hearty praise to thy divine Majesty Yea blessed and for ever praised be thy name oh God that thou hast not only shewn much mercy to our bodies but hast also made abundant provision for the everlasting welfare and happiness of our precious souls Most fully hast thou declared to the world both in thy word and by thy works that thou hast no delight in the death of sinners but hadst rather that they would turn and live For even then when we were fallen from thee and from that blessed estate wherein our first Parents were created and so stood liable to thy wrath and to everlasting damnation then wast thou pleased to take pity on us when none else in heaven or earth did pity or could relieve us Even then didst thou give thine own Son Iesus Christ from heaven to be our Saviour and Redeemer to teach us thy will to give us thy Spirit and to die for our sins that as many as believe on him and obey him should not perish but have everlasting life Oh what manner of love is this which thou the Father hast shewn and which thy Son Iesus hath shewn to us worthless creatures to us vile sinners The sense of our own unworthiness may justly encrease our admiration of thy kindness and when we consider all this thy goodness great cause we have to humble our souls before thee in the remembrance of our own sinful and most unsuitable carriage toward thee the God of love We did indeed bring along into the world with us sinful natures and inclinations for in sin we were conceived and brought forth in iniquity And alas how many sins have we committed since we came to the use of our Reason Though thou hast always been doing us good yet like foolish and unthankful wretches we have returned evil for good We have been far from loving thee and trusting in thee as beseems thy creatures but rather have we wasted our love upon the vain and fading enjoyments of this present world in them have we delighted and in them have we placed our confidence Though we have called thee our Maker and Owner yet have we not quietly and patiently submitted to thy will as we are therefore bound because we are thy own But very ready we have been both to murmur and repine at thy providences when they have gone cross to our carnal desires and to find fault with thy laws as if they were too strict and severe because they are contrary to our foolish sensual inclinations Oftentimes have we neglected the duties of thy worship mis-spent and profaned thy Holy day and have look'd on prayers Sermons and Sacraments as burthensome and needless things And very trifling and careless have we been in those duties we have performed not duly considering what an holy and glorious God thou art with whom we have to do Thou indeed hast commanded us to love our neighbours as our selves but we through the sinful and excessive love of our selves and our own concernments have been very much wanting in the duties of justice and charity to others Much of our precious time we have wasted in idleness and vanity in unprofitable and sinful company and too frequently we have abused thy good creatures for the satisfaction of our own base lusts Often have we given way to our own unruly passions and sinful inclinations breaking thy laws and grieving thy Spirit merely for the tasting those pleasures of sin that are but for a season And these deeds of darkness these sins of ours we have committed in the open light of thy Gospel contrary to the plain commands of thy word which we have often read and heard yea contrary to the motions of thy Spirit and the checks of our own consciences which we have felt within us Most justly therefore mightest thou pour out the hottest of thy fury upon us as having been of those disobedient servants who have known thy will and yet have not done the same Nor can we expect any other than to be made infinitely and eternally miserable if thou should'st deal with us after our deservings But there is yet through thy grace a door of hope open for us thou thy self hast provided a refuge to which poor sinners in this life-time may fly for safety and comfort For thou oh most merciful Father hast promised that thou wilt for thy Son Iesus sake have mercy on all those who are truly grieved for their sins humbly confessing and speedily for saking the same Now we must needs acknowledge those thy conditions of mercy are exceeding equal and gracious and most just it is we should perish for ever if we refuse the same For we cannot oh God in reason expect that our sins should be pardoned if we wilfully continue in them Nor can we ever hope that Christ should be our Saviour if we do not own and obey him as our Lord Nor can we look for the joys of heaven whilst we walk in those ways of wickedness which lead to Hell and damnation Oh wilt thou then make us sincerely willing to do what we our selves own to be so just and reasonable that we may not dare in an hardned and impenitent manner to go on in those ungodly courses which we are convinced are so dangerous and mischievous Let not our own vile lusts nor the temptations of Satan our malicious enemy prevail with us to reject our blessed Saviour and that eternal life which he purchast by his death and now offers to us in the Gospel How shall we then escape if we neglect so great salvation Or what shall we plead for our selves at the last great day if we that are called Christians should be found depisers of Christ How justly may he then destroy us not only as enemies but as Mockers and may give us our portion in the hottest place of the burning Lake with Hypocrites and unbelievers Wherefore we do now most humbly and earnestly beseech thee oh thou Father of mercies and God of all grace give us not up to such a reprobate mind and feared conscience but together with enlightned minds give us such soft and tender hearts that we may look back on the sins we have committed with shame and sorrow and may cast away from us even our most pleasant sins with bitter loathing and hatred never more to be reconciled to them And for thy Son Iesus sake be thou merciful to us own us as thy Redeemed ones and make us partakers of those great mercies and blessings which he hath purchast for all his faithful servants For his sake alone we beg from thee the forgiveness of our sins a freedome from thy wrath and from everlasting damnation And we do also beseech thee by him to deliver us from the evil of this present world even from the snares of the Devil and from the power of our own corruptions that no sin may reign in our mortal bodies so that we should yield obedience thereunto