On holy Days appointed for the more folemn Worship of God, the Worship of the whole Family in the Church will not excuse their publick Worship at home, : The Master of the family is to see that the duty of the family be not only done, but well done; that himself, and at least one of his family be duly prepar'd for it. And it belongs to him to do all that lies in him to have all the rest duly prepar'd, d Matth. 6.6,11. 2 Tim. 1. 3. In the morning, when I am dress'd and wash'd, and the room where I pray, is set in as decent order as it may be; and in the evening, before I am drowsie, or have begun to undress my felf. XVIII. Q. What must you do, that you may be fit to worship God, and give him thanks, and call upon him? a Pf. 66. 18. Prov. 8. 9. See 27, 29 2. Gen. 32. 10. Luke 8, 13, 14. Rom. 3. 23, 4. ch. 6. 23. Matth. 7. 7 to 12. Lark 11: 24. 1 John 13, 14. Because by his Dyfor the forgiveness our fins n'd all mercies for See the Creed 44 153 2. e Heb. 7. - ch. 9. 24. ; A. I must truly repent a, and confefs my felf unworthy of any of God's mercies b. I must believe that God will perform his promises to hear our Prayers, and will do what is best for us d, for the fake of Christ's Dying for the forgiveness of our fins d, and his praying for us e. And I must understand all that I speak unto God f. Ecclef. 5. 1. John 4. 24. Matth. 15. 8, 9. 1 Cor. 14. 16. XIX. Q. When you are so fit, how must you rship God, and give him thanks, and call upon ? Fam. 4. 6. 7, 10. am. 4. 8, 9, 10. I beg forgiveness A. I must decently kneel before him, with all lowliness of mind a. I must consess my fins, with hearty forrow for them b. I E 2 muft e Jam. 1. 6, 7, 8. are unworthy of any of God's mercies. 18 2. b. g John 16. 23, 24, 26. must beg grace with a full purpose to do, by the help of it, all that God requires c. And I must humbly d, and heartily e, pray and give thanks for all mercies, both for my felf, and for all others f, in the name of Chrift g. Eph. 5. 20. XX. Q. How must you pray and give thanks for all mercies in the name of Cbrift ? A. I must pray for all mercies for the fake of See 18. Chrift's Dying for the forgiveness of our fins, and 2. d,e. his praying for us. And I must give thanks for all mercies, as received for the sake of his fo Dying and praying for us. * a XXI. Q. What is to honour God's Holy Name? P/. 145. 8, 9, 17. God, Lord, The Fa ther, The Son, The Holy Ghost, Jesus, Chrift, &c. + Almigh ty, Our Heavenly Fa. A. I must think and speak of God nothing but what is very good a, and reverently use his Names * and Titles + b; and pay due reverence to all things that are his c. Glory, &c. +6P/. 111. 9. Ezek. 44. 23. must you honour God's Holy XXII. Q. How a Pf. 103. 10. * And also thankfully, A. I must believe that he does most justly a, and moft mercifully fend fickness and other afflictions for the good of his Servants b; and therefore bear them patiently c* XXIII. Q. XXIII. Q. How must you honour God's Holy Name in his Judgments ? * Righteousness and equity. P. 98. 9. a Rom. 2. 2. A. I must be sure that the Judgment of God is according to truth * a; and remember that b Rom. 11.33. However God deals with men in this world, St. James assures us that no man sinneth unto everlasting death, for want of God's Grace to save him. Jam. 1. 13, 14, 15. unsearchable are bis judgments, and his ways past finding out b. XXIV. Q. What are God's things that you must honour ? a Luke 8. 15, 18. * All the folemn Service of God in the * A. Imust honour his Word a, his Worship b, his Ordinancesc, his Ministers d, his House e, his Holy Days f, and his Revenue g. Church, or in the family, or in secret. b Levit. 10.3. Pf. 29.2. Mal. 1. 8. + Cate chizing (Matth. 28. 19, 20) Preaching, (Rom. 12. 6, 8.) the Sacraments, Confirmation, Matrimony, Visitation of the fick, छ. c Levit. 10.3. Pf. 29. 2. d 1 Cor. 4. 1. 1 Theff. 5.12,13. e Levit. 19. 30. 1 Chr. 22.5. ch.29.1. Hagg. 1.9. The House of God ought surely in all respects to be more Decent than the house of any man in the parish. The richer part ought to do what cannot be done by a common affefsment. Did not God give thee thy riches? And art thou unwilling to offer honourably unto God of his own? How art thou not afraid to honour thy own house more than the house of God? The pretence of sparing cost in the Honour of God, for the relief of the poor, is fully answer'd Mark 14.3 to 10. John 12. 3 to 9. Prov. 3. 9, 10. Haggai 1.9. ch. 2. 15 to 20. If thou wilt save for the poor, save from the honour of thy self, not from the honour of God. Mark 11.15, 16. The profanation which Chrift would not fuffer, was not of the House of the Temple, into which none but the Priests entred, (Luke 1. 10.) but of the Court or Yard. And the sellers and money-changers provided sacrifices and money for the Service of God. Is it then no profanation to make God's House, the House it self, a Play-house for young men? See the 88th Canon. and The whole Duty of Man, Sunday 2. 13. f Ifai. 58. 13, 14g Mal. 3.8 to 13. Levit. 27.28. Ezek. 48. 14. E3 XXV. Q. XXV. Q. What is to honour God's Word? Deut. 10. 12, 13. e Deut. 4.8. Pf. 119. 72. *And to beware of taking any of its words in a hard sense. John 6. 52. 60, 66. How highly pleas'd was Christ with the Woman of Canaan, for her faith in his Goodness, notwithstanding his severe words! Matth. 15. 22 to 29. : XXVI. Q. What other things are you command ed in this Commandment ?. a Luke 24.47. b Joel 2. 12, 13. Not only that we may be fav'd from such judgments as are threatn'd in that Chapter: but that we may be sav'd from everlasting Damnation. c. Matth. 28. 19. d Acts 8. 14 to 18. John 7.37, 38, 39. Heb. 6. 1, 2, See the Title, 62. e In the Lord's Supper we remember Christ's Sea A. That I may serve God truly all the days of my life, I am commanded to give up my self to God's service by Repentance a, and Fasting b, and Baptifmc: to receive Confirmation, that I may be strengthned in his service d; and to partake constantly of the Lord's Supper, that I may be preserv'd in the same service e. ling the New Testament by his Dying for the forgiveness of our fins; with giving up our selves to obey all the Commands, and to believe all the Promises of the New Testament so Seal'd. And then God surely gives us the forgiveness and grace, and all other mercies promis'd in the New Testament. XXVII. Q. What is your duty of Repentance ? call to mind, as well as of a; and be earnestly forry I can, all I have dope, and lament for having so of of left undone, con fended fended our infinitely * kind Father b, and for being so unthankful to him c. Then I must confess my fins to him, all I can remember d; and earnestly beg of him to forgive me e. for the fake of his Son Jesus Chrift his Dying for our pardon f. And I must make stedfast faithful resolutions to love God, trary to the Three things which my Godfathers and Godmothers promis'd in my name. And in every Commandment I must inquire what I have done, or left undone contrary to it. I must also confider the greatness of my fins; and how they were made greater by my finning knowingly; (Luke 12. 47.) or when I had time to confider of them; or by finning wilfully against the warning and checks of my confcience; (See Numb. 15.30, 31.) or by falling again, or often into the same sin; (Numb. 14. 22.) or by breaking my resolutions and vows of amendment; or by coming to a custom and habit of a fin; or by continuing in my fins after God's corrections, or great mercies, or after reproofs and exhortations of Ministers, or other friends; or by loving the fin, and in ticing all I can into it. * Beyond all I can fay or think. Ps. 145. 8, 9, 17. John 3. 16. Rom. 5. 7, 8. b Job 42. 6. Foel 2. 12 13. Fam. 4. 8, 9, 10. c Deut. 32.6. For Making us; and for making this world and heaven for us; for Redeeming us, even by the Bitter Death of his Only Son; for giving his Holy Spirit to Sanctify us; for his giving us all we have; for all his Especial favours and deliverances; for all his calls to repentance and amendment; and for his sparing me, notwithstanding all my fins and provocations. d Levit. 16:21. Numb. 5.6, 7.1 John 1.9. I must for rowfully declare unto God my fins against each part of my Vow: of Baptifm, and against each Commandment. And I must also declare the circumstances that increase their guilt; as how I have finned knowingly, or wilfully, &c. See Note a. But in Confeffing our fins, and in Examining our selves, there is Difcretion torbe us'd. As we cannot find out all our fins, nor every particular fin of those sorts of fins which we find in our selves: So a tedious and over-curious examination will rather disturb our minds, than further our repentance. We must do as) well as we can in a reasonable time. And when we confefs our fins, we may confess those which we have often committed, or have been accustomed to, by saying such words as these, I have often neglected thy publick worship. I have long accustomed my self to the grievous fin of swearing, &c. De Matth. 6. 12. Pf. 25. 6, 7, 11, 18. f Matth. 261 28. E 4 and |