The School of GRACE., Or, A Book of Good Nurture, for the Admonition and Instruction of Youth and Age in the fear of the Lord. With Godly Instructions, Graces, & Prayers describing the whole Duty of a Christian. By I. Hart, B. B. The 19th. Edition. Fear God, Honour the King. Printed for W. Thackeray and I. Par singer. Come ye Children, harken unto me and I will teach you the fear o● the Lord, Psalm 34.11: Ephes. 6.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. children obey your Parents in the Lord, for this is right. ●onour thy Father and Mother (Which is the first Commandment with promise.) ●…t it is may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the Earth. ●…l ye Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath; but bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. THe Blessed Apostle, in the former Chapter; having laid down several Chistian duties in the general, comes here to assert and lay down the several Duties. 1. Of Husbands and Wives. 2. Of Children and Parents. 3. Of Masters and Servants. These words contain the particular Duties of Children and Parents; Children obey your Parent; here is the children's Duty. Secondly, here is the manner of performance of this Duty, in the Lord; Children obey, your Parents in the Lord. In the next place the Apostle does lay down several Reasons and motives to encourage Christian Children to this Chistian Duty. 1. It is GOD'S Commandment so to do: Honour thy Father and Mother. 2. It is very beneficial for Children so to do; for first it shall be well with them if they do so, and secondly, their days shall be long upon the Earth: In the second place, we have here the duty of Parents; First, Negatively, what Parents should not by. And then secondly, Affirmatively, what they should do. 1. Negatively, they should not provoke their Children to Wrath. And 2. Affirmatively, They must bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. From the words thus opened, I gather these two Observations. 1. That it is the duty of Children to obey their Parents in the Lord. 2. That it is, the duty of Parents to Educate, instruct, and bring up their Children in the fear of the Lord. Harken to thy Father that begat thee, with Solomon, and despise not thy Mother when she is old, Prov. 23.22. Train up a Child in his Youth, saith Solomon, in the way he should go, and he will not departed from it, Prov. 22.6. Now that I may the better enforce this Duty, I shall a little open the particular duties of both. For one main reason why Children do so much neglect their Duty, is because Parents are so negligent of their own Duties: for it Parents did take more care (as their Duty is) to bring up their Children in the fear of God, surely Children would make more Conscience of performing their duty to their Parents. And that Children and Parents for the time to come may the better perform their Duties, I shall say down sundry Christian and Bodily Directions, suitable to all persons upon all occasions, and so conclude with some few patierns of Prayers and Graces, for the better benesit and Instruction of Children in the seat of God. The first Duty of Parents is, That they give their Children Christian Baptism, and thereby to Dedicate them unto the Lord. Secondly, Give unto your Children good Examples, for Children are prone by nature to follow the had Example of any, more especially their Parents. Thirdly, Pray unto God for a Blessing upon thy Children, that God would make them his Children, by enriching their Souls with Grace. Fourthly, Learn to instruct them be times by some good Catechisms, in the Principles of Christian Religion: and to Instruction, wisely and Correction: For he that spareth the Rod, saith Solomon, hateth his Child, but he that loveth him chasteneth him. Fifthly, Keep a constant and awful Authority over them, not suffeting them to be irrevetent: for this end, according to ancient and laudable custom, teach them reverently to ask thee blessing on their Knees. Sixthly, Labour to suppress all Sin, and wickedness in thy Children: and to this end suffer them not to lie, swear, curse, or profane the Lords day, else will thy Children have cause to curse thee to all Eternity. We find it recorded in Scripture of Goodly Parents, Educating their Children in the fear of the Lord: Abraham commanded his Children and Servants, Gen. 8.16. So likewise Joshua, and holy David, Job, and others. The Godly Life of the Child discovers the Godliness of the Parents: and thus if thou labourest to bring up thy Children in the fear of God, that thy Children may be God's Children, how Gloriously then have you provided for them? God is their Father, and they that have God for their Father shall never want: for as the Apostle saith, Godliness is profitable, having the promise of the Life that now is and the Life to come. Though thou leavess but a little of this World, yet remember God hath provided a Kingdom for them that serve him. Lastly, Cause thy Children friquently to frequent the Ordinances of Christ, both public and private; do not only pray with them and for them, but cause them to pray for themselves, and one for another; bring them constantly to hear the public Preaching of the word of God, and be assured by the blessing of God, your Children may be enriched with Grace here, and filled with glory hereafter; and in so doing thou may'st have joy and comfort; God may have Glory and honour, and thy Children Everlasting life, through jesus Christ. Now the Duty of Children to their Parents, in the first place you see, is Obedience; Children obey your Parents in the Lord; And this obedience of Children to their Parents, you see it must be in the Lord, and only in the Lord: for if Parents command their Children to do any thing contrary to the Word of God, then hay are not to obey them, they sin in so doing, for remember we must obey God rather than Man. Children are to learn good Instructions from their Parents; My Son, saith Solomon, hear the Instruction of thy Father, and forfake not the law of thy Mother, Prov. 1.1. etc. 3. Children are to honour and reverence their Parents; Honour thy Father and thy M●…her, (saith the Lord) Honour thy Parents, by thy modest, silent, humble and respective carriage towards them. Fourthly, Children ought to be thankful to their Parents, endeavouting if need be, to requite them for their Fatherly love and care towards them: honouring, relieving, and supplying them in all their several needs and necessities. And thus much briefly of the Duries of Parents and Children. I come now in the next place to give you some directions and instructions for the better performance of those several Duties: And my first advice to Children is, that they make daily Prayers to God. How precious a thing is it to hear Children praying, and low dreadful a thing to hear them Swearing and Cursing as soon as they can speak: God loves to hear his Children Praying; our Saviour received little Children in his arms, and unto little Children the Kingdom of Heaven belongs: And as a good Man saith; I had rather have my House filled with my children's Prayers, than with Diamonds and Pearls. Secondly, Take heed of telling Lies: Lie not one to another, saith the Apostle, Let your Communion be year, yea, and nay, nay, saith our Saviour. Remember Liars shall have their part in Fire and Brimstone, Rev. 22.4. Thirdly, Delight thyself in Reading good Books, read not foolish and wanton Books and Ballads, which tend only to the nourishment of Vice. Fourthly, Let not thy Children scoff and jeer at the Ancient, be they never so poor; Remember the dreadful judgement of God upon those wicked Children, in 2 Kin. 2.23, 24. who mocked and scoffed at the Prophet, they in derision called they Prophet Bald pate, and God in judgement for this wickedness, caused two Bears to devour two and forty of them. Love the Poor and plead their cause: remember what God saith, Blessed is he that considereth the Poor and Needy. Fifthly frequent the Word of God, sleep not at Churth, or at prayer, for remember, whosoever sleeps at Church, or at Prayer, the Devil rocks the Cradle. Sixthly, Let thy Apparel be decent and comely; take heed of Pride in thy Apparel; Remember Jezabel her wicked end, how sadly Gone met with her in her Painting; those Persons who are so curious in Painting and dressing themselves, surely the Devil holds them the Looking Glass. Seventhly, Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy; for surely those Children that Sweat and Lie, and break the Sabbath are the Devils Children, and they that spend the Sabbath in Playing and Caming, have the Devil for their Playfellow. Take heed then, I say, that you make not the Lords day, a day of Sports and Pastime: (as the Children of the Devil do.) Remember God hath allowed thee six days, do not then be so wicked as to rob him of the seventh: but God did not appoint the Sabbath for a day of sporting and pleasure, but for a day of Worshipping and serving God, a Day for Preaching and Prayer: Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy. Eighthly. See that you reverence and esteem the Ministers of God's Holy Word, account of them as they are indeed the Ministers of Christ. Remember what our Saviour saith; He that despiseth you, saith be to his Apostles, despiseth me, and he that despiseth me, shall be for ever despised of God. Ninthly, If thou be'st a Child of God, avoid then the Company of the Devils Children, that is, such as Swear and Curse, and Lie, and Steal, and use all manner of filthy talk. Keep not company with such least thou for thy pains learnest their Vices, and so partake of their punishment: that so when others shall answer for their idle words, thou may'st be rewarded. Tenthly, Love, honour and obey your Parents in the Lord: Consider how God hath commanded you so to do; and God will severely punish those that despise their Parents: see that dreadful place, Prov. 30.17. The eye that mocketh his Father and despiseth to obey his Mother, the Ravens of the Valley shall pick it out, and the young Eagle shall eat it. Eleventhly, Remember thy Creator in the days of thy Youth: Labour to serve God with the strength and best of thy days: Live to God whilst thou livest, and thou shalt be sure to live with God when thou Dyelt: Remember Samuel, how he was dedicated to God from his Birth, and Timothy, how he rejoyed, that of a Child he had known the Holy Scriptures. Lastly, Walk constantly in the fear of the Lord, all the day long, in the Morning when thou risest, bless God for his merciful preservation of thee the night past, give him thanks for that he hath given thee to see the light of another day, and when thou preparest thyself for thy Bed, prepare thyself as for thy Grave, remembrings that many go to Bed and never rise again: and therefore do not sleep till thou haft committed thyself by Prayer to God; forsurely they that go to Bed without Praying, the Devil is their Bed-fellow. Now that thou mayest carefully perform those things, in the first place seek to God by Prayer, for God loves Praying Children; be sure to pray unto God both morning and thening, and when thou prayest say; Our Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done in Earth as it in Heaven: Give us this day our daily Bread: And sorgive us our Trespasses, as we forgive them they Trespass against us. And lead us not into Temptation. But deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom, the power and glory, for ever and ever, Amen. This is the Prayer which Christ himself commands us to use, and therefore it is called, The Lord's Prayer, the best pattern for Prayer in the whole world. Therefore it were to be wished, that all Parents would he careful to reach their Children the Lord's Prayer, as soon as they can be fit to learn it, and having learned this by heart, then let them use some other, and so use both together. A short form of Prayer, very necessary for Children and Youth, to be used in the Morning. O Lord our God, thou art the Father of Heaven, and the Father of mercis, by whom alone we live, and move and have our being: who tookest us out of our Mother's Womb, & hast ever since preserved us to this day, blessed be thy name, We bless thee that thou hast safely descended us this night past, that thou hast brought us safe to the beginning of another day; We pray thee defend us in the same by thu mighty power, and grant that this day we fall into no sin; keep us safe from the tamptation of Satan: Deliver us, we pray thee, from all evil; and grant O Lord, that we may live this day, and all the rest of our days, as becometh thy Children, in Holiness and true Righteousness: bless out Parents, O lord, give them Grace that they may bring us up in thy Commandments; as thou hast made us their Children by nature, good Lord make us thy Children by Grace, that so we may obey our Parents, and serve thee our God all our days; that so it may be well with us here and here after: Bless, O Lord, all the rest of our friend; O Lord, let our friends by thy friends; give us Grace to serve thee here with all our strength, and with all our might, that so when this mortal Life shall be ended, we may live and reign with thee for ever in Glory Amen. The Lord bless us, and make his Fare to shine upon us, and the Lord be with us, both in our going forth and in our coming in, this day, and all our days, for ever and ever, Amen. An Evening Prayer for Children. O Most holy, most gracious, and most Glorious Lord God, we thy poor Children do here again prostrate ourselves before thy Majesty this Ovening, humly beseeching thee for jesus christ his sake, to pardon and forgive us all our Sins, and to blot out our Transgressions our of thy Remembrance; we confess Lord, we are by nature Children of Wrath, but we pray thee make us thy Children, O Lord, by Grace and Adoption: and as we grow in yeace, so Lord, we pray thee, let us grow in Grace; let us not be children in malice and witkedness but Chrildrens in Love and Unity; as thou hast loved us, O Lord, so we pray thee let us love thee our God, and love one another. Bless our parents in their Godless, especially bless them in their Souls, bless them in their Baskets and in their Store: instruct them, O Lord, that they may instruct us, he with us all this Night in our downlying, O Lord, let us sleep in thy fear, let is lie down in the love, and rise again in thy lavour, and grant, we beseeth the, most merciful Father, that whether sleeping of waking, living or dying, we may be always thine: watch over us this Night, and defend us in the same by the mighty power, and preserve us from sin, defend us from Satan. continue thy love to us, and he with us and all ours: Bless, Guide, Peserve, defend and keep us, both in Soul and in Body, this night and evermore; Amen. And then if thou wouldst be a Child of God, always after Prayer in the morning, see that you Read some Lesson of Chapter out of the Bible, and be always Reading of good Books, as The Practice of Piety; the Plain-mans' Pathway to Heaven; Mrs. Baxter's Call to the Unconverted; The Great Assize, the Silver Watch-Bell, and others: and be sure thou never lookest upon any idle foolish jesting Book, which tend only to the noutishment of Vice, and spending of precious time, but delight thyself in reading the Holy Bible, and other Godly Books, that so the Lord may bless thee here, and thou mayest be blessed hereafter, for Godliness hath not only the promise of this life, but of the life to come, that thou mayest give account at the great and Terrible Day of judgement, as well for every idle hour thou spendest, as for thery idle word thou speakest: when thou are disposed to be merry, laying assde all ungodly Songs and Ballads, which tend only to the nourishment of Vice and Wickedness, and the corruption of Youth, If any be merry let him sing Psalms; the Apostle doth not say, If any be merry, let him any merry Songs and merry Ballads; but if any be merry let him sing Psalms. And be sure always that you sing with Grace in your heart, making melody to the Lord. PSALM CXXVIII. BLessed art thou that fearest God, and walkeft in his way, For of thy Labour thou shalt eat, Happy art thou I say, Like fruitful Vine on the House side, so doth thy Wife spring out, The Children stand like Olive Plants, thy Table round about. Thus art thou blest that fearest God, and he shall let thee see, The promised Jerusalem, and her felicity. Thou shalt thy children's Children see, to thy great joys increase, And likewise Grace to Israel, prosperity and peace. Then in the next place be sure to get and learn some good Catechism, that so thou mayest be instructed in the Principles of Religion; as that excellent Catechism of Mr. Perkins, called, The six Principles of Religion, Mr. Balls Catechism, etc. A Short but Necessary Catechism for Children. Q. WHo made you? A. God. Q. For what did God make you? A. God made me that I might serve him and for his glory. Q. Who Redeemed you? A. jesus Christ. Q. From what did Christ jesus Redeem you? A. jesus Christ redeemed me by his blood from Sin and Hell. Q. Who sanctified and preserved you? A. God the Holy Ghost. Q. What is God? A. God is a Spirit. Q. How many Gods are there? A. One only true God, divided into three persons, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost. Q. In what state did God make man at first? A. God made man at first after his own Image, in Righteousness and True Holiness. Q. Did man continue in this state? A. No. Q. How did he fall? A. By disobeying the Commandments of God, in eating the forbidden Fruit. Q. What followed thereupon? A. Hereupon followed Sin, Death, and Hell. Q. Did God leave man in this fallen estate? A. No, God provided for fallen Man, a Saviour and Redeemer, our Lord jesus Christ the Righteous. Q. How many Commandments are there? A. Ten. Q. Which be they? let me hear you rehearse them, Moses with two tablets I. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me. II. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven Image, nor the 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 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 show mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandments. III. 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. iv Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy, six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work, but the seventh day is the Sabath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work; thou, nor thy Son, nor thy Daughter, thy Manservant, nor thy Maid Servant, nor thy , nor the Stranger that is within thy gates, for in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth, the Sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day, wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it. V Honour thy Father and thy Mother, that thy days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. VI Thou shalt not kill. VII. Thou shalt not commit Adultery: VIII. Thou shalt not steal. IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour. X. Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbour's House, thou shalt not covet thy Neighbour's Wife, nor his Man Servant, nor his Maid-Servant, nor his Ox, nor his Ass, nor any thing that is thy Neighbours. Q. What dost thou chief learn by these Commandment. A. I learn by these Commandments, that it is my duty to serve God according to his Word, and love my Neighbour as myself. Q. Art thou able to keep the Commandments? A. No. Q. How then shalt thou expect to be saved? A. Only by Faith in jesus Christ. Q. What is Faith? A. Faith is the Gift of God, whereby we lay hold on jesus Christ for Eternal Salvation. Rehearse the Articles of the Christian Faith. I Believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth. And in jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was Crucified, Dead and Buried, he descended into Hell, the third day he arose again from the Dead, he ascended into Heaven, and sirteth at the Right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge both the quick and the Dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the Resurrection of the Body, and the life Everlasting: Amen. Certain Graces, fit to be learned of every Child that desires to be a Child of God. Grace before Meat. Whether ye eat or drink, saith St. Paul, do all to the Glory of God; Amen. BLessed Lord, in whom we live, move, and have our being, we do most humbly beseech thee to bless these thy Creatures, to the use of our Bodies, sanctify them to us, and sanctify us to thyself, forgive us our sins, and make us partakers of thy heavenly Table; Amen. God save his Church, our King, Queen, and Realm, and send peace and Truth, in Christ our Lord: Amen. Grace after Meat. CHrist, which at his Last Supper, gave himself unto us, promising his Body to he Crucified, and his blood to be shed for our sins, bless us and our Meat; Amen. Grace before Meat. O Father of mercy and God of all consolation, which hast Created us for thy Glory, and these thy good Creatures for our use; bless and sanctify them we beseech thee, that by the moderate receiving thereof, our Bodies may be nourished, and thy name theremore be praised, through jesus Christ our only Lord and blessed Saviour, Amen. Grace before Meat. O Merciful Lord jesus Christ, which didst take the five Loaves and two Fishes, and lifting up thine Eyes unto Heaven didst distribute them unto the People, and they all did eat and were satisfied, being above the thousand Men beside Women and Children; we beseech thee both to bless these Gifts which we are about to receive at thy hands, and us also, that they may be to the comfort and health of our bodies, and we may (for them and other thy benefits) be evermore thankful unto thee; To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all Honour and Glory for ever; Amen. Grace after Meat. O Lord God, Almighty and most dear Father, thou hast not only given unto us meat and drink to sustain our mortal bodies, but thou hast likewise given unto us thy blessed Word, which is the only food of our immortal Souls, through our blessed Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, to whom therefore with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour, praise and thanks for ever: Amen. Grace after Meat. O Lord, which art the Creator of all Creatures, and hast prepared Food for them according to the nature of their Creation: We most hearty thank thee for these thy Creatures, which at this time we have received in thy Name, beseeching thee O Father, that as our Bodies are now by these Gifts refreshed, our Souls may be also nourished with the Food of Everlastings Life, in the most Holy Testament, confirmed with the blood and death of jesus Christ, thy Son our Saviour: to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all Honour, Glory and praise for ever. Amen. Grace after Meat. BLessed be thy name, O Lord our God, for all thy mercies and favours continually bestowed upon us, thou that hast at this time fed our weak Bodies with thy good creatures, we pray thee likewise to feed our Souls with the Heavenly food of thy word; that we receiving at thy Merciful Hands, food both for our Bodies and Souls, may live and grow in all Godliness, through jesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour; Amen. Another after Meat. THe King of Eternal Glory, who hath at this time fed our Corporal Bodies, make us partakers of thy Heavenly Table; Amen. Grace after Meat. Whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the Name of our Lord jesus Christ; give thanks unto God the Father by him, to whom all blessing, glory, wisdom, thanks, honour, power, and might, be tendered for evermore: Amen. Certain QVESTIONS with their ANSWERS, Necessary for Parents to ask and teach their children for their instruction in the Holy Scriptures. Q Who was the first man? A. Adam. Q. Who was the first Woman? A. Eve. Q. Of what did God make man? A. God made man of the dust of the earth. Q. Of what did God make the Woman? A. Of one of the Man's Ribs. Q. Where did Adam and Eve dwell? A. In Paradise. Q. What cast Adam out of Paradise? A. Sin. Q. Who was the best man? A. The Man Christ jesus. Q. Who slew his Brother? A. Tain. Q. Who was the first Martyr? A. Abel. Q. Who was the Oldest Man? A. Methusaleth. Q. Who was the man that God saved when he drowned the World? A. Noah. Q. Who wrestled with God; A. Jacob. Q. What was his name called after he had wrestled with God? A. Israel. Q. How many Sons had Jacob? A. Twelve, of whom came the twelve Trives of Israel. Q. What were their names? A. Reuben and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Isachar, and Zebulun, and Joseph, and Benjamin, Dan, and Napthali, Gad and Ashur. These were the twelve Patriarches. Q. Who was the Faithfulest Man that ever lived? A. Abraham, who is called the Father of the faithful. Q. Who was the meekest Man? A. Moses. Q. Who was the hard-heartedst man? A. Pharaoh. Q. Who was the patientest man? A. job. Q. Who was the man after Gods own heart? A. David. Q. Who was the Wisest man? A. Solomon. Q. Who was the strongest man? A. Samson. Q. Who wrote the Scriptures? A. Holy Men of God, inspired by the Holy Ghost. Q. Who was it that came before Jesus Christ? A. John the Baptist. Q. Who was the first Martyr after Christ? A. Stephen. Q. What death did he die? A. He was Stoned? Q. Where was Christ born? A. In Bethelem. Q. Who was the Mother of our Lord jesus Christ? A. The Virgin Mary. Q. Who was the reputed Father of our Lord Jesus Christ? A. Joseph a Carpenter. Q. Who betrayed his Lord & Master? A. judas. Q. What did he betray him for? A. For the love of Money, which is the root of all evil. Q. For how much money did Judas sell his master? A. For thirty pieces of Silver. Q. What became of judas after he had betrayed Christ? A. He went and Hanged himself. Q. Who denied Christ? A. Peter. Q. What became of Peter after he had denied Christ? A. He went out and wept bitterly. Q. Who Condemned Christ? A. Pontius Pilate. Q. Who Crucified Jesus Christ? A. The Bloody Jews. Q. Out of whom did Christ cast seven Devils A. Marry Magdalen. Q. Which was the beloved Disciple of Jesus Christ? A. John. Q. Who forsook Christ for the love of the World? A. Demas. Q. Who are the best Children? A. They that fear God and keep his Commandments, and obey their Parents. Q. Who are the worst Children? A. They that Lie and Swear, Steal, and break the Sabbath, and despise God, and break his Holy and Righteous Commandments. Q. What become of the Wicked when they die? A. They are cast into Hell, there to be tormented with the Devil and his Angels. Application. ANd so I now come in the last place to wind up all in a word of Application, both to Parents and Children; and then in the first place, if it be the duty of Parents to instruct their Children in the fear of God, than you may observe from hence the great wickedness of such wicked Parents, who instead of instructing their Children in the fear of God, bring them up in all manner of sin and wickedness: How many such wicked Parents are there in the World, who forbidden their Children to hear Sermons, and to read good Books, but on the contrary, teach their Children to despise Holiness, and encourage them in all manner of wickedness. Oh wretcked Sinner, hadst thou rather have thy Child the Devil's Child, than God's Child? will you neither be Holy yourselves, nor suffer your Children to be Holy? Will it not one day he miserable enough, think you, to damn your own Soul, but must you also drive your Children to Hell before you? The Lord awaken all such Parents. Is it not enough that you have made your Children the Children of Wrath, as all Men, Women, and Children are by nature, for as holy David said, so may we all, We are conceived in sin, and in Iniquity were we brought forth, But will ye also hinder them from being made Children of Grace? are not your Children prone enough to sin of themselves, but must you also help on their Damnation? are there not Devils enough to tempt them to sin, but must you also prove Devils incarnate to them yourselves? are not your Children always near enough, even at the brink of Hell, and will ye also seek to tumble them into the Lake of Fire? do you think the way to Heaven is to despise Preaching, and to mock at Holiness? aught not you to be nursing Fathers, and nursing Mothers to your Children, and will you nurse them up for the Devil? Let wicked Parents consider and tremble. Secondly, Here is also a use of comfort for all God's Children, they that fear God, and spend their time in Reading and Praying, they shall for ever be Singing Praises and Hallelujahs to God in Heaven, where thou shalt be with God and Christ, Saints and Angels to all Eternity, when those Wicked Children who delight in nothing but Swearing and Lying, who despise Holiness, and would not walk in thy ways of God, shall be sent to Hell with a, Go ye Cursed into Everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels: Ah! poor Creatures, they delighted in Cursing, and now they are Cursed: they despised Holiness, but now they are despised themselves: this shall he the portion of all the wicked, they shall be tumbled into Hell, when God's Children shall be received into Heaven. I beseith you then as you love your own precious Souls, if you would escape this Hell. if you would enjoy this Heaven, then for the Lords sake, Children, be Holy, pray Morning and Evening, obey your Parents, love God, serve him with all your Souls. if ye do thus, and he thus, then blessed shall ye be: for Christ shall say unto you. Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: unto which Kingdom the Lord bring us all, Amen. Now for the fuctlerance of Holiness, I have here thought fit to insert a very Godly Morning and Evening Prayer, to be used in Families. A Morning Prayer for a Family. ALmighty God, most merciful Father, we do not present ourselves here before thy Majesty, trusting in our own merries, or Worthiness, but in thy manifold mercies, which hast promised to hear our Prayers, and grant our requests which we shall make to thee in the Name of thy beloved Son, jesus Christ our Lord; who hath also commanded us to assemble ourselves together in his Name, with full assurance that he will not only be amongst us, but also be our Mediator and Advocate towards thy Majesty, that he may obtain all things which shall seem expedient to thy blessed will for our Necessities: Therefore we beseech thee most merciful Father, to turn thy loving Countenance towards us, and impute not to us our manifold sins and Offences, where we may justly deserve the wrath and sharp punishment; but rather receive us to thy mercy for jesus Christ's sake, accepting his Death and Passion as a just recompense for all our Offences, in whom only thou art pleased, and through whom thou canst not be offended with us, and seeing of thy great Mercies, we have quietly passed this night: grant, O Heavenly Father, that we may bestow this day wholly in thy service, so that our thoughts, words, and deeds, may redound to the glory of thy name, and good example of all Men, who seeing our good works, may glorify thee our Heavenly Father. And forasmuch as of thy mere favour and love, thouhast not only treated us in thy own similitude and likeness, but also hast chosen us to be Heirs with thy dear Son jesus Christ, of that immortal Kingdom which thou preparedst for us before the beginning of the world: we beseech thee to increase our faith and knowledge, and to enlighten our hearts with thy holy Spirit: that we may in the mean time live in Godly Conversation and integrity of life, knowing that Idolators Adulterers, covetous men, contentious persons, Drunkards, Gluttons, and such like, shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. And because thou hast commanded us to Pray one for another, we do not only make request, O Lord, for ourselves, and for them that thou hast already called to the true understanding of thy Heavenly Will, but for all people and nations of the world, who as they know by the wonderful works, thou art God over all, so they may be instituted by thy Holy Spirit, to believe in thee their only Saviour and Redeemer But forasmuch as they cannot believe except they hear, nor cannot hear but by Preaching, and none can Preach except they be sent, therefore, O Lord, raise up faithful distributers of thy Mysteries, who setting apart all worldly respects, may both in their life and Doctrine only seek thy Glory. Contrarily confound Satan, Antichrist, with all Hirelings, who thou hast already cast off into a Reprobate sense, that they may not by Seas and Schisms, Heresies, and Errors, disquiet thy little flock. O Lord, thy people Israel, many times by their Sins, provoked thine anger, and thou punishedst them by thy just Judgement, yet though their Sins were never so grievous, if they once returned from their iniquity, thou recervedst them to Mercy We therefore most wretched Sinners, bewail our manifold sins; and earnestly Repent us of our former wickedness and ngodly behaviour towards thee: and whereas we cannot of our seves purchase us our Pardon, yet we humbly beseech thee for jesus Christ's sake, to show thy mercy upon us, and receive us again to thy favour. Grant us, dear Father, these our requests, and all other things which are necessary for us, and thy whole Church, according to thy promise in jesus Christ our Lord; In whose name we beseech thee, as he hath taught us, saying, Our Father, etc. An Evening Prayer for a Family. O Lord God, Father everlasting and full of pity, we acknowledge and confess that we be not worthy to lift up our eyes to Heaven, much less to present ourselves before thy Majesty, with Confidence that thou wilt hear our Prayers, and grant our Requests, if we consider our own deservings: For our Consciences do accuse us, and our Sins witness against us, and we know that thou art an upright judge, which dost not justify the sinners and wicked men, but punishest the faults of all such as transgress thy Commandments. Yet most merciful Father, since it hath pleased thee to command us to cast on thee in all our troubles and adversities, promising even then to help us, when we feel ourselves as it were, swallowed up of Death and desperation, we utterly Renounce all Worldly confidence, and flee to thy Sovereign bounty; as our only stay and refuge: beseeching thee not to call to remembrance our manifold sins and wickedness, whereby we continually provoke thy wrath and indignation against us: Neither our Negligence and unkindness, which have neither worthily esteemed, nor in our lives sufficiently expressed the sweet comfort of thy holy Gospel revealed unto us; but rather to accept the obedience, and death of thy Son jesus Christ, who by offering up his body in Sacrifice once for all, hath made a sufficient recompense once for all our Sins. Have Mercy therefore upon us (O Lord) and forgive us our offences; teach us by thy holy Spirit, that we may rightly weigh them, and earnestly repent for the same: And so much the rather. O Lord, because that the Reprobate, and such as thou hast forsaken, cannot please thee, nor call upon thy Name; but the repenting heart, the sorrowful mind, the Conscience oppressed, hung ring and thirsting for thy Grace, shall ever set forth thy proise and Glory. And albeit we are but worms and dust, yet thou art our Creator, and we the works of thy hands; yea, thou art our Father, and we thy children, thou art our Shepherd, and we thy stock, thou art our Redeemer, and we thy people whom thou hast bought: thou art our God, and we thine Inheritance, correct us not therefore in thine anger, O Lord, neither according to out deserts, punish us, but mercifully Chastise us with a Fatherly affection. Finally, forasmuch as it hath pleased thee to make the Night for Man to rest in, as thou haft ordained him the Day to Travel in: Grant, O dear father, that we may so take our bodily rest that our Souls may continually watch for the time that our Lord jesus Christ shall appear for our deliverance out of this Mortal life, and in the mean season, that we, not overcome by any fantasies, dreams, or other temptations, may fully set our minds upon thee, love thee, feat thee, and rest in thee: furthermore that out sleep be not excessive or overmuch, after the insatiable desires of our flesh, but only sufficient to content our weak natures, that we may be better disposed to live in all Godly Conversation, to the Glory of thy Holy Name, and profit of our Brethren; Amen. FINIS. Courteous READER, THere is lately published an Excellent and profitable Sermon, called, The Christians blessed choice. Likewise Christ's first Sermon; also Christ's last Sermon, and the Christians best Garment. Also Heaven's Glory, and Hell's Horror. And a Warning: piece to the slothful, idle, careless, drunken, and secure ones of these last and worst of times. Very Godly Books, and are but threepences a piece. Likewise: 1. England's Faithful Physician. 2. The dreadful Character of a Drunkard. 3. Doomsday at hand. 4. The Father's last Blessing to his Children. 5. The Black Book of Conscience. 6. The sin of Pride Arraigned and Condemned. 7. The Plain-man's plain Pathway to Heaven. 8. Death Triumphant. 9 The Charitable Christian. All these Books written by John Hart, Dr. of Divinity, and are to be Sold by W. Thackeray, and T. Passenger. All very necessary for these Licentious Times. The Royal Oak