The Right Way to Heaven, Prayer 4 – Catechism 2
A PRAYER to be ſaid in the Morning at our Vpriſing.
O Moſt glorious God, moſt gracious Father, and moſt mercifull Saviour, ſeeing it hath pleaſed thee to graunt me the gracious favour to have paſſed this night, and to come unto this preſent day, be likewiſe graciouſly pleaſed to adde herewith alſo unto me the benefit and abilitie to imploy the ſame wholly and altogether unto thy ſervice, in ſuch ſort that I may neither thinke, ſay, nor doe any thing, but what may bee well pleaſing unto thee: And comply with the obedience unto thy bleſſed will and pleaſure. That ſo all my words may tend to the glory of thy Name, and edification of my neighbours And as it hath pleaſed thee to make thy Sunne to ſhine upon the earth, to inlighten our bodies: ſo likewiſe be pleaſed by the bright beames of thy Spirit to illuminate my underſtanding, …nd my heart, to direct and guide me in the ſaving way of thy righteouſneſſe, ſo that unto whatſoever I apply my ſelfe evermore my principall end and Intention may bee to walk in thy feare, to ſerve and honour thee, expecting all my happineſſe and welfare from thy onelyonly bleſſing, that ſo I may take nothing in hand, but what is agreeable to thy bleſſed Will and Commandements: As alſo that ſo travelling for the body, and this preſent life, that I may ever looke further, namely unto that heavenly life, which thou haſt promiſed unto thy children. Yet ſo Lord, that it may pleaſe thee, both in body, and ſoule, to bee my protector, ſtrengthening me againſt all the temptations of the Devill, and delivering me from all dangers which may befall mee. And becauſe it is nothing to begin well, unleſſe it be ſeconded with perſeverance▪ Re…me not onelyonly for this day into thy ſacred protection, but even for the whole courſe of my life, co…tin…e, and daily augment, and increaſe in thee thy Hea…ly Grace, …ntill thou haſt brought me unto the full fruition of thy Sonne Ieſus Chriſt our Lord, who is the true Sunne of … ſoules that ſhineth day and night without end, and for ever. And that I may obtaine theſe graces from thee, bee pleaſed to forget all my ſinnes paſt, and by thy infinite mercies to forgive mee them, as thou haſt promiſed unto all them, that by faith in Ieſus Chriſt, the Sonne of thy love, accompanied with true repentant, ſorrow for their ſinnes heartily ſeeke thy merciemercy in the pardon of their ſinnes by Ieſus Chriſt, to whom with thee and thy Holy Spirit, one true and everliving God, bee all honour and glory, now and for evermore. Amen.
A PRAYER TO … ſaid before going to bed.
O Lord God, ſith it hath pleaſed thee to create the night for the reſt of man as thou haſt ordained him the day for his travell: Graunt me the grace ſo to take reſt this night in body, as that my ſoule may alwayes watch unto thee, and that my heart may be raiſed up in thy love, and that I may ſo caſt off and lay aſ…de all earthly cares that I may bee refreſhed, as mine infirmitie ſhall require, that I never forget thee: but that the remembrance of thy bounty and grace may remaine evermore ſo deepely imprinted in my memorie, that by that means my conſcience may have as well her ſpirituall reſt, as the body taketh his. And withall let not my ſleepe bee exceſſive, inordinately to pleaſe the eaſe of the fleſh, but onelyonly to ſatisfie the frailtie of nature, the better to diſpoſe me to thy ſervice. Be alſo pleaſed to keep me unpolluted in my body, as in my minde. And to preſerve mee againſt all dangers, that my ſleep may bee to the glory of thy Name And ſeeing there h…th not a day paſſed, wh… I have not many wayes of… thee, according as I am a poor… wretched ſinner, even as all a now covered by the darkeneſſe which thou ſendeſt upon the earth, graunt likewiſe all my ſinnes may bee buried thorow thy mercy, that by them I may not bee deprived of the light of thy countenance Heate mee moſt gracious God, and loving Father, for Ieſus Chriſt his ſake. Amen.
THE MANNER of queſtioning thoſe that are to bee received to the Supper of our LORD IESVS CHRIST.
Queſtion.
IN whom believest thou?
Anſwer. In God the Father, in Ieſus Chriſt his Sonne, and in the Holy Ghoſt.
Q The Father, the Sonne, and the Holy Ghoſt: are they more then one God?
A. No.
Q Muſt we ſerve God according to hi… … or according to the traditions of …n?
A. We muſt ſerve him according to his Commandements, and not according to the commandements of men.
Q. Canſt thou fulfill Gods Commandements of thy ſelfe?
A No.
Q. Who is it then taht fulfill them in thee?
A. The Holy Ghoſt.
Q And when God hath given thee his Holy Spirit, canſt tho… perfectly fulfill them?
A. No: in no wiſe.
Q And yet God curſeth and reiecteth all thoſe that doe not perfectly and entirely fulfill his Commandements?
A. It is true.
Q By what meanes then canſt thou be ſaved, and delivered from the curſe of God?
A. By the Death and Paſſion of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.
Q How by the meanes of his Death and Paſſion?
A. Becauſe by his Death he hath purchaſed us life, and hath reconciled us unto God his Father.
Q. VntoUnto whom prayeſt thou?
A. VntoUnto God
Q In whoſe name prayeſt thou?
A. In the Name of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, who is our Mediator and Interceſſor.
Q. How many Sacraments are there in the Chriſtian Church?
A Two.
Q. Which are they?
A. Baptiſme, and the Lords Supper.
Q. What is the ſignification of Baptiſme?
A. It hath two parts For our Lord doth therein ſet forth unto us the remiſſion of our ſins: and then our regeneration or ſpirituall renewing.
Q. And what ſignif…th the S…pper?
A. It ſetteth forth unto vsus, that by the Communion of the Body and bloud of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt our ſoules are nouriſhed in the hope of eternall life.
Q What do the Bread and Wine ſet forth unto us in the Lords Supper?
A. They ſet forth unto us that the Body and Bloud of Ieſus Chriſt have ſuch vertue and ſtrength unto our ſoules as Bread and Wine have unto our bodies
Q Conceiveſt thou that the Body of Ieſus …hrist is incloſed and contained u…der the Bread, and his Blo…d under the Wine?
A. No
Q Where then muſt we ſeeke Ieſus Chriſt to have the fruition of him?
A. In heaven, in the glory of God his Father.
Q What is the meanes to come unto heaven where Ieſus Christ is?
A. It is faith.
Q. We muſt then have true faith before we can have the right uſe of this holy Sacrament?
A. So we muſt.
Q. And how can we come by this faith?
A We attaine unto it by the Holy Ghoſt, which dwelleth in our hearts, and aſſureth us of the Promiſes of God, which are made unto us in the Goſpell.
FINIS.
End of the text · Peter du Moulin Jr, The Right Way to Heaven (1630)