A short catechismA short catechisme

O Eternal God, we thy poor servants acknowledge that from thee we first received our being, and every good thing we enjoy▪ and that by thee the same is continued and preserved unto us, by thy good providence is this day renewed unto us, and we kept safe unto it: wherefore, desirous to perform our duty unto thee, and to receive a blessing from thee, (without which we cannot prosper in any thing that we take in hand) we do humble our selves before the glorious throne of thy grace, to offer up unto thee our morning sacrifice of prayer. We know that our sins have made us odious in thy sight, unworthy of all thy blessings, and liable to all the judgements denounced ⟨image 22⟩in thy Word: they are for number innumerable, for we have committed more sins then we have lived moments; all our thoughts, words, and actions have been sinful, even the best things which we do are defiled with that sink of natural corruption which is in us, and by our careless manner of performing them. Every sin is in the nature of it infinitely heinous, because it is committed against thee, a God of infinite Majesty: but our sins are so much the more heinous, because they have been committed against our knowledge and conscience, yea and against those manifold means, which thou in mercy hast afforded to keep us from sin: we have long enjoyed the Ministry of thy Word, but have little profited thereby: thou hast accompanied the same with many sweet blessings, all which ⟨image 23⟩we have abused: like a careful Father thou hast tenderly corrected us; yet we have not been bettered thereby, but carried our selves stubbornly against thee. We are very prone to yield to all the corrupt suggestions of our flesh, and to the evil temptations of the Devil: and we are too much delighted with the wicked customs and fashions of this world: but exceeding dull and untoward we are to all holy exercises, and to every good thing. When we enter into an examination of our spiritual estate, we can find in our selves nothing but matter of horror, and of despair:

O Eternall God, wee thy poore seruants acknowledge that from thee wee first receiued our being, and euery good thing we inioy▪ and that by thee the same is continued and preserued vnto vs, by thy good prouidence is this day renewed vnto vs, and wee kept safe vnto it: wherefore, desirous to performe our dutie vnto thee, and to receiue a blessing from thee, (without which we cannot prosper in any thing that we take in hand) we doe humble our selues before the glorious throne of thy grace, to offer vp vnto thee our morning sacrifice of prayer. We know that our sinnes haue made vs odious in thy sight, vnworthy of all thy blessings, and lyable to al the iudgements denounced