The works of the reverend and faithful servant of Jesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…The workes of the reuerend and faithfull seruant af Iesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…

Now seeing old and young, men & women, masters and servants, fathers and children,¹ cannot so generally & conveniently meet on the week days, by reason of their callings, as they can on the Lords day, their business set apart: it seemeth by good reason that the Sabbath is the fittest day for this Sacrament. Again, if the Lord in his infinite wisdom and goodness commanded Circumcision to be used on the eight day, both for the avoiding of superstition, if any tied the grace of God to the outward sign, as also for a sufficient time, wherein the children might gather some strength to the cutting off of their flesh; why were it not a thing requisite, that Baptism should be deferred to the Lords day, both² for the removing of their superstitious opinion, who think the children dying unbaptized to be but damned; and also for the better enabling of the child to be dipped in the water, according to the ancient manner and pure nature of Baptism? Wherefore for these causes Baptism cannot be denied to be a public duty of the Sabbath. Concerning private exercises on the Sabbath, they are either going before the public, or following after, or coming³ between. The duties going before are either in examining our selves, or stirring up of our selves. The examination of our selves consisteth partly in surveying our estate past, and partly in considering of our present condition: in surveying our estate past, we are to call to mind either what sins the week before we have committed, to the more humbling of our selves in prayer: or we must remember, what graces of God in our souls, what benefits of God on our selves or in our friends we have received, to the better provoking⁴ of our selves to thanksgiving: in considering of our present condition, we are to examine how we stand affected, what measure of faith, repentance and godliness is in us: if there be any special want or occasion of public prayer, we must crave the prayer of the Pastor and congregation: if any peculiar cause of a solemn thanksgiving be offered, we must give the Preacher and people word of it: as also if there be occasion of some want, we are to pray for the Minister that his mouth may be opened, to make some happy and holy supply by the word of it. How requisite this examination is, our civill practises may declare.