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everlasting

glory in the life to come;

through Jesus Christ

our Lord. Amen.

partaker of thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word. Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. Psal. cxix. 17. 133. That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the Lord thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth. Deut. xxiii. 23. Thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully, and with a perfect heart. 2 Chron. xix. 9. I live by the faith of the Son of God. Gal. ii. 20. For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Cor. v. 7. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God. Psal. cxliii. 10. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Col. ii. 6, 7. If ye do these things, ye shall never fall for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2 Pet. i. 10, 11.

1. Brethren, in the Primitive Church

godly disci

A COMMINATION,

OR DENOUNCING OF GOD'S ANGER AND JUDGMENTS
AGAINST SINNERS, WITH CERTAIN PRAYERS,

To be used on the first Day of Lent, and at other times, as the
Ordinary shall appoint.

CCXXXIII. The Minister's Address to the
Congregation.

1. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the there was a power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an pline, that, at one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the beginning the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jeof Lent, such sus. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. Now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator,

persons as

stood con

victed of notorious sin

were put to open penance, and

this world,

that their

be saved in the day of the Lord; and that

punished in or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to souls might eat. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. 1 Cor. v. 4 to 7. 11. 13. Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear. 1 Tim. v. 20. If there arise a matter too hard monished by for thee in judgment, being matters of controversy ple, might be within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get

others, ad

their exam

the more

afraid to

offend.

2. Instead whereof, (until the said discipline

may be re

which is

much to be

that at this

presence of you all) should be

read the ge

thee up into the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, and thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and enquire, and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment: and thou shalt do according to the sentence. And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the Lord thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel. And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously. Deut. xvii. 8, 9, 10. 12, 13. See also, Matt. xviii. 15 to 18.-John ix.

2. Moses charged the people the same day, saying, These shall stand upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people; and these shall stand upon Mount Ebal stored again, to curse. And the Levites shall speak unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice. And all the peowished,) it is ple shall answer and say, Amen. Deut. xxvii. 11 thought good, to 15. And all the people gathered themselves totime (in the gether as one man into the street that was before the watergate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the neral senten- Lord had commanded to Israel. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with ners, gather- understanding, upon the first day of the seventh ed out of the month. And he read therein before the street that twentieth was before the watergate from the morning until Deuterono- midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the peoof Scripture ple were attentive unto the book of the law. Neh. and that ye viii. 1, 2, 3. Now in the twenty and fourth day swer to every of this month the children of Israel were assembled

ces of God's cursing against im

penitent sin

seven and

Chapter of

my, and

other places

should an

Sentence,

Amen: To the intent

that, being

admonished

of God

ners, ye may

nest and true

and may walk more warily in

these dangerous days;

fleeing from

such vices,

for which ye affirm with mouths the

your own

curse of God to be due.

with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them. And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their of the great sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. And they indignation stood up in their place, and read in the book of the against sin- law of the Lord their God one fourth part of the the rather be day; and another fourth part they confessed, and moved to ear worshipped the Lord their God. Neh. ix. 1, 2, 3. repentance; Unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil. Rom. ii. S, 9. God is angry with the wicked every day. If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. Psal. vii. 11, 12. There remaineth a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. Heb. x. 26, 27. Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach. Joel ii. 16, 17. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger,

that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. Jonah iii. 4 to 10. Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. Jer. vi. 16. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. Psal. xxxiv. 14. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted. and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 1 Cor. x. 8, 9, 10. Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate. The prudent shall keep silence in that time, for it is an evil time. Amos v. 14, 15. 13. This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 2 Tim. iii. 1 to 5. O that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies; but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord. Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders. And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the

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truth they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity. Through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the Lord. Jer. ix. 2 to 6. And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries. And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity. 2 Chron. xv. 5, 6. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. Eph. v. 15. Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 2 Tim. ii. 19. Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thess. v. 22.

CCXXXIV. The sentences of Cursing.

1. Cursed is the man that maketh any carved or molten image, to worship it. Amen. Deut. xxvii. 15.

2. Cursed is he that curseth his father or mother. Amen. Deut. xxvii. 16.

3. Cursed is he that removeth his neighbour's landmark. Amen. Deut. xxvii. 17. 4. Cursed is he that maketh the blind to go out of his way. Amen. Deut. xxvii. 18. 5. Cursed is he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, the fatherless, and widow. Amen. Deut. xxvii. 19.

6. Cursed is he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. Amen. Deut. xxvii. 24.

7. Cursed is he that lieth with his neighbour's wife. Amen. Lev, xx. 10.

8. Cursed is he that taketh reward to slay the innocent. Amen. Deut. xxvii. 25.

9. Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, and taketh man for his defence, and in his heart goeth from the Lord. Amen. Jer. xvii. 5.

10. Cursed are the unmerciful, fornicators, and adulterers, covetous persons, idolaters, slanderers, drunkards, and extortioners. Amen. St. Matt. xxv. 41.-1 Cor. vi. 9. 10.

1. Now seeing that all they are

who do err

from the com

CCXXXV. The Application and Exhortation.

1. Thou hast rebuked the proud: and cursed are they that do err from thy commandments. My flesh accursed (as trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy the prophet David bear- judgments. Psul. cxix. 21. 120. Lord, when thy eth witness) hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall and go astray see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; mandments yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them. of God; let Isa. xxvi. 11. Remember Lot's wife. Luke xvii. 32. God is angry with the wicked every day. If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent hanging over his bow, and made it ready. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death. Psal. vii. 13. Our God is a consuming fire. Heb. Repent, and turn yourselves from all

us (remembering the dreadful judgment

our heads,

and always

ready to fall 11, 12, upon us) re

turn unto our xii. 29.

your

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