Irreversible so certainly shall all the Off-spring of Adam High and Low Rich and Poor Learned and Unlearned descend unto the gates of the Grave mingle their dust and pay down their Symbole of Mortality Divesne prisco natus ab Inacho Nil interest infimâ De gente sub dio morieris Victima nil miserantis orci Omnes eoâ—em cogimur c. Horat. Carmin Lib. 2. Ode 3. St. Austin observes three kinds of â—eath The first is when God forsakes â—he Soul so he forsook Saul 1 Sam. 6.14 and so he forsook Pharaoh Exod. â—13 This Death is also mentioned Matt. â— 22 Let the dead bury their dead The second is When the Soul forâ—â—kes the Body which is in the common â—urse and order of Nature So Lazaâ—s died John 11. The last is When both Body and Soul â—ffer eternal Death and this is mentiâ—ned Matt. 25.46 and so also Luke 16. â—2 23. The Rich also Man died and was â—uried and in Hell he lift up his Eyes â—eing in torments c. Now Sin is the parent of all these â—ut great sins and a state of impenitency â—nd hardness of heart are the cause that â—ove God to the first and last First to â—rsake the Soul but not till the Soul â—rsakes him next to consign him over 〈◊〉 that state of Immortal Death The second kind of Death is common â—o the Godly as well as the Wicked to â—im that feareth an Oath as well as â—im that sweareth to the Religious as â—ell as the Profane because Gods Decree 〈◊〉 unchangeable Eccles 7.20 and because â—hat even they also cannot lead a sinless life but have many sins many frailties and imperfections that they cannot totally be freed from while they live Death saith the Apostle passed upon all Men for that all have sinned Rom. 5.12 Death then is certain to all nullum Saevà caput Proserpina fugit and yet nothing more uncertain than the time of it Mors certa est incerta dies One dies in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and vigor of his Age when his Bones are full of Marrow and his Blood of Spirits Another in his Infancy wen there are great expectations of future comfort and hopeful successes Another is intombed in his Mothers Womb and never sees the Light Another dies in the Flower of his Youth Another in Old Age but all sooner oâ— later come to one Seat the Grave One goes well at Night to his Bed and in the Morning is found dead Lotus nobisum est hilaris coenavit ideâ— Inventus mane est mortuus Andragoras Martial l. 6. Another goes out of his doors anâ— his beloved Consort is with much joâ— and impatience expecting his happy reâ—urn and anon she receives the sorrowâ—â—l news of his Death by a Fall or a â—eavor Of all the uncertain things in â—â—e World I know not a more uncerâ—â—in thing than the times of our Death There are so many thousand Casualâ—es that may intervene to deprive a Man â—f life that it is a greater wonder that â—e is than that he is not A Plague or â—â—me popular Disease or Fevour or Smallâ—ox an Immoderate Grief or profuse â—y an Intemperate Draught or undiâ—ested piece of Meat yea a Hair or a â—rape-stone with Myriads of other acciâ—ents may introduce Death And as Death is certain so is Judgâ—ent too As it is appointed unto Men once to â—e so after this the Judgment As one fixed by an irrevocable unalterable Deâ—ee so is the other too He hath appointed a day in which he â—ill judge the World Acts 17.31 This Judgment will be universal both 〈◊〉 to persons and things God will judge â—e secrets of all hearts by Jesus Christ â—om 2.16 Every Man shall receive the â—â—ings done in his body according to â—â—at he hath done whether it be good or evil 2 Cor. 5.10 and to that end we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ God is said to be the Judge of all Heb. 12.23 which evinces the certainty of a day of Judgment Otherwise to what purpose is there a Judge And shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right Here the good man finds the sharpest Misery and greatest Afflictions the Evil Man the sweetest Felicity and fullest Pleasures Here the Rich mans Table stands pressed with Delicacies and poor Lazarus lacks even Crums to feed him Therefore it would much impeach the Justice and Goodness of God if there were not a time and place to make some retribution to each of these to reward the Righteous and to punish the Wicked Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence Tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels 2 Thess 1.6 7. Remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Luke 16.25 So that a Man shall say Verily there is a reward for the Righteous Verily he is a God that judgeth in the Earth Psal 58.11 Otherwise where is our Hope For if in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all Men most miserable 1 Cor. 15.9 Nothing could buoy up the Spirits of a good Christian amidst all the heavy Pressures and Afflictions of this Life but that he has the Hopes and Assurance that there is an exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory laid up for him in the life to come St. John in his Revelation tells us Chap. 20.12 13. That he saw the Dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their Works And the Sea gave up the Dead which were in it and Death and Hell delivered up the Dead which were in them and they were judged every Man according to their Works From the whole you see there is a certainty nay a necessity of Death and Judgment This then should teach thee O my Soul 1. First to be often meditating of it before it comes Nil sic revocat a peccato quam frequens Mortis et Judicii meditatio This will restrain thee from Sin and make Death and Judgment less terrible when it comes Is there such a day approaching for all the Sons of Men How should we then resolve with David to make a Covenant with our eyes that they behold not vanity that we set a Watch before our Mouths and keep the door of our lips as with a bridle that we offend not with our tongues that we always have clean hands and a pure heart that at length we may dwell in his Tabernacle and rest upon his holy Hill for ever Si sapis utaris totis Colinediebus Extremumque tibi semper adesse puta Martial I know the sting of Death is Sin but thanks be to God who giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 2. Are there
contribute some assistance to them who have not better advice And being to make this publick I know no person that I have so many Obligations to dedicate it to as your Ladyship and having nothing better to present by way of an ackonwledgment I hope your Ladyship will not refuse to accept this though of a small value from From Newcastle upon Tine Nov. 2d 1682. Your Honours most Faithful and most Obedient Servant Henry Atherton THE PREFACE HAving in the former Treatise I hope satisfied all rational persons concerning the Existence of a Deity it will I judge naturally follow that this Deity is to be Worshipped I say Naturally because I never read of any of the Heathens who acknowledged gods but they paid them homage and adoration Qualescunque sunt saith Cicero in his Book De Natura deorum after he had reckoned up the variety of gods hos does venerari colere debemus Whatsoever they are if we own them gods we ought to honour and worship them Nay He though a Heathen goes farther Cultus autem deorum est optimus idemque castissimus atque sanctissimus plenissmusque pietatis ut eos semper pura integra incorrupta mente voce veneremur For indeed the worship of the gods is best of all most pure most holy and most full of Piety and he advises that when we worship them it should be always with a sincere honest Heart and undefiled Tongue There are many ways by which God may be worshipped but that which I only intend to mention here is by Prayer and Invocation which I shall not curiously dissect neither into its various parts but only tell you that this being a part of Gods Worship those that own his Existence and their dependance upon him are indispensably obliged to pay him that so easie Tribute and Adoration Prayer is the great duty and greatest priviledge of a Christian By it we have intercourse with Heaven and bear a part with Angels and beautifi'd Spirits It is the Medium by which we discover all our wants and necessities unto God the Key to unlock Heaven and draw down all Blessings spiritual and temporal upon us Is any Man Afflicted let him Pray Doth any Man lack Wisdom James 1.5 Let him ask of God who giveth to all Men liberally and it shall be given him Therefore seeing it is so much our interest as well as our priviledg and duty let us not be wanting to our selves in it You will find in the following Sheets a small Manual of Directions and Devotions which as by the homeliness of the dress you may easily see were composed only for my own private use and addresses and never intended that they should as much as peep out of my Closet door And now I shall not tell you as many do that they were press'd out or extorted from me by importunity of Friends or the like but indeed after a little pause and consideration with my self they came out voluntarily hoping at least they may have some good influence on some or other either for Direction or Encouragment to a Holy Life and if not they will only remain useless to others as they did before in my Closet and yet however I shall have this satisfaction in my own Conscience that I intended them well and I hope the purity of the Intention will some way sanctifie the Action and procure Acceptance if not with Men yet with God I am very sensible of the most excellent and unparallell'd composure of the Liturgy of our Church for all publick and most private concerns and how the deficiency of this as to particular wants if any such be is supplied by the incomparable Authors of the Whole Duty of Man Practice of Piety Method of Private Devotions Devout Christian by Bishop Taylor and many other worthy and pious Persons whose Shoes I am not worthy to bear out of some of which you will find several Collections in the following pages But yet give me leave to east in my Mite too and take in good part my weak endeavours also which probably in some things may be more particular than what you meet in them Neither dare I being a Laick prescribe them as Forms for others but only acquaint my Reader that they are such as I use my self and may perhaps be beneficial to him upon the like occasions These I know are very defective too and as he grows more prolifick in Grace so he will be able to supply my defects by a new Additament of his own And if these may give any such encouragment or have any good effect upon any one I have my aim and shall think my self well recompenced for my Studies Hic Rhodus Hic saitus I know this little Tract will fall into the hands of many a Momus who will either carp at or deride it The Learned will perhaps think it impertinent or at least not dainty enough for their curious Paluts and the looser vulgar taunt and scoff at it This is the best usage I can expect it shall meet withal in this profligate Age but however I doubt not but amongst sober and pious Christians it will find better entertainment which will make me dis-esteem the Censures of the one and the revilings of the other it being my design to gratifie â—ot the most but the best Directions how to spend every day in the Fear of God EVery Morning as soon as thou awakest out of Sleep endeavour to get thy Soul Affected with the Majesty and Mercy of God Consider his Power that he was able to raise thee again and his Goodness that he would not suffer thee to sleep in death his Mercy that he hath carefully defended thee and thine from the many sad Casualties and Accidents which might have justly faln either upon thee or them by reason of your Sins and then lift up thy Soul to God in these or the like short Prayers or Ejaculations O Almighty God who hast in thy Mercy awak'ned my Body out of Sleep so I beseech thee by thy grace awaken my Soul from the sleep of Sin and grant I may so walk before thee this day and all the days of my life hereafter that when the last Trumpet shall awaken my Body out of the Grave I may rise to the Life Immortal through Jesus Christ My Voice shalt thou hear in the Morning O Lord in the Morning will I direct my Prayer unto thee and will look up I will sing of thy Power yea I will sing aloud of thy Mercy in the Morning for thou hast been my Defence and my Refuge in the time of my Trouble My Soul desires to wait for thee O Lord more than they that wait for the Morning O God therefore be thou merciful unto me and bless me and cause thy Face to shine upon me O fill me with thy Mercy this Morning so shall I rejoyce and be glad even all the days of my life So teach me to number my days that I may apply
thank thee thou art my God and I will exalt thee Psal 118.28 Then rise out of your Bed and that too more early than upon any other day in which you follow your Worldly Emplyments to shew your greater readiness to serve God than your self When you are dressed retire to your Closet and keep a strict guard over your thoughts that you suffer nothing if possible of any Worldly thing to enter there but meditate that you are to keep this day in the blessed memory of your Lord and Saviour's Resurrection and of the great goodness of God in vouchsafing you the liberty of another Sabbath day the continuance of his Word and Ordinances whereas there are many thousands which yet sit in Darkness and the Shadow of Death And therefore resolve with thy self to spend it intirely to his Glory and in his Service and that not only in general but in particular and draw out as it were a platform of thy holy performances that day and resolve with thy self thus and thus to spend the day as first I will read and meditate then I will offer up unto God my Morning Sacrifice of prayer and praises in private by my self afterwards with my family Then I will spend the time between this and the publick prayers in examining my self concerning any unrepented Sin in Reading Meditation Singing Psalms or the like Then betake thy self humbly to thy knees and pray fervently and earnestly unto Almighty God and praise his name desiring God in the conclusion to inflame thee with a spiritual zeal and affection that thou may'st enter into his Gates with thanksgiving and into his Courts with praise that thy soul may be satisfied with the fulness of his House as with marrow and fatness That he will give thee reverence in his House and a holy dread and awe of his more immediate presence there that he will give thee fervency in thy Devotions attention unto his Word a retentive memory and grace to reduce the same to practice â—n thy Life and Conversation In a word that he will so assist thee with his holy Spirit that thou may'st perform all those duties God requireth of thee so as they may be well-pleasing and acceptable in his sight that so at the end of the day upon examination of thy self thou may'st not find any thing to charge thy Conscience with whereby thou hast omitted any part of thy duty or committed any sin against God Forget not to pray also for all the faithful Ministers of God's holy Word that God would open their Lips that their Mouths may shew forth his praise that they may deliver his word with power and efficacy to the convincing the most obdurate sinner and comforting the feeble minded and in particular pray that God who knows the several Conditions of all Men that he would be with the Spirit of that his Servant who is to be the Dispenser of his Word unto thee that day and put a Word into his Mouth which may particularly respect thy own Condition and give thee grace to apply it to thy self and to practise it and finally that he will be with all Congregations that are that day assembled in his faith Fear c. A prayer comprizing these Petitions you have in the subsequent pages At the time appointed for Divine Service call thy whole family together and go towards God's House but not without considering where thou art going Keep thy Foot Eccl. 5.1 and go not without longing Desires and hearty Ejaculations and though thy tongue should be silent yet thy heart should speak the louder and let it say As the Hart panteth after the Water-Brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God My soul is a thirst for God yea even for the living God when shall I come and appear before him One day in thy Courts is better then a Thousand I had rather be a Door-keeper in the House of my God than to dwell in the Tents of ungodliness c. As thou art Entring say Surely the Lord is in this place Surely this is no other but the House of God this is the Gate of Heaven When thou art Entred into the House uncover thy Head and if thou followest the Custom of the Greek Church to put a distinction between the House of God and that which is profane or common and bowest thy self lifting up their Ejaculation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God be merciful to me a Sinner thou wilt shew thy reverance to the Place and him that is said to dwell in it and give no offence to truly pious Christians who do not esteem any essential but a relative holiness inherent in it When thou comest into thy Seat kneel down and use this or the like short Prayer O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel who dwellest between the Cherubims and yet are pleas'd not only to permit but to invite thy poor sinful Creatures to draw near unto thee even for their own soul's Good I who am not worthy to tread thy Courts am here bold to present my self to hear what the Lord will say unto me O Pardon all my sins and frailties which make me unworthy to appear in thy presence and so assist me with thy holy Spirit that I may so perform all those duties thou requirest of me here that they may be well-pleasing and acceptable in thy sight through Jesus Christ Amen Be sure to go early to the house of God at least before the Minister begins with the prayers of the Church and if any over-plus of time remain before spend it not in gazing about or in vain worldly discourse as is too common or in sleeping or the like but take thy Common Prayer Book and thy Bible and turn to the Service of the Church the Lessons Epistle and Gospel and if there be yet spare time read over the latter and see how fitly the prudence and piety of the Church have adapted them to the day and treasure up all those good Lessons and Instructions contained therein in thy mind When the Minister is about to begin say O Lord be with the Spirit of thy Servant in the Discharge of his present duty and open thou his Lips that his Mouth may shew forth thy praise When the Minister begins with the sentences stand up as also at the reading or singing of the Psalms which was a Custom used by the Ancients and now continued by many good Christians because they are of a sublime nature and full of holy Prayers and Ejaculations stand up likewise at the Hymns Creed and Gospel kneel at the Confession Absolution Litany the Decalogue and all the Prayers and content not your self with that slovenly posture of sitting or careless leaning too common with many God who made both for his glory expects the worship of the body as well as that of the Soul and certainly where there is real devotion and spiritual affection in the heart it will discover it self by an outward reverence in the body At the end