dwellings vnto health and safetie Keep those which are well and release those vpon whom thou hast laid the rod of thy afflictions Thou hast promised O Lord that if at any time thou sendest the Pestilence among the people 2. Chro. 7.13 14. If that people doe humble themselues 1. Kings 8. and pray and seeke thy presence and turne from their wicked waies thou wilt heare in Heauen and be mercifull to their sinne and heale their Land wee humbly pray thee O Lord to make good thy promise and ease vs of our afflictions For behold O Lord wee humble our selues vnder thy mighty hand we bewaile and lament our sinfull liues past and humbly beseech thee to giue vs thy assisting Grace that we may henceforth order our waies to please thee Then shall no Contagion hurt vs Dan. 9.18 but we shall liue to praise thy Name and all the world shall know that thou art our God and that thy Name is called vpon by vs. Heare vs O Lord and be mercifull to vs euen for Iesus Christs sake the Righteous To whom with thee and the Blessed Spirit be ascribed all honour and zpraise now and for euer Amen Confession of Faith Mar. 9.24 Lord I beleeue Helpe thou my vnbeleife In God The father Almightie Maker of heauen and earth In which words I consider his naturall affection his sauing power his Prouidence in disposing preseruing gouerning all things Eph. 1.10 Who in the dispensation of the fulnesse of times will gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heauen and earth In Iesus Our Sauiour Christ The Anoynted His onely Son Euen of God the Father Our Lord By creating and redeeming vs. 1. Who was conceiued by the holy Ghost To purge the vncleanesse of our conception 2. Borne of the Virgin MARY To purge the vncleanenesse of our Birth 3. Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate Those thinges which wee should haue suffered that we might not suffer them 4. Was crucified To take away the Curse of the Law 5. Dead To take away the Sharpenesse of death 6. Buried To take away the corruptiō of the Graue 7. Descended into Hell Whither wee ought to haue gone that we might not goe thither at all 8. The third day he rose againe from the dead That hee might raise with him our nature being made the first fruites of them which sleepe 1. Cor. 15.20 9. He ascended into Heauen To prepare vs a place whereto we had no right 10. Hee sitteth at the right hand of the father Incessantly to intercede for vs. 11. From thence he shall come To receiue vs 12. To iudge both the quicke and the dead Euen to the consummation of all things In the Holy Ghost In whom I consider a power sanctifying frō aboue and quickening to immortalitie working powerfully and inuisibly in vs. By the Illumination of knowledge Luc. 12.12 And Infusion of grace 1. Ioh. 2.27 b Io. 16.8 In reprehending things euill in vs c Io. 14.26 Teaching vs things we know not Suffering and forbearing vs. d Gen. 20.6 Preuenting vs from doing euill Ro. 8.26 Encouraging vs vs to doe good Assisting vs in our Prayers Striuing for our good Ioh. 14.16 Comforting vs in our necessities  All these being Graces and fruits of the Holy Spirit 4. The Holy Catholique Church Which is the mysticall body of the head Christ Iesus composed of all people throughout the World which are called by the Spirit to the Beleife of Diuine Truth and holinesse of Conuersation And of all these members of his body there is a reciprocall participation to the Communion of Saints and Forgiuenesse of Sinnes For the present To the hope of The resurrectiō of the body and Life euerlasting hereafter Lord I beleeue Helpe the defects of my faith That I may loue thee as a Father Reuerence thee as Almighty Commend my selfe to thee as to a faithfull Creator That I may be mindefull to giue thankes to Thy only Sonne As to the purger of our nature In his Conception and Birth As to our deliuerer In his Passion Crosse and Death As to the triumpher ouer Hell In his Descension Ouer death In his Resurrection As to our fore runner In his Ascension As to our Aduocate In his Session As to the establisher of our faith In his Second Comming That he may be fashioned in me That I may be made conformable to him To his Conception To his Natiuitie In Workes In Faith In Humility That for his Passions 1. I may Sympathize with him as with one that suffered for me and be ready to suffer of him and for him when it shall be his good pleasure 2. I may haue an Antipathie with sinne as being the cause of his Sufferings and bee Reuenged of Crucifie Mortifie Bury Sinne in my selfe 3 I may conforme my selfe 1. To his descension into Hell By often descending thither in meditation 2 To his Resurrection By rising to newnesse of life 3. To his Ascension By sauouring and seeking those things which are aboue and neerer to my Saluation 4. To his Iudgement By Iudging my selfe least I bee condemned with the World That when I am cold in Prayer and want any Spirituall grace or comfort I may remember thy Session and Intercession And when I am feruent in any euill affection or concupiscence I may not forget thy fearefull and terrible Iudgement Seat and the sound of the last Trump That for thy only Son Christs sake I may also receiue thy Vnction euen thy sauing grace the vnspeakeable guift of the Holy Ghost and neuer a 1. Thess 5.19 extinguish b Eph. 4.30 grieue c Act. 7.51 resist or d Mat. 12.32 reproach it That so I may bee called into thy Catholique Church where I may be partaker of the Persons Actions prayers and Examples of Saints To the assured beliefe of Remission of sinnes To the hope of Resurrection and Translation to Life euerlasting Lord increase my Faith Luc. 17.6 Mat. 17.20 as a graine of mustard seed Not Dead Temporary or Hypocriticall But a 1. Tim. 1.5 Pure and vnfeigned most b Holy c Eph. 3.11 Liuely and d Ia. 2.26 working by Charity Confession of Faith O Almighty and Eternall Lord God I poore vnworthy and wretched sinner and bold to renew that couenant of Faith which in my Baptisme I made vnto thee I beleeue and confesse that all those things which thy most beloued Sonne Christ Iesus did suffered and taught while he was conuersant in the Flesh here vpon the Earth are most most true and certaine I professe that I beleeue all the Articles of the Apostles Creed and the Holy Gospell of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ which is preached through all the World To this Faith I binde my selfe and purpose Gods grace assisting mee neuer to depart from it and acknowledge that without beleeuing thus I cannot be saued I am heartily glad O Heauenly Father euen in my
INSTITVTIONES PIAE or Directions to Pray also A short exposition of The Lords Prayer The Creed The 10 Com̄andements Seauen Penitentiall Psalmes and Seauen Psalmes of thankesgiuing by HI O that men would praise the Lord for his goodnes And declare the wonders which he doth for the children of men Ps 107 8. LONDON Printed for Henry Seile 1630 To the Christian Reader COurteous and Christian Reader accept I pray thee these few obseruations and collections of Meditations and Deuotions which at the first I intended for my owne priuate vse but since considering with my selfe that Bonum quò communius eò melius Euery good thing is the better for being communicated I thought to publish it for the publique vse of them who shall affoord themselues so much time as to performe those Duties which are contained in it The Heathen man could say A Ioue principium to the shame of many I will not say of those who professe themselues and would be called Christians who are so farre from beginning all their actions with Gods seruice as that it is a rare thing to see them attend it at all It is no maruell then if God with-hold his hand of goodnesse from our Land or if according to the Prophet He hide his face from vs. Psal 88 14. when we are so remisse so dull either in seruing him with the Dutie of Praise and Thankesgiuing for his Benefits past or with the Seruice of Prayer for his Prouidence and Goodnesse to come Wee can talke of Comets and apparitions in the ayre and be stricken with wonder we can speake of vnseasonable and tempestuous times and bethinke our selues of what diseases famine and the like iudgements may ensue thereupon with griefe wee can discourse of warres rumors of warres and mightie preparations abroad with feare and yet wee are so stupid and sencelesse that wee cannot see or discerne the true cause of all these occasions of wonder griefe and feare namely our sinnes at least if we doe yet we set not our selues to take away the cause by that wholesome remedy which God himselfe hath prescribed to remooue it if wee would but apply and vse it We thinke it enough if wee can talke of the medicine and it is somewhat if we doe that and haue the speculation how to rid our selues of the disease but for the practise of it it fares with vs as with those who haue an infirmitie growing vpon them and know the remedy but either for wāt of leasure or for the queasinesse of the stomach or the bitter or vnpleasing taste of the medicine they forbeare the taking of it till the disease grow incurable We are content to heare what the Phisician of our soules prescribeth vs but wee neglect the Diet which hee enioyneth vs. All our Religion dependeth on the Eare and so it had pleased God to haue giuen vs but an Eare to heare hee might haue spared the tongue and lippes to praise him and all the other parts to worship and reuerence him wee could haue beene well enough contented with that member alone But beloued let vs not deceiue our selues for hee that hath made the Eare to heare what good hee hath done vnto vs hath made the tongue also to confesse his due praises for that which he hath so done And if wee neglect to giue him due thankes for his Mercie it will come to passe and that to bee feared very speedily that wee shall bee forced in bitternesse of soule to confesse his Iustice when we shall finde that hee iustly turneth his Blessings into Curses and plagues and be compelled to acknowledge and say Iust art thou O Lord and righteous and iust are thy Iudgements And therefore in time let euery one of vs recollect himselfe and in his priuate closset or chamber with himselfe and in the Church with the Congregation humbly confesse his sinnes to God desire pardon for them praise him for his blessings pray him to continue them and deprecate his iust anger from vs and then no doubt but he will be graciously pleased to bee mercifull to vs and heare vs and auert those Iudgements from vs which we most iustly haue deserued Which let vs all againe and againe beseech him to doe for the merits and intercession of his Blessed Sonne and our alone Sauiour Iesus Christ Institutiones piae OR DIRECTIONS to Pray c. A generall exhortation to Prayer FOr as much as the best of Gods Children are subiect to many infirmities and euen the iust man falleth seuen times a day Pro. 24.16 and that mans life by reason of sinne is exposed to many dangers troubles and afflictions Therefore it standeth vs much vpon and concerneth vs neerely to seeke out some remedy as well to strengthen out selues against the assaults of our spirituall enemies that as neere as may be we fall not as to raise vs againe when we are cast downe and deiected either by the sight of our sinnes or by the crosses and afflictions of this life And in this distresse what course shall we think vpon to relieue vs or what means shall we finde out to aid and succor vs Certainely no other then that which God himselfe of his goodnesse hath prescribed and commended to vs In regard of Gods Precept yea and hath commaunded vs to haue recourse vnto whensoeuer we shall be thus afflicted namely Prayer to him Call vpon me saith he in the day of trouble Psal 50.15 Come vnto me saith Christ all ye that labour and are heauy laden Mat. 11.28 Seeke yee the Lord saith he by the Prophet and call vpon him Esa 55.6 And is any afflicted Ia 5.13 by the Apostle Let him pray And the better to stirre vs vp to this duty God hath added to this Precept of his a promise also His promise that we shall not loose our labors or pray to him in vaine For no sooner shall we aske but he will giue Mat. 7.7 Io. 16.23 Psal 91.15 no sooner call but he will answere and deliuer Nay more for if God perceiue our inclination to pray vnto him he will preuent vs and before we call he will answere Esa 65.24 and while we are speaking he will heare Christs example And as we haue Gods precept and promise to prouoke vs to Pray vnto him so also haue we the Example not only of all the Saints of God but of Christ Iesus himselfe Mat. 14.23 26.39 Io. 11.47 Mar. 1.35 who while he was cōuersant in the flesh vpon Earth though he were wholly without spot or blemish wholly innocent and immaculate yet often and earnestly prayed The Necessity Among all the Euangelicall Precepts or Councells there is not any one Duty vpon which our Sauiour more earnestly beateth or to which he with more feruency inciteth his Apostles and Disciples then to this of Prayer The necessitie whereof hee enforceth amongst other places of Scripture in the parable of the vniust Iudge Luc. 18.
in darknesse 11 My Louers and those which I tooke for friends because they see me goe about to forsake my euill courses stand aloofe of from my sore in stead of giuing me comfort become mine aduersaries and my kinsmen who in my prosperitie fawned on mee now stand a farre of and leaue me comfortlesse 12 They also of mine enemies that seeke after the ouerthrow of my life and eternall happinesse lay snares and tentations for me and they that seeke my hurt in bereauing me of my good name speake mischieuous and false things to my reproach and imagine deceit how to diuert me from the right way all the day long 13 But I being resolued to persist in the way of repentance and to trust wholly in the mercy of God behaued my selfe to them as a deafe man giuing no eare to their allurements and made as though I heard them not and I was in my behauiour to them as a dumbe man that knew not how to speake and that opened not his mouth 14 Thus carefull was I least mine enemies should entrap me and I continued still as a man that heareth not nor is moued with their tentations and in whose mouth notwithstanding their euill deedes to me are no reproofes 15 For in thee O Lord let them doe what they can doe I hope and put my confidence that thou wilt keepe thy promise and heare me when I call vpon thee O Lord my God and Sauiour 16 For I said in my prayer to thee heare mee O Lord least if thou forsake me they should reioyce and triumph ouer mee for when and as soone as my foote of faith slippeth neuer so little by infirmitie they presently imagine that thou hast forsaken mee and magnifie themselues as though they had obtained a great victory against me 17 For I cannot maruell that they should so doe considering that when I feele the waight of my sinnes I my selfe am ready to halt and despaire and the reason of my sorrow is because thy Iudgements are euer before mee and in my thoughts 18 For remedy whereof I wil declare and confesse to thee O Lord in the bitternesse of my soule my iniquitie and take reuenge of my selfe for it yea I will be as long as I liue heartily sory and much grieued for my sinne past though it be forgiuen 19 But mine enemies thinke not of forsaking their waies they are liuely and merry and crie peace peace to their soules and they are strong to doe euill and they also that hate mee because they see my conuersion wrongfully and without cause are multiplied and excedingly increased 20 They also that vnthankefully render euill to me for the good which I haue done vnto them are also become mine aduersaries and doe vnto mee all the mischiefe they can and why because they perceiue my conuersion and that I follow and loue the thing that good is which they hate 21 Forsake mee not either in tentation or tribulation though they persecute mee O Lord the author of my saluation O my God whom I desire to serue be not farre from me by withdrawing thy grace from me 22 Make hast least I faint vnder the burden of my sinnes to helpe me against my enemies O Lord who art my only stay in this life and my Saluation in the life to come Glory be to the Father c. 4 Psalme 51. 1 HAue mercy vpon me miserable sinner O God full of mercy and compassion according to thy louing and infinite kindnesse to the sonnes of men and as my sinnes are infinite so according to the multitude of thy tender mercies which thou hast euer shewed to penitent sinners blot out of the booke of thy remembrance my innumerable transgressions 2 Wash mee throughly with the blood of thy deare Sonne from mine iniquitie whereby I haue so often offended thy Maiestie and cleanse me in the fountaine of thy mercies from my sinne whereby I haue also offended my neighbour 3 For behold O Lord I hide not nor excuse but in the bitter teares of repentance acknowledge and confesse my horrible transgressions against thee and my grieuous sinne in which I did for a time take delight is growne odious to mee and is euer before me in remorse of conscience 4 Against thee most mercifull Father only haue I sinned and though I were ashamed to commit sinne in the sight of men yet I haue done this great euill in thy alseeing sight yet O Lord be mercifull to mee and pardon it that thou mightst be iustified and found true and faithfull when thou speakest as thou hast often done of mercy and forgiuenesse to the penitent and bee cleare from the imputation of iniustice when thou art arrogantly and falsely Iudged for seueritie thy punishments being iust though the eyes of our vnderstanding be not so cleare as to perceiue the iustice of them 5 Behold O Lord that I as all mankinde was shapen in the iniquity of originall sinne from which fountaine springeth my misery and in sinne and concupiscence did my mother conceiue me from whence groweth the infirmitie of my flesh 6 Behold also O LORD I know that thou desirest Truth Faith and Integrity in the inward parts of my conscience and in the hidden parts of mee my Soule thou shalt make me by the illumination of thy Holy Spirit to know Wisedome to eternall life 7 Purge mee leprous sinner with spirituall Hyssope the blood of thy Sonne in stead of the Hyssope which was wont to cleanse the leprous in the lawe and by that blood I shall be cleane and purified from the leprosie of sinne Wash me in the fountaine of Grace and then by the teares of repentance and the merits of my Sauiour I shall bee whiter in thy sight then Snow 8 Make mee poore wretch to heare and sensiblie feele the ioy and comfort of remission of my sinnes and let me finde gladnesse in the promise of life eternall that the Spirituall bones of my soule which thou hast broken with tentations and afflictions may reioice and giue thee thankes and praise 9 Hide and turne away thy face and wrathfull countenance from my sinnes lay them not to my charge and blot out of thy Register all mine iniquities that they neuer appeare to condemne me 10 Create an new forme in me polluted sinner a cleane and pure heart O God the Creator of all things and renew by thy Grace aright and sanctified Spirit within me 11 Cast me not away into the pit of desperation by debarring me from thy presence where only is fulnesse of ioy and take not for euer thy Holy Spirit of comfort from me 12 Restore vnto me rather the vnspeakeable ioy of thy Saluation in Christ Iesus which they feele in their consciences to whom thou remittest their sinnes and when I am re-instated in thy fauour vphold and keepe me from falling againe with thy free powerfull and sauing Spirit 13 Then euen when I shall be so restored I will by word of exhortation and example
of conuersation teach transgressors how they shall keepe thy waies and commandements and by that meanes thy Grace assisting they which now are sinners shall forsake their wickednesse and shall bee truely conuerted to thee 14 Deliuer me and quit me from my former bloody offences and keepe mee henceforth from blood guiltinesse and carnall corruptions O God my protector Thou God which art my Redeemer and Author of my Saluation and all the dayes of my life my tongue for ioy thereof shall sing vnto thee and that aloud and cheerefully and praise thy Name by extolling of thy righteousnesse who dost iustifie sinners and art mercifull to the penitent 15 O Lord who giuest wisedome to the simple Open thou my lippes which are closed by sinne from doing any seruice vnto thee and then with boldnesse my mouth shall vtter and shew forth thy praise for to thee alone belongeth all Honour and Glory 16 For thou O God desirest not that I should offer the Sacrifice of Goates and Calues to expiate my offences else would I willingly giue it and lay it on thy Altar but thou hauing by sending thy Sonne Christ Iesus abrogated the ceremonies of the Law delightest not any longer in burnt offerings but in obedience to thy Commandements 11 The Sacrifices accepted of God and whereby wee are in Christ reconciled to him are a broken and humble Spirit deiected with the sight of sinne a broken and contrite heart truly mortified and repentant O God thou hast promised that thou wilt not despise but louingly accept 18 Doe good O God in thy good pleasure and be fauourable and gratious vnto Sion thy Catholique Church Build thou vpon a sure foundation of religion and establish the hearts of thy Saints and Seruants the walles of thy Church Ierusalem 19 Then shalt thou in Christ Iesus be pleased with vs and with the Sacrifices of Righteousnesse in thy Congregation And with burnt Offerings and Oblations of our hearts Then shall they thy Seruants thus established offer bullockes the Sacrifice of praise vpon thine Altar in thy presence to the honour of thy most holy Name Glory be to the Father c. 5 Psalme 102. 1 HEare my prayer which in the bitternesse of my soule I make to thee O Lord whose mercy is the Sanctuary of distressed sinners and let nothing stand betweene that mercy and me which may hinder my cry to come to thee 2 Hide not thy face turne not away thy countenance from me as if thou wert offended at me but rather in the day of aduersity when I am in trouble and sorrow encline thine eare of pitie vnto me and that right soone and speedily 3 For my daies which I haue mis-spent are cōsumed away like smoke which for want of substance resolueth to nothing and my bones which by my broken spirit are dried vp are burnt vp as a firebrand 4 My heart is deiected and smitten with the thought of thy Iustice and it is withered with remembrance of thy Iudgements like grasse without iuyce or sap so that in this anguish of soule I forget and loath to eate my bread 5 By reason of the grieuous voyce of my groaning sighes and teares I am so consumed away that my bones for want of flesh cleaue to my skinne and I am nothing but skin and bone 6 I am for shame that I haue offended thee become in condition like a Pellican that liueth solitarily in the Wildernesse and I am like an Owle not daring to be seen but that auoideth the light and is continually in the desert shunning the company of other birds 7 I watch and sleepe not for the thought of my sinnes and am as a sparrow that caring for no company sitteth alone making grieuous lamentation in a mournfull note vpon the house top 8 Mine enemies seeing mee thus penitent reproach mee with opprobrious speeches all the day continually deriding mee and they that while I was their companion in sinne applauded mee are vpon my conuersion mad against me and doe combine and are sworne to doe me mischiefe and to that end set themselues against me 9 For this cause taking no pleasure in this world I haue eaten ashes and fed vpon course meate like as if it were fine bread and dainty fare and I haue mingled my drinke with teares weeping and lamenting for my sinnes 10 Because of thine indignation at me for them and thy wrath against my life past all this euill and more hath befallen me for thou hast lifted mee vp very high and from thence hast cast mee downe that my fall might be the greater 11 My dayes few and euill are passed like a shadow vpon a Sun-diall that declineth toward the euening and I that lately seemed to flourish am withered and dryed vp like grasse without sap for want of thy comfort 12 But thou O Lord which wert and art shalt continue immutable and shalt endure for euer while all transitory things passe and come to nothing and thy glorious workes shall be had in remembrance vnto all generations euen vnto the end of the world 13 Thou O Lord who seemest to men to sleepe shalt arise in thy strength and haue mercy and compassion vpon Sion thy Church militant now oppressed with the tyranny of Antichrist for the time to looke vpon her and fauour her is at hand yea the set time which thou hast decreed for her deliuerance is or will not be long ere it come 14 For they which bee thy true and faithfull Seruants take pleasure and delight in her stones their fellow Seruants and are glad when they see them prosper and fauour and pitie the very dust and ruines thereof when they see them vnder persecution 15 So that when they shall be deliuered from their misery the very heathen shall feare and tremble at the Name of the Lord and be conuerted to him and all the Kings and Potentates of the earth which now oppose the Truth shall acknowledge thee O Lord to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords and be afraid at the greatnesse of thy Glory and Maiestie 16 When the Lord by his almighty power shall build vp Sion and repaire the ruines of his Church he shall then to the confusion of his enemies appeare in his glory which they shall not be able to endure 17 He will then in mercy regard and hearken to the prayer of his poore seruants and the destitute of his helpe and not any longer seeme to turne away his face from them nor despise their prayer and earnest supplications 18 This mercy of his shall then be recorded and written as a remembrance for the generations to come euen to the end of the world which shall attempt the like against his Church and the people yet vnborne that shall succeed and be created in ages to come shall praise and magnifie the Lord which only doth marueilous things 19 For hee hath in mercy by sending his Sonne Christ Iesus looked downe from the height of his Sanctuary his holy place euen from