receyue of thy merciful liberality Amen A thankesgiuing after meate O Lord God which of thy great bountie and fatherly kindnesse hast at this time most plentifully fedde our weake bodies giue vs grace continuallie to bee thankefull vnto thy Maiestie for these and all other thy benefites most aboundantly at all times bestowed vpon vs thorow Iesus Christ our Lorde Amen A note to knowe the beginning and ending of the foure Tearmes of the yeare HIllarie Tearme beginneth the three twentie of Ianuarie which if it be Sunday then the next day following and endeth the twelft of Februarie Easter Tearme beginneth seuentene dayes after Easter and endeth foure dayes after Ascension day Trinitie Terme beginneth the next day after Corpus Christi day and endeth the wednesday fortnight after Michaelmasse Tearme beginneth the ninth of October if if be not Sunday and endeth the eight and twentie of Nouember The Queenes Maiesties Iudges neither sit in Westminster hall nor heare anie matters pleaded in these dayes following Namely on the Ascension Saint Iohn Baptist All Saints the Purification of Marie nor the Sabboth dayes Note also that the Eschequer openeth eight dayes before any Terme begin except Trinitie Terme in which it openeth but foure dayes before Speciall Medita tions for all times and for all per sons _ 〈◊〉 meditate with thy self and thinke what god is namely a diuine spirite or spirituall bring and therefore will bee worshipped in spirite and 〈◊〉 Consider howe that this blessed God being diuided into a Trinitie of persons the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost yet all one in substance and essence hath by his almightie power created all things both spirituall and temporall visible and inuisible whatsoeuer And as he hath created them by his omnipotent power so doth hee rule and gouerne them by his prouidence according to his good will and pleasure And therefore think that nothing commeth to passe by fortune or chance but by his heauenlie determination and appointment Consider how he hath created thée after his owne siâ—itude and likenesse and therefore oughtest thou to be holic as he is holie How he hath predestinate and chosen thee before the foundations of the world were layde to euerlasting saluation in Iesus Christ how he hath and doth iustifie thee that is acount thée iust and righteous by a true and liuelie fayth in the blood of his Sonne howe he doth call thée to the knowledge of his will and to the state of grace First by the secret working of his spirite secondlie by the preaching of his word thirdlie by the sight and vse of all his creatures of infinite varietie Confider howe he made thée holy pure and righteous and howe thou by thy rebellion pride infidelitie and disobedience madest thy selfe sinsull and wicked Then consider howe hee sent his owne sonne Christ Iesus to redéeme thée by the shedding of his blood Who as he is our onelie saniour and redéemer so is he our onelie mediator and aduocate and onelie to be called vppon inuocated and neither Angel nor saint martyr nor confessor patriarch nor father nor any other creature whatsoeuer Consider with thy selfe that as he hath fulfilled all things for vs reconciled vs to his father so is he now ascended into the heauens to prepare a place for vs who at the great day of accounts shall come againe in the same shape and with the same bodie that he receyued of Marie to iudge both the quicke and the dead and to rewarde euerie man according to his works Thinke that after the generall iudgement our bodies being made immortall and incorruptible shall bee vnited againe to their proper soules and for euer inherite the euerlasting kingdome of heauen where is such ioy as no heart can conceiue no tongue no not of Angels themselues expresse nor any penne is able to write These and the like meditations ended render most heartie thanks vnto god in the name of Iesus Christ for all his benefites and blessings in mercie bestowed vppon thee pray for grace to bee thankfull craue pardon for â—hy vn thankfulnesse and the morning approching exercise thy selfe as followeth Precepts and directions for the morning WHen thou arisest in the morning lift vp thy handes thy eyes thy soule and mind towards heauen giuing God heartie thanks as generally for all his graces and louing kindnesse shewed towards thée in Christ so particularly for the quiet rest and sléepe which hee hath giuen to thy bodie that night Pray for his protection and assistance in the residue of thy life which done meditate thus with thy selse Meditations in the morning SAy thus to thy selfe This day which I now enter into is my last day nay this moment my last breath I haue no fréehold of my life fee simple of my dayes no charter of my yeares no not for one minute of an houre or twinckling of an eye Death yea infinite deathes daylie waite vpon me and threaten my destruction yea my body it self earieth in finit deaths in it selfe being indéed the efficient cause of it owne miserie and calamitie Think also that as shy bodie now resesh out of thy materiall bâ—d so shal it rise out of the bed of thy graue at the great day of the Lord and appeare before the tribunall seat of God all naked as euer thou wast borne there to receiue either the incorruptible crowne of euerlasting glorie or else the iust rewarde of perpetuall confusion Thinke also that as thou risest forth of thy bed to be occupied and emploied in the labours and trauailes of this life so shouldest thou arise out of the bed of sinne to serue the liuing God in holines and righteousnes all the dayes of thy life Meditations to bee conside red of at the rising of the Sunne AS now this temporall Sunne in the heauens representing vnto vs the true Sunne of God Christ Jâ—sus is now risen and hath spread his beames vppon the whole face of the earth so shall the sonne of God indéed at the time appointed manifest himselfe to the whole worlde in vnspeakable glorie to iudge all flesh and to reward euerie worke vnder the Sunne according to the qualitie and merite of the same Thinke also what infinite glorie is treasured vp in the kingdom of heauen for the elect and chosen of God after this life For if this Sunne in the element being made but one lie for mans vse and to giue light to the world for a time bee so glorious as no mortall eie without teares can beholde the same how much more glorious shall we think the ioies of heauen to be prepared for the elect after this life Thinke also that the Sunne in the element doth not onelie giue light to the world by his radiations and glistering beames but also doth quicken reuiue fructifie and cause to growe all naturall thinges vpon the whole face of the earth so Christ Iesus the sonne of God doth not onelie inlighten man by the beames of his grace and inspiration of
man behind his backe but in all things so 〈◊〉 thy selfe that thou maist neither dishonour thy God nor giue either offence or euill example vnto anie at the table Dinner being ended giue God thankes as followeth A thankes giuing to God after dinner MOst holy father Lord of heauen and earth I giue thée thanks in the name of Iesus Christ for all thy benesites and blessings in mercie bestowed vpon mee euer since I was borne And namelie O Fa ther I praise thée for feeding my hungry body as alwaies heretofore so now presentlie at this time with earthlie foode beséeching thée to féede my soule likewise with the celestiall foode of thy holie worde And I pray thée good Lord that as thou hast giuen vnto mee the vse of these earthlie creatures in great measure so thou wilt in mercie vouchsafe to giue vnto me the continuall supplie of al my necessities and wants néedefull either for my soule or bodie to the end and in the end thorow Iesus Christ our Lord. Meditations after dinner THinke thus with thy selfe As the mouth of my bodie whereby I receyue corporall sustenance is flesh and bloud so the mouth of my soule whereby I receyue the spirituall foode of eternall life is faith towardes God hope in his promises loue from a pure heart towards the brefhren for his sake Thinke also that as the Sun is now in his highest ascent degrée and therefore of necessitie must néedes decline and go downward And as the day also is now at the midst or full and therefore must needs in like maner draw towards his end so my life being once come to his full ripenesse and maturitie must of force draw towards his end which is death the reward or salary of sinne These things thus performed dispose thy selfe to the labors of thy vocation as before doing all things to the glorie of him that made thée and one day will require a straite account of thée for all thy labours and workes done vnder the Sunne Directions how to behaue thy selfe before and after Supper WHen the daie is ended and the night approcheth first praise God for thy preseruation and protection that 〈◊〉 beséeching him to take 〈◊〉 care ouer thee that night This done arraine thy selfe as it were at the barre and call thy conscience to accounts demaunding of thy selfe as wel what good thou hast omitted and hast not done as the euill which thou hast committed and shouldest not haue done And as well repent for the one as be sorowfull for the other This doue drawe towards the table in reuerent maner praâ—g GOD to sanctiâ—e his câ—atures vnto thée either in this or the like forme A thankes giuidg to God before Supper FAther of mercy and God of all trueth looke downe I beséech thée from the throne of thy heauenly pallace vpon vs thy humble seruants albeit most wretched and miserable sinners sanctifie both our bodies and soules by the presence of thy holie spirite and blesse these thy creatures vnto vs giue them strength to nourish our bodies and our bodies their naturall powers and force euerie member to performe his office and dutie according as thou hast appointed as thou séest to bee best for thy glorie and the sustaining and repairing of our ruinous and weake natures And we pray thée good father also to féede our soules with the celestiall Manna of thy blessed worde and bring vs once to suppe with thée in the kingdome of heauen thorow the precious bloud of Iesus Christ. Then sall to thy meate reuerentlie as before at dinner hauing alwaies a diligent eie that thou abuse not the good creatures of God by gluttonie drunkennesse gourmandise or anie other kinde of riot or excesse Remember that nature is satisfied with a little and what is more then wil suffice nature is super fluous and one daie thou shalt be accomptable for it to the great iudge of all the earth Thy bodie being satisfied forget not to relieue the necessitie of the Saints according to thy abilitie that God maie blesse thée and multiplie thy store When Supper is ended giue God thanks eyther as followeth or otherwise as the spirite of God shall illuminate thy heart A thankesgiuing to God after Supper OH Lord our god most gracious holie father we render all praise and thankesgiuing to thy soueraigne maiestie for all thy benefites and blessings so plentifully bestowed vppon vs. And namelie we thanke thée holie father for these thy good creatures which thou hast at this present in full measure giuen vnto vs. Oh Lord make vs thankfull for them pardon our vnthankfulnesse for Iesus Christ his sake Finally make vs al thy true obedient and faithfull seruants and bring vs to euerlasting life in thy good time for thy great mercies sake in thy beloued Amen Directions of Christian behauiour after supper THe rest of the time after Supper vntill thou goest to bed spend with thy familie either in singing of Psalmes and spirituall songs singing and making melodie to the Lord in your hearts or else in conferring reasoning disputing talking of the word of God in reading expounding or interpreting of the same Then when time calleth thée to go to bed call thy whole housholde togither in some conuensent place make publike confession of your sins to God the Father craue pardon and forgiuenesse for Iesus Christs sake and pray for grace to bee able to resist sinne hereafter with all meanes waies and allurements leading there unto Which done repaire to thy chamber reuoluing with thy selfe these and the like things following Meditations when thou coÌ„ mest into thy chamber WHen thou art come into thy chamber call to thy remembrance what euill thou hast committed that day past either in thought word or déed towards GOD or towards man and the good which thou shouldest haue done and hast not done Iâ— thou hast sâ—ne or heard anie good thing in anie man note it learne it and praie for grace to follow it If againe thou hast séene or heard anie cuill in anie man note it in thy selfe and pray for grace to eschue it This done knéele downe by thy bed side confesse thy sinnes to GOD the father craue pardon for Iesus Christ his sake and pray to him to protect thée that night and to defend thée vnder the shadowe of his wings from all perilles and daungers both bodilie and ghostly Thy clothes being put off meditate thus with thy selfe Oh what a filthie vncleane and vgglesome carkasse doe I beare aboute with me that for verie shame had néede to be couered with garments Thinke also from what an excellent state and dignitie in regard of thy first creation thou art fallen by reason of the â—ilthines of sin Then thinke that if thy apparell were giuen thee for verie necessities sake to couer hide thy shame withall what reason hast thou to be proude therof For should a begger bee proude of the cloutes that wrap his sores Thinke also that
as thou canst not without shame stand before men naked and bare so canst thou not without shame and confusion of face stand before the maiestie of God except thou be clothed muested with the garment of Christs righteousnes and holines Finallie thinke that as thou puttest off and laiest aside thy materialgarments so shalt thou once and peraduenture before thou â—ysest againe put off and lay away the earthlie mansion of thy bodie committing it to mother earth againe from whence it first came When sléepe commeth vppon thée pray as followeth A prayer when sleepe com meth vpon one MOst mercifull father with whom there is no difference of time nor varietie of chaunge séeing thou hast appointed the day for man to trauaile in and the night for him to take his naturall rest I beséech thee that as my bodie hash béene occupied and employed this day in the labors of this life so it may receiue by thy protection quiet rest and sleepe this night that I may be the abâ—er to go forwarde in the exercise of good works in the rest of my life that I haue to liue to the praise and glorie of thy blessed name And in this my sléepe defend me I beséech thée from all perilles and daungers and from all the force violence of mine enemies both spirituall and corporall And as it maie please thée to graunt to my bodie quiet rest and sléepe so let it bee thy good pleasure to make my soule watchful and vigilant to waite vpon thee and diligentlie to looke for yâ— comming of thy deare sonne Iesus Christ vnto iudge ment for my redemption Kéepe me from al fearefull dreams and visions from all phantasticall apparitions diuelish illusions of the wicked enemie from all carnall pollusions vngodlie suggestions of the wicked spirit Finallie graunt that both my bodie and my soule resting vnder thy diuine protection may be safe from all enmitie and hostilitie whatsoeuer and at the last may attaine euerlasting life thorow Iesus Christ my onelie Sauiour and redéemer This done dispose thy selfe to rest committing both thy bodie and soule into the hands of God praying him to be thy watchman that night Then discend thou into the secret closets and priuie chambers of thine heart search euerie place and ransacke euerie corner and if thou findest anie filthinesse or vncleannes therein as in deed thou shalt find nothing else wash it away with the teares of repentance make itcleane with the broome of contrition Then thinke thus with thy selfe My bed dooth represent vnto me my graue wherein I must once sléepe and the clothes the earth where with all I shall shortlie be couered in my sepulchre or graue And as these flees and gnats do bite and gnaw my skinne so shall the wormes cate and consume the frame of my bodie in the dust of the earth when the Lord doth please When the morning beginneth to dawn and the daystarre to appeare thinke thus As nowe the morning commeth on and the daie starre beginneth to appeare so shall Christ Iesus the true morning star shewe himselfe at the time appointed of his father to iudge both the quicke and the dead And when thou hearest the crowing of the cocke the sounding of belles or anie other noise whatsoeuer think alwaies that thou hearest the trumpe of the Archangell sound saying arise you dead and come vnto iudgement When thou awakest out of sléepe praie to this effect as followeth A prayer when one awakes out of sleepe MErcifull father grant that as thou hast now awaked my earthlie bodie out of this materiall sléepe so thou wilt also vouchsafe to raise me vp from the sleepe of sinne and in the generall resurrection of all flesh to eternall life thorowe Iesus Christ my onelie Sauiour and redéemer Meditations when one awa keth out of sleepe CAll to remembrance the vnspeakeable 〈◊〉 glory and beatitude the ineffable blessednes comfort and solace which all the chosen of God haue and shall haue for euer after this life in the kingdome of heauen Thinke also of the wonderfull beautie that our bodies shall haue and 〈◊〉 at the day of iudgement being made like to the glorious bodie of Christ Iesus and shining for euer as the Sun in the kingdome of heauen A prayer to be said at the breake of the day OH Lorde thou great and euerlasting light from whome all other lights whatsoeuer haue their being in comparison of whom they are all but grosse and palpable darknes illuminate my heart and inlighten my vnderstanding with the perfect knowledge of thy blessed will And grant that I knowing it maie faithfullie obcie thee in the same all the daies of my life that at the last I may attaine to euerlasting rest both of body and soule thorow Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Meditations at the appea ring of the day THinke with thy selfe that as thy earthlie bodie is guided and gouerned by thy bodilie eies so and much more is thy soule and mind guided ruled and gouerned by the direction and inspiration of Gods holie spirit And therefore howe much more precious the eie of the soule is then the eie of the eie of the bodie so much more is the one to be sought for then the other Think that brute beasts haue their bodilie eies but man hath not onelie corporall eies but spirituall also whereby hee 〈◊〉 strange thinges conceiueth infinite things vnderstandeth woonderfull things beléeueth all things and hopeth all things This done pray as followeth A praier when one ariseth forth of his bed I Confesse most merciful father our first parents by sinne threw themselues and all their posâ—eritie into a most deadly lethargie and sléepe of sinne whome thou in great mercie vouchedstsafe to restore againe and renue by the death of thy sonne Grant holie father that as thou hast now raysed my bodie from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all sleepe so thou wilt also raise both my bodie and 〈◊〉 from the deadlie sléepe of sinne and at the last from the dust of the earth to dwell with thée for euer in thy euerlasting kingdome thorow Jesus Christ. Meditations when one ari seth out of his bed THinke that as thou now arisest forth of thy bed so shouldst thou rise from sinne 〈◊〉 the liuing God in holinesse and righteousnesse all the 〈◊〉 of thy life Thinke also that thy bodie shall rise againe in the end of the world either to euerlasting life if thou doo well or to euerlasting death if thou do euill Then put on thy apparell in the dooing whereof pray thus A praier to be said at the put ting on of a mans clothes BLessed father séeing my naturall corruption and silthines is such and so great that of necessity it must be couered with these earthly garments least oâ— my nakednesse and shame should appeare to the world clothe me I beséech thée with the garments of Christs righteousnesse and holines and impute not vnto me my manifold sinnes and offences least I receiue not shame onlie