your knees God speak those words and said I am the Lord thy God thou shalt have none other Gods but me Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this Law Self examination by the first Commandment If I have not absolutely denied Gods being or in a gross manner renounced him by Apostacy yet Have I not been angry with the Almighty murmuring and complaining against him in an adversity or trouble which he hath been pleased to lay upon me as though he were not both just and merciful Have I had such a confidence and trust in God as I ought to have had together with such a strength and consolation as ordinarily a lively confidence brings with it Have I not put all my confidence in the world and on the things which belong to it fearing man who can only kill the body more than God who can cast both Soul and Body into everlasting torments Have I not denyed my Maker by refusing to wait on him in his holy ordinances or if I have been there have I not been guilty of irreverence and cold devotion Lord have mercy upon me and pardon the breach of this Commandment II. Commandment Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image nor the likeness of any thing which is in Heaven above or in the Earth beneath or in the water under the Earth thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God and visit the sins of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shew mercy unto thousands in them that love me and keep my Commandments Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this Law Self examination by the II. Commandment Though I have not set up a graven Image nor fallen down to worship any yet Have I not been troubled with the Fool in my heart in laying up treasures which a 〈…〉 liable to Corruption and idolizing the vain pomps and vanities of this wicked world by covetousness which is I do latry If I have abhorred Idols have I not been guilty of Sacrilege robbing of God in his Tithes and Offerings not extending my charity to the poor as I ought to do but fixing my mind more on the Creature then on the Creator Have I not made a God of my belly by luxuriousness indulging my self with carnal delights and sensual appetites and have been hurried away by every wind of Doctrin Lord have mercy upon me and pardon the breach of this Commandment Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this Law Self examination by the III. Commandment If I have not blasphemously profaned Gods nâ—mâ— yet Have I not taken his holy name in my mouth with much irreverence and jestingly and scoffingly abused his holy ordinances Have I not taken many false Oaths and Protestations and have been guilty of too frequent and customary swearing cursing by the dreadful name of God which is only to be mentioned for blessing and adoration Have I been careful to keep those lawful Oaths I have taken as my Baptismal vow or any other Oath which was administred lawfully to me without being guilty of the breach of them Have I not neglected to call upon that name whereby alone I must receive salvation and have turned the grace of God into wantonness to the destruction of my own Soul Lord have mercy upon me and pardon the breach of this commandment IV. Commandment Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day six days shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt do no manner of work thou and thy Son and thy Daughter thy Man servant and thy Maid-servant thy Cattle and the Stranger that is within thy Gates For in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this Law Self examination by the IV. Commandment If I have not actually ossiciated on that day my worldly calling or employment yet Did I spend my time in the House of God as I ought to do to praise him for all his mercies bestowed upon me Have not I omitted Prayers and Sermons and followed my own idle imaginations not caring at all for the Church but being weary of the Lords day like those in Amos 8. 5. who ask when will the Sabbath be gone that we may set forth Wheat Have I not invented ways to draw others from the service and worship of God by vain sports and idle discourses not remembring to praise God on this day for the Creation and joyful Resurrection Have I at home instructed my Family as I ought to do but on the contrary have neglected those duties of prayers reading and meditation Lord have mercy upon me and pardon the breach of this Commandment V. Commandment Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this Law Self examination by the V. Commandment If I have not grosly abused my parents by cursing or swearing at them yet Have I not spoken meanly and lightly of my superiors and instead of obeying them have made it my study to oppose and contradict them Have I not been undutiful to them in several respects as not hearkning to their Counsel not taking their reprooss with meekness and humility but have despised and mocked them refusing to practice their exhortations not remembring the words of the wise Man Pro. 30. 17. The eye that mockeâ—h his Father and despiseth to obey his Mother the Reavens of the valleys shall pick it out and the young Eagles shall eat it Have not I wisht my Parents death out of greediness of gaining their possessions when rich and have I not when they were poor been so unnatural as to turn my back upon their necessities Lord have mercy upon me and pardon the breach of this Commandment VI. Commandment Thou shalt do no Murther Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this Law Self examination by the VI. Commandment If I have not actually committed Murther yet Have I not drawn many to intemperance and other vices which cause diseases or bring death or have I not made strife among men by which means they have engaged themselves in quarrelling and in the encounter come off maimed or killed Have I not out of malice and revenge strove to shorten many ones life or have I not taken a delight to grind the face of the poor making them work of necessity for that which can never maintain their
confirmed and exercised there repentance is employed and quickned faith is actuated and strengthned devotion and charity enflamed and kindled peace and concord is established there is the universal medicine for all our diseases and an ark of safety against all dangers there O my Soul thou mayest by the eye of faith behold thy crucified Lord and Saviour shedding his most precious Blood upon the Cross for thy sins and burning with an unspeakable desire of thy salvation There thou mayest look upon him whom thy sins have pierced and on him whom thou dost still crucifie afresh by thy sins dayly and hourly In the sufferings of thy Saviour O my soul thou mayest see as in a glass thy own vileness and deformities thy Saviours being mocked scorned and contemned discovers thy evil speaking lying and slandering his blessed Face being besmeared with spittle remembers thee of all thy unclean lusts and filthy communications that blessed Mouth which was guilty of no deceit was embittered with gall and vinegar which should mind thee of thy luxury and drunkennes his being scourged of thy stubbornness and disobedience III. O my soul dost thou not wonder that the King of glory should wear a Crown of thorns and for his Majestical Robes a little linnen for to cover his nakedness and thou to be guilty of pride and vain glory and affected with the pomps and vanities of this wicked World The Crown of Thorns which was platred on his Head with that rage and indignation should put thee in mind of the immoderate cares of the World with the sharp and piercing vexations issuing thence which eat up the consolation of the heart and all true sincere devotion of the spirit O let scorns 〈…〉 r thy sake be my glory and injuries and affronts my Crown lift up I pray thee upon thy Cross my miserable Soul which lies groveling on the ground out of this vale of misery O that thou would'st purge and thoroughly heal me with thy most precious Blood let thy wounds be a salve for my sinful soul and by thy stripes let her be healed of all her distempers let all thy pains grief and sorrows captivity humiliation and cross deliver me from Hell and purchase for me those joys and pleasures at thy right hand for ever and thy Death my life for evermore Amen A Prayer for Charity O Eternal God thou hast said that without charity we are nothing give me O Lord I beseech thee that Christian love and perfect charity that I may love thee O Lord my God with all my heart with all my mind with all my soul and with all my strength doing always in sincerity that which is pleasing in thy sight not returning evil for evil or raâ—ling for railing but loving my Neighbour as my self and being ready at all times to assist him in time of need administring to him according to his several necessities that at the last and great day I may give an account of my Steward ship with joy and not with grief grant this O Lord for thy Son Jesus Christ his sake Amen Our Father c. A Prayer for Saturday Evening on the most Holy Sacrament O Almighty God I beseech thee to seal unto me the pardon of all my sins and to grant all those petitions which I have asked in thy Sons name and let me now consider how transitory are all things how wicked is the World how impure is the flesh and how my self am deceitful grant that so I loose my affections from all such unworthy objects here below and then let me know how Eternal is thy nature how permanent is thy glory and how infinite is thy love bring me O bring me to morrow to thy royal feast with the badge of love and with the wedding garment so shall I be a welcome guest unto thee that eating thy flesh and drinking thy Blood I shall for ever dwell in thee my glorious Creator and thou in me thy blessed Creature Our Father c. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father with the sweet and comfortable fellowship of God's Holy and Blessed Spirit bless preserve conserve and keep me this night and all the days of my life at the hour of death and in the day of Judgment Amen Sixthly how to receive it worthily The Morning thou art to receive after thy usual devotions breath forth this Meditation Sundays Meditation WIsdom hath killed her beasts mingled her wine and furnisht her table Man's folly wrought his fall by a bit and wisdom repairs it by a feast a fruit did corrupt us and flesh and blood do preserve us a Lamb is slain for the Goat the just for the unjust the Son of God for the Children of Men and is this day offered as meat for the life of many I will go to that feast to eat of that bread and drink of that wine which is mingled for me the fruit of the vine with the blood of Gods Lamb O then good Lord let me be found in that purity thou desirest in them that approach thine Altar wash thou my feet and cleanse my heart that I may be clean and have part with thee for ever Amen A Prayer for Sunday Morning before thou goest to Church O Lord prepare my heart to Prayer O Most glorious Lord God behold a miserable and wretched sinner is now approaching to thy most holy Table to feast my soul upon thy precious Body and Blood at the primitive eating thou said the day that thou eat est thou shalt surely dye but here in the day which I eat I shall surely live Joh. 6. O Lord I esteem my self unworthy of the least crum that falls from thy Table must the Childrens bread be given unto dogs must such a vile wretch as I sit at thy Holy Table who am laden with sin and over pressed with iniquity But I come O Lord to ease my self of sin and to cast off the burden of iniquity and to bury them all at the foot of thy Cross I come O Lord to be purged throughly from my iniquity and to be sorry for my sins which are without number but not more than my dear Saviours blood can expiate II. O thou brightest Morning Star arise now with healing in thy wings and say unto my soul I am thy salvation O do thou now arise and let thy Enemies be scattered which are my lusts and vile affections and let them that hate thee flee before thee which is the Devil envy hatred malice and all uncharitableness make clean my heart O my Redeemer and pull down every strong hold and bulwark which opposes thy heavenly will and make me a fit guest at thy Holy Table to receive thee with a pure heart and strengthen me that I may have such a lively faith to pass through the vale and confidently look into the holy of holies this I beg for thy alone sake my only Saviour and Redeemer Amen When thou art at Church before divine
when you first awake lift up your Eyes to God and say I lift up mine Eyes to the Hills from whence cometh my help Open thou mine Eyes O Lord that I may see the wonders of thy Law My voice shalt thou hear betimes O Lord Early in the morning will I direct my Prayer unto thee and will look up At your up-Rising In the name of God the Father who Created me God the Son who Redeemed me and God the Holy Ghost who Sanctifieth me Amen I arise from my Bed of rest to praise and glorifie him the Preserver of all the World He of his infinite mercy and goodness Bless and keep me this day and for ever Amen I laid me down and slept and rose up again for the Lord hath sustained me Then kneel down and say this Prayer Prevent me O Lord in all my doings with thy most gracious favour and further me with thy continual help that in all my works begun continued and ended in thee I may glorifie thy Holy Name and finally by thy Mercy obtain Everlasting life through Jesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour Amen O Lord my heavenly Father Almighty and everlasting God who hast safely brought me to the beginning of this day defend me in the same with thy mighty power and grant that this day I fall into no sin neither run into any kind of danger but that all my doings may be ordered by thy governance to do always that which is righteous in thy sight through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen O God who art the author of peace and lover of concord in knowledge of whom standeth my eternal life whose service is perfect freedom defend me thy humble Servant in all assaults of my Enemies that I surely trusting in thy defence may not fear the power of any adversaries through the might of Jesus Christ my Lord Amen Almighty God the Fountain of all Wisdom who knowest my necessity before I ask and my ignorance in asking I beseech thee to have compassion upon my infirmities and those things which for my unworthiness I dare not and for my blindness I cannot ask vouchsafe to give me for the worthiness of thy Son Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen Almighty God who hast promised to hear the Petitions of them that ask in thy Son's name I beseech thee mercifully to incline thine Ears to me that have made now my Prayers and Supplications unto thee and grant that those things which I have faithfully asked according to thy will may effectually be obtained to the relief of my necessity and to the setting forth of thy Glory through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen O Almighty God behold me a wretched Sinner here prostrate before thee do with me as seems best in thine own Eyes only give me a penitent and a patient Spirit to expect thee and make this my service acceptable to thee while I live and my Soul ready for thee when I die Amen Our Father which art in Heaven c. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with me and remain with me this day and for evermore Amen Read the Psalms appointed for the Morning Service and the First and Second Lesson Devotions for the Evening for every day in the week Evening Ejaculations O Lord let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the Incence And the lifting up of my hands as an evening Sacrifice My trust and hope hath been in thee all the day long and under the Shaddow of thy Wings shall be my Refuge day and night for ever Lighten mine eyes O Lord that I sleep not in death Almighty God who hast made the day for labouâ— and the night for rest let thy Sons blood cleanse me from this days Guilt that I may sleep in thy peace and rise again refreshed and preserved by thy favour through Jesus Christ my Crucified Saviour Amen O Eternal God who hast preserved me this day from many sins and dangers for which I humbly magnifie thy Holy Name for thy Grace and goodness towards me beseeching thee to forgive me all the Errors of this day whereof my Conscience doth or may accuse me and grant that those things which by my frailty I have committed may be by the help of thy Spirit more carefully avoided that I may ever walk in thy favour and under thy Protection and now rest and lye down in thy peace and at last come to thy heavenly Kingdom through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ Amen O God from whom all holy desires all good Councels and all just works do proceed give unto me thy Servant that peace wich the world cannot give that my whole heart may be set to obey thy Commandments and also that by thee I being defended from the fear of my Enemies I may pass my time in rest and quietness through the merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour Amen Lighten my darkness I beseech thee O Lord and by thy great mercy defend me from all perills and dangers of this night for the love of thy only Son my only Lord and Saviour Our Father which art in Heaven c. The peace of God which passeth all understanding keep my heart and mind in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son Jesus Christ my Lord and the blessing of God Almighty the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost be with me this Night and all the days of my life at the hour of my death and at the day of Judgment Amen When you lye down say I will lay down my head in peace and take my rest for thou only O Lord makest me to dwell in safety Into thy hands I commit my Soul and Body keep me for thy mercy sake Amen On Monday morning and every day in the Week use these Ejaculations Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of Man that thou regardest him Thou madest him lower than the Angels to crown him with glory and worship Behold I was shapen in wickedness and in sin hath my Mother conceived me Thou shalt purge me with Hyssop and I shall be clean thou shalt wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow Turn thy face from my sins and put out all my misdeeds Make me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me O give me the comfort of thy help again and establish me with thy free spirit Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be now and evermore acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my redeemer A preparatory Meditation upon the most Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper I. O who will give to my head Water and to my eyes a fountain of Tears that I may weep day and night for my sins and ingratitude towards God my Creator Consider O my Soul the multitude of Gods benefits bestowed upon
Families Have I not been guilty of much intemperance in eating and drinking and have I not been guilty of the death of several by not relieving their necessities in due time Lord have mercy upon me and pardon the breach of this Commandment VII Commandment Thou shalt not commit Adultery Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this Law Self examination by the VII Commandment If I have not actually committed Adultery or Fornication yet Have I not pleased my sancy with loose and wanton imaginations and suffered unchast thoughts so long to dwell in my heart till by the corrupt bent of its concupiscence have grown into unruly lusts which war against the Soul Have not my eyes betrayed my heart secretly to lust and sinfully to enjoy that which was unlawful and have I not made use of those provocations which lead to chambering and wantonness Have not I used my self to filthy and obscene talking to all manner of effeminacy and unchast behaviour forgetting those threatnings which are pronounced in Scripture that Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Lord have mercy upon me and pardon the breach of this Commandment VIII Commandment Thou shalt not steal Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this Law Self examination by the VIII Commandment If I have not been guilty of robbery and burglary yet Have I not been guilty of theft by negligence and prodigaâ—ity wasting both the Estates of my self and others by contracting of debts without taking care to pay them Have I not broke my promises in not paying for what I agreed for and have I not kept back the wages of the servant and the hireling forgetting the strict command in this matter Deut. 24. 14 15. Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy at his day thou shalt give him his hire neither shall the sun go down upon it for he is poor and setteth his heart upon it lest he cry against thee to the Lord and it be sin unto thee Have I not been guilty of pilferring and filching cogging and lying couzening and deceiving and have I not been guilty of defrauding and circumventing in buying selling and lending to the loss of the borrower Lord have mercy upon me and pardon the breach of this commandment IX Commandment Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this Law Self examination by the IX Commandment If I have not been guilty of perjury against my neighbour yet Have I not blasted their reputation by railing whispering and encouraging others in slandering them and have I not harboured uncharitable thoughts and spread abroad false reports which have been the product of lying envy malice and great unworthiness Have I not been injurious churlish and proud froward and peevish in conversation using bitter and reproachful language and have not I rejoyced when any evil and mischief hath befaln them Have I not strove to betray into ruine many innocent persons by laying traps and snares for them and have I not accused any falsly of that which they were never guilty of Lord have mercy upon me and pardon the breach of this Commandment X. Commandment Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house thou shalt not covet thy neighbours Wife nor his Servant nor his Maid nor his Ox nor his Ass nor any thing that is his Lord have mercy upon me and write all these thy Laws in my heart I beseech thee Self examination by the X. Commandment If I have not been guilty of covetousness in a very gross manner yet Have I not had an evil eye and a greedy mind in coveting that which could not lawfully be purchased and have I not envyed many so as to grieve at their prosperity and rejoyce in their losses Have I been content with my present estate condition in this world how mean soever without roring after the exterior consolations of the Creature abroad which is the only way to loose contentment in my self at home Have I not with too much vigour pursued after the riches honours and pleasures of the world and have neglected that one thing necessary the working out my own salvation with with fear and trembling Lord have mercy upon me and pardon the breach of this and all thy Commandments I beseech thee A Prayer for pardon and remission of sins O Most mighty God and creator of all things when I think with my self how grievously I have offended thy divine Majesty with my sins I wonder at my own folly when I consider what a loving and bountiful Father I have forsaken I accurse my ingratitude when I behold how I am faln from such a noble liberty into such a miserable bondage I condemn my self for my unworthiness in sinning against thee and without thy tender mercy and compassion can expect nothing but Hell and Damnation II. O whether can I fly but thy justice will find me out and make my Conscience display the emblem of guilt in my face but when I consider the words of the Kingly Prophet that thy mercies are over all thy works then do I feel afresh and pleasant air of hope to refresh and strengthen again my weak and sorrowful soul wherefore then should I despair the tender mercies of my God but endeavour to get such a trust in him as I may never be ashamed neither to confess his name nor manfully to fight under his banner who is the Captain of my salvation against Sin the Flesh the World and the Devil thou hast promised O Lord that thou wouldest not the death of a Sinner but rather that he should turn from his wickhedness and live III. O Lord I beseech thee turn my heart that I may sin no more against thee so will not iniquity be my ruine and grant that I may repent me of all my sins before I come to that holy Table to tast of thy precious body and blood and to receive it with the eye of faith and thanks-giving alas I am unworthy to lift up my eyes towards thee or to call thee Father but thou art a Father indeed O look upon me then with thy Fatherly eyes of compassion for thy sight raises the dead and can raise me which am dead in trespasses and sin when I went wandring a far off from thee thou didst vouchsafe to look down from Heaven upon me and didst open the eyes of my understanding that I may see my self to be vile wretched and naked and to take a ful view how full fraught I was with sins IV. And now O Lord thou comest to receive me again O fetter me with thy chains that I may never run away from thee and grant that nothing may ever be able to seperate me from thee hearken therefore unto me I beseech thee O merciful Father aad cleanse my heart throughly by the inspiration of thy holy word that I may receive Jesus Christ with all the benefits of his