give than thou art to aske To hope well of my goodnesse Ibidem is a very token of true humilitie and of great faith What Ibid. looke you to bee all worthy before you make accesse unto mee And of your selfe when will you bee so If onely such as are good Ibid. and worthy and great and perfect should approach unto mee to whom should sinners and publicans approach So then Luke 15. what saith the Gospell Then drew neere unto him all the publicans and sinners for to heare him Therfore let the unworthy approach Kempis that they may become worthy let the wicked approach that they may bee made good let the weake and unperfect approach that they may prove strong and perfect yea let all and every one approach that they may receive from the abundant streames of the well of life Iohn 7. Hee which is a thirst let him come to me and drinke Isay 55. And he which hath nothing let him come and buy without silver and without money Mat 9. Hee that is sicke let him come to be healed Mark 9. Hee that is neither hot nor cold let him come to be inflamed Kempis Hee that is fearfull let him come to bee encouraged Hee that is sorrowfull let him come to bee comforted Idem Hee that is wearied with cares Idem let him come to be refreshed with joy Loe my delight is Idem to bee with the children of men And therefore bee ever mindfull both of your fraile condition Idem and of my glorious Majestie and so with humble reverence approach boldly into my presence For I am hee that putteth away thine iniquities Isa 43. and will not remember thy sins It is I that justifie the ungodly Rom. 4. and this I doe for my holy Name sake yea and I am still ready to minister greater gifts of mercy unto thee Because I doe ever chuse Kempis to shew favour rather than displeasure as one who had rather spare than punish 2 Cor. 1. Blessed bee God even the Father of our LORD JESUS CHRIST the Father of mercies and GOD of all comfort Death Heb. 13.14 HEre have wee no continuing City but wee seeke one to come Luk. 12.4 Be yee prepared for the Sonne of man will come at an houre that yee thinke not Aug. All men know that the day of death will come yet all or almost all doe notwithstanding labour to put it off yea even those who beleeve that after death they shall live more blessedly So great power hath the sweet fellowship of the flesh and soule Take heed watch and pray Mar. 13 33. for yee know not when the time is The last day of our life is unknowne August that all daies may be observed the remedies are too late provided when the dangers of death approach Plato his opinion is Hieron that the whole life of wise men is the meditation of death Wee ought therefore to premeditate what we shall be hereafter and that whether we will or not death cannot be longer from us Hee which is assured hee shall dye Gregor opposeth himselfe against all the desires of this life For the perfect life is a meditation of death which while just men doe performe they escape the snares of sin Aug. That death is not accounted evill which a good life hath gone before Colos 3.2 Set your affection on things above not on things of the earth Gregor If wee consider what and how great things are promised to us in heaven all things in earth will be vile and base in our estimation For earthly substance compared to the heavenly felicity is but an heavy burthen not an helpe and succour This temporall life compared to the eternall is rather to bee accounted a death than a life Eccl. 12.7 Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne unto God who gave it They which desire to bee dissolved Aug. and to bee with Christ doe live patiently and die cheerfully They are not lost Ambros but sent before whom eternity hath received All the daies of my appointed time will I wait Iob 14.14 till my change come For to me to live is Christ Phil. 1.21 and to die is gaine When Christ Colos 3.3 who is our life shall appeare then shall ye also appeare with him in glory The last Iudgement Heb. 9. IT is appointed unto men once to dye but after this the Judgement Rom. 14. Wee shall all stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ Eccles 12. For GOD shall bring every worke to judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it bee evill Hieron It is not in us to know the day of Judgement but being alwayes uncertaine of the comming of the Judge let us so live as if we were to bee judged the next day Idem If there bee any joy in this present life let it be so used that the bitternesse of the Judgement to come do not at any time depart out of our memory Nothing doth more set forward an honest life Ambros than to beleeve he shall be judged whom hidden things doe not deceive evill things doe offend and good things doe delight That judge is not prevented by favour Aug. nor led now by mercy nor corrupted with money nor appeased by satisfaction or repentance let the soule while it hath time here labour for it selfe by repentance so long as here is place for mercy because there is the place of Justice God doth so behold our waies and number our steps Greg. moral that evē our smalest thoughts and least words remaine not unexamined in his Judgemēt Psal 37. The Lord knoweth the daies of the upright and their inheritance shall be for ever Ibid. But the wicked shall perish and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of Lambs they shall consume into smoke shall they consume away Chrysost In that day wee have nothing to answer for our selves where Heaven and Earth the Aire and Water and the whole world shall witnesse our sinnes against us And if all else doe hold their peace our thoughts themselves and our works especially shall stand before our eies accusing us before God Bernard That day will come in which upright hearts shall more prevaile than eloquent words a good Conscience more than a full purse because that Judge will not bee deceived by words nor turned by gifts On the right hand Anselm will bee our sinnes accusing us on the left hand innumerable Divels underneath us the terrible deepnesse and darknesse of Hell above the Judge offended without the world burning within the conscience tormenting there shall the just scarce be saved Alas miserable sinner being thus taken unawares whither wilt thou fly for to hide thy selfe is impossible and to appeare
no more helpe by fasting no more calling to penance no more exhibition of Almes Epiphan It is as the corne that swelleth not after it is reaped neither can bee spoiled with the wind The garners are sealed up the time is past Idem the combat is finished the lists are voided and the garlands are given Aug. Let us therefore bee at one with the word of God while we are in this life for when we are gone out of this world there shall bee no more compunction or satisfaction there remaineth no more but the Judge the Gaolour and the Prison When wee were enemies Rom. 5.10 we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son Heb. 9.26 Once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himselfe Acts 10.43 To him give all the Prophets witnesse that through his name whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission of sinnes Bellar. Wee confesse that Christ hath truly yea most fully satisfied God the Father for us and for the whole world Aug. JESUS CHRIST taking upon him the punishment but not the fault hath therby blotted out both the fault and the punishment Let us hold fast the profession of our faith Heb. 10. without wavering for hee is faithfull that promised The rule of Catholike faith is certain known Bellar. There is nothing more knowne Idem nothing more certain than the holy Scriptures which are contained in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles They are Catholikes Aug. which be of sound Faith and good life Idem Hereticks doe violate faith by beleeving false things of God Tertul. Whatsoever favoureth against the truth is an heresie be it never so ancienta custome Aug. And schismatiks though they beleeve the same things with us yet doe fly from brotherly Charitie by their wicked divisions Idem Wherefore neither doth the Heretick belong to the Catholike Church because hee loveth not God Nor the Schismatike Idem because he loveth not his neighbour Pure Religion Ja. 1.27 and undefiled before GOD and the Father is this To visit the fatherlesse and the widowes in their affliction and to keepe himselfe unspotted from the world If true charity Casarius and humility be wanting we ought not to presume and trust to the habit only of Religion Let us search Lam. 3.40 and try our waies and turne againe unto the Lord. 25. The Lord is good to them that wait for him to the soule that seeketh him 30. For hee doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the Children of Men. 1 PET. 2.17 Feare God Honor the King The contents are these viz. THe Sinners conversion Pa. 1 His godly desire 4 His comming unto God 7 His Repentance 10 His Confession 15 His Absolution 19 His amendment of life 23 His assurance of Salvation 30 Gods mercy 34 Death 40 The last Iudgement 44 4. Helps to the amendment of life 1. Prayer 51 2. Reading the Scriptures 55 3. Hearing the Word preached 59 4. Sacraments 62 The holy Eucharist or Sacrament of the Body and Bloud of our Lord. 64 A remembrance of the death and passion of our Saviour Christ 68 Worthy Receivers 70 Vnworthy Receivers 74 Transubstantiation 76 To be received in both kinds 80 The Prayer before receiving the Communion 83 The Prayer after receiving the Communion 85 A Prayer before reading the holy Scriptures 87 A Prayer for faith 88 For Repentance 89 A short and effectuall Prayer 90 The generall Confession 91 A Prayer for the Morning 93 A Prayer for all times 95 A Prayer before going to bed 96 A Psalme of contrition and confession 98 A Psalme for remission 100 A Psalme for mercy and direction 102 A Psalme of confidence in Gods mercie 104 A Psalme of praise 106 THE SINNERS Conversion O Israel Hos 14.1 returne unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity Returne unto mee Malac. 3.7 and I will returne unto you saith the Lord of Hosts Our conversion will alwaies finde him prepared August Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God Iam. 4.10 that hee may exalt you in due time Lyra in Eph. Humility is the foundation of the spirituall building Iam. 4.8 Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you Greg. Naz. O the readinesse of Gods gratious love O the easinesse of his exorable reconcilement Perkins A man beginning to bee converted is at that instant the childe of God Idem Inward motions and inclinations of Gods Spirit are the materiall beginning of a Sinners conversion Phil. 3.13 For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe of his good pleasure Luke 15. The prodigall son when he came to himselfe said I will arise and goe to my father and will say unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee And am no more worthy to be called thy sonne Ibidem make me as one of thy hired servants And he arose Ibidem and came to his father But when he was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him Though a man come to the height of vice Chrysost and yet be willing to returne into the way of vertue God receiveth and embraceth him willingly None ought therefore to despaire of pardon Greg. if about the end of their life they turne to repentance And although our conversion be good in our last sicknesse yet is that better Idem which is performed long before our death that wee may with more security passe out of this world Hieron God grant the sinner may be as soone turned to repentance as the Lord is ready to change his determined judgement Ezech. 33. Turne yee turne ye from your evill waies for why will ye dye O house of Israel Lam. 15. Turne thou us unto thee O Lord and wee shall bee turned His godly desire Psal 42. AS the Hart panteth after the water brookes so panteth my soule after thee O God 84. My soule longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God The more earnestly God is desired of us Gregor the more sweetly is hee delighted in us Our desires doe sound more powerfully in the secretest eares of God Idem than our words Hee that searcheth the heart Rom. 8. knoweth what is the mind of the spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God God hath annexed a promise of blessednesse Perkins and life everlasting to the desire of grace Blessed are they which doe hunger Mat 5. and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be filled August The whole life of a good Christian is an holy will and desire
that in the Scriptures and Word of God wee are bidden to make and without the which we shall never obtaine pardon and forgivenesse of our sins Bernard Without this Confession the righteous man is judged unthankfull and the sinner reputed a dead man Therâ—fâ—re Conf ssion is the way of the sinner and neverthelesse becommeth the righteous Lord be mercifull unto me Psal 41. heale my soule for I have sinned against thee If any say I have sinned Iob 33. and perverted that which was right and it profited mee not He will deliver his soule from going into the pit Ibidem and his life shall see the light If we will with a sorrowfull Hom. de poenit and contrite heart make an unfeined confession of our sins unto God he will freely forgive them and put all our wickednesse out of his remembrance Ibid. I doe not say but that if any do finde themselves troubled in conscience they may repaire to their learned Curat or Pastor or to some other godly learned man and shew the trouble doubt of their conscience to him that they may receive at his hand the comfortable salve of Gods word Hom. de poenit But it is against the true Christian liberty that any man should be bound to the numbering of his sinnes as hath beene used heretofore in the time of blindnesse and ignorance Bellar. Calvin admitteth of private confession unto the Pastor when any is afflicted in his conscience and shall need anothers helpe Yet with this moderation that this confession bee free and not exacted and not injoyning a rehearsall of all particular sins Let us with a true and contrite heart Hom de â—oenit use that kind of confession which God hath commanded in his word If we confesse our sins 1 Ioh. 1. he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse His Absolution WHo can forgive sins Mark 2.7 but God onely The Son of Man hath power upon earth to forgive sins 10. He will purge your conscience from dead workes Heb. 9.14 to serve the living God For this is not an humane Ambros worke neither is the holy Ghost given by man but beâ—ng called upon by the Priest is bestowed by God wherin the gift is Gods the ministery is the Priests Pet. Lumb God onely doth remit and reteine sins and yet he hath given unto the Church power of binding and loosing But God bindeth and looseth otherwise than the Church doth for he by himselfe only remitteth sins because hee purgeth the soule inwardly from the spot of sin freeth it from the depth of eternall death which the Church cannot do but hath power of binding and loosing that is of declaring what sinners are either loosed or bound Chemnit In absolution God himself by the ministery of the Gospell doth remit sins unto all beleevers The vertue and effect of remission is not in the Disciples Cajetan but in God who pardoneth We account of them Ambros as the Ministers of Christ Stewards of the Mysteries Sins are not loosed or reteined at the pleasure of men Aug. but according to the will of God praiers of the Church To the Lord our God belong mercies Daniel 9.9 and forgivenesses though we have rebelled against him Delivering fom sin Chrysost he ingrafteth righteousnes yea he extinguisheth sin and suffereth it not to be O Lord God Almighty Ordo Rom. antiq de Offic divin pag. 18. edi Rom. 1591. be mercifull to me a sinner that I may worthily give thankes unto thee who hast made me an unworthy one for thy mercies sake a Minister of the Priestly Office and hast appointed mee a poore and humble Mediatour to pray and make intercession unto our Lord Jesus Christ for sinners that returne unto repentance And therefore O Lord the Ruler who wouldest have all men to bee saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth who dost not desire the death of a sinner but that he may bee reconciled and live Receive my prayer which I powre forth before the face of thy mercy for thy servants and handmaids who have fled to repentance and thy mercie Nehemiah 9.17 Thou art a God ready to pardon gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse Behold Ambros that by the holy Ghost sins are forgiven but men to the remission of sins bring their Ministery They exercise not the authority of any power Therefore in all the servants there is no dominion Optat. but a Ministery Almighty God give unto thee absolution Tho. Aquin. and remission His amendment of life YOu were sometimes darknesse Ephes 5. but now are yee light in the Lord walke as children of light Set your affection on Colos 3. things above not on things on the earth Ephes 4. Put ye off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt after the deceitfull lusts Ibidem And put yee on the new man which after GOD is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Playfer That which is borne of the old man which is the flesh must dayly decrease in us and grow downwards Idem But that which is borne of the new man which is the Spirit must daily increase in us and grow upward Latymer Repentance and amendment of life are a sure remedy that our sins shall not bee our shame and confusion Vdall Bee carefull to live in godlinesse reforming your affection inwardly and your conversation outwardly according to the prescript rule of God word They that from the bottome of their heart doe acknowledge their sins Hom. de â—oenit and are unfeinedly sory for their offences will cast off all hypocrisie and put on true humilitie and lowlinesse of heart And as they did before give themselves to uncleannes of life Ibidem so will they henceforth with all diligence give themselves to innocency purenesse of life and true godlinesse The graces of God Oecumen as the flowers of a garden must not only be kept but also dressed that they may have not only a being but also an abounding Coloss 3. Put yee on therefore as the elect of GOD holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindnesse humblenesse of minde meeknesse long suffering Forbearing one another and forgiving one another 4 if any have a quarrell against any even as Christ forgave you so also doe ye Ibidem And above all things put on Charity which is the bond of perfectnesse Raban Mercy consisteth in giving almes cheerfully in suffering wrong patiently in reforming the rude lovingly Chrysost It is the safety of salvation the ornamâ—nt of faith and propitiation for sins Lyra. Let Christs humility also bee inwardly in your hearts and not outwardly as it is with hypocrites For unlesse wee bee beaten downe in humility â—â—all we
cup because all the Apostles did so our Lord saying unto them Drink ye all of this Wee have understood Gelas Pap. that some having onely received a portion of Christs body doe abstaine from the cup of his sacred bloud But sith they are moved by a fond superstition which I know not thus to abstaine either let them receive the whole Sacrament or bee put from all together for there can bee no division of this Sacrament and high mystery without great sacriledge Ignat. I exhort you to imbrace one faith one manner of preaching and use of the Sacrament of the LORDS Supper for the flesh of the LORD JESUS is one and his bloud one that was shed for us There is one bread also broken for all and one cup distributed unto all The Prayer before receiving the Communion ALmighty GOD Eccle. Angl. Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Maker of of all things Judge of all men we acknowledge and bewaile our manifold sinnes and wickednesse which wee from time to time most grievously have committed by thought word and deed against thy divine Majesty provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us We doe earnestly repent and be hartily sory for these our misdoings the remembrance of them is grievous unto us the burthen of them is intolerable Have mercy upon us have mercy upon us most mercifull Father for thy Sonne our Lord Jesus Christs sake forgive us all that is past And grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please thee in newnesse of life to the honour and glory of thy holy name through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The Prayer after receiving the Communion O Lord Eccl. Angl. our heavenly father wee thy humble servants intirely desire thy fatherly goodnesse mercifully to accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving most humbly beseeching thee to grant that by the merits and death of thy Son Jesus Christ and through faith in his bloud wee and all thy whole Church may obtaine remission of our sinnes and all other benefits of his passion And here we offer and present unto thee O Lord our selves our soules and bodies to be a reasonable holy and lively sacrifice unto thee Humbly beseeching thee that all we which bee partakers of this holy Communion may bee fulfilled with thy grace and heavenly benediction And although wee bee unworthy through our manifold sins to offer unto thee any sacrifice yet we beseech thee to accept this our bounden duty and service not weighing our merits but pardoning our offences through Jesus Christ our Lord by whom and with whom in the unity of the holy Ghost all honor and glory be unto thee O father Almighty world without end Amen A Prayer before reading the holy Scriptures O Gracious GOD Grashop and most mercifull father which hast vouchsafed us the rich and pretious jewell of thy holy word Assist us with thy spirit that it may be written in our hearts to our everlasting comfort to reforme us to renew us according to thine owne image to build us up and edifie us into the perfect building of thy sonne Christ Jesus sanctifying and increasing in us all heavenly vertues Grant this O heavenly Father for Jesus Christ his sake Amen A Prayer for faith MOst mercifull and loving Father I beseech thee for Christ Jesus sake to strengthen and increase my faith that I may goe forward in all godlinesse And grant O Lord that my faith may bee builded upon the rock Christ Jesus that I be not carried away with every blast of vain doctrine but through faith in thee I may be as an invincible fortresse to my enemy the Devill so that he may never prevaile against me Also Lord I pray thee let not my faith bee an idle faith but a working faith that daily proceedeth from one good work to another and in the end to life everlasting there to reigne with thee world without end Amen For Repentance MAke cleane my heart O most gracious God with the water of thy heavenly grace from all the staines and corruptions of sin wherby it appeareth most vile and loathsome in thy sight Sprinkle it with the hysop of unfained repentance and compunction that being washed in the most cleare fountaine of thy grace I may become whiter than snow and evermore serve thee in holinesse and purenesse of life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A short and effectuall Prayer I Most humbly beseech thee O most gracious God and loving Father to take from me the sway of mine owne affections Incline mine heart wholly to the obedience of thy heavenly will Suppresse and quench in me all desires whatsoever that may alienate and withdraw me to wander from the way of thy testimonies Grant unto mee evermore the assistance of thy holy Spirit to conduct and bring me to the inheritance of thy everlasting kingdome for the love of thy onely Son our Saviour Jesus CHRIST Amen The generall Confession ALmighty Eccl. Angl. in liturg and most mercifull Father I have erred and strayed from thy waies like a lost sheep I have followed too much the devices and desires of my owne heart I have offended against thy holy Lawes I have left undone those things which I ought to have done and have done those things which I ought not to have done And there is no health in me but thou O LORD have mercie upon me miserable offender Spare thou mee O GOD which confesse my faults restore thou mee that am penitent according to thy promises declared unto man-kind in Christ Jesu our Lord And grant O most mercifull father for his sake that I may hereafter live a godly righteous and a sober life to the glory of thy holy name Amen A Prayer for the Morning O Lord Eccles Ang. in Liturg. our heavenly father Almighty and everlasting GOD I most humbly thanke thee for thy great mercy and goodnesse in keeping and preserving me from all perils and dangers this night past and bringing me safely to the beginning of this day Defend me O Lord in the same with thy mighty power And grant that this day I fall into no sinne neither run into any kind of danger but that all my doings may bee ordered by thy governance to doe alwaies that which is righteous in thy sight through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Our father which art in heaven hallowed c. A Prayer for all times O Almightie Lord Eccles Ang. Ibid. and everliving God vouchsafe I beseech thee to direct sanctifie and governe both my heart and body in the waies of thy Laws and in the works of thy commandements That through thy most mighty protection both here and ever I may be preserved in body and soule through our LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen A Prayer before going to bed O Eternall and ever-living GOD I render unto thy divine Majestie most humble and hearty thankes for thy mercifull preservation of mee this day from the hands of mine