Self-examination by the Decalogue or by the Third part of the Vow in Baptism To keep God's Holy Will and Commandments c. CHAP. V. The Examination of Religious actions CHAP. VI. The Examination of Repentance CHAP. VII Considerations with Directions in the Confession of Sin CHAP. VIII A Form of Confession of Sin fitted to the Rules of Self-examination whereunto every one may adde or substract as he finds himself guilty or not guilty CHAP. IX An ancient Form of Confession extant Biblioth Patrum CHAP. X. The Lord's Praier paraphrased CHAP. XI The Seven Penitential Psalms paraphrased CHAP. XII Meditations and Praiers to be partakers of the Merits of what our Blessed Redeemer hath done and suffered for us Pag. 195. l. 26. for Christ's number read this number p. 200. l. 27. for his read this THE PRACTICAL Christian PART I. CHAP. I. Of the great necessity of SELF-EXAMINATION 1. WHosoever believes as a Christian his Soul to be immortall being either entitled to everlasting Joy through Faith and Obedience to the Gospell of Christ or liable to eternall Woe through Disobedience and Misbelief a Joh. 5.28 29. must be very stupid and sottish if he do not frequently examine himself b Psal 4.4 2 Cor. 13.5 Gal. 6.4 whether he may reasonably conclude â—he is in the state of Grace and Salvation or of Sin and of Death the wages whereof c Rom. 6.23 2. That every man should know himself is such a fundamentall principle of true wisedom that wise men of old affirmed Nosce teipsum to be a command immediately derived to the sons of men by a voice from Hea ven as being absolutely necessary to the right guidance of all the actions of humane life upon earth 3. The reasonable Soul were it not debauched by the sensuall appetite and distracted by the hurry of exorbitant desires could not but often remember her self examine and call to mind the Authour and End of her Being the immortality and dignity of her nature what is her errand into this world and how she shall subsist in the world to come what is her chiefest Good and wherein her perfection and felicity consists which cannot be to eat and drink and sleep purchase lands build houses satisfy the lusts of the flesh swell with pride of life She would consider that she is stampt after the Image of God and her Happiness consists in the knowledge love and enjoyment of the Divine Majesty and in the imitation and representation according to her modell of the Perfections of the Godhead But alas vain man being in honour hath no understanding considers not the honour of his being after the Image of his Maker but receives his Divine immortall Soul in vain whilst he follows the sway of his sensuall irrationall appetite and is compared to the beasts that perish d Psal 49.12 4. And well it were for all such inconsiderate and imprudent persons if their Souls were as perishing and mortall as those which animate the beasts of the field But â—o their eternall sorrow 't is far otherwise for there is an account to be given by every man of his immortal Soul and of the Image of God stamped thereupon viz. how this blessed Image hath been either defaced or kept undefiled how it hath been obscured or how shined how deformed or how beautified through all the actions of each man's life For God will bring every work into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evill * Eccles. 12.14 Rom. 2.16 and 14.10 2 Cor. 5.10 5. Upon every man's Examination both in his particular and in the generall Judgment depends his everlasting well-being or undoing for ever each man's condition then shall be unchangeable whether it be of glory or misery They that have done good shall go into everlasting life and they that have done evill into everlasting fire f Matth. 25.46 6. Since this great Triall then shall be upon life and death eternall 't wil be wisely done to try beforehand Such is the advice of the wise Siracides Before judgment examine thy self and in the day of visitation thou shalt find mercy g Ecclus. 18.20 To examine accuse judge and condemn thy self in this life may through the merits of Christ acquit thee in the life to come So saith the Apostle If we would judge our selves we should not be judged h 1 Cor. 11.31 7. Now then sinfull man delay not to pass judgment upon thy self remember that the Great Judge himself hath said it I will reprove thee and set before thee the things that thou hast done i Psal 50.21 Be wise then and prevent this sad and dismall reproof by setting in order before thy self all the Sins of thy life And to this Triall of thy self these following particulars do necessarily concur 1. A Tribunall must be erected and this is not to be without thee but within thee even in thine own heart k 1 Joh. 3.20 21. 2. The Judge to sit upon this Seat of judicature must be thy Reason guided by the Law of the most High wherein beware of a misunderstanding and wresting of the letter of the Law to pass any unjust and partiall sentence upon thy self for that may undoe thee for ever l 2 Pet. 3.16 3. The Witnesses to be produc'd against thee are the Conscience bearing witness and the thoughts the mean while accusing or excusing one another and thus shall it be also in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Christ Jesus m Rom. 2.15 16. 4. The Executioners that stand ready to seize the Criminall are Fear and terrour and an horrible dread overwhelming the Soul n Phil. 2.12 Psal 55.5 These do ever attend 5. Self-condemnation which is an unfeigned and sad acknowledgment to have incurred the dismall Sentence of condemnation to death eternall To prevent which 6. Execution must be done and the bloud of the guilty Soul must be shed 'T is not to be believ'd or hoped that a black diseased Soul should recover its health and beauty after the Image of God except she bleed plentifully bleed in the tears of Compunction and godly sorrow bleed in the Confession of her Sins with an abhorrence of them for the filthiness guilt and danger contracted by them so as for the future to renounce and abjure them for ever 8. Thus to examine judge and condemn thy self is the same Christian duty which is called Repentance without the practice whereof our Lord positively affirms that we are all undone for ever saying Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish o Luk. 13.3 5. And he saith the same words again at the same time and in the same Text recorded 1. to enforce the great necessity of Repentance against all carnall careless self-conceited and seduced persons 2. to manifest his great goodness who would not have any to perish but that all should come to Repentance p 2 Pet. 3.9 9.
whither Blessed Lord whither should a defiled Soul go to be cleansed but unto that Fountain which is opened in the house of Israel for sin and for uncleanness In this inexhaustible Fountain of Divine grace my sinfull Soul longs to be washed and through the effusion of the precious Bloud of my Redeemer to be purified and my whole self for the future to be sincerely devoted to serve thee in holiness and righteousness before thee all the days of my life Amen III. Assist me Blessed Lord in the Triall and impartial Examination of my heart and of all the actions of my life in the full Confession of all my Sins with the tears of true Penitence and godly Sorrow for them in my Praiers for mercy and pardon of them and for grace to be sanctified against them O hear in Heaven and be mercifull unto me forgive me my Sins and heal my Soul through the merits and mediation of my dearest Saviour Jesus Christ Amen A short preparatory Meditation to the Sacrament out of S. Ambrose O with what great contrition of heart with what a floud of tears with what reverence fear and trembling with what purity of mind and chastity of body is that Divine celestial Mystery to be celebrated where thy Flesh O Lord is truly received and thy Bloud is truly drunk where things most high and low Divine and humane are mysteriously intermingled where the Angels of Heaven are invisibly present beholding and assisting in the celebration and where thou O Lord art inconceivably present both as the Priest and the Sacrifice O who can worthily either administer or receive such grand tremend celestial Mysteries except Thou the Omnipotent God make him worthy of thy Grace Even so come Lord Jesus The XXIII Psalm paraphrased Verse 1. THE Lord who hath created redeemed and sanctified me is my Shepherd to feed guide and defend me from the ravening of my ghostly foes therefore I can lack nothing that is needfull or convenient either for Soul or body 2. He shall feed me in a green pasture My Soul doth he feed with the verdant refreshing Indoctrinations of his Holy Word and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort Such are the influences of the Holy Ghost the Comforter and such are the Sacraments of his Church which as waters do quench the fire of Concupiscence wash off the pollution of Sin cleanse the heart from all vain and impure thoughts and desires satisfy the spiritual thirst of the Soul and feed the same to life eternal and these be Comforts both great and glorious 3. He shall convert my soul from the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and from the sinfull Lusts of the Flesh and bring me forth into the paths of righteousness to keep God's holy Will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the days of my life and this he will doe for his Name 's sake that his Name which is great wonderfull and holy may be glorified in me and by me 4. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death be conversant amidst continual Temptations and Tribulations which are the miseries of mortality and the shadows of death in this valley of tears I will fear none evill neither the evil of Sin nor Death the wages of Sin for thou art with me dwelling in my heart by Faith in this mortal life that after the shadow of death is vanished I may dwell with thee by Vision in life immortal Aug. thy rod and thy staff comfort me thy rod to correct me thy staff to support me thy rod to punish me when I doe evill thy staff to sustain me in my sufferings for my Sins Both are great comforts to the devout Soul as being signs of Adoption and Grace purchased by the mystical Rod and Staff of my Saviour's Sufferings on the wood of his Cross This was the rod of the Lord's indignation for our Sins and the rod wherewithall our Lord beat the Devil out of his strong holds this was the staff also or stay of fallen Man the merits whereof I humbly beg to be applied to my Soul in the Sacrament of his Passion For 5. Thou shalt prepare a table before me The Table of the Lord is spred before all true Believers where is prepared the Bread of Heaven the food of Angels the Body and Bloud of Christ for the strengthning and refreshing of my Soul against them that trouble me and these are chiefly home-bred Enemies even all those sinful Lusts of the flesh which war against the Soul But that I may be prepared for the conflict with them thou hast anointed my head with oil The Unction of the Holy one are the Graces of the Holy Spirit which from Christ the Head do flow down upon his Members in the devout use of his Sacraments and my cup shall be full That Cup of blessing which is the Communion of the Bloud of Christ is full of grace and heavenly benediction And this in all humility I call my cup because I am invited nay commanded to take and drink thereof And if I receive it worthily I may then rejoycing say The Lord himself is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup and as it follows 6. Thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life 'T was thy loving-kindness and mercy preventing me whereby I was called unto the state of Grace and Salvation and I believe and humbly pray that thy Grace may also follow me to continue in the same to my life's end and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever This is the end and the perfection of all the Lord's Blessings upon me He is therefore my Shepherd and doth feed and guide me protect and defend me correct and support me and with his precious Body and Bloud doth nourish me in his house of praier here below that I may hereafter dwell in his house of praise above and with his holy Angels and Saints for ever sing Glory be to God the Father As it was in the beginning Other Psalms seasonable for Meditation and relating to this Divine subject in several Verses are the XLII XLIII LXXXI LXXXIV Psalms the which I have not paraphrased or explained that this Volume might not swell into too great a bulk CHAP. III. Meditations and Praiers for the Friday especially before the Communion 1. AMongst all the days of the Week Friday is the most seasonable and fittest for the performance of those Religious Duties the which though never out of season are yet then most practical when commanded as necessary Preparatives for the worthy receiving of the Sacrament viz. the grand Duty of Self-examination of Confession of sins with Contrition Humiliation and Fasting as also for Meditations and Praiers upon the Passion of our Lord since it was upon this day of the week he was crucified and died for our Sins 2. 'T is upon this account that our Church enjoyns this day to be observed through the whole
year as a day of Fasting and Abstinence and it was ever observed as such since our Lord died upon the Friday through all the Ages of the Church untill these last and worst of days wherein the evil spirit of contradiction against the Religious practices of Christ's Church doth so rage as amongst many others to cry down all Times and Days devoted to the Service of God except what they call the Sabbath-day the which under the Gospel is neither properly so called nor rightly observed by such as truly understand not the IV. Commandment but misinterpret the sound meaning of the Spirit by the killing Letter of the Law 3. All orthodox and understanding good Christians in stead of a Jewish Sabbath observe as festival and holy the Christian Sunday because the Sun of Righteousness arose upon that day from death to life and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel in which respect 't is frequently in Holy Scripture called the Lord's day 4. And there is the like reason for the observance of Friday as fasting in commemoration of Christ's Passion as there is for Sunday as festival in commemoration of his Resurrection Nor is this obscurely but plainly enough commanded by our Lord himself But the days will come when the Bridegroom shall be taken away from them and then shall they fast in those days a Luk. 5.35 These words are both 1. a positive command to all the Disciples of Christ they shall fast and also 2. the days whereon they shall fast are prescribed in those days whereon the Bridegroom was taken away from them which are the Fridays of the year whereon our Lord the Bridegroom and Head of his Church was taken off by a bitter death upon the Cross It is therefore but meet and just that all true Members of this Head should fast and pray and be humbled for their Sins on that day especially whereon the Son of God so sadly suffered and sorrowed for the Sins of the world Friday Meditations I. Part of LXIX Psalm paraphrased Verse 13. LORD I make my praier unto thee in an acceptable time Now is the acceptable time now is the day of Salvation even the day whereon for us men and for our Salvation the Blessed Son of God was crucified unto death 14. Hear me O God in the multitude of thy mercies against the multitude of my Sins which require a multitude of mercies to pardon them even in the truth of thy Salvation which on this day was so dearly purchased with the precious Bloud of the Son of God as a Lamb without spot 15. Take me out of the mire of all my sinfull pollutions and of all exorbitant lusts both secular and sensual that I sink not under the weight and pressure of them O let mâ— be delivered from them that hate me meaning chiefly the Devil and his angels and all the enemies of my Soul and out of the deep waters the rising waves of my unruly Passions and the waters of Trouble and Affliction which issue thence 16. Let not the water-floud of iniquity which overflows the face of the earth drown me with the rest of evill-doers neither let the deep swallow me up the deep abyss of Death the wages of Sin and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me so as that I arise not out of the gulph of Sin and Death to the life of Grace and Glory 17. Hear me O Lord for thy loâ—â—â— kindness is comfortable T is the 〈◊〉 and fountain life and soul of 〈◊〉 consolation at all times and in 〈◊〉 conditions both prosperous and adverse turn thee unto me not for any worth that is in me to attract thy loving-kindness but according to the multitude of thy mercies which are ever manifested to all them who truly turn unto thee 18. Hide not thy face from thy servant as angry and displeased for the alienations of my heart from thee and negligence in thy service for I am in trouble troubled for my Sins and frequent back-slidings and the sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit a broken and contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise O haste thee and hear me For if thou make as though thou hearest not I shall be like them that goe down into the pit 19. Draw nigh unto my Soal and save it who for the Salvation of my Soul didst this day humble thy self unto death even the cursed death of the Cross by the Merits and efficacy of which Cross and Passion O deliver me from all mine offences because of mine enemies that they triumph not in my confusion II. Meditations out of the Prophet Isaiah Chap. LIII Verse 4. SVrely he hath born our griefs and carried our serrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed 6. All we like sheep have gone astray and God hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all In the Sufferings of thy Saviour O my Soul thou maiest see as in a glass thine own Deformities and Sins The Great Lord over all Blessed for ever to be reproached reviled scorned contemned and numbred amongst the transgressours discovers thy false and uncharitable Judging Censuring Condemning Evil-speaking Lying and Slandering Railing and Reviling of others The blessed Face of Jesus besmeared with Spittle doth remember thee of all thy unclean Lusts and of all the filthy Communication that has proceeded out of thy mouth His blessed Mouth embittered with Gall and Vinegar doth mind thee of thy Effeminacy and Luxury Drunkenness and Gluttony and his Whipping of thy Stubbornness and Disobedience to the Laws of Heaven The King of Glory to wear a Crown of Thorns and for his Robes of Majesty onely a little Linen to cover his nakedness declares the iniquity of thy Pride and Vain-glory the folly of Gay cloathing and all thy vain and foolish affectation of the Pomps and Vanities of this sinfull World That Crown of Thorns beaten into his Temples with a Reed and much rage discovers the offensive nature of 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 sweetest Jesu let all my Sins be done away through thy Sufferings which did both represent and satisfy for them Let thy Wounds be a Salve for my Sin-wounded Soul and by thy Stripes let her be healed of all her Distempers Let thy Bonds discharge that Bond of malediction and woe wherein my Sins have enwrapt my Soul and let my Obligation to punishment be cancelled by thy Cross Let thy Pains deliver me from the Pains of Hell and thy Labours procure my Rest with the Saints in Heaven Let thy Sorrows purchase the Joys and thy Griefs the Pleasures of thy right hand Let thy Captivity be my Redemption thy Humiliation my Exaltation
into Egypt to return into thy countrey to be subject to thy parents to be baptized by John to be afflicted with a forty days fast and thrice to be tempted of the Devil to be wearied with journeys and macerated by hunger and thirst and watchings to be tired with preaching to weep for compassion to be rejected of the Jews and frequently abused by them Thy Passion approaching thou vouchsafedst to be heavy and exceeding sorrowful to pray not onely with bended knees but thrice to fall upon thy face to be in a bitter Agony and to sweat drops of bloud to be betrayed by Judas with a deceitful kiss to be apprehended by the Jews and bound as a thief to be left desolate and alone for all thy Disciples forsook thee and fled To be led to Annas the High-priest first and there to be buffeted to be sent by him bound to Caiaphas and there to be many ways derided to be brought before the council of the Jews and there to be falsely accused and condemned to have thy face polluted with spittings to be provok'd by manifold reproâ—ches to be scorned and blasphemed and again smitten on the face and buffeted to be delivered bound unto Pilate and before him vehemently accused unto death and by him to be sent unto Herod and there to be calumniated and set at nought by him and his men of war to be arrayed in white and sent back unto Pilate by his command to be bound to a pillar and cruelly scourged unto bloud to be by him condemned and delivered up to the souldiers to be crucified by whom thou wast mockt with a purple garment and pierced with a Crown of thorns derided with a Reed in stead of a Regal sceptre and with bowing of knees named in contempt The King of the Jews again the third time bespatter'd with spittle and buffeted and beaten with a Reed on thy head laden with the weight of thy Cross and led away to the place of thy Passion there again stript naked of thy garments and profered to drink Gall mingled with Myrrh At last thou wast extended on the Cross thy hands and feet transfixed with nails crucified amongst thieves numbred amongst transgressours blasphemed both by them that stood by and by them that passed by and in the extremity of thy sufferings criedst out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Thy head bowed down thou didst give up the ghost and thy Side was pierced by a Souldier whence issued both water and bloud Taken down from the Cross and buried by Joseph the third day thou didst rise again and appear to thy disciples The fortieth day thou ascendedst into Heaven and sitting on the right hand of God the Father thou didst send down the promise of the Holy Ghost upon thy blessed Apostles and Disciples and shalt come again to Judgment to render to all men according to their works done in the body whether they be good or whether they be evil O Blessed Lord Jesus by all these thy most sacred Sufferings by thy bitter death and most precious bloud shed for us and by all things foretold of thee and fulfill'd by thee vouchsafe in great mercy to deliver me a sordid sinner with all my friends and enemies parents brothers sisters all that are poor and desolate tempted and afflicted bound and imprison'd with all Christian people From all our tribulations and distresses from the snares of the Devil from the bonds and chains of our Sins and from all evils both of Soul and body good Lord deliver save and defend us All our imaginations and actions vouchsafe so to dispose and order that they may be acceptable unto thee fill us with thy grace and with holy peace and with all vertue and grant us herein to persevere even unto death that making a good end of this present life thou mayst bring us to eternal life in thy celestial Kingdom where thou livest and reignest CHAP. VI. Saint Gregorie 's Praiers upon the Passion of Christ I. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus hanging upon the Cross and bearing on thy venerable head a Crown of Thorns and I humbly beg by thy Cross to be delivered from the destroying Angel II. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus Christ expanded on the Cross with five great wounds in thy nailed hands and feet and pierced side and I humbly beg that thy dire and gastly wounds may be a healing remedy to my sin-sick Soul III. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus panting under the sad weight of the sins of the world and I humbly beg by that unconceivable bitterness of sorrow thy innocent Soul suffered in that moment when it left the body have mercy upon my Soul in the memert of her departure hence IV. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus laid in the Sepulchre and anointed with Myrrh and Aloes and I humbly beg that thy death may be the life of my Soul V. O Save Holy Jesus the good Shepherd who laid down his life for his Sheep save and preserve the righteous call home the wicked justifie the penitent have mercy upon all true believers and upon me a miserable sinner Amen CHAP. VII The Form of Praier used by our Lord upon the Cross viz. the XXII Psalm paraphrased Verse 1. MY God my God So prayed my dear Redeemer hanging upon the Cross the gemination of his words expressing both the great Devotion and also the bitter Anguish of his Soul look upon me imploring divine commiseration and assistence in the sufferings of his humane nature why hast thou forsaken me That 's the height of sorrow and suffering to be therein forsaken as if the personall union of his divine and humane nature were dissolved and art so far from my health not affording the least mitigation of my tormenting pains or consolation therein and from the words of my complaint or the voice of my roaring for with strong crying and tears I offer up my prayers and supplications a Heb. 5.7 2. O my God I will never cease to call thee so though now thine indignation for the sins of the world lieth heavy upon me so that though I cry in the day-time in the which I suffer the torments of crucifixion yet thou hearest not so as to deliver me from them and in the night-season also when I was in a bitter agony sweating drops of bloud under the pressure of the Sins of men and thy wrath for them in both seasons and sad sufferings I take no rest no ease of my Soul's sorrows no cessation of my bodily torments 3. And thou continuest holy just and faithfull in all thy promises of mercy to the miserable or thou dwellest in thy holy one in this holy and innocent body of mine though nailed to the cross So we reade God was in Christ reconciling the world b 2 Cor. 5.19 O thou worship of Israel who hast so often delivered thy people and been made both the subject matter of their prayers and praises and onely object of
THE PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN Divided into FOUR PARTS I. The Practice of Self-examination and a Form of Confession fitted thereunto the Lord's Praier and Penitential Psalms paraphrased with Meditations and Praiers to be made partakers of Christ's Merits II. Directions Meditations and Praiers in order to the worthy Receiving of the Holy Communion of the Body and Bloud of Christ III. Meditations with Psalms for the Hours of Praier the ordinary Actions of Day and Night with other Religious Considerations and Concerns IV. Meditations with Psalms upon the Four 〈◊〉 things 1. Death 2. Judgment 3. Hell 4. Heaâ—â—â— The Third and Fourth Parts make the Second Volume formerly called the Second Part. By R. SHERLOCK D. D. Rector of Winwick Omne tempus in quo de Deo non cogitas hoc te computa perdidisse LONDON Printed by E. Flesher for R. Royston Bookseller to His most Sacred Majesty at the Angel in Amen-corner MDCLXXVII To the Parishioners of Winwick in Lancashire Good People THE Cure of your Souls being by 〈◊〉 Divine Providence incumbent upon Me very unfit to undergoe so great a Chaâ— especially considering the Liberty which 〈◊〉 men do now assume in the way of Religion In the discharge of my Duty though 〈◊〉 not say I have been so prudent and diâ—â—gent as the high and holy nature of my Funâ—â—â—â— requires yet you know I have not omitteâ— frequently to put you in mind which is on principal part of my Office of the whoâ— Will of God in the carefull observancâ— whereof the Health of your Souls consisteth The Contents of God's revealed Will being delivered and disporsed through thâ— whole Body of Holy Scriptures are collected and summed up into general Heads by the Church of Christ in her Catechism thâ— which though by a strange Fanatick humouâ— it be slighted and even derided yet contains all things both of Faith and Fact necessary to Salvation being rightly clearly â—nd fully understood Did you therefore rightly understand â—nd seriously consider wherein your Soul's Health and Edification chiefly consists you â—ould be better pleased with the frequency â—f Catechizing and be more versed in those â—ssentials of Religion then in the hearing 〈◊〉 many Sermons which are of less concernâ—â—â— have not spared my Pains in Preaching â—or my Purse in the maintenance of others â— assist me herein But by long experience it is evident that Sermons what through â—he Variety severall Modes and Methods on â—he one hand and what through the great abuse thereof on the other have not that â—nfluence upon the minds of men as becometh â—ound Doctrine but have too much sway with men of itching ears who heap to â—hemselves Teachers after their own â—usts who upon Pretence of going on to â—erfection goe off the Foundation wax â—ain in their imaginations and their fooâ—â—sh hearts are darkned whilst they conceit â—hemselves enlightned And therefore for your more ready easy and constant instruction I have committed to writing and made publick the Summary of Christian Doctrine in the Church-Catechism paraphrased And because Doctrine without Practice is but a Body of Religion without a Soul to quicken it I have here added a Summary of Christian Practice in the insuing Rules of Self-examination which will equally discover unto you your Sins and Miscarriages past and serve for a Guide to direct you in the future ordering of all the Actions of your lives in the ways of Godliness In both which Summaries I have endeavoured to be both brief and plain delivering onely what I conceive generally necessary to Salvation and expressing the same in the most easy way to be understood as knowing that multitude of words various acute and quaint affected expressions especially in the Essentials of Religion though they may more please do not so much profit nay they do really rather distract then instruct the minds of most For it is not the rattling of the Leaves but the Fruits of the Tree of knowledge that feed the Soul to life eternall The Praiers prescribed upon any the insuing considerations are not by way of one long continued Oration without intermission but divided into severall shorter Praiers and this because 1. The heat of holy Zeal is hereby better maintained and kept flaming in the Soul whilst the ending of one Praier and beginning another adds new fervour to the Soul's Devotion 2. Long Praiers do tire the spirits clog the memory distract the mind and damp that celestiall fervour which is the life of all holy and acceptable Praiers 3. Such are all those Praiers which are truly the Praiers of God's Holy Spirit and stand upon record in Holy Writ they are all divided and cut short into so many distinct Verses as into so many several shorter Praiers 4. Thus Christ has commanded us to pray Matt. 6.7 8 9. And according to this patern the Praiers of Christ's Church even for the length thereof are generally framed My primary intention in the insuing Discourse was chiefly to direct you for the worthy Receiving of the Holy Communion of the Body and Bloud of Christ whereunto a through Self-examination is absolutely necessary And being desired to inlarge my Meditations upon that Blessed Sacrament I have therefore now divided the former Edition into Two Parts the First of Self-examination and the Second of the Holy Communion Wherein I must necessarily tell you that since the Danger of unworthy Receiving is equivalent with the Benefit of the worthy it therefore concerns every one of you that hath any sense and sincere care of his Soul's health as strictly to examine himself before he eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup as he believes he shall be examined before the great Tribunal of Heaven and accordingly to purge and purify his Soul by Confession Contrition and all the sacred Acts and Offices of true Repentance the practice whereof is in the following Leaves delivered Of the other Two Parts of the Practical Christian mentioned in the general Title-page you will have a farther account in the Preface thereunto I shall not farther enlarge this Epistle more then to pray that God may be pleased to assist you by his Divine grace carefully to observe such useful Instructions as be herein given you not vainly jangling and talking of Religion but according to the Covenant you have made with your God to keep his holy Will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the days of your life remembring who it is that has said it If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments Matt. 19.17 And that you may observe the one as the way to the other is and shall be the constant Praier of Your respective Pastour Ric. Sherlock A TABLE of the Chapters CHAP. I. Of the great necessity of Self-examination CHAP. II. The Rule of Self-examination by the Vow in Baptism CHAP. III. The Rule of Self-examination by the Creed or by the Second part of the Vow in Baptism To believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith CHAP. IV. The Rule of
infinite 4. For there is mercy with thee to forgive the sins of the penitent and to raise up them that are faln therefore shalt thou be feared or worshipped with reverence and godly fear thy mercy engaging and sweetly working upon our hearts to fear thy Name 5. I look for the Lord even for his saving mercy my soul doth wait for him to heal her soars and satisfie her longing desires with the oil and wine of mercy and consolation in his word is my trust for therein he hath promised to pardon the penitent to heal the broken-hearted And I doubt not but he will be as good as his word and therefore 6. My soul fleeth unto the Lord upon the spiritual wings of ardent desires strong hopes fervent prayers before the morning-watch very early in the morning of the day or in the morning of my life the time of my youth I say before the morning-watch or more carnestly then such who are appointed watch-men for the night do wait for the morning to be discharged from their watch and have liberty to repose themselves 7. O Israel Ye that are of the number of God's people members of his Church if you be wise trust not in your selves nor in others but trust in the Lord who never faileth to help them that put their trust in him and be doing good for with the Lord there is mercy There is there was and ever will be mercy with him to justifie sinners that truly repent and believe in him for his mercy endureth for ever and with him there is plenteous redemption His precious bloud whereby we are redeemed is plentifully sufficient to satisfie for our sins and not for ours onely but for the sins of the whole world 8. And he shall redeem Israel No doubt but he will more especially above all others redeem his own inheritance from all his sins Be they never so many mortal and venial if truly repented through Faith in the bloud of Christ they shall be pardoned And therefore we have great reason to give Glory to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. Psalm CXLIII Verse 1. HEar my prayer O Lord for the obtaining of what is good and consider my desire for the avoiding of what is evil hearken unto me in both respects for thy truth of thy promises made to hear the prayers of the humble and for thy righteousness sake in performing all such promises to those who trust not in their own but in thy righteousness condemning themselves that they may be absolved by thee 2. And enter not into judgment without any intermixture of mercy with thy servant O Lord I dare not say thy son but confess with the Prodigal that I have sinned against Heaven but reject me not from among the number of thy servants for in thy sight who art a God of purer eyes then to behold iniquity shall no man living in this frail mortal flesh be justified by his own merits but by the mercy of God through the merits of Christ 3. For the enemy the Devil hath persecuted my soul and doth incessantly undermine its innocence by his temptations and snares he hath smitten my life down to the ground so that my Soul grovels in the dust of earthly desires he hath laid me in the darkness involv'd in the night of secular lusts as the men that have been long dead in their trespasses and sins having no sense or feeling of their desperate condition 4. Therefore is my spirit vexed within me My Conscience within me being defiled and my Soul which would aspire to Heaven-ward depressed with the weight of her sins and the corruption of her flesh is a great corrosive and vexation of my spirit and my heart within me is desolate destitute of all consolation 5. Yet do I remember the time past wherein thy people have been exercised and tried both by adversity and prosperity both by temptations and deliverances and for my consolation and strengthning my hopes of deliverance I muse upon all thy works wherein I observe as thy great power and wisedom so thy mercy allaying the rigour of thy justice yea I enâ—â—ise my self in the works of thy hands wherein I find thy mercy to be over thy works and that I though an unprofitable work of thy hands may obtain mercy also 6. I stretch forth my hands unto thee both praying with my lips and working with my hands to obtain may petitions and my soul pours forth her self in the expansion of my hands which being in her self dry and barren of consolation gaspeth unto thee the fountain of living waters and well-spring of Divine graces even as a thirsty land gapeth to be fill'd and satisfied with rain from Heaven 7. Hear me O Lord watering my thirsty Soul with the celestial dew of thy Divine grace and that soon delay not to satisfie the thirst of my soul which is great for my spirit waxeth faint hath lost its wonted fersour of devotion being oppressed with the burthen of her sins and destitute of the sweet refreshments and influences of thy Holy Spirit hide not thy face from me as one turns away his face from his enemie or one with whom he is justly offended lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit If thou look not in mercy upon me I shall be in the same condition with them that are involved in the pit both of sin and of death 8. O let me hear be made sensible of thy loving kindness betimes in the morning early and betimes in this life and after the night of this life is ended in the morning of that day which never shall have end for in thee is my trust not in my self nor in any help of man for it is but vain and so will prove my trust in thee also except I obey thy will and walk in thy ways the which that I may do I humbly beg shew thou me the way of thy laws and the paths of thy Commandments wherein I should walk as leading to my native home of Heaven where my immortal Soul was first framed by the hands of the Almighty for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul which being made after thine Image aspires to become perfect in the beatifical vision and fruition of thy sacred Majesty In which way being soar let and hindred it implores thy assistence saying 9. Deliver me from mine enemies O God both visible and invisible ghostly and bodily adversaries for I flee unto thee when assaulted by them to hide me under the covert of thy protection from all the storms of temptations which daily arise in the tumultuous sea of this life 10. Teach me who am naturally blind and careless of my duty to doe the thing that pleaseth thee not onely to know but to doe thy will not to follow mine own pleasure but what is pleasing and acceptable unto thee for thou art my God who hast created and redeemed me and that I may be
thy Cross my Crown and thy Death my Life for ever God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ whereby the world is crucified to me and I unto the world b Gal. 6.14 III. Meditations out of the Prophet Jeremy IS it nothing to you Lam. 1.12 all ye that pass by behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger Ob that mine head were waters Jer. 9.1 and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for the Sufferings of my Saviour Shall I not weep for him who both wept and bled for me yea wept out every drop of his most precious Bloud to deliver me from weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth for ever In the natural Body if one Member suffer all suffer with it and 't is thus in the Body mysticall also If I be a lively Member of Christ his Afflictions will afflict and pierce my heart his Passion will excite both compassion and compunction in my Soul so as to bewail not my Saviour onely but my self and my Sins also to bewail my self and the hardness of my heart that I cannot even with a floud of tears bewail my Saviour in his Sufferings nor yet sufficiently lament and abhor my Sins the causes thereof Upon the Passion of our Lord the veil of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom That Temple mystically represents the Heart of man which signifies by its triangular form that 't is framed to be a Temple consecrated to the thrice-blessed Trinity But woe and alas my Heart is harder then the stones of that material Temple and receives not any deep impressions of that honour and happiness whereunto it was created Yet if any thing will mollify its stifness it must be the precious Bloud of my dear Redeemer which was for this very end shed upon the Cross There he bled whilst he had one drop to shed and there together with his precious Bloud he poured forth his righteous Soul with strong cryings and tears to melt the stony hearts of the sons of men into tears of Penitence and Devotion of divine Love and Obedience The gaping Wounds of my dear Lord are as so many Mouths opened to shew forth the bowels of his Compassion and through the hollow of his pierced Side may the devout Soul behold with the eye of faith his broken Heart flaming with the love of Man and dying for love O senseless ingratefull Soul who art not wounded with the Wounds of thy Saviour who art not throughly pierced with the dart of his Love who was pierced to the heart for the love of thee whose mouth is not continually opened in the praise of him all whose Wounds were as so many mouths praising the Lord for thy Redemption I am surely bound deeply engaged to love to honour to obey and wholly to live unto him who died for me even to give up my self my whole self all that I am and all that I have to his service who gave up his whole self every member of his Body every power of his Soul every drop of his Bloud a Sacrifice for my Sins And the very God of peace sanctify me wholly to his service And I pray God my whole spirit and Soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen CHAP. IV. Saint Augustine 's Recommendation of the Passion of Christ unto God the Father BEhold Holy Father thy Blessed Son suffering for me great and grievous things Regard most glorious King who it was that suffered and remember in mercy for whom he suffered Is not this He my Lord even that Innocent one whom to redeem a Servant thou offeredst up being a Son Is not this He even that Authour and Giver of Life who was led as an innocent Lamb to the slaughter and became obedient unto thee even unto death and feared not to undergo the most bitter of all deaths Is not this He whom thou the dispenser of all Salvation didst beget from all eternity but in fulness of time wouldst have him partaker of my infirmity This is truly thy Deity who hath put on my mortality who was lifted up on the Cross and in my flesh suffered that sad punishment of a cursed death Look back O Lord my God with the eyes of thy Majesty upon this unspeakable work of mercy Behold thy sweet Son in all the parts of his Body extended and rackt See his innocent Hands flowing with his precious bloud and pardon in great mercy the iniquities which my wicked hands have committed Consider his naked Side pierced with a cruel spear and renew me in the sacred Font which I believe to have issued thence Behold those immaculate Feet which never stood in the way of sinners but alway walked in the Law of the Lord cruelly bored and transfixed with nails remove far from me the way of iniquity and make me to chuse the way of truth to hate and decline the ways of the ungodly and to walk in the paths of thy Commandments O hold thou up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not I beseech thee O King of Saints by him who is the chief of Saints my Blessed Redeemer make me to run the way of thy Commandments that I may be united unto him who abhorred not to be cloathed with my flesh Behold most merciful Creatour the Humanity of thy beloved Son and have mercy upon the infirmity of thy frail creature His naked Breast is white and wan his pierced Side red and bloudy his distorted Bowels wither his splendid Eyes do languish his majestick Countenance is pale his procerous Arms are stiff and cold his marble Thighs hang down whilst his precious Bloud like water bedews his Feet Behold the punishment of God made Man and relax the misery of created man consider the sufferings of the Redeemer and forgive the sins of the redeemed This is He my Lord whom thou hast stricken for the sins of thy people although he be thy beloved Son in whom thou art well pleased This is He who knew no sin neither was any guile found in his mouth and yet he was numbred amongst the Transgressours and bore the sins of many CHAP. V. Saint Ambrose 's Commemoration of our Saviour's Passion O Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the living God the Creatour and Redeemer of all mankind we give thee thanks unworthy though they be yet desire they may be devout and acceptable to thee who for us miserable sinners camest down from Heaven and tookest flesh of the blessed Virgin Mary of her thou vouchsafedst to be born to be wrapt in swadling-cloaths and laid in a manger to suck the breasts to be circumcised in thy tender flesh to be manifested to the Wise men and adored by them to be presented in the Temple to be carried
Body the Church 19. But be not thou far from me O Lord so as to leave me altogether destitute of consolation in my present distresses nor yet to leave me buried in the grave to see corruption with other men and not to rise again till 〈◊〉 generall Resurrection thou art 〈◊〉 succour 'T is thy promise of succour I rely upon haste thee to help me finishing my Sufferings by Death and the Redemption of the world by my Resurrection from death to life 20. Deliver my soul from the sword from that death which by the sword and violence of wicked men is inflicted and my darling or dear and onely one Such was the Soul of Christ dear because innocent and free from Sin and the onely one that is absolutely so such is the Church of Christ dear unto him without spot and onely one as united in its Members from the power of the dog from such who without reason bark and devour August or from the power of Hell which greedily devours like a dog all that descend into it Lyra. 21. Save me from the lion's mouth out of the jaws of the Devill which are open ever to swallow up all departing Souls into death eternall But by thy assistence I shall overcome the tyrant and swallow up Death in victory thou hast heard me also answered my prayers by thy deliverance of me from amongst the horns of the unicorns such as lifted up the horn of pride and fierceness against me and extolled themselves August as if there were none like them And thus far saith Cassiodore our Lord expostulates his Sufferings by way of Prayer The fruit of his Passion followeth which is in generall the Glory of God's name 22. I will declare thy name thy might and thy Majesty thy greatness and thy goodness in my Passion and Resurrection especially manifested unto my brethren to my Apostle and Disciples and they to others Fâ—â— the word was first spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by them theâ— heard him f Heb. 2.2 3. in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee publickly and in the Temple of the Lord where every man speaks of his honour 23. O praise the Lord ye that fear him Ye that have any respect to thâ— worship of the Lord lift up you voice in the congregation and both with Priest and people praise the Lord magnify him all ye of the seed of Jacob and fear him all ye of the seed of Israel even all whom he hath chosen to be his people whether Jews or Gentiles So they are distinguished Ye men of Israel and ye that fear the Lord i. e. from amongst the Gentiles g Act. 13.16 To both even to all you it appertains to praise the Lord for the Redemption of the world by his Son Jesus Christ who although he was despicable in the eyes of men yet is far otherwise in the eyes of the Lord for 24. He hath not despised nor abhorred the low estate of the poor Though born in a poor condition lived a poor life more poor yet in his death being stripped naked of all even to a little linen to cover his nakedness destitute of what the poorest enjoy a buriall-place for he was buried in a stranger's sepul chre yet not despised but highly exalted having a Name given above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow Nor hath He ever despised his brethren the Members of his body who conform to his poverty by being poor in spirit humble and meek he hath not hid his face from him either through neglect or scorn as too usually men doe to the poor but when he called unto him he heard him as not presuming in himself but depending upon God 25. My praise is of thee or in thee For God the Son is praised in the Father and the Father in the Son in the great congregation both of the Church militant here below and triumphant above And that thy praise may be perfected in and by me my vows will I perform The vows of our Blessed Lord were to offer up his Soul a Sacrifice for Sin and to give his holy Body and Bloud to be the food of devout Souls in the Blessed Eucharist and this to be publickly performed even in the sight of them that fear him And onely for such is that Blessed Feast prepared not for the proud stubborn and disobedient but for 26. The poor The humble and penitent Souls and such as have abjured the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked world such shall eat and be satisfied because they hungred and thirsted after righteousness they that seek after the Lord in all humility and devotion shall praise him because he is found of them that seek him and sheweth himself to such as distrust him not your heart shall live for ever The life of your heart is the joy thereof which is both begot and maintained unto perpetuity by the Bread of life He that eateth this bread shall live for ever h Jeh 6.51 27. All the ends of the world The inhabitants of the utmost corners of the earth shall remember themselves in the remembrance and adoration of their Creatour and Redeemer and be turned unto the Lord from the service of the creature to the worship of God over all Blessed for ever Such so great and unspeakable is the efficacy of our Saviour's Passion as that thereby the sacred beams of Grace and Truth are displayed over all the world insomuch that all the kindreds of the nations of what tribe family nation sect or condition soever shall worship before him fall down before his footstool and adore him as the great Redeemer of the world and Prince of the holy Catholick Church 28. For the Kingdom is the Lord's Or Dominion over all the people of the earth is given to the Lord Christ who hath a Name written on his vesture and on his thigh King of kings and Lord of lords i Rev. 19.16 and he is the Governour among the people even all true Christian people among whom and over whom he sways his Scepter of righteousness by his Holy Word and by his Holy Spirit 29. All such as be fat upon earth spiritually fat or grown in Grace and Holiness temporally fat abounding in wealth and power the Princes and Potentates of the earth saith the Chaldee Paraphr have eaten and worshipped adoring the Lord for that he feeds them with his Divine Gifts and Graces 30. All they who goe down into the dust whose bodies are buried in the grave shall kneel before him prostrate themselves unto him who vouchsafed to give himself both Soul and Body a Ransom for their Sins for being all dead in Sin no man hath quickened his own soul That was and is effected onely by the meritorious Death of the Lord of Life And such as are quickened even 31. My seed whose Life in grace is the fruit and issue of my Death of which seed it is said When thou