us think we have done nothing in Hearing Reading Praying Receiving Singing of Psalms Confering Meditating till in all we have glorified Thee our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier till our Souls be brought something nearer unto Heaven unto thy Self And all we beg upon the account of Christ saying further as he hath taught us Our Father c. A Family Prayer for the Evening on the Lords-Day OEternal God and most Gracious Father we thine unworthy servants do here cast down our selves at the Footstool of thy Grace acknowledging that we were conceived in sin and have actually in thought word and deed transgressed thy Holy and Righteous Precepts so that if thou shouldest look upon us as in our selves we could not expect any thing but thy Wrath and our own Condemnation But O holy Father for Jesus Christ thy dear Sons sake for the Merits of his Obedience and Bloodshed we beseech Thee to have Mercy upon us pardoning to us all our sins and freeing us from the Shame and Confusion which is due unto us for them And we pray Thee inspire thy Holy Spirit into our Hearts that by his Illumination and effectual Working we may have the inward sight and feeling of our sins and natural corruptions and not through Custom be blinded or hardened in them That we may more and more loath them and be heartily grieved for them endeavouring by the use of all good means to overcome and to get out of them Oh let us feel the Power of Christs death killing sin in our mortal Bodies and the vertue of his Resurrection raising up our Souls unto Newness of Life that living in thy Fear unto thy Glory we may die in thy Favour and in thine Appointed time attain unto the Blessed Resurrection of the Just unto Eternal Life In the mean while O Lord increase our Faith in the sweet promises of the Gospel and our Repentance from dead works the assurance of our hope and our love unto thy self and thy children especially those whom we shall see to stand in need of our help and comfort that so by the fruits of Piety and a Righteous Life we may be assured that thy holy Spirit doth dwell in us and that we are thy Children by Grace and Adoption And grant us Good Father the continuance of Health Peace Maintenance and all other outward things so far forth as thy Divine Wisdome shall think meet and necessary for us And we beseech thee O Lord to be mercifull likewise to thy whole Church and particularly to these Kingdoms wherein we live vouchsafing to us those Mercies we stand in need of and turning from us those Judgements which our sins may cry for Preserve the Kings Majesty bless all the Royal Family bless our Magistrates and Ministers this place those that are near unto us by Kindred or Neighbourhood be graciously present with all our Christian Brethren that suffer sickness or any other affliction or misery grant them patience to bear thy Cross and Deliverance when and which way it shall seem best unto Thee And O Lord let us not forget our last End and those accounts which then we must render unto Thee In Health and Prosperity make us mindfull of Sickness and the evil Day that is behind that these things may not overtake us as a snare but that we may in good measure like wise Virgins be found prepared for the Coming of Christ to call us by Death unto Judgement And here O Lord we do from our very Souls render unto Thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy Blessings bestowed upon us concerning this Life and that which is to come We praise Thee especially for Christ the Fountain and Foundation of all thy Mercies we ever yet received or hope hereafter to receive from Thee In him we praise Thee for the Mercies thou hast this day bestowed upon us or given us occasion to remember whether concerning the Creation of the World or the Redemption of Mankind We praise thee for thy holy Word and Sacraments and seasons of Grace yet vouchsafed unto us We praise Thee that by thy good Providence we have been preserved and provided for to this very moment intreating Thee likewise to continue thy Mercifull Protection over us this night And O Lord we beseech Thee let those saving Truths which have been delivered unto us sink down into our Hearts and spring up in our Conversations Let us keep up such holy Purposes and heavenly Affections as may have been wrought in any of us whilst attending upon Thee Let our lives be in some measure answerable to the means we enjoy Let the fruit of this Day appear in us the Week following and all the days of our Lives following Henceforth let our resolution of pleasing Thee and doing good in our Generation be more confirmed let the felicities of Heaven be more esteemed let our desires of Earthly things be more abated let the Breathings of our Souls after a fuller enjoyment of thy Self be more enlarged Let our sins those of our holy things be pardodoned our persons and performances accepted and our Souls eternally saved And al upon the alone account of Jesus Christ it whose prevailing Name we continue to pray unto Thee saying Our Father c. As for those who are furnished with Bibles and the Book of Common Prayer I shall direct them if they desire it how to use part of the Morning and Evening Service according to the Liturgy by themselves or with their Families But because many Pious Divines are of opinion that the Reverence due to the Book of Common Prayer is best preserved by imploying it only in the Publick Divine Service or in Private where there is one in Holy Orders to officiate And because we should always strive to be present at the Publick Service of the Church on any Holy Day especially on the Lords-Day and such Festivals as are in Remembrance of our Saviour Christ You have to the former here added one Prayer more which you may use on any such Festival in Remembrance of our Blessed Saviour that is to say On the Days of his Incarnation Birth Circumcision Epiphanie Presenting in the Temple Passion Resurrection Ascension and Mission of the Holy Ghost A Prayer upon any of the foresaid Festivals in Remembrance of our Blessed Lord and Saviour O Most glorious God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of lights from whom cometh every good and perfect Gift it is our bounden Duty and our great Priviledge constantly to acknowledge Thee with joy and exaltation of Spirit in remembrance of thy infinite Bounty to us and to all the World Every day tells us how good Thou art and every one of thy Creatures calls upon us to magnifie love and serve Thee who hast made so many of them to serve us But this Day gives us occasion to remember thy more special and extraordinary kindness to us the Children of Men which calls for our highest Praises to be joyned with those of the
blessed Company above who are never weary of giving Honour Glory Blessing and Thanks to thee our mercifull God and Saviour O how great was that Love which an Angel came to give notice of and which a multitude of an Heavenly Host celebrated with songs of Praise when thou sentest thy dear Son in the likeness of sinfull Flesh and in the form of a Servant to minister to our necessities to relieve our misery and to be the Way to everlasting Life Oh the Riches of thy Grace that after Mankind had forfeited all the rights of thy Creatures and had contemned and despitefully used many of thy Messengers Thou wouldest in such Mercy create us again unto good Works and for that end appear thy self most gloriously among us in the Person of Jesus Christ We thank thee O Lord that thou hast assumed our Nature unto such a nearness to Thee as we are not able to understand We thank Thee for the glad tidings which Jesus hath brought us from Heaven that thou wilt be reconciled unto us and admit us again into thy Favour and that he hath observed the whole Law and fulfilled all Righteousness and shewn us in our Likeness what thou wouldest have us to do and to be We thank Thee for the Redemption which he hath wrought for us by his Blood and meritorious Passion We rejoyce in the Victory which he hath gotten over hell and the grave by his Resurrection from the dead and in his glorious Triumph when he ascended up on High and led Captivity captive And in his Royal Power wherewith He was invested when He sat down on the Right hand of the Majesty on High And in those Gifts which he received for Men even for the Rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them Blessed be thy Eternal Goodness which hath made him a most mercifull and compassionate High Priest and given us so great assurance that he is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Blessed be thy Goodness which hath sent the Holy Ghost and continued to us a succession of Pastours and Teachers to be the Guides of our Souls and to minister to us those pledges of thy Love which our Saviour left us in the Communion of his Body and Blood O God that our hearts enflamed with ardent love to Thee who hast loved us in such a wonderfull manner could ascend up to Heaven in these devout Meditations and not come down again but with desires left in them still aspiring thitherwards Oh touch our Souls so powerfully with a sense of these things that with an hearty zealous Affection they may ever look towards Thee and our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Oh fix our eyes on him as he was here on earth that we may learn of Him his humble and meek obedience to thy Commands and as he is now in Heaven that we may trust Him for the performance of his precious Promises and patiently wait till he carry us also to that glorious Place Since he appeared among us to destroy the works of the devil and died to redeem us from all sin and rose again that he might bless us in turning every one of us from our iniquities and is made Lord of all that he may govern us by his Laws and reward or punish us according to our works Preserve in our minds we beseech Thee a constant and lively sense of this great End of his whole Undertaking for us that he may see the fruit of the Travell of his Soul in us and our whole life may be a serious study and endeavour to imitate Him by purifying our selves as he is pure Oh that thy Fear and Love may keep us from abusing any of the good things which thou hast allowed us for our bodily Refreshment grant that we may receive them thankfully as from thy Hand and enjoy them moderately as in thy Presence with bowels of Mercy to those who are in need with a tast of better spiritual Delights and Heavenly Joyes and with hunger and thirst after the Fulness and Perfection of those Joyes when our Lord Jesus shall come to shew us his Glory and entertain us with eternal Satisfaction in his incomprehensible Love Amen Here you may add the Collect for the Morning or Evening respectively set down page 6. Concluding always with the Lords Prayer The following Prayer for the Sacrament may be used by one alone after a Private Prayer or by more after a Family-Prayer at convenient times before Receiving ANd as for those of us in this Place or Family who intend to receive the Sacrament of Christs Body and Blood pardon Lord we pray Thee our former not hungering and thirsting after it our not Preparing for it not Partaking of it so often as our necessities and opportunities have required Enable us now we earnestly beseech Thee being duly prepared to come as worthy and welcome Guests unto thy Table Give us a Lively sight and sense of our sins and imperfections of our wants and weaknesses that we may hunger and thirst after Christ and his Righteousness expecting from his Fulness to be supplied in whatsoever our Souls may stand in need of Let us be enabled rightly to discern the Lords Body and feelingly to understand the relation between the Signs and things signified applying both unto our selves in their proper use To this end Enlighten our Minds more and more with the Knowledge of Jesus Christ and of his Gospel especially of the great work of our Redemption by his Blood and his unspeakable Love shining forth therein as also of the Covenant of Grace and Seals annexed thereunto Work in us an unfeigned Repentance bewailing our sins past and resolving to leave them for the time to come and to serve thee in Righteousness and Holiness all the days of our Life Endue us also with a true and lively Faith that we may not only receive the outward Elements of Bread and Wine but inwardly partake of the Spiritual Blessings and benefits of our Saviours Death that so we may be assured of the forgiveness of all our forepast sins and be better enabled to withstand Temptations for the time to come that thereby our Souls may be enriched with all saving Graces strengthened unto all good Duties and nourished unto Everlasting Life Inflame our hearts with most fervent Love towards Thee and our Neighbours yea even our Enemies for thy sake and link our hearts together in an Holy Communion as it becometh the true Members of Jesus Christ And being thus in some measure prepared let us yet look up to Thee to pardon our Unpreparedness Let us still continue our dependance upon Christ for his Assistance as knowing that we are not sufficient of our selves so much as to think any thing but our Sufficiency is of God And when we come to thy Table let us not coldly and formally perform this high and holy Service but with the exercise of Faith Love Repentance Reverence with the renewal
Word and Works of our own sin and danger of our Redemption of our Duty of our Death Judgement and the endless Joy or Torment after it The diligent examination of our own hearts and watching over our thoughts affections words and actions The mortifying of our sins especially unbelief error hardness of Heart pride worldliness sensuality and hypocrisie The exercise of all Graces watching against temptations and resolute resisting them And secret Prayer unto God Psal 104. 34. 119. 97 99. 1. 2. 63. 6. 77. 12. 143. 5. 119. 59. Hag. 1. 5. Deut. 32. 29. Psal 50. 22. 2 Cor. 13. 5. Psal 4. 4. Prov. 4. 23. Mat. 5. 28. 12. 34 15. 18 19. Psal 119. 113. 39. 1. Mar. 13. 33. Luke 21. 8 34. 1 Cor. 10. 12. Col. 3. 5. Heb. 3. 12 13 14. Mat. 24. 4. Luke 12. 15. Rom. 13. 13 14. Mat. 6. 6 16. 1 Cor. 3. 18. Jer. 17. 9. 1 Pet. 2. 1. 2 Tim. 1. 6. 4. 7. Acts 24. 16 Mat. 26. 41. 1 Cor. 16. 13. Eph. 6. 11. to 19. 1 Thes 5. 17. Acts 10. 9. Luke 6. 12. Quest 11. What private duties of Holiness must be performed with others The private duties of Holiness to be performed with others are these Parents and Masters must teach their children and servants the Word and fear of God and pray with them and for them and hinder them from sin Children and Servants must willingly learn and obey Husbands and Wives must be loving faithfull and helpfull to each other especially in the best things which concern their eternal Welfare We must seek advice in the matters of Salvation especially of our Teachers we must friendly prudently and faithfully admonish and exhort one another using gracious and edifying Conference and a winning Conversation Eph. 6. 4. Deut. 6. 7. 11. 18. Josh 24. 15. Psal 101. 2 3. Acts 10. 30. Gen. 18. 19. Prov. 22. 6 15. 25. 13. 1 Sam. 2. 23 29. Col. 3. Eph. 6. 1 5 6 7 8. Deut. 21. 18 20. Mal. 2. 7. Jer. 6. 16. 50. 5. 1 Cor. 14. 35. Acts 2. 37. 16. 30. Rom. 15. 14. Heb. 3. 13. Eph. 4. 29. 1 Pet. 3. 1 2. Jam. 3. 13. Acts 12. 5 12. Col. 1. 3. 4. 3. 1 Thess 3. 10. Quest 12. What are the necessary duties of Righteousness and Mercy towards Men The necessary duties of Righteousness and Mercy towards Men are such as these Superiours must rule for God and the Common-good with justice and mercy Inferiours must willingly obey them in the Lord. We must deal truly and be diligent in our Places and Callings We must love our Neighbours as our selves and do as we would be done by behaving our selves to all Men in meekness harmlesness sobriety and truth not wronging any in their Bodies Chastity Estates or Names no not in desire but forbearing and forgiving one another loving our very Enemies and doing good to all according to our Power Deut. 1. 17. 2 Chr. 19. 6 7. Deut. 17. 18 19. Josh 1. 8. Isa 56. 1. Zach. 7. 9. Rom. 13. 1 2 3. 1 Pet. 2. 13. Eph. 6. 1 5. 1 Cor. 7. 20 21. Col. 3. 20 22 23 24. Mat. 19. 19. 22. 39. 7. 12. Eph. 4. 2. Phil. 2. 3 15. Mat. 10. 16. Eph. 4. 25. Tit. 2. 12. Col. 3. 25. 1 Cor. 6. 7 8. Mat. 5. 21 22 23 24 25 27 28 39 44 45. Eph. 4. 28. Exod. 20. 16. Psal 15. 3. Col. 3. 13. Eph. 4. 2. Mat. 5. 44. Gal. 6. 10. Heb. 13. 16. Mat. 25. Phil. 2. 4 20 21. 2 Cor. 8. 11 12. Concerning the Sick FIrst When thou findest thy self visited with sickness thou art presently to remember that it is God who with rebukes doth chasten Man for sin and therefore let thy first care be to find out what it is that provokes him to smite thee and to that purpose examine diligently thine own heart and ways and confess thy sins humbly and penitently unto God begging most earnestly his Mercy and Pardon in Christ Jesus and putting on sincere and zealous Resolutions of forsaking every evil way for the rest of that time which God shall spare thee Secondly That your own Heart deceive you not in this so weighty a business which is for Eternity it will be your Wisdom before your Disease prevail too much upon you to send for some godly Divine your own Minister especially under whose care you live and who may be best acquainted with your Condition using his help to settle your Conscience aright and to make your Peace with God And to that end open your heart so freely unto him that he may be able to judge whether your Repentance be such as may give you Confidence to appear before Gods dreadfull Tribunal and if it be not that he may help you what he can towards the making of it so Thirdly Let it be remembred that there is also a Private Communion of the Sick which People generally are so far from seeking after that though we often and earnestly desire them they are but few comparatively who as S. James enjoyns Ch. 5. 14. Call or send for the Elders of the Church or Ministers of Religion to pray with or over them and to perform such other Duties belonging to the Visitation of the Sick as may fit them if they recover for a more holy Life or if they die for a more happy Death Lastly Take notice that I have not here set down any Prayers for the Sick as is usually done in such Books of Devotion because I would have Neighbours oftner to acquaint me with their sickness in order to my Visiting of them And then as occasion shall require I shall be ready to help them to such Prayers and Meditations as may be sutable to their Condition which they may make use of in my absence Grace before Meat O God be mercifull unto us and bless us and injoying of these thy Gifts give them strength to nourish us and us Grace to serve and please Thee through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen After Meat Gods holy Name be blessed and praised for these and all other his Benefits vouchsafed unto us he save his Church our King Queen and these Realms comfort the afflicted and send us Peace in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A short Grace before Meat O God bless these thy good Creatures unto our use and us unto thy service through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen After Meat We praise thee O God for these and all other thy Mercies bestowed upon us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Or this Enable us O God with thankfull hearts to live in the strength of these thy Mercies to thy Praise and Glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Children or Servants may be taught to say the larger or at least the shorter of these Graces when Parents or Family-Guides please not to do it themselves It is a duty of daily Practice to own and praise God as being the Authour and Giver of all our outward Enjoyments and to crave his Blessing upon them It is very unseemly for Christians to go to their Meals like brute creatures we are taught better by the Holy Scriptures S. Mat. 14. 19. S. John 6. 9 10 11. Acts 27. 35. 1 Tim. 4. 3 4 5. FINIS S. Mat. 6. 33. Ph. 2. 12. S. Luke 24. 47. 2 Cor. 6. 8. Acts 20. 30. 1 Cor. 11. 19. 2 Pet. 3. 16. Eph. 4. 12 14. Heb. 13. 9. Heb. 10. 23. Conf. l. 1 c. 4. If in the Morning If in the Evening Here thou mayst confess to God those sins thou art most guilty of * Here beg strength against those sins thou are especially in danger of * Here praise God for special Blessings concerning thy self or others * Leaving out the three last Lines and saying Particularly for the Mercies of the Day past it will also be a Prayer for the Evening * Here thou mayst pray for special Mercies for thy self or others See the Lords Prayer and Blessing page 23. Canon 13. of those 103. Vide late Act for the Lords-Day * Here reckon up those particular sins which thou art conscious of Psal 103. * Here make thy special Requests for thy self and others * Page 62 63.
Secret and Family PRAYERS With brief Helps for the more Devout RECEIVING OF THE Lords-Supper And better Observation of the LORDS-DAY as also to further the needfull Duties of Catechizing Visiting the Sick and Personal Instruction Fitted for the Use and Benefit of the Inhabitants of Cartmel in Lancashire If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them S. John 13. 17. CAMBRIDGE Printed by J. Hayes for the Author 1677. June 15. 1677. Imprimatur Tho. Page Procan Ri. Minshull Theoph. Dillingham Rad. Cudworth THE PREFACE AND EPISTLE To my loving Neighbours and Pastoral Charge HAving now for a long time observed not only your frugal charitable and industrious way of Living as to the World but moreover in reference to many of you your more pious Care for the good Education of your Children and your own Spiritual Welfare as also your maintaining Order and Unity above many others in the Worship of God this hath been unto me and I hope shall continue to be the cause of no little joy and contentment of heart Yet having withall seen some among us hitherto not so diligent as they ought to be either in keeping holy the Lords Day or in receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper or in sending for the Minister to visit them when sick or in improving when in health the duty of Catechising and Personal Instruction that both themselves and those who live with or under them might be better informed in the Ways of God I have in the ensuing Book as to each of these respects hinted those things which if duely considered may prove a sutable and seasonable Remedy And particularly because as to the promoting of Religion in each Houshold there is a more general want of Family-Prayers too easie to be taken notice of I have herein especially endeavoured to make provision for the performance of that part of your Duty There are I hope but few so negligent of their own Welfare as not to consider how natural and necessary it is for all reasonable creatures by Prayer and Thanksgiving to acknowledge God in alâ— their ways and to give him the Glory duâ— unto his Name for all the benefits they receive from him and to seek his Blessing upon what ever they undertake and daily to recommend themselves and all their concerns to his continued Grace and good Providence There may be more who having helps put into their hands for this purpose will not so much as find leasure to make use of them as if this would not indeed rather further then hinder their lawfull Affairs or as if they could have any greater and weightier business then thus to seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Or as if when the most in a Family will both find time and get together twice a day for set meals for their Bodies they should not much rather strive to do so once at the least for set and solemn Prayer in order to their Souls eternal Happiness If your estate be more plentifull you may spare the more time if your condition be meaner on Earth you have more need to seek by Christ a Treasure in Heaven Say not therefore you are to provide for Wife and Family and so have no time to regard your Soul by a solemn and serious performance of Duties but remember that the same God who commands you to follow your particular Callings as Men injoins you likewise to follow your general Callings as Christians and that in the first place Seek first the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness ousness thereof and all other things shall be added unto you And also with the greatest labour S. John 6. 27. Labour not i. e. not only for the food that perisheth but chiefly for the food that endureth to Everlasting Life Should we pray to God every day in the week not once or twice but many times for eternall Blessedness and continue to do so with greatest earnestness while our life and breath is continued if but once this Petition at last be granted us will it not be richly worth our pains and fully requite all that we have done Or having every Work-day in the week 23 hours and an half to eat and drink and work and sleep in is it any great matter to redeem half an hour or a quarter of an hours time wherein to work out our Salvation to prepare our Souls for Death Judgement and Eternity to read some portion of Gods Word and to praise him for the Mercies we have received and to Pray unto him for such as we have need of If a mans house were in a flame he would not let it burn and say I have no time to quench it If a Neighbour call us to sit at our doors to talk or dine with them we can find leasure for it When therefore the Blessed God calls upon us to be diligent this way among others to make our Calling and Election sure should we foolishly say that we have no time for this though indeed one of the main Works which we were sent into the World about Oh let not such vain excuses keep us from our Duty lest the Righteous God for our pretending now want of time to serve him in be provoked at last to give us an Eternity to suffer in Others I fear will be ready to make light of these Helps because of their groundless prejudices against all Book-Prayers not rightly understanding either their benefit or lawfulness but I beseech you let it be well considered how many Christian Duties and Vertues we may be daily put in mind of by these Prayers which if we strive to follow with answerable Practices as we ought to do and as we hereby beg of God to enable us to do surely this course must in all reason be allowed to have a very considerable influence into our more Holy and Circumspect Walking Besides you know how natural it is to all Mankind when they have any petitions or thanks to prefer but to an earthly King to take good advice beforehand that they may be delivered in as decent and grave form of words and as reverent a manner as may be certainly then Christians in this respect should be much more carefull if possible how they present the desires of their Hearts to the most High God the Eternal Majesty of Heaven and Earth But alas with many such have been the licentious Rambles of their fancy in suddain Prayer so bold and rude have their descriptions been of Almighty God so rash their Sayings concerning him or concerning themselves and so many untrue or doubtfull things have they uttered that they have not only shamed that way of address to God but dishonoured and hindered true Christian Devotion which hath suffered extremely in the thoughts of many by such extravagance And some as experience hath shewn finding that they could not pray in their Families ex tempore or on the sudden as they have been urged
and thy Spirit my guide in all that I do Possess I beseech thee and ravish my mind continually with thy Love and let my delight always be to be embraced in the Arms of thy protection Be thou O holy God light unto mine eyes musick to mine ears sweetness to my tast and a full contentment to my heart Be thou my Sunshine in the day my food at the table my repose in the night my Cloathing in nakedness and my succour in all necessities O Lord Jesus I give thee my body my Soul my substance my fame my friends my liberty and my life Dispose of me and all that is mine as it seemeth best to Thee and to the glory of thy blessed Name I am not now mine but thine therefore claim me as thy right and love me as thy Child and keep me as thy charge and defend me against those that would deal injuriously with me My Lord my God I beseech thee to give me patience in troubles humility in comforts constancy in temptation and Victory over all my ghostly enemies Grant me sorrow for my Sins thankfulness for thy Benefits fear of thy Judgements love of thy Mercies and mindfulness of thy Presence for evermore Make me observant of my Superiours courteous to my Inferiours friendly to my Equals loving to my Friends and charitable to my Enemies Make me ready to pleasure all and loth to offend any Give me Chastness in my Affections modesty in my countenance gravity in my behaviour deliberation in my speech Holiness in my thoughts and Righteousness in all my ways Let thy Mercy through Christ cleanse me from the guilt of my transgressions and let thy Grace bring forth in me the fruits of Everlasting Life Lord let me be obedient without arguing humble without feigning patient without grudging pure without corruption merry without lightness sad without mistrust sober without dulness true without doubleness fearing Thee without desperation and trusting in Thee without presumption Let me be joyfull for nothing but that which pleaseth Thee nor sorrowfull for any thing but that which doth displease Thee Let my labour be my delight which is for Thee and let all rest weary me which is not in Thee Give me an awaking Spirit and a diligent Soul that I may seek to know thy Will and when I know it truly may perform it faithfully to the honour and glory of thy ever Blessed Name for these and for all other needfull Mercies which thou O God wouldst have me to pray or to praise Thee I continue to say as Christ our Lord hath taught us Our Father which art c. The Blessing LEt thy Peace O God which passeth all understanding let the Blessing of the holy undivided Trinity the Father Son and Holy Ghost let the vertue of Christs blessed Cross and Passion be with me and remain with me and mine now and at the hour of Death and to eternall Ages Amen Amen They that have more Leasure may oftner use the foregoing devotions alone Morning or Evening or at any time of the Day when they best can Such also may make use of this following Morning Prayer for a Family on the Week-days as many as can well be spared being present A Family-Prayer for the Morning on Work-days O Most holy and ever blessed Lord God we thine unworthy Servants do here acknowledge that as we were born in sin so we have lived in iniquity and broken thy righteous Laws in thought word and deed following too much the desires of our own will and not caring as we ought to be governed by thy Holy Word and Spirit but O gracious Father we beseech thee for the merits of thy Dear Son to forgive us all our sins and not to inflict upon us those Punishments which are due unto us for them And do thou we pray Thee sanctifie us throughout in Body Soul and Spirit and lead us in the ways of Truth and Holiness and make us in every respect such as thou wouldest have us to be And here O Lord from the bottom of our hearts we praise thy Name for all thy Blessings bestowed upon us concerning this or a better Life Particularly we praise Thee for the Mercies of the last Night and this Morning that thou hast preserved us from such dangers as might have fallen upon any of us and for our Refreshment by moderate rest and sleep Oh that this Day we may be kept from the evil of Sin and so if it may be thy Will from the evil of Punishment Enable us to watch over our Thoughts that good Meditations only may enter into our minds and Holy desires and purposes into our Hearts Help us to set a watch before our Mouths and to keep the door of our Lips that we offend not with our Tongues Help us also to watch over all our Actions that we may do hurt to none but all the good we can to all as we would have others deal with us That in all we do thy Word may be our Rule thy Spirit our Guide our Saviour our pattern and thy Glory our end That we may be wise and modest in our Carriage temperate and sober in our Diet diligent and chearfull in our Business that we may abide with Thee in our particular Places and Callings by a conscientious performance of the Duties thereof that we may undertake nothing upon which we may not desire thy Blessing and wherein we may not expect thy Direction and Assistance That we may be crucified to the World and the World unto us by the Cross of Christ that we may be content with such things as we have and not use any unlawfull means for our own relief knowing Thou hast promised never to leave us nor forsake us That we may so pass through the things of this Life that finally we loose not Everlasting Life and Happiness in the enjoyment of thy Self And all we beg upon the account of Christ in whose Name we continue to pray unto Thee saying Our Father c. But because the busie Countrey Life usually on the Week-Days calls and disperses most in Families early in the Morning to their several Works and Imployments it is very needfull especially when Morning Family-Prayers cannot be had conveniently that each one grown to years of Understanding before they go out of their Chambers or before they begin their Work should kneel down by themselves and in short beg Gods Blessing and Presence with them the following Day which they may do by the Collect for the Morning It is set down gotten by Heart saying after it the page the 6. the Lords-Prayer understandingly devoutly and deliberately Or this PRevent us O Lord in all our Doings by thy most gracious Favour and further us with thy continual Help that in all our works begun continued and ended in Thee we may glorifie thy holy Name and finally by thy mercy obtain Everlasting Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Our Father which art in Heaven c. Or in the
of our Purposes of better Obedience with inward Fervency and Devotion in some such manner as may be pleasing unto Thee honourable unto Christ and comfortable to our selves Let us so shew forth the precious Death of our dearest Redeemer that in remembring the same we may be unfeignedly thankfull and sincerely praise Thee the blessed Trinity in Unity unto whom be ascribed and given all Honour and Obedience now and for ever Amen Another Prayer which may be used in secret some time before the Sacrament O Eternal and blessed God I prostrate my self with humble Reverence before Thee the Searcher of hearts not to excuse but aggravate my faults for I confess I have not given Thee that Honour Worship and Service which I owe to my Almighty Creator Nor laid to heart as I ought thine infinite Love in Christ my Redeemer Nor duly followed the godly Motions of thy Holy Spirit which thou hast sent to renew and sanctifie my Affections and draw me to thine Obedience I have not lived up to the Faith which I profess but behaved my self too often as if I neither dreaded the threatned Punishments nor duly valued the promised glorious rewards of my Lord Christ who will judge the World in Righteousness and render to every one according to their Works O Lord I have done so much Evil and so little Good been so eager in the pursuit of the things of this World and so cold and unconcerned many times about those of Eternity so unmindfull of my promises unthankfull for thy Benefits and unfruitfull in the Knowledge of Christ that it is a wonder of thy Patience and Goodness that I am still alive and not cut down like a barren Tree that cumbers the ground that I am not lamenting these follies in weeping and gnashing of teeth which I now mention with so little sorrow and bitterness of Spirit For ever adored be thy forbearing Mercy which hath so long spared me an unprofitable servant who have so many ways in thought word and deed offended thy Divine Majesty Oh continue I beseech thee to be gracious unto me and for Jesus his sake give me a truly penitent and believing Heart and by the vertue of that Sacrifice of himself which he offered once for the sins of the World let all my sins be done away and remembred no more And for this and all other thy great Mercies I resolve to offer unto Thee by Christ the Sacrifice of continual Praise and Thanksgiving and I present my body a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto Thee which is my reasonable Service And I dedicate my self absolutely to thy Obedience Oh therefore give me Grace ever to fear Thee and to walk humbly with Thee and to preserve a tender sense of my Duty towards Thee O Lord I purpose by thy Assistance that hereafter I will never willingly depart from thy Precepts oh do thou strengthen me to perform what I have purposed that I may never be so unreasonable as to return to those sins which are the burden of my Heart and grieve thy Holy Spirit which rent the Flesh and shed the Blood of the Lord Jesus and which I have so often and so solemnly protested against And now that I am going to thy Holy Table to commemorate the Sacrifice of my Saviour to remember his love in Dying for me to give thee further testimonies of my love to Thee and receive new tokens of thy Love to me O Lord vouchsafe to make thy self powerfully present to my Mind Represent thy self and thy Son Jesus so lively to my thoughts in all Wisdom Power Goodness Holiness and Truth that I may never forget Thee any more but more seriously reverence thee and love thee and rejoyce in thee and trust thee and obey thee all the days of my life Imprint the very image of thy Son upon me that I may carry him ever in my Heart and have his life and death continually before mine Eyes and in all things conform my self to his Will and fashion my self after his Holy Example Come Lord Jesus and possess thy self of my whole Man Purifie me from all remaining filthiness either of the Flesh or Spirit Bring in all thy Heavenly Graces along with thee into my Soul And be my perpetual Defence by giving me a fuller communication of thy Holy Spirit and more mighty aides to do my duty towards Thee and towards all Men. And for that end compose my unsetled thoughts before I approach to receive the holy Mysteries that I may attend Thee with a full and clear conception of their meaning with an actual Belief of thy whole Gospel with most sensible love to thee and desire to be more like thee with thy high Praises in my mouth and joy unspeakable in my heart May I presume most gracious Father to ask such tasts and relishes of thy wondrous Love in Christ Jesus that I may never be able to delight in any thing so much as in the remembrance of it But mine eyes may be ever towards the Lord and I may hunger and thirst perpetually after thy Righteousness 'till I am rendred meet to be translated to that High and Holy place where I shall see Thee not as now in mysterious Representations but openly and as it were Face to Face Amen Lord Jesus who art able to save to the uttermost all them that come to God by Thee In thy most blessed name and words I continue my humble Prayers Our Father c. I would intreat those who have never yet received or but seldom to read at their leasure and with good Deliberation the Doctrine of the Sacrament in the Church Catechism as also the whole Order of the Administration thereof set down in the Book of Common Prayer by which together with what is contained in the two foregoing Prayers may be learnt in good measure what is needfull both in our Preparing for and Partaking of that Holy Ordinance And yet to further your more profitable and comfortable Receivimg you may use these following Helps Some brief helps to Meditation in Receiving the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper FIrst When the Sermon is ended and thou art adressing thy self to the Banquet of the Lords Supper meditate how lovingly thou art invited to be a guest at this Holy Table Hoe every one that thirsteth come ye to the Waters Come buy Wine and Milk without money and without price Eat ye that which is Good and let your Soul delight it self in Fatness Take Eat this is my Body which is broken for you Drink ye all of this for this is my Blood which was shed for the Remission of Sins Secondly As Abraham when he went up to the Mount to sacrifice Isaac his Son left his servants beneath in the Valley So when thou comest to the spiritual commemorative Sacrifice of the Lords-Supper lay aside all earthly thoughts and cogitations that thou mayest wholly contemplate of Christ and offer up thy Soul to him who Sacrificed both his Soul and Body for
thee Thirdly Set thy self as in the Presence of God with awfull and reverent thoughts of thy crucified Lord. If the blessed Apostle S. Peter seeing but a glimpse of Christs Almighty Power thought himself unworthy to stand in the same Boat with him how unworthy art thou to sit with Christ at the same Table where thou mayest behold so much of his infinite Grace and Mercy displayed Yet if thou comest humbly in Faith Repentance and Charity abhorring thy sins past and purposing unfeignedly to amend thy life henceforth let not thy former sins affright thee for they shall never be laid to thy Charge and this Sacrament shall seal to thy Soul that all thy sins are fully pardoned and clean washed away by the Blood of Christ For this Sacrament was not ordained for them who are perfect but to help penitent sinners towards Perfection Christ came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance And he saith That the whole need not the Physician but they that are sick Bathe thou therefore thy Soul in this fountain of Christs Blood and doubtless according to the Promise Zech. 13. 1. Thou shalt be healed of all thy sins and uncleannesses Not sinners but they who are unwilling to repent of their sins are debarred this Holy Ordinance Fourthly When the Minister begins to read the sentences of Scripture before the Offertory let them be considered by thee to stirr up thy Charity to the Poor Let Gods bounty to thee in Spirituals provoke thy Mercy to others in Temporals Hoping to be refreshed with the saving benefits of Christs Death be willing to thy Power to refresh the bowels of his poor Members What we do to them we do to Christ and who would not thus relieve Christ who made himself Poor to make us Rich in the best things And now the Sacrament being begun to be administred apply thy self with diligent Attention and fervent Devotion to go along with the Minister in all Actions Rites Prayers Confessions Readings Exhortations or Thanksgivings which are used in and about the Holy Sacrament When therefore thou seest the Minister putting apart Bread and Wine on the Lords Table and consecrating them by Prayers and rehearsal of the words of Christs Institution to be an holy Sacrament of the blessed Body and Blood of Christ then meditate how God the Father of his meer love to Mankind did set apart and seal his only begotten Son to be the All-sufficient means and only Mediator to redeem us from sin and to reconcile us to Himself and to bring us to Glory When thou seest him break the Bread meditate how Jesus Christ was put to death as to his humane Nature and his blessed Body wounded and pierced and both Soul and Body as we may say broken asunder for our sins and withall call to mind the hainousness of them and the greatness of Gods hatred against them seeing his Justice could not be satisfied but by such a Sacrifice When he is drawing towards Thee with the consecrated Bread and offering it unto thee then meditate that Christ himself cometh unto thee and both offereth and giveth indeed unto thy Faith Himself and all the merits of his Death and Passion to feed thy Soul unto Eternal life The bread of the Lord is given by the Minister but the Bread which is the Lord is given by Christ himself Ejaculations and Meditations which we may use while the Minister is giving the Bread and Wine to others 1. O Holy Jesus I behold thee stretched upon the Cross with thy arms spread ready to embrace and receive all Mankind into thy Bosom 2. I see the Symbols the Holy Bread and the blessed Cup but I also think of thy Authority ordaining these Rites of thy voice blessing these Symbols of thy Mercy reaching out my pardon thy Holy Spirit sanctifying my Spirit thy blessed Self making intercession for me at the eternall Altar in Heaven 3. Thy infinite Arms of Mercy are reached unto us and our Arm of Faith reacheth unto thee blessed be Jesus who will be joyned unto Servants 4. I am helped by these outward signs blessed Saviour to remember thy Body and thy Blood but by these I do not feel thy Wounds My Lord had the smart but we the ease his were the Sufferings but ours the Mercy and after he had paid the Price we got the Purchase Oh that my heart therefore by love and desire might reach out after him and by joy and delight ever rest in Him 5. I desire to know nothing but Jesus and him crucified O let the power of thy Cross prevail against all the powers of Darkness Let the Peace of thy Cross give me Peace with God and in my own Conscience Let the Victory of thy Cross mortifie all my evil and corrupt affections Let the Triumph of thy Cross lead me on to a state of Holiness And let the Wisdom of thy Cross make me wise unto Salvation 6. Thou wilt not dwell in a polluted House make my Soul clean and do thou consecrate it into a Temple O theu great Bishop of our Souls by the indwelling of thy holy Spirit and let the Members of Christ never become the instruments of Unrighteousness 7. O God my God assist me now and ever greatly and graciously Grant that I may not receive Bread onely nor Wine onely for man cannot live by that but that I may eat Christ not by Papal Transubstantiation but by Sacramental Participation 8. I am nothing I have nothing I desire nothing but Jesus my Saviour make haste O Lord behold my heart is ready thou hast opened my heart to receive Thee into the seat of Love Come Lord Jesus come quickly As thou eatest the Bread thankfully praise God for the saving benefits of Christs Death And further think with thy self As verily as I now cat this Bread so verily was Christs Body broken for the sins of the World and if I sincerely believe in Him as I now desire to do unfeignedly devoting my self unto him relying upon Gods Mercy in and through him being willing to be guided by his Word and sanctified by his Spirit so verily are my sins pardoned for the merits of his precious Death Here before the Cup be brought to thee thou mayest use one or more of the foregoing Ejaculations Thou mayest also have time to bless God for the Death of Christ to meditate upon his Sufferings to admire the greatness of his Love in dying for thee resolving to take the Cup of Salvation and to pledge his love with love to renew thy Covenants with God to reinforce thy purposes of better Obedience to beg of God strength to performe such Duties as thou hast formerly neglected against such sins and temptations as have too easily prevailed against thee to pray also for all Patience under such troubles and afflictions as may befall thee before another Sacrament Day come about Having received the Cup at the Ministers hand in the instant of Drinking and as soon after it as may