mindful of him or Son of Man that thou should'st so regard him as to suffer such bitter things for his sake to be Scourged and Bruised for his Transgressions and to bear upon thy Shoulders the Sins of a whole World O the depth of the Riches of thy Mercy and Goodness We have sinned against thee and thou thy self hast undergone the Punishment We have perversly run in the Paths that lead to Death and Damnation and thou hast undeservedly merited Life and Salvation for us and dost wooe and entreat us to accept of it and hast ordain'd this Sacrament to assure us of the Reality of thy gracious Intentions towards us Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his Holy Name Praise the Lord O Soul and forget not all his Benefits who forgiveth all thy Sin and healeth all thine Infirmities who saveth thy Life from Destruction and crowneth thee with Mercy and loving Kindness Lord grant that this unspeakable Love of thine may make me more and more a bound in Love to thee Grant that it may constrain me to Obedience and good Living and to a diligent Performance of all those solemn Engagements I have now made unto thee And since thou hast purchased me with the inestimable Price of thy Blood grant that I may continue wholly thine and glorify thee both in Body and Spirit by giving up my self to thy Service and by walking before thee in Holiness and Righteousness all my days Thou hast in infinite Mercy vouchsafed to unite thy self to me miserable and unworthy Creature thereby becoming the Strength Life and Support of my Soul O grant that I may never dissolve this Sacred Union nor suffer any sinful Lust or unlawful Passion to take me out of thy Hand And grant that according to the Profession of Charity I have made at thy Table I may henceforward be Compassionate and ready to forgive all Wrongs and Injuries supply the Wants and Necessities of the Poor that so in all things I may adorn the Gospel of God my Saviour and finally attain that Glorious Crown of Bliss and Immortality which thou hast prepar'd for thy Saints in Heaven Pardon O my God all my Sins and Failings and perfect whatever Good Work thou hast begun in me unto the Day of Christ Direct sanctify and govern both my Heart and Body in the ways of thy Laws and in the Works of thy Commandments that through thy most Mighty Protection both here and ever I may be preserved both in Body and Soul through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen Our Father c. Then return home with a chearful Heart and let a Holy Life be thy Care ever after Directions for Holy Living and Dying 1. Directions how to Live well IN the Morning awake with God and offer up unto Him thy Morning-Sacrifice of Prayer First Give hearty Thanks for all his Mercies Spiritual and Temporal and for thy Preservation in the Night Secondly Make an humble Confession of thy Sins and desire Pardon Thirdly Ask such Necessaries as are requisite for thy Soul and Body with fervent Request to be reliev'd in them and desire his Blessing upon thy Labour in thy Calling Always think that thou art before the Living God and let the Remembrance hereof make thee afraid to Sin Make Conscience of Idle Vain Dishonest and Ungodly Thoughts for these are the Seeds and Beginnings of actual Sin in Word and Deed. Have a special Care to avoid those Sins which thou findest thy Nature most prone unto and eschew those Provocations which were wont most to prevail against thee Follow with Faithfulness and Diligence thy Lawful Calling Think thy present State and Condition to be the best State for thee Look well to thy Carriage in Company that thou do no hurt by Word or Example nor take any thing from others but endeavour rather to do good Use Honesty towards all Men A good Conscience and good Manners go together If at any time thou art overtaken with any Sin lie not in it but speedily recover thy self by Repentance When any good Desire Motion or Affection doth arise in thine Heart suffer it not to pass away but feed it by Reading Meditating or Praying Esteem every Day as the Day of thy Death and therefore live now even as though thou wert now Dying and do those good Duties every Day which thou would'st do if this were thy Dying Day At the end of the Day before thou sleepest call to mind how thou hast spent the Day past Thy Misdoings repent and praise God for assisting thee with his Grace in the Duties which thou hast perform'd Sleep not at Night before thou hast commended thy self by Prayer into the Hands of God for thou knowest not whether fall'n asleep thou shalt rise again to live here Let Prayer be the Key to open the Morning and the Bar to shut in the Evening Walk as the Children of Light II. Directions how to Die well THink that the greatest Work thou hast to do in this World is to Die well They which Die well Die not to Die but to Live Eternally Be every Day ready to leave this Life That Man doth finish his Days best that every Day esteemeth the last Day of his Life to be present and at hand Endeavour before Death come to pull out his Sting and take from him his Power and Strength by humbling thy self in the time present for all thy Sins past and by turning unto God for the time to come That Man can never die ill that taketh care to live well Innure thy self by little and little to Die before thou come to that Point that thou must needs Die He that leaves the World before the World leaves him gives Death the Hand like a welcome Messenger and departs in Peace When thou art Visited with Sickness or Old-age think either of these are Warnings for thee e'er long to appear before the Great Judge of all the World Therefore now prepare to set all things in good order and make thine Accounts ready Make a new Examination of thy Life and Conversation passed Make a Confession unto God of thy new and particular Sins As God sendeth new Corrections and Chastisements make new Prayers and more earnest than ever before for Pardon of thy Sins and Reconciliation with God in Christ by all means avoid those Sins which thou findest and feelest encrease the Wrath of God against thee Be reconciled to thy Neighbour freely forgiving them that have offended thee and earnestly desire to be forgiven of all that thou hast offended Set thine House and Family in order by disposing of thy Worldly Goods in thy Will and Testament thereby thou shalt Die not the more quickly but the more quietly and prevent the Brawls and Jars that otherwise when thou art gone may arise from thine Heirs Thou partest with Earthly Possessions and art going to take Possession of Heavenly In the last Agony of Death when all things in and of the World do
fail and forsake thee rest thy self by Faith on the Favour and Mercy of God in Christ and comfort thy self in the Lord thy God What shall separate from the Love of God in Christ Not Life nor Death Let thine Heart and Tongue be still employ'd in Prayer to the Lord First For Patience in thy Trouble Secondly For Comfort in thine Affliction Thirdly For Strength in Weakness Fourthly For Deliverance at his Pleasure Yea endeavour to Die Praying When thou art in the depth of Miseries and at the Gates of Death there is a depth of God's Mercy which is ready to hear and help thee Misery must Call upon Mercy Be willing and ready to depart out of this World without murmuring or repining whensoever wheresoever or howsoever it shall please the Lord to call thee For why shouldest thou unwillingly suffer a short Death that will bring thee to the Fruition of Eternal Joys Perswade thy self that if thou Live by the Mercy of God thou shalt do well but if thou Die doubt not but thou shalt do better Lastly when thou feelest Death approaching commend thy Soul unto God He gave it to Him surrender it again So laying thy self down to sleep and rest God shall make thee to dwell in everlasting Safety Aâ— Death leaveth thee so shall Judgment find thee To preserve thy Body in Cleanness Often meditate of God and good things Carefully watch over thine Eyes and Ears Be always doing something that is good To preserve thy Tongue from Sin Forethink whether it be lawful and fit to be spoken Avoid all superfluity of Words Affirm the Truth To keep thy Life in Holiness Do all things as in God's Sight Eschew ill Company Think daily of thy Death A Dialogue between a BEGGAR and a DIVINE THere was a certain Divine famous in Learning and Piety that did earnestly importune God by Prayer for some time together thinking he had not the true Knowledge of the Ways of God notwithstanding his much Learning begging that God would give him to know more of Him and himself and direct him to some that would teach him the way of Truth And being inflamed at a certain time with vehemency of Desire a Voice as was supposed spake thus to him Go forth into the Church-yard and there thou may'st find a Man that can Teach thee the way And going forth he found there a certain Beggar with patch'd and torn Apparel and filthy dirty Feet whose Cloaths were not worth Three-half-pence whom he spoke thus unto Divine God give thee a good Morning Beggar Sir I do not remember I ever had an evil one Div. God make thee fortunate and prosperous Why speakest thou in this manner Beg. Neither was I unprosperous neither was I ever unhappy Div. God save thee speak now plainly Beg. Truly Sir I will do it willingly Sir thou didst wish me a prosperous and good Morning and I answer'd I never had an evil one for when I am pinch'd with Hunger I praise God if I suffer Cold if it Snow Hail or Rain be the Weather fair or foul I praise God and therefore there never hapned any sad or evil Morning unto me Thou didst likewise wish that I might be fortunate I said I was never unfortunate because whatever God gave me I suffer'd or whatever hapned to me whether it were agreeable sweet or bitter to me I gladly received it at his Hands as the best and therefore I was never unfortunate Thou said'st moreover That God would be pleas'd to make me happy whereunto I likewise answer'd That I never had been unhappy for I am fully resolv'd thro' his Grace to adhere and cleave to the Will of God and for this Cause as I said I was never unhappy in that I cleave to his Will only and have wholly resign'd mine own Div. This is very strange But what I pray thee would'st thou do if the Lord of Majesty should cast thee into the bottomless Pit Could'st thou be content with his Will Beg. Drown me in the bottomless Pit Why certainly if he should I have two Arms by which I would still embrace him the one is true Humility and that I lay under him and by him I am united to his Sacred Humanity the other and that is the Right one which is Love is united to his Divinity and by his Love from himself I hold him so fast that he would go down to Hell with me and it is much better for me to be in Hell with God than in Heaven without him By this the Divine learnt that the most compendious way to God is true Resignation with profound Humility Hereupon the Divine spake again to the Beggar and ask'd him Div. Whence comest thou Beg. From God Div. Where found'st thou God Beg. Even where I left all the Creatures Div. I pray thee Friend who art thou Beg. Who am I Truly I am a King and Jesus himself crown'd me with Peace Power and Rest Div. A King Where is thy Kingdom Beg. The Kingdom of Heaven is in me that is in my Soul and I can now and do by his Power not my own in me so govern and command all my inward Parts and Senses that all the Affections and Powers of the Old Man in my Soul are conquer'd and are in subjection to me which Kingdom no Man can doubt but is better than all the Kingdoms and Glories in the World Div. What brought thee to this Perfection Beg. My sublime Meditations and Union with that great God of Peace and Improvement of Mercies to his Glory and by growing in Grace adding one Grace unto another and I could rest in nothing less than an Assurance of God's Love and this I have found I have forsaken the unquiet World and in him I have Peace of Conscience and therein I rest A Description of Christ's Person according to Publ. Lentulus's News to the Senate of Rome IN the Days of Tiberius Caesar as the Governours of sundry Provinces under the Senate and People of Rome us'd to advertise the Senate of such News as hapned in divers Countries Publius Lentulus being at that time President in Judea wrote an Epistle to the Senate and People of Rome the words these There appear'd in these our Days a Man of great Virtue named Jesus Christ who is yet living among us and of the Gentiles is accepted as a Prophet of Truth but his own Disciples call him the Son of God He raises the Dead and cures all sorts of Diseases a Man of stature somewhat tall and comely with a very reverend Countenance such as the Beholders may both love and fear his Hair is of the colour of a Philbert full ripe and plain almost down to his Ears but thence downwards somewhat curl'd and more orient of colour wavering about his Shoulders in the midst of it goeth a Seam or Partition after the manner of the Nazarites his Forehead plain and smooth his Face without spot or wrinkle beautified with a comely red his Nose and Mouth so
to commemorate thy unspeakable Love in accomplishing the work of my Redemption by a most Shameful and Bitter Death I come to renounce and cast off my Sins and Transgressions and to renew my Baptismal Covenant which I have often and perversly broken O do thou for thy Mercy sake accept me though an unworthy Guest Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant for in thy Sight shall no Man living be justified If thou Lord should'st be extreme to mark what I have done amiss I must suffer all the Vials of thy Wrath I must undergo all the Curses of thy Law I must stand expos'd to all the Judgments and Terrors of this Life and to the intolerable Torments of Hell in another So far should I be in this Case from receiving any manner of Advantage from these Holy Mysteries that I should eat and drink my own Damnation Miserable wretched Creature that I am that I should so eagerly pursue the Paths that lead to Death and Misery that I should so continually offend thee my most tender and indulgent Father that I should trample under foot the Son of God and repay that wonderful Love and those unknown Sufferings of His on my behalf with those Sins which at first Crucified him and still continue to Crucifie him afresh and put him to an open Shame that I should grieve that good Spirit of God which so earnestly wooes and entreats to accept of Life and Salvation that I should be guilty of so much Pride Hypocrisie Indevotion and Deadness in my Prayers of so much Injustice Passion and Malice of so much Impenitency Uncleanness Intemperance c. Here reckon up the particular Sins thou hast been guilty of whereby I have wickedly departed from Thee the Lord of Life and Glory the Fountain and Spring of all Happiness Lord I fly into the Arms of Thy Mercy O save me or I perish Hide me under the Clefts of thy Wounds until thy Father's Indignation be overpast O thou that delightest not in the Death of a Sinner but rather that he should turn and be saved receive me to thy Favour for the Merits and Satisfaction of my Blessed Redeemer in whom alone thou art well pleased His Blood was shed to make Atonement for my Sins His Body was bruised and beaten with Stripes that thro' them I might be healed Lord grant that in this Blessed Sacrament I may effectually receive these Benefits of his Death and Passion grant that I may have my Pardon seal'd my Weakness repair'd my Graces strengthen'd and my Soul raised to Heaven in Flames of devoutest Affection and Adoration O do thou nourish my Soul by this immortal Food to live the Life of Grace and Holiness and enable it to make some Returns of Love to Thee the infinite Lover of Souls But oh What Returns can be sufficient what Transports of Love and Praise can be enough for Him who died a most painful and ignominious Death to deliver us from inevitable Ruin and Misery when we were his bitter Enemies and at open Defiance and Rebellion against him Oh the Riches of thy Goodness how unutterable are thy Mercies and how unconceivable is thy Love Grant I pray thee that tho' I am utterly unable to make a true estimation thereof yet I may love Thee to the utmost capacity of a frail Creature and shew it by living in all holy Obedience and Conformity to thy Laws and Precepts Grant that I may always desire and endeavour to please thee and be very tender and fearful of offending Thee keeping a strict Watch over my Heart and Ways that no Temptations prevail against me or make me fall from my own Stedfastness But that being effectually Sanctified here I may in the end be eternally Blest in the Kingdom of Glory Lord pity and commiserate my Frailty and graciously supply all my Wants and Necessities for thy Mercy and Compassion's sake Amen Our Father c. Now repair to the Communion-Table and being placed conveniently lift up your Heart towards Heaven and say O Lamb of God that didst offer thy self a Sacrifice for the Sins of the whole World have Mercy upon me miserable Sinner I am here ready to renew the Covenant I made with thee in Baptism and once more to take those solemn Engagements upon my self O do thou give me the Assistance of thy Grace and Holy Spirit that I may be enabled to perform them that I may henceforth renounce the Devil and all his Works all the Pomps and Vanities of the World and the sinful Lusts of the Flesh that I may stedfastly persist in the true Faith of thy most Holy Religion and live in sincere Obedience to thy Laws all the Days of my Life Amen Just before Receiving a Prayer GRant O Lord I beseech thee that the Wine that makes glad and the Bread of Life may infuse new Strength and Vigour into my Soul and into the Souls of all that Communicate with me that we may daily grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and that according to his Command we may be united in Holy Love and Fellowship with one another and with the Church of God and at last obtain that glorious Fellowship with thy self in Heaven which thou hast promised to all that love and fear thee through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen When you receive the Bread say GRant me Blessed Lord so to eat the Flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ and so to drink his Blood that my sinful Body may be made clean by his most holy Body and my Soul washt in his most precious Blood that I may evermore dwell in him and he in me Amen After you have received the Bread say O That the Bread which I have now eaten may be the Bread which came down from Heaven and gives Life unto the World O that I may now feel â—s Efficacy inflaming my Soul with the Heavenly Ardours of Divine Love having all my Affections fet on things Above and not on things Below May this Bread be to my Soul the staff of Strength whereby I may vanquish all the Assaults of the Devil the World and the Flesh and continue my Lord 's faithful Servant to my Life's end Amen At the receiving the Cup say THe Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which was shed for me preserve my Body and Soul unto Everlasting Life I drink this in Remembrance that Christ's Blood was shed for me and am thankful After you have received the Cup say O That this precious Blood of my dear Redeemer may be now both the Purification and Nourishment of my Soul the Seal of my Pardon and Peace with God and the Pledge of mine Inheritance in Heaven Amen Then return to your Pew or Seat and say on your Knees this Thanksgiving after the Sacrament BLessing Honour and Glory be given to thee O Lord for thy Love this Day discover'd to me and for all the Benefits receiv'd at thy Table What is Man that thou art