him before you say your prayers Again Consider what particular blessing or deliverance God has vouchsafed you the day past that you may give thanks for it and then say as follows Evening Prayer LEt my prayer O Lord be set forth in Thy sight as Incense and the lifting up of my hands be as an Evening Sacrifice Holy holy holy Lord God I miserable sinner humbly acknowledge that I have offended Thee this day in thought word and deed Particularly by Here mention any sin you have been guilty of But I fly into the Arms of Thy fatherly compassion Lord for Thy Mercies sake forgive me cleanse me from my wickedness and strengthen my weakness that I may overcome all the temptations which daily surround me and continue constant in my Obedience Accept of my Humblest Praise and Thanksgiving O Lord for all the goodness Thou hast this day shewed me for all the Helps of preventing or restraining grace Thou hast vouchsafed me for whatever I have done this day which is in any measure acceptable to Thee for whatever progress I have made in my Study for Thy Preservation of me from all the miseries and dangers which frail Mortality is every moment exposed to Particularly for Here name any particular blessing or deliverance God has sent you Praise the Lord O my Soul who saveth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with Mercy and Loving-kindness O Heavenly Father to Thy Almighty Protection I recommend my self and all my Relations and all that belong to this Colledge O Thou that never slumbrest nor sleepest watch over us to preserve us from sin and danger Lord let it be Thy good pleasure to refresh me this night with such seasonable rest that I may rise the next morning more fit for Thy service O pardon my failings and hear my prayers for the sake of my blessed Saviour in whose Holy words I sum up all my wants Our Father which art in heaven c. Ejaculations at going to Bed LOrd as I now go to my Bed I must one day go to my Grave O make me wise to consider my latter End I will lay me down in peace and take my rest for 't is Thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety Directions for Midnight IF you chance to wake in the Night or cannot sleep Beware Phil. of Idle and Unclean thoughts which will then be apt to crowd into your mind and therefore to arm your self against them I advise you to learn the 130 and the 139 Psalms by heart or treasure up some Ejaculations in your mind which will be excellent matter for your thoughts to feed on For instance Ejaculaions for the Night THou Lord hast granted Thy loving kindness in the day time and in the night season will I sing of Thee and make my Prayer to the God of my Life O Lord the Holy Angels are now before Thy Throne in Heaven they never rest day or night from Thy Praises and with them do I now sing Hallelujah Salvation and Honour and Glory and Power be unto our God for ever and ever Amen Amen Lord I know Thou wilt one day call me to give an account of my Stewardship but when Thou wilt come I know not whether at Even or at Midnight or at Cock-crowing or in the Morning O do Thou give me grace to Watch and to Pray always that at Thy coming Thou mayest say to me Well done good and faithful Servant Enter into the Joy of thy Master Amen Blessed Lord Amen But have a care Phil. you fix not your mind too much neither strive to repeat too many devout expressions for fear of hindring your sleep and of indisposing your self for the duties of the day following Directions for the Lords Day A Good Christian Philotheus that takes care to spend every day well will take more then ordinary care to sanctifie the Lords day it being the proper imployment of that day to attend Gods Worship and to provide for our Souls and therefore 't is fit you should add some Petitions to your Morning and Evening Prayer Relating to the solemn duties of the Day such as these are which follow Before Church time O My God I humbly beseech Thee to prepare my Soul to Worship Thee this day acceptably with Reverence and Godly fear Fill me with that faith which works by love Purifie my heart from all vain or worldly or sinful thoughts fix my affections on things above all the day long and O Lord give me grace to receive Thy Word which I shall hear this day into an honâ—st and good heart and to bring forth fâ—uit with Patieâ—ce Hear me O God for the sake of Jesus my Saviour Amen Amen When you come into the Church or Chappel not only on the Lords day but on any other day use this short preparatory Prayer at your first kneeling down In the Church O Lord I humbly beg Thy Holy Spirit to help my Infirmities at this time and to dispose my heart to devotion that my Prayers and Praises may be acceptable in Thy sight through Jesus Christ my Saviour Amen After Church time GLory be to Thee O Lord God Almighty Glory be to Thee who hast permitted me to appear before Thee this day and to tread Thy Courts Lord pardon all my failings in Thy Service this day past the wandrings and coldness and indevotion of my Prayers For the sake of my blessed Saviour have mercy upon me Lord make me a doer of Thy Word and not a hearer only lest I deceive my own soul. When you are called to Repetition at Night remember Phil. to make some amends for your negligent Hearing at the Church and treasure up in your memory some little portion of those Instructions you have heard to direct your Practice Directions for receiving the Holy Eucharist THe Receiving of the blessed Sacrament good Phil. is the most divine and solemn act of all our Religion and it ought to be the zealous endeavour of every true Christian by Gods assistance to prepare his Soul with the most serious and most devout dispositions he possibly can to approach the Holy Altar you are therefore to consider what you are to do before Receiving what in the time os Receiving and what after Receiving Before Receiving The duties you are to perform before Receiving are all comprehended in that one Rule which St. Paul gives us Let a man examine Himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup which are in a manner Commented on by the Church in the Exhortation before the Sacrament which I advise you to read over in your Common Prayer Book To put this Rule in practice 't is your best way Phil. â—t some convenient time to withdraw your self into your Chamber or into the Chappel and there to begin to commune with your own heart and to call your â—ins to remembrance but first pray heartily to God for His grace to assist you â—rayer before Examination
this night and for the time to come give me grace to fly all youthful lusts and to remember Thee my Creatour in the days of my youth Shower down Thy graces and blessings on me and on all my Relations on my Father and Mother on my Brethren and Sisters on all my Friends on all my Governours in this place and on all my Fellow-Scholars and give Thy Angels charge over us to protect us all from sin and danger Lord bless me in my Learning this day that I may every day grow more fit for Thy service O pardon my failings and do more for me then I can ask or think for the merits of Jesus my Saviour in whose holy words I sum up all my wants Our Father which art in heaven c Evening Prayer GLory be to Thee O Lord God for all the blessings I dayly receive from Thee and for Thy particular preservation of me this day O Lord have mercy uâ—on me and forgive whatsoever Thou hast seen amiss in me this day past and for the timk to come give me grace to fly all youthful lusts and to remember Thee my Creatour in the days of my youth Lord receive me and all my Relations and all that belong to this Colledge into Thy gracious protection this night and send me such seasonable rest that I may rise the next morning more fit for thy service Lord hear my prayers and pardon my failings for the merits of my blessed Saviour in whose holy words I sum up all my wants Our Father which art in Heaven c. This good Pbil. is the lowest degree of duty and it should be your dayly endeavour to improve in your devotion as well as in your learning and the more effectually to move you to so happy an improvement I advise you on Sundays and Holy-days attentively to read over this following Meditation and to propose to your self the Holy Child Jesus for your example A Meditation on the Holy â—hild Jesus GLory be to Thee O Lord Jesus Glory be to Thee who when Thou wert twelve years old didst go up to Jerusalem with Thy Parents after the custom of the Feast to eat the Passover and to worship Thy Heavenly Father O blessed Saviour give me grace like Thee to make Religion my first and chiefest care and devoutly to observe all solemn times and all holy Rites which relate to Thy worship Glory be to Thee O Lord Jesus Glory be to Thee who when Thy Parents returned home didst stay behind in Jerusalem and after three days wast found of them in the Temple sitting in the midst of the Doctors both hearing them and asking them questions O blessed Saviour who in Thy very Childhood didst triumph over all the vain delights of youth and wouldst choose no place but the Temple to reside in Mortifie in me all inordinate love of sensual pleasure which may pervert me from my duty raise in me an awful reverence of Thy House an early devotion in my Prayers and a delight in Thy Praises O blessed Jesu who didst choose before all others the company of the Doctors and didst both hcar them and ask them Questions give me grace to abhor all lewd company and all filthy communication give me grace to love wise and sober and profitable and religious conversation and to be diligent and inquisitive after learning and whatsoever is good Glory be to Thee O Lord Jesus Glory be to Thee who when Thy Father and Mother had sought Thee sorrowing didst reply to them How is it that ye sought me wist ye not that I must be about my Fathers business O blessed Jesu who from Thy infancie didst make it Thy whole imployment to do Thy Fathers will kindle in me a forward zeal for Thy Glory that I may consecrate my youth to Thy service and make it the great business of my life to know and fear to love and obey my Heavenly Father Glory be to Thee O Lord Jesus Glory be to Thee who didst at last return home with Thy Parents and wert subject to them O blessed Jesu give me grace to honour my Parents and Governours and readily to obey all their lawful commands Glory be to Thee O Lord Jesus Glory be to Thee who in those tender years wert blessed with such Heavenly wisdom that all that heard Thee were astonished at Thy understanding and answers who didst dayly increase in this Heavenly wisdom and in favour with God and Man O Lord Jesu bless me with all abilities of mind and body that may make me daâ—ly increase in my Learning but above all bless me with Wisdom from above and give me Thy Holy Spirit to assist and enlighten me that as I grow in Age I may dayly grow in Grace and in the knowledge of Thee and in favour with God and Man and every day more and more conformable to Thy Unsinning and Divine example Amen Lord Jesus Amen Directions for those that are more grown in years WHen you have attained to more knowledge and proficiencie in grace and are of an Age capable of receiving the Holy Sacrament God then expects more from you and 't is high time for you good Philotheus to lengthen your prayers and to begin to add some ejaculations over and above such as these are which follow Ejaculations at waking or rising AWake O my Soul and Sing praises to God Glory be to Thee O God for watching over me this night Lord raise me up at the last day to life everlasting Morning Prayer EArly in the morning will I cry unto Thee Lord hear my Prayer Glory be to Thee Lord God Almighty Glory be to Thee for renewing Thy mercies to me every morning Glory be to Thee for refreshing me this night with sleep and for preserving me from the perils of darkness O do away as the night so my transgressions scatter my sins as the Morning Cloud Lord forgive whatever Thou hast seen amiss in me this night my Here if you are conscious to your self of any sin committed in the night confess it O Father of Mercies wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin And let Thy Holy Spirit so prevent and accompany and follow me this day that I may believe in Thee and love Thee and keep Thy Commandments and continue in Thy fear all the day long Lord make me chaste and temperate humble and adviseable diligent in my studies obedient to my Superiours and charitable to all men Lord deliver me from sloth and idleness from youthful lusts and ill company from all dangers bodily and ghostly and give me grace to remember Thee my Creatour in the days of my youth Bless and defend and save the King and all the Royal Family and all Orders of men amongst us Ecclesiastical or Civil Lord give them all grace in their several stations to be instrumental to Thy glory and the publick good Together with them I commend to Thy Divine Providence my Father and Mother my Brethren and Sisters all
Hear the voice of my humble Petition O Lord now I cry unto Thee and lift up my hands towards Thy Mercy Seat Behold Lord I am now about to search into my own heart but alas alas my heart is dâ—ceitful and desperately wicked How can I know it O Thou therefore that searchest the heart and triest the reins Discover to me all the evil and deceits of my own heart that I may confess and bewail and forsake them and obtain mercy Lord hear me Lord help me for the Merits of Jesus my Saviour Amen Amen Rules to be observed in Examination Having prayed for Gods assistance doubt not Phil. but he will vouchsafe it you and to guide you in your examination the better observe these following directions When you examine your self either by the following Catalogue or by that in the Whole Duty of Man or by any other Pause a while on every particular and if you find your self not guilty then say Glory be to Thee O Lord for preserving me from this sin and so go on When your Conscience answers guilty then it will be your best way having said Lord have mercy upon me and forgive me this sin to write down that sin in a Paper that you may have it ready to confess to God when your Examination is done You are to consider Phil. that there are several degrees of young Penitents and some are more some less sinful For instance Some tâ—re are who either through want of conscienâ—ous Parents or through often stiâ—ling good motioâ—s or through Inconstancy or Heedlessness or Unadvisableness or Vitious Company or Ill Nature or Youthful Lusts and the like have been from their Infancy very negligent of Learning or at least of practising their Duty Again Some there are amongst these whose sins are more heinous then ordinary in regard they are accompanied with several aggravations For any sin is Much aggravated if it be committed Knowingly or Deliberately or Frequently More then that if it be committed Obstinately or presumptuously or on slight or no temptations or against Checks of Conscience or against Reproofs or Admonitions or Chastisements or Vows to the contrary but most of all If it be committed so long and so often till it becomes habitual till the sinner does take delight in it or boast of it or make a Mock at it or tempt others also to commit it All these and the like Circumstances do very much heighten the guilt of any sin You may easily from hence guess what progress you have made in wickedness and if you find your self in the number of any of these by all means good Phil. Resolve to repent immediately and to confess your sins with all their aggravations for be sure of this that every other step you run farther from Heaven every other hour you continue longer in a sinful course makes your sins the more hard to be mastered and your repentance the more difficult On the other side some there are though I fear but few who having been brought up in the Nurture and admonition of the Lord have been by the goodness of God secured from violent temptations and enormous sins who have like Josiah while they were yet young sought the Lord and have in a great measure kept their baptismal vow and preserved a sense of their duty Such as these have fewer sins to confess and those sins less aggravated and therefore have greater obligations to Magnifie Gods Mercy then others but if you are in this number have a care of growing careless in your examination or of presuming on your own Innocence for if we say or think we have no sin we miserably deceive our selves O Phil. the best of men God knows have very much evil in them to detest and bewail and have infinite need of a Saviour and therefore let him that standeth take heed lest he fall Whatever you do then be sure to keep your heart with all diligence and to pray for constant supplies of Gods grace for perhaps the Devil defers his tempting you till you are grown up and become your own Master and have not that tenderness of offending or that awe of Parents or Superiors which you now have Be not over scrupulous Phil. either to make your self guilty of more sins then really you are or to reckon up all your infirmities or dayly failings or sins of Omission which would render your Examination endless and impossible but examine your self chiefly about your wilful sins or sins of Commission and know there be many sins even of Commission that you may doubt whether you have committed or no many that you have quite forgot but be not disheartned at it for Holy David hath taught you that a general Confession for such sins is enough when he prays to God to cleanse him from his secret faults That you may gain a true sense of your sins by your examination Labour to imprint in your mind awsul apprehensions of the day of Judgment and of God the great Judge in whose presence you now are and to raise such apprehensions Dwell a while on such Meditations as these Motives to Examination O My soul Thou art now in the Presence of the great Judge of Heaven and Earth before whose dreadful Tribunal thou must certainly appear at the day of Judgment to give a strict account of all thy Actions of every idle word of every evil thought and thy own Conscience will then be thy accuser Think O my Soul think if thou canst what unâ—maginable Horrours will seize an impenitent sinâ—er when the last trump calls him out of his Grave and the Devils begin to drag him to Gods Judgment Seat what would such a Wretch give to purchase one such opportunity of Repentance as God now in great mercy gives thee If ever thou hopest to escape those horrours O my soul Make thy peace with God Judge thy self here lest thou be condemned hereafter The Examination it self I Adjure thee O my soul in the presence of the great Judge who knows all the secrets of thy heart I adjure thee as thou wilt answer before Gods Judgment Seat at the last day to tell me Does not thy dayly experience teach thee that thy whole Nature is corrupt Prone to all that is evil and averse to all that is good How hast thou spent thy time from thy Childhood to this very moment How hast thou kept the solemn Vow of thy Baptism What good duties hast thou Omitted What sins hast thou Committed In particular What sins art thou guilty of more immediately Against God Art thou guilty of Any Infidelity or Atheism Any distrust in or Presumption on or despair of Gods Mercy Art thou guilty of any Wilful Ignorance of God or of any Idolatry in Worshiping any Creature Hast thou loved any thing more then God or feared any one Above him Hast thou been guilty of Hypocrisie in Gods service or of forsaking God and of resorting to the Devil to Witches or Wizards Art thou
and Promise sake for all the merits and sufferings of the Son of Thy Love in whom Thou art always well pleased Pardon all my sins and fa lings and receive me into Thy favour Amen O Lord God Amen Amen A Petition for Grace in General O Lord God I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep Thy righteous Judgments But alas I am able of my self to do nothing that is good not so much as to think one good thought and I no sooner shall rise from my knees but I fear I shall be tempted to those very sins I have now so solemnly renounced and those temptations will certainly overcome me unless Thou Lord dost seasonably interpose Thy grace to with-hold me But I can do all things through Thee strengthening me Do Thou then O blessed Saviour perfect Thy strength in my weakness for in Thee only is my trust O my God Thou hast promised to give Thy Holy Spirit to those that ask it Behold Lord I do humbly I do earnestly ask Thy Holy Spirit now of Thee O fulfil Thy gracious promise to me O vouchsafe me that Holy Spirit I pray for to purifie my corrupt nature to strengthen my weakness to comfort me in troubles to support me in discouragements to succour me in temptations and to assist me in all parts of my duty that I may ever hereafter live in Thy fear and in constant sincere and universal obedience to all Thy righteous Laws Thou O searcher of hearts knowest the sin or sins I am most inclined to here name it or them and herein will lie my greatest danger of back-sliding But O my God I beg a double portion of Thy invisible aid against it or them Hold Thou up my goings in Thy paths that my Footsteps slip not O work in me that victorious Faith by which I may overcome the World the Devil and my own corrupt Nature True it is O Lord God that there are many sins which upon examination I find through Thy grace I have not yet committed and therefore not unto me Lord but to Thy name be the glory but alas there is in my corrupt nature so great a proneness to evil so great a curiosity to try what sin is that without Thy restraining Grace every temptation when I shall have more age and liberty and opportunity to enforce it will be apt to draw me from my obedience and to overthrow all my present Resolutions But my Help standeth in Thee O great Creatour who hast made Heaven and Earth and I commit my Soul to Thy keeping O Thou that art faithful as well as Almighty keep that safe which is committed to Thy trust watch over me that I may not be beguiled by the deceitfulnes of sin or betrayed by my own treacherous heart or surprized by my ghostly enemies and give me grace to watch and to pray incessantly my self lest I enter into temptation Hear Lord from Heaven and succour me for the alone merits of Jesus my Saviour Amen Amen Petition for particular Graces O That my ways Lord were made so direct that I might keep Thy Statutes for then shall I not be confounded when I have respect unto all Thy Commandments Vouchsafe me Thy Holy Spirit therefore O Lord God to work in me whatever is well-pleasing in Thy sight that for the time to come I may bring forth fruits meet for repentance O let it be Thy good pleasure to create in me a saving Knowledge of Thee and of my duty justifying Faith true sanctifying Grace and a purifying Hope an ardent Love and a filial fear of Thee a constant desire of pleasing Thee and a great tenderness of offending Thee Lord create in me a penitent heart a resigned will and mortified affections an habitual mindfulness of Thy presence and a steddy devotion in my Prayers sincere intentions and Zeal for Thy Glory Perseverance in all Holy purposes and constancy in all trials and temptations Lord create in me a Reverential awe of Thy Name a delight in Thy service a sacred regard to Thy day and house of Prayer and a great attention to Thy Word a dayly care of my time and diligence in my studies Lord make me chast and temperate humble and adviseable and patient of reproof and create in me a chearful and meek a contented and considerate a quiet and peaceful spirit Lord bless me with Health and Competency of living with a good understanding a retentive memory and a ready apprehension and with such a measure of temporal good things as Thou seest fit for me and give me grace to make a right use of all those blessings I have already receiveâ— Lord Purifie my thoughts Bridle my tongue Guide all my actions Guard all my senses Stop my ears and turn away my eyes from sin and vanity Lord give me grace to be just in all my dealing to do to all men as I would they should do to me to be subject to my Parents and to all my Superiours to the King as supreme and to all Civil Magistrates To the Pastors of Thy Church and to all my Governours in this place O grant that I may render due honour and obedience to them all in their several stations Lord make me willing to forgive injuries and unwilling to offer any Make me grateful to my Benefactors friendly to my equals condescending to my inferiours compassionate to the afflicted charitable to the Poor according to my ability a Lover of good men and kind to my enemies and give me grace to keep always a Conscience void of offence towards Thee and towards men and to continue in the Communion of Thy Church without wavering O Merciful God keep Thy servant from all wilful deliberate or presumptuous sins and let no wickedness have dominion over me From stubbornness and pride idleness and sloth intemperance and youthful lusts inconstancy and lying Good Lord deliver me From irreligious principles and false Teachers unruly passions and violent temptations from contracting vitious habits or taking pleasure in sin from prophaneness and ill company envy and malice detraction and uncharitableness Good Lord deliver me From the erros and vices of the Age and all remanent affections to sin from the sin or sins my corrupt Nature is most inclined to Here name it or them from whatsoever is offensive to Thee or destructive to my own Soul Good Lord deliver me Hear me O Heavenly Father and conform my whole life to the Example of my Blessed Saviour and that for his sake in whose holy words I sum up all my wants Our Father which art in heaven c. You have now Good Phil. by Gods help gone over the hardest part of your preparation for the Holy Sacrament the next thing you are to do is to examine your self whether you do sufficiently understand what the Sacrament is then to ask your self with what intentions you do approach it and to pray for Gods grace to dispose you for Worthy Receiving and
How Unutterable is Thy Mercy and Thy Love past finding out O All ye Holy Angels Behold and Wonder Wretched Man hath sinned against God and God himself has suffered the Sinners Punishment Was there ever any sorrow like that which my Lord and my God endured for me Was there any Love like to that Love my Lord and my God has shewed to me Help me then O ye Blessed Host of Heaven to celebrate that Unknown Sorrow that Wonderful Love which you your selves so much Admire Help me to praise my Crucified Saviour O my Gracious Lord my heart is now full of the sense of Thy Love and what have I to return to Thee but Love again 'T is all I have to offer Thee Accept it O merciful Lord imperfect as it is and Do Thou daily heighten my sense of Thy Love to me that I may dayly heighten my Love to Thee O Thou Infinite Lover of Souls with all my Heart I Love I Praise I Adore Thy Love to me but alaâ— I can never do it enough O do Thou at last Gracious Lord translate me to Thy Kingdom of Glory that there I may Love Thee to the Utmost Capacity of a Creature and Praise Thee to all Eternity Amen Lord Jesus Amen Amen What benefits we receive by it I Adore Thee O Blessed Jesu my Lord and my God when I consider the Benefits which through Thy Mercy we receive by the Holy Sacrament Glory be to Thee O Lord who there makest Thy own Body and Bloud to become our spiritual food to strengthen and refresh our Souls Glory be to Thee O Lord who by this Heavenly food dost mystically Unite us to Thy self for Nothing becomes One with our Bodies more then the bodily food we eat which turns into our very substance and Nothing makes us become One with Thee more then when Thou vouchsafest to become the very food of our souls Glory be to Thee O Lord who by this Immortal food dost nourish our souls to live the life of Grace here and doest raise us up to life everlasting hereafter Lord do Thou evermore give me this bread Amen Amen Motives of Receiving O Blessed Saviour what more powerful Motives can I have to perswade me to Communicate then Thy Command and the Admirable effects of the Holy Sacrament But alas my corrupt Nature is apt to suggest to me low and base inducements to this duty such as are fear of my Superiours displeasure if I abstain or shame of not appearing as devout as my Equals or the meer Custome of the Place or of the Season But Lord I do from my heart Renounce all these and the like Carnal Considerations and I come to Thy Altar to â—enew my Baptismal Covenant with Thee of which Thy Sacrament is a Seal I come to Testifie my sense of Thy Love O Heavenly Father in So loving the World as to give up Thy only Son to die for me I come to testifie my Faith in Thee and my Love toward Thee O Bleâ—ied Saviour and thankfully to Commemorate Thy Wonderful Love in dying for me I come Lord to testifie my stedfastness in the Communion of Thy Church and my Charity to all the World I come to Thy table O Lord out of the sense I have of the want of that Spiritual food to which Thou there invitest me Alas Alas I am soon apt to grow weary of well-doing a few prayers every little duty is apt to tire me Every slight temptation is apt to overcome me and I know there is â—o food can strengthen my Soul but Thy Body No Cordial can revive my drooping Obedience but Thy Bloud and 'T is Thy most blessed Body and Bloud I hunger and thirst after O Gracious Lord Grant that I and all that communicate with me may feel its saving efficacy O Feed O Refresh O Nourish our Souls with it to life everlasting and that for Thy own Infinite Mercy sake which moved Thee to offer up Thy Body and Bloud for us Amen Amen Prayer for Preparation Blessed Lord Jesus I even tremble when I consider that He that eateth and drinketh Unworthily is Guilty of Thy Body and Bloud and eateth and drinketh damnation to his own Soul and this severe Sentence on Unworthy Communicants makes me afraid to come to Thy Altar But when I consider that Thy Sentence is as Severe against those who being invited refuse to Come for Thou hast said they shall not taste of Thy Supper and Unless we eat Thy flesh and drink Thy bloud we have no life in us I am then afraid to Keep away But Bleâ—ied be Thy Mercy O Lord for in this streight my Soul is in Thou art my Guide Thou by giving me this opportunity of Receiving Invitest me to Thy table Thou callest me to seek Thy face and my heart replies Thy face Lord will I seek If Thou Lord should be extream to mark what is done amiss Alas alas I am then Unfit not only to Communicate but to say even my daily prayers I Know Lord that if I should stay till I am Worthy to come I should then never come and therefore though I am Unworthy of so Unspeakable a mercy yet I come to beg Thy Grace to make me Worthy or at least Such as Thou wilt accept O Blessed Jesus do Thou so open my eye of faith to discern Thy Body and Bloud in the Holy Sacrament Do Thou so Dispose my Soul at this time to Communicate that I may feel all the happy effects of Thy own Divine Inâ—titution that my Soul may receive such lasting impressions of Thy Goodness and be so Ravisht with the Love of Thee and with the Incomparable Delights of Thy Service and with such an early fore-taste of Heaven that all the pleasures of sin which in my growing years may tempt me may appear to me tasteless and Unwelcome O Heavenly Father Cloath me with the Wedding Garment even the Graces of my Blessed Saviour for then am I sure to be a Welcome guest to Thy Table when I shall come thither in the likeness of Thy only well-beloved Son in whom Thou art always well-pleased O Heavenly Father Fill me with a lively faith profound humility filial obedience enflamed affections and Universal Charity O raise in my Soul all those Heavenly transports of Zeal and Devotion of Love and desire of Joy and delight of Praise and thanksgiving which become the Remembrance of a Crucified Saviour which become one Redeemed by the Bloud of God and that for His sake only that Redeemed me in whose Holy Words I sum up all the Graces and Blessings I stand in Need of Our â—ather which art in heaven c. This Prayer Phil. is proper for you to add to your Morning Prayer the day on which you are to Receive Directions in time of Receiving IN time of Receiving Good Phil. Labour all you can to keep your heart affected with the Publick Prayers and to fill up all the vacant minutes with Holy Ejaculations such as
the Gentry and Commonalty Pious and just peaceable and loyal Hearts To our Armies and Navy Protection and Victory To the whole Nation Healthful and fruitful and peaceful times Lord let it be thy good pleasure to grant To all Jews Turks Infidels Atheists and Hereticks Conversion To all Malefactors and wicked men timely Repentance To all Holy persons increase of grace and perseverance To all that I have tempted any way to siâ— or with whom I have been a Companion in evil Contrition and pardon Lord let it be Thy good pleasure to bless all those I have any way wronged and to forgive those that have wronged me To Comfort the disconsolate to give health to the sick ease to those that are in pain Patience to the afflicted food to the Hungry Clothes to the Naked liberty to the Captive and a safe delivery to women with Child Lord be Thou a Guide to the traveller safety to those that are at Sea a Refuge to the oppressed Be Thou a Father to the fatherless Take care of Widdows Pity and Relieve all poor Prisoners of debt and Have mercy on all Ideots and mad persons Lord let it be Thy good pleasure to Bless my Parents my Brothers and Sisters and All my Relations All my Friends All my Governours in this Colledge All my Fellow-Scholars All who have commended themselves to my Prayers Particularly Here you may name them if you see occasion Lord Thou best Knowest all our Conditions All our Desires All our Wants O do Thou therefore sute Thy graces and blessings to our several necessities of Body or Soul Hear O merciful Father my Supplications and that for the sake of Thy Son Jesus who died for us all in whose Holy words I sum up my own and the wants of all I pray for Our Father which c. If you are a Child of the Colledge Good Phil. I advise you now and then to say that usual Collect wherein you give thanks for the Founder and pray for the Colledge both which you have great reason to do in private as well as in publick when you Consider that God has made the Founder an Instrument of doing you much good in advantaging your education and the blessings you pray for on the Colledge you have your self a part in A Thanksgiving for the Founder I Give Thee Humble and Hearty thanks O most merciful Father for our Founder William of Wickham and all other our Benefactors by whose benefits we are in this Colledge brought up to Godliness and good Learning and I beseech Thee to give us grace so to use these Thy blessings to the Glory of Thy Name that we may become profitable members in the Church and Commonwealth and may be at last partakers of the immortal Glory of the Resurrection Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Amen Directions to use the foregoing Prayers HAve a great care good Phil. that you make not any of the Rules here given you a pretence to neglect the Orders and duties of the place you live in or of the School for that were Idleness rather than devotion When you fix on a day to examine your Soul or to confess your sins in Believe me Phil. nothing will more enforce your Prayers and Repentance than if they are accompanied with Fasting and Alms as you may see in the example of Cornelius whose Prayers and Fasting and Alms all joyned together were so acceptable to God as made Him send first an Angel from Heaven and after the Angel an Apostle and after the Apostle the Holy Ghost to confirm and enlighten Him But take notice Phil. that all the Fasting I advise you to is only on some Fasting-day on some one Friday or Saturday when your Commons are less than on other days to Content your self with your bare allowance and withal to lay aside some small matter according to your stock for the Poor But beware you do not your duty only to be seen and approved of by Others for this were Hypocrisie and take lieed your performances do not puff you up with a vain conceit of your Holiness and that you are better than your fellows for this were abominable Pride and alas when you have done the best you can you fall infinitely short of your duty and 't is Gods mere Mercy not any the least worth in you makes your service any way acceptable to Him When you have once throughly examined your self Good Phil. and made a particular Confession of the sins of your whole life and begged Pardon there is not the same Absolute Necessity of such laborious Examination at your next communicating especially if you examine your self carefully every Night and dayly repent of the evil of the day past and are not Conscious to your self of any Great or Notorious Sins since your last Confession for if you are not the Examination and Confession only of what past since your last Communicating together with a General Confession of your former sins and a solemn renewing of your former acts of Repentance may serve the turn But if your Conscience Accuses you of any Culpable neglect in your last Examination or of any great relapses or of any wilfull violations of your last Vows and Resolutions in those and the like Cascs 't is the surest way to begin all your Repentance again Remember Phil. that though 't is God that works in you to will and to do of his good pleasure yet God also commands you to work out your own salvation your self and therefore you are to labour for those blessings and to practise those graces you pray for so that you are to read your duty in your prayers If you find any particular Sin you are guilty of or any particular grace which you want or any particular blessing which you are to give thanks for which is not here mentioned 't is easie for you to add it to your prayers as occasion requires in like manner if you meet with any passage in any prayer which does not either so directly or so fully express the sense of your Soul as you could wish leave it out If Opportunity Leisure and Devotion altogether do at any time when you go home or at times of liberty incline you to make some present addition to your dayly prayers or like Daniel and Holy David not only at Morning and at Evening but at Noon day to Pray to God thou mayest then Use the Prayer for particular graces p. 39. or those Acts of Resolution and Oblation p. 34 35. or on Sundays and Holy-days the Form of General Thansgiving or on Fasting-days the Form of General Intercession as may best sute with the season and with your own Affections Directions concerning Infirmities IF after all the Care and pains you can take and your petitions also for Gods grace you find in the performance of any duty in your dayly Prayers Examination Receiving the Holy Eucharilt or the like great Coldness and Wandrings and indisposedness and weariness of Spirit and
that your heart is little affected with it and that you fall very much short of the Rules here laid down and therefore are ready to Conclude that all you have done is in vain and displeasing to God Be not disheartned at this Phil. 't is a good sign to be so much grieved for your failings in your duty 't is an argument of a filial tenderness and desire to serve God better that your spirit is willing though your flesh is weak and if you still continue your endeavours and prayers pâ—tiently relying on Gods infinite goodness and on his gracious promises of Hearing you He will assuredly Hear you in His good time Know good Phil. that this is the case of thousands as well as of your self the very best of Christians sigh under the pervcrsness and impotence of their corrupt nature and even the Just man falls seven times a day through sins of Ignorance or Infirmity or sudden surreption or inadvertency or the like though it is true he riseth again by an Habitual repentance and therefore be not discouraged but dayly beg pardon for your daily failings To ease you in such indispositions or when you are also streightned in time or diverted by any Unavoidable avocations I advise you to shorten your prayers and for the longer Morning and Evening prayer say the shorter and as for the other parts of Devotion throughout this whole Manual they are cut into so many breaks and divisions on purpose that you may lengthen or shorten your prayers as may best comply with your Occasions and Infirmities Onely let me warn you seriously that under colour of Indulging your infirmities you dò not indulge your sloth Be not then afflicted good Phil. if you cannot come up exactly to the Rules here given you Believe me it was never imagined you would it was onely hoped that you would endeavour it and know that it is a great errour of many devout souls to think all they do signifies nothing because they fall short of the Rules laid down in their Books of Devotion little considering that 't is Sincerity God requires of us and not perfection for if there be a willing mind in us it is accepted according to that which a man hath and not according to that a man hath not so that your Infirmities ought to humble but not to discourage you For instance Suppose you should not be able after all your endeavours and prayers to shed any or but few tears for your sins Be not too much cast down at it for to be troubled for want of tears is one sign of godly sorrow and 't is certain though tears are very desirable yet they are not always signs of true Repentance for Hypocrites may shed them and there may be true godly sorrow without them and perhaps God will at last give them to you when his wisdom sees your Heart in a fit temper for them Whensoever then you are troubled with an afflicting sense of your infirmities and for your many failings I advise you to say this Prayer following and to rest satisfied that He that died for you will both hear and accept and succour you A Prayer against Failings O Thou Compassionate Saviour of sinful man look down from Heaven and have mercy upon me wretched sinner O save me O help me for without Thee I can do Nothing as I ought Miserable man that I am my very Prayers and Repentance are accompanied with so many failings that I am sometimes afraid that Thou Lord wilt not hear such Prayers nor regard such Repentance But O Blessed Saviour my Lord and my God 't is Thy promise not to discourage the least measure of grace Thou wilt not quench the smoaking Flax or break the bruised Reed 'T is Thy practice Lord to comply with the weakness of Thy servants Thou arâ— the good Shepherd who carriest the tender Lambs in Thy very bosome and gently leadest those that be with young Nay Lord 'T is Thy very Nature so to do for Thou Thy self hast felt humane infirmities and canst not but commiserate those that sigh under them Why art thou then so heavy O my Soul and why art thou so disquieted within me O put thy trust in thy Saviour who is the help of my Countenance and my God! O gracious Lord do Thou Pity me and Accept my weak and imperfect performances and supply by Thy boundless mercy all the defects in my duty and if it be Thy pleasure I should serve Thee better O Lord God increase Thy succours of Grace and I shall then increase my obedience O Thou lover of Souls for the sake of that infinite Compassion of Tâ—ine which moved Thee to die for me Hear me and Help me Amen Lord Jesus Amen Amen Directions in time of Sicknâ—ss FAr be it from you good Phil. to Counterfeit your self sick at any time to avoid the School or the like Lest God send you sickness indeed to punish your Idleness and dissimulation But if it please God to visit you with a real disease let it be your first care to make your peace with Heaven for God by taking you off from your usual Studies does give you a Call to Repentance and the exâ—mination of your self in the beginning of your sickness is as seasonable and necessary as before your Communicating besides if your sickness prove dangerous you will then I doubt not desire to Communicate so that to fit you both for the Holy Sacrament and for Heaven examination and Repentance ought to be first in your thoughts Beware Phil. of deferring this duty because you are young and think you may have time enough to repent Hereafter for you see that persons younger then your self die and you are not sure to out-live this distemper and if you should put it off till your sickness grows more on you it may perhaps take away your senses or if it does not be sure it will much more indispose you to Prayer and Recollection In the beginning then of your sickness begin your Repentance and say over this following Prayer and do not only say but practise it A Prayer in the beginning of Sickness O Heavenly Father who in Thy wisdom knowest what is best for me Glory be to Thee Lord if it seem good in Thy sight divert this distemper from me which I now feel seizing on me that I may imploy my health to Thy Glory and Praise Thy Name But if Thou art pleased it should grow on me I willingly submit to Thy affâ—icting hand for Thou art wont to chastise those whom Thou dost love and I am sure Thou wilt lay no more on me then Thou wilt enable me to bear I know O my God Thou sendest this sickness on me for my Good even to Humble and reform me O grant that it may work that saving effect in me Lord crâ—ate in me a true Penitent sorrow for all my sins past A stedfast Faith in Thee and sincere resolutions of amendment for the