would be pleased to Command his holy Angels to take charge of you and to preserve you both in Body and Soul from all evil visible and invisible I rest Your most affectionate and Loving Father T. W. From the Prison at the Castle in Glocester 9 Novembris 1668. For my Worthy Friend Mr. Nathaniel Gwinn Master of the Free-School at Cyrencester these humbly present Most worthy Sir IT is said That if it had not been for Aristotle Alexander had not been Alexander although the Simile may not well hold yet truly what my poor Children have attained unto They and my Self must be very ungrateful if we do not acknowledge it to come from you And therefore Sir I do with all the Offerings of a free heart in all humility return you my humble and hearty thanks for your unheard of Civilities to my poor Sons hoping that your Indulgence to them will not be forgotten when ever it shall please God they may be Capacitated to return those thanks that are due for Obligations of so large a magnitude I must now beg you to contract another trouble upon your self viz. That you would he pleased to peruse the following Meditations and as you shall approve of them â—o give encouragement unto those â—hey are designed for to use them Thus beseeching your Prayers to â—he God of all Recompences for me a poor Prisoner in this Goal I remain Reverend Sir Your most obliged and faithful Servant T. W. From the Castle in Glocester 9 die Novembris 1668. Devout MEDITATIONS For the Morning for every Day in the Week When you awake in the Morning say O Saviour of the World who by thy Crosse and precious Blood hast redeemed us save us and help us we humbly beseech thee O Lord. And afterwards before you stir out of your Bed because the first thoughts ought to be offered to Almighty God say O Lord open thou our lips And our mouth shall shew forth thy praise O Lord deal not with us after our sins Neither reward us after our iniquities Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us OUr Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy kingdom come Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver uâ— from evil For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen GLory be to God on high Anâ— in Earth peace good will to wards Men. We praise thee we blesâ— thee we worship thee we glorifâ—â— thee we give thanks to thee for thy great Glory O Lord God heavenly King God the Father Almighty O Lord the only begotten Son Jesu Christ O Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father that takest away the Sins of the World have mercy upon us thou that takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon us thou that takest away the sins of the world receive our Prayers thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father have mercy upon us For thou only art Holy thou onely art the Lord thou onely O Christ with the Holy Ghost art most high in the glory of God the Father Amen And when you arise out of your Bed make a reverent bow with your body and say Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen When you are putting on your Apparel let your thoughts be truly towards God and of his most bountiful goodness towards you at all times and say O Sweet Jesu that the shame of my sinful Soul may not be seen cloath it with the robes of thy Justice and cover it with the Ornaments of all manner of grace and vertues Amen And before you stir out of your Chamber prepare your thoughts for Prayer repairing to some convenient place of the Room and with great reverence bow your body and say the eighth Psalm following O Lord our Governour how excellent is thy Name in all the world thou that hast set thy glory above the Heavens Out of the mouth of very Babes and Sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies that thou mightest still the Enemy and the Avenger For I will consider the Heavens even the works of thy Fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained What is Man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of Man that thou visitest him Thou madest him lower than the Angels to crown him with glory and worship Thou makest him to have dominion of the works of thy hands and thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet all Sheep and Oxen yea and the Beasts of the field The Fouls of the Air and Fishes of the Sea and whatsoever walketh through the paths of the Seas O Lord our Governour how excellent is thy Name in all the world Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Then kneeling down upon your knees with your heart and hands lift up to Almighty God say In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity now and for ever Amen O Lord save the King And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee OUr Father which art in heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen O Everlasting God who hast ordained and constituted the services of Angels and Men in a wonderful order mercifully grant that as thy holy Angels alway do thee service in Heaven so by thy appointment they may succour and defend us on Earth through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen ALmighty and everlasting God who hatest nothing that thou hast made and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent Create and make in us new and Contrite hearts that we worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchednesse may obtain of thee the God of all Mercy perfect remission and forgiveness through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen ALmighty God who seest that we have no power of our selves to help our selves keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen O Almighty God whose dwelling is in the highest Heavens and yet vouchsafest to regard the lowest Creature upon
of thy help again and stablish me with thy free Spirit 13. Then shall I teach thy wayes unto the wicked and Sinners shall be converted unto thee 14. Deliver me from Blood guiltiness O God thou that art the God of my health and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousnesse 15. Thou shalt open my lips O Lord and my mouth shall shew thy praise 16. For thou desirest no Sacrifice else would I give it thee but thou delightest not in burnt offerings 17. The Sacrifice of God is a troubled Spirit a broken and contrite heart O God shalt thou not despise 18. O be favourable and gracious unto Sion build thou the walls of Hierusalem 19. Then shalt thou be pleased with the Sacrifices of Righteousness with the burnt offerings and oblations then shall they offer young Bullocks upon thine Altar Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. About two of the Clock in the Afternoon upon every Friday repair to the place of your Devotions and standing up say The 102. Psalm 1. HEar my Prayer O Lord and let my crying come unto thee 2. Hide not thy face from me in the time of my trouble incline thine ears unto me when I call O hear me and that right soon 3. For my dayes are consumed away like smoke and my bones are burnt up as it were a Firebrand 4. My heart is smitten down and withered like grasse so that I forget to eat my bread 5. For the voice of my groning my bones will scarce cleave to my flesh 6. I am become like a Pelican in the Wilderness and like an Owl that is in the desart 7. I have watched and am even as it were a Sparrow that sitteth alone upon the house top 8. Mine enemies revile me all the day long and they that are mad upon me are sworn together against me 9. For I have eaten Ashes as it were Bread and mingled my drink with weeping 10. And that because of thine Indignation and wrath for thou hast taken me up and cast me down 11. My dayes are gone like a shadow and I am withered like grass 12. But thou O Lord shalt endure for ever and thy remembrance throughtout all generations 13. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Sion for it is time that thou have mercy upon her yea the time is come 14. And why thy Servants think upon her stones and it pittieth them to see her in the Dust 15. The Heathen shall fear thy Name O Lord and all the Kings of the Earth thy Majesty 16. When the Lord shall build up Sion and when his glory shall appear 17. When he turneth him unto the Prayer of the poor destitute and despiseth not their desire 18. This shall be Written for those that come after and the People which shall be born shall praise the Lord. 19. For he hath looked down from his Sanctuary out of the Heaven did the Lord behold the Earth 20. That he might hear the mournings of such as be in Captivity and deliver the Children appointed unto death 21. That they may declare the Name of the Lord in Sion and his his Worship at Jerusalem 22. When the People are gathered together and the Kingdoms also to serve the Lord. 23. He brought down my strength in my journey and shortned my days 24. But I said O my God take me not away in the midst of my age as for thy years they endure throughout all generations 25. Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the work of thy hands 26. They shall perish but thou shalt indure they all shall wax old as doth a garment 27. And as a Vesture thou shalt change them and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years shall not fail 28. The Children of thy Servants shall continue and their seed shall stand fast in thy sight Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The 130. Psalm 1. OUt of the deep have I called unto thee O Lord Lord hear my voice 2. O let thine ears consider well the voyce of my complaint 3. If thou Lord wilt be extream to mark what is done amiss O Lord who may abide it 4. For there is mercy with thee therefore shalt thou be feared 5. I look for the Lord my Soul doth wait for him in his Word is my trust 6. My Soul fleeth unto the Lord before the morning watch I say before the morning watch 7. O Israel trust in the Lord for with the Lord there is Mercy and with him is plenteous Redemption 8. And he shall redeem Israel from all his sins Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. Then devoutly kneeling upon your knees say Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us O Lord hear our Prayers And let our Cry come unto thee Our Father c. O Most mighty God and merciful Father who hast Compassion upon all men and hatest nothing that thou hast made who wouldest not the death of a Sinner but that he should rather turn from his sin and be saved Mercifully forgive us our trespasses receive and comfort us who are grieved and wearied with the burthen of our sins Thy property is alwayes to have Mercy to thee onely it appertaineth to forgive sins Spare us therefore good Lord spare thy People whom thou hast redeemed Enter not into judgment with thy Servants who are vile earth and miserable Sinners but so turn thine Anger from us who meekly acknowledge our vilenesse and truely repent us of our faults and so make hast to help us in this world that we may ever live with thee in the world to come through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The Collect for the Sunday next before Easter day ALmighty and everlasting God who of thy tender love towards Mankind hast sent thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ to take upon him our flesh and to suffer Death upon the Cross that all Mankind should follow the example of his great humility mercifully grant that we may both follow the example of his Patience and also be made partakers of his Resurrection through the same Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The Collect for Easter even GRant O Lord that as we are baptized into the Death of thy blessed Son our Saviour Jesus Christ so by continual mortifying our corrupt affections we may be buried with him and that through the Grave and gate of Death we may pass to our joyful Resurrection for his Merits who dyed and was buryed and rose again for us thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord Amen O Most sweet Lord and my Redeemer Jesus Christ who by thy heavenly Father was sent down into this world and willingly of thine own accord sufferedst most cruel and bitter Pains on the Crosse and carried it on thy blessed Shoulders that thy Patience might be to us Salvation and
it wander not our Office is more determined by words but we then actually think of God when our Spirits onely speak Mental prayer when our Spirits wander is like to a Watch standing still because the spring is down wind it up again and it goes on regularly but in Vocal prayer if the words run on and the Spirit wanders the Clock strikes false the hand points not to the right hour because something is in disorder and the striking is nothing but noise in Mental prayer we confess Gods Omniscience in Vocal prayer we call the Angels to witness in the first our Spirits rejoyce in God in the second the Angels rejoyce in us Mental prayer is the best Remedy against lightnesse and indifferency of Affections but Vocal prayer is the aptest Instrument of Communion that is more Angelical but yet fittest for the state of separation and glory this is but humane but it is apter for our present Constitution they have their distinct proprieties and may be used according to their several accidents occasions or dispositions You must often call to mind and examin your self of all your actions especially after much businesse speeches c. You must live as though you had nothing and yet possesse all things and remember that meat drink and cloth are a Christians riches Yield your selves wholly to God and though you have nothing to requite him with but your self yet he gives all that gives himself the Apostles left their Ship and their Nets the poor Widdow gave onely her two Mites to the poor mans Box and her Oblation was preferred before those of the richest persons he easily dispenseth all things that alwayes thinks he must die You must never go to Bed disquieted or troubled in mind but be at peace with God and Man as much as in you lyeth and daily use Jaculatory Prayers thereby to prevent the deceipts of the Devil Take special care in your reading of the Psalms of David for in them you will find much comfort towards your Service of God and praising his holy Name Since singing of Praises giving of Thanks and offering Oblations to the Throne of Grace is very acceptable unto Almighty God and since I have before Composed an Office for your use when you shall be so unhappy to fall into any Calamity Affliction or trouble I have thought fit that when it shall please God you shall be delivered out of any Calamity c. to provide for you a short Office of Devotions whereby you may give God thanks by praising him for your deliverance as followeth As you are standing say The Te Deum Laudamus WE praise thee O God we knowledge thee to be the Lord. All the Earth doth worship thee the Father everlasting To thee all Angels cry aloud the Heavens and all the Powers therein To thee Cherubin and Seraphin continually do cry Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabboth Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory The glorious Company of the Apostles praise thee The goodly Fellowship of the Prophets praise thee The noble Army of Martyrs praise thee The holy Church throughout all the world doth knowledge thee The Father of an infinite Majesty Thine honourable true and onely Son Also the Holy Ghost the Comforter Thou art the King of glory O Christ Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man thou didst not abhor the Virgins Womb. When thou hadst overcome the sharpnesse of death thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers Thou fittest at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge We therefore pray thee help thy Servants whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious Blood Make them to be numbred with thy Saints in glory everlasting O Lord save thy People and blesse thine Heritage Govern them and lift them up for ever Day by day we magnifie thee And we worship thy Name ever world without end Vouchsafe O Lord to keep us this day without sin O Lord have mercy upon us have mercy upon us O Lord let thy mercy lighten upon us as our trust is in thee O Lord in thee have I trusted let me never be confounded Then kneeling upon your knees devoutly say IN the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost Amen Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Iesu hear our Prayers Iesu receive our Petitions Our Father c. The Collect for the 3. Sunday after the Epiphany ALmighty and everlasting God mercifully look upon our Infirmities and in all our dangers and necessities stretch forth thy right hand to help and defend us through Christ our Lord. The Collect for the 24. Sunday after Trinity LOrd we beseech thee assoil thy People from their offences that through thy bountiful goodnesse we may be delivered from the bonds of all those sins which by our frailty we have committed Grant this heavenly Father for Jesus Christs sake our Lord. The Collect for the 18. Sunday after Trinity LOrd we beseech thee grant thy People grace to avoid the infections of the Devil and with pure heart and mind to follow thee the only God through Jesus Christ our Lord. O Almighty God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Maker of all things Judge of all men I acknowledge and bewail my manifold sins and wickednesses which I have from time to time most grievously committed by thought word and deed against thy divine Majesty provoking most justly thy Wrath and Indignation against me I do earnestly repent and am heartily sorry for these my misdoings the remembrance of them is grievous unto me the burden of them is intolerable have mercy upon me have mercy upon me most merciful Father for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ his sake forgive me all that is past and grant that I may ever hereafter serve and please thee in newnesse of life to the honour and glory of thy Name through Jesus Christ Amen WIth all the faculties of my Soul I blesse and praise thy Name O my Lord Jesu Christ who vouchsafedst to creat me of nothing to thy Image and Similitude to Redeem me with thy precious Blood to associate me by holy Baptisme among thy Children of Adoption and to feed me with the most blessed Sacrament of thy Body To thee I render humblest thanks for expecting me from my Infancy to this time that through thy great patience I may come to amendment of my life I praise thee I glorifie thee who hast often delivered me from many tribulatiors distresses calamities and miseries and especially that thou hast kept me from eternal punishment I praise thee and glorifie thee that thou hast bestowed on me so many common Blessings equal with others and so many particular benefits which others have wanted and whereof I have not deserved the least I beseech thy unspeakable goodness my Lord God that thou wilt so perfect
thy Church O Lord deliver us In the first motions to sin and the renewed assaults of any temptation in the time of our tryal when thou seeemest to withdraw from us thy Grace in health and prosperity in sicknesse and adversity in the hour of Death and in the day of Judgment O Lord deliver us Deliver us O Lord and in all our Necessities when we call on thee in the Name of thy beloved Son and for the Merits of our onely Saviour Jesus Christ who sits at thy right hand to make Intercession for us sinners We beseeh thee hear us That it would please thee to govern and defend thy Catholick Church to blesse and preserve all Ecclesiastical Persons in unity of truth and holinesse of life We beseech thee hear us That it would please thee to endue all Christian Princes and Magistrates with the Spirit of Justice Piety and Wisdom and all Subjects with a true reverence of their Superiours and chearful obedience to their just Commands that all the World may live in the beauty of Order and the blessings of Peace We beseech thee hear us That it would please thee to reduce into the union of thy Church all those whom Malice Passion or Interest have divided from thy Faith And with a more particular tendernesse to Compassionate all simple and Unlearned People who by mis-instruction are seduced into Error and by unhappy Education settled in a prejudice against thy Truth VVe beseech thee hear us That it would please thee to convert all Jews Turks and Infidells to thy holy Faith and all dissolute Christians to a vertuous life That none of those whom thou hast made may perish but all the Nations of the Earth adore thee here and be happy with thee hereafter VVe beseech thee hear us That it would please thee to have compassion on the Miseries of humane life and especially on the Afflictions of such as suffer for a good Conscience Let thy pitty lighten their burdens and thy grace strengthen their weaknesse that every sad dejected Soul may praise thee either for releasement from their pressures or enablement to bear their crosses VVe beseech thee hear us That it would please thee to enlarge our hearts with true Charity one towards another to Feed the Hungry and Cloth the Naked to visit the Sick and Comfort the distressed to forgive our Enemies and pray for our Persecutors and in all occasions to do good to every one according to our Capacities VVe beseech thee hear us That it would please thee to open thy full hand and mercifully bestow on us the necessaries of this life with grace so to use all thy temporal Blessings that we rest not in the Convenience or Pleasure derived from any Creature but apply them as Instruments to cultivate our minds and prepare us for thee and thy eternal joys VVe beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchasafe us the grace to know thee that we may fear and hope in thee as absolute Master of Punishment and Reward that we may serve and worship thee as Soveraign Lord of Life and Death that we may love and praise thee as a most Indulgent Father and bountiful Benefactor VVe beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchsafe us the grace to know our Selves that remembring we are but dust and ashes subject to a thousand infirmities temptations and miseries we may humble our proud thoughts and sincerely acknowledge our own unworthinesse yet being created after thy Image and capable of eternal happiness we may aspire to Heaven and value our Souls above all the transitory enjoyments of the earth VVe beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchsafe us the grace frequently to examine and clearly to see the state of our Consciences humbly to confess and earnestly to repent us of our sins carefully to avoid all occasions of relapse and diligently practise those Vertues which most avail to the Cure of our Infirmities We beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchsafe us the grace to keep a strict watch over our Senses lest they solicite our hearts to sin to remember continually thy presence with us wheresoever we are especially in the offering up our Prayers with a reverend gesture of our Bodies and devout attention of our Minds We beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchsafe us the grace to attend with diligence the employment of our Callings yet every day to set apart some time for thee and our Souls to live in peace and Charity with all the world freely forgiving their injuries to us and readily satisfying our trespasses against them VVe beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchsafe us the grace to remember alwaies the end of our Creation and the vanity of this world the shortnesse of our lives and the incertainty of our deaths the misery of such as die in their sins and the unspeakable joyes of those who with their last breath give up their Souls into the hands of thy Angels We beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchsafe us the grace to live and dy in the Faith and Communion of thy Catholick Church to enjoy the benefit of thy holy Sacraments and participate in the Prayers and good works of all thy Servants throughout the world We beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchsafe us the grace in the last hour of our lives willingly to render our Bodies to the Earth from whence they came and joyfully return our Souls to thee that gave them that in the blissful vision of thy Glory we may for ever adore thy Majesty and in the happy Company of thy Saints and Angels for ever sing praises to thy Name We beseech thee to hear us Son of God We beseech thee hear us O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Spare us O Lord. O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Hear us O Lord. O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Have mercy on us O Lord hear our prayers And let our Supplications come to thee MOst gracious God the Fountain of all Mercy and Blessing who desirest not the death of a Sinner nor despisest the tears of the penitent favourably receive this free Confession of our sins and efficaciously move our hearts to a true Contrition for all our offerces that being pardoned the evils we are presumed to do we may be delivered from the evils we deserve to suffer and obtaining of thy Bounty the Graces petitioned in our Prayers we may bestow the short remainder of our dayes in a more perfect denial of our own corrupt Inclinations and more constant tendance to thy glorious Promises through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth one God world without end Amen The Blessing of God Almighty Father Son and Holy Ghost descend upon us and remain in our hearts for ever Amen A Prayer in Tribulation O God who despisest not the tears of the Contrite nor contemnest the