the World and all the fading Vanities of it Give me unfeigned Repentance for all the Errors of my Life past and seal my Pardon in Heaven before I go hence and be no more seen O lift up thy Countenance upon me and in all the pains of my Body in all the Agonies of my Spirit let thy Comforts refresh my Soul And when the time of my departure is come receive me into those Heavenly Habitations where the Souls of them that sleep in the Lord Jesus enjoy perpetual rest and felicity Grant this O Lord for the Merits of the same Jesus Christ thy only Son and our only Saviour and Redeemer Amen A Prayer to be said by one whose Friend is dead O Righteous Lord I acknowledge thy wisdom and goodness in all thy Dispensations towards the Children of Men and do therefore submit my self and all I have to thy Dispâ—sal who knowest best what is fit for us It was of thâ— Mercy that I so long enjoyed the comfort of my Friend whom thou hast now taken from me The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away Blessed be the Name of the Lord. From Thee all good things do come and thou canst repair this loss to me by adding to the number of my Friends But however thou shalt deal with me in that particular yet this one thing I most humbly beg be thou my God and my Friend and it is enough In thee shall be mâ— trust as long as I live and when thou shalt call me hence receive me into Heaven where I hope my Friend is that we may there joyn with all thy Holy Angels and Saints to sing thy Praises for ever and ever Grant this for Jesus Christ his sake Amen A Prayer to be said for one who has lost a Friend O Father of Mercies and God of all Comforts who in a more especial manner hast always shewed thy self a helper of the Friendless and a Father of the Fatherless and a Husband to the Widow look down with an Eye of Pity and Compassion upon thy Servant now in great grief and bitterness of heart for the loss of his dear Friend and give him grace to consider that it was thy doing who dost not afflict willingly nor grieve the Children of Men. And let this teach him to moderate all his Passions and to bear his Affliction with an humble meek and patient Spirit Free him from all discontented and distrustiul Thoughts and help him to cast all his care upon Thee who carest for him and canst do infinitely more for him than the most tender and faithful Friend on Earth Lift up his Thoughts towards that blessed Place where thou his God and Saviour art and so assist him with thy grace to follow thâ— blessed Son in purity of living during his Pilgrimage upon Earth that he may hereafter enter into his joy and with all those who are departed in thy fear be made Partaker of everlasting Glory through the same Lord Jesus Amen A Grace before Meat LOrd pardon all our Sins give us grace to make a temperate and discreet use of thy Creatures which thou hast now provided for us that whether we eat or drink or whatsoever we do we may do all to thy Glory through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen After Meat WE praise thâ— Holy Name O Lord for all thy Mercies and especially for this refreshment which thou hast now given us Enable us thereby to do thee further Service Bless thy Holy Church preserve our King the Royal Family and these Realms grant us Peace and Truth here and make us Partakers of thy Glory hereafter through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen A Table of the Contents A. OF Adoration Page 41 Of Moderateness in Apparel Page 71 B. Of Baptism Page 24 50 61 Of Blasphemies Page 38 Not to hurt the Bodies of our Neighbours Page 85 C. Of Charity Page 76 77 Of Diligence in our Callings Page 62 Of Chastity Page 63 Duty of Children 81 Of Consideration Page 59 Arguments for Contentment Page 51 to 58 Duty of Creditors Page 83 The Creed Explained Page 13 D. Of Death Page 32 Duty of Debtors Page 83 Of Secret Devotion Page 46 Certain Forms of Devotion either in a Family of Closet Page 93 Ways of Dishonouring God Page 38 Of Temperance in Drinks Page 66 F. Of the Faith of a Christian Page 5 How he comes to have that Faith Page 6 Of Fasting Page 33 Of the Fear of God Page 29 Things to be Feared Page 89 Duty of Friends Page 82 G. Of Duties towards God Page 27 Not to hurt our Neighbour as to his Goods Page 86 Grace before Meat Page 115 Grace after Meat Page 116 H. Of Honouring God Page 34 Of things to be Hoped for page 89 Of Humility Page 61 Duty of Husbands Page 81 J. Of Justice in dealings Page 74 L. Of the Love of God Page 27 Lords day Page 40 41 M. Duty of Magistrates and Ministers Page 78 Duty of Masters Page 83 Of the Matrimonial Vow Page 81 Of Temporance in Meats Page 65 Of Divine Meditation Page 35 The Benefits of It Page 36 Of Moderateness Page 65 Of Murder Page 85 N. Duties towards our Neighbours Page 73 O. Of Oaths Page 38 P. Duty of Parents Page 79 Of Perjury Page 39 Of things to be Practised by a Christian Page 27 Of Prayer and its Parts Page 42 Morning and Evening Prayer for a Family or single Person Page 93 Paraphrase on the Lords Prayer Page 100 Prayer before Church Page 102 Prayer after Church Page 103 Prayer before Confirmation Page 105 Prayer before the Sacrament Page 106 Prayer at the Sacrament Page 108 Prayer after the Sacrament Page 109 Prayer by with or for a sick Person Page 111 Prayer When a Friend is dead Page 113 Prayer For one who has lost a Friend Page 114 Of singing of Psaims Page 45 R. Of Moderateness in Recreations Page 70 Of Repentance and turning to God Page 30 The Danger of delaying It Page 32 Of Reproof Pae 76 Of Resolution page 60 Against Revenge Page 88 S. Authority of Scriptures Page 8 Duties towards our Selves Page 59 Duty of Servants Page 84 Of Moderateness in Sleep Page 70 Of the Duty of Subjects Page 78 Of the Lord's Supper Page 47 Against hurting the Soul of our Neighbour 84 T. Of Temperance Page 65 66 Of Thanksgiving Page 45 Particularly after Meals Page 37 Of Trusting in God Page 50 Of speaking Truth page 73 W. Duty of Wives Page 81 Against hurting our Neighbour as to his Wife Page 86 Of Worshipping God Page 41 FINIS
That which the Apostle stiles Repentance towards God Acts 20.21 is a turning from sin unto God It 's that which begins in the Knowledge of our selves and ends in the actual forsaking of all sin that we come thus to the Knowledge of And therefore as the Scripture has made this necessary by way of Command and without which we are told we shall All certainly perish Luke 13.3 5. so whoever undertakes it must strictly enquire into the state of his own Soul carefully Re-view his past Life and compare his Actions with the Law of God the only Rule and Measure of Obedience And such as he finds his Sins are such must his Repentance be There must be Recollection Self-Condemnation Confession Deprecation Resolution Prayer for Grace to perform it and in a word a new Nature Here also the better to understand his Condition he must consider the heinousness of his Sins in respect of the great and manifold Aggravations of them Against what Convictions with what Deliberation against what Vows and Resolutions how often how long he has offended And because at the last we can never come to a perfect Knowledg of our selves so as to remember whatever of that kind is past or to observe the Daily Infirmities we are incident unto we must say with David Who can understand his Errors And with him pray Cleanse thou me O Lord from secret or unknown Faults Ps 19.12 To our Convictions must be aded a present and stedfast Resolution of forsaking all those Sins that we are thus convinced of Unless it be present and both taken up and followed without delay we shall soon forget those Resolutions And unless it be stedfast our Convictions will soon lose their Force and we shall return to the same State again Having Once Resolv'd we must lose no Time lest by Delays our Case grows to be dangerous and we finally perish in the midst of such ineffectual Resolutions When we walk abroad we are not sure to come back alive When we lie down to sleep we know not whether e're we shall awake till we hear the sound of the last Trump Or when we come upon our Death Bed who can tell but that the violence of bodily Pains and Distempers may distract us and render us altogether unfit for such a great Work as that of Repentance which requires the utmost Force of all the Powers and Faculties of our Souls to accomplish it And then having all our Life-time thus put off our Repentance and Rejected the Offers of Divine Grace God may justly reject us Prov. 1.27 c. So necessary is it for us to remember our Creator before the evil days come Eccles 12.1 and to redeem the time and to awake out of sleep this drowsie and stupid condition and arise from the dead if we expect Christ should give us Light Eph. 5.14 16. To this Duty of Repentance is that of Fasting to be joyned A Duty I call it for how little soever it be regarded we find it enjoyned by Almighty God Joel 2.12 Re-inforced by our Saviour Mat. 6.16 17. 9.15 and practised by the holy People of God in all Ages As by Esther 4.16 by Anna Luk. 2.37 by the Apostles Acts 13.2 3. 2 Cor. 6.5 And because of the Excellent Use and Advantage it is of as well as because of the Divine Institution 't is frequently in holy Writings joyned to Prayer Mat. 17.21 Luke 2.37 Acts 14.23 1 Cor. 7.5 And of singular use it is as being a fit means to keep under the Body and bring it into subjection and to render it the more helpful to the Soul in Humiliation and Devotion But how far it can be used by the Aged and Infirm must in great measure be left to their Prudence And here we are to observe That the afflicting of the Soul for Sin and the Abstaining from Sin is the principal thing which God Regards in our Fasts He requires us to Rent our Hearts rather than our Garments Joel 2.13 to bewail our Personal and National Sins to loose the Bands of Wickedness to undo the heavy burthens and to let the Oppressed go free to deal our Bread to the Hungry and bring the Poor that are cast out to our Houses and to give a covering to the naked Isa 58.6 7. And this we must do without Ostentation and desire of Vain-Glory Mat. 6.16 And then we may call and the Lord will answer Isa 58.9 and forgive all our Personal and National Iniquities and Backslidings and give us what we stand in need of 4. To Honour and Glorifie God The Glory of God is the highest End of Man Rom. 11.33 36. 1 Cor. 10.31 Phil. 1.11 1 Pet. 4.11 The glorifying of him consisteth in a most Reverend Esteem of him as a God Infinite in Power Wisdom and Goodness and in expressing and setting forth that Esteem by all the fit ways we are capable of This is done 1. By Divine Meditation And this is undoubtedly a Duty very becoming a Christian when he is in his House or Closet or in a Journey or walking alone in the Fields or in his Garden or working at his Calling or waking on his Bed as Occasions shall be presented to him to contemplate his own Unworthiness and God's Greatness and Goodness and the admirable Effects of them The World abounds with Objects which afford him Matter enough for the employing his busie and active Soul in Contemplation This was the Exercise of Isaac and David and other Devout Souls Gen. 24.63 Psal 63.6 We need look no farther for Precedents than the Book of Psalms a great part of which seems to be the Product of the Pious and Heavenly Meditations of David and of Others in their Solitudes and Private Retirements Sometimes the Psalmist contemplates the Works of the Creation saying Lord how wonderful are thy Works In Wisdom hast thou made them all Psal 104.24 Sometimes he meditates on the Works of God's Providence saying O Lord thou preservest Man and Beast Ps 36.6 Sometimes he meditates upon God's Laws crying out O! how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day Ps 119.97 But the Noblest of all the Subjects of Meditation is God's inestimable Love in the Redemption of the World by the Ever-blessed Jesus John 3.16 1 Joh. 4.9 Of Pious and Heavenly Meditation there are these following Benefits First By Meditation our Good Thoughts are better digested and we encrease in Knowledge and Grace Secondly By Contemplating the Works of the Creation and Providence and finding how small a part we are of it it moves us to humble our selves and to cry out with the Psalmist Lord what is Man that thou art mindful of him c. Ps 8.4 Thirdly By Meditating upon Heaven and Hell Death and Judgment our Fears are raised in order to the preventing of Evil and our Hopes in order to the doing of Good Fourthly The Devil who watches all Opportunities is by this means prevented from casting into our Souls evil Thoughts and sinful
by chance and no thanks are due to us All our Thoughtfulness and Discretion is little enough to guide us How strangely then shall we err without Direction Psal 119.59 Eccles 5.1 Isa 1.3 Hag. 1.5 7. How shall Men who consider not the worth of their Souls take care to save them How shall those who think not what their ways are turn their Feet out of them when they are evil Ezek. 18.14 27 28. 2. Resolution When we have considered well it will be of use to us to resolve to act accordingly Resolution giveth strength to the Mind and there is great need of it in order to the passing safe thro' the changes and temptations of this present Life and 't is what good Men have still been bent upon As for me and my House we will serve the Lord said Joshua Josh 24.15 I have sworn and will perform it that I will keep thy righteous Judgments said Holy David Ps 119.106 The Primitive Christians of Antioch were exhorted that with purpose of Heart they would cleave unto the Lord Acts 11.23 And if evil Men go through many difficulties by obstinacy why may not good Men do so by holy Resolution Such a Resolution is agreeable to the solemn Vow made in Baptism to promote the Glory of God against the World the Flesh and the Devil 3. Humility We must have a low Opinion of our selves and be content if others have the same for our best faculties and services are imperfect and if we are proud of our sins we glory in our shame Phil. 3.19 If a proud man loves himself he loves what God hates for He is an abomination to God Prov. 16.5 and a baughty spirit goes before a fall Prov. 16.18 Besides it is a vanity in great Persons to think they acquire respect or reverence by being proud or haughty If we are proud of the gifts of Nature we are outdone in most of them by some or other of the lower Creatures If of our Birth and Parentage we should consider that the Honours of our Ancestors can hardly be called ours unless they be seconded by our vertuous and noble Actions If of Riches alas they are not good to us unless by a good use of them we make them such If lastly we are proud of the Gifts of Grace they are none of our own and of them St. Paul himself thought it not expedient to glory 2 Cor. 12.1 Wherefore let us learn of our great Lord and Master to be meek and lowly Mat 11.29 and quench the first risings of pride and vain-glory in our hearts with as much diligence as we would a Fire that is already begun in our Houses and as our Saviour has promised we shaell find rest to our Souls 4. Diligence in our Callings There is no quality or condition from that of a King who sits upon the Throne to him who grinds at the Mill that exempts Men from some kind of Calling wherein they are bound to employ the Talents God has given them especially those who live upon their Labours for they are not to eat if they do not work 2 Thes 3.10 And Solomon sends the sluggard to the Ant to learn to provide his Meat in the Summer and his Food in the Harvest Prov. 6.6 8. assuring him that otherwise Poverty will come upon him as a Womans travail and want as an armed Man Prov. 6.11 5. Chastity As on the one hand Marriage is honourable and the Bed undefiled Heb. 13.4 and a Man may lawfully rejoyce in the Wife of his Youth Prov. 5.18 So on the other we are to abstain not only from the grosser acts of Adultery and Fornication and all other such filthiness but also from the lower degrees of Lust as coveting our Neighbours Wife Exod. 20.17 Or looking on a Woman to lust after her Mat. 5.28 As likewise chambering and wantonness Rom. 13.13 and corrupt communication Eph. 4.29 and entertaining in our Fancies foul and filthy thoughts and desires all which are odious to God who sees the Heart and loves none but the pure and spotless Besides these sins of the Flesh ruin Mens Estates and bring Diseases both loathsom and painful and so make the Committers of them the Devils Martyrs Wherefore beware of a Whorish Woman lust not after her beauty nor let her take thee with her Eye-lids Prov. 6.24 25. For she is a deep ditch and a narrow pit Prov. 28.27 And the young man void of understanding goes after her as an Oxe to the slaughter till a dart strikes through his Liver Prov. 7.22 23. But which is worst of all if these Sins be not attended with Judgments here as that of Sodom was with Fire and Brimstone from Heaven Gen. 19.24 or as the Incest of Amnon 2 Sam. 13.28 29. Or the Sin of Zimri and Cozbi Num. 25.8 Yet they are sure to be rewarded with Hell-fire at last For Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Heb. 13.4 And whoever defiles his Body which is the Temple of God him will God destroy 1 Cor. 3.17 No such Transgressors without an extraordinary Repentance shall inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 Christ has told us that for every lascivious and filthy Word and Thought unrepented of we shall give an account at the day of Judgment Mat. 12.36 Wherefore let us stifle the very first motions to any of these Sins for to parly with them or entertain thoughts of them is to cherish small sparks of the fire of Lust in our Bosoms which will at the last break out into a Flame and devour us 6. Moderateness Of this there are 5 Branches viz. In Meats Drinks Sleep Recreations and Apparel The Two First go commonly under the Name of Temperance 1. Of Temperance in Meats Man is of such a frame that eating is necessary to preserve life but then it must be with moderation of which he himself is the best Judge For the same proportion of Meat may give one Man a Surfeit which will not satisfie another's Hunger and the eating of that Food which may be necessary for a sick or weak Person would be reputed wantonness and luxury in one of a stronger Constitution It is true in some sense as the Wise Man tells us That it is good for a Man to eat and to make his soul enjoy the Fruits of his labour that he takes under the Sun all the days of his life which God gives him for it is his Portion Eccles 5.18 But withal he gives us this Caution not to eat more than is sufficient lest we be filled therewith and vomit it up again Prov. 25.16 And our Saviour commands us to take heed of having our Hearts overcharged with surfeiting Luke 21.34 And St. Paul not to make Provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof Rom. 13.14 Whoever does so abuses the bounty of God starves Charity that Luxury may abound and exposes his Body to manifold Dangers and Distempers here and to the pains of Hell hereafter 2. Of Temperance in Drinks
and Vertuous with a greater Portion of Grace and bring all Sinners to Repentance Preserve all that travel by Land or by Water and give thy blessing to those that labour in their several Callings O prosper thou their handy work O good God be gracious to all my Relations and Friends convert and pardon my Enemies Deal to all degrees and conditions of Men what is most useful and profitable for them Finally I bless and praise thy holy Name for all the Mercies vouchsafed to me and to all Mankind for the sake of thy dear Son Christ Jesus I glorifie thee for his miraculous Birth Life Death Resurrection and Ascension and for his Intercession at thy right Hand for us and for the sending of the Holy Ghost for the wonderful Preservation of thy Church in all Ages for the good Examples of all Holy Men and Women that have gone before us for the means of Grace and for the hope of Glory I likewise magnifie Thee for my Health Strength Food and Rayment for the Preservation of my Self my Friends and Relations and for all the Comforts of this Life humbly beseeching Thee to give us all Grace to live so godly soberly and righteously in this present World that at the end of our Days we may come to those everlasting Joys which thou hast prepared for those that love thee through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen When this Prayer is used in the Morning add that which follows O God who by thy good Providence hast watched over me the Night that is pass'd be Thou pleas'd also to preserve me this Day defend me by thy mighty power from all things hurtful and grant me all things needful both for my Soul and Body and prosper what I shall go about through Jesus Christ Amen When in the Evening add this BE thou pleased this Night to protect and defend me and all that Thou in thy good Providence hast given me from all dangers and grant me such a comfortable and refreshing Sleep as may enable me to serve Thee better the Day following through Christ Amen End these Prayers as follows 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 Trespass against us And lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from Evil. For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen Mat. 6.9 Luke 11.2 The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the Love of God and the Followship of the Holy Ghost be with me now and evermore Amen 2 Cor. 13 14. A Brief Paraphrase on the Lord's Prayer to be used at any time as a Prayer Preface O Lord the Creator and Preserver of all Men Heaven is thy Throne and the Earth thy Footstool Petition 1. We entirely desire that thy Name may be glorified by us and by all the World who have had so many Experiences how great how wise and how merciful thou art 2. Rule thou in the hearts of all Mankind by thy Grace and so prepare them for thy Kingdom of Glory 3. And since thy Will is holy and just and wise may we on Earth yield as ready and chearful an obedience to it in all things as the blessed Angels themselves do who stand in thy Presence and do whatever thou commandest them 4. Unless Thou preservest us we all perish We therefore humbly beseech Thee that Thou wouldest give us all things needful both for our Souls and Bodies and bless us in the due use of them We are indeed unworthy of such Mercies by reason of our manifold Transgressions But 5. We humbly hope Thou wilt in tender compassion to us pardon all our Offences against Thee as we do sincerely forgive all those who have offended against us and we beseech Thee to encrease this Charity in us 6. And together with thy Pardon for all that is past we implore thy Grace to preserve us continually from offending Thee for the time to come And to that end do Thou by thy Providence either prevent us from falling into Temptations or by thy Grace so assist us that we may overcome them Deliver us from the Snares and Malice of the evil one and from all sin and wickedness and from the Miseries of this Life so far as thou seest fit for us and above all from everlasting Death Conclusion Hear us and graciously answer our Petitions for thou art the great King whose power is infinite and to thee shall all the glory of thâ— goodness and mercy be returned for ever and ever Amen So be it On the Lord's Day before Church add this to the general Prayer IN an humble and thankful sense of thy infinite goodness O Lord who art pleased to admit us thy unworthy Creatures to tread thy Courts I am going to thine House there to present my Soul and Body to thee in the Assembly of thy Saints O do thou draw nigh to me who am drawing nigh to thee in a holy Fellowship with those who profess the Christian Faith Let thy Holy Spirit compose my Mind to a serious and devout attention in all the parts of thy Divine Service Let me praise thy Name with Chearfulness pray unto thee with Earnestness and hear thy word with Reverence And vouchsafe more fully to inform me of my Duty to correct and amend what is amiss in me to encourage and strengthen my good Resolutions and to assist me in all well-doing for the time to come That so growing every Day better and better by my Communion with Thee I may become such as thou canst love and delight in now and wilt reward at the great Day of the Lord Jesus Amen When you come from Church pray thus I adore thee again O Lord of Life and Glory and do most humbly beseech thee to accept of that dedication I have made of my Soul and Body to thee with Prayers and Praises in the publick Congregation Pardon all the wandring and evil Thoughts and all the unfit Actions I may have been guilty of in my attendance upon thee Be merciful to me in pardoning all my sins and endue me with the grace of thy Holy Spirit Preserve in me always a Religious sense of thee whereever I am or whatsoever I do O Blessed Jesus I beseech thee that thy holy Laws may be more deeply engraven on my heart O that every truth I have learnt this day may be so faithfully remembred by me as may make me more diligent in my Calling more useful in my Conversation more dutiful in all my Relations and more contented in all Conditions that so running the way of thy Commandments I may at length attain thy gracious Promises and be made Partaker of thy everlasting Kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen A Prayer before Confirmation O Almighty God and Merciful Father through whose gracious Providence over me I have been admitted into thy
Church by Baptism pardon I beseech thee all my former Breaches of that holy Covenant which I was then entred into And now that I am going to renew my Baptismal Vows in my own Person so strengthen me with all the graces of thy Holy Spirit that I may make open Profession of thy Holy Religion at all times hereafter and speak and think and live as becomes a true Member of Christ Give me Grace to mortifie all my evil and corrupt Affections and daily to proceed in all vertue and godliness of living till I at last attain the end of my hopes even the Salvation of my Soul through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord Amen A Prayer before the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper O Holy Just and Gracious God it is of thy Mercy alone that I am not consumed and because thy Compassions fail not I have by my manifold Provocations deserved the utmost of thy wrath and indignation against me yet behold thou hast not only spared me but hast now also invited me to the renewing of that Holy Covenant which I have so often and so shamefully broken I am not worthy of that daily bread which sustains my bodily Life how then shall I dare to approach thy Holy Table to partake of that Bread of Life which thou hast prepared for the food of Pious and Holy souls O Lord it is true my guiltiness makes me tremble to come and yet it makes me not dare to stay away For where can my polluted Soul be washed but in the Fountain of thy Sons Blood That alone which was shed for the remission of sins can take away all its stains Hither therefore I come according to thy gracious Invitation and hope that my Person and Service may be accepted in thy beloved Son To that end do thou prepare my heart to draw nigh to thee Let thy Divine Spirit breath into my Soul such holy Thoughts and devout Affections as may become one who commemorates the death of the Son of God who was wounded for our Iniquities and bruised for our Transgressions O let my heart be deeply affected with such a sense of sin as may make me hate the very thoughts of every evil way for the future and chuse to endure any thing rather than to despise the riches of his love And while I remember the love of my Blessed Saviour in dying for me a Sinner may I never forget to exercise Charity towards all Men even Enemies as well as Friends Let every Grace be so confirmed and strengthened in me that I may serve thee sincerely and acceptably all the days of my Life perfecting Holiness in thy fear Fulfil O Gracious Lord all my Petitions and grant that I may be made Partaker of the benefits of Christ's most blessed Body and Blood here and of his glory hereafter through the merits of the same our Saviour Jesus Christ Amen A Prayer at the Sacrament immediately before Receiving O Blessed Lord Jesus I remember with all humility and love and gratitude how thy Sacred Body was broken and thy Precious Blood poured out for sinners And I am now come to receive this Bread and this Wine which thou hast appointed as the Sacramental Representations of them O let that Sacrifice of thine which thou didst once make when thou didst offer up thy Sacred Body upon the Cross be effectual for the Salvation of my Soul and Body Here is that which my Soul longeth and thirsteth after O let me not be sent empty away Give me thy self and with thy self thy Holy Spirit to take possession of me and let me feel that it always dwells in me by those Heavenly Graces moving in my Soul which are the blessed fruits and effects of it Awaken mâ— Repentance encrease my Faith inflame my Charity Thankfulness and Devotion Make me a meet Partaker of thy Holy Supper here and of the Joâ—s of thy Kingdom hereafter through Christ Jesus Amen A Prayer after the Sacrament I Return unto thee O most gracious and glorious God all praise and thanks for thine infinite and inconceivable Mercies to us the Children of Men and especiall I desire to bless and magnify thy Holâ— Name for that wonderful love of thine in sending thy dear Son to die for Sinners and for that great Grace which thou hast now vouchsafed thy humble Servant in giving me a fresh assurance of an Interest in that precious Death by admitting me to partake of thy holy Sacrament ordained in remembrance of it O may I never forget what thou hast done for my Soul but carry the thoughts of it along with me to all the â—ctions of my life that it may be in me a Spring of entire obedience unto thee all the rest of my daâ—s This is indeed my unfeigned desire that may never break those Vows and Promises of a Holy Life which I have made to thee this day But I am afraid of my own treache ous Heart and the Assaults which will be made upon me by my spiritual Enemies least they should betray me into the breach of thy Holy Commandments O therefore let the assistance of thy holy Spirit be ever with me and the grace always prevent and follow me and then I trust I shall approve my self thy faithful Servant in all things and finish my course with joy With my own I desire the happiness of all Mankind that they who are still in darkness and in the shadow of Death may see the salvation of God and taste how Gracious thou art to Christians and that all those who are called by the Name of Christ may depart from Iniquity and adorn the Doctrine of Christ their Saviour in all things May we all glorifie thy Name in this World and live for ever to praise thee in the World to come through Christ our Lord Amen A Prayer to be used by or with or for a Sick Person Note that in this Prayer when used for another I must be changed to He She or We and Me to Him or Her and My to His or Her O Most Righteous and Merciful Lord the God of Health and of Sickness of Life and of Death I most humbly acknowledge the justice of thy present Visiation upon thy Servant whose Sins had long agoe deserved it from thee Yet since thou designest not the ruine but the amendment of those whom thou scourgest I beseech thee by thy Grace to sanctify this Correction to me that this sickness to my Body may be a means of health to my Soul Deliver Me from all frowardness and impatience under it and give me an entire resignation to thy Divine will If in thy good Providence thou hast appointed that I shall live longer upon Earth Lord bless all means that are uâ—ed for my recovery and give me grace to amend the rest of my Life and with good works to glorifie thy holy Name But if thou hast otherwise determined and this Sickness must be unto Death O fit and prepare me for it Wean my Heart from