place O Lord grant that by my life I may answer the ends of my admission and the purposes of our Noble Founder's Charity Sanctify my memory to treasure up good things purifie my conscience to have peace in thee and reform my will to do thy pleasure Teach me to be humble and meek to be patient full of content and thankfulness for the riches of thy mercy For how poor must that man be who is not content with a God so rich as thou art Let the remainder of my time be spent in the thoughts of eternity and the ravishing joys of another life that while I carry about with me this decay'd and wither'd body which will soon moulder into dust and ashes while I have time and opportunity I may endeavour to live in thy fear that I may dye in thy favour O thou Strength and Redeemer of Israel Amen On the Founder's Day BLessed be thy Name O God and this happy Morn wherein the Foundation of my present Comfort of this Life was laid wherein this Noble Benefaction was given by Thomas Sutton a great Lover of Souls and Bodies who has so plentifully provided for the repair and support of my aged Body and the heavenly entertainment of my Soul O my Soul give thanks unto the Lord for he is good and his mercy endureth for ever This Day let us worship him in the beauty of holiness let us come before his Presence with Thanksgiving and make a joyful noise unto him with Psalms Blow the Trumpet at the time appointed at our Solemn Feast-day Be pleased O Lord to send the Influence of thy Grace upon me that I may answer the intent and purposes of our Noble Founder in my Life and Conversation that my years and department may be exemplary for Piety and Devotion that I may sanctifie this Earth with a blameless and angelick Life and that at my last hour I may be reconciled unto Thee or else all these Benefits will rather become a Curse than a Blessing unto me Teach me O dearest Saviour to live a life worthy of the name I bear as a Member of thy Church worthy of the Blessings I have received of the Food I eat and the Ease I take of the Love my gracious God hath shewed to me and the Glory he has reserved for me I live in the abundance of thy Favours and within the influence of thy Goodness I thank thee O Lord for the fixedness and condition of my Life for many corporal and earthly comforts which I now enjoy nay thy blessings exceed far the number of my sins which are more than the hairs upon my head In this House is God known and his Name is great in our Israel for his mercy reacheth unto the Heavens and his truth unto the Clouds O Lord thou hast brought up my Soul from the grave thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down unto the Pit Thou art my Shepherd and I shall never want yea though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of Death I will fear no evil for thou art with me thy Rod and thy Staff they comfort me This day thou preparedst a full Table for me surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and afterwards I hope to dwell in the House of the Lord for ever When I looked round about and saw no hand to help me thy Providence relieved my fears and all my wants and led me to this Habitation of Comfort When I was weak and stooped for Age thou wast my strength and the lifter up of my head when my eyes waxed dim and I was almost banished from the sense of the pleasures of this life thou didst recompense that loss with the joyful prospect of those Blessings which are in the Kingdom above Though my hands and the Pillars of my House tremble yet I rejoyce because my hope is founded upon the Rock of Ages which cannot be removed but abideth stedfast for ever My Passions decay and all things prove insipid unto me I have but a small relish of mortal Joys because the sense of them is swallowed up in the unexpressible thoughts of Heaven and Happiness what I am capable of partaking of in this life I heartily thank the Great Preserver of Men that he has plenteously afforded it me I had perisht long ago if I had not been sustained by his protecting Hand Therefore will I pour forth his deserved Praises with a joyful and thankful heart hoping in God's due time to sing Eternal Hallelujahs with the Blessed Saints above O thou first born of the Dead put me always in mind of the Resurrection now I am full of years let me be full of Grace and full of Faith I am heartily sensible of all the Miscarriages of a long and sinful Life yet thy mercy is over all thy Works though my Sins are as Scarlet yet thou canst make me all over as white as Snow As I have tasted of thy benefits here so let me partake of thy Salvation hereafter I consult not with Flesh and Blood but rely upon thy Providence desiring thee to bestow upon me Wisdom and Patience and Thanksgiving to know thy Will to suffer what I deserved and to extoll and praise my Guide to everlasting Glory This is the glorious Day of Relief and Consolation therefore from the rising up of the Sun to the going down of the same the Lord's Name be praised The Dead praise not the Lord nor any that go down into the Pit but we that are alive and in health who live in the Enjoyment of his peculiar Blessings will bless the Lord from this time forth for evermore Glory be to God on high on Earth peace and good will towards men Amen Vpon the Decease of a Pensioner O Thou who art the Spring and Original of all Comfort the Hope of them that live and the Resurrection of the Dead Sanctifie this mournful occasion to me thy Servant that I may seasonably prepare for my latter end and wisely provide for the journey to my long Home Spare me a little before I go hence and be no more seen I am daily sensible of the near approaches of death every moment I receive some warnings of mortality and I know within a few days I must depart and render an account of all my life Therefore teach me rightly to state the Accounts of my Soul and to improve the precious minutes of my stay in this life for on the least of them depends Eternity My Soul longeth and waiteth for the living God I desire in thy due time to appear before thy glorious Presence that I may see the good things thou hast laid up in Heaven for them that are thine Confirm my hope and make it perfect until I enjoy the lively Fruits of thy assured Salvation Bear me upon thy saving wings through the miseries of this life and let not the mire and clay wherein I stick fast detain me for ever For thy Names sake
O Lord have mercy upon me for my sin is great If every moment we offend thee and can do nothing as we ought then how long must my Accusation be who have so many years repeated so many transgressions How dreadful must the thoughts of the Process of the Day of Judgment be unto me who have been so long an experienced sinner I faint at my own unworthiness and yet otherwise I cannot appear before thee O Lord I have no other qualification for thy mercy but my extream misery I am now brought very low to a vale of misery and tears surrounded with all the Chambers and Instruments of Death This dear Brother just deceased only shews the way that I must soon follow e're long I must repair to the House of mourning I must bid my last farewel to the world but wo and eternal sorrow will be my Portion if I dye in my sins and depart in thy displeasure Therefore out of the abundance of thy love pardon cleanse and reform my poor and sinful Soul send me thy sanctifying thy guiding and supporting Spirit that I may pass safely through the valley of Death in the lively sense of thy mercies and the refreshments of thy love in the hopes of pardon and the expectation of glory O thou ancient of days at whose voice the pillars of Heaven shake and the whole Creation trembles thou art my strength and defence in whom is my sole trust deliver my Soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling cleanse me from all my iniquities and purge me from my secret sins for Heaven is so holy a place that no impure thing can inhabit there teach me so to number the rest of my days that I may apply my heart unto Wisdom Here length of days is in her right hand and her ways lead to those rivers of joy which are at Gods right hand for evermore O Lord who art touched with a sense of my Infirmities let me not be afraid of the thoughts of Death that King of Terrours but soften its severity by a mild Commission sweeten its bitterness with the most pleasant relishes of joy and immortality My life I had of thee and all the blessings I have enjoyed ever since I came into the World O Lord make me willing to render them back again into thy hands Whom have I in Heaven but thee and I desire no other Saviour but thee Teach me often to meditate on Heaven that I may wish for it of Hell that I may abhorr it of Death that I may expect it and of the Day of Judgment that I may be prepared for it To thy mercy I appeal I fly unto thee for succour my sole dependance is on thy love I fear love reverence and adore thy goodness which is thy glory Blessed is the man whom thou choosest for though he seemeth to decay and perish to be a companion of death though the body wax feeble and impotent yet he lives the life of Faith he lives in the secure Courts of thy protection and the Guardian Angels pitch their Tents round about him Let not this be a short heat and suddain fit of Devotion raised by this late instance of mortality and the amazing thoughts of Death but may these exercises of piety continue and endure to my lives end For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth and though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God Amen In the Morning before he stirs abroad O Lord God Almighty who makest the out-goings of the Morning and Evening to praise Thee I cannot but reverence and adore thy Divine Majesty for the Blessings of the last Night for my Preservation from all evils both of Body and Soul I laid me down and slept and rose up again for the Lord hath sustained me For I am a weak and aged Creature surrounded with Infirmities of Nature and seldom free from the assault of Temptations night and day Though my Limbs wax stiff and cold yet let my Soul be vigorous and fervent that like Jacob I may seem to wrestle with thee for thou delightest in the earnest and importunate Solicitations of thy people Now I am risen from my place of slumber teach me to look upwards to found my hopes on Thee to fix my eye upon that holy place from whence the day does break Bless me in all my endeavours and duties of this day that in every action I may have a regard to thy glory and the salvation of my own Soul Unto thee O Lord have I cryed and early in the morning shall my Prayer come before thee As long as I live will I magnifie thee on this manner and lift up my hands in thy Name O let me hear of thy loving kindness in the morning betimes for in thee is my trust Shew me the way I should walk in for I lift up my Soul unto thee I desire to dedicate the powers of my Soul the Affections of my heart and the Faculties of my Body to be thy Faithful Loyal and Obedient Servants Extend O merciful Father thy loving kindness over all the World especially this sinful Land of my Nativity Herein bless his most Excellent Majesty his Royal Consort and the Illustrious Prince let the Sons of Violence do them no harm Let Mercy and Truth preserve him and his Throne be establish't for ever before thee O thou who art the wonderful Counsellor and Prince of Peace Be gracious to thine Inheritance for the glory of thy Name let not thine Enemies devour the Church and lay waste her dwelling places Defend it with the Custody of Angels and the Patronage of Kings and Princes that She may flourish under the Beams of thy Favour and Providence take root and spread and fill all Lands that the whole Nation may be blessed with thy health and salvation Bless our Noble Governours under whose care and protection we live and are sustained Let thy Truth and Mercy be ever with them and when they have happily finish't their Course in this Life crown their Wisdom and Fidelity with Immortality and Glory Hear me for all those whom I am obliged to by the bonds of Duty Charity or Affection Pity all those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death preserve them in the midst of an untoward and sinful Generation Avert thy Judgments from us and soften the hearts of all our Enemies O Lord whom my Soul does desire and my Spirit seeks early in the morning How excellent is thy Name in all the World Grant me a pure intention of mind and a stedfast regard of thy glory in all my Actions Create in me sorrow for my sins thankfulness for thy benefits fear of thy Judgments and love of thy mercies that I may have a continual reverence for thy Name and be mindful of thy presence for evermore Every morning I draw nearer the last Stage of my Life therefore
Sir James Altham one of the Barons of the Exchequer One piece of Plate of the value of Twenty pounds Item I give to my late wives kinsman Guy Godolphin the sum of Ten pounds Item I give to the Right Honourable my very good Lord the Earl of Suffolk the sum of Four hundred pounds All the rest of my Goods Chattels and Debts not before given and disposed I give and bequeath to my intended Hospital to be imployed and bestowed on and about the same according to the discretion of the Feoffees of my said Hospital or the greater part of them In witness hereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal the Twenty eighth day of the Month of November above written Thomas Sutton Memorandum That the same Testator did acknowledge this his Will written and contained in these Three and twenty leaves to be his last Will and Testament and that his Hand and Seal set thereunto is his own Hand and Seal and that he had heard it read and was acquainted with the Contents of it the said Twenty Eighth of November above written In presence of us John Law Leonard Houghton Alexander Longworth Thomas Hall The Mark of Richard Pearce The Mark of Thomas Johnson Primo Decembris 1611. idem recognitum per Testatorem coram Jo. Crooke Quarto Decembris 1611. recognit to be the Testators last Will. Before me Henry Thoresby A Codicil to be annexed to the last Will and Testament of Thomas Sutton Esquire made and declared the Day whereon he died being the Twelfth of December One thousand six hundred and eleven ITem he gave and bequeathed to Mr. Judge Crooke one of the Judges of the King's Bench at Westminster the Sum of Ten pounds And to Mr. Henry Thoresby one of the Masters of the Court of Chancery the like Sum of Ten pounds And to Mrs. Sutton of London Widow the Sum of Three pounds six shillings eight pence to make her a Ring Also he gave to Mr. Hutton Clerk and Vicar of Littlebury the Advowson or next Presentation to the Parsonage of Dunsby in the County of Lincoln Also he did then publish and declare before Mr. Flud Parson of Stoke-Newington in the County of Middlesex Robert Petit Alexander Longworth John Parsons and Thomas Johnson his Cook that he had made his Will and thereof had made and ordained Richard Sutton of London Esquire and John Law his Executors I thought good to make a Conclusion of all with some proper Devotions relating to those particular Occasions which concern the Fourscore pious and aged Gentlemen c. Not that I intend by any means to detract from the excellency and usefulness of the Prayers of the Church for these are only designed for private Offices at home and possibly by Gods assistance may be instrumental to the Improvement of their Thankfulness to God and their Preparation for their latter end Here likewise I thought it might be convenient to place several Orders which hang up in the lesser Hall of the Pensioners by which they are to square and regulate their Manners so that they might have in a narrow compass contained the several Instances of their publick and private Duty Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy word For mine eyes have seen thy Salvation which thou hast prepared before the face of all People To be a Light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel Eccles 12. The years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them while the Sun or the Light or the Moon or the Stars be not darkned nor the Clouds return after the rain In the day when the a The ribs keepers of the house shall tremble and the b The Legs strong men shall bow themselves and the c Teeth grinders cease because they are few and those that look out of the d Eyes windows be darkned Or ever the e Circulation of the Blood silver cord be loosed or the f Liver golden bowl be broken or the pitcher be broken at the fountain or the wheel at the cistern then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the Spirit shall return to God who gave it Job 5.26 Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age like as a shock of corn cometh in his season ORDERS made by the Governours of the Hospital of King JAMES founded in Charter-house by Thomas Sutton Esquire at several times since the beginning of the said Hospital and yet continuing in force and to be observed or known by the poor Men Pensioners and Brothers of the said Hospital for the time being as follow NO poor Man shall be admitted into the Hospital unless he shall appear to be clean and sound of body from any foul and infectious Disease Per Ordinem fact 10 Decemb. 1613 And to prevent that none be admitted that is infected with any infectious Disease It is Ordered that the Chirurgion of the Hospital for the time being shall view and search the Body of such a person if there be any cause of suspicion before he be admitted Per Ordinem 24 Februarii 1622. No poor Man that shall be a Member of the Hospital shall wear any long Hair or any Weapons within the said House or have any Weapons within their several Lodgings Per Ordinem 10 Decemb. 1613. Every poor Man of this Hospital that shall happen to fall so sick that he cannot come into the Hall to take his repast then he shall have his part in Diet in his Chamber or his weekly allowance in mony for it as the Master and the Steward in their discretions shall hold meet Per Ordinem 22 Decemb. 1615. The Master of the Hospital for the time being and every Officer poor Man and every Member of the same shall take their Diet in the Dining Halls appointed for that purpose and not in their Chambers unless it be in time of Sickness or upon some urgent occasion such as the Master shall allow of Provided that they do not then exceed the proportion of Diet that is set down and established Per Ordinem 21 Januarii 1618. No Officer Pensioner or Member of this Hospital shall send or carry away any Bread Beer or Meat from their Tables when they shall be at Dinner and Supper in the said Dining-Halls but if any Bread Beer or Meat shall happen to be left it shall be bestow'd on such poor men and women that shall from time to time be appointed and allowed to do service in the said Hospital or otherwise as the Master in his discretion shall hold fitting but not any of it to be sold for mony Per Ordinem 21 Januarii 1618. One of the poor Men of the Hospital in their several turns and the Master Cook of the said Hospital shall go weekly to the Market with the Steward or his Man to buy the Provision of Fish and Flesh for the Diet of the Hospital that choice may be made by
Lord assist me with thy Grace that I may be the more prepared every minute for my dissolution that when I hear news of thy Messenger Death I may not be amazed and wax faint but hope in thy Salvation Let this Day be a day of Reformation and Repentance that though I am weak and aged yet I may become a new Creature and serve thee in true holiness and righteousness all the days of my life Rule and govern my heart that it may every day be intent and studious upon good things that I may not live as an useless Creature and so become a burthen to the Earth Support me in this my long Pilgrimage in the Journey of this day and the performances thereof hold me by thy right hand that my feet slip not aside that I may fall into no danger I brought nothing into this World and it is certain I can carry nothing out therefore O Lord be thou my portion and my hope in whom I will ever trust My abode here is of no long continuance which often puts me in mind of Eternity My present weakness and poverty reminds me of thy strength and the riches of thy glory Remember thy Promises O merciful Father and suffer me never to forget thy Praises O fail me not this day following and all the days of my life my God and my Redeemer through Jesus Christ his sake Amen An Evening Prayer OMnipotent and Everlasting God thou who neither slumberest nor sleepest the great Shepherd of Israel I dare not commit my body to rest before I have commended my soul to thee I dare not suffer my eyes to sleep nor mine eye-lids to slumber nor the temples of my head to take any rest before I have poured out my soul before Thee in Praises and Thanksgiving for the blessings of this day past and the succours of thy Favours for the length of my life and the continuance of thy Providence for the comforts of my soul and the refreshment of my body which I have largely received The Day is thine and the Night is thine therefore let me experience thy goodness in both Let my Prayers be set forth in thy sight as Incense and the lifting up of my hands be as the Evening Sacrifice I humbly thank thee for all the late Instances of thy love and goodness for the improvement of my time and the blessed opportunities of Divine worship for the occasions of doing good and the benefit of holy conference for the gracious issues of thy love and the manifestation of thy glory make me to remember that the more Blessings I receive the greater will my account be at the last day Take away all the mutinous thoughts of repining nature that when I consider the happiness of my birth and the quality of my education I may not quarrel with my present condition but study to repay as much thankfulness as I receive charity Praised be thy Name that I am thus provided for that I have a place whereon to lay my head and that I am not tempted to put forth my hand to wickedness for some strange course of supply Whenever I consider of the mean circumstances of my condition let me then remember the smalness of my deserts who might well be satisfied with the bread and water of Affliction or with the crums that fall from other mens Tables Possess me with this seasonable perswasion that this my present state is fittest for me and make me sensible that thy Providence does visit the lowest condition of men and that the beams of thy Favour do reach unto the most withdrawn and solitary places of the world O thou who art pleased to call thy self the Hearer of Prayers give me a tender sense of Conscience that out of the abundance of my sorrow I may pour out a most plentiful and hearty confession of my sins before thee Make me to consider seriously that all pain and grief is but the fruit of sin and that as all sickness naturally makes way for death so death in it self is the fore-runner of Condemnation Why should I cover and hide my sins from thee when the discovery of them is the way to receive thy pardon and release For thou hast bound thy self by a promise to hear and assist all those that seek thee with an unfeigned heart I have a thousand ways done evil in thy sight My Prayers have been interrupted my Meditations perplexed and robbed of their wonted sweetness and my careless hearing and reading of thy Word hath proved unprofitable My faith has been encountred with grievous doubtings because I cannot feel that strength and power of thy Spirit which I desire I am compassed about with many weaknesses as I have found by the experience of this day Satan is full of his old subtilty to work upon all advantages therefore give me thy holy wisdom to discover his snares and thy grace to withstand his siercest assaults O Lord forgive my Ignorance and forget my Presumption pardon my iniquities committed both in youth and age give me prudence and sobriety to carry my self among men out of the reach of just exception and arm me with resolution that I may sacrifice my credit and estimation nay life it self if need be for the testimony of thy Faith Let me not be haunted with troops of unquiet thoughts because I feed on Charity when my Relations live plenteously upon their own for all the World is thine and thou art an equal Lord and Disposer of that and this too Enrich my Soul with Spiritual Blessings in heavenly things raise and ennoble my Soul that it may not dwell too long upon the Earth but often be entertained with the thoughts of that City above which hath Foundations whose Builder and Maker is God Make me to see the depth of my sins that I do not flatter and deceive my Soul pardon the vanities of my youth and the offences of my riper years When I look upon my days that are past and consider how much time has been consumed in sin and folly and how little in the exercises of Piety and offices of Religion when I behold all my sins marshalled in rank and order before my eys I am even ashamed and confounded within my self and have no other sanctuary to repair unto but thy mercy and goodness Let not thy Graces in me wither with my age nor my zeal for thy glory cool with the decay of bodily heat Suffer me not to put the evil day far from me to delude my Soul with the idle hopes of living a little and a little longer but teach me with St. Paul to dye daily Now therefore do I bow my Soul to thee O God and humbly lay my self low before thy Throne pity these feeble and trembling knees have mercy upon thy poor Suppliant though now sleep be ready to seize upon the eyes of my body yet let not vain security oppress my Soul I am now thinking of thy everlasting Rest which I hope at length to