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
blessed words Our Father c. Remember good Phil. that when you have received the Holy Sacrament your Greatest Work is then but beginning which is to observe all the promises you have made to God of future Obedience and therefore 't is good for you to read over now and then and to renew your Resolutions and to examine your self How you have kept them that you may preserve in your soul a serious sense of your duty and a conscientious care to perform it A Form of General Thanksgiving WOrthy art Thou O Lord of heaven and earth to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast created all things and for Thy pleasure they are and were created Thou hast made heaven the Heaven of Heavens with all their Host the earth and all things that are therein Thou preservest them all and the Host of Heaven praiseth Thee Glory be to Thee O Lord God Almighty for creating man after Thine own image and making so great variety of Creatures to minister to His use Glory be to Thee who givest us life and breath and all things who givest us fruitful seasons and fillest our hearts with food and gladness Glory be to Thee O Lord God for all Thy many blessings and deliverances for all Thy forbearance and long-suffering to this sinful Nation Glory be to Thee O Lord who hast made me also share in those publick mercies and for that light of the Gospel Thou vouchsafest us of which the greatest part of the world is totally ignorant Glory be to Thee O Heavenly Father for my being and preservation strength and health understanding and memory friends and benefactors and for all my Abilities of mind and of body Glory be to Thee O heavenly Father for my competent livelyhood for my education in this Colledge for all my known or Unobserved deliverances and for the guard Thy holy Angels keep over me But above all Glory be to Thee for giving Thy only Son to die for my sins and for all the spiritual blessings he has purchast for me for my Baptism and all the opportunities Thou givest me of serving Thee or of receiving the holy Eucharist for whatever sin I have escapt for whatever good I have done or thought for all my helps of grace and hopes of Heaven Glory be to Thee Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise His Holy Name Glory be to Thee O Lord Jesus for Thy inexpressible Love to Lost man Glory be to Thee O Lord for Condescending to take our frail Nature on Thee Glory be to Thee for all Thy Heavenly Doctrine to Instruct us Thy great Miracles to Convince us and Thy unblamable Example to Guide us Glory be to Thee O Blessed Jesus for Thy Agony and bloudy sweat for all the torments and anguish of thy bitter passion Glory be to Thee O Blessed Jesus for Thy Glorious Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven and Intercession for us at the right hand of Thy Father O Gracious Lord Thou that hast done so much for me How can I ever sufficiently Praise and Love Thee Praise the Lord Jesus O my Soul and all that is within me Praise His Holy Name Glory be to Thee O Blessed Spirit Glory be to Thee for all the Miraculous Gifts and Graces Thou didst bestow on the Apostles to fit them to Convert the World and for Inspiring the Sacred Pen-men of Holy Scripture Glory be to Thee for Instilling Holy Thoughts into my soul for all the Ghostly strength and support and comfort and illumination we receive from Thee for all Thy Preventing and restraining and Sanctifying Grace Glory be to Thee Blessed Spirit let me never more by my sins grieve Thee who art the Author of life and Joy to me Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me Praise His Holy Name Here Phil. if you recite this Thanksgiving on any great Festival or Saints day you may add Particularly O Lord am I bound to Praise Thee for the great blessing we this day Commemorate Here mention it For instance the Nativity of our Blessed Saviour or the likâ— Or for the Saint whose memory we this day celebrate Here you may name him and add Praise the Lord therefore O my Soul and all that is within me Praise His Holy Name Blessing and Honour and Thanksgiving and Praise more than I can Utter more than I can Conceive be unto Thee O most Adorable Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost by all Angels All Men All Creatures for ever and ever Amen Amen A Form of General Intercession HOly Holy Holy Lord God Almighty I miserable sinner humbly acknowledge that I am altogether Unworthy to pray for my self but since Thou hast Commanded us to make prayers and intercessions for all men in obedience to Thy Command and in Confidence of Thy Unlimited Goodness I commend to Thy Mercy and Divine Providence the Wants and Necessities of all Mankind Lord let it be Thy good pleasure to restore to Thy Church Catholick Primitive peace and purity and to preserve it against the Gates of Hell Particularly O Lord God I implore Thy Mercy for this sinful Nation for the iniquity of the land is exceeding Great Alas alas we are Unthankful for Thy blessings incorrigible under Thy Judgments and unprofitable under all the means of Grace and what can we expect from Thee but to drink deep of the Cup of Thy Wrath And Wretch that I am my sins have increased the heap of the Publick Impieties and made their Cry the louder to Heaven for vengeance But O Lord God in the midst of Judgment Remember Mercy Turn Thou us Lord and so shall we be turned O be favourable to Thy people and give us all Grace to Turn to Thee in Fasting Weeping and Mourning To put a period to our provocations and do Thou put a period to our Punishments O Lord God out of the Multitude of Thy Mercies give us grace to fear Thee and to keep Thy Commandments always that it may be well with us and Thou mayest Rejoice over us to do us good Amen Amen O let it be Thy good pleasure to bless us all from the highest to the lowest in our several stations To defend the Church of England from all the Asâ—aults of Schism or Heresie or Sacriledge and to bless all Bishops Priests and Deacons with Apostolicol graces exemplary lives and sound doctrin O let it be Thy good pleasure to save and defend our Sovereign Lord King Charles from all His Enemies grant him a long and happy reign over us and endue him with all those gifts and graces which may make him a terrour to evil works and a great promoter of Thy Glory Bless Him and all His Royal relations with a great measure of all temporal good things and with eternal Glory in the world to come Lord let it be Thy good pleasure to grant To the Privy Council Wisdom from above To all Magistrates Integrity and Zeal for Religion To
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
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
all these particulars together with all that you are to know and believe concerning the Blessed Sacrament are contained in these following Meditations which I advise you to read over devoutly at several times till you are in some measure affected with them Meditations on the Holy Eucharist On the ouâ—ward Elements I Adore Thee O Blessed Jesus My Lord and my God when I consider what that Sacrament is to which Thou now invitest me and of what parts it consists Of an Outward and visible sign and of an Inward and spiritual Grace For Thou Lord who knowest our Infirmities and how little able we are to conceive things heavenly and spiritual In pity to our dark and feeble apprehensions hast Ordained Outward and Obvious and Visible signs to represent to our minds Thy grace which is Inward and Invisible Thou hast ordained bread and wine which is our Corporal food to picture out to our Faith the food of our Souls On the Inward Part or Thing signified I know O my God that I must look through the Outward Elements and fix my faith on that which they signifie and which is the Inward and Invisible Grace even Thy own blessed Body and Bloud which is verily and indeed taken and received of the faithful in the Lords Supper But tell me O Thou whom my Soul loveth How canst Thou give us Thy flesh to Eat Lord Thou hast told me that Thy words they are Spirit and they are life and are therefore not Carnally to be understood Lord I believe Help Thou my Un-Unbelief I believe Thy body and blood to be as really present in the Holy Sacrament as Thy Divine Power can make it though the manner of Thy Mysterious presence I cannot comprehend Lord I believe that the Bread that we break and the Cup that we drink are not bare signs only but the real Communication of Thy Body and Thy Bloud and pledges to assure me of it and I verily believe that if with due preparation I come to Thy Altar as certainly as I receive the Outward Signs so certainly shall I receive the thing signified even Thy most Blessed Body and Bloud to receive which inestimable Blessing O merciful Lord do Thou fit and prepare me Amen Amen Who Instituted it I Adore Thee O Blessed Jesus my Lord and my God when I consider that this Holy Sacrament was Thy own Institution For it was Thou Lord who in the night Tâ—ou wast betrayed didst take Bread and after that the Cup and didst bless them and give them to Thy Disciples O blessed Saviour let Thy Divinity thus stampt on it strike into my Soul an Holy Awe and Reverence in approaching it O Create in me Heavenly dispositions to celebrate so Heavenly an Institution Amen Amen For what end I Adore Thee O Blessed Jesus My Lord and my God when I consider for what end Thou didst institute the Holy Sacrament implied in Thy own Command Do this in Remembrance of Me. But what need This Command O Gracious Lord is it possible for me ever to forget Thee my Saviour who hast done so great things for me Alas alas my own sad experience tells me it is wo is me every temptation every vanity is apt to make me forget Thee though Thy own Dying words bid me remember Thee But O Blessed Lord for Thy infinite Mercies sake Pardon all my stupid forgetfulness and ingratitude hitherto and do Thou now Create in me such a thankful and lively Remembrance of Thy Dying for me that may excite me to give up my self entirely to Thee as Thou didst give up Thy self on the Cross for me Amen Amen A Thanksgiving for Christs Sufferings O Thou my crucified Saviour Glory be to Thee for causing Thy sufferings to be registred in the Gospel There I have read and Remember the Wonders and Triumphs of Thy Almighty Love for which I will always Adore and Praise Thee I Remember O Gracious Lord How Thou who thoughtst it no robbery to be equal with God wast made in the Fashion of frail man of the vilest and most contemptible of men for Thou tookest on Thee the form of a very Servant I Remember how many reproaches and contradictions and blasphemies and persecutions Thou didst endure from a wicked and perverse generation and all this to save us sinfulmen O Lord Jesus was ever sorrow like unto Thy sorrow Worthy art Thou O Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Riches and Wisdom and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing I Remember O gracious Lord How Thou didst indure a most bitter Agony and didst sweat great drops of blood falling to the ground How Thou who art God above all Blessed for ever wast treacherously betrayed and apprehended and bound as a Malefactor How Thou wast set at nought by Herod and his men of war and forsaken of all Thy Disciples and denied by Peter and all this to save us sinful men O Lord Jesus was ever sorrow c. I Remember How Thou O God of Truth wast accused by false witnesses How Thou whom all the Angels adore wast blindfoldâ—d and buffeted and â—ocke and spit upon and stript naked and scourged and all this that we might be healed by Thy stripes and to save us sinful men O Lord Jesus was ever any sorrow c. I Remember Lord How Thou that art the great Judge of Heaven and Earth wast Thy self dragged to the Judgment-Seat and condemned How Thou O King of Heaven wast crowned with thorns and opprest with the weight of Thy own Cross and all this to save us sinful men O Lord Jesus was ever any sorrow c. I Remember O blessed Saviour How Thou who art the Lord of Glory and the sole Author of life wast put to a most ignominious death How Thy hands and Thy feet were nailed to a Cross How Thou wast Crucified between two Thieves and numbrâ—d with the Transgressors How Thou hadst a potion given Thee to imbitter Thy very last gasp and all this to save us sinful men O Lord Jesus was ever any sorrow c. I Remember O Gracious Lord How when Thou wert hanging on the very Cross Thou wast scoffed at and reviled How infinitely then Thou wert afflicted and bruised for our transgressions when the Iniquities of us all were laid on Thy shoulders How Thou didst then express an anguish greater then all the tortures of Thy Crucifixion when Thou didft cry out My God my God why hast Thou forsaken Me and how Thou didst at last give up the Ghost and die Thy self that we might live O Lord Jesus was ever any sorrow c. I Unfeignedly believe O Gracious Lord that Thou didst suffer all this for sinful men and in particular for me when we were all Thy utter enemies and had nothing in us to move Thee to pity us but our extream misery Nothing to move Thee to save us but our great Unworthiness and Thy greater Mercy O the depth of the Riches of Thy Love Blessed Lord
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