seeth not therefore the land is full of blood and the city full of perversenesse What a childe would do in the eye of his Father and a Pupil before his Tutor and a Wife in the presence of her Husband and a servant in the sight of his Master let us alwayes do the same for we are made a spectacle to God to Angels and to men we are alwayes in the sight and presence of the Allseeing and Almighty God who also is to us a Father and a Guardian a Husband and a Lord. Prayers and Devotions according to the religion and purposes of the foregoing Considerations I. For grace to spend our time well O Eternal God who from all eternity doest behold and love thy own glories and perfections infinite and hast created me to do the work of God after the manner of men and to serve thee in this generation and according to my capacities give me thy grace that I may be a curious and prudent spender of my time so as I may best prevent or resist all temptations and be profitable to the Christian Common-wealth and by discharging all my duty may glorifie thy Name Take from me all slothfulnesse and give me a diligent and an active spirit and wisdom to choose my imployment that I may do works proportionable to my person and to the dignity of a Christian and may fill up all the spaces of my time with actions of religion and charity that when the Devil assaults me he may not finde me idle and my dearest Lord at his sudden coming may finde me busie in lawful necessary and pious actions improving my talent intrusted to me by thee my Lord that I may enter into the joy of my Lord to partake of his eternal felicities even for thy mercie sake and for my dearest Saviours sake Amen Here follows the devotion of ordinary dayes for the right imployment of those portions of â—ime which every day must allow for religion The first prayers in the Morning as soon as we are dressed Humbly and reverently compose your self with heart lift up to God and your head bowed and meekly kneeling upon your knees say the Lords Prayer after which use the following Collects or as many of them as you shall choose Our Father which art in Heaven c. I. An act of adoration being the song that the Angels sing in Heaven HOly Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Heaven and Earth Angels and Men the Aire and the Sea give glory and honour and thanks to him that sitteth on the throne who liveth for ever and ever All the blessed spirits and souls of the righteous cast their crowns before the throne and worship him that liveth for ever and ever Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Great and marvellous are thy works O Lord God Almighty Just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Thy wisdom is infinite thy mercies are glorious and I am not worthy O Lord to appear in thy presence before whom the Angels hide their faces O Holy and Eternal Jesus Lamb of God who wert slain from the beginning of the world thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every nation and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall reigne with thee for ever Blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth on the throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever Amen II. An act of thanksgiving being the song of David for the Morning SIng praises unto the Lord O ye saints of his and give thanks to him for a remembrance of his holinesse For his wrath indureth but the twinkling of an eye and in his pleasure is life heavinesse may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning Thou Lord hast preserved me this night from the violence of the spirits of darknesse from all sad casualtyes and evil accidents from the wrath which I have every day deserved thou hast brought my soul out of hell thou hast kept my life from them that go down into the pit thou hast shewed me marvellous great kindesse and hast blessed me for ever the greatnesse of thy glory reacheth unto the heavens and thy truth unto the clouds Therefore shall every good man sing of thy praise without ceasing O my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever Allelujah III. An act of oblation or presenting our selves to God for the day MOst Holy and Eternal God Lord and Soveraigne of all the creatures I humbly present to thy divine Majesty my self my soul and body my thoughts and my words my actions and intentions my passions and my sufferings to be disposed by thee to thy glory to be blessed by thy providence to be guided by thy counsel to be sanctified by thy spirit and afterwards that my body and soul may be received into glory for nothing can perish which is under thy custody and the enemy of souls cannot devour what is thy portion nor take it out of thy hands This day O Lord and all the dayes of my life I dedicate to thy honour and the actions of my calling to the uses of grace and the religion of all my dayes to be united to the merits and intercession of my holy Saviour Jesus that in him and for him I may be pardoned and accepted Amen IV. An act of repentance or contrition FOr as for me I am not worthy to be called thy servant much lesse am I worthy to be thy son for I am the vilest of sinners and the worst of men a lover of the things of the world and a despiser of the things of God proud and envious lustful and intemperate greedy of sin and impatient of reproof desirous to seem holy and negligent of being so transported with interest fool'd with presumption and false principles disturb'd with anger with a peevish and unmortified spirit and disordered by a whole body of sin and death Lord pardon all my sins for my sweetest Saviours sake thou who didst dye for me Holy Jesus save me and deliver me reserve not my sins to be punished in the day of wrath and eternal vengeance but wash away my sins and blot them out of thy remembrance and purifie my soul with the waters of repentance and the bloud of the crosse that for what is past thy wrath may not come out against me and for the time to come I may never provoke thee to anger or to jealousie O just and dear God be pitiful and gracious to thy servant Amen V. The prayer or petition BLesse me gracious God in my calling to such purposes as thou shalt choose for me or imploy me in Relieve me in all my sadnesses make my bed in my ficknesse give me patience in my sorrows confidence in thee and grace to call upon thee in all temptations O be thou my
glory and power be unto him that sitteth on the throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever Amen Holy is our God * Holy is the Almighty Holy is the Immortal Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabaoth have mercy upon me Ejaculations and short meditations to be used in the Night when we wake Stand in awe and sin not commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still I will lay me down in peace and sleep for thou Lord onely makest me dwell in safety O Father of Spirits and the God of all flesh have mercy and pity upon all sick and dying Christians and receive the souls which thou hast redeemed returning unto thee Blessed are they that dwell in the heavenly Jerusalem where there is no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glorie of God does lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof And there shal be no night there they need no candle for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign for ever and ever Revel 21.23 Meditate on Iacobs wrastling with the Angel all night be thou also importunate with God for a blessing and give not over till he hath blessed thee Meditate on the Angel passing over the children of Israel and destroying the Egyptians for disobedience and oppression Pray for the grace of obedience and charity and for the divine protection Meditate on the Angel who destroyed in a night the whole army of the Assyrians for fornication Call to minde the sins of thy youth the sins of thy bed and say with David My reins chasten me in the night season and my soul refuseth comfort Pray for pardon and the grace of chastity Meditate on the agonies of Christ in the garden his sadnesse and affliction all that night and thank and adore him for his love that made him suffer so much for thee and hate thy sins which made it necessary for the Son of God to suffer so much Meditate on the four last things 1. The certainty of death 2. The terrours of the day of judgement 3. The joyes of Heaven 4. The pains of Hell and the eternity of both Think upon all thy friends which are gone before thee and pray that God would grant to thee to meet them in a joyful resurrection The day of the Lord will come as a thiefe in the night in the which the heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godlinesse looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God 2 Pet. 3.10.11 Lord in mercy remember thy servant in the day of Judgement Thou shalt answer for me O Lord my God In thee O Lord have I trusted let me never be confounded Amen I desire the Christian Reader to observe that all these offices or forms of prayer if they should be used every day would not spend above an hour and a halfe but because soâ—e of them are double and so but one of them to be used in one day it is much lesse and by affording to God one hour in 24. thou mayest have the comforts and rewards of devotion But he that thinks this is too much either is very busie in the world or very carelesse of heaven However I have parted the prayers into smaller portions that he may use which and how many he please in any one of the forms Ad Sect. 2. A prayer for holy Intention in the beginning and pursuit of any considerable action as Study Preaching c. O Eternal God who hast made all things for man and man for thy glory sanctifie my body and soul my thoughts and my intentions my words and actions that whatsoever I shall think or speak or do may he by me designed to the glorification of thy Name and by thy blessing it may be effective and successeful in the work of God according as it can be capable Lord turn my necessities into vertue the works of nature into the works of grace by making them orderly regular temperate subordinate and profitable to ends beyond their own proper efficacy And let no pride or self-seeking no covetousnesse or revenge no impure mixture or unhandsome purposes no little ends and low imaginations pollute my Spirit and unhallow any of my words and actions but let my body be a servant of my spirit and both body and spirit servants of Jesus that doing all things for thy glory here I may be partaker of thy glory hereafter thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Ad Sect. 3. A prayer meditating and referring to the divine presence This prayer is especially to be used in temptation to private sins O Almighty God infinite and eternal thou fillest all things with thy presence thou art every where by thy essence and by thy power in heaven by Glory in holy places by thy grace and favour in the hearts of thy servants by thy Spirit in the consciences of all men by thy testimony and observation of us Teach me to walk alwayes as in thy presence to fear thy Majesty to reverence thy wisdom and omniscience that I may never dare to commit any undecency in the eye of my Lord and my Judge but that I may with so much care and reverence demean my self that my Judge may not be my accuser but my Advocate that I expressing the belief of thy presence here by careful walking may feel the effects of it in the participation of eternal glory thorough Jesus Christ. Amen CHAP. II. Of Christian Sobriety Sect. I. Of sobriety in the general sense CHristian Religion in all its moral parts is nothing else but the Law of Nature and great Reason complying with the great necessities of all the world and promoting the great profit of all relations and carrying us through all accidents of variety of chances to that end which God hath from eternal ages purposed for all that live according to it and which he hath revealed in Jesus Christ and according to the Apostles Aâ—ithmetik hath but these three parts of it 1. Sobriety 2. Justice 3. Religion For the grace of God bringing salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live 1. Soberly 2. Righteously and 3. Godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the greaâ— God and our Saviour Iesus Christ. The first contains all our deportment in our personal and private capacities the fâ—ir treating of our bodies and our spirits The second eâ—larges our duty in all relations to our Neighbour The third contains the offices of direct Religion and entercourse with God Christian sobriety is all that duty that concerns our selves in the matter of meat and drink and pleasures and thoughts and it hath within it
I most humbly bâ—seech thee to give me wisdom from above that I may adore thee and admire thy wayes and footsteps which are in the great Deep and not to be searched out teach me to submit to thy providence in all things to be content in all changes of person and condition to be temperate in prosperity and to reade my duty in the lines of thy mercy and in adversity to be meek patient and resign'd and to look through the cloud that I may wait for the consolation of the Lord and the day of redemption in the mean time doing my duty with an unwearied diligence and an undisturbed resolution having no fondnesse for the vanities or possessions of this World but laying up my hopes in Heaven and the rewards of holy living and being strengthned with the Spirit in the inner man through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen CHAP. III. Of Christian Iustice. IUstice is by the Christian Religion enjoyn'd in all its parts by these two propositions in Scripture Whatsoever yee would that men should do to you even so do to them This is the measure of communicative justice or of that justice which supposes exchange of things profitable for things profitable that as I supply your need you may supply mine as I do a benefit to you I may receive one by you and because every man may be injur'd by another therefore his security shall depend upon mine if he will not let me be safe he shall not be safe himself onely the manner of his being punish'd is upon great reason both by God and all the World taken from particulars and committed to a publick dis-interested person who will do justice without passion both to him and to me If he refuses to do me advantage he shall receive none when his needs require it And thus God gave necessities to men that all men might need and several abilities to severall persons that each Man might help to supply the publick needs and by joyning to fill up all wants they may be knit together by justice as the parts of the world are by nature and he hath made us all obnoxicus to injuries and made every little thing sâ—râ—ng enough to do us hurt by some instrument or other and hath given us all a sufficient stock of self love and desire of self preservation to be as the chain to tye together all the pars of society and to restrain us from doing violence lest we be violently dealt withall our selves The other part of justice is commonly called distributive and is commanded in this rule Render to all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due custome to whom custome fear to whom fear honour to whom honour Owe no man any thing but to love one another This justice is distinguished froÌ„ the first because the obligation depends not upon contract or express bargain but passes upon us by vertue of some command of God or of our Superiour by nature or by grace by piety or religion by trust or by office according to that Commandment As every man hath received the gift so let him minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God And as the first considers an equality of persons in respect of the contract or particular necessity this supposes a difference of persons and no particular bargains but such necessary entercourses as by the Laws of God or man are introduced But I shall reduce all the particulars of both kindes to these four heads 1. Obedience 2. Provision 3. Negotiation 4. Restitution Sect. I. Of Obedience to our Superiours OUr Superiours are set over us in affairs of the World or the affairs of the Soul and things pertaining to Religion and are called accordingly Ecclesiastical or Civil Towards whom our duty is thus generally described in the new Testament For Temporall or Civill Governours the Commands are these Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars and Let every soul be subject to the higher powers For there is no power but of God The powers that be are ordained of God whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation and Put them in minde to be subject to principâ—lities and powers and to obey Magistrates and Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as supreme or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and the praise of them that do well For Spiritual or Ecclesiastical governours thus we are commanded Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give an account and Hold such in reputation and to this end did I write that I might know the proof of you whether ye be obedient in all things said S. Paul to the Church of Corinth Our duty is reducible to practise by the following rules Acts and duties of Obedience to all our Superiours 1. We must obey all humane laws appointed and constituted by lawful Authority that iâ— of the supreme power according to the constitution of the place in which we live all laws I mean which are not against the law of God 2. In obedience to humane laws we must observe the letter of the Law where we can without doing violence to the reason of the Law and the intention of the Law-giver but where they crosse each other the charity of the Law is to be preferred before its discipline and the reason of it before the letter 3. If the general reason of the Law ceases in our particular and a contrary reason rises upon us we are to procure dispensation or leave to omit the observation of it in such circumstances if there be any persons or office appointed for granting it but if there be none or if it is not easily to be had or not without an inconvenience greater then the good of the observation of the Law in our particular we are dispensed withall in the nature of the thing without further processe or trouble 4. As long as the Law is obligatory so long our obedience is due and he that begins a contrary câ—stom without reason sins but he that breaks the law when the custom is entred and fixed is excused because it is supposed the legislative power consents when by not punishing it suffers disobedience to grow up to a custome 5. Obedience to humane laws must be for conscience sake that is because in such obedience publick order and charity and benefit is concerned and because the Law of God commands us therefore we must make a conscience in keeping the just Laws of Superiors and although the matter before the making of the Law was indifferent yet now the obedience is not indifferent but next to the Laws of God we are to obey the Laws of all our Superiours who the more publick they are
is declared In the fourth Commandement hee proclaims himself the Maker of Heaven and Earth for in memory of Gods rest from the work of six dayes the seventh was hallowed into a Sabbath and the keeping it was a confessing GOD to bee the great Maker of Heaven and Earth and consequently to this it also was a confession of his goodnesse his Omnipotence and his Wisdom all which were written with a Sun beam in the great book of the Creature So long as the Law of the Sabbath was bound upon Gods people so long GOD would have that to be the folemn manner of confessing these attributes but when the Priesthood being changed there was a change also of the Law the great duty remain'd unalterable in changed circumstances We are eternally bound to confesse God Almighty to be the Maker of Heaven and Earth but the manner of confessing it is chang'd from a rest or a doing nothing to a speaking something from a day to a symbol from a ceremony to a substance from a Jewish rite to a Christian duty we professe it in our Creed we confesse it in our lives we describe it by every line of our life by every action of duty by faith and trust and obedience and we do also upon great reason comply with the Jewish manner of confessing the Creation so far as it is instrumental to a real duty We keepe one day in seven and so confesse the manner and circumstance of the Creation and we rest also that we may tend holy duties so imitating Gods rest better then the Jew in Synesius who lay upon his face from evening to evening and could not by stripes or wounds be raised up to steer the ship in a great storm Gods rest was not a natural cessation hee who could not labour could not be said to rest but Gods rest is to be understood to be a beholding and a rejoycing in his work finished and therefore we truly represent Gods rest when we confesse and rejoyce in Gods works and Gods glory This the Christian Church does upon every day but especially upon the Lords day which she hath set apart for this and all other Ofâ—ices of Religion being determined to this day by the Resurrection of her dearest Lord it being the first day of joy the Church ever had And now upon the Lords day we are not tyed to the rest of the Sabbath but to all the work of the Sabbath and we are to abstain from bodily labour not because it is a direct duty to us as it was to the Jews but because it is necessary in order to our duty that we attend to the Offices of Religion The observation of the Lords day differs nothing from the observation of the Sabbath in â—he matter of Religion but in the manner They differ in the ceremony and external rite Rest with them was the principal with us it is the accessory They differ in the office or forms of worship For they were then to worship God as a Creator and a gentle Father we are to adde to that Our Redeemer and all his other excellencies and mercies and though we have more natural and proper reason to keep the Lords day then the Sabbath yet the Jews had a Divine Commandement for their day which we have not for ours but we have many Commandements to do all that honour to GOD which was intended in the fourth Commandement and the Apostles appointed the first day of the week for doing it in solemne Assemblies and the manner of worshipping God and doing him solemn honour and service upon this day we may best observe in the following measures Rules for keeping the Lords day and other Christian Festivals 1. When you go about to distinguish Festival dayes from common do it not by lessening the devotions of ordinary dayes that the common devotion may seem bigger upon Festivals but on every day keep your ordinary devotions intire and enlarge upon the Holy day 2. Upon the Lords day wee must abstaine from all servile and laborious workes except such which are matters of necessity of common life or of great charity for these are permitted by that authority which hath separated the day for holy uses The Sabbath of the Jewes though consisting principally in rest and established by God did yeeld to these The labour of Love and the labours of Religion were not against the reason and the spirit of the Commandement for which the Letter was decreed and to which it ought to minister And therefore much more is it so on the Lords day where the Letter is wholly turned into Spirit and there is no Commandement of God but of spiritual and holy actions The Priests might kill their beasts and dresse them for sacrifice and Christ though born under the law might heal a sick man and the sick man might carry hâ—s bed to witnesse his recovery and confesse the mercy and leap and dance to God for joy and an Ox might be led to water and an Asse be haled ouâ— of a ditch and a man may take physick and he may eat meat and therefore there were of necessity some to prepare and minister it and the performing these labours did not consist in minutes and just determined stages but they had even then a reasonable latitude so onely as to exclude unnecessary labour or such as did not minister to charity or religion And therefore this is to be enlarged in the Gospel whose Sabbath or rest is but a circumstance and accessory to the principal and spiritual duties Upon the Christian Sabbath necessity is to be served first then charity and then religion for this is to give place to charity in great instances and the second to the first in all and in all cases God is to be worshipped in spirit and in truth 3. The Lords day being the remembrance of a great blessing must be a day of joy festivity spiritual rejoycing and thanksgiving and therefore it is a proper work of the day to let your devotions spend themselves in singing or reading Psalms in recounting the great works of God in remembring his mercies in worshipping his excellencies in celebrating his attributes in admiring his person in sending portions of pleasant meat to them for whom nothing is provided in all the arts and instruments of advancing Gods glory the reputation of religion in which it were a great decency that a memorial of the resurrection should be inserted that the particular religion of the day be not swallowed up in the general And of this we may the more easily serve our selves by rising seasonably in the morning to private devotion and by retiring at the leisures and spaces of the day not imployed in publick offices 4. Fail not to be present at the publick hours and places of prayer entring early and cheerfully attending reverently and devoutly abiding patiently during the whole office piously assisting at the prayers and gladly also hearing the Sermon and at no hand omitting to
against it and presently broke it and then I tyed my self up with vows then was tempted and then I yielded by little little till I was willingly lost again and my vows fell ofâ— like cords of vanity Miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin And yet O Lord I have another heap of sins to be unloaded My secrets sins O Lord are innumerable sins I noted not sins that I willingly neglected sins that I acted upon willfull ignorance and voluntary mispersuasion sins that I have forgot and sins which a diligent and a watchful spirit might have prevented but I would not Lord I am confounded with the multitude of them and the horrour of their remembrance though I consider them nakedly in their direct appearances without the deformity of their unhandsome and aggravating circumstances but so dressed they are a sight too ugly an instance of amazement infinite in degrees and insufferable in their load And yet thou hast spared me all this while and hast not thrown me into Hell where I have deserved to have been long since and even now to have been shut up to an eternity of torments with insupportable amazement fearing the revelation of thy day Miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin Thou shalt answer for me O Lord my God Thou that Prayest for me shalt be my Iudge The Prayer Thou hast prepared for me a more healthful sorrow O deny not thy servant when he begs sorrow of thee Give me a deep contrition for my sins a hearty detestation and loathing of them hating them worse then death with torments Give me grace intirely presently and for ever to forsake them to walk with care and prudence with fear and watchfulnesse all my dayes to doe all my duty with diligence and charity with zeal and a never fainting spirit to redeem the time to trust upon thy mercies to make use of all the instruments of grace to work out my salvation with fear and trembling that thou mayest have the glory of pardoning all my sins and I may reap the fruit of all thy mercies and al thy graces of thy patience and long-suffering even to live a holy life here and to reign with thee for ever through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Ad Sect. 6. Special devâ—tions to be used upon the Lords-day and the great Festivalls Of Christians In the Morning recite the following forme of Thanksgiving upon the special Festivalls adding the commemoration of the special blessing according to the following prayers adding such prayers as you shall choose out of the foregâ—ing Devotions 2. Besides the ordinary and publick duties of the day if you retire into your closet to read and meditate after you have performed that duty say the song of S. Ambrose commonly called the Te Deum or We praise thee c then add the prayers for particular graces which are at the end of the former Chapters such and as many of them as shall fit your present needs and affections ending with the Lords prayer This form of devotion may for variety be indifferently used at other times A forme of thanksgiving with a recital of publick and private blessings To be used upon easter-Easter-day Whit-sunday ascension-Ascension-day and all Sundayes of the year but the middle part of it may be reserved for the more solemn Festivals and the other used upon the ordinary as every mans affections or leisure shall determine I. Ex Liturgiâ S. Basilii magnâ ex parte O Eternal Essence Lord God Father Almighty Maker of all things in Heaven and Earth it is a good thing to give thanks to thee O Lord and to pay to thee all reverence worship and devotion from a clean and prepared heart and with an humble spirit to present a living and reasonable sacrifice to thy holinesse and Majesty for thou hast given unto us the knowledge of thy truth and who is able to declare thy greatnesse and to recount all thy marvellous works which thou hast done in all the generations of the world O Great Lord and Governour of all things Lord and Creator of all things visible and invisible who sittest upon the throne of thy glory and beholdest the secrets of the lowest abysse and darknesse thou art without beginning uncircumscribed incomprehensible unalterable and seated for ever unmoveable in thy own essential happinesse and tranquillity Thou art the Father of our Lord JESU SCHRIST who is Our Dearest and most Gracious Saviour our hope the wisdom of the Father the image of thy goodnesse the Word eternal and the brightnesse of thy person the power of God from eternal ages the true light that lightneth every Man that cometh into the World the Redemption of Man and the Sanctification of our Spirits By whom the holy Ghost descended upon the Church the holy Spirit of truth the seal of adoption the earnest of the inheritance of the Saints the first fruits of everlasting felicity the life-giving power the fountain of sanctification the comfort of the Church the ease of the afflicted the support of the weak the wealth of the poor the teacher of the doubtful scrupulous and ignorant the anchor of the fearful the infinite reward of all faithful souls by whom all reasonable and understanding creatures serve thee and send up a never-ceasing and a never-rejected sacrifice of prayer and praises and adoration All Angels and Archangels all Thrones and Dominions all Principalities and Powers the Cherubins with many eyes and the Seraphinâ— covered with wings from the terror and amazement of thy brightest glory These and all the powers of Heaven do perpetually sing praises and never-ceasing Hymns and eternal Anthems to the glory of the eternal God the Almighty Father of Men and Angels Holy is our God Holy is the Almighty Holy is the Immortal Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth Heaven and Earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory Amen * With these holy and blessed Spirits I also thy servant O thou great lover of souls though I be unworthy to offer praise to such a Majesty yet out of my bounden duty humbly offer up my heart and voice to joyn in this blessed quire and confesse the glories of the Lord. * For thou art holy and of thy greatnesse there is no end and in thy justice and goodnesse thou hast measured out to us all thy works Thou madest man out of the earth and didst form him after thine own image thou didst place him in a garden of pleasure and gavest him laws of righteousnesse to be to him a seed of immortality O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that he hath done for the children of men For when man sinned and listned to the whispers of a tempting spirit and refused to hear the voice of God thou didst throw him out from Paradise and sentest him to till the Earth but yet left nor his condition without remedy but didst provide
prayer of preparation or addresse to the holy Sacrament An act of Love O most gracious and eternal God the helper of the helplesse the comforter of the comfortlesse the hope of the afflicted the bread of the hungry the drink of the thirsty and the Saviour of all them that wait upon thee I blesse and glorifie thy Name and adore thy goodnesse and delight in thy love that thou hast once more giveâ— me the opportunity of receiving the greatest favour which I can receive in this World even the body and blood of my dearest Saviour O take from me all affection to sin or vanity let not mâ— affections dwell below but soar upwards to the element of love to the seat of God to â—he Regions of Glory and the inheritance of â—esus that I may hunger and thirst for the bread of life and the wine of â—lect soules and may know no loves but the love of God and the most merciful Jesus Amen An act of Desire O blessed Jesus thou hast used many arts to save mee thou hast given thy life to redeem me thy holy Spirit to sanctifie me thy self for my example thy Word for my Rule thy grace for my guide the fruit of thy body hanging on the tree of the crosse for the sin of my soul and after all this thou hast sent thy Apostles and Ministers of salvation to call me to importune me to constraine me to holinesse and peace and felicity O now come Lord â—esus come quickly my heart is desirous of thy presence and thirsty of thy grace and would fain entertain thee not as a guest but as an inhabitant as the Lord of all my faculties Enter in and take possession and dwell with me for ever that I also may dwell in the heart of my dearest Lord which was opened for me with a spear and love An act of contrition Lord thou shalt finde my heart full of cares and worldly desires cheated with love of riches and neglect of holy things proud unmortified false and crafty to deceive it self intricated and intangled with difficult cases of conscience with knots which my own wildnesse and inconsideration and impatience have tied and shuffled together O my dearest Lord if thou canst behold such an impure seat behold the place to which thou art invited is full of passion and prejudice evil principles and evil habits peevish and disobedient lustful and intemperate and full of sad remembrances that I have often provoked to jealousie and to anger thee my God my dearest Saviour him that dyed for me him that suffered torments sor me that is infinitely good to me and infinitely good and perfect in himself This O dearest Saviour is a sad truâ—h and I am heartily ashamed and truly sorrowful for it and do deeply hate all my fins and am full of indignation against my self for so unworthy so carelesse so continued so great a folly and humbly beg of thee to increase my sorrow and my care and my hatâ—ed against sin and make my love to thee swell up to a great grace and then to glory and immensity An act of Faith This indeed is my condition But I know O blessed Jesus that thou didst take upon thee my nature that thou mightest suffer for my sins and thou didst suffer to deliver me from them and from thy Fathers wrath and I was delivered from this wrath that I might serve thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all my dayes Lord I am as sure thou didst the great work of Redemption for me and all mankinde as that I am alive This is my hope the strength of my spirit my joy my confidence and do thou never let the spirit of unbelief enter into me and take me from this Rock Here I will dwell for I have a delight therein Here I will live and here I desire to dye The Petition Therefore O blessed Jesu who art my Saviour and my God whose body is my food and thy righteousnesse is my robe thou art the Priest and the Sacrifice the Master of the feast and the Feast it self the Physician of my soul the light of my eyes the purifier of my stains enter into my heart and cast out from thence all impurities all the remains of the Old man and grant I may partake of this holy Sacrament with much reverence and holy relish and great effect receiving hence the communication of thy holy body and blood for the establishment of an unreproveable faith of an unfained love for the fulnesse of wisdom for the healing my soul for the blessing and preservation of my body for the taking out the sting of temporal death and for the assurance of a holy resurrection for the ejection of all evil from within me and the fulfilling all thy righteous Commandements and to procure for me a mercy and a fair reception at the day of judgement through thy mercies O holy and ever blessed Saviour Jesus Amen Here also may be added the prayer after receiving the cup. * Ejaculations to be said before or at the receiving the holy Sacrament Like as the Hart desireth the water-brooks so longeth my soul after thee O God My soul is athirst for God yea even for the living God when shall I come before the presence of God O Lord my God great are thy wondrous works which thou hast done like as be also thy thoughts which are to us-ward and yet there is no man that ordereth them unto thee O send out thy light and thy truth that they may lead me and bring me unto thy holy hill and to thy dwelling And that I may go unto the Altar of God even unto the God of my joy and gladnesse and with my heart will I give thanks to thee O God my God I will wash my hands in innocency O Lord so will I go to thine altar that I may shew the voice of thanksgiving tell of all thy wondrous works Examine me O Lord and prove me try out my reins and my heart For thy loving kindnesse is now and ever before my eyes and I will walk in thy truth Thou shalt prepare a table before me against them that trouble me thou hast anointed my head with oil and my cup shall be full But thy loving kindnesse and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever This is the bread that cometh down from Heaven that a man may eat thereof and not dye Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him and hath eternal life abiding in him I wil raise him up at the last day Lord whither shall we go but to thee thou hast the words of eternal life If any man thirst let him come unto me drink The bread which we break is it not the communication of the body of Christ and the cup which we drink is it not the communication of the blood of Christ What are those wounds
in thy hands They are those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends Zech. 13.6 Immediately before the receiving say Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof But do thou speak the word onely and thy servant shall be healed Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew thy praise O God make speed to save me O Lord make hasâ—e to help me Come Lord Iesus come quickly After receiving the consecrated and blessed bread say O taste and see how gracious the Lord is blessed is the man that trusteth in him * The beasts do lack and suffer hunger but they which seek the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good Lord what am I that my Saviour should become my food that the Son of God should be the meat of Wormes of dust and ashes of a sinner of him that was his enemy But this thou hast done to me because thou art infinitely good and wonderfully gracious and lovest to blesse every one of us in turning us from the evil of our wayes Enter into me blessed Jesus let no root of bitternesse spring up in my heart but be thou Lord of all my faculties O let me feed on thee by faith and grow up by the increase of God to a perfect man in Christ Jesus Amen Lord I believe help mine unbelief Glory be to God the Father Son c. After the receiving the cup of blessing It is finished Blessed be the mercies of God revealed to us in Jesus Christ. O blessed and eternal high Priest let the sacrifice of the Crosse which thou didst once offer for the sinnes of the whole World and which thou doest now and alwayes represent in Heaven to thy Father by thy never ceasing intercession and which this day hath been exhibited on thy holy Table Sacramentally obtain mercy and peace faith and charity safety and establishment to thy holy Church which thou hast founded upon a Rock the Rock of a holy Faith and let not the gates of Hell prevail against her nor the enemy of mankinde take any soul out of thy hand whom thou hast purchased with thy blood and sanctified by thy Spirit Preserve all thy people from Heresie and division of spirit from scandal and the spirit of delusion from sacriledge and hurtful persecutions Thou O blessed Jesus didst dye for us keep me for ever in holy living from sin and sinful shame in the communion of thy Church and thy Church in safety and grace in truth and peace unto thy second coming Amen Dearest Jesu since thou art pleased to enter into me O be jealous of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth suffer no unclean spirit or unholy thought to come near thy dwelling lest it defile the ground where thy holy feet have trod O teach me so to walk that I may never disrepute the honour of my Religion nor stain the holy Robe which thou hast now put upon my soul nor break my holy Vows which I have made and thou hast sealed nor lose my right of inheritance my priviledge of being coheir with Jesus into the hope of which I have now further entred but be thou pleased to love me with the love of a Father and a Brother and a Husband and a Lord and make me to serve thee in the communion of Saints in receiving the Sacrament in the practise of all holy vertues in the imitation of thy life and conformity to thy sufferings that I having now put on the Lord Jesus may marry his loves and his enmities may desire his glory may obey his laws and be united to his Spirit and in the day of the LORD I may be found having on the Wedding Garment and bearing in my body and soul the marks of the LORD JESUS that I may enter into the joy of my LORD and partake of his glories for ever and ever Amen Ejaculations to be used any time that day after the solemnity is ended Lord if I had lived innocently I could not have deserved to receive the crumbs that fall from thy Table How great is thy mercy who hast feasted me with the Bread of Virgins with the Wine of Angels with Manna from Heaven O when shall I passe from this dark glasse from this vail of Sacraments to the vision of thy eternal clarity from eating thy Body to beholding thy face in thy eternal Kingdom Let not my sins crucifie the Lord of life again Let it never be said concerning me the hand of him that betraieth me is with me on the Table O that I might love thee as well as ever any creature lov d thee Let me think nothing but thee desire nothing but thee enjoy nothing but thee O Jesus be a Jesus unto me Thou art all things unto me Let nothing ever please me but what favours of thee and thy miraculous sweetnesse Blessed be the mercies of our Lord who of God is made unto me Wisdom and Righteousnesse and Sanctification and Redemption He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. Amen The End LONDON Printed by R. Norton MDCL 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian Epict. l. 1. c. 13. Ezekiel 16.49 Sâ—nec * â—ee Chap. 4. â—â—ct 6. S. Bern. de tripli ci custodia Laudatur Augustus Caesar apud Lucanum media inter praelia semper stellaâ—um caelique plagiâ— superisque vacabat Casâ—â—an Collâ—â— 24 c. â—1 Jerem. 48.10 Plutarch â—e Curioâ—t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—rocop 2. Vandal 1 Cor. 7.5 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag. Carm. 1 Cor. 1â— 31. Seneca â—ui furatur ut â—â—â—chetur moechus est tragis quam fur Arist. Eth. See Sect. 1. of this Chapt. Rule 18. Seneca Ep. 113. S. Chrys. l. 2. de compan cordis S. Greg. moral 8. cap. 25. S. â—ern lib. de praecept Publius Mimuâ—â—â— Jer. 23.24 Hebr. 4. â—3 Acts. 17.28 Lib 7. de Civit. â—â—p 3â— Mat. 18.20 Heb. 10.25 1 King 5 9. Psal. 138 â— 2 1 Cor. 3 16. 2 Cor. 6 16. S. Aug. de verbis Don. c. 3 Psâ—l 13â— 7. ◠〈…〉 de conâ—ol â—sa 26..12 Jâ—â—em â—1 15 Secâ—nd 〈◊〉 Edic â—n vitâ—â— S. 〈◊〉 Ezek. 9.9 Psal. 10. â—â— Rev. 11. â—7 â— 5.10.13 Revel â— â— 3 For the Chuâ—ch For the Glory For wife or husband For our children For Friends Benefaâ—tors For our family For al in misery Evening prayer Psal. 121 Psal. 4. 〈◊〉 2.11 12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian c. 2. l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Epist. c. 34 1 Cor. 9.25 Apoc. 2.17 〈…〉 tum 〈…〉 desinant 〈◊〉 L. 3 〈◊〉 c. 12. Facâ—llus 〈…〉 qua◠〈…〉 86. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voluptateâ— abâ—untes feâ—laâ— paenitentia plenas animis nostris natâ—â—a â—ubiâ—cit quo minus câ—pide repetantur Senec. Lâ—ta veniâ—e Venâ—s trisâ—is abire so â—et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Foâ—lix initium prior aetas contenta dâ—lcibus arvis Facileque seâ—a solebat jejunia solvere glande â—oeth l. 1. de consol Arbuteos â—erus montanaque fragâ—a legeâ—
the being of a society and a Government yet they are not of its constitution as it is Christian and hopes to be saved And now the case is so with us that we are reduced to that Religion which no Man can forbid which we can keep in the midst of a persecution by which the Martyrs in the dayes of our Fathers went to Heaven that by which we can be servants of God and receive the Spirit of Christ and make use of his comforts and live in his love and in charity with all men and they that do so cannot perish My Lord I have now described some general lines and features of that Religion which I have more particularly set down in the following pages in which I have neither served nor disserved the interest of any party of Christians as they are divided by uncharitable names from the rest of their brethren and no Man will have reason to be angry with me for refusing to mingle in his unnecessary or vitious quarrels especially while I study to doe him good by conducting him in the narrow way to Heaven without intricating him in the Labyrinths and wilde turnings of Questions and uncertaine talkings I have told what Men ought to do and by what means they may be assisted and in most cases I have also told them why and yet with as much quicknesse as I could thinke necessary to establish a Rule and not to ingage in Homily or Discourse In the use of which Rules although they are plain useful and fitted for the best and for the worst understandings and for the needs of all men yet I shall desire the Reader to proceed with the following advices 1. They that will with profit make use of the proper instruments of vertue must so live as if they were alwayes under the Physicians hand For the Counsels of Religion are not to be applyed to the distempers of the soul as men use to take Hellebore but they must dwell together with the Spirit of a man and be twisted about his understanding for ever They must be used like nourishment that is by a daily care and meditation not like a single medicine and upon the actual pressure of a present necessity For counsels and wise discourses applyed to an actual distemper at the best are but like strong smels to an Epileptick person sometimes they may raise him but they never cure him The following rules if they be made familiar to our natures and the thoughts of every day may make Vertue and Religion become easy and habitual but when the temptation is present and hath already seized upon some portions of our consent we are not so apt to be counsel'd and we finde no gust or relish in the Precept the lessons are the same but the instrument is unstrung or out of tune 2. In using the instruments of vertue we must be curious to distinguish instruments from duties and prudent advices from necessary injunctions and if by any other means the duty can be secured let there be no scruples stirred concerning any other helps onely if they can in that case strengthen and secure the duty or help towards perseverance let let them serve in that station in which they can be placed For there are some persons in whom the Spirit of God hath breathed so bright a flame of love that they do all their acts of vertue by perfect choice and without objection and their zeal is warmer then that it will be allayed by temptation and to such persons mortification by Philosophical instruments as fasting sackcloth and other rudenesses to the body is wholly useless It is alwayes a more uncertain means to acquire any vertue or secure any duty if love hath filled all the corners of our soul it alone is able to do all the work of God 3. Be not nice in stating the obligations of Religion but where the duty is necessary and the means very reasonable in it self dispute not too busily whether in all Circumstances it can fit thy particular but super totam materiam upon the whole make use of it For it is a good signe of a great Religion and no imprudence when we have sufficiently considered the substance of affairs then to be easy humble obedient apt and credulous in the circumstances which are appointed to us in particular by our spiritual Guides or in general by all wise men in cases not unlike He that gives Almes does best not alwayes to consider the minutes and strict measures of his ability but to give freely incuriously and abundantly A man must not weigh grains in the accounts of his repentance but for a great sinne have a great sorrow and a great severity and in this take the ordinary advices though it may be a lesse rigour might not be insufficient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Arithmeticall measures especially of our own proportioning are but arguments of want of Love and of forwardnesse in Religion or else are instruments of scruple and then become dangerous Use the rule heartily and enough and there will be no harme in thy errour if any should happen 4. If thou intendest heartily to serve God and avoid sinne in any one instance refuse not the hardest and most severe advice that is prescribed in order to it though possibly it be a stranger to thee for whatsoever it be custome will make it easy 5. When many instruments for the obtaining any vertue or restraining any vice are propounded observe which of them fits thy person or the circumstances of thy need and use it rather then the other that by this means thou may'st be engaged to watch and use spiritual arts and observation about thy soul. Concerning the managing of which as the interest is greater so the necessities are more and the cases more intricate and the accidents and dangers greater and more importunate and there is greater skill required then in the securing an estate or restoring health to an infirme body I wish all men in the world did heartily believe so much of this as is true it would very much help to do the work of God Thus My Lord I have made bold by your hand to reach out this little scroll of cautions to all those who by seeing your honour'd name set before my Book shall by the fairnes of such a Frontispiece be invited to look into it I must confess it cannot but look like a designe in me to borrow your name and beg your Patronage to my book that if there be no other worth in it yet at least it may have the splendour and warmth of a burning glasse which borrowing a flame from the Eye of Heaven shines and burns by the rayes of the Sun its patron I will not quit my self from the suspicion for I cannot pretend it to be a present either of it self fit to be offered to such a Personage or any part of a just return but I humbly desire you would own it for an acknowledgement of those great
short you may supply and lengthen with ejaculations and short retirements in the day time in the midst of your imployment or of your company 18. Do not the work of God negligently and idlely let not thy heart be upon the world when thy hand is lift up in prayer and be sure to prefer an action of religion in its place and proper season before all worldly pleasure letting secular things that may be dispensed with in themselves in these circumstances wait upon the other not like the Patriarch who ran from the Altar in S. Sophia to his stable in all his Pontificals and in the midst of his office to see a Colt newly fallen from his beloved and much valued Mare Phorbante More prudent and severe was that of Sr. Thom. More who being sent for by the King when he was at his prayers in publick returned answer he would attend him when he had first perfomed his service to the KING of Kings And it did honour to Rusticus that when Letters from Caesar were given to him he refused to open them till the Philosopher had done his Lecture In honouring God and doing his work put forth all thy strength for of that time onely thou mayest be most confident that it is gain'd which is prudently and zealously spent in Gods Service 19. When the Clock strikes or however else you shall measure the day it is good to say a short ejaculation every hour that the parts and returns of devotion may be the measure of your time and do so also in all the breaches of thy sleep that those spaces which have in them no direct businesse of the world may be filled with religion 20. If by thus doing you have not secured your time by an early and forehanded care yet be sure by a timely diligence to redeem the time that is to be pious and religious in such instances in which formerly you have sinned and to bestow your time especially upon such graces the contrary whereof you have formerly practised doing actions of chastity temperance with as great a zeal and earnestnesse as you did once act your uncleannesse and then by all arts to watch against your present and future dangers from day to day securing your standing this is properly to redeem your time that is to buy your security of it at the rate of any labour and honest arts 21. Let him that is most busied set apart some solemn time every year in which for the time quitting all worldly businesse he may attend wholly to fasting and prayer and the dressing of his soul by confessions meditations and attendances upon God that he may make up his accounts renew his vows make amends for his carelessenesse and retire back again from whence levity and the vanities of the world or the importunity of temptations or the distraction of secular affairs have carried him 22. In this we shall be much assisted and we shall finde the work more easie if before we sleep every night we examine the actions of the past day with a particular scrutiny if there have been any accident extraordinary as long discourse a Feast much businesse variety of company If nothing but common hath happened the lesse examination will suffice only let us take care that we sleep not without such a recollection of the actions of the day as may represent any thing that is remarkable and great either to be the matter of sorrow or thanksgiving for other things a general care is proportionable 23. Let all these things be done prudently and moderately not with scruple and vexation For these are good advantages but the particulars are not divine commandements and therefore are to be used as shall be found expedient to every ones condition For provided that our duty be secured for the degrees and for the instruments every man is permitted to himself and the conduct of such who shall be appointed to him He is happy that can secure every hour to a sober or a pious imployment but the duty consists not scrupulously in minutes and half hours but in greater portions of time provided that no minute be imployed in sin and the great portions of our time be spent in sober imployment and all the appointed dayes and some portions of every day be allowed for Religion In all the lesser parts of time we are left to our own elections and prudent management and to the consideration of the great degrees and differences of glory that are laid up in Heaven for us according to the degrees of our care and piety and diligence The benefits of this Exercise This exercise besides that it hath influence upon our whole lives it hath a special efficacy for the preventing of 1. Beggerly sins that is those sins which idlenesse and beggery usually betray men to such as are lying flattery stealing and dissimulation 2. It is a proper antidote against carnal sins and such as proceed from fulnesse of bread and emptinesse of imployment 3. It is a great instrument of preventing the smallest sins and irregularities of our life which usually creep upon idle disimployed and incurious persons 4. Iâ— not onely teaches us to avoid evil but ingages us upon doing good as the proper businesse of all our dayes 5. It prepares us so against sudden changes that we shall not easily be surprized at the sudden coming of the day of the Lord For he that is curious of his time will not easily be unready and unfurnished SECT II. The second general instrument of Holy Living Purity of intention THat we should intend and designe Gods glory in every action we do whether it be natural or chosen is expressed by S. Paul Whether ye eat or drink do all to the glory of God Which rule when we observe every action of nature becomes religious and every meal is an act of worship and shall have its reward in its proportion as well as an act of prayer Blessed be that goodnesse and grace of God which out of infinite desire to glorifie and save mankinde would make the very works of nature capable of becoming acts of vertue that all our life time we may do him service This grace is so excellent that it sanctifies the most common action of our life and yet so necessary that without it the very best actions of our devotion are imperfect and vitious For he that prayes out of custome or gives almes for praise or fasts to be accounted religious is but a Pharisee in his devotion and a beggar in his alms and an hypocrite in his fasts But a holy end sanctifies all these and all other actions which can be made holy and gives distinction to them and procures acceptance For as to know the end distinguishes a Man from a Beast so to chuse a good end distinguishes him from an evil man Hezekiah repeated his good deeds upon his sick bed and obtained favour of God but the Pharisee was accounted insolent for
Divine instrument it does not prevail by the force of deduction and artificial discoursings onely but chieâ—ly by way of blessing in the ordinance and in the ministery of an appointed person At least obey the publick order and reverence the constitution and give good example of humility charity and obedience 8. When Scriptures are read you are onely to enquire with diligence and modesty into the meaning of the Spirit but if homilies or sermons be made upon the words of Scripture you are to consider whether all that be spoken be conformable to the Scriptures For although you may practise for humane reasons and humane arguments ministred from the Preacherâ— art yet you must practise nothing but the command of God nothing but the Doctrine of Scripture that is the text 9. Use the advice of some spirituall or other prudent man for the choice of such spiritual books which may be of use and benefit for the edification of thy spirit in the wayes of holy living and esteem that time well accounted for that is prudently and affectionately imployed in hearing or reading good books and pious discourses ever remembring that God by hearing us speak to him in prayer obliges us to hear him speak to us in his word by what instrument soever it be conveyed SECT V. Of Fasting FAsting if it be considered in it self without relation to Spiritual ends is a duty no where enjoyned or counselled But Christianity hath to do with it as it may be made an instrument of the Spirit by subduing the lusts of the flesh or removing any hindrances of religion And it hath been practised by all ages of the Church and advised in order to three ministeries 1. To Prayer 2. To Mortification of bodily lusts 3. To Repentance and is to be practised according to the following measures Rules for Christian Fasting 1. Fasting in order to prayer is to be measured by the proportions of the times of prayer that is it ought to be a total faft from all things during the solemnity unlesse a probable necessity intervene Thus the Jews eate nothing upon the Sabbath-dayes till their great offices were performed that is about the sixth hour and S. Peter used it as an argument that the Apostles in Penteâ—ost were not drunk because it was but the third hour of the day of such a day in which it was not lawful to eat or drink til the sixth hour and the Jews were offended at the Disciples for plucking the ears of corn upon the Sabbath early in the morning because it was before the time in which by their customs they esteemed it lawful to break their fast In imitation of this custom and in prosecution of the reason of it the Christian Church hath religiously observed fasting before the Holy Communion and the more devout persons though without any obligation at all refused to eat or drink till they had finished their morning devotions and further yet upon dayes of publick humiliation which are designed to be spent wholly in Devotion and for the averting Gods judgements if they were imminent fasting is commanded together with prayer commanded I say by the Church to this end that the Spirit might be clearer and more Angelical when it is quitted in some proportions from the loads of flesh 2. Fasting when it is in order to Prayer must be a total abstinence from all meat or else an abatement of the quantity for the help which fasting does to prayer cannot be served by changing flesh into fish or milk-meats into dry diet but by turning much into little or little into none at all during the time of solemn and extraordinary prayer 3. Fasting as it is instrumental to Prayer must be attended with other aids of the like vertue and efficacy such as are removing for the time all worldly cares and secular businesses and therefore our blessed Saviour enfolds these parts within the same caution Take heed lest your hearts be overcharged with surfetting and drunkennesse and the cares of this world and that day overtake you unawares To which adde alms for upon the wings of fasting and alms holy prayer infallibly mounts up to Heaven 4. When Fasting is intended to serve the duty of Repentance it is then best chosen when it is short sharp and afflictive that is either a total abstinence from all nourishment according as we shall appoint or be appointed during such a time as is separate for the solemnity and attendance upon the imployment or if we shall extend our severity beyond the solemn dayes and keep our anger against our sin as we are to keep our sorrow that is alwayes in a readinesse and often to be called upon then to refuse a pleasant morsel to abstaine from the bread of our desires and onely to take wholsome and lesse pleasing nourishment vexing our appetite by the refusing a lawful satisfaction since in its petulancie and luxurie it preyed upon an unlawfull 5. Fasting designed for repentance must be ever joyned with an extream care that we fast from sin for there is no greater folly or undecency in the world then to commit that for which I am now judging and condemning my self This is the best fast and the other may serve to promote the interest of this by increasing the disaffection to it and multiplying arguments against it 6. He that fasts for repentance must during that solemnity abstain from all bodily delights and the sensuality of all his senses and his appetites for a man must not when he mourns in his fast be merry in his sport weep at dinner and laugh all day after have a silence in his kitchen and musick in his chamber judge the stomack and feast the other seâ—ses I deny not but a man may in a single instance punish a particular sin with a proper instrument If a man have offended in his palate he may choose to fast onely if he have sinned in softnesse and in his touch he may choose to lye hard or work hard and use sharp inflictions but although this Discipline be proper and particular yet because the sorrow is of the whole man no sense must rejoyce or be with any study or purpose feasted and entertained softly This rule is intended to relate to the solemn dayes appointed for repentance publickly or privately besides which in the whole course of our life even in the midst of our most festival and freer joyes we may sprinkle some single instances and acts of self condemning or punishing as to refuse a pleasant morsel or a delicious draught with a tâ—cit remembrance of the sin that now returns to displease my spirit and though these actions be single there is no undecency in them because a man may abate of his ordinary liberty bold freedom w th great prudence so he does â—t without singularity in himself or trouble to others but he may not abate of his solemn sorrow that may be caution but this would be softnesse effoeminacy and undecency 7· When
receive it into an unhallowed soul and body is to receive the dust of the Tabernacle in the waterâ— of jealousie it will make the belly to swell and the thigh to rot it will not convey Christ to us but the Devil will enter and dwell there till with it he returns to his dwelling of torment Remember alwayes that after a great sin or after a habit of sins a Man is not soon made clean and no unclean thing must come to this Feast It is not thâ— preparation of two or three dayes that can render a person capable of this banqueâ— For in this seast all Christ and Christs passion and all his graces the blessings and effects of his sufferings are conveyed nothing can fit us for this but what can unite us to Christ and obtain of him to present our needs to his heavenly Father this Sacrament can no otherwise be celebrated but upon the same terms on which we may hope for pardon and Heaven it self 5. When we have this general and indispensably necessary preparation we are to make our souls more adorn'd and trimm'd up with circumstances of pious actions and special devotions setting apart some portion of our time immediately before the day of solemnity according as our great occasions will permit and this time is specially to be spent in actions of repentance confession of our sins renewing our purposes of holy living praying for pardon of our failings and for those graces which may prevent the like sadnesses for the time to come meditation upon the passion upon the infinite love of God expressed in so great mysterious manners of redemption and indefinitely in all acts of vertue which may build our soules up into a Temple fit for the reception of Christ himself and the inhabitation of the holy Spirit 6. The celebration of the holy Sacrament being the most solemne prayer joyned with the most effectual instrument of its acceptance must suppose us in the love of God and in charity with all the World and therefore we must before every Communion especially remember what differences or jealousies are between us and any one else and recompose all disunions and cause right understandings betweene each other offering to satisfie whom we have injur'd and to forgive them who have injur'd us without thoughts of resuming the quarrel when the solemnity is over for that is but to rake the embers in light and phantastick ashes it must be quenched and a holy flame enkindled no fires must be at all but the fires of love and zeal and the altar of incense will send up a sweet perfume and make atonement for us 7. When the day of the feast is come lay aside all cares and impertinencies of the World and remember that this is thy Souls day a day of traffique and entercourse with Heaven Arise early in the morning 1. Give God thanks for the approach of so great a blessing 2. Confesse thy own unworthinesse to admit so Divine a Guest 3. Then remember and deplore thy sinnes which have made thee so unworthy 4. Then confesse Gods goodnesse and take sanctuary there and upon him place thy hopes 5. And invite him to thee with renewed acts of love of holy desire of hatred of his enemy sin 6. Make oblation of thy self wholly to be disposed by him to the obedience of him to his providence and possession and pray him to enter and dwell there for ever And after this with joy and holy fear and the forwardness of love addresse thy self to the receiving of him to whom and by whom and for whom all faith and all hope and all love in the whole Catholick Church both in Heaven Earth is design'd him whom Kings and Queens and whole Kingdoms are in love with and count it the greatest honour in the World that their Crowns and Scepters are laid at his holy feet 8. When the holy Man stands at the Table of blessing and ministers the rite of consecration then do as the Angels do who behold love and wonder that the Son of God should become food to the souls of his servants that he who cannot suffer any change or lessening should be broken into pieces and enter into the body to support and nourish the spirit and yet at the same time remain in Heaven while he descends to thee upon Earth that he who hath essential felicity should become miserable and dye sor thee and then give himself to thee for ever to redeem thee from sin and misery that by his wounds he should procure health to thee by his affronts he should intitle thee to glory by his death he should bring thee to life and by becoming a Man he should make thee partaker of the Divine nature These are such glories that although they are made so obvious that each eye may behold them yet they are also so deep that no thought can fathome them But so it hath pleased him to make these mysteries to be sensible because the excellency and depth of the mercy is not intelligible that while wee are ravished and comprehended within the infinitenesse of so vast mysterious a mercy yet we may be as sure of it as of that thing we see and feel and smell and taste but yet is so great that we cannot understand it 9. These holy mysteries are offered to our senses but not to bee placed under our feet they are sensible but not common and therefore as the weaknesse of the Elements addes wonder to the excellency of the Sacrament so let our reverence and venerable usages of them adde honour to the Elements and acknowledge the glory of the mystery and the Divinity of the mercy Let us receive the consecrated Elements with all devotion and humility of body and spirit and do this honour to it that it be the first food we eat and the first beverage we drink that day unlesse it he in case of sicknesse or other great necessity and that your body and soul both be prepared to its reception with abstinence from secular pleasures that you may better have attended fastings and preparatory prayers For if ever it be seasonable to observe the counsel of Saint Paul that married persons by consent should abstain for a time that they may attend to solemne Religion it is now It was not by Saint Paul nor the after ages of the Church called a duty so to do but it is most reasonable that the more solemne actions of Religion should be attended to without the mixture of any thing that may discompose the minde and make it more secular or lesse religious 10. In the act of receiving exercise acts of Faith with much confidence and resignation believing it not to be common bread and wine but holy in their use holy in their signification holy in their change and holy in their effect and believe if thou art a worthy Communicant thou doest as verily receive Christs body and blood to all effects and purposes of the spirit as