if thou seek God no Day thou wilt find him no where And in Heaven every day is a like Sabbath on Earth to make each day alike is to seek God no day Thou canst not be as in Heaven every day Holy thou must not be as in Hell every day Profane alike One Day therefore in the Week is set that Religion and with it thy Salvation be not lost And the first of the Week is that One. As Ancient as Apoc. 1. 10 the Apostles as Catholick as the Church of Christ Reverend for that and to be kept holy by thee because observed by all All that ever professed the Name of Christ And my Soul thou wilt not renounce him not be Refractory to Apostolike Order not Contradictory to Christian Custom not Singular to all the Saints in the Catholick Christian World This Day was ever kept by all And so let it be kept And as they did so do thou keep it For my Soul many do not so Not caring or knowing how to keep the Day of the Lord. For Some Observe it with great Superstition Second part Col. 2. 16. Others shun that with grosse Profanation Some bind themselvs to such a strictnesse as they neither doe nor can nor need observe because what God requires not Others leave themselves to such a loosnesse as they take not like Liberty on another day Betwixt these two Extremes must thou walke warily O my Soul Keep it not as the Jew a Sabbath nor as the Exod. 16. 23. Exod. 35. 3. 1 Pet. 4. 5. 2 Pet. 2. 13. Heathen â— Bacchanal Observe the Day with Devotion Keep it from Superstition Fly from an uncommanded strictnesse but run not to an unjustified loosnesse Take this Rule for thy Guide Let Church duties be duly paid and let not the House defrauâ— the Church Those are the Maine Service those must be Serviceable to the maine For it is absurd My Soul to thinke that on one and the same day thou maist appeare Saint in Gods house and in thy owne a Devil Be not Privately though piously employed when thou shouldest be at Publike Service but when publikely will-disposed be not privately ill This being more holy then another day must not have lesse of thy Service House and Church then both looke to this What others daies confine to the House this doth in it and what others do not in Church So then My Soule In the Church Gods House on Sunday the Lords day Where and when the King of heaven keeps his Court and commands thy Attendance faile not upon any terms save just and necessarie fail not to present thy selfe in the Holy Equipage of a Servant and Suppliant to the Majestie of Heaven Believe thy absence else an Offense to God thy Father A Neglect to Christ thy Saviour An Vndutifulnesse to the Church thy Deare Mother A Scandall to man thy Christian Brother And to those that know Thee and it an Example of ill and Encouragement to ungodliness But when God by his Ministers sends out summons to call thee to his House and Table too not onely to Serve but Sup with thy Lord O my 1 Cor. 11. 20. Soule How wilt thou answer it or to thy Selfe or thy God if thou dost not come Lovest thou Eternitie and hast no appetite to the Bread of Life Can Joh. 6. 48. thou and Satan be too much two Thou and thy Saviour too much One And is not this thy Communion with 1 Cor. 10. 16. 2 Cor. 8. 15. 1 Cor. 10. 21. Christ That thy Separation from Sin And it thy Dis-union with Satan Can thy Pardon from Hell be so sure or thy Assurance for Heaven too strong And is not this blessed Sacrament * Sensum in minimis minuit iâ— gravoribus peccatis consensum tollit Bern. 1 Cor. 11. 31. Mat. 26. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc Luk. 22. 9. the Seale of thy Pardon and that Assurance Canst thou doe thy Saviour too much Honour Is a Commanded Commemoration of His love too much Is not a neglect of that a scorne A signe of his vile neglect Wilt thou shed thy Bloud for his sake that wilt not drinke His to thy Salvation Wilt thou drinke his Cup of gall that dost refuse his Wine Wilt thou climb his Crosse that dost shun his Board Die for him that wilt not Sup with him Be his Sacrifice that dost decline his Sacrament O My Soul Where is thy love and Duty to thy Christ if at his call thou dost not come And what is it keeps thee away Doth Malice glut thy Holie Appetite 1 Cor. 10. 21. 1 Joh. 3. 12. This is to leave Gods for the Devills Table Is thy Stomack for some carnall lusts and pleasures and the Preparations for it slack that This is to preferre mans bread to Angels Nay Psal 78. 25. 1 Pet. 1. 12 Cant. 5. 1. a Sinners which is worse to the most Heavenly which is better O my Soul When God and the Devil or God and Man at once invite thee to their Board give not Man much lesse the Devill thy Presence and deny God thy Appearance No my Soul without good Warrant from God under Seal of thy Conscience Refuse not his Invitations Luk. 14. 17 to thy Eternall welfare lest he Banish thee his Beatificall vision for such inexcusable negligence And keep thee Apoc. 19. 9 from the Supper of the Lamb that hast kept thy self from the Supper of the Lord. O! woe to thee my Soul for ever if he once say as for like neglect he did Thou shalt not eat of Mat. 22. 8. Luk. 14. 22 Psal 118. 19 Prov. 9. 2. my Supper On Gods day then when his Doore is open be with him but especially when his Table is Spread Gods Ordinary is better then the Worlds Feast because it feeds to a better Life But Joh. 6. 27. here my Soul are the Dainties of Heaven * Omnium carnalium saporum dulcedinum voluptates exupâ—rat Cypr. de C. D. Prov. 9. 2. 5. What Infinite wisdome voluptates exuperat Cypr. de C. D. Prov. and goodnesse can provide to Feast thee till thou art satisfied with his Psa 17. 15. Glory in his Presence where is fulness of joy for Eternity O my Soul where * Chrys Ubi omnes angeli cum sacerdoto c. Joh. 6. 51. Joh. 6. 41. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc Animae vis spes salus lux nostra Chrys Psa 42. 1. 2. Psal 93. 6. 1 Cor. 11. 22. Eccl. 5. 1. Hab. 2. 20. Psa 46. 10. Angels are Ministers be thou one of Gods Guests Where Heaven is on the Table Kneel thou at the Board Where Life is in the Bread be thou at the Table Think it Death and Exile from God and Heaven to be kept from the House and Table of the Lord. But Presence is not enough if Carriage be not Christian Holinesse becomes Gods House Rudenesse is unsutable Veile thy Eyes here with Holy
Death 127 6. Of Judgement 130 7. Of Hell 134 8. Of the Pleasures of Piety 205 9. Of the Passion of Christ 231 10. Of the Holy Cummunion 262 The Services in this Book for the severall Dayes of the Weeks 1. Weekes Services of seven Subjects fit to Excite to a love of Godliness Sunday Service Of the Joyes of Heaven 112 Monday Service Of the Miseries of Earth 116 Tuesday Service Of the Vanities of it 119 Wednesday Service Of the Villanies of it 122 Thursday Service Of Death 126 Friday Service Of Judgment 130 Saturday Service Of Hell 134 2. Weekes Services against the seven Common Sinnes Sunday Service against Neglect of Gods Service 138 Monday Service against Procrastination 140 Tuesday Service against Presumption 143 Wednesd Service against Desperation 145 Thursday Service against Swearing 149 Friday Service against Lying 152 Saturday Service against Slandering 155 3. Weekes Services against the seven Deadly Sinnes Sunday Service against Idlenesse 158 Monday Service against Covetousness 161 Tuesday Service against Gluttony 168 Wednesday Service against Luxury 175 Thursday Service against Pride 178 Friday Service against Anger 182 Saturday Service against Envie 185 4. Weeks Services Against Seaven Vanities of the most valued things of the world Sunday Service against Pleasures 188 Monday Service against Honeurs 190 Tuesday Service against Riches 192 Wednesday Service against Beauty 194 Thursday Service against Strength 196 Friday Service against Wit 198 Saturday Service against Friends and Favour 200 Services upon other Particular Subjects and Occasions A Service Of the Pleasures of Piety 203 A Service Against Malice 209 A Service Against Revenge 212 A Service Penitentiall 215 A Service Against Impatience 223 A Service Of the Passion 230 A Service For the Holy Communion 251 A Service For sad Times 295 The Sinnes against which Prayers and Rules are made Alphabetically disposed Anger Remedies of it 183 Covetuousnesse Remedies of it 163 Desperation Remedies of it 147 Detraction Remedies of it 156 Envy Remedies of it 186 Gluttony Remedies of it 170 Idlenesse Remedies of it 159 Impatience Remedies of it 2â—6 Lying Remedies of it 153 Luxurie Remedies of it 176 Malice Remedies of it 210 Neglect of Gods Service Remedies of it 139 Presumption Remedies of it 144 Pride Remedies of it 179 Procrastination Remedies of it 141 Revenge Remedies of it 213 Slaunder See Detraction Sloth See Idlenesse Swearing and Takeing Gods Name in Vaine Remedies of it 150 The Use of the Services Delivered in Fower Rules Rule 1. When you would strengthen in you the Grace 1. Of Feare Vse the Service of Death Judgement Hell 2. Of Hope Vse the Service of the Passion The Joyes of Heaven Against Desperation 3. Of Charity Vse the Service against Malice Anger Revenge Envy Detraction c. 4. Of the Contempt of the World Vse the Service against the Vanities of it Of Honours Riches Pleasures Beauty Wit Favour or of the Miseries of it Villanies of it Of Death Of the Joyes of Heaven 5. Of any Virtue which you would strengthen in you Read the Service against the Contrary Vice As For Chastity The Service against Lust For Truth The Service against Lying For Humility The Service against Pride For Meeknesse The Service against Anger For Patience The Service against Impatience c. Rule 2. When you would strengthen your self against any of the Sinnes above-named Read the Service against that Particular Sinne for that Day Rule 3. When you read one Service you may use besides the Collect for it the Collects for another As for the Service against Pride That against the Vanities of the World In the Service against the Vanity of Pleasure That for the Pleasures of Piety c. Rule 4. When you see cause you may make use of the Collects or Prayers and Meditations and say fewer or more of them without the Services The severall Soliloquies 367 1. The Nobility of Piety 311 2. Domesticall-Devotion 325 3. Church Duty 332 4. Perpetuall Service 351 5. Remora's in Religion 367 6. Helps to Heaven 389 7. Remedies of Humane Frailty 411 The Particulars conteined in these Soliloquies Absolution if it encourage Sin is the Bond not Acquittance of a Sinner 371 Abstinence from ill makes not good 360 Accessory to others Sins why not how not 450 Actions helping to Heaven 439 Almes see Charity Assurance not Essence of faith 426 Attempting good things overcomes them 445 Beleife Right makes not Perfect 375 Cautions good Helps to Heaven 447 Charity all goodnesse 362 Church best place 336. For most Reverence 345 Church-rudenesse an Affront to Heaven 347 Christ all in all 435 Company ill way to Hell 375 Communion Neglect of it a Sin against Christ and the Soul 343 Confession how abused 371 Covetousnesse a Meditation destroying it 403 Credit Christian how to be maintained 449 Dayes to be numbred 384 Deeds good what which best 360 362 Delayes of Repentance Dangerous 414 To Death Desperate 415 Common pleas for it poore 421 Excellency of Soul 311 Everlasting Sinning 451 Eucharist see Lords Table Meat for Heaven 447 Faith The Grace in Chief 434 A Cordiall 423. The Ingredients Rare Christ Chief 424 Virtues Soveraign 425 Five Counterfeits of it Delusion Blind Resignation Idle Speculation Great Confidence Good Opinion of our selves Boldnesse to Sin 426 Grief for Sin not Repentance enough 413 Habits ill dangerous 373 Hand to be lookt to see Deeds Heart Spring of action all care of it 352 Honest not enough without life 369 Hearing a good help to Heaven 439 Helps to Heaven 309 Hours set to be kept 327 Eleventh Hours call no cause to delay Repentance 420 Idlenesse an enemy to Godlinesse 348 Innocence from ill not enough 360 At the day of Judgement how pretious 394 Integrity all not saving 430 Intentions not sufficient though good 369 Lords Day how to be kept 341 Table how to be frequented Reverenced 342 349 Lust what Meditation kills it 304 Meditations advancing piety Of Death 391 Judgment 393. Heaven 396. Hell 400 Of Christ His Birth Life Death Soveraign against Pride Covetousnesse Lust 402 403 404 Morning and Evening best Times for Devotion 329 Motions of God How known 406 Angels 406 From Heaven To it 407 Dangerously refused 408 New Obedience the Soules Preservative 428 What Wherein How Counterfeits of it 430 Obedience see new Prastice of Good makes it easie 445 Prayers Mans Helps 446 Gods Visits 327 Private When where how to be made 329 330 Publick In Church Best 334 At Home when we should be there Ill 334 To be made by all The Greatest 336 Pride Meditation destroying it 402 Principles pernicious to Piety 368 Publick Service Piller of Religion 340 Pulpit makes not a Sermon 439 Reading Scripture a Help to Heaven 440 Of power to Convert 443 Religious Course Bars to it 367 Not for Cloister onely 372 Repentance Sins Remedy 411 Requisites Vertues of it 411 412 Not to be done by Halves 414 Not to be Delayed 414 A Time set for it 420 Resolution will doe much to
thee as that is my state let this be my blisse Give me the blessings of the Womb a healthy and holy seed which may be Heires of thy blessings on earth after us and at last inheritance of thy eternall blessednesse in heaven with us even for the sake of thy onely begotten Sonne my deare and onely Saviour Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 1. Prayer for a Woman with Child LOrd who hast blessed me with a hopefull Conception crowne thy mercy in mee with a happy Deliverance From all frights and harmes which may cause miscarriage to me let thy providence shield me From all errors and ills which may draw thy displeasure upon me let thy grace preserve me And for all my faults and failings past let thy mercy pardon me And Lord let not the Child for the Parents sake be any way unhappy The blessing of shape and perfectnesse of Body and mind be upon it I beseech thee so shall the Church have a Child and thou a Servant my Family a pillar and thy kingdome an heire mine shall be the comfort but thine shall be the gaine O thou that thy selfe wast once enclosed in a Mothers womb conceived bred and born shew this mercy to me doe it for me deare Iesus thou holy Sonne of God Amen Amen Prayer against Miscarriage LOrd keep me from all harmes and frights this day * At Evening say this Night and that my Womb by no ill acccident may miscarry within me let not my heart by any ill act miscarry before thee Body and Soule let thy mercy grace preserve me now and ever deare Iesus Amen Amen Prayer for a Woman in Travaile LOe this is the fruit of the forbidden Tree our first Mother brought forth sin and we bring forth in paine for it justly O Lord for I am the Daughter of my Mother as I sinned in her loynes so since I came into the world I have justified often what she did once I have sinned O Lord I have sinned O how often have I coveted what thou hast forbidden done ill in thy eyes to doe what was pleasing to my owne and been both tempted and Tempter unto evill By inheritance therefore and purchase wrath is my due misery my portion and this paine my proper lot and thy great mercy it is in Christ my Saviour that the pangs of everlasting death are not my but O thou Judge of the world remember that thou art the Preserver of men preserve me in it support me under it make haste make haste good Lord to deliver me from it and comfort me after it O remember not what the first Adam hath done but the second suffered and by his immaculate Conception and holy Birth and Life by the bitter passion and pangs and death of the holy Child Jesus deliver me deare Father in this my extremity Let the paines of my Travaile end in the joies of a blessed Birth that may to the comfort of my soule live and be made an Heire of thy kingdome Amen Amen Prayer after Deliverance of Child LOrd that hast look'd downe on thy poore hand maid in her great distresse I looke up unto thee and blesse thy Name for my happy deliverance that thou hast made me the joyfull Mother of a hopefull Child without visible infirmity or deformity which might take from my joy Goe on good God in mercy to me and it Support me on my bed of weaknesse and in thy due time raise me from it with strength Let my Child live till thou by holy Baptisme hast made it thy Heire and in that holy and happy state of soule preserve it to thy kingdome and let it be my continuall care by all good meanes to preserve it And good Lord from the pangs of eternall death and paines of Hell keep me and it for ever And whatsoever burden of woe I shall travaile under on earth let me not despaire of mercifull deliverance whom thou hast so graciously eased of my late paine and burden Thy power mercy is the same for ever O Lord let it be shewed to thy Servant in all her extremity according as her hope and trust is in thee by the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Prayer after Christening the Child WHat an honour hast thou done unto thy Servant O Lord thou hast given me a naturall birth and my Child a new one what came polluted into the world is washed cleane in thy laver for the raggs of Adam thou hast put on it thy Sonnes robes My Child is made thy heire and what was borne by me to a Crosse thou hast begotten againe to a Crown of glory O Lord let it be my care to keep my Child thine thy Sonnes righteousnesse on him and Spirit in him and my ambition so to be thy Child that I may with it be Inheritor of thy Crowne By the merits of him who is the first-borne of his Brethren thy Son and Heire of all things Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Prayer and Thanksgiving for our Birth-day I Thank thee O Lord for my Birth this day but especially for my new-birth By that I was made a Man by this a Christian from that I have a naturall life from this a spirituall that was to live on earth this in heaven nor was that to live for ever but a time on earth Lord let me not frustrate the end of my Birth nor apostate from the blisse of my Baptisme The state of grace in which this set me let me ever maintaine And if by sinne I ever fall from it let me by a true and timely repentance rise againe and recover it that when I shall go from earth I may come to heaven and when leave to live with men live with thee and thy Angels for ever for which end I am created redeem'd and preserved in this world Lord that gavest my life this day to begin let it so end for his sake whose birth life and death makes all ours blessed who is the beginning and end Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Prayer for New-years-day GOd of my life who hast given me this day to see a New-yeare begin let me live to see it at a happy end and thou who hast a New-heart in thy gift O give that to me that according to all the good purposes of my soule I may walke in good conscience before thee and have thy peace within me and thy blessing all the yeare upon me even for his sake who was content to be borne at this time and this day to be circumcised and shed his just blood for me Iesus Christ thy Son my deare Saviour and Lord. Amen Prayer for a Widow O Lord that hast taken my Head from me be thou Husband to me thou that boughtest my Soule by thy bloud to be thy Spouse doe not lose me doe not leave me guide and governe in me in all my waies in all my wants and straits supply me thou that art better than Friend than Father than Husband than all be unto
didst both live and die in virtue of thy blood that sole and soveraigne antidote and sanctuary of bleeding Sinners thy deare and pretious blood let my soule live if my body die but if thy blessed will both live to praise thy goodnesse to both Lord cast my sins behind thy back and hold me in thy Armes Into thy Armes of mercy I cast my self Body Soul my onely hope and refuge and rock of my salvation is in thy blessed merits and blood deare Jesus take me and keep me in thy Armes now and ever and especially in my last hower and agonie have mercy on me I beseech thee Amen Amen Thanksgiving for one recovered of the Plague THou hast smitten and thou hast healed me O my God! the blow was grievous thy help is greater the blow was just thy help more gracious my sinnes deserved death thy mercy hath spared my life O Lord with an humble thankfull soule I doe acknowledge as ever so now especially from thy good hand my present life and health And now I humbly beseech thee that my heart may smite me that I have ever rebelled against so good a Majestie and thy grace keep me that I never more lift up my hand against so great a goodnesse O let not the pestilence goe from my body to my soule let not Satan and corruption poyson perswade my spirit to sit in the chaire or stay in the house of pestilence Let not others be infected with sinne by me nor me by them lest thou be more provoked and the plague gone returne in a greater judgment My God my help my health my hope my life and comfort be thy Name ever blessed that hast spared my soule and life O let it be no more dishonoured by me that keeping from the infection of an evill world I may live in the blisse of a better where is neither sinne nor sicknesse to infect soule or body but perfect health strength grace and glory in thee and with thee to all eternity O Jesus my onely refuge and the horne of my salvation So be it Amen Amen Prayer for one at the Hower of Death to be said by the Sick or some for him altering the Person 1. Prayer of one at the point of Death GOd the Father his mercies be about me God the Sonne his merits be upon me God the Holy Ghost his comforts be within me Holy Trinitie preserve strengthen and support me that my Death may be pretious in the sight of the Lord and my Soule live with thee to all eternity Amen Amen 2. Prayer for one at the point of Death FAther of mercies let thy love be to him Saviour of the world let thy merits be on him Comforter of departing Souls let thy peace be in him Father Sonne and Holy Spirit defend a Child of thy Family save a Lamb of thy Flock keep a member of thy Church O thou One and onely Lord God of Heaven command thy holy Angels to tender him and forbid evill ones to trouble him Deliver his soul discharge his sinne seale his pardon heavenly Father by thy Holy Spirit in the blood of Jesus Amen Amen 3. Prayer for one at the point of Death LOrd Jesus Succour this Dying Soule make passage for him by death to a better life purge his sins in thy Blood and prepare his Soule by thy Spirit and receive it to the glory of thy Father Jesus that didst so deerly purchase it make haste to receive it from the pangs of present and paines of everlasting death Good Lord deliver it deliver it for thy mercies sake Amen Amen Thanksgiving after Death for one Departed ¶ Say this Scripture Psal 116. 7 15. Returne unto thy rest ô my Soule for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the Death of the Saints Apoc. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord even so saith the Spirit that they rest from their labours ¶ Then Pray thus THou that hast sent for this Soul out of the Prison of his Bodie to come to the Palace of thy Blisse receive our praises O Lord for his happy deliverance from pangs to joyes from Tryalls to Triumphs from Earth to Heaven O Lord we beseech thee admit our humble lauds to attend him into thy presence and with them let our prayers enter before thee that as he so we in thy good time may come and present our Halleluja's with our selves in thy sight And meane time lead a godly life to have a blessed death Lord let us not forsake thee now that thou mayest not leave us then in that last and great hower upon which followes an Eternitie of weale or woe Lord have mercy on us and doe not forsake us and therefore let us have the feare of it and thee now and ever before us that as we believed our Brother departed is we may be blessed in and by our death grant we may deare Iesus Amen Amen A generall Thanksgiving for Gods mercies O Thou high Majestie of Heaven how hast thou filled me with the favours of thy bounty how great hast thou been in thy goodnesse and mercy how gracious in thy providence to me thou hast poured the blessings of heaven and earth upon my head Thou hast loaden me with thy gifts bestowed upon me in Creating Redeeming and in Preserving me In my Creation thou gavest me thine Image and madest me more noble than all the Creatures of the earth In my Redemption thou gav'st me thy Sonne and madest me more glorious than the Angels of Heaven In my Baptisme and Regeneration thou gavest me thy Spirit and hast made me more happy than millions of men in the world Thou hast given thy self to me Lord what could'st thou doe more for me thrice blessed yea for ever be thy glorious Name for thine infinite grace mercy and goodnesse to me And in thy providence for this life how abundantly hast thou blessed me in health wealth body mind c. and many and many mercies vouchsafed me In my weaknesse thou hast strengthened me in my dangers thou hast delivered me in my distresses thou hast comforted me in my prayers thou hast heard me in thy judgments thou hast spared me to this day preserving my life and making it many waies joyfull to me And not for any good in me O Lord hast thou been thus gracious towards me My ills on earth hath been many my ingratitudes great against thee For them thou mightest for ever banish me from heaven and with my sinnes cast me into hell amongst those that offend thee for thy owne goodnesse and great Names sake hast thou been thus bountifull and mercifull to me O fill my heart with thy love that my mouth may poure ou◠praises to thee Ravish my soule with thy goodnesse that my heart may ever love thee Fill my life with thy feare that as my lips my thoughts deeds may ever honour thee let me not be so wretched as to forget thy
have had the Holy Communion Seale me my pardon And behold and accept thy Servant from a heart full of thy love pouring out praises to thee for the inestimable benefits received in those High and Holy Mysteries What am I O Lord or what is in me that thou shouldest doe this great honour and favour to me I am unworthy to touch the thresholds of thy House and thou hast taken me to thy Table I am not worthy to stand amongst thy Saints and thou hast made me sit with my Saviour I am not worthy to come before thee and fall down before thy Footstoole and thou hast beene pleased to come into me and make my heart thy Throne I am not worthy to eat the bread of Men and thou hast given me the bread of Angels Yea Lord The Angels hunger but have not this bread What they admire I have received whom they adore I have entertained The Body and Bloud of Jesus their Mirrour is my meat Christ and they are Two but I and my Saviour are One. Flesh of his Flesh and Bone of his Bone One Bloud one Body O unspeakable Mysterie O incomparable Mercy Lord I beseech thee since of my selfe I cannot enough praise thee make me some way worthy of thee Let my Hands which have received that Blessed Body and Bloud be henceforth Sacred and doe no deeds that may offend thee Let my Lips which have touched those Holy Mysteries be hallowed from all words that may displease thee And let my Heart the Habitation of my Lord and Saviour be hereafter holy and no vain thoughts lodge within me As I am one with Him in Body and Bloud let me be one in Spirit The spirit of Wisdome Love and Holyness truly to know Thee serve Thee and cleave unto Thee By the blessed Sacrament of his Body and Blood Convey it to me Confirme it in me Let it be to my soule the Signet of thy Love and Seale of thy Glory And even for the Precious Merits of that Bloud and Body receive me to it I beseech thee that I may be one in everlasting Union and Communion with Thee for Jesus his sake Amen Amen! A Thanksgiving to be said after the Communinn fit for one devoutly affected at it THou that hast given the Bread of Heaven to feed me O give me the tongue of an Angell to praise thee O Lord the very Angels are not blessed with such a Bread O! what an high Mystery and mercy is this that my Saviour is my Sustenance and their Maker my Meat The Body and Bloud of Christ the Eternall Sonne of Gods to be in an holy Communion eaten drunken by the mouth of a mortall man O the infinite condescending Goodnes of a gracious God to make my humble heart the habitation of his Holines To come to me enter in me and become one not by Reconciliation onely but heavenly Union and Communion with me O miraculous Union O mysterious Incorporation O happy Soule that art so neare to thy Saviour O blessed Saviour that art so neare to my Soule O wretched Soule if any thing be too deare with thee for such a Saviour That wouldst not give thy body and blood for his Truth that wilt not give thy life to his Glory O Lord let my Soule which by thy Sacrament is made so happie by my sinne be never made so wretched Thou that hast entred thy Bodie and Bloud into me by thy Spirit take possession of me Guide me leade me command me rule me move me Be thou the Spirit of my Soule and Soule of my Body Let not the Flesh World or Devill henceforth have any power in me Live O Live Thou in me O Christ in thy earthly House and let me live for ever with Thee in thy Heavenly Habitation Even by the Merits and vertues of thy pretious Body and Bloud Sweet Jesus my Deare Lord and Saviour I beseech thee Amen Amen! An Holy Rapture to be said by One having Devoutly Communicated O Lord Where thou doest dwell is Heaven Heaven then is not this day more Above me then Within me How then shall my Single Soule Honour thee and my Tongue extoll Thee who hast made for thy Servant a Double Heaven O Lord Let all that is within me and all that is without me minde heart tongue hand all Savour of that Heaven that is within me and set forth thy Glory And doe Thou who this day hast conveyed Heaven into me at my last houre Convey my Soule into Heaven That what is here wanting in thy due Praises I may pay there in everlasting Halleluja's Even so Lord Glory be to thee for ever for the Invaluable favour and honour thou hast done to thy servant For the unsearchable Riches and Treasures Conveyed in thy Sacrament even the Blessed Body and Blood of Jesus Christ my deare Redeemer and Lord and Saviour Amen Amen Meditations for the Holy Communion upon 1 Cor. 11. 24. 25. ¶ Doe this in Remembrance of me D Oe but for thee Dear Jesus I had been undone for ever for thee then and for Mat. 18. 11 thy sake what is it which I should not doe 2. Thy desires are my Commands There is Authority enough in thy love for me to doe what thou shalt please Speak Lord then thy Servant heareth what ever thy will is that will I doe 3. Since thou wouldst have no flesh but my Bodies I will have no will but Heb. 10. 5. thy Soules What is thine shall be my will O Lord and done which thou wilt hav◠me doe 4. I dare not say so to any man O Lord though never so Godly so much thy Man His will may have Errour for Guide and ill in Company But O thou Holy one of God! Thy mind knowes no Errour thy will no Obliquity I dare doe whatsoever thou dost will 5. Dare doe Dare not but doe it If thy desire once come out in an Injunction and thy will be signified by Command not onely upon my Obligation I ought But must upon my Mat. 17. 5. Act. 3. 23. Act. 9. 6. Allegeance to thee the King of the Church and Soveraign as well as Saviour of my Soul I must not dispute nor delay but doe and therefore ought may must doe This. For Lord what is it thou wouldst now have me do Is it to climb a Crosse to undergo a bitter Passion Act. 21. 19 Even for thy sake I should not think much to doe that who hast done more for mine What then when it is not so much as this not to goe to a Scaffold but come to thy Table not to goe to a Grave but a Feast not to Bleed or Burne but to to Eat and Drink not to Suffer that but to doe this 2. And what is that I am to Eat and Drink Bread of Affliction and Water of Adversity which flag my Spirits No Deare Jesus but Bread and Wine to confirme and comfort my Heart Not a Confessours Bread Tears nor a Martyrs Cup Bloud
SACRED PRINCIPLES SERVICES and SOLILOQUIES OR A Manual of Devotions Made up of Three Parts I. The Grounds of Christian Religion and the Doctrine of the Church of England as differing from the Now-Roman II. Daily and Weekly Formes of Prayers fortified with Holy Scriptures Meditations and Rules to keep the Soule from the Common Roads of Sin and carry it on in a mortified Course III. Seven Charges to Conscience Delivering if not the whole Body the main Limbs of Divinity which is the Art not of Disputing but Living Well Grande est esse Christianum non videri Hier. LONDON Printed by J. G. for JOHN CLARK and are to be sold at his Shop under Saint Peters Church in Cornhill 1650. To the Reader TO thy Conscience not wit are these Devotions written And if so read thy Soule may grow if not wiser better by them The Author looks at Heat in Devotion as metle in a blind steed his first care therefore is to help thee to a good Sight in Religion and that he doth by the light of his Principles But because most miscarry by going and running against their light in wicked and erroneous wayes more pains are taken to prevent and rectifie such miscarriages To Elevate thy Soule and Aide it in good Desires and Endeavours for Grace against Sinne thou hast his Prayers and Services And to awake thy Conscience and warme thy Heart to all Duety Desired and Directed to is the Cry and work of the Soliloquies And albeit he will prohibit none to read the Book though for Curiosity more then Conscience and rather as a New then Prayer-booke because even so they may take benefit by it as Saint Austin did by Saint Ambrose's Sermon yet he would have thee know that it is Calculated chiefly for the Meridian of their minds who fall to their Prayers not by fits but Courses and read Books not to passe the time away but well Taking them in hand not as Recreations of their thoughts but Businesse of the mind And usiing them not as good Companions in Solitude but Guides and Helps to Heaven-wards That this may be so to thee is his Aime Thank God if it be thy Issue He prayes that for thee whosoever thou art Having an Amen for Nazianzens Vote Utinam nemo pereat and a Heart for the Prayer his Mother hath taught him That it may please God to have mercy on all men And if for his Name that Charracter please thee much good doe it thee So he is and hopes he ever shall be Thine in the Common Saviour Philo-Christianus THE Particulars conteined in this Manuall of Devotions OF Religion in Generall pag. 1. The Grounds of Christian Religion pag. 2 The Grounds of Protestant Religion 6 How to be satisfied and setled amidst the Doubts and Divisions about Religion 6 Rules of Devotion and Prayers for Morning 20 for Evening 21 1. Daily Prayers 23 Prayer For Grace 28 39 Prayer For Peace 28 39 Prayer For Health 29 40 Prayer For Friends 30 40 Prayer For Kingdom 31 41 Prayer For Church 33 43 Prayer For Catho Church 33 43 Particular Prayers Prayer Of a Husband 45 Prayer Of a Wife 46 Prayer Of a Parent 47 Prayer Of a Child 48 Prayer For a Family 49 Prayer For Issue 50 For Women with Child 51 Against Miscarriage 52 For a Women in Travail 52 After Deliverance 53 After Christning 54 Prayer For Birth day 55 Prayer For New-years-day 56 Prayer Of a Widow 56 Prayer For the Fatherlesse 57 Prayer Against suddain Death 59 Prayer For a Voyage by Sea 60 After it 60 At Return to Sea 61 At Return Home 62 After a Storme 63 Prayer For one in a Journey 65 After it 65 Prayer For a Souldier 66 Morning 67 Evening 68 Before Fight 68 After Fight 69 For one Wounded 69 Prayer For the Sick 73 For Deliverance 73 For Patience 74 Against the Plague 76 For one Infected 77 For one Recovered 78 Prayer For one Dying 80. 81 Rules of Devotion and Prayers for Sunday Morning 110 Evening 111 Weekly Prayers for Severall Dayes Sunday Prayer against The Flesh 89 Munday Prayer against The Devill 92 Tuesday Prayer against The World 95 Wednesday Prayer against Suddain Death 97 Thursday Prayer against Hypocrisie 99 Friday Prayer against Inconstancy 101 Saturday Prayer against Impenitence 104 3. Monthly Prayers for the severall Days of the Week for four Weeks 1. First Weekes Prayers Sunday Prayer On the Joyes of Heaven 11â— Monday Prayer Vpon the Miseries of Earth 116 Tuesday Prayer Against the Vanities of it 119 Wednesday Prayer Against Villanies of it 132 Thursday Prayer About Death 126 Friday Prayer About Judgement 130 Saturday Prayer Against Hell 134 2. Second Weekes Prayers against seven common Sinnes Sunday Prayer against Neglect of Gods Service 138 Monday Prayer against Procrastination 140 Tuesday Prayer against Presumption 143 Wednesday Prayer against Desperation 145 Thursday Prayer against Swearing 149 Friday Prayer against Lying 152 Saturday Prayer against Slandering 155 3. Third Weeks Prayers against the Seven commonly called Deadly Sinnes Sunday Prayer against Ildenesse 158 Monday Prayer against Covetousness 161 Tuesday Prayer against Gluttony 168 Wednesday Prayer against Luxuy 175 Thursday Prayer against Pride 178 Friday Prayer against Anger 182 Saturday Prayer against Envie 185 4. Fourth Weekes Prayers against seven Vanities of the most valued things in the World Sunday Prayer against the Vanity of Pleasures 188 Monday Prayer against the Vanity of Honours 190 Tuesday Prayer against the Vanity of Riches 192 Wednesd Prayer against the Vanity of Beauty 194 Thursday Prayer against the Vanity of Strength 196 Friday Prayer against the Vanity of Wit 198 Saturday Prayer against the Vanity of Friends and favour 200 Prayers in eight other Services Prayer For Pleasures of Piety 203 Prayer Against Malice 209 Prayer Against Revenge 212 Prayer For a Penitent 215 216 220 Prayer Against Impatience 223. 225 Prayer On the Passion 230 Prayer For the H. Communion Before it 251. 253 At it 255 After it 257. 259 Prayer Deprecating Judgments 295 Prayer For an end of War 297 Prayer For blessing on those who seek Peace 297 Prayer For Friends in Danger and Distresse 298 Prayer For Conversion of one in an ill Course 299 Prayer For preservation of the Church 299 Prayer For Mercy to the Nation 302 A Charitable Prayer for these Miserable Times 35 Prayer A Prayer against the Temptations of the Times 37 Thanksgivings Generall for Gods Mercies 84 Deliveranees 87 Particular Thanksgivings For Recoveries of Sicknesse 75 Particular Thanksgivings After a Journey 65 Particular Thanksgivings After a Storme 62 63 Particular Thanksgivings After Child-birth 53 Particular Thanksgivings For Birth day 55 Particular Thanksgivings For a Friend Preserved 88 Particular Thanksgivings For Recovery of the Plague 78 Particular Thanksgivings For one Departed 82 Meditations upon Tenne severall Subjects viz. 1. Of the Joyes of Heaven 113 2. Of the Miseries of the World 117 3. Of the Vanities of it 120 4. Of the Villanies of it 124 5. Of
thy Spirit and by all meanes mould me and make my heart of that temper that the least touch of sin may trouble me that I may not obstinately goe on in a course of Rebellion against thee Mercifull Father let all thy crosses come rather upon me then this curse befall me That I may rather grieve and groane with hope on earth then waile and houle in hell without remedie A heart of flesh for stone Lord give me let thy holy Spirit work and keep it in me Doe it deare Saviour for me I beseech the in thy mercy Amen Amen Animadversion to the Devout Reader touching these Services THe Author in these Services tenders thee some things new and nothing he hopes naught There are extant Books of Prayers and Meditations and Directions apart and those who joyne some of these together but all as in his way he knowes none He conceives that the Soul engaged in a particular duty will be much assisted by so manie helps at hand and come off better with the Service Vicissitudes of Devotions like changes of clothes as they please the mind because they clog lesse so they will advance her piety the more when all though they goe severall waies meet in one study and care to work her Spirituall preferment Thy Spirit will not be lesse devoted to thy Prayers for having breathed it in holy Scriptures Nor wilt thou take in that Holy aire with lesse advantage to thy Soules health for going to it from thy Prayers Nor will those Heavenly refreshments profit or last less for plying the Soul at present well-devoted with proper pious Meditations Instructions set suteing to her particular purposes This will be as a Word in due season fit and good and serve as a little Sermon to nourish Holy Spirit so Divinely begot which else may starve before it can come to a greater and perhaps not have her particular state and case much reached and relieved neither if she come The Closet the good mans Daily Sanctuary alwayes * Ezek. 11 16. and in persecution often his onely Church as it never wants Gods Spirituall Altar a Devout heart nor his Garden Gods Holy Book in it nor Gods Holy Service an Holy Prayer-Book for it By this shall have a little Pulpit too Necessary for those who have no other and profitable for those who may want a better And surely the Soule which keeps her daily walkes betwixt Gods Altar and Garden her Prayers and his Scriptures must needs grow and goe on in Godlinesse And faster and firmer both for hearing every day a Sermon when Her selfe is the Preacher Her state the Text and God and Conscience the Auditory Reader He that is not for a Pulpit in the Chamber would have this in thy Closet and thinkes he shall doe God and thee good Service in these devote-lesse times to furnish thy Closet with such a Pulpit His Aime thou seest His patterne thou maist easily aime at especially if a Child of that Mother whose wisdome taught him such Prayers Though some things in the Services be new there are no novelties in them but for thy singular use compiled and made a Handfull of little Homilies and Prayers Rules for every Sundayes Devotion Sunday-morning When you awake lift up your heart and say O Sun of Righteousness which this day didst rise for me shine now and ever with thy Grace and Mercy upon me Amen When you are up kneel and say this Prayer O Lord Holynesse becometh thy House Dutifulness becometh me to go to thy Courts wait upon Thee And this is the great day of thy Service Thou that hast given me to see the light of this day make me carefull to do the duty of it timely to Present my selfe unto Thee and reverently to behave my self before Thee that I may come with fruit and favour from thee for Jesus Christ His sake Amen Before you goe to Church say if you have time the Sunday-Service following Omit not to say the Collect for it howsoever in the Afternoone say the Evening-Service Sunday-night When you goe to Bed kneel and say O Sun of Righteousnesse keep me from utter darknesse let me so sleep in thy Peace that I may be every ready to arise and meet thee in thy Glory Amen Amen Seven Services for the 1 st Week Services set to the Daies of the Weeke for foure severall Weeks Sunday-service Of the joyes of Heaven Morning Prayer Psal 36. 84. Lesson Isa 64. Mat. 5. to 13. or Mat. 17. to 14. Evening Prayer Psalm 15. 16. Lesson Isaiah 35. Apoc. 21. Then this following Collect. After it the Daily Prayers ¶ Sunday Collect or Prayer for the joyes of Heaven DEare Saviour who hast purchased lost Heaven for me by thy blood and now possessest it for me in my flesh possesse my soule I beseech thee with thy holy Spirit that my conversation now may be heavenly on earth and my habitation hereafter happy in heaven O let me not for the perishing pleasures of this vaine world lose an eternity of blessed joyes in thy presence and Kingdome Preserve me to it deare Redeemer who hast prepared it for me even for thy mercies sake O Lord. Amen Daily Prayers 1. Meditation of the joyes of Heaven WHat do I on earth when God is in Heaven Why are my Heart Body in two severall worlds And where but with Him and on Him should be my Heart Lord draw to thee what is made for thee till Bodie can come let my Spirit be with thee till my Soule depart from my Bodie to dwell for ever with thee let Devotion carry my thoughts out of my Soule and daily visit thee My help my hope my solace my salvation Father of my Spirit Husband of my Soule Soveraigne of my welfare Author of my nature End of my essence Blisse of my being Satisfaction of my desires Rest of my thoughts Perfection of my powers my life is a banishment imprisonment punishment on earth if thou be in heaven shun I never so much I shall meet with nothing but sinne and miserie seek I never so much I shall not find any thing of blisse below had I whole lands of wealth with hills of honour upon them and rivers of pleasure about those all were not a peble a pile a drop to my blessednesse my avaritious ambitious voluptuous desires are left drie on earth onely fill'd and drown'd in the paradise crowne and kingdome of heaven the ocean of blisse runs about the good that is infinite high above change great without measure full without want long beyond time away then my Soule from thy banishment bondage woe and miserable vanitie to thy home freedome joy and true felicitie Dove of grace flie to the windows of glory mount to those Louvers on high where the ravenous Bird of hell can neither seize or fright thee nor the beasts of the earth devoure or disquiet thee Heaven on Earth is a monstrous confusion if thou vainly seek it there thou
mayest as soone find it in Hell God is not in that heaven onely seek and solace thy self in the waies of God that 's heaven on earth indeed both a glimpse of the glorie above and a light to find heaven where it is in heaven and from the goods of the world raise up thy thoughts to a better blisse Say if so well on earth how much better in heaven so let it be not thy myrrour of blisse but perspective Not thy chaire but foot-stoole to take a better sight flight to thy Throne so thou shalt at once walke on earth and goe to heaven yea thou shalt divide thy selfe betwixt both Bodie to earth and Soule to heaven And God will in that day blessedly unite what thou dost devoutly divide and keep with him in heaven for ever both Bodie and Soule 2. Meditation see Soliloquie p. Monday-Service Of the Miseries of this World Morning Prayer Psal 120. 129. 137. Lesson Gen. 47. or Job 14. Luk. 21. or Act. 20. Evening Prayer Ps 39. 42. or 84. 102. Lesson Lam. 3. Rom. 7. Then after this following Collect the Daily Prayers ¶ Monday Collect touching the Miseries of Earth O Lord with us is miserie with thee is mercy on earth all ill in heaven all good O for thy mercies sake support me in all my miseries and deliver me from my sins the cause of them all And of thy goodnesse I beseech thee raise up my heart to covet and seek the good of heaven that my hold and hope of it may comfort me against all the ills of the earth Let the bitternesse which I feele below win me from this evill world and whet in me a holy appetite to the pure sweets and joies which be above And in thy good time fill my Soule with those blessed Solaces I beseech thee even for his blessed merits and mediation sake who is my onely joy hope in heaven and earth Jesus Christ my deare Redeemer and Advocate Amen Meditation of the Miseries of the World WHy so much wedded to the world when woe is her Dowrie entailed as a Portion by God Gen. 3. 17. on Adam and thee if his Son since he forfeited with his Allegiance his Paradise and thine by his default Earth ever since brings forth woes as Job 5. 7. fire sparks Within thee or without thee for thy self or others In Bodie or Soule woods will as soone want leaves as the world faile thee of woes thou art heire to all Inheritour at least of some never secure from any because alwaies in griefe or feare of all And least blest too when most secure most unhappy when least miserable bliss in this life being the greatest curse because the portion of a man markt out for everlasting unhappiness Psal 17. 14. Alas what a purchase is a little fickle worldly bliss with woes all and everlasting after it not without some in it My heart if thou hast so mis-caried in thy choice let this divorce the mariage love earth when thou art fond of woe and not afraid of hell Thou wilt find good Alimonie after this divorce Thou wilt live more well and die much better for it Thou wilt entertaine death as a deliverance from her ills whose goods thou scornest And receive and read a Summons to thy end not as an Archest and call to judgement but an Acquittance from calamitie Thou wilt eye heaven as thy harbour of rest and be weary of the world as a sea of trouble Thou wilt study to steer thy course by the Card and Compass of the Infallible word and rule to know and goe the right way to heaven So good is the Worlds wormwood above her honey for the souls health if we take and taste it right And even our miseries are made great mercies because good medicines for that happy health Did earth afford sinfulfalne man one Paradise he would scarce looke for two Now that he finds a Purgatorie of it it drives him to the true Paradise and bring him sooner to those joies by the hastening of those woes which hie more to heaven when most heavie on earth Tuesday-Service Against the Vanities of the World Morning Prayer Psal 4. 39. or 37. 102. 104. Lessons Eccl. 1. 2. or any Chap. of it Mat. 16. or Lu. 12. Evening Prayer Psal 52. 62. Lessons Eccles 3. 4. c. Hab. 2. 1 Tim. 6. Then the Daily Prayers after this folowing Tuesday-Coll against the vanities of the world O Lord who hast made this world for me and me for another let me not be caried away with the vanities of that world which cannot content my Soule and will not continue with me O! let my heart be fixed on higher things never to be moved with worldly vanities that when this world shall end to me or I to it I may enjoy those honours and joyes and goods which shall never end with thee thy Angels and Saints in a better world through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Then Daily Prayers Meditation of the Vanities of the World THe World is a shop of Vanities Honours Riches Pleasures the chief Commodities the Devil Master of the shop and Man his miserable Customer The common price is our Souls which we give him to get them and yet possesse nothing lesse worse than nothing by all we get which is the vainest of that vanitie of vanities O Man be not thou so vile and vaine why doth transitory good take thee who hast an Immortall Spirit why doth sensible joy carry thee away who hast a faculty for the highest intellectuall good capacity of Eternitie Alas thou wilt as soone fill a sive with water as thy Soule with the Isa 55. 2. world and couldst thou give her a fill of it a short time would to thy greater losse and grief run it all out again Let the world then be not thy Idol but thy scorne Believe it if worldly good be thy Deity her glory profit and delight thy Trinity they will not fill but faile and vex thy heart and so give thee for blisse a triple infelicity vexation is their fullest satisfaction and their end not thy content but torment It is infinite eternall goodnesse which must give man of an immortall Spirit content In that Deity is his rest and his felicity in that only Trinity Let God then be as he is thy Throne the world as it should be thy footstoole By her good climbe up to God get thus up Abundance of good here seems brave what is all indeed in heaven what is substance when the shew is such what to have all things when so valued to have nothing what blisse is to be found in the Trinity of uncreated goodnesse when so much is fancied in the Three poorpetty created Goods of that revised devised and fond-imagined Godhead What if thou hast senses by which they wooe and court thy love Hath not thy Soule a power to guide and governe those Handmaids O Man thy senses are in thy Soule Monster if thou
let me loath the honie of wicked delights and because under the flowers of pleasure snakes of guilt lye hid let me beware of all but O Lord ever keepe me from setting my heart on any On thee be my soule ever fixt O God! In thee be the joy of my heart even in thee alone and in other things onely in thee and for thee and let thy feare be the matter or measure of all my pleasures that they may be in thee that when the brook of earthly joyes shall faile I may drink of the river which runs to all eternity O thou who art said to weepe not to laugh strengthen me to see and overcome this vanity That I may joy in thee now and with thee hereafter in endlesse felicity Deare Jesus Amen Daily Prayers Monday-Service Of the Vanity of Honours Morning Prayer Psal 49. 82. Lesson 1 Sam. 2. or Esth 6. Dan. 4. Joh. 12. Evening Prayer Psal 75. 83. Lesson Isa 3. or 5. or 23. or Jer. 5. 2 Cor. 1. ¶ Prayer against the Vanity of Honours O Lord Because thou hast made me great shall I not be good Because my bloud is noble shall my life be wicked Because men doe me honour shall I doe thee shame Lord let such a spirit of basenesse never possesse me let me know that the greater my honours are the greater be my obligations to serve thee And let those parasites of greatnesse appeare as so many fiends of Hell unto me who would have me break those bonds and flatter and nourish such a spirit in me Make me too wise to build my blisse on mans breath that I be not miserable at their pleasure and happy when they list Make me not so fond as to think a glory so vaine can make me happy So poore as to thinke that applause my blessednesse which goes and comes with a blast of mans Make me so wise as to know that a holy spirit makes the noblest bloud and to be thy child is the best descent to beare thine image the best coat to have thine Angels the best Ministers of honour and thine eyes the best Judges And make me so good as to doe those noble acts of vertue and piety which may give me this honour let others court the vaine let me seeke tâ—ue glory To scorne earth get heaven shining as the Sun in the State of immortality King of Glory give this honour to me Sweet Jesus I beseech thee Amen Amen Daily Prayers Tuesday-Service Against the Vanity of Riches Morning Prayer Psal 39. 49. Lessons Deut. 8. 9. or Pro. 11. 23 Mat. 13. or 19. or Mar. 10 Evening Prayer Psal 52. 62. Lessons Job 31. or Eccles. 5. James 5. ¶ Prayer against the Vanity of Riches KEep me O Lord from their madnesse who make riches their God and poverty their Devill Let not that be my heaven whâ—ch is so near to hell let me not make that my blissâ— which earth hath in her bowels And let not that have my heart which is not my heaven From immoderate desires to get or keepe wealth keepe me O Lord and from sinfull defend me that I may not covet much to spend more in the maintenance of lust vice and vanity and have much to ruine me Let me know that riches are good as they come from thee and give me a power of greater piety and charity and alacrity to serve thee and so let me value them as acts of thy bounty But as things unable to save either soule from hell or body from death in the day of distresse or to satisfie the soule in any better day let me despise them as poore and of no value And as Meanes of Sinne and Woe Feeds of pride luxury and excesse let me abhorre them as the Fewell of wrath and hell Let me be rich in thee and to thee in baggs laid up in heaven laid out in earth to mans Necessity and thy Glory Let the riches of grace be my joy others my use and their love my scorne That when the Worldly Rich shall be Beggers bereaved of all comfort I may be rich in all abundance in thee and with thee who art all in all by the purchase of the pretious blood and passion of Him who became poore to make us rich Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Daily Prayers Wednesday-Service Against the Vanity of Beauty Morning Prayer Psal 38 39. 45. Lessons 2 Sam. 14. or Pro. 31. or 11. or Ezek. 28. Mat. 23 Evening Prayer Psal 6. 96. 145. Lessons Isay 3. or 28. Ezek. 16. 1 Cor. 11. ¶ Collect or Prayer against the Vanity of Beauty O Lord let me looke at Beauty as thy blessing but not make it my blisse Let not my care be more for my body then my soule and to have a faire face then conscience O let that which is thy face and Image have the chiefest of my costs and care Let the glasse of thy Word be often before me to see it and the waters of repentance daily with me to wash it and the fine linnen of the Saints ever by me to adorne it that the King of Heaven may delight in my beauty and not Men but Angels love me For beauty of the body let it not be my sinne or anothers snare Let me not hate Deformity above Hell and love Beauty before Heaven Since age at last will and infirmity before may deface that beauty and change it to a loath'd deformity And Lord keepe my looks from being lures of vanity Let no guilts be upon my eyes of anothers iniquity Let thy feare preserve me and them from these guilts Make it my care to appeare with a faire and cleane conscience before thee and to Him whom thou hast made the vayle of my eyes let me be joy of his That when humane beauty shall faile an Angels may be given me a body and soule both faire without blot or blemish to all eternity To that beauty Lord Jesus bring me Amen Amen Daily Prayers Thursday Service Against the Vanity of Strength Morning Prayer Psal 22 33. 38. 102. Lessons Job 6. or 9. or 40. or 1 Sam. 17. Act. 3. or 5. Evening Prayer Psal 86. 147. Lessons Job 21. or Isay 26. 1 John 2. ¶ Collect or Prayer against the Vanity of Strength THat I have health the Crown of earthly mercies I thank thee O God of my strength And I beseech thee continue it to me without which I cannot serve thee or enjoy any comfort from thee And let me use it whilst it is with me to the end for which thou givest it me to look and seek after eternall life where is no sicknesse nor infirmity Lord make me know that all other use is Vanity To trust in strength idolatry to turne it against thee villany To doe more sinne because I have more health from thee Let me therefore have care in the dayes of my youth and strength to remember thee my Creatour that in the dayes of age and infirmity thou mayest not forget thy Servant Let my
I wear a Deaths-head in a Ring to preserve alive the memory of a Dead Friend And O thou Loving and Blessed above all Beloveds when thy Passion is Engraven by thy own Hand in an Holy Mystery for my minde to wear shall not the Ring be on my Finger shall not my Heart keepe and weare thy Ring 4. But is that all Dear Jesus Is that all I am to doe to give thee a Memory Surely then it must be the best of all O thou Manna that camest Joh. 6. 32. Heb. 9. 4. downe from Heaven a Golden Pot must keep thee My Soule must have most Pretious memory for thee Quick not Dull Humble not Bold Tender not Hard Active not Contemplative that 's Leaden Brasen Iron but Silver at best and reprobate at worst The Memory which moves all good Affections to thee and Promoves all good Abilities for thee that 's the Golden pot must keep thee So thou wouldst have this Memory because it will minde and doe all Duty Admire and Love thee Obey Endure Doe and Suffer for thee It will establish Faith excite Repentance enflame Charity maintain Constancy O thou Mirrour of the Godhead Heb. 1. 3. 4 Beauty of the World Excellent above Angels High above all Lord of Lords King of Kings Those are thy 1 Tim. 6. 15. Eccles 12. 1. Dues And Holy Memory is a Store-house full and Rich to Pay all therefore thou sayest Remember me I cannot but Believe Repent and Love to the last if thou be in minde If I Deut. 32. 18. fail payment of any Duty to God or Man it is because thou art out of my Memory But to thy Memory Dear Jesus what is it I should doe O Lord thou wouldst have me doe this In Remembrance of thee Thy Passion that that must be in my Memory and Thee I must Remember in 1 Cor. 11. 26. that Thy Sacrament then is an Obelisk to the Eternall Memory of thy Passion A Pyramide of everlasting date set up in the Church for a Solemne memoriall of thy Death And Lord So oft as I neglect it what doe I but pull downe thy Pyramide And Bury Thee and thy Merits as the Jews did thy Limbs but in a worser grave not in a garden but desert a grave of oblivion 2. And what Lord Shall I Remember of thy Passion What But that thou the Eternall Son of God wast made Man to endure it Moved Heb. 9. 14. by meer Love Infinite Love to undergoe it And I wretched Creature Sinfull Sonne of Man the Man that caused it who else had been for ever a Miserable and Damned Man And thus did Infinite Wisdome Mercy and Power in God wonderfully work the Salvation of Man This ineffable Mystery of Redemption by the Miraculous Passion of the Sonne of God which thou didst Suffer thou wouldst have me Remember And thy Sacrament is a Monument to last as long as thy Church that whilst I have Life and Soul I should perpetuate and preserve a Holy Memory of my Saviour 3. And what a Wretch am I that have neede of such a helpe to my Memory and Spur to my Duty as both a Commandement and a Sacrament for both It casts reproaches on me O Christ That thou should give thy Body for me and I scarce give my minde to thee That I should have so great a roome in thy heart and thou so hardly get any in mine That thou should be more ready to Bleed for me then I to Thinke of thee Dear Jesus That didst empty all thy Veines for me shall I not finde a vessell to Preserve thy Pretious Bloud Doe I not Spill what thou didst shed if I let it run out of my Memory Yet art Thou put to it to finde me both Bloud and Minde And when thou hast done all that out of Remembrance of me lest it should be forgotten ordainest a Sanction and Sacrament and sayest Do this in Remembrance of me 4. But more Wretch I if I doe not so doe and Remember For Lord If I doe thee Honour dost thou not doe me favour for it If I give thee glory is it more my Duty then Felicity to doe it If thy Sacrament is it not my Emolument Receive I not great Honours in it Reap I not good Benefits by it Conveyes it not the Bloud-Royall Concorporei Consanguinei Basil of Heaven into me and am I not Kinsman Brother of God an Heire and Prince of Heaven by vertue of that Bloud Is not the Godhead Bodily in Christ And is not his Body Col. 2. 9. 1 Cor. 10. 16. Mystically in me And I near Akinne to God by the Communion of that Body And can he want Demeans that is such a Prince Is not the Earth Psal 2. â— thy Gift and Heaven in thy Power Mat. 28. 18. Heb. 1. 2. Ephes 1. 7. 2 Cor. 1. 22. Rom. 8. 32 1 Cor. 3. 21 22 23. Jesus thou Son and Heire of all And have I not thy Spirit thy Flesh to Pledge for all The Conveyance Sealed in thy Bloud and thy Merits made over and Assured in thy Body O Lord I am so much concern'd in Honour and Estate to doe what thou dost command that if I doe consider my Selfe I should do it to thy Memory in Remembrance of me as well as Thee 5. But what Lord Must I so doe Mat. 26. 26. Credi salubriter posest investigaâ—i saâ—ubrâ—iter non potest Lumb Believe Thee Present in thy Holy Sacrament Upon thy Word I doe But Determined in a Naturall and Corporeal way of prâ—sâ—nce for thy Word I doe not * Act. 3. 31 So thou art in Heaven and wilt be to the great day Not on Earth So. This Remembrance teacheth me that Absence If so present I should see thee not Remember thee Thou art Glorified in Heaven Thou wast Crucified on earth It 's this I remember I Remember but doe not Offer Heb. 9. 25 26 28. Heb. 9. 24. Col. 1. 20. this That thou didst once I Commemorate not Râ—iterate often The Propiatory Sacrifice is Thine the Eucharisticall Mine That was on the Crosse this is in the Eucharist This I 1 Cor. 11 26. doe that I Remember The Memory of that I offer the Tragedy I doe not act What was in Sacrifice is here in Sacrament This is all that I doe and neede to doe and can doe if all in Remembrance of thee 6. So then My Soule and Body have both to doe in this Businesse of thine But my Soule more then my Body My Soule is Chief Minister to wait upon thee in this Mysterie My senses but handmaids to wait upon my Soule Sight Touch Tast Smell all to bring the more to my minde and reach the better to my Memory Thy Bodily Presence makes a True 1 Cor. 11. 29. 1 Cor. 1â— 30 31. Eucharist Mine if minde be away to me but a Mock-Sacrament To thee but a Mock-Service and will convey to me a Reall Judgement but a Mock-Salvation What
of the Devill who because he once got Eternity for an Apple thinkes to Tempt away thy Salvation for nothing And therefore would have thee all for the Body that nothing may be done for the Salvation of the Soul Dear one thou wast not Ransom'd be not Ruin'd for nothing And now O my Soul Spirituall Immortall Intellectuall The lively Image The Dear Spouse of God Lord Paramount and Soveraigne Power in Man The Free and High-borne Child and Heire of Eternity Delight and Darling-Gemme of Heaven Most precious Purchase and Inheritance of the Sonne of God Doe not O doe not abuse and lose thy selfe in Bodily Sensualities and for Half a satisfaction scarce to the half of Man and but a Moment on Earth sell away Salvation in full of Soul and Body in Heaven for ever For What shall it profit a man to gaine the whole World and lose his owne Mat. 16. 27 Soul or What shall a man give in exchange for his Soul The Summe of this Soliloquie is The Soule is Spirit Sinne turnes it Flesh The Soule is Immortall Sin makes it Die The Soule is Noble Sinne makes it Base The Soule is Lord Sinne makes it Slave The Soule is Soveraigne Sin makes it Subject The Soule is God-like Sinne make it Beast The Soule is Gods Spouse Sin makes it Strumpet The Soule is Gods Jewell Sinne casts it in Fire The Soule is Free-borne Sinne keeps it in Prison The Soule is Gods Purchase Sinne mâ—kes it away Animadversion to the Devout Reader Touching the second and third Soliloquies IF some things in them seeme to be set more sutable for a Court then Cotage and possible in setled then troubled times as supposing a greatnesse which thou perhaps hast not and requiring a Church-Duty which thou canst not doe thou dost not guesse amisse at the Authors aime nor doth he thinke thee to move and make thy Scruple amisse For removall of which that no barre may be from him betwixt thee and thy Benefit receive this satisfaction for both 1. What is not proper may be profitable for thee and if not directly concerne thee by consequent If the Great be disputed out of all their Excuses and Customes which are pleaded and practised to the neglect or injury of Gods Private or Publique Service the mean are thereby concluded if so faulty to fail their Duty without all Apologie oâ— Plea 2. What is not possible doth not concern thee And what is unjustifiable should be impossible Such is sometimes the Publick Id possumus quod jure possunus use of Religion in the Church Take heed of the Principle as both false and perrilous that whatsoever is in the Church thou must be at it So in Aegypt thou mightest Worship a Crocodile and at Rome must goe to Masse If without Sinne then I cannot I must 1 Cor. 10. 20. 21. not goe So to Separate is not to be a Separatist nor can such absence be impious Provided that the Judgement of Sinne and the Service be right and hate 2 Cor. 6. 17. not love of Schisme make the Separation Thus caution'd thou maist read even those Soliloquies without Scruples and for the rest there is no cause of any as fit without Dispute for all Nor dost thou more in this then in Reading King Davids Psalmes or Saint Austins Soliloquies Psal 42. wherein all things are profitable though not pertinent to every one For one particular Soliloquie will no more fit every Soul then one Shoe any Foot So then where it fits thy Soul make it thy Soliloquie where it doth not thy History Monday-Soliloquie Domesticall-Devotion OR A Soliloquie Inviting and Enabling the Soule to a Privacy of Piety and Discharge of Daily Duty in Secret and Closet Prayers HEare O my Soule What is required to the Service of God For as thou dost know Joh. 13. 17 it in vaine if thou dost not doe it So thou canst not doe it aright Prov. 19. 2 if thou dost not know it Know then O my Soule As Thou art of thy selfe One and One of the World thou dost owe and must pay Almighty God the Maker of Thee and It a Private and a Publike Service In the Closet God must see it In the Church Man must behold it There Deare Child Speake freely for thy Selfe to God be thy owne Priest and Mouth in Secret and doubt not but thy Heavenly Father will grant and Seale thy Suits But Here let thy Mother * The Church Mal. 2. 7. Speake for thee and Her Priest Gods lips be thy Mouth unto Almighty God The Closet is thy Particular Church but the Church the Common Sanctuary For Gods Sake then be Reverend there but here both for Mans and Gods Neglect not Deare Soule neglect not thy Daily Sacrifice Morning and Evening offer up thy Service to Allmighty God Open the Day with this Holy Key that the blessing of the light may be upon thee shut up the Night with the same Key that the curse of Darknesse doe not seize thee Dare not to eat nor stir till thou hast Prayed thy Passe from Heaven lest Mischiefe meet thee before night and hale thee to thy Grave Doe not dare to rest or sleep till thou hast beg'd thy Pardon for the guilts of the day least Judgewent surprize thy Soule before the Luk. 12. 20 Morrow My Soul These are thy Visits and Entertainments of Almighty God and doe not O doe not to give Man his neglect Gods Visits He is the Greatest Person serve him therefore first Be not guilty of that rudenesse to thy Heavenly Father which thou abhorrest as uncivill to a Noble Person Let Him stay and waite for thee whilst thou entertainest thy selfe with some Sorry one Leave not a Prince to goe to a Peasant Thy Prayers and Addresses to Almighty God to Entertaine any earthly one whatsoever Alas my Soul In Comparison of the Mighty God the Greatest Man is not so much Isay 40. 17. Job 34. 19 Psal 91. 11. as a Peasant to the Mightyest Prince When thou art with God Angels are with thee O my Soul And doe not turne thy back on Angels to goe to Men though Saints and much lesse to such as appeare in sinfull shape like Devills And though thou be no Priest nor Professed Recluse bound by Canons to set Houres yet my Soul thou shalt do God and thy selfe but right to set keep some set times of Devotion Thou canst doe so much for thy Bodily Health thou shouldst for thy Soules Observing that Rule brings better health for a Time but keeping this Order makes healthy and happy for ever And if thou dost as thou maist observe thy Physitians Prescripts my Soul thou must not neglect Diviner Directions Their best end is that the Body may be more Serviceable to the Soul But the aime of those better that the Soul may be most Serviceable to Almighty God And if thou dost resolutely set and observe thy Howers who will disturb thee Even the most profane
againe and so makes them to be tough My Soul If wel and with wisdom thou canst not be enough but if vaine and ill Conscience may be too much tender And abundance of doubts and scruples will make and prove it so Vaine that 's the Devils Designe But how then wilt thou Defeat him Sure never without the Aids of God and therefore thou must pray his help And often not without the help of Man and therefore thou must take his Aide If the Clock of Conscience stand or goe not even it may be because the Wheels are foul dust disorders the wheeles My Soul what are thy Scruples but those piles of dust scarce visible to the Eye yet hurtfull to the Clock and who then must direct thee Job 33. 29 Isay 50. 9. but some skifull Master in the Art of Soules some upright Judge in the Cases of Conscience If thou then canst not without danger to hurt it let him clean thy Watch and clear thy Dust Or goe to some of Experience Gal. 6. 1. Heb. 5. 14. if thou wantest one of that Skill But not to one Subject to like niceties for their Advice will but confirme and multiply thy Scruples And thy selfe maist concurre with thy Prayers and their Counsels In the Name of God goe on in thy good way and against Common Errours and frailties Encourage thy selfe with Christs merits and Gods mercies Act. 15. 11. Psa 42. 14. 1 Kings 15. 5. Job 42. 7. Phil. 3. 15. Let known good be done and ill shun'd from an upright heart and if any thing fail it will be pardoned and if necessary shall be known Kill Goliah with his owne Sword Scruples by Scruples make Satans Scrues Gods Engines Scrue up thy self to a better and greater care of Godlinesse by the force of thy Scruples What they pretend make them be Movers and Sollicitours for Gods Service And with one Scruple kill all Have them in jealousie for naught Bauds of Satan though in Virgins attire and entertain none but one to Scruple all Scruples Make not shie nay make Conscience of this it s the way to clear all out of Conscience Harder for the Soul where the Body doth assist and the humour of it is as in Melancholike Tempers to raise jealousies and feares For that is to empty a Poâ—le when a Spring feeds it yet even so it may and must be done and because with greater difficulty with better acceptance Look to thy self then O my Soul and cherish not but banish Scruples And so thou must 5. Ghostly Negligences Temptation and Corruptions are the Parents of mans Sinne and Bane Father and Mother of all mischief And Idlenesse is the Mother of both It is Chrys 1 Tim. 5. 13. Pulvinar Satanae the Sewer that takes in all Temptation and the Pool that holds in all Corruption The Devils Pillow where he lies and Sinnes Bed were she conceives and brings forth all Wickednesse O my Soul lay not him a Pillow that comes for thy Death and make not her a Bed that stayes for thy Destruction Believe it where thou dost place the Bed of ease he will set up the chaire of Psal 1. 1. S. Hierome Pestilence The Devout Saint did Ever finding something to doe that the Devill might never finde him at leisure for his Service If he doe even David himself he will put him on desperate and damnable employment It 's said Better be idle then doe nothing But 2 Sam. 11. 2 surely better be doing any thing if not naught then be Idle Thou canst not Nihil agendo malè agere discis Praestat nihil quà m malè agere be idle and do no ill It puts thee into the Schoole of vice and the Devil wil be sure to teach thee Better indeed do nothing then naught for that 's worse then nothing the worst of any thing But as impossible for Waters to stand and not to stink so it is not to doe Luk 12. 43 naught if nothing To be found then at the last day doing well be seen in this ever doing something If not alwayes Act. 9. 39. at Spirituall work at some Civill and innocent employment Though thou needst not work as most for thy Psa 69. 33 Momentum a quo pendet aeteruitas Living thou hast as much to doe as any for thy Life Eternity my Soul that 's thy Life And thy life that 's the time to work for Eternity Thou camest and continuest in the world to doe that work How then darest thou ravell away that pretious threâ—d Trifle away that Time O that God should set so great a price upon it and Man so meane Man Yes my Soule But not every man Man in hell doth not O! If they had as many worlds as Shriekes ten thousand thousand Worlds of Worlds how willingly would they give them all for a little Time Time on earth to Repent and escape the Damnation of hell The depth of whose woe is wailing and wringing their hands and hearts for God lost eternally because time irrecoverably Luc. 13. 28. gone which well laid out in life might have saved that losse And O man on earth wilt thou not be wise till in Hell My Soule Be not thou Psal 90. 12. Psal 34. 5. the man Number thy daies and apply thy heart unto wisdome Pray God thou maist Thou wilt not set it on follie if thou number them Thou wilt finde them few and none to be Spared Thou wilt find many Spent Yea and mispent of those few Thou wilt find Eternity to depend on those poore Remaines Thou wilt finde as Ro. 2. 7 8. 2 Tim. 2. 26. Act. 26. 18 Psal 89. 29. those are past well or ill a happy or a miserable Eternity Thou wilt find that all ill-spent are the Devills none of thy daies And canst thou looke that the Daies of Heaven should be thine when thine on earth are the Devills The Totall is Time is as pretious as Blisse He neither values God nor himselfe that accounts not of his time He that will not lose Eternity must number his dayes And so wilt thou if wise my Soul Redeeme what Eph. 5. 16. 2 Pet. 4. 3. is lost by a better thrift with what is left Now lay out no more on vanity all for Eternity Isa 35. 2 3 Doth not thy Clock of Conscience tell this Though Wheeles good Diall goe right all kept clean yet if not kept going not daily wound up but oft hung by and forgotten will it Rom. 12. 14. strike just so sloth distimes the Conscience It is good and goes well when as Gods Law sets it it keeps due time for good and none for ill doth this GnomoÌ„ ejus Decalogus Heb. 13. 18 never that in season As the point of that there are not twelve but ten houres in this Clock And when it keeps Conformity with Luk. 1. 6. them it points and strikes right but without care to see and have
it goe 2 Pet. 1. 10 right it will not keep it And that must be the more because no clock so soone out of Tune if the care be not much My Soul then if thou wouldst not have Conscience ill be not thou idle Let the clock in thy Eares mind thee of the Clock in thy Breast as the Devout Man did who was wont to say O Lord God! another Granat De. peccat hour of my life is now past and what account can I give thee of it So said he so say thou so oft as thou hearest the Clock And so my Soul thou seest the stops and stumbling-blocks in Gods service shun them and thou wilt better walk on in his wayes Wherefore lift up the hands that hang Heb. 12. 12. down and the feeble knees lest that which is lame be turned out of the way And Take heâ—d lest there be in you an evill Heb. 3. 12. heart of unbelief in departing from the living God The summe of this Soliloquie That God be duly and daily served what hinders must be carefully shun'd There be five great Impediments to true Piety and the constant service of God 1. Ill-Principles are great Impediments viz. That I am good and in good state towards God 1. Because others are worse 2. Because particularly good 3. Because my Heart is honest though not my life 4. Because I am Godly by fits 5. Because of right Religion and Belief 6. Because Ministerially absolv'd if not Penitent 7. Because it is for Cloister'd and Church-men onely to be what others need not strictly Religious 2. Bad Habits are great Bars to Religion because they turne and confirme the Soule against it 3. Leud Companies Inconsistent with good Courses Pests of Souls and to be shund as Plagues 4. Vaine Scruples great Prejudices to Pious Action and Consolation Acts of Satans endlesse Artifice and malice to be avoided much and how 5. Ghostly Negligences Mothers of Sin Nurses of Temptation Satans Advantages Agents Under-values of pretious Time Sellers-away of Eternity which no Treasure else can redeem and it selfe if gone on earth past redemption in Hell where Worlds would be given for a litle Time Friday-Soliloquie Helps to Heaven and Happinesse OR A Soliloquie Acquainting the Soule with such Holy Reliefs and Aides as will much facilitate and further Her Course and Progresse in the waies of Piety in Two Parts First Part. Holy Meditations and Motions Great helps to Piety MY Soule As those Avoidances 1. Division observ'd thou canst hardly be bad so some Releifs being had thou wilt be more easily good And by the Grace of God thou maist receive all those releifs Thy owne Thoughts and Endeavours may contribute all If thou wilt employ thy Mind and Parts to thinke and doe what may advance thee most The Aides are not small which may be brought in by both And first Improve thy Mind for that may doe much by Meditations great Promoters of Piety A Power that can daily mount to Heaven whither the Body till the last day cannot come And how that but by Holy Motions And what are they but such as either goe to or come from Heaven When we Muse of it they goe When moved from it they come What are our Motions to it but Heavenly Meditations And how so But when some good thing of God or Christ is and keeps in mind Four are made famous for that Death and Judgment Heaven and Hell For My Soul Remember thy end and thou shalt never doe amisse And Death is thy first Judgment Eccles 7. 36. Quatour Novissima thy next Heaven or Hel thy last end These four are thy last Nor will sin be in heart whilest they are in minde Nor any thing more move to Duty then to have these in memory Muse then often of those O my Soule And of that first which comes first and how soone who knows 1. Death O Death How bitter is thy Remembrance Ecclus. 41. 1. Yes to a Sinner but most wholsome against Sin My Soul Die thou must And when thou shalt what will be thy Comfort To have wallowed in worldly wealth Swome in sensuall Solaces Arrived at earthly Honors Alas No This will be thy Corrasive Then all these gauds are gone The flowers of thy Paradise all fade and nothing remaines but the snake under them guilt and woe Luk. 16. 26 manet turpitudo Psal 17. 14 Saladini funus Alex. Philosophus Job 14. 17 24. 20. Joh. 11. 43 Woe to thee then if that was thy Heaven Death casts thee out of it If thy Hell to want these it throwes thee into it Then a Sheet is all thy Goods a Grave all thy Land a Coffin all thy House Wormes thy Companions Corruption all thy Kindred Stench thy Perfumes and thy Robes rags of Rottennesse No the onely Comfort then is to have liv'd well to have Isay 38. 3. shun'd ill and so want the sting of the 1 Cor. 15. 56. 2 Pet. 3. 14. Luk. 2. 29. Psal 119. 103. S. Ambros Job 19. 26. Breast To have done good and so have the Peace of the Bosome So to have lived as not to be ashamed to die So to die as to be assured for ever to live O my Soul that wouldst give Worlds to have a little such Comfort at that houre neglect not the provisions of Luk. 19. 42. that Peace in thy day Believe it to entertaine Death with a Smile and Damnation without dread is the sole effect and fruit of a life well led in Gods fear according to good Conscience Phil. 1. 23. Heb. 11. 35. And canst thou think of this and not so live That knowest as surely as thou liv'st thou shalt Die and yet Eccl. 8. 8. no more where or when or how then Eccl. 9. 12. if thou didst never live That knowest the time is past of doing good if not done before thou die and thy Salvation gone if that time be past O dear soul Joh. 9. 4. Eccl. 9. 10. look to the Body that Death doth not surprize both look thou to thy God let it not look after the World that when its Death comes thy Life may begin and it not fear the Prison 2 Cor. 5. 5. of the grave because it shall come out to a joyfull day of Judgement And Joh. 5. 58. of that my Soul have a serious Meditation of 2. Judgement Sinne will not be in thy hand if that be in thy Eye It is the Bridle of vanity and Curb of lust Rejoyce O Eccl. 11. 9. young man in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee in the dayes of thy youth and walk in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thy eyes but know that for all these things God will bring thee unto Judgement Seest thou not my Soul how this is Solomons Bridle To curb and keep in the most Head strong Age youth in his fullest Careere the Heart on his quickest spur the
quiet that thou dost serve God at home when others Worship him at Church That 's good in it time O my Soul when Sicknesse or Necessity confines thee to a House a Sacrifice acceptable to God but else an offering of an ill and offensive Savour to God and man like meat out of Season At other timies it looks like an Integrity and Holinesse but now like a Singularity and boldnesse Be not thou no not in thy Closet Gods little Chappell when others are at his Greater the Church Thou must not put him to a Private Audience when he hath appointed thee a Publick But for him to see thee in thy Bed when he looks for thee in his Court To Spie thee at thy Glasse when thou shouldst be looking in His Word To be found at thy Jam. 1. 23. Dresses when thou shouldst be at thy Prayers To be taking or giving Addresses to man when thou shouldst be making them to God O My Soule When thou wouldst have God to loath thee let such postures of Profanenesse appeare in thee My Soule My Soule Believest thou God hath his Day of Doome I know thou believest I charge thee then as thou wilt answer it at that Dreadfull day by no means unless the plea be just Heb. 10. 25 before God by no meanes for these or any such like ends be bestowed in thy Chamber when others are assembled at Church All excuses set aside which Conscience dare not avow at that great Audit behave thy selfe more like a Saint and Servant of God be found and seen where they are in the Sanctuarie Deare Soul If thou dost otherwaies where canst thou be better found Are there better Companions then Saints and Angels Is any Greater then God Any Nobler Employment then to wait on Divine Majesty Any happier place then Heaven Any weightier businesse then Happinesse Loe They and This are here Saints Ministring Psal 74. 7. House of Glory Isay 6. 8. Gen. 28. 17. Regia Dei ipsum coelii Chrys Ezek. 46. 10. 2 Chro. 23 13. 2 Chro. 6. 13. Angels Assisting God Residing Heaven Appearing Happinesse Working Heaven in figure is before thee the Gate by thee and where is happinesse but in Heaven What then Thinkest thou any too great to serve God I know thou art too good to thinke it too wise to believe it The Prince hath his Pillar in Gods Temple There Great Solomon Kneeles * Eccl. Hist Eus de V. C. l. 4 c. 33. Stans concionem audit alitâ—r renuit rogatus licet Constantine Stands before Him Wert thou Prince King Emperour never so great a Man Nay Cherubim Seraphim Throne never so great an Angell it would be thy Honour to be his Minister And dost thou a Man no Angel a Worm no Man dost thou distaine on Earth what they doe in Heaven Dost thou Dan. 7. 10. Apoc. 4. 10 Job 4. 18 19. Psal 2â— 6. despise what the greatest have done on Earth Or dost thou pretend affairs when Crowns are noe Excuses Nay therefore My Soule wait on God the rather that he without whose blessing all Designes are vaine may Psal 127. 1. Prov. 19. 21. Prov. 16. 3. speed thy Dispatches and Prosper thy Affaires But If thou hast either sense of thy Makers Honour or thy own Salvation If any love to God or man be in thee If any care of Piety or Prosperity If not given up to an utter neglect of thy owne and others wordly and heavenly welfare I charge thee O My Soule and recharge thee Take heed and tremble to keepe others from Church unnecessarily to wait upon thee at home when thou and they should be waiting on God in his Sanctuarie Art thou their God that to attend thy Will they must neglect His Worship Or art thou the Greater God that thou must be served before Him An Idoll thou maist be sure a God thou art not So Hic fur est lâ—â—ro qui furari voluit gloriam â—uam Deuâ— 14. 26. thou Robbest God of his Honour and drawest thine into the Robbery O my Soule Be not such a Theife to Heaven Doe but consider it and thou wilt condemne it and never more be Guilty of such high dishonesty Thou must have care that thou and thine Jos 24. 15 House serve the Lord not take course to keep thee and them from his Service The King after Gods owne Psal 42. 4. Heart Went with a multitude into the House of God held not many from it Was one of the Holy Round and Ring of Worshippers not sitting in a Chaire Psal 26. 6. when he should be standing before the Altar not with them about him that should be with him about God! Dear Soul Bring all to Heaven thou canst hinder none from it And though Atheisme sit in the doore of some Lips that dare say Religion is but Policy let it not lurk in any corner of thy Mal. 3. 14. Heart so much as to think Piety an Impertinency A Ceremony to be Exod. 5. 17 done when there is nothing else to doe No my Soul There is no other Rom 6. 22 way to Heaven and the Church is Isa 35. 8. Gods High way What is done and not in Religion or Order to it is Impertinent Eccles 5. 6 all And the Lord keep thee and thine from their Death and Misery whose 1 Cor. 10. 7 1 Pet. 1. 17. Conversation is a meer Pastime and their Life an Impertinency As therefore Philip had his Morning-Memento to tell him he was a Man to keep him from Pride have thou some Evening-Remembrancer to minde thee the Night before the next day is for God to prevent such Profanenesse That by disposing thy self to a Timely rest that Night thou maist have better time and Spirit to serve God on his day Look at late Companies then as Vipers and shake them off as such Wasts of time especially Holy work stings of Conscience It is thy Mothers Counsell The Churches use Saturday is half Holy-day that Sunday may be whole And sure the Devout Mother that would have God thought on that Afternoone would not have him forgot that After-night much lesse neglected on the After-day No my Soul If thou dost honour thy Lord and Saviour thou must not despise His Day The day of the Lord. Nay if thou hast any love to Religion thou canst not For what is that but the Service of the Lord and this but his Day Nay if thou hast any care of happinesse For what is this but thy Saviours Day and how that but because set apart to seek Salvation Thy L d Christ rose this day out of his Grave to save thee and wilt not thou rise out of thy Bed to serve Him Is that the way to uphold an House to pull down the Piller My Soul If Piety have no set day for her Pâ—actise Religion will soone fall to ruine Without that it will not be visible but vanish to nothing and thy Bliâ—se with it For surely