PRIVATE DEVOTION AND A BRIEF EXPLICATION OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS Matth. VI. 6. Thou when thou prayest enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut the door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly OXON Printed at the THEATER for Henry Clements Bookseller in Oxford A. D. MDCLXXXIX Imprimatur GILB IRONSIDE Vicecancellarius THE CONTENTS CHAPTER I. DAILY PRAYER in the Morning II. At Noon III. At Evening IV. Pious Resolutions V. Select Lessons of Holy Scripture VI. Occasional Lessons VII Going to or from the Church VIII Occasional Reflections IX The Larger Office at Rising wheâ— my affairs will permit X. The Larger Office at Reposing XI Private Devotion at the HOLY COMMVNION XII At Receiving the Bread. XIII At Receiving the Cup. XIV At home after the Communion PREPARATION for DEATH and ETERNITY XV. Forgiveness and Charity XVI Repentance XVII Sickness and Pain XVIII Hope in God and Resignation to his pleasure XIX Profession of the Catholick Faith. XX. Desire of Absolution and of my Change. XXI Psalm cxxxix XXII The TEN COMMANDMENTS Expounded DAILY PRAYER CHAP. I. The Morning Office. I. At Rising BLessed be God my Creatour and Preserver Amen O Almighty Lord and everlasting God vouchsafe I beseech thee to direct sanctifie and govern both our hearts and bodies in the ways of thy laws and in the works of thy commandments that through thy most mighty protection by which Heaven and Earth consist both here and ever we may be preserved in body and soul through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen See Chap. ix II. Before Dinner OUr Father which art in heaven Hallowed be thy Name adored be thy Majesty which is great wonderful holy almighty and eternal Thy Kingdom come where dwelleth righteousness and peace Thy will and holy commandment be done as in heaven by the blessed angels and souls of righteous men continually zealously and unâ—nimously so on earth by me and all mine by this church by the church Vniversal and by all that breath For of thee we live and move and have our time and the hope of everlasting happiness Again and for ever adored by thy name Give us this day our daily bread and necessaries in diligence honesty moderation and content And blessed be the most bountiful Creatour for all his blessings spiritual and temporal conferred on me and all mankind Give comfort and relief and in part by our hands to the sick the poor the fatherless the stranger and the afflicted Forgive us miserable and ungrateful sinners all our trespasses in thought and word and deed against thy Divine Majesty for the infinite merits and by the efficacious intercession of Iesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour as we now entirely forgive those that trespass against us And lead us not into temptation and trouble as we deserve But of thy great goodness deliver us from all evil and hurt both of soul and body from our enemies seen and unseen from the wiles and suggestions of the Devil the corruptions of the World and all other occasions of sin from thy wrath and the terrour of death and everlasting damnation for the sake of the only beloved Son who hath taught us this Prayer For thine is the Kingdom thou rulest what thou hast made thine the power insinitely surpassing all that we can ask or think or sear thine the mercy of which we are the unworthy instance and example and thine the glory the praise the worship and the obedience world without end Amen III. I Believe in God the Father Almighty maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible And in Jesus Christ his only and eternal Son our Lord. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost Born of the Virgin Mary Suffered under Pontius Pilate â—or the sins of the world was cruciâ—ied dead and buried He desceâ—ded into hell and triumphed over the powers of darkness The third day he rose again from the dead He ascended into heaven and as I most surely believe now sitteâ—h at the right hand and eminent glory of God the Father Almighty interceding for his faithful people From thence he shall come at the end of the world to judge the quick and the dead according to their works I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord and giver of life and wisdom and vertue and all that good is The holy Catholick and Apostolick Church where is the word of God the Sacraments and all other means of salvation The Communion of Saints in the service of God and expectation of consummate bliss The forgiveness of sins by the alone merits of Iesus Christ The resurrection of the body by his rising And the life everlasting through his purchase Amen Grant O Lord that I may behave my self this day sutable to this Revelation and holy Confession for which I humbly bless thy Name Amen IV. I Will say every morning and evening the Collect for the Week and also for each day of the week one of the Collects following Sunday Collect for Easterday or S. after Easter And Glory be to God on high c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Munday 1 S. in Advent or 2. S. after Epiphany or 4. S. after Epiphany Tuesday 2 S. in Advent or 7 S. after Trinity or 4 S. after Easter Wednesday Ashwednesday or 12 Sun. after Trinity or 4 S. after Trinity Thursday Ascensionday or 14. Sunday after Trinity or 6. Sunday after Trinity Friday Goodfriday or 18 S. after Trinity or 24. S. after Trinity Saturday Easter Eve. or 12. S. after Trinity or 3 S. after Trinity V. LOrd God Almighty to thy grace and mercy to thy protection disposal and governance I now most humbly and entirely commit my soul and body which thou hast created redeemed preserved and in measure sanctify'd my goods and estate which thou hast given and continued and encreased to me All my thoughts and desires my words and works my designs and affairs particularly c. which I undertake in thy fear and for thy glory My dear Family and Kindred as c. blessing thee for their health mutual love and piety and humbly beseeching thy Divine Majesty to preserve them in this grace My friends and acquaintance my Superiours and benefactours as c. Lord ever direct and prosper them The King and Queen and the whole Realm blessing thy holy name for the health and peace and plenty we enjoy and beseeching thee to continue these thy mercies and to forgive us all our offences This Holy Church of which by thy grace I am a member Blessed be God our helper and defender The Church Universal Enlarge and unite thy people O triumphant Saviour All that are distressed in mind body or estate especially such as suffer for righteousness sake throughout the whole world Thy eye is ever upon them Almighty and most merciful Father Grant them patience and deliverance Finally I commend to thy goodness thy whole Creation Thy mercy is over all thy
Jesus walketh on the sea Matt. 14.22 23. 20. Syrophenicians daughter dispossest Matt. 15.21 28. 21. Deaf and dumb man of Decapolis cured by a touch Mark 7.31 37. 22. Blind man of Bethsaida recovered by our Lords hand Mark 8.22.26 23. Christs Transfiguration Mat. 17.1 8. 24. Raving Lunatick recovered Mar. 7.13 28. 25. Cesars Tribute miraculously procured from the mouth of a Fish Matth. 17.23 26. 26. Sight given to one born Blind Ioh. 4.1 38. 27. Believing Woman cured of eighteen years Infirmity Luke 13.10 17. 28. Dropsy cured on the Sabbath-day Luke 14.1 6. 29. Ten Lepers cured Luke 17.11 19. 30. Two blind men of Jericho restored by Christs singer Matt. 20.21 34. 31. Lazarus raised from the dead Ioh. 11.1 44. 32. Fruitless fig-tree cursed and withered Mark. 11.12.23 33. Our Lords Passion Ioh. c. 18. and c. 19. Luke c. 22. and Matt. c. 26. and c. 27. 34. Our Lords Resurrection Mark c. 16. Luke c. 14. 35. His Appearing to Mary Iohn 20.11 18. 36. His Appearing to the two disciples going to Emaus Luke 24.13 33. 37. His Manifestation to the Apostles except Thomas Luke 24 34 42. 38. His Rising and Humanity proved to Thomas Iohn 20.24 29. 39. His Eating with his disciples at the lake of Tiberias after a miraculous draught of fishes Iohn 21.1 14. 40. Our Lords Ascension into Heaven Luke 24.49 50. Acts 1.1 12. VI. I will also add the Miracles following 1. Descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost Acts c. 2. 2. Creeple at the Temple cured by S. Peter and S. John Acts c. 3. 3. Conversion of five thousand by one Sermon and a second Descent of the Holy Ghost Acts c. 4. 4. Ananias and Sapphira are struck dead for Lying and the very shadow of S. Peter healeth Acts c. 5. 5. Wonders Confession and Martyrdom of S. Stephen Acts c. 6. and c. 7. 6. Philip miraculously carried away from the converted Ethiopian Acts c. 8.26 40. 7. S. Pauls Conversion Acts c 9 and c. 22. 8. S. Peters Deliverance from prison Acts c. 12. 9. S. Peter cures Eneas of a Palsie and restores Tabitha to life Acts c. 9.32 43. 10. Creeple of Lystra cured by S. Paul Acts 14.8 18. 11. Witch of Thyatira dispossest by S. Paul and the prison miraculously opened Acts 16.16 40. 12. Touch of S. Pauls body cures diseases and expells devils Acts c. 19.1 20. 13. Dead Eutychus recovered by S. Paul Acts c. 20.6 12. 14. S. Pauls strange cures at Melita Acts c. 28.1 10. VII Moreover I will research and ponder these miracles of the Old Testament 1. Creating drowning and restoring of the world Gen. c. 1. and c. 6. and c. 7. and c. 8. 2. Furnace and lamp passing through Abrahams sacrifice Gen. 15. 3. Sodoms destruction Gen. c. 18. and c. 19. 4. Isaacs birth and his rescue from the altar on Moriah Gen. 18.1 15. and 21.1 8. and 22. 5. Plagues of Egypt and the renowned Exodus Exod. c. 7. c. 8. c. 9. c. 10. c. 12.31 51. c. 13.17 22. c. 14. and c. 15. and Psal. 78. 6. Quails manna water struck â—rom the drie rock and Amalek deâ—eated by Moses his elevated hands Exod. c. 16. and c. 17. Terrible wonders of Sinai Exod. c. 19. c. 24. c. 33. and c. 34. 8. Cloud of fire on the Tabernacle Exod. c. 40.34 38. 9 Fire from heaven upon Aarons first sacrifice Lev. c. 9.22 24. As before on Abels Gen. c. 4.4 and after on Solomons 2 Chron. c. 7. and upon Elias 2 King. c. 18. 10. Swallowing up of Korah Num. c. 16. Psal. 106. 11. Brasen-serpent against the venom of the fiery Num. c. 21.4 9. 12. Balaams ass and prophesies Num. c. 22. c. 23. and c. 24. 13. Ten commandments written upon two tables of stone Deut. 10.1 5. 14. Dividing of Jordan before the ark and priests of the Lord Iosh. c. 3. and c. 4. 15. Archangel encouraging Joshua Iosh. c. 5.13 15. 16. Downfal of Jericho by the priests procession and trumpets Iosh. c. 6. 17. Sun and moon stand still Iosh. c. 10.8 14. 18. Gideons cakes and fleece and victory with three hundred men onely Iudg. c. 6.11 40. and c. 7. 19. Wonders of Manoahs Angel Iudg. c. 13. 20. Samsons foxes and jawbone his removing the gates and pulling down the temple of Gaza Iudg. c. 15. and c. 16. 21. Philistines plagued and Dagon destroyed before the Ark of God 1 Sam. c. 5. and Uzza struck dead for touching the Ark when it shook 2 Sam. c. 6.6 11. 22. Davids killing Goliath the giant 1 Sam. c. 17. 23. Elijah is nourisht by ravens and by the unwasting meal and oyl of the widow of Zarepta whose dead son he restores to life 1 Kings c. 17. 24. Elijah by prayer obtaineth rain and also fire from heaven 2 Kin. c. 1. 24. Rapture of Elijah wonderfull like the recess of Enoch and the Expiration of Moses 2 Kings c. 2. Gen. c. 5.24 Deut. c. 34. 26. Elisha divides Jordan with the mantle of his master Elijah heals the corrupt waters and destroys the mocking children 27. Elisha refreshes the armies of three kings with water from heaven 2 Kings c. 3. 28. Elisha multiplies the widows oyl to pay her debts and by prayer both obtains and revives the child of the old and good Shunamite and cures the poysond pottage and also feeds a multitude with 20 loaves 2 Kings c. 4. 29. Elisha cures Naamans leprosie by the waters of Jordan and smites his greedy servant Gehazi with the same disease 2 Kings c. 5. 30. Elisha makes iron swim discloses the cabinet counsel of the king of Syria and blinds his army 2 Kings c. 6. 31. King Azariah smitten in the â—orehead with leprosie for invading the priests office 2 Chron. c. 26.16 23. 32. Incredible plenty by Elishas prophecy upon a sore famine and Hazaels treason and cruelty foretold 2 Kings c. 7. and c. 8. And Josiahs three victories over the Syrians predicted 2 Kings c. 13.14 19. 33. Proud Sennacheribs great army destroyed in a night according to Isaias prophecy 2 Kings c. 19.35.37 Hist. Herodoti 34. Hezekiah is cured by Isaias prophecy and a lump of sigs the sun also then going back ten degrees 2 Kings c. 20.1 11. Isaiah c. 38 35 Shadrach Mesech and Abednego saved in the fiery furnace and Daniel in the lions den Dan. c. 3. and c. 6. and profane Belshazzar scared with a prodigious hand writing Dan. c. 5. 36. Jonahs deliverance from the fishes belly and his gourd Ionah c. 2. and c. 4. OCCASIONAL LESSONS CHAP. VI. I. SIckness Psalms 39.6.22.38.69.7 Isaiah 38. Ionah 2. And the Visitation of the sick and the Burial of the dead and CHAP. XIV c. of this book II. Recovery Psalms 30.107.116.22 III. Afflictions Psalms 25.34.4 and Laâ—ent of Jeremiah IV. Deliverance Psalms 40.107.118.28.34 V. Repentance The seven penitential Psalms viz. 6.32.38.51.102.130.143 And also Psalms 3.63.88 and 103. The Litany The Commination The Service for Ashwednesday and the holy week before Easter The last Prayer
through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1. Cor. 15.55 56 57. I will run with patience the race that is set before me for the crown of indefectible glory which it leads to looking unto a great cloud of witnesses of godly fortitude and constancy yea rather looking unto the meek Jesus the author and finishâ—r of our faith our hope and our resolution Hebr. 12.1 2. Thee onely do I fear O heavenly Father and in thee only do I trust Thy mercy is as ready as thy power and thy power maketh and maintaineth all things I will ever hope in thy mercy through Jesus Christ for I know no end thereof Amen Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth Hebr. 12.6 It is good for me that I have been afflicted I know O Lord that thy judgements are right and that thou of very faithfulness hast caused me to be troubled Before I was afflicted I went astray but now thy law is my delight and my attention O let my heart be sound in thy statutes that I be no more ashamed Psal. 119.67 71 75 80. Behold here I am let him do to me as seemeth good unto him 2 Sam. 15.26 O my Father not as I will but as thou wilt for his sake who for the life of the world once prayed thus unto thee with great affection tears and innocence Amen Matth. 26.39 My cup is not so bitter I am not yet come to the cross O Lord God of hosts blessed is the man that confideth in thee Psal. 84.13 The Profession of the Catholick Faith. CHAP. XIX I. AS I have often God giving me the grace and opportâ—nity professed and recited the sum of a Christian mans belief contained in the Apostles Creed and in the Nicene Creed in the Liturgy of the Church so now at my wished departure from this world I renew the same Confession and recognition desiring that heaven and earth might now hear me as I hope they will at the happy day of the Resurrection cheerfully thankfully and sincerely declaring II. I Believe in God the Father Almighty maker of heaven and earth I acknowledge fear and adore one God spiritual invisible eternal most holy Almighty and omnipotent distinguished into three glorious persons the Father and the Son and the holy Ghost I will always own and to utmost peril assert the infinite power and justice and mercy of God the Father who made the world out of nothing and every moment upholds and governs it by his gracious providence and in this Systeme hath made sustained and blessed me by wonderful favour And I believe in Iesus Christ his only begotten Son our Lord who was conceived by the holy Ghost O inestimable mercy and most astonishing mystery born wiâ—hout sin of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate a plenary sacrifice and expiation for the sins of the world was crucified with exquisite torment and anguish dead and buried to teach us profound humility and self denyal and martyrdom and to take away the sting and terrour of death He descended into hell The third day he rose again from the dead to justify all the faithful and to invite them to a new and noble and heavenly life He ascended into heaven where I long to see thee and to kiss thy seet most blâ—ssed Saviour Wash my soul first in thy bloud cleanse it from thy pierced side that it may be fitted and prepared for that most holy and sublime mansion And sittteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty a most merciful and benign mediatour From whence he shall come with astonishing glory and pomp to juage me and all the quick and dead O judge impartial and Almighty I fear thee I prepare for thy advent I prejudge and condemn my self for the corruptions of my life I fly to thy cross I hide me in thy wounds My faith embraceth thy salvation Lord pardon me and receive me into thy favour I believe in the holy Ghost the efficacious and invisible guide and patron of all humble souls and the author of wisdom compunction holiness and constancy I believe and own the holy Catholick Church the choice and inheritance and the care and love of God called from all nations of the world into one faith and one hope wherein I have a part by infinite grace I believe the Communion of saints I hasten to the Church triumphant I believe the remission of sins by thy merits O holy Jesus the sure hope and comfort of the living and of the dying I believe the resurrection of the body of this diseased earthy painfull decaying body I know that my Redeemer liveth and that at the last day after death and corruption this very flesh shall stand up spiritual illustrious and immoral by the power and the example of Christs rising and be rapt up to meet him in the clouds Iob. c. 19. and 1 Thes. 4 7. Blessed ever-blessed be the glorious and glorifying JESUS Finally I believe the life everlasting even for me who am unworthy of another secular and incumbred life worthy of perpetual misery and firy indignation altogether unworthy of the vision of God and unchangeable felicity But thy grace is like thy self O Lord infinite and incomprehensible I receive it with all lowliness and confusion I humble my self to the dust for this unvaluable mercy Father fit me for thy promise and bounty Amen Amen III. I Heartily bless God that I was so early baptized into this faith I glorifie him that by his own support in frequenting the offices of the church I have so long lived in a firm profession of this saving doctrine And now God preserving me from the snare of the devil I resolve and I rejoyce to die in the same belief Moreover I humbly beseech the Church the pillar and ensign of truth and all my friends to pray for me that my faith fail not especially at the hour and agony of dâ—ath and also to implore Gods forgiveness as for the rest of my sins so especially if through the violence of my disâ—ase or pain I shall then speak unadvisedly and against the intention of a sober and Christian mind for the sake of the wounded and crucified Saviour Amen O my friends live better then I have done No service no care no vigor and zeal can any ways answer the bounty of Almighty God who nourisheth us upon his earth enlightens us from his heavens and concludes our mortality with everlasting life satisfaction and glory O love the Lord by whom you brâ—ath love the Lord that sent Jesus Christ into the world to save sinners IV. I Lay hold on this occasion to declare freely before Gods minister and my friends the more remarkable passages of my life from my birth to this hour that they may glorifie God for his many benefits and extraordinary indulgence to me a most unprofitable and ungrateful servant and may also beware themselves of the errors and offences which have disgraced and polluted my conversation and