thee are both alike For my reins are thine thou hast covered me in my mothers womb I will give thanks unto thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvellous are thy works and that my soul knoweth right well My bones are not hid from thee though I be made secretly and fashioned beneath in the Earth Thine eye did see my substance yet being unperfect and in thy Book were all my members written Which day by day were fashioned when as yet there was none of them How dear are thy counsels unto me O God! O how great is the summ of them If I tell them they are more in number than the sand When I wake up I am present with thee Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen O Lord God who by the power of thy Word didst produce a glorious Light out of Darkness Let thy Sun of Righteousness with healing in his wings arise upon us and enlighten the darkness of our hearts and rescue us from the shadow of death that we may walk in the light of thy Grace here and rejoyce in the light of thy Glory in thy Heavenly Kingdom hereafter through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen And the very God of Peace sanctifie us wholly that our whole Spirit and Soul and body may be preseved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen THE SECOND HOUR OF PRAYER AT THE Sun-rising or First Hour of the day About VI. in the Morning Eccles 11. 9. Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the ways of thy heart and in the sight of thine Eyes But know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into Judgment Chap. 12. 1. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth while the evil days come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them MORNING I Laid me down and slept and rose up again and the Lord sustained me Psal 3. 5. I. As soon as you open your eyes lift them up unto the Hills from whence cometh your help and begin the work of the day with thanksgiving to God who hath delivered you from the dangers of the forepassed night refreshed your weary body with quiet sleep and brought you safely to the beginning of another day II. Consider That perhaps many others no worse than you have this night been hurried from their beds to the bar of Judgment and there received a sad sentence of eternal woe yet God of his infinite and undeserved goodness hath spared you until now to repent and prepare your accounts III. Return him all possible thanks and praise for this inestimable mercy and commend your self to his Grace and protection for the following day and the rest of your life humbly beseeching him to continue his mercy and goodness to you in preserving you from all evils and supplying you with all neccssaries spiritual and temporal and implore his Grace to guide and direct you in all your undertakings and actions as may most conduce to the glory of his great Name and the good of your own soul IV. Consider what sin or sins you have more especially been guilty of yesterday or since the last time of your solemn repentance and resolve by the grace of God assisting you to avoid those sins and all occasions of them V. Consider what you have to do this day Resolve not to spend it in idleness or evil imployments and be careful to undertake nothing in which you cannot with confidence and a good conscience desire the gracious assistance of God without which all endeavour and industry all toil and travel is vain and fruitless Whatsoever thou takest in hand remember the end and thou shalt never do amiss Ecclus. 7. 36. VI. Keep diligent watch over your self in all your ways and where you find you have gone awry delay not to return presently for the longer you go forward the farther you have back again and the less time left for that and the rest of your Journey VII Be careful of your precious Time that you do not lose it in doing nothing or cast it away on that which is worse for you know not how soon you may be called to account for every idle and ill-spent minute Resolve to spend this day as that which for ought you know may be your last and remember that as the Night so Death draws on every hour and may perhaps overtake you before Mid-day Morning Prayer O Let me hear thy Loving kindness betimes in the morning for in thee is my trust Shew thou me the way that I should walk in for I lift up my Soul unto thee Psal 143. 8. O hearken unto the voice of my calling my King and my God for utto the will I make my Prayer My voice shalt thou hear betimes O Lord early in the morning will I direct my Prayer unto thee and will look up But make me to remember that thou art God and hast no pleasure in wickedness neither shall any evil dwell with thee Psal 5. 2 3 4. OUR Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name thy Kingdom come thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen O Lord open thou my lips And my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Psal 19. THE Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy work One day telleth another and one night certifieth another There is neither speech nor language but their voices are heard among them Their sound is gone out into all Lands and their words into the ends of the world In them hath he set a Tabernacle for the Sun which cometh forth as a Bridegroom out of his chamber and rejoiceth as a Giant to run his course It goeth forth from the uttermost part of the Heaven and runneth about unto the end of it again and there is nothing hid from the Heat thereof The Law of the Lord is an undefiled Law converting the Soul the Testimony of the Lord is sure and giveth wisdom unto the simple The Statutes of the Lord are right and rejoyce the Heart the Commandment of the Lord is pure and giveth light unto the eyes The Fear of the Lord is clean and indureth for ever the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether More to be desired are they than Gold yea than much fine Gold sweeter also than Honey
thy Creation Thou wert yet pleased to find out a means of Redemption and Reconciliation by the death and satisfaction of thine own only Son And hast farther vouchsafed in some measure to shed abroad in our hearts the good gifts and graces of thy holy Spirit to excite inable and incourage us in the performance of thy Service here and to seal to us the good hope of eternal happiness with Thee hereafter That Thou hast vouchsafed me to be born of Christian Parents and brought up in the bosom of thy Church and nourished with the sincere milk of thy word and to live under the glorious Sun-shine of thy Gospel That Thou hast bestowed on me sufficient endowments and abilities of Nature as soundness of mind and health of body and withal a competence of means comfort of friends and other conveniences and contentments of life That Thou hast preserved me from my Childhood until now from all mischiefs and dangers and hast not cut me off in the midst of my sins but allowed me space of Repentance and brought me safe thus far of my life to this present day These and all other thine innumerable and inestimable mercies O Lord as we had nothing in us to deserve them so have we nothing to return for them but an acknowledgment of our extreme unworthiness of any the least of them We therefore offer up our selves unto Thee beseeching thee graciously to receive us and sanctifie thy mercies to us and us to thy service that we may make use of them to the honour and glory of thy Name and the eternal good of our own Souls O Holy Lord God that knowest our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking have mercy upon our infirmities pass by and pardon the imperfections of our Prayers bow down thy gentle ear and hear and grant these our requests as shall seem good to Thee And whatsoever else thou knowest more useful or expedient for me or any of thy servants Thou that knowest to give good gifts we beseech Thee chuse for us and give us those things And all for His sake who hath given us confidence to come unto Thee and ask in His name and hath taught us to summ up all our Prayers in his own words saying OUR Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily Bread and forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And lead us not into temptation but diliver us from Evil. For Thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen Numb 6. 24. The Lord bless us and keep us The Lord make his face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us The Lord lift up his countenance upon us and give us Peace 2 Cor. 13. 14. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with us all Amen THE SEVEN HOURS OF PRAYER FOR EVERY DAY Psal 119. 164. Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgements Psal 119. 62. At midnight will I rise to give thanks unto thee NOW for the Times of Prayer our Saviours Counsel is that men ought always to pray and not to faint adding a Parable to shew us the virtue of Importunity S. Paul's is agreeable Praying always and without ceasing that is frequently and constantly Among the Ancients it was no less than seven times a day Nay David and S. Paul add the eighth at Midnight so that every third hour of the Night as well as of the Day was begun with the solemnity of Prayer And this Pattern I have thought worthy to be commended to the practice of all pious Christians For the having so often recourse to Heaven must need make us more careful of our conversation on Earth Yet this without any design of laying a burthen upon those whose Occasions or Devotion will not so often serve them only wishing that they who cannot afford so many though so small portions of the day to their Maker would yet joyn with David and Daniel at least three times a day or at the least of leasts twice that the outgoings of the Morning and Evening may praise him The rest may be supplied by lifting up the eyes of their Souls to Heaven with some short and hearty Ejaculation though in midst of any Employment of any Company THE FIRST HOUR OF PRAYER AT THE Morning Watch or Cock-Crowing About III. in the Morning Ephes 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Rom. 13. 12. The night is far spent the day is at hand let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armour of light Ephes 5. 11. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness O God thou art my God early will I seek thee Psal 63. 1. My soul flieth unto the Lord before the Morning Watch I say before the Morning Watch Psal 130. 6. Have I not remembred thee in my bed and thought upon thee when I was waking Psal 63. 7. Mine eyes prevent the Night Watches that I might meditate in thy word Psal 119. 148. OUR Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name thy Kingdom come thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen O Lord open thou my lips And my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Psal 51. 15. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Psal 139. O Lord thou hast searched me out and known me thou knowest my down-sitting and mine up-rising thou understandest my thoughts long before Thou art about my path and about my bed and spiest out all my ways For lo there is not a word in my tongue but thou O Lord knowest it altogether Thou hast fashioned me behind and before and laid thine hand upon me Such knowledge is too wonderful and excellent for me I cannot attain unto it Whither shall I go then from thy Spirit or whither shall I go then from thy Presence If I climb up into Heaven thou art there if I go down to Hell thou art there also If I take the wings of the morning and remain in the uttermost parts of the Sea Even there also shall thy Hand lead me and thy Right Hand shall hold me If I say peradventure the darkness shall cover me then shall my night be turned to day Yea the darkness is no darkness with thee but the night is as clear as the day the darkness and light to
Comforter Thou art the King of Glory O Christ Thou art the Everlasting Son of the Father When thou tookest upon Thee to deliver man Thou dist not abhor the Virgins womb When Thou hadst overcome the sharpness of Death Thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers Thou sittest at the right hand of God in the Glory of the Father We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge We therefore pray Thee help thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed deemed with thy precious blood Make them to be numbred with thy Saints in Glory everlasting O Lord save thy people and bless thine heritage Govern them and lift them up for ever Day by day we magnifie Thee And worship thy Name ever world without end Vouchsafe O Lord to keep us this day without sin O Lord have mercy upon us have mercy upon us O Lord let thy mercy lighten upon us as our Trust is in thee O Lord in the have I trusted let me never be confounded WE humbly beseech Thee O Father mercifully to look upon our infirmities and for the glory of thy Names sake turn from us all those evils that we most justly have deserved and grant that in all our troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy and evermore serve Thee in holiness and pureness of living to thy Honour and Glory through our only Mediator and advocate Jesus Christ our Lord Amen NOW the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant make us perfect in every good work to do his will working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen THE FIFTH HOUR OF PRAYER AT THE Ninth Hour of the Day About III. After-Noon Preparative to the Publick 1 Thess 5. 2 3. 4. The day of the Lord so cometh as a Thief in the night For when they shall say Peace and Safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as Travail upon a woman with child and they shall not escape But ye brethren are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief ENter not into judgment with thy servant O Lord for in thy fight shall no man living be justified Psal 143. 2. OUR Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily Bread and forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from Evil. For Thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen O Lord open thou my lips And my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Psal 39. I Said I will take heed to my ways that I offend not in my tongue I will keep my mouth as it were with a bridle while the ungodly is in my sight I held my tongue and spake nothing I kept silence yea even from good words but it was pain and grief to me My heart was hot within me and while I was thus musing the fire kindled and at last I spake with my tougue Lord let me know mine end and the number of my days that I may be certified how long I have to live Behold Thou hast made my days as it were a span long and mine age is even as nothing in respect of Thee and verily every man living is altogether vanity For man walketh in a vain shadow and disquieteth himself in vain he heapeth up riches and cannot tell who shall gather them And now Lord what is my hope truly my hope is even in Thee Deliver me from all mine offences and make me not a rebuke unto the foolish I became dumb and opened not my mouth for it was thy doing Take thy plague away from me I am even consumed by the means of thy heavy hand When thou with rebukes dost chasten man for sin Thou makest his beauty to consume away like as it were a Moth fretting a garment every man therefore is but vanity Hear my prayer O God and with thine ears consider my calling hold not thy peace at my tears For I am a stranger with Thee and a sojourner as all my fathers were O spare me a little that I may recover my strength before I go hence and be no more seen Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the begininng is now and ever shall be world without end Amen O God from whom all holy desires all good counsels and all just works do proceed work in us thy unprofitable servants both to will and to do that the Glory of both may return to Thee the giver of every good and perfect gift through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen NOW unto Him that is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before the presence of his Glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God our Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power now and for ever Amen THE SIXTH HOUR OF PRAYER AT THE Twelfth or Last Hour of the Day About VI. in the Evening Deut. 32. 29. O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Job 14. 1 2. Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble he cometh forth like a flower and is cut down he fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not PRaise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name Praise the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits Which forgiveth all thy sin and healeth all thy infirmities Which saveth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindness OUR Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily Bread and forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from Evil. For Thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen O Lord open thou my lips And my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Psal 90. LOrd Thou hast been our refuge from one generation to another Before the mountains were brought forth or ever the earth and the world were made Thou art God from everlasting and world without end Thou turnest man to destruction again thou sayest come again ye children of men For a thousand years in thy sight are
OUR Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily Bread and forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from Evil. For Thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen O Lord open thou my lips And my mouth shall shew forth thy Praise Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Psal 91. WHoso dwelleth under the defence of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty I will say unto the Lord Thou art my hope and my strong hold my God in him will I trust For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunter and from the noisom pestilence He shall defend thee under his wings and thou shalt be safe under his feathers His Faithfulness and Truth shall be thy shield and buckler Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night nor for the arrow that flieth by day For the pestilence that walketh in darkness nor for the sickness that destroyeth in the noon-day A thousand shall fall beside thee and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee Yea with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the ungodly For thou Lord art my hope thou hast set thine house of defence very high There shall no evil happen unto thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling For he shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways They shall hear thee in their hands that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone Thou shalt go upon the Lion and Adder the young Lion and the Dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet Because he hath set his love upon me therefore shall I deliver him I shall set him up because he hath known my Name He shall call upon me and I will hear him yea I am with him in trouble I will deliver him and bring him to Honour With long life will I satisfie him and shew him my Salvation Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Psal 121. I Will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help My help cometh from the Lord which hath made Heaven and Earth He will not suffer thy foot to be moved and he that keepeth thee will not sleep Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep The Lord himself is thy Keeper the Lord is thy defence upon the right hand So that the Sun shall not burn thee by day neither the Moon by night The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil yea it is even he that shall keep thy Soul The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth for evermore Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen The Song of Simeon LOrd now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy Word Luke 2. 29. For mine eyes have seen thy Salvation Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people To be a Light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the Glory of thy people Israel Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen BLessed be thy holy Name O Lord my God who hast shewed me the light of thy countenance and caused me to see thy goodness in the land of the living who hast preserved me in all my ways and delivered me from all the dangers and evils of this day and brought me safe thus far of my life to the beginning of this night O Lord I beseech thee forsake me not in the vanishing of my days but still contiuue the protection of thy gracious hand upon me be thou my light and defence my guide and guard through the valley of misery and tears and the shadow of death to that Holy Hill where thine Honour and our Rest dwelleth Give me grace to remember the many days of darkness and prevent the long night of Death by a timely preparation for it that being always ready and provided whensoever thou shalt call me to judgment I may give an acceptable account how I have spent my time here Lord as we add days to our days so we add sins to our sins Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son Luke 15. 21. But I will confess my wickedness and be sorry for my sins Psal 30. 18. Here make a particular Confession of the sins you have committed this day or since your last solemn account THus have I wandred from the right way of thy Commandments walking after the foolish Imaginations of mine own corrupt heart and wearying my self in the by-ways of vanity and wickedness all the day long But now O Lord I desire to turn from my evil ways and evening after evening I return to thee with all my heart and seek thy face O hide not thou thy face from me nor cast thy servant away in displeasure Out of the deep my soul crieth unto thee O hear my voice and have mercy upon me Have mercy upon me O Lord after thy great goodness according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences Wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin Forgive and put away all mine offences and abominations for the merits and satisfaction of thy dear Son in him be reconciled unto me and restore me again to thy grace and favour to the peace and comfort and communion of thy holy Spirit that mine eyes may see thy Salvation and thy Servant may depart in peace Luke 2. 29 30. And now O Lord I go to my bed as to my grave and know not but that I may awake in another world Live or die I commend my self to thy mercy and goodness beseeching thee to receive me under the wings of thy protection where I may rest safe and secure from all evils And with my self I commend unto thee all whom any relation or occasion hath made near or dear unto me Thou Keeper of Israei who dost neither slumber nor sleep receive us all into thy keeping and preserve our Souls in perpetual peace and safety And the peace of God which passeth all understanding keep our hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord And the blessing of God Almighty the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost be with us this night
labourer of his hire by want of due care in expending what we have and a good conscience in acquiring more We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By lying detraction and contumely by censuring and rash judgment by false witness and perverting the course of justice We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By uncontentedness and desiring change in our estates by giving our selves over to lustful covetous and inordinate affections by neglecting acts of Charity and doing as we would be done to and not doing our duty in that state of life unto which it hath pleased Thee to call us We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By fretting our selves because of the ungodly and being envious against the evil-doer by not loving our enemies not blessing them that curse us not doing good to them that hate us nor praying for those that despightfully use us and persecute us We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By presuming to do evil that good may come thereof by placing piety in opinions by straining at Gnats and swallowing of Camels scrupling at things indifferent and making no conscience of known sins We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By running into open profaneness under colour of avoiding Superstition by guiding our conscience by humours and phansies and not by the certain rules of thy Law by having itching ears and heaping to our selves Teachers and by having mens persons in admiration because of advantage We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By impatience under thy correcting hand not endeavouring our amendment by it and reflecting on our own sins as the causes of it by despising thy chastisements and not rejoycing in tribulations nor glorifying Thee that hast counted us worthy to suffer for righteousness sake We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By our want and neglect of those necessary Christian duties of Humiliation and godly sorrow for sin of indignation and revenge upon our selves for it of confessing and forsaking of restitution and satisfaction to others and not by bringing forth fruits worthy of repentance We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousnnss belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day WHO can tell how oft he offendeth O cleanse Thou us from these and from our secret sins Psal 19. 22. Try us O good God and search the ground of our hearts prove us and examine our thoughts Look well if there be any other way of wickedness in us and lead us in the way everlasting Psal 139. 23 24. Behold O Lord we are here before Thee in our sins we stand guilty of these and many more not only of all sorts but of all degrees also and we know and confess that the least of these deserves no less than the wages of eternal death But if Thou Lord shouldst be extreme to mark what is done amiss O Lord who may abide it If Thou shouldst thus severely proceed in judgment against us our spirits should fail before Thee and those souls which Thou hast made Deal thou with us therefore O Lord not after the multitude of our sins but according to the multitude of thy mercies Turn away thy face from our sins and behold that Son of thy Love in thine own bosom that doth not only intercede but hath satisfied not only request and intreat but even require and challenge Thee to have mercy upon us For his sake therefore we beseech Thee have this mercy upon us to make us capable of thy mercies Send down the dew of thy Heavenly grace that may melt and mollifie our frozen and stony hearts that we may see and confess and hate and forsake and sincerely repent us of all our past sins and abominations and turn from the evil of our former ways to Thee that art the Way the Truth and the Life John 14. 6. And then O Lord do Thou return to us also forgive the Debt which hath been discharged by the precious bloud of thy dear Son and seal to us our pardon by the gift of thy holy Spirit which for the time to come may prevent excite and enable us to walk before Thee in holiness and rigtheousness all our days that having cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light we may like valiant Soldiers fight that good fight against all temptations of the world the flesh and the Devil that having finished our course we may receive of Thee that crown of life which Thou hast promised to them that continue faithful unto death Rev. 2. 10. And all for his sake who by his death hath overcome death and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life To him with Thee and the Holy Spirit be all Honour and Glory world without end Amen OF THE HOLY SACRAMENT OF THE Lords Supper AND THE PREPARATION Before it Psal 116. 12 13. What reward shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me I will take the cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. Psal 26. 6. I will wash my bands in innocency so will I compass thine Altar O Lord. THere yet remains one principal piece of Devotion and that without which there is indeed no Devotion it being the Sacrifice in the Smoke of which our prayers must ascend up before him that sitteth on the Throne Now although God being himself a Spirit desires also to be worshipped in Spirit and in his own respect cares not for these outward and sensible performances yet because the minds of men being as it were shut up in this prison of the Body can receive little information or affection but what is conveyed to them by the Sense it hath pleased him to accommodate himself to our imperfection and infirmity and appoint certain Ceremonies or outward actions which working immediately upon the Senses are by them conveyed in unto the Soul and make on it a more powerful impression of that which is signified by those sensible actions Such are Looking up toward Heaven when we speak to God Kneeling when we pray to him Standing up when we praise him and Bowing at the mention of his Sacred Name such is the dipping in water and signing with the Cross in the Sacrament of Baptism and such is the receiving of Bread and Wine in this other of which we speak For though the
Lord is Blessed is the man that trusteth in him Psal 34. 8. What reward shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me Psal 116. 12. Lord I offer up unto thee my self my Soul and Body and all that I am and have beseeching thee graciously to receive me for thy servant to dwell in thy House and praise thy Name for evermore Psal 84. 4. Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth THou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power For thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Rev. 4. 11. Thou art worthy to take the Book and to open the Seals thereof for thou hast slain and hast redeemed us to our God out of every Kindred and Tongue and people and Nation and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests Revel â— 9. Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb. Amen Blessing and Glory and Wisdom and Thanksgiving and Honour and Power and Might be unto God for ever and ever Amen Rev. 7. 10 12. An Admonition after Receiving AND now you have thus solemnly devoted and consecrated your self to God and his service beware that you do not fall back and return to your former course of sin like the dog to his own vomit or as the Serpent which casts up his Poison when he goes to drink and when he hath quenched his thirst returns and sucks it up again And thus some are content to leave their sins at the Church-door but with an intent to take them up again when they come out But God will not be so mocked And know this That if you have well and worthily perform'd this Duty to day yet if you do not persevere in Piety as you have promised and begun not only your former sins but even the piety of this day shall one day rise up in judgment against you But a diligent Watching and wariness over your ways after this will be the best preparation against the next time OF DEATH AND now I cannot think any Conclusion more fit and proper for this daily course of Devout Life than a short meditation on that which shall be the Conclusion of Life it self I. First therefore consider the shortness and miseries of this Life That our days consume in vanity and our years Psal in trouble That our whole Life is but as a Dream and when Death awakes us we find our hands empty of all that which hath cost us so much labour and travel and sorrow and sin II. Remember the swiftness and suddenness of Death That our days are but a span-long and our flourishing but as a flower of the field which though it be not plucked up yet soon withers of it self and falls away The Young may dye soon but the Old cannot live long III. Remember that in this short life we are yet to provide for an Eternity either of weal or woe and therefore cannot be too careful how we spend every minute of that upon which depends a matter of so great so lasting importance IV. There is but one way of Birth but many ways and means of Death and our Life hangs by so small a thred that every little Chance is ready to break it off V. After Death we are immediately called to Judgment before the high Court of Heaven to give a severe account how we have performed that duty to which we were created and accordingly to receive an irrevocable sentence of eternal happiness or misery VI. The Judge before whom we shall stand is infinite both in Knowledge and Power so that it is impossible either to hide any thing from his all-seeing eye or to escape out of the reach of his Almighty hand VII The Lord cometh in a day when we look not for him and in an hour when we are not aware Let us therefore watch and wait for his coming that when he knocketh we may open unto him immediately Vers 36. How dangerous and deplorable a condition would it be to be found and taken away in the midst of any Sin or in a continued course of sinful Life On the contrary How happy and blessed and joyful a thing would it be to be found practising and persevering in that which is good Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Luke 12. 43. A Prayer preparatory to Death O Eternal Lord God who hast created the World and all Time who hast made my days as it were a span long and mine Age even as nothing in respect of thee Teach me so to number my days that I may apply my heart to thy Heavenly Wisdom and so carefully imploy this short time which thou hast appointed me to spend here so make up thy reckonings before that great day come that whensoever thou shalt call me hence I may give such an account of the Talent wherewith thou hast intrusted me that I may receive that joyful Sentence Well done good and faithful Servant Mat. 25. 21. Grant that I may be always provided with Oil in my Lamp and ready to enter in with the Wise Virgins whensoever the Bridegroom shall come and receive a blessing among those which watch and wait for thy coming So come Lord Jesu come quickly Amen Rev. 22. 20. LAMENTATIONS AND DEVOTIONS FOR THE TIMES OF CAPTIVITY Eccles 12. 13 14. Let us hear the Conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of Man For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether is be good or whether it be evil I. IS it nothing to you all ye that pass by Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand they are wreathed and come up upon my neck He hath made my Srength to fail the Lord hath delivered me into their hands from whom I am not able to rise up The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men The Lord hath trodden the Virgin the Daughter of Judah as in a Wine-press and all her beauty is departed from her Zion stretcheth forth her hands and there is none to comfort her Her adversaries are the chief her Enemies prosper for the Lord hath afflicted her For the multitude of her transgressions her children are gone into captivity before the Enemy For these things I weep mine eye mine eye runneth down with water because the Comforter that should relieve my Soul is far from me My Children are desolate because the Enemy prevailed The Lord is righteous for I have rebelled against his Commandment Behold O Lord for I am in distress My bowels are troubled my heart is turned within me for I have