all pardon and holiness and life eternal through Jesus Christ Amen The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communication of the Holy Spirit be with us all for ever Amen A SHORT PRAYER To be said every Morning O Almighty God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the God of mercy and comfort with reverence and fear with humble confidence and strong desires I approach to the Throne of Grace begging of thee mercy and protection pardon and salvation O my God I am a sinner but sorrowful and repenting Thou art justly offended at me but yet thou art my Lord and my Father merciful and gracious Be pleased to blot all my sins out of thy remembrance and heal my soul that I may never any more sin against thee Lord open my eyes that I may see my own infirmities and watch against them and my own follies that I may amend them and be pleased to give me perfect understanding in the way of godliness that I may walk in it all the dayes of my pilgrimage Give me a spirit diligent in the works of my Calling chearful and zeaâ—…us in Religion fervent and frequent in â—…y Prayers charitable and useful in my â—…onversation Give me a healthful and a â—…aste body a pure and a holy soul a â—…nctified and an humble spirit and let â—…y body and soul and spirit be preserved â—…nblameable to the coming of the Lord â—…esus Amen II. BLessed be thy Name O God and blessed be thy Mercies who hast preserved â—…e this night from sin and sorrow from â—…ad chances and a violent death from the â—…alice of the Devil and the evil effects of â—…y own corrupted nature and infirmity The out-goings of the Morning and Evening shall praise thee and thy servants â—…hall rejoyce in giving thee praise for the operation of thy hands Let thy providence and care watch over me this day and all my whole life that I may never sin against thee by idleness or folly by evil company or private sins by word or deed by thought or desire and let the imployment of my day leave no sorrow or the remembrance of an evil conscience at night but let it be holy and profitable blessed and alwayes innocent that when the dayes of my short abode are done and the shadow is departed I may die in thy fear and favour and rest in a holy hope and at last return to the joyes of a blessed Resurrection through Jesus Christ In whose Name and in whose words in behalf of my self and all my friends and all thy servants I humbly and heartily pray Our Faether c. A Prayer for the Evening ETernall God Almighty Father of Men and Angels by whose care and providence I am preserved and blessed comforted and assisted I humbly beg of thee to pardon the sins and follies of this day the weaknesses of my services and the strength of my passions the rashness of my words and the vanity and evil of my actions O just and dear God how long shall I confess my sins and pray against them and yet fall under them O let it be so no more let me never return to the follies of which I am ashamed which bring sorrow and death and thy displeasure worse then death Give me 〈◊〉 command over my evil inclinations and 〈◊〉 â—…erfect hatred of sin and a love to thee â—…ove all the desires of this world Be â—…leased to bless and preserve me this night â—…rom all sin and all violence of Chance â—…nd the malice of the Spirits of darkness â—…atch over me in my sleep and whether sleep or wake let me be thy servant â—…e thou first and last in all my thoughts â—…nd the guide and continual assistance of â—…ll my actions Preserve my body pardon â—…he sin of my soul and sanctifie my â—…oul let me alwayes live holily and justly â—…nd soberly and when I die receive my â—…oul into thy hands O holy and everâ—…lessed Jesus that I may lie in thy boâ—…ome and long for thy coming and hear â—…hy blessed Sentence at Doomsday and â—…hold thy face and live in thy Kingâ—…lome singing praises to God for ever and â—…ver Amen Our Father c. For SUNDAY A Prayer against Pride I. O Eternal God merciful and glorious thou art exalted far above all heavens thy Throne O God is glory and thy Scepter is righteousness thy Will is holiness and thy Wisdome the great foundation of Empire and Government I adore thy Majesty and rejoyce in thy Mercy and revere thy Power anâ—… confess all glory and dignity and honour to be thine alone and theirs to whom thou shalt impart any ray of thy Majesty or reflexion of thy honour but as foâ—… me I am a worm and no man vile dust and ashes the son of corruption and the heir of rottenness seized upon by folly a lump of ignorance and sin and shame and death What art thou O Lord the great God of Heaven and Earth the fountain of Holiness and Perfection inâ—…te But what am I so ignorant that â—…now not what so poor that I have noâ—…ng of my own so miserable that I am â—…e heir of sorrow and death and so sinâ—… that I am encompassed with shame â—…d grief II. ANd yet O my God I am proud proud of my shame glorying in my 〈◊〉 boasting my infirmities for this is all â—…t I have of my own save onely that I â—…ve multiplied my miseries by vile actiâ—…s every day dishonouring the work of â—…y hands my understanding is too conâ—…ent my affections rebellious my will â—…ractory and disobedient and yet I â—…ow thou resistest the proud and didst â—…t the Morning Stars the Angels from â—…aven into chains of darkness when they â—…w giddy and proud walking upon the â—…tlements of heaven beholding the gloâ—…us Regions that were above them III. THou O God who givest grace to the 〈◊〉 humble do something also for the â—…oud man make me humble and obedient Take from me the spirit of pridâ—… and haughtiness ambition and self-flaâ—…tery confidence and gayety teach metâ—… think well and to expound all things faiâ—…ly of my brother to love his worthiness to delight in his praises to excuse his erâ—…rors to give thee thanks for his gracâ—… to rejoyce in all the good that he receiveâ—… and ever to believe and speak better thingâ—… of him then of my self IV. O Teach me to love to be concealeâ—… and little esteemed let me be truâ—… humbled and heartily ashamed of mâ—… sin and folly teach me to bear reproachâ—… evenly for I have deserved them to râ—…fuse all honours done unto me because have not deserved them to return all tâ—… thee for it is thine alone to suffer râ—… proof thankfully to amend all my fauâ—… speedily and do thou invest my soâ—… with the humble robe of my meek Mastâ—… and Saviour Jesus and when I have hunâ—… patiently charitably and diligentâ—… served thee change this robe into tâ—… shining garment of immortality my coâ—… into glory my folly to
THE GOLDEN GROVE OR A MANUALL OF Daily Prayers and Letanies Fitted to the dayes of the Week Containing a short Summary of What is to be Believed Practised Desired ALSO FESTIVAL HYMNS According to the manner of The Ancient Church Composed for the Use of the Devont especially of Younger Persons By the Author of The Great Exemplar London Printed by J. F. for R. Royston at the Angel in Ivie-lane 1655. TO The Pious and Devout READER IN this sad declension of Religion the Seers who are appointed to be the Watchmen of the Church cannot but observe that the Supplanters and Underminers are gone out and are digging down the Foundations and having destroy'd all publick Forms of Ecclesiastical Government discountenanc'd an excellent Liturgie taken off the hinges of Unity disgrac'd the Articles of Religion polluted publick Assemblies taken away all cognisance of Schism by mingling all Sects and giving countenance to that against which all Power ought to stand upon their guard There is now nothing left but that we take care that men be Christians For concerning the Ornament and Advantages of Religion we cannot make that provision we desire Incertis de salute de gloriâ minimè certandum For since they who have seen Jerusalem in prosperity and have forgotten the order of the Morning and Evening Sacrifice and the beauty of the Temple will be tempted to neglect so excellent a ministration their assembling themselves together for peace and holy Offices and be content with any thing that is brought to them though it be but the husks and acorns of Prodigals and Swine so they may enjoy their Lands and their Money with it we must now take care that the young men who were born in the Captivity may be taught how to worship the God of Israel after the manner of their fore-fathers till it shall please God that Religion shall return into the Land and dwell safely and grow prâ—…sperously But never did the excellency of Episcopall Government appeare so demonstratively and conspicuously as now Under their conduct and order we had a Church so united so orderly so govern'd a Religion so setled Articles so true sufficient and confess'd Canons so prudent and so obey'd Devotions so regular and constant Sacraments so adorn'd and ministred Churches so beauteous and religious Circumstances of Religion so grave and prudent so useful and apt for edification that the enemies of our Church who serve the Pope in all things and Jesus Christ in some who dare transgress an Institution and Ordinance of Christ but dare not break a Canon of the Pope did despair of prevailing against Us and Truth and knew no hopes but by setting their faces against us to destroy this Government and then they knew they should triumph without any enemy So Balaam the son of Bosor was sent for to curse the people of the Lord in hope that the son of Zippor might prevail against them that had long prospered under the conduct of Moses and Aaron But now in stead of this excellency of Condition and Constitution of Religion the people are fallen under the harrows and saws of impertinent and ignorant Preachers who think all Religion is a Sermon and all Sermons ought to be libels against Truth and old Governours and expound Chapters that the meaning may never be understood and pray that they may be thought able to talk but not to hold their peace they casting not to obtain any thing but Wealth and Victory Power and Plunder and the people have reap'd the fruits apt to grow upon such Crabstocks they grow idle and false hypccrites and careless they deny themselves nothing that is pleasant they despise Religion forget Government and some never think of Heaven and they that do think to go thither in such paths which all the ages of the Church did give men warning of lest they fhould that way go to the Devil But when men have try'd all that they can it is to be suppos'd they will return to the excellency and advantages of the Christian Religion as it is taught by the Church of England for by destroying it no end can be serv'd but of Sin and Folly Faction and Death eternal For besides that no Church that is enemy to this does worship God in that truth of Propositions in that unblameable and pious Liturgie and in preaching the necessities of holy life so much as the Church of England does besides this I say it cannot be persecuted by any Governour that understands his own interest unless he be first abus'd by false Preachers and then prefers his secret opinion before his publick Advantage For no Church in the World is so great a friend to Loyalty and Obedience as she and her Sisters of the same perswasion They that hate Bishops have destroy'd Monarchy and they that would erect an Ecclesiastical Monarchy must consequently subject the Temporal to it And both one and the other would be Supreme in Consciences and they that govern there with an opinion that in all things they ought to be attended to will let their Prince govern others so long as he will be rul'd by them And certainly for a Prince to persecute the Protestant Religion is as if a Physician should endevour to destroy all Medicaments and Fathers kill their Sons and the Master of Ceremonies destroy all Formalities and Courtships and as if the Pope should root out all the Ecclesiastick State Nothing so combines with Government if it be of Gods appointment as the Religion of the Church of England because nothing does more adhere to the Word of God and disregard the crafty advantages of the world If any man shall not decline to try his Title by the Word of God it is certain there is not in the world a better guard for it then the true Protestant Religion as it is taught in our Church But let things be as it please God it is certain that in that day when Truth gets her Victory in that day we shall prevail against all Gods enemies and ours not in the purchases and perquisites of the world but in the rewards and returns of Holiness and Patience and Faith and Charity for by these we worship God and against this interest we cannot serve any thing else In the mean time we must by all means secure the foundation and take care that Religion may be convey'd in all its material parts the same as it was but by new and permitted instruments For let us secure that our young men be good Christians it is easie to make them good Protestants unless they be abus'd with prejudice and suck venome with their milk they cannot leave our Communion till they have reason to reprove our Doctrine There is therefore in the following pages a Compendium of what we are to Believe what to Do and what to Desire It is indeed very little but it is enough to begin with and will serve all persons so long as they need milk and not strong meat And
graces he hath promised to give us more He hath promised to forgive us our sins to hear our prayers to take the sting of death from us to keep our souls in safe custody after death and in his due time to raise our bodies from the grave and to joyn them to our souls and to give us eternal life and joyes that shall never â—…ease Quest How is Jesus Christ able to do all this for us Ans. When he had suffered death and was buried three dayes God raised him up again and gave him all power in heaven and earth made him Head of the Church Lord of Men and Angels and the Judge of the Quick and Dead Quest By what means doth Jesus Christ our Lord convey all these blessings to us Ans. Jesus Christ had three Offices and in all he was Mediator between God and Man He is our Prophet our Priest and our King Quest What was his Office as he was a Prophet Ans. This Office he finished on earth beginning when he was thirty years old to preach the Gospel of the Kingdome Faith and Repentance Quest When began his Priestly Office and wherein does it consist Ans. It began at his death for he was himself the Priest and the Sacrifice offering himself upon the Altar of the Cross for the sins of all the world Quest Did his Priestly Office theâ—… cease Ans. No he is a Priest for ever that is unto the end of the world and represents the same Sacrifice to God in heaven interceding and praying continually for us in the virtue of that Sacrifice by which he obtains relief of all our necessities Quest What doth Christ in heaven pray for on our behalf Ans. That our sins may be pardoned our infirmities pitied our necessities relieved our persons defended our temptations overcome that we may be reconciled to God and be saved Quest How is Jesus Christ also our King Ans. When he arose from his grave and had for forty dayes together conversed with his Disciples shewing himself alive by many infallible tokens he ascended into heaven and there sits at the right hand of God all things being made subject to him Angels and Men and Devils Heaven and Earth the Elements and all the Creatures and â—…ver all he reigns comforting and â—…efending his Elect subduing the â—…ower of the Devil taking out the â—…ting of death and making all to â—…erve the glory of God and to turn to the good of his Elect. Quest How long must his Kingdome last Ans. Till Christ hath brought all his enemies under his feet that is till the day of Judgement in which day shall be performed the greatest acts of his Kingly power for then he shall quite conquer Death triumph over the Devils throw his enemies into Hell-fire and carry all his Elect to never-ceasing glories and then he shall deliver up the Kingdome to his Father that God may be all in all Quest How is Christ a Mediator in all these Offices Ans. A Mediator signifies one that stands between God and us As Christ is a Prophet so he taught us his Fathers will and tyes us to obedience As he is a Priest he is our Redeemer having paid a price for us even his most precious blood and our Advocate pleading for us and mediating our Pardon and Salvation As he is a King so he is our Lord our Patron and our Judge yet it is the Kingdome of a Mediator that is in order to the world to come but then to determine and end And in all these he hath made a Covenant between God and us of an everlasting interest Quest What is the Covenant which Jesus Christ our Mediator hath made between God and us Ans. That God will write his Laws in our hearts and will pardon us and defend us and raise us up again at the last day and give us an inheritance in his Kingdome Quest To what Conditions hath he bound us on our part Ans. Faith and Repentance Quest When do we enter into this Covenant Ans. In our Baptism and at our ripe years when we understand the secrets of the Kingdome of Christ and undertake willingly what in our names was undertaken for us in our infancy Quest What is the Covenant of Faith which we enter into in Baptism Ans. We promise to believe that Jesus Christ is the Messias or he that was to come into the world That he is the Anointed of the Lord or the Lords Christ That he is the Son of God and the Son of the Virgin Mary That he is God incarnate or God manifested in the flesh That he is the Mediator between God and Man That he died for us upon the Cross and rose again the third day and ascended into heaven and shall be there till the day of Judgement that then he shall be our Judge In the mean time he is the King of the World and Head of the Church Quest What is the Covenant of Repentance Ans. We promise to leave all our sins and with a hearty and sincere endevour to give up our will and affections to Christ and do what he hath commanded according to our power and weakness Quest How if we fail of this Promise through infirmity and commit sins Ans. Still we are within the Covenant of Repentance that is within the promise of pardon and possibility of returning from dead works and mortifying our lusts and though this be done after the manner of men that is in weakness and with some failings yet our endevour must be hearty and constant and diligent and our watchfulness and prayers for pardon must be lasting and persevering Quest What Ministeries hath Christ appointed to help us in this duty Ans. The Ministery of the Word Sacraments which he will accompany with his Grace and his Spirit Quest What is a Sacrament Ans. An outward Ceremony ordained by Christ to be a sign and a means of conveying his grace unto us Quest How many Sacraments are ordained by Christ Ans. Two Baptism and the Supper of our Lord Quest What is Baptism Ans. An outward washing of the body in water in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost in which we are buried with Christ in his death after a Sacramental manner and are made partakers of Christs death and of his Resurrection teaching us That we should rise from the death of sin to the life of righteousness Quest What is the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Ans. A Ceremony of eating bread and drinking Wine being blessed or consecrated by Gods Minister in publick Assemblies in remembrance of Christs death and Passion Quest What benefits are done unto us by this Sacrament Ans. Our souls are nourished by the body and blood of Christ our bodies are sealed to a blessed Resurrection and to Immortality our infirmities are strengthned our graces increased our pardon made more certain and
when we present our selves to God having received Christs body within us we are sure to be accepted and all the good prayers we make to God for our selves others are sure to be heard Quest Who are fit to receive this Sacrament Ans. None but baptized Christians and such as repent of their sins and heartily purpose to lead a good life Quest What other Ministeries hath Christ ordained in his Church to help us and to bring so many great purposes to pass Ans. Jesus Christ hath appointed Ministers and Embassadors of his own to preach his Word to us to pray for us to exhort and to reprove to comfort and instruct to restore and reconcile us if we be overtaken in a fault to visit the sick to separate the vile from the precious to administer the Sacraments and to watch for the good of our souls Quest What are we tied to perform towards them Ans. To pay them honour and maintenance to obey them in all things according to the Gospel and to order our selves so that they may give account of our souls with chearfulness and joy Quest Which are the Commandments and Laws of Jesus Christ Ans. They are many but easie holy but very pleasant to all good â—…indes to such as desire to live well 〈◊〉 this world and in the world to â—…ome and they are set down in â—…he Sermons of our blessed Lord â—…nd of his Apostles but especially â—…n the 5. 6. 7. Chapters of S. Matâ—…hew AN EXPOSITION OF The Apostles CREED I believe in God I Believe that there is a God who is one true supreme and alone infinitely wise just good free eternal immense and blessed and in him alone we are to put our trust The Father Almighty I believe that he is 1. The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and 2. of all that believe in him whom he hath begotten by his Word and adopted to the inheritance of Sons and because he is our Father he will do us all that good to which we are created and designed by grace and because he is Almighty he is able to perform it all and therefore we may safely believe in him and relie upon him Maker of Heaven and Earth He made the Sun and the Moon the Stars and all the regions of glory he made the Air the Earth and the Water and all that live in them he made Angels and Men and he who made them does and he onely can preserve them in the same beeing and thrust them forwards to a better he that preserves them does also govern them and intends they should minister to his glory and therefore we are to do worship and obedience to him in all that we can and that he hath commanded And in Jesus Christ I also believe in Jesus Christ who is and is called a Saviour and the Anointed Anointed of the Lord promised to the Patriarchs whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power to become the Great Propheâ—… and declarer of his Fathers Will to all the world telling us how God will be worshipped and served he is anointed to be the Mediator of the New Covenant and our High-Priest reconciling us to his Father by the Sacrifice of himself and to be the Great King of all the world and by this Article we are Christians who serve and worship God the Father through Jesus Christ His onely Son Jesus Christ is the Son of God he alone of him alone for God by his holy Spirit caused him to be born of a Virgin by his power he â—…ised him from the Dead and gave â—…im a new birth or beeing in the boâ—…y he gave him all power and all â—…xcellency and beyond all this he 〈◊〉 the express Image of his person â—…he brightness of his glory equal to God beloved before the beginning of â—…he world of a nature perfectly Diâ—…ine very God by essence and very Man by assumption as God all one â—…n nature with the Father and as Man one Person in Himself Our Lord Jesus Christ Gods onely Son is the Heir of all things and persons in his Fathers house All Angels and Men are his servants and all the Creatures obey him we are to believe in him and by Faith in him onely and in his Name we shall be saved Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost I believe that Jesus Christ was not begotten of a Man nor born by natural means but that a Divine Power from God Gods Holy Spirit did overshadow the Virgin-Mother of Christ and made her in a wonderful manner to conceive Jesus in her womb and by this his admirable manner of being conceived he was the Son of God alone and no man was his Father Born of the Virgin Mary Though God was his Father and he begat him by the power of the Holy Ghost and caused him miraculously to begin in the womb of his Mother yet from her he also derived his humane Nature and by his Mother he was of the Family of King David and called the Son of Man his Mother being a holy person not chosen to this great honour for her wealth or beauty but by the good will of God and because she was of a rare exemplar modesty and humility and she received the honour of being a Mother to the Son of God and ever a Virgin and all generations shall call her blessed Suffered under Pontius Pilate After that Jesus passed through â—…he state of Infancy and Childhood â—…eing subject to his Parents and working in an humble Trade to serve â—…is own and his Mothers needs he â—…rew to the state of a man he began to preach at the age of Thirty years and having for about three years and a half preached the â—…pel and taught us his Fathers will having spoken the Gospel of his Kingdome and revealed to us the secrets of Eternal life and Resurrection of the Dead Regeneration and Renewing by the Holy Spirit Perfect Remission of sins and Eternal Judgement at last that he might â—…cile the world to his Father he became a Sacrifice for all our sins and suffered himself to be taken by the malicious Jews and put to a painful and shameful death they being envious at him for the number of his Disciples and the reputation of his person the innocence of his life the mightiness of his Miracles and the power of his Doctrine and this death he suffered when Pontius Pilate was Governour of Judea Was Crucified Jesus Christ being taken by the Rulers of the Jews bound and derided buffeted and spit upon accused weakly and persecuted violently at last wanting matter and pretences to condemn him they asked him of his Person and Office and because he affirmed that great Truth which all the world of good men long'd for that he was the Messias and designed to sit at the right hand of the Majesty on high they resolved to call it Blasphemy
as often as it is convenient or can be had let the publick Prayers of the Church or some parts of them be said publickly in the family and let as many be present as you can The same rule is also to be observed for Sundays and Holy-dayes for their going to Church Let no Servant be alwayes detained but relieved and provided for by changes 19. Let your meal be temperate and wholesome according to your quality and the season begun and ended with Prayer and be sure that in the course of â—…our meal and before you rise you reollect your self and send your heart up â—…o God with some holy and short ejaculaâ—…ion remembring your duty fearing to â—…ffend or desiring and sighing after the â—…ternal Supper of the Lamb 20. After meal use what innocent reâ—…reshment you please to refresh your minde or body with these measures 1. Let it not be too expensive of time 2. Let it not hinder your devotion nor your business 3. Let it be alwayes without violence or passion 4. Let it not then wholly take you up when you are at it but let your heart retire with some holy thoughts and sober recollections left your minde be seised upon by it and your affections carried off from better things secure your affections for God and sober and severe imployment Here you may be refreshed but take heed you neither dwell here nor sin here It is better never to use recreation then at any time to sin by it But you may use recreation and avoid sin and that 's the best temper But if you cannot do both be more careful of your soul then of your refreshment and that 's the best security But then in what you use to sin carefully avoid it and change your refreshment for some other instance in which you can be more innocent 21. Entertain no long discourses with any but if you can bring in something to season it with Religion as God must be in all your thoughts so if it be possible let him be in all your discourses at least let him be at one end of it and when you cannot speak of him be sure you forget not to think of him 22. Toward the declining of the day be sure to retire to your private devotions Reade meditate and pray In which I propound to you this method On the Lords day meditate of the glories of the Creation the works of God and all his benefits to Mankinde and to you in particular Then let your devotion be humbly upon your knees to say over the 8th and 19th Psalms and sometimes the 104th with proper Collects which you shall finde or get Adding the form of thanksgiving which is in the Rule of Holy Living pag. 378. in the manner as is there â—…ected or some other of your own â—…oofing Mediate on Munday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday on 1. Death 2. Judgement 3. Heaven 4. Hell â—…aying your usuall Prayers and adding â—…me ejaculations or short sayings of your â—…wn according to the matter of your deâ—…otion On Friday recollect your sins that you â—…ave done that week and all your life â—…ime and let your devotion be to recite â—…umbly and devoutly some penitentiall â—…etanies whereof you may serve your â—…elf in the Rule of Holy Living page â—…73 On Saturday at the same time meditate on the passion of our blessed Saviour and 〈◊〉 the mysteries of our Redemption which you may do and pray together by â—…using the forms made to that purpose in the Rule of Holy Living page 391. In all your devotions begin and end with the Lords Prayer Upon these two dayes and Sunday you may choose some portions out of the Life of Christ to reade and help your meditation proper to the mysteries you are appointed to meditate or any other devoâ—… books 23. Reade not much at a time bâ—… meditate as much as your time and capacity and disposition will give you leave ever remembring that little reading anâ—… much thinking little speaking and mucâ—… hearing frequent and short prayers anâ—… great devotion is the best way to be wise to be holy to be devout 24. Before you go to bed bethinâ—… your self of the day past if nothing eâ—…traordinary hath hapned your Conscience is the sooner examined but if you have had any difference or disagreeing with any one or a great feast or great company or a great joy or a great sorrow then recollect your self with the more diligenceâ—… ask pardon for what is amiss give Goâ—… thanks for what was good if you have omitted any duty make amends next dayâ—… and yet if nothing be found that wâ—… amiss be humbled still and thankful anâ—… pray God for pardon if any thing be amiss that you know not of If all these things be in your offices for your last prayers be sure to apply them according to what you finde in your examination but if they be not supply them with short 〈◊〉 before you begin your last â—…ayers or at the end of them Rememâ—…r also and be sure to take notice of all â—…e mercies and deliverances of your self â—…d your relatives that day 25. As you are going to bed as often 〈◊〉 you can conveniently or that you are â—…ot hindred by company meditate of â—…eath and the preparations to your grave â—…hen you lie down close your eyes with short Prayer commit your self into the â—…ands of your faithful Creator and when â—…ou have done trust him with your self â—…s you must do when you are dying 26. If you awake in the night fill up â—…he intervals or spaces of your not sleepâ—…ng by holy thoughts and aspirations and â—…emember the sins of your youth and sometimes remember your dead and that you shall die and pray to God to send to you and all mankinde a mercy in the day of Judgement 27. Upon the Holy-days observe the same Rules onely let the matter of your meditations be according to the mystery of the day As upon Christmas day meditate on the birth of our blessed Saviour and reade that story and Considerations which are in the Life of Christ and to your ordinary devotions of every day adde the Prayer which is fitted to the mystery which you shall finde in the Life of Christ or in the Rule of holy Living Upon the day of the Annunciation or ouâ—…Lady-day meditate on the incarnation of our blessed Saviour and so upon all the Festivals of the year 28. Set apart one day for fasting once a week or once a fortnight or once a moneth at least but let it be with these cautions and measures 1. Do not choose a festivall of the Church for your fasting day 2. Eat nothing till your afternoon devotions be done if the health of your body will permit it if not take something though it be the less 3. When you eat your meal let it be no more then ordinary lest your fasting day end in an intemperate evening 4. Let the actions of all the day be proportionable to it abstain from
breach of our promises to â—…en and the breach of all our holy vows â—…ade to thee our God Lord have mercy c. Remember not O Lord how often we â—…ave omitted the several parts and actions â—…f our duty for our sins of Omission â—…re infinite and we have not sought after â—…he righteousness of God but have rested 〈◊〉 carelesness and forgetfulness in a false â—…eace and a silent Conscience Lord have mercy c. O most gracious Lord enter not into â—…udgement with thy servants lest we be â—…onsumed in thy wrath and just displeaâ—…ure from which Good Lord deliver us and preserve thy servants for ever 11. For deliverance from evils FRom gross ignorance and stupid negligence from a wandring head and a trifling spirit from the violence and rule of passion from a servile will and a commanding lust from all intemperance inordination and irregularity whatsoever Good Lord deliver and preserve thy servants for ever From a covetous minde and greedy desires from lustful thoughts and a wanton eye from rebellious members and the pride and vanity of spirit from false opinions and ignorant confidences Good Lord deliver c. From improvidence and prodigality from envy and the spirit of ssander from idleness and sensuality from presumption and despair from sinful action and all vicious habits Good Lord deliver c. From fierceness of rage and hastiness â—…f spirit from clamorous and reproachful â—…nguage from peevish anger and inhuâ—…ane malice from the spirit of contenâ—…on and hasty and indiscreet zeal Good Lord deliver c. From a schismatical and heretical spirit â—…om tyranny and tumults from sedition â—…nd factions from envying the grace of God in our Brotber from impenitence and â—…ardness of heart from obstinacy and apoâ—…asie from delighting in sin and hating God and good men Good Lord deliver c. From fornication and adultery from annatural desires and unnatural hatreds from gluttony drunkenness from loving and believing lies and taking pleasure in the remembrances of evil things from deâ—…ighting in our Neighbours misery and â—…rocuring it from upbraiding others and â—…ating reproof of our selves Good Lord deliver c. From impudence and shame from contempt and scorn from oppression and cruelty from a pitiless and unrelenting spirit from a churlish behaviour and undecent usages of our selves or others Good Lord deliver c. From famine and pestilence from noisome and infectious diseases from sharp and intolerable pains from impatience and tediousness of spirit from a state of temptation and hardned spirits Good Lord deliver c. From banishments and prison from widowhood and want from violence of pains and passions from tempests and earthquakes from the rage of fire and water from Rebellion and Treason from fretfulness and inordinate cares from murmuring against God and disobedience to the divine Commandment Good Lord deliver c. From delaying our repentance and persevering in sin from false principles and prejudices from unthankfulness and irreligion from seducing others and being â—…bused our selves from the malice and â—…raftiness of the Devil and the deceit and â—…yings of the World Good Lord deliver c. From wounds and Murther from preâ—…cipices and falls from fracture of bones and dislocation of joynts from dismembring our bodies and all infatuation of â—…our souls from folly and madness from uncertainty of minde and state and from a certainty of sinning Good Lord deliver c. From thunder and lightning from phantasms spectres and illusions of the night from sudden and great Changes from the snares of wealth and the contempt of beggery and extreme poverty from being made an example and a warning to others by suffering sad judgements our selves Good Lord deliver c. From condemning others and justifying our selves from mispending our time and abusing thy grace from calling good evil and evil good from consenting tofolly and tempting others Good Lord deliver c. From excess in speaking and peevish silence from looser laughing and immoderate weeping from giving evil example to others or following any our selves from giving or receiving scandal from the horrible sentence of endless death and damnation Good Lord deliver c. From cursing and swearing from uncharitable chiding and easiness to believe evil from the evil spirit that walketh at noon and the arrow that flieth in darkness from the Angel of wrath and perishing in popular diseases Good Lord deliver c. From the want of a Spiritual Guide from a famine of the Word and Sacraments from hurtful persecution and from taking part with persecutors Good Lord deliver c. From drowning or being burnt alive from sleepless nights and contentious dayes from a melancholy and a confused spirit from violent fears and the loss of reason from a vicious life and a sudden and unprovided death Good Lord deliver c. From relying upon vain fancies and false foundations from an evil and an amazed Conscience from sinning near the end of our life and from despairing in the day of our death Good Lord deliver c. From hypocrisie and wilfulness from self-love and vain ambition from curiosity and carelesness from being tempted in the dayes of our weakness from the prevailing of the flesh and grieving the Spirit from all thy wrath and from all our sins Good Lord deliver c. III. For Gifts and Graces HEar our Prayer O Lord and consider our desire hearken unto us for thy truth and righteousness sake O hide not thy face from us neither cast away thy servants in displeasure Give unto us the spirit of Prayer frequent and fervent holy and persevering an unreprovable Faith a just and a humble Hope and a never-failing Charity Hear our prayers O Lord and consider our desire Give unto us true humility a meek and a quiet spirit a loving and a friendly a holy and a useful conversation bearing the burthens of our Neighbours denying our selves and studying to benefit others and to please thee in all things Hear our prayers c. Give us a prudent and a sober a just â—…nd a sincere a temperate and a religious â—…pirit a great contempt of the world a â—…ove of holy things and a longing after â—…eaven and the instruments and paths that â—…ead thither Hear our prayers c. Grant us to be thankful to our Benefaâ—…ctors righteous in performing promises â—…oving to our relatives careful of our â—…harges to be gentle and easie to be inâ—…reated slow to anger and fully instructed and readily prepared for every good work Hear our prayers c. Give us a peaceable spirit and a peaceable free from debt and deadly sin grace to abstain from all appearances of evil and to do nothing but what is of good report to confess Christ and his holy Religion by a holy and obedient life and a minde ready to die for him when he shall call us and assist us Hear our prayers c. Give to thy servants a watchful and an observing spirit diligent in doing our duty inflexible to evil obedient to thy word
he that hath given the following Assistances to thee desires to be even a door-keeper in Gods House and to be a servant of the meanest of Gods servants and thinks it a worthy imployment to teach the most ignorant and make them to know Christâ—… though but in the first rudiments of a holy Institution This onely he affirms That there is more solid comfort and material support to a Christian spirit in one Article of Faith in one period of the Lords Prayer in one holy Lesson then in all the disputes of impertinent people who take more pains to prove there is a Purgatory then to perswade men to avoid Hell And that a plain Catechism can more instruct a soul then the whole dayes prate which some daily spit forth to bid men get Christ and persecute his Servants Christian Religion is admirable for its wisdome for its simplicity and he that presents the following papers to thee designs to teach thee as the Church was taught in the early dayes of the Apostles To believe the Christian Faith and to understand it to represent plain Rules of Good Life to describe easie Formes of Prayer to bring into your Assemblies Hymnes of Glorification and Thanksgiving and Psalms of Prayer By these easie paths they lead Christs little ones into the Fold of their great Bishop and if by this any service be done to God any ministery to the Soul of a Childe or an ignorant Woman it is hoped that God will accept it and it is reward enough if by my Ministery GOD will bring it to passe that any Soul shall be instructed and brought into that state of good things that it shall rejoyce for ever But do thou pray for him that desires this to thee and endevours it ERRATA Page 87. 1.2 for me r. us ibid. f. me r. us ibid. 1.3 f. me r. us ib. 1.5 f. me r. us ibid. f. me r. us ibid 1.6 f. my r. our CREDENDA OR What is to be Believed O {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Plato de legibus Let this Truth be confessed and remain for ever That they who are well instructed easily become good men A. SHORT CATECHISM FOR The institution of young persons IN THE Christian Religion QUESTION IN what does true Religion consist ANSWER In the knowledge of the one true â—…od and whom he hath sent Jesus â—…hrist and in the worshipping and â—…rving them Quest What dost thou believe conâ—…rning God Answ. That there is a God 〈◊〉 That he is one 3. Eternal 4. Alâ—…ighty 5. That he hath made all â—…he world 6. That he knows all things 7. That he is a Spirit not of any shape or figure or parts or body 8. That he is present is all places 9. That his seat is in Heaven and he governs all the world so that nothing happens without his order and leave 10. That he is the Fountain of Justice 11. of Mercy 12. of Bounty or Goodness 13. That he is unalterably happy and infinitely perfect 14. That no evil can come near him 15. And he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Quest What other Mystery is revealed concerning God Ans. That God being one in nature is also three in Person expressed in Scripture by the names of Father Son and Holy Spirit The first Person being known to us by the name of The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ The second Person is called The Son and the Word of the Father The third is The Spirit and Promise of the Father and these are Three and One after a secret manner which we must believe but cannot understand Quest What is this God to us Ans. He is our Creator and Father and therefore he is our Lord and we are his Creatures his Sons and his Servants Quest Wherefore did God create and make us Ans. That we might do him honour and service and receive from him infinite felicities Quest How did God make man Ans. By the power of his Word out of the slime of the earth and he breathed into him the breath of life Quest Was man good or bad when God made him Ans. Man was made pure and innocent Quest How then did man become sinful and miserable Ans. By listening to the whispers of a tempting spirit and breaking an easie Commandment which God gave him as the first tryal of his obedience Quest What evils and change followed this sin Ans. Adam who was the first man and the first sinner did both for himself and his posterity fall into the state of death of sickness and misfortunes disorder both of body and soul we were thrown out of Paradise and lost our Immortality Quest Was man left in these evill without remedy Ans. No But God pitying his creature promised That of the seed of the woman he would raise up a Saviour and Redeemer who should restore us to Gods favour and to the felicity which we lost Quest How did God perform the promise Ans. By sending Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature to dye for our sins to become our Lord and the Author of holiness and life and salvation to mankinde Quest Who is Jesus Christ Ans. He is the Son of God the second Person of the holy Trinity equal with the Father true God without beginning of life or end of days Quest How then could he be our Redeemer and the promised seed of the woman Ans. The Son of God in the fulness of time by the miracles of his Mercy took upon him humane Nature and united it after a wonderful manner to his Godhead so that he was both God and Man He was born of a Virgin who conceived him not by any natural means but by the power of the Holy Ghost and was called Jesus Christ and his Mothers name was Mary of the seed of Abraham of the family of King David and all these things came to passe when Augustus Caesar was Lord of the Roman Empire Quest How did Jesus Christ work this promised Redemption for us Ans. By his holy and humble life and his obedient dying a painful death for us upon the Cross Quest What benefits do we receive by the life and death of Jesus Christ Ans. We are instructed by his Doctrine encouraged by his excellent Example we are reconciled to God by his Death He hath given us an excellent Law and glorious Promises and himself hath received power to make good all those Promises to his servants and fearfully to destroy them that will not have him to reign over them Quest What Promises hath Jesus Christ made us in the Gospel Ans. He hath promised to give us all that we need in this life That every thing shall work together for our good That he will be with us in tribulation and persecution He hath promised his Graces and his holy Spirit to enable us to do our duty and if we make use of these
and delivered him over to Pilate and by importunity and threats forced him against his Conscience to give him up to be scourged and then to be Crucified The Souldiers therefore mocking him with a robe and a reed and pressing a Crown of Thorns upon his head led him to the place of his death compelling him to bear his Cross to which they presently â—…il'd him on which for three â—…urs he hang'd in extreme torture â—…ing a sad spectacle of the most afâ—…cted and the most innocent pern of the whole world Dead When the Holy Jesus was weariâ—… with tortures and he knew all â—…ings were now fulfilled and his â—…thers wrath appeased towards â—…ankinde His Father pitying his â—…nocent Son groaning under such â—…tolerable miseries hastened his â—…ath and Jesus commending his â—…irit into the hands of his Father â—…ied with a loud voice bowed his â—…ad and died and by his death â—…aled all the Doctrines and Revelaâ—…ons which he first taught the â—…orld and then confirmed by his â—…ood he was consecrated our merâ—…ful High-Priest and by a feeling â—…f our miseries and temptations beâ—…me able to help them that are temptâ—… and for these his sufferings was â—…alted to the highest Throne and â—…eat of the right hand of God â—…nd hath shewn that to heaven there is no surer way then suffering for his name and hath taught us willingly to suffer for his sake what himself hath already suffered for ours He reconciled us to God by his death led us to God drew us to himself redeemed us from all iniquity purchased us for his Father and for ever made us his servants and redeemed ones that we being dead unto sin might live unto God And this death being so highly beneficial to us he hath appointed means to apply to us and to represent to God for us in the Holy Sacrament of his last Supper And upon all these considerations that Cross which was a smart and shame to our Lord is honour to us and as it turned to his glory so also to our spiritual advantages And Buried That he might suffer every thing of humane nature he was by the care of his friends and disciples by the leave of Pilate taken from the Cross and embalmed as the manner of the Jews was to bury and wrapt in linnen and buried in a â—…ew grave hewn out of a Rock â—…nd this was the last and lowest step of his humiliation He descended into Hell That is He went down into the â—…ower parts of the earth or as himself called it into the heart of the â—…arth by which phrase the â—…ture understands the state of sepaâ—…ation or of souls severed from their â—…odies by this his descending to the land of darkness where all things â—…re forgotten he sanctified the state of death and separation that none of his servants might ever after fear the jawes of Death and Hell whither he went not to suffer torment because he finished all that upon the Cross but to triumph over the gates of hell to verifie his death and the event of his sufferings and to break the iron barres of those lower Prisons that they may open and shut hereafter onely at his command The third day he rose again from the Dead After our Lord Jesus had abode in the grave the remaining part of the day of his Passion and all the next day early in the morning upon the third day by the power of God he was raised from death and hell to light and life never to return to death any more and is become the first-born from the dead the first-fruits of them that slept and although he was put to death in the flesh yet now being quickned in the Spirit he lives for ever and as we all die in Adam so in Christ we all shall be made alive but every man in his own order Christ is the first and we if we follow him in the Regeneration shall also follow him in the Resurrection He ascended into Heaven When our dearest Lord was risen from the grave he conversed with his disciples for forty days together often shewing himself alive by infallible proofs and once to five hundred of his disciples at one appearing having spoken to them fully concerning the affairs of the Kingdome and the Promise of the Father leaving them some few things in charge for the present he solemnly gave them his blessing and in the prefence of his Apostles was taken up into heaven by a bright Cloud and the ministery of Angels being gone before us to prepare a place for us above all heavens in the presence of his Father and at the foot of the Throne of God from which glorious presence we cannot be kept by the change of death and the powers of the grave nor the depth of hell nor the height of heaven but Christ being lifted up shall draw all his servants unto him And sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty I believe that Jesus Christ sitteth in Heaven above all Principalities and powers being exalted above every Name that is named in heaven and earth that is above every creature above and below all things being put under his feet he is alwayes in the presence of his Father interceding for us and governs all things in heaven and earth that he may defend his Church and adorn her with his Spirit and procure and effect her eternal salvation There he sits and reigns as King and intercedes as our High-Priest He is a minister of the Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which God made and not man the Author anâ—… Finisher of our Faith the captain of our Confession the great Apostle of our Religion the great Bishop of our souls the Head of the Church and the Lord of heaven and earth and therefore to him we are to pay Divine Worship Service and Obedience and we must believe in him and in God by him and relie entirely on the mercies of God through Jesus Christ From thence he shall come In the Clouds shining and adorned with the glory of his Father attended by millions of bright Angels with the voyce of an Archangel and a shout of all the heavenly Army the Trump of God and every eye shall see him and they that pierced his hands and his feet shall behold his Majesty his Terror and his Glory and all the families of the earth shall tremble at his presence and the powers of heaven shall be shaken and the whole earth and sea shall be broken in pieces and and confusion for then he shall come to put an end to this world and To judge the Quick and Dead For the Father judgeth no man but hath given all judgement to the Son and at this day of Judgement the Lord Jesus shall sit in the Aire in a glorious
all our faculties and grant that as they there so all the world here may serve thee with peace and concord purity and love unfeigned with one heart and one voice glorifying thee our heavenly Father Grant that we may quit all our own affections and suspect our reasonings and go out of our selves and all our own confidences that thou being to us all things disposing all events and guiding all our actions and directing our intentions and over-ruling all things in us and about us we may be Servants of the Divine Will for ever Give us this day our daily Bread Thou O God which takest care of our Souls do not despise our bodies which thou hast made and sanctified and designed to be glorious But now we are exposed to hunger and thirst nakedness and weariness want and inconvenience Give unto us neither poverty nor riches but feed us with food convenient for us and clothe us with fitting provisions according to that state and condition where thou hast placed thy Servants that we may not be tempted with want nor made contemptible by beggery nor wanton or proud by riches nor in love with any thing in this world but that we may use it as strangers and pilgrims as the relief of our needs the support of our infirmities and the oyle of our lamps feeding us till we are quite spent in thy service Lord take from thy Servants sad carefulness and all distrust and give us onely such a proportion of temporal things as may enable us with comfort to do our duty Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us O dear God unless thou art pleased to pardon us in vain it is that we should live here and what good will our life do us O look upon us with much mercy for we have sinned grievously against thee Pardon the adherent imperfections of our life the weaknesses of our duty the carelesness of our spirit our affected ignoâ—…nce our indiligence our rashness and â—…ant of observation our malice and Preâ—…mptions Turn thine eyes from our imâ—…urities and behold the brightness and â—…urest innocence of the Holy Jesus and â—…nder his cover we plead our cause not â—…hat thou shouldest judge our sins but â—…ive us pardon and blot out all our iniâ—…uities that we may never enter into the â—…orrible regions where there are torments without ceasing a Prison without ransome â—…eproaches without comfort anguish without patience darkness without light 〈◊〉 worm that never dies and the fire that â—…ever goeth out But be pleased also to give us great Chaâ—…ity that we may truly forgive all that â—…rouble or injure us that by that Charaâ—…ter thou mayest discern us to be thy â—…ons and Servants Disciples of the Holy â—…esus lest our Prayer be turned into sin â—…nd thy grace be recalled and thou enter â—…nto a final anger against thy Servants Lead us not into Temptation Gracious Father we are weak and ignorant our affections betray us and make us willing to die our adversary the Devil goeth up and down seeking whom he may devour he is busie and crafty malicious and powerful watchful and envious and we tempt our selves running out to mischief delighting in the approaches of sin and love to have necessities put upon us that sin may be unavoidable Pity us in the midst of these disorders and give us spirituall Strength holy Resolutions a watchful Spirit the whole Armour of God and thy protection the guard of Angels and the conduct of thy holy Spirit to be our security in the day of danger Give us thy grace to flie from all occasions to sin that we may never tempt our selves nor delight to be tempted and let thy blessed Providence so order the accidents of our lives that we may not dwell near an enemy and when thou shalt try us and suffer us to enter into combat let us alwayes be on thy side and fight valiantly resist the Devil and endure patiently and persevere constantly unto the end that thou mayest crown thy own work in us But deliver us from evil From sin and shame from the malice and fraud of the Devil and from the falseness and greediness of men from all â—…hy wrath and from all our impurities â—…ood Lord deliver thy servants Do not reserve any thing of thy wrath 〈◊〉 store for us but let our sins be Parâ—…oned so fully that thou mayest not puâ—…ist our inventions And yet if thou â—…ilt not be intreated but that it be neâ—…essary that we suffer thy will be done â—…mite us here with a Fathers rod that â—…hou mayest spare us hereafter let the â—…ad accidents of our life be for good to â—…s not for evil for our amendment not â—…o exasperate or weary us not to harden â—…r confound us and what evil soever it â—…e that shall happen let us not sin against â—…hee For ever deliver us from that evil â—…nd for ever deliver us from the power of â—…he evil one the great enemy of Manâ—…inde and never let our portion be in â—…hat region of Darkness in that everâ—…asting burning which thou hast prepared â—…or the Devil and his Angels for ever For thine is the Kingdome the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen So shall we thy servants advance the Mightiness of thy Kingdome the Power of thy Majesty and the Glory of thy Mercy from generation to generation for ever Amen LETANIES FOR All Things and Persons O God the Father of Mercies the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ have â—…ercy upon thy servants and hear the â—…rayers of us miserable sinners O blessed Jesus the Fountain of Peace â—…nd Pardon our Wisdome and our Righâ—…ousness our Sanctification and Redemâ—…tion have mercy upon thy servants reâ—…se not to hear the prayers of us miseraâ—…e sorrowful and returning sinners O holy and divinest Spirit of the Faâ—…er help our infirmities for of our selves â—…e know not what to ask nor how to â—…ray but do thou assist and be preâ—…nt in the desires of us miserable sinâ—…ers 1. For Pardon of Sins REmember not Lord the follies of our childehood nor the lusts of our youth the wildness of our head nor the wandrings of our heart the infinite sins of our tongue and the inexcusable errors of the dayes of vanity Lord have mercy upon us poor miserable sinners Remember not O Lord the growing iniquities of our elder age the pride of our spirit the abuse of our members the greediness of our appetite the inconstancy of our purposes the peevishness and violence of all our pafsions and affections Lord have mercy c. Remember not O Lord how we have been full of envy and malice anger anâ—… revenge fierce and earnest in the purchases and vanities of the world and lazy anâ—… dull slow and soon weary in the things of God and of Religion Lord have mercy c. Remember not O Lord our uncharitaâ—…le behaviour towards those with whom â—…e have conversed our jealousies and suâ—…icions our evil surmisings and evil reâ—…ortings the
inquisitive after thy will pure and holy thoughts strong and religious purposes and thy grace to perform faithfully what we have promised in the day of our duty or in the day of our calamity Hear our prayers c. O teach us to despise all vanity to fight the battles of the Lord manfully against the Flesh the World and the Devil to spend our time religiously and usefully to speak gracious words to walk alwayes as in thy presence to preserve our souls and bodies in holiness fit for the habitation of the holy Spirit of God Hear our prayers c. Give us a holy and a perfect repentance a well instructed understanding regular affections a constant and a wise heart a good name a fear of thy Majesty and a love of all thy glories above all the things in the world for ever Hear our prayers c. Give us a healthful body and a clear â—…nderstanding the love of our neighbors â—…nd the peace of the Church the publick â—…fe and comfort of thy holy Word and â—…acraments a great love to all Christians â—…nd obedience to our Superiors Eccleâ—…astical and Civil all the dayes of our â—…ife Hear our prayers c. Give us spiritual wisdome that we may â—…iscern what is pleasing to thee and folâ—…ow what belongs unto our peace and let the knowledge and love of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord be our guide and our portion all our dayes Hear our prayers c. Give unto us holy dispositions and an active industry in thy service to redeem the time mispent in vanity for thy pity sake take not vengeance of us for our sins but sanctifie our souls and bodies in this life and glorifie them hereafter Hear our prayers c. Our Father c. IV. To be added to the former Letanies according as our Devotions and time will suffer For all states of men and women especially in the Christian Church OBlessed God in mercy remember thine inheritance and forget not the congregation of the poor for ever pity poor mankinde whose portion is misery and folly shame and death But thou art our Redeemer and the lifter up of our head and under the shadow of thy wings shall be our help untill this Tyranny be overpast Have mercy upon us O God and hide not thy self from our petition Preserve O God the Catholick Church in holiness and truth in unity and peace free from persecution or glorious under it that she may for ever advance the honour our of her Lord Jesus for ever represent is Sacrifice and glorifie his Person and â—…dvance his Religion and be accepted of â—…hee in her blessed Lord that being filled with his Spirit she may partake of his â—…lory Have mercy upon us c. Give the spirit of Government and hoâ—…iness to all Christian Kings Princes and Governours grant that their people may obey them and they may obey thee and â—…ive in honesty and peace justice and holy Religion being Nursing Fathers to the Church Advocates for the oppressed Paâ—…rons for the widows and a Sanctuary for the miserable and the fatherless that they may reign with thee for ever in the Kingdome of the Lord Jesus Have mercy upon us c. Give to thy servants the Bishops and all the Clergy the spirit of holiness and courage of patience and humility of prudence and diligence to preach and declare thy will by a holy life and wise discourses that they may minister to the good of souls and finde a glorious reward in the day of the Lord Jesus Have mercy upon us c. Give to our Relatives our Wives and Children our Friends and Benefactors our Charges our Family c. pardon and support comfort in all their sorrows strength in all their temptations the guard of Angels to preserve them from evil and the conduct of thy holy Spirit to lead them into all good that they doing their duty may feel thy mercies here and partake of thy glories hereafter Have mercy upon us c. Give to all Christian Kingdomes and Common-wealths peace and plenty health and holy Religion to all families of Religion and Nurseries of piety zeal and holiness prudence and unity peace and contentedness To all Schools of Learning quietness and industry freedome from wars and violence factions and envy Have mercy upon us c. Give to all married pairs faith and love charitable and wise compliances sweetness of society and innocence of conversation To all Virgins and Widows great love of Religion a sober and a contented spirit an unwearied attendance to devotion and â—…he offices of holiness protection to the fatherless comfort to the disconsolate paâ—…tience and submission health and spiritual advantages to the sick that they may feel thy comforts for the dayes wherein they have suffered adversity Have mercy upon us c. Be thou a star and a guide to them that travel by land or sea the confidence and comfort of them that are in storms and shipwracks the strength of them that toil in the Mynes and row in the Gallies an instructer to the ignorant to them that are condemn'd to die be thou a guide unto death give chearfulness to every sad heart spiritual strength and proportionable comfort to them that are afflicted by evil spirits pity the â—…unaticks give life and salvation to all to whom thou hast given no understanding accept the stupid and the fools to mercy give liberty to prisoners redemption to captives maintenance to the poor patronage and defence to the oppressed and put a period to the iniquity and to the miseries of all mankinde Have mercy upon us c. Give unto our enemies grace and pardon charity to us and love to thee take away all anger from them and all mistakes from us all misinterpretations and jealousies bring all sinners to repentance and holiness and to all thy Saints and Servants give an increasing love and a persevering duty bring all Turks Jews and Infidels to the knowledge and confession of the Lord Jesus and a participation of all the Promises of the Gospel all the benefits of his Passion to all Hereticks give humility and ingenuity repentance of their errors and grace and power to make amends to the Church and Truth and a publick acknowledgement of a holy faith to the glory of the Lord Jesus Have mercy upon us c. Give to all Merchants faithfulness and truth to the labouring husbandman health and fair seasons of the year and reward his toil with the dew of heaven and the blessings of the earth To all Artizans give diligence in their Callings and a blessing on their labours and on their families To old men piety and perfect repentance a liberal heart and an open hand great religion and desires after heaven To young men give sobriety and chastity health and usefulness an early â—…iety and a persevering duty To all families visited with the rod of God give consclation and a holy use of the affliction and a speedy deliverance To us
dearest union of love and holiness and mine to him in all sweetness and charity and compliance Keep from me all morosity and ungentleness all sullenness and harshness of disposition all pride and vanity all discontentedness and unreasonableness of passion and humour and make me humble and obedient charitable and loving patient and contented useful and observant that we may delight in each other according to thy blessed Word and Ordinance and both of us may rejoyce in thee having our portion in the love and service of God for ever and ever IV. OBlessed Father never suffer any mistakes or discontent any distrustfulness or sorrow any trifling arrests of fancy or unhandsome accident to cause any unkindness between us but let us so dearly love so affectionately observe so religiously attend to each others good and content that we may alwayes please thee and by this learn and practise our duty and greatest love to thee and become mutual helps to each other in the way of godliness that when we have received the blessings of a married life the comforts of society the endearments of a holy and great affection and the dowry of blessed children we may for ever dwell together in the embraces of thy love and glories feasting in the Marriage-supper of the Lamb to eternal ages through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Amen A Prayer for a holy and happy Death Oeternal and holy Jesus who by death hast overcome death and by thy Passion hast taken out its sting and made it to become one of the gates of heaven and an entrance to felicity have mercy upon me now and at the hour of my death let thy grace accompany me all the dayes of my life that I may by a holy conversation and an habitual performance of my duty wait for the coming of our Lord and be ready to enter with thee at whatsoever hour thou shalt come Lord let not my death be in any sense unprovided nor untimely nor hasty but after the manner of men having in it nothing extraordinary but an extraordinary piety and the manifestation of a great and miraculous mercy Let my senses and my understanding be preserved intire till the last of my dayes and grant that I may die the death of the righteous free from debt and deadly sin having first discharged all my obligations of Justice leaving none miserable and unprovided in my departure but be thou the portion of all my friends and relatives and let thy blessing descend upon their heads and abide there till they shall meet me in the bosome of our Lord Preserve me ever in the communion and peace of the Church and bless my Death-bed with the opportunity of a holy and a spiritual Guide with the assistance and guard of Angels with the reception of the holy Sacrament with patience and dereliction of my own desires with a strong faith and a firm and humbled hope with just measures of repentance and great treasures of charity to thee my God and to all the world that my soul in the arms of the holy Jesus may be deposited with safety and joy there to expect the revelation of thy day and then to partake the glories of thy Kingdome O eternal and holy Jesus Amen FESTIVAL HYMNES I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the understanding also HYMNS Celebrating the Mysteries and chief Festivals of the Year according to the manner of the Ancient Church fitted to the fancy and devotion of the younger and pious persons Apt for memory and to be joyned to their other PRAYERS Hymns for Advent or the weeks immediately before the Birth of our blessed Saviour I. WHen Lord O when shall we Our dear Salvation see Arise arise Our fainting eyes Have long'd all night and 't was a long one too Man never yet could say He saw more then one day One day of Edens seven The guilty hours there blasted with the breath Of sin and death Have ever since worn a nocturnal hue But thou hast given us hopes that we At length another day shall see Wherein each vile neglected place Gilt with the aspect of thy face Shall be like that the porch and gate of Heaven How long dear God how long See how the Nations throng All humane kinde Knit and combin'd Into one body look for thee their Head Pity our multitude Lord we are vile and rude Headless and sensless without thee Of all things but the want of thy blest face O haste apace And thy bright self to this our body wed That through the influx of thy power Each part that er'st confusion wore May put on order and appear Spruce as the childhood of the year When thou to it shalt so united be Amen The second Hymn for Advent or Christs coming to Jerusalem in triumph LOrd come away Why dost thou stay Thy rode is ready and thy paths made strait With longing expectation wait The Consecration of thy beauteous feet Ride on triumphantly behold we lay Our lusts and proud wills in thy way Hosanna welcome to our hearts Lord here Thou hast a Temple too and full as dear As that of Sion and as full of sin Nothing but Thieves and Robbers dwell therein Enter and chase them forth cleanse the floore Crucifie them that they may never more Profane that holy place Where thou hast chose to set thy face And then if our stiff tongues shall be Mute in the praises of thy Deity The stones out of the Temple wall Shall cry aloud and call Hosanna and thy glorious footsteps greet Amen Hymns for Christmas-day I. MY sterious truth that the self same should be A Lamb a Shepherd and a Lion too Yet such was he Whom first the shepherds knew When they themselves became Sheep to the Shepherd Lambe Shepherd of Men and Angels Lamb of God Lion of Judah by these Titles keep The Wolf from thy indangered Sheep Bring all the world unto thy Fold Let Jews and Gentiles hither come In numbers great that can't be told And call thy Lambs that wander home Glory be to God on high All glories be to th' glorious Deity The second Hymn being a Dialogue between three Shepherds 1. WHere is this blessed Babe That hath made All the world so full of joy And expectation That glorious boy That crowns each Nation With a triumphant wreath of blessedness 2. Where should he be but in the throng And among His Angel Ministers that sing And take wing Just as may Echo to his Voyce And rejoyce When wing and tongue and all May so procure their happiness 3. But he hath other Waiters now A poor Cow An Ox and Mule stand and behold And wonder That a stable should enfold Him that can thunder Chorus O what a gracious God have we How good how great even as our misery The third Hymn Of Christs birth in an Inne THe blessed Virgin travail'd without pain And lodged in an Inne A glorious Star the signe But of a greater guest then ever