you can spare imploy in reading good Books Prayer and Meditation the Friday or Saturday before the Communion keep as a Fast but if by reason of your labour you find your strength will not hold out eat a piece of bread and drink a cup of beer in the Morning or at Noon and eat your Supper with thankfulness as at other times and on the day imploy an hour or two in Examination and humble Confession of all your sins with earnest Supplication for Pardon through the Merits of Christ Jesus to which purpose use the following Form or the like enlarging according to your own particular case A general Confession of Sin O God who art light and in whom is no darkness at all with whom we can maintain no communion unless we walk in the light as thou art in the light O God who though thou art merciful and gracious to Penitents art a holy and a just God too and would by no means acquit the guilty and impenitent I present my self before thee at this time with an earnest desire to confess and bewail my past sins and to renew my Vows and Resolutions of forsaking them that I may find mercy When I look back upon all the parts of my past life Ah how do I find it defil'd and polluted by negligence and folly by wilfulness and presumption Ah how often hast thou called and I have refused how often have I set at nought thy counsel and would none of thy reproof Ah how long have I resisted thy Spirit slighted thy Promises and hardned my self against all the terrours of God Ah how often have I broke my solemn Vows and Covenant and returned to the same pollutions which I had before endeavoured to wash off by tears and prayers Lord when I call to mind Here mention your particular sin such especially as are most provoking my heart would fail me and I should sink under the weight of shame and despair did not thy Gospel raise and revive me I believe thy mercy infinite as thy Majesty O extend that mercy to me a miserable sinner who stand in need of mercy not less then infinite I believe that thine only Son the Son of thy bosom offered up himself a Sacrifice for sin O let my Soul be cleansed by his most precious Blood and let not my sins be imputed to me I repent O my God and do heartily wish that these my sins had never been committed But ah that cannot be I am ready therefore to do all that I can and this is that thou hast promised to accept through our Mediator to be sorry for and renounce my sin To thee belongs the glory of mercy and forgiveness to me belongs humility and sorrow And O! may this be my business and my delight too during the time of my pilgrimage I will no more hereafter seek my profit or my pleasure my ease or my revenge poverty of spirit meekness purity of heart mourning for sin hunger and thirst after righteousness charity and self-denial these are the things I will follow after practise and delight in this is that I will account my blessedness And whatever I have done to any by word or deed by example or any other way if there remain yet any restitution or reparation to be made I am ready and willing O my God to do it the business of my following life shall be by all the ways and means I can to blot out the remembrance of my past Offences and to advance the glory of God and the good of Man and after all I desire to glory only in the Lord to be clothed with humility and acknowledge my self an unprofitable servant and great sinner and O do thou pardon and deliver me from my sins and confirm and strengthen me in all goodness and bring me to everlasting Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. On Saturday be very careful of your Conversation that you quench not the Spirit by vain pleasures or too much wordly care Be much in singing Psalms at your work with devout Meditations If you go to Market come home as soon as you can possibly and be sure not to loose your time in an Ale-house If you work at home leave off two hours sooner then you are wont to do spend that time in reading and prayer for the assistance of God's grace and holy Spirit to enable you to subdue your sins and perfect your graces especially those you find most defective and that you may be led unto the ways of holiness and eternal happiness also that you may be a worthy partaker of the holy Sacrament and that God would make it effectual to those ends Then look over your Examination and if you find your Conscience troubled go to the Minister or some pious Friend and rest not under Doubts that may be so easily cured A Prayer for Grace according to the foregoing Heads O Eternal God the giver of all spiritual grace and the Author of everlasting life thou art pleased to call and invite me by thy Word and by thy Ministers to the Communion of the most holy and comfortable Sacrament of the Body and Blood of my dear Lord I come therefore but I come with reverence and humility not trusting in my own righteousness but thy mercy I am unworthy of any Temporal blessing how much more of the gift of thy Son and thy Spirit but 't is thy good will 't is thy free bounty to bestow grace and everlasting life upon all those that seek it through the merits and mediation of thy Son Jesus grant therefore to me most gracious God that I may be made partaker of all the benefits of his Passion let me be strengthned in Faith let my love of thee and of my dear Lord be inlarged and let the love of my Neighbour dwell plentifully in me give me humility and patience enable me more and more to mortifie all the remains of my Corruption and make me more fervent and stedfast in thy Service Especially grant that I may diligently labour after Here mention such particular Vertues as you need above others and never give over till I find my Soul possessed by them and transformed from glory And O blessed God who has begun a good work in me do thou finish and compleat it and preserve me by thy power through faith unto salvation that I cleaving constantly unto thee and never stray from the faith and obedience of the Gospel unto my lives end may be filled with peace and joy in the holy Ghost and at last obtain remission of my sins and an inheritance of glory with all those that are sanctified through faith in Jesus All which I beg through the Agonies and Passion through the Merits and Intercession of our Eternal High Priest Christ Jesus On Sunday rise as early or earlier then on other days add to your usual or private Prayers Petitions for the Spirit of God spiritual union and communion with Christ a new Nature and sincere Obedience Read
affection not in a formal careless manner Do not grudge the time you give to God for he can and will repay you nor think it longer then it is The Devotion here prescribed both publick and private will not take up half an hour You or your Wife must also take care that your Children must say every own their Prayers which you must teach them early When they can say the words of some short Prayer instruct them in the meaning of it the same do for those Servants that are ignorant For others put them in mind of their Duty and encourage them in doing it This done cheerfully begin your days labour every one imploying themselves in what belongs to their places which the more diligent they are in the more acceptable it will be to God 1 Thess 4.11 12. 2 Thess 3.11 12. Prov. 18.19 21.17 28.19 6.9 10 11. Ephes 4.28 At the beginning of your Work dedicate it to God in some such Ejaculation as this O Lord thy most wise Providence has placed me in this state to eat my bread in the swet of my brows I believe it is best for me because it is thy will for thou art a loving Father to all that obey thee and wilt do what is best for them I submit to thy good pleasure desiring thou shouldst choose for me I rejoyce in my Labour and that I have health and limbs to perform it I will be as diligent and do it as I am able in all things endeavouring perfection for in so doing I am faithful to my Calling and shall best please thee and advance my own happiness I desire to do all things for the love of my God and in obedience to thy Commands I dedicate all to thy glory which ought to be the end of all I do Or you may meditate on the Example of Christ who submitted to work at a mean Trade Shall I not rather submit to his Will and rejoyce in his Dispensation and do my duty cheerfully and as perfectly as I can for his Honour O Lord Jesus let the Merit of thy Humiliation sanctifie my labour and suffer not the business of my hands to indispose my heart for the acts of thy Worship and Service suffer me not to indulge my Body by ease and slothfulness but use that strength and health thou hast given me to thy glory and honest provision for my Family You may also some times sing such Psalms as you have by heart or entertain your self with any other pious thoughts or if you work with your Servants or Children or honest Neighbours put them on singing Psalms or some good Discourse to encourage one the other in the Service of Almighty God Would you but be perswaded to try this method with devout and honest Minds you cannot imagine how it would sweeten your Labour making you cheerful and content though poor and God would comfort and direct you with his holy Spirit whose delight is in the Man of an humble heart And thus to have all Places sound with God's praise would make a sort of Heaven on Earth and fit us for the Employment of Heaven it self Besides It will much farther your labour for when one that has no farther aim then profit and pleasure is tempted to murmur at every disappointment and seeks for diversion in riotous Company and merry Meetings which instead of mending his Condition makes it worse the honest poor Man's design in his labour is to please God he works in obedience to his Commands and so endures patiently all the inconveniency of cold and heat weariness and pain with humble submission to his Providence offers his Sufferings to God as endured for his sake for though they are not altogether voluntary certainly it is more acceptable cheerfully and willingly to submit to those Troubles allotted us by God then enduring any other of our own choosing for a poor Man works to pay his Rent because it is just and he has promised so to do He looks on his Wife and Children or Servants as those for whom he is obliged to take care in obedience to God as well as by the ties of Nature and is the more careful that he may by his Industry gain time both for himself and them to serve God and be better able to breed his Children to reading or such other learning as is necessary for those honest Imployments he designs them for These and the like Considerations are sufficient to make a good Man cheerful and diligent in his Labour I am sure they are much more powerful than any that either Covetousness or Pride can produce and if all the honest Man's pains does not succeed as to the World it is only for the trial of his Patience and submission to God which will be rewarded a thousand fold in heavenly glory and it may be to his Posterity in the world after his Decease When you come home to Dinner 1 Tim. 4.4 5. 1. Cor. 10.13 Col. 3.17 Eccles 10.17 1 Cor 9.27 Prov. 23.20 21. Luke 21.34 with reverence say Grace and eat your Meat with a cheerful thankful heart considering your own unworthiness of the least of God's Mercies and his bounty in supplying your Necessities Be not intemperate in your Meat and Drink but use both to support your health and strength not to impair them If you have Children let one of them read a Chapter or Psalm and the next day another Child every one taking their turns this will take up so little time that it can be no ways inconvenient and it is only want of love to Piety that can occasion their not doing it for besides that you will keep your Childrens reading and see how they improve It will increase both your and their Knowledge in the Scripture Of singing Psalms Ephes 5.18 19. Col. 3.16 Jam. 5.13 Psal 119.97 Matth. 12.35 15.19 20. Psal 119.59 which you must above all things attend and observe as containing the whole Will of God both what you are to believe and do and what you are to avoid and by which you must be judged at the last day When Dinner is done return Thanks with Devotion and a sense that all you have is from the gift of God go to your Labour as in the Morning and support your self in it by singing Psalms good Thoughts Meditations and the like Neither would I by any means be understood to forbid innocent and cheerful Discourse nor what is useful to your Business for the Service of God was not designed to be our burthen but for our comfort and support in all Conditions In the Evening or some time before you go to bed be sure to forecast time for your Devotion your Family reading a Chapter in the Bible or small part of a Catechism with its Explication then say a short Prayer this that follows or what you like better An Evening Family PRAYER O Almighty God the Father of Mercies and the Fountain of all good Gifts for from thee
not aw'd me nor has the love of thee moved me nor thy great and precious promises prevailed upon me but I have broke through all to gratifie my own vile affections Ah how have I wandered from the paths of Truth and Life here repeat the sins of the day past And now O holy and just God what shall I say unto thee shall I lye down in my wickedness and either through despair of thy mercy or presumption upon it continue to commit it Ah no! for then if Death surprize me and what reason have I to fear it may I must be miserable for ever everlasting remorse of Conscience and everlasting burnings in the company of Devils must be my portion for ever therefore O God thou God of mercy I come to thee though ashamed and confounded though my guilt will not suffer me to look up towards thee I come to weep to condemn my self before thee O hear me thou that delightest not in the death but the conversion of a sinner O hear me thou that hast given thine own Son to be a Propitiation for our sins O thou that delightest to hear Prayers and forgive the Penitent have mercy upon me pardon and deliver me from my sins make me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me and O never suffer me to be at rest 'till I have subdued my corruptions and rooted out every habitual sin 'till I feel the power of Religion in and change of my heart and reformation of my life and find the Kingdom of Heaven established within me in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost And here O my God I once more dedicate my self to thee and vow a perpetual War against those Lusts by which I have been thus wretchedly misled and betrayed into the paths of darkness and death Here particularly resolve against that sin or sins which thou hast been guilty of the day past or finds thy self most prone too And thou O God by whose mighty power the blind received their sight the lame walked the Lepers were cleansed and the dead raised O thou who didst call quicken by thy grace the Gentiles when dead in trespasses and sins vouchsafe me the assistance of the same Spirit that I may continue stedfast and unmovable in these Resolutions and abound more and more in the works of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. An Evening private Prayer when upon Examination of the past day your Conscience acquits you from wilful wickedness O Gracious God and heavenly Father I thy poor Servant frail of my self and lying open to many Temptations do bless and praise thy Name that thou hast preserved me this day from presumptuous sin beseeching thee to blot out the remembrance of whatever has formerly displeased thee in my life past and pardon the defects and infirmities of my present state strengthen my faith increase my hope and let my breast be more and more inflam'd with a Divine love and O may my love abound more and more in knowledge and in all judgment that I may approve the things that are excellent and may be sincere and without offence 'till the day of Christ being filled with all the fruits of Righteousness through Jesus Christ unto the praise and glory of thee my God Preserve and bless me in my honest Labours let me never want things necessary for me and mine nor moderation humility and thankfulness in the use of them Keep me in safety and refresh me with sleep this night and when I awake let my thoughts be upon thee and upon the happiness of those that fear thee and trust in thee so shall I abide in thy love unto my lives end and be at last carried from this state of labour and watchfulness and trial into one of peace and security and triumph which grant O merciful Father for thy dear Son's sake Amen Amen And so much for your daily Devotion where for the circumstances of Time and Persons you may alter what agrees not with your condition and business if so be you are careful not to wholly omit the Duties of Family and private Prayer which you are as a Christian obliged to and is the surest way to make you happy here and hereafter SECT I. Of the Lords Day FOR your profitable Observation and hollowing the Lord's Day Exod. 28.8 9 10 11. Neh. 13.19 Isa 50.13 Acts. 27.7 20.7 1 Cor. 16. Rev. 1.10 Psal 118 24. Ezek 23.38 Amos 8.4 it will be of great use so to contrive your Affairs on Saturday that you may have as little as possible of them to perform on the Lord's Day CHAP. II. A Morning Prayer for the Lord's Day WE adore and worship thee O God the Creator of Heaven and Earth for thou speakest the word and all things were made thou commandedst and they were created in thee we live and move and have our being and when thou pleasest we die and return again unto our dust blessed be thy Name that thou hast made us rational Creatures and hast continued us in the Land of the living to this day and blessed be thou the God of Hope because thou hast so loved the World when dead in trespasses and sins and in a state of enmity against thee that thou gavest thy only begotten Son to the end that all that believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life Lord we believe help thou our unbelief we believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God we believe that the words he spoke are the words of everlasting Life we believe that he died for our sins that we might escape the wrath due to them we believe that he rose again for our justification that he might be a Prince and Saviour to all those who believe and obey him And now O Lord let this Faith we beseech thee have its due influence upon our hearts and lives that the grace of God which bringeth Salvation and hath appeared unto all men teach us to deny ungodliness and worldy Lusts and to live righteously soberly and godlily in this present world looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour Christ Jesus Particularly assist us we beseech thee in the duties of the day that we may offer up unto thee pure and fervent Prayers and praise thee with unspeakable joy and gratitude Make us to hear thy Word with a holy fear and devout thirst and grant that we may be not only hearers but doers of thy Word that so being quickned by thy Word and Spirit we may be cleansed from our guilt by the Blood of Jesus and be made partakers of his Resurrection and Kingdom through the same our dear Lord and Saviour Amen After your Morning Prayer such business as can't be dispensed with as milking and ordering of Cattel must be done but no more at which Imployments you may sing Psalms have good thoughts or discourse with those with you After which let all get ready for Church and
over the Exhortations before the Sacrament and as you read consider if you be so prepared as they require Indeed the whole Communion Service is an excellent direction for our preparation to and meditations at the holy Sacrament for which cause I would have you read it over and make it your Rule endeavouring to understand it well and where you are ignorant go to your Minister to be more clearly informed which will be a means of your joyning in it in publick with the greater Devotion A short Example of applying the Communion Service the better to prevent the wandring of your Mind YE that do truly and earnestly repent Lord I repent perfect my repentance And are in Love and Charity with your Neighbour Encrease my Charity I forgive and desire to be forgiven by others And intend to lead a new Life c. Assisted by thy grace I resolve to keep thy Commandments and walk in thy holy ways Draw near with faith Confirm my faith that I may receive the holy Sacrament to my comfort as I humbly confess so graciously pardon all my sins After this manner you may apply the larger Exhortation before which I leave to your own devotion Then follows the Confession and other Prayers which you are to joyn in and the Prayer of Consecration to these words Who in the same night c. the rest being proper only to the Minister who is appointed alone to consecrate the Bread and Wine for this holy use Observe in the Prayer that Christ is said to be but once offered which was when he suffered on the Cross by which Sacrifice he made a full perfect and sufficient Oblation and Satisfaction for the sins of the whole World that is whoever shall repent and believe Observe also that he commands us to continue the remembrance of his Death till his coming again which ought to convince you of the duty of the frequent coming to the holy Table The reason of kneeling is only this being the most solemn time of Prayer that posture is most proper therefore ought not to be a cause of division As for your private devotion observe the following Rules Imploy some time in the Morning to consider how you must behave your self at the holy Table how to order your Meditations and renuing your Baptismal Covenant meditating on and applying the benefits of Christ's Death for your pardon and reconciliation with God what sin to be most humbled for what grace to beg most earnestly pray also that no temptation of the World the Devil or your own corrupt Nature may rob you of the fruit of this Communion no sinful worldly or wandring thoughts trouble you but that God would remove whatever may obstruct the operation of his grace When any of your Family go along with you to the Sacrament as you ought to endeavour they should when they are of years and throughly instructed say some Prayer relating to the Sacrament besides your ordinary Morning Prayer Take care to be at the Church in good time after Sermon till the Communion Service begins spend your time in humble confessing your sins and unworthiness of so great a favour So soon as the Minister begins leave off all private Prayer and joyn with him with all the attention and zeal you can possibly Attend to the Exhortation and apply it to your self as before observed for the Prayers you must joyn in them with Devotion After Consecration while the Minister is receiving and till he comes to you say your private Prayer first pray that God would except all present and make them partakers of the benefit of his holy Sacrament Secondly confess your sins and acknowledge that your due desert is death and destruction Look on Christ as the only propitiation for your sins believe that his Death was a full perfect and alsufficient Sacrifice for them present them to God as such desiring that the merits of his Sufferings may be imputed for your pardon and his Righteousness for your justification and acceptance with God believe firmly that God now offers to renew his Covenant and grants you pardon grace and glory if you are faithful on your part which is forsaking every sin and obeying all the commands of God to the utmost of your Power desiring to receive it according to the Institution of Christ Perplex not your self with nice definitions believe whatever God has promised his power is able to perform and that Christ and the benefits of his Death are communicated and given to the worthy receivers in such a manner as 't is best for him and his spiritual union with Christ most advanced In the act of receiving let your Soul be bowed down with a sense of its unworthiness Adore the mercy of God in Christ desire you may receive the holy Spirit love God for his goodness believe his promises and resolve to obey his holy commands After you have communicated let the rest of your time till publick Prayers again be imployed in Prayer for grace to keep your holy Resolutions for without God's assistance you can do nothing that is good praise God for the great mercy of this Communion and make earnest Intercession for all Mankind especially for their conversion and spiritual welfare for the destruction of the power of Sin and Satan and chastening the Kingdom of Christ and also for your Governours in Church and State for your Friends and Relations at least so many of these as time will give you leave to use saying the rest at home Short Prayers or rather Ejaculations according to the past Rules O God thou sawest me in my blood and saidst unto me live thou sawest me in my pollutions and thine eye pitied me and didst open the fountain for my uncleanness Glory be to thee O Lord most good and most high O holy and meek Jesus thou art the Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the World thou who knewest no sin didst become sin for us O may we be cleansed from all unrighteousness through thy Blood O Saviour of the World may all the ends of the Earth look up unto God through thee and be saved may the Kingdom of Darkness be broken down and thy Kingdom O Christ be enlarged and established through the whole Earth O Lord I believe that Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Light and therefore I come unto thee through him O cast me not off my Soul thirsteth after thy Salvation I come to thee in Faith Repentance and Charity O receive me and fill me with grace and comfort Amen blessed Jesus I come O my God to renew my Covenant with thee in the blood of Jesus O receive me a poor penitent Prodigal I have wandred from thee I have hewed out to my self Cisterns broken Cisterns that will hold no water but now my Soul gaspeth for thee O thou Fountain of living waters O give me thy Spirit that it may cleanse and refresh me that it may satisfie the desires of my Soul I will be
we receive all Temporal and Spiritual Blessings we bless and praise thy Name that thou hast afforded us health and strength and understanding to discharge the labours and hardships of our worldly Callings this day and much more for whatever means or measures of Grace thou hast vouchsafed us to enable us to do the duties of our Christian Calling It is of thee that we have been preserved from Sickness and Death and Disasters 't is from thy restraining Grace that we have been kept back from presumptuous Wickedness and 't is from the assistance of thy Grace that we have thought or done any good thing O be pleased to continue to us the Mercies we enjoy and confer upon us whatsoever thou dost see us want enable us to persevere to our lives end with patience humility and thankfulness in the condition of life to which thou dost call us and to pass the time of our sojourning here in fear calling upon thee daily O holy Father who without respect of Persons wilt judge every Man according to his works We every day are a day nearer to Death and Judgment grant O Lord that by an impartial Examination of our selves and by a sincere endeavour of reforming what is amiss and perfecting what is begun in us we may be daily the fitter for both that we may come finally to that eternal Rest where not only all the labours and travels of the Body will be at an end but those also of the Soul and we shall need watch and contend no more 'till when let thy Providence O Lord watch over us and thy Grace preserve and assist us that we may pass this night and the remaining part of our lives in Vertue and Safety in Peace Contentment and if thou think fit Prosperity but if thou think fit otherwise so prepare and strengthen our hearts to endure whatever thou shalt lay upon us that the trial of our Faith may be to praise and honour and glory in the day of our Lord Jesus through whom we put up these our Requests to thee beseeching thee to accept our Praises and answer our Petitions through thy dear Son and our dear Mediator Christ Jesus You must not excuse this by your weariness for it is a greater Duty then to be omitted for any worldly consideration but if you are not well or very weary only say the Prayer which is so short that no one can neglect for any other cause but a carnal heart Before you sleep examine how you have spent the past day recall as well as you can what sin or infirmity you have been guilty of what duty you have left undone what mercies you have received Spiritual or Temporal or what Corrections For your better direction some times read over the following Example I begin with the Morning Of Examination Prov. 4.26 Eph. 5.15 Luke 2.36 Psal 4.8 Gen. 24.63 and consider how I performed my Morning Service if I neglected my part of it out of carelesness or want of delight in God's Service if in my worldly business I was not provoked to outragious Anger to any of my Family Did I not swear curse or take God's Name in vain Did I not omit to reprove sin in my Children or Servants or have I not omitted any neighbourly Office that might have done me no great harm and my Neighbour good Have I been surly or morose to any have I been merciful to the Poor according to my Ability at least given them good words if I had not wherewithal to relieve them Have I been ready to hear or speak of good things when I have had opportunity Have I been thankful for any good success given in my business give God the glory and attribute it to his blessing have I patiently submitted if I have had loss and owned it to be the just desert of my sin begging God to give me grace to be content and to sanctifie his Corrections to me Have I been true and just in my dealing buying and selling desiring only an honest gain and that by words of truth Have I not oppressed my Servant or Hireling in their wages have I made good my bargain allowing a reasonable hire have I not to gain a small matter to my self caused a great loss to my Neighbour by Law Suits Quarrels or the like Have I spent my time and mony in excess of drinking or tempted others to the like Have I slandered my Neighbour or carried stories from one to the other to cause differences These and the like Questions you may put to your self recollecting all the day and as you went from one thing to another so you will easily discover your faults and the better you grow and the more you read the Word of God and other good Books the better you will do this useful Duty But you must consider the end of Self-Examination is not only to know your faults but to mend them as for Example If you find you were to day guilty of a great Passion to be more careful to morrow not to give way to it to be more silent and take care to prevent those faults in your Children or Servants that were the cause of your Anger never to reprove when you find you are in a Passion to consider your own faults and God's patience with you pray for Patience c. If you lost your time or drank too much to avoid those People that tempted you and those Houses If you spoke ill of or slandered your Neighbours to unsay it to the same People you slandered them to Be careful to speak the good and let the rest alone If you have wronged any to make restitution Thus undoing what is ill done if you can and purposing by the grace of God to be no more wilfully guilty of the like This Examination you may make at what time in the Evening you find most convenient or at your evening labour if your work is such as will give you leave to think Before you sleep humbly and earnestly beg pardon for your sins and greater grace for the future Thank God for all his Mercies especially being kept from sin and enabled to do any good This method of daily Examination is useful for your Temporal as well as Spiritual Estate that so considering the Errours of every day what is amiss one day may be mended the next and where any good opportunity has been neglected to be more careful another time so will you do more good and less evil and grow wiser both for your Soul and Body An Evening Private PRAYER if upon Examination you find your self guilty c. O Eternal God who hast created me to glorifie and serve thee and has prepared eternal happiness and glory to crown and reward this my Service with what Love with what Zeal ought I daily to do thy will with what meekness and patience submit to it But ah wretch that I am how far short of both have I fallen this day the fear of thee has
if any spare time remains read some good Book but be sure so to order your Devotion and necessary Affairs as to be at Church at the beginning of Prayers As you go think of the great Priviledge and Mercy you enjoy in being admitted to the House of God to pray and hear his holy Law and the particular blessings of living in a Nation where God's Word is freely dispensed to all think what a sad aggravation of your Fault it will be if you resist or neglect such great Advantages but let not the sense of your unworthiness tempt you to despair or negligence but rather to love and admire the long Sufferance of God and to resolve to improve better these means of grace Enter the Church with reverence and gravity it is the House of Prayer make it not a Den of Thieves by sinful thoughts and hypocritical Designs nor yet a House of Merchandize by thinking or talking of worldly Affairs but so soon as you come to your Seat make an humble Prayer to God for attention and zeal grace to know and do his will a pure unprejudiced mind to apprehend and hold fast the Truth Pray for a blessing on the Minister then present and all other faithful Dispensers of the Word and Sacraments throughout the World that they may be successful Labourers in God's Vineyard and convince and convert many from their sins and build up all through Faith unto Salvation that the Word may be Seed sown in good ground bringing forth Fruit abundantly to the glory of God Pray also against wandring thoughts and drowsiness finally desire the union of your Prayers with all Christians and that the Intercessions of the Universal Church sent up in the Name of its common Redeemer may by him be presented acceptably to God and obtain for it all good things notwithstanding the blemishes imperfections and mistakes of its particular Members These or the like Petitions you may use as time permits till the Minister begins then standing up Of Publick Prayer Matth. 18.20 Isa 56.7 Luk. 2.37 Ioel 2.15 16 17. Hebr. 10.24 35. apply those Texts of Scripture that are read to your self To be able to do this the better read them over at home to consider them then attend to the Exhortation which is to inform you of your Obligation to the Worship of God by holy Scripture the end and benefit of it and manner how you should perform it with a truly penitent heart and therefore with seriousness apply it to your self and do not hear it as words of course which you are not concerned in gazing about as too many do but being composed and recollected as in the Presence of God with bended knees and a contrite heart sensible of your great unworthiness make the following Confession next comes the Absolution To hear this with profit you must first understand the meaning of it it is a short Declaration of God's Mercy and Pardon to penitent sinners that is to those who being truly penitent of their sins are heartily sorry they have committed them and resolve by the assising grace of God never more wilfully to do the like As for Example Almighty God These words sets forth God's infinite Power and Ability to Pardon The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who desireth not the death of a sinner This shews God's infinite goodness and willingness to pardon since he spared not his own Son will he not with him freely give us all things But rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live Here follows the conditions you must turn from your wickedness before you have any right to the Promise of Life and though God had much rather you should repent and live being desirous that none should perish but that all should come to Repentance yet here is no encouragement to hope for any that lead wicked lives but to the Penitent that is such as to the utmost of their power sincerely endeavour to obey God's Commands and to avoid what he forbids doing their Duty as well as they are able yet trusts not to any merit thereby but being sensible of the weakness of their best performance expect Mercy and Eternal Life as the free gift of God for the sake and merit of Christ Jesus only to such Penitents God has given power and commandment to his Ministers to declare and pronounce to his People being penitent the absolution and remission of their sins Which is no other then declaring the terms set forth in the Gospel more largely for the Minister only declares on what Conditions we may be pardoned by Almighty God but does not by this Absolution pardon any who do not perform the Conditions He pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent Where observe the Minister does not say I pardon but he pardoneth that is God and that only those that truly repent that is confess and forsake their past sins for without amendment Repentance will not profit so that no one can with comfort apply this Absolution that indulges any wilful sin And unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel that is the Duties and Threatnings as well as the History and Promises Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true Repentance and his holy Gospel Where you may observe you must joyn Prayer to your Endeavours both for Repentance for what is past and the assistance of God's holy Spirit to enable you to do your Duty for the time to come for by our own strength we are not able to do any thing that is good and acceptable to God the rest is so easie that it needs no Explanation If you are sure of your â—art in performing the Conditions of Repentance and Amendment God will most certainly perform his promise which he has authorized his Servant to declare in his Name on which you may rely with comfort and apply with confidence to your self You must not say the Absolution after the Minister that being not properly a Prayer but setting forth the Condition of our Pardon While the Minister is saying the Absolution offer some such Ejaculations as these Let this gracious Absolution pronounced by the Minister be extended unto me Thou art the Father of Mercy who willest not the death of a sinner O fit me and all here present to receive the Remission of our sins by a faithful performing the Conditions on our part Encrease our Faith perfect Repentance and by the assistance of thy holy Spirit help us unfeignedly to believe and sincerely obey thy Gospel that those things may please thee which we do at this present and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy so that at the last we may come to thy Eternal Joy through Jesus Christ our Lord. At the end of this and other Prayers say Amen which signifies your consent to Prayer and desire that God will hear and answer it Then follow the Lord's Prayer which being the most perfect Pattern and comprehensive Form of Prayer is in our Liturgy several times
if you have far to go let your thoughts and discourse be what you have that day heard and learnt Eat and drink with thankfulness for God's goodness but let it be also with moderation that you may be fit for holy Exercises after dinner In some places Prayers begin at Three or Four a clock which time you will do well to imploy in examining your Children or Servants what they remember of the Sermon of their Catechism often tell them of the sinfulness of lying and swearing immodesty and the like If you have time sing a Psalm and after say the following Prayer Here may be used the Prayer set down before for Sunday or this WE bless thee O holy and most merciful Father for this day of rest O may it kindle in us the desires of eternal rest and be made instrumental both to obtain it and prepare us for it We bless thee for the opportunity that thou hast given us of joyning this day with our fellow Christians in the publick Worship of thee our God Lord pardon whatever defects we have been guilty of in the performance of it and grant that we may renew it this Afternoon with that cheerfulness and devoutness with that sense of thy goodnesss and our wants as may render it acceptable to thee and profitable to us We bless thee again O Lord for the publick preaching of thy Word and Administration of thy Sacraments and beseech thee that thy grace may accompany both through the whole Nation and particularly for our selves we beg that thou wouldst so assist us that thy Word may ever be a light to our feet and a lanthorn to our paths and that thy holy Sacraments may nourish and strengthen us in faith and love Let our examination of our selves O Lord be serious and impartial let our meditation be affectionate and delightful let our conversation be pure and holy that there may be nothing thought said or done by us this day but what may best serve promote the end for which thou hast instituted it and good God make every one of us diligent not only to save our own Souls but as much as in us lyes the Souls of others too Finally O thou Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be thou present in our publick Assembly and build thou up our Family in faith and vertue and speak thou to every one of our hearts in private and hear all our Prayers and accept all our Praises and continue to us all that is necessary to life and godliness and crown us at last with everlasting glory All which we humbly beg through our great and only Mediator and Advocate Christ Jesus But if Prayers begin early and you have less time do so much as you can not omitting the Prayer be careful to be at the beginning of publick Service do not neglect the Church because there is no Sermon by Prayer we worship God and obtain his blessing besides there is read the holy Scripture which is the best Instruction and foundation of all Sermons Be careful to fit your Children and Servants for Catechising and have them present when it is performed in publick After you return home so soon as your necessary business is over read or cause to be read some good practical Book and if you did not do it before examine and instruct your Children and Servants sing Psalms make your Evening Prayer and in these imployments spend your Evening till Bed-time only allowing time for a cheerful temperate Supper which you will eat with great comfort after so well spending the day you must not omit your private Prayers only enlarge your Praises To which end call to mind the many Mercies you have received and your unworthiness of them by reason of your sins and compare your selves with those below you who are perhaps more worthy but if you want all other blessings yet consider how great your happiness is in being a Christian and so capable if not your own fault of heavenly glory which incomparably exceeds the greatest temporal felicity I do not here allow any time for gossiping Visits because the greatest part of Country People are apt to waste the Afternoon in such things but yet I am by no means so severe as to forbid a walk in the Fields or a friendly visit to a Neighbour for an hours refreshment to those whose necessary business allows time enough for both especially if that Neighbour is sick or under any affliction but then you must not spend your time in idle talk making bargains or other worldly business but in good and useful Discourses And those Neighbours that will not endure this but promote drinking swearing or the like profaneness are by no means to be visited on that day that is sanctified to the Service of God and Spiritual Promise And indeed if you consider as you ought the great advantage of being obliged to spend one day in seven in holy Duties you would not be weary of its so frequent return but thank God for so profitable an Institution since I fear were the observation of this day left to every ones choice the love of profit or pleasure would prevail with too many to neglect it and so occasion ignorance and profaneness to prevail more then it does The inconvenience of the Sabbaths being neglected and the advantages of its observation are so many especially to the more unlearned that no true lover of Piety that desires the publick good ought by any means to encourage the Contemners of it SECT II. Of Holy Days or Fast Days THE use of other Festival days or Holy days is that People may have more leisure and opportunity to serve God and to keep in memory the History of the New Testament as the Birth Suffering Resurrection Ascension of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ The Apostles days are to thank God for the Doctrine they preached and writ and to encourage us to the imitation of their holy Examples There are also days of Thanksgiving for National Blessings and the Fasting days are to consider and lament your own sins and also those of the Nation especially in times of War or other publick Calamity and to pray for the averting those Judgments which our sins deserve some of these I think are the subject of all Holy days which is also reasonable upon another account the giving Servants and Labourers time first to serve God and next for innocent refreshment and doing their own business It is not out of any Superstition that the observation of these days is recommended for what Superstition can it be to read pray and serve God as frequently as our business will admit I do not say it is a Command from God and therefore do not command but commend their observation And since such days are appointed and Service in the Church ordered if we prefer these before days of our own choosing it will keep greater order and all Families being imployed in the Service of God not hinder one the
thy Servant O blessed Jesus thy Disciple and Follower O be thou my Prince and my Saviour be thou my strength and my glory and let me rejoyce always in thy Salvation I desire to imitate thee O holy Jesus and especially thy boundless Charity I forgive O let me find forgiveness from the mercy of God I am ready to do all the good I can for any one of my fellow Members and I am sorry I can do no more I will weep I will pray for all that are in distress and I will feed and clothe and comfort them as I can O accept then the mite of thy poor servant and remember me in the day of Judgment Grant O God according to the riches of thy glory that all we who receive the Sacrament this day may be strengthned by the might of thy Spirit in the inward man that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith that we being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heighth and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that we may be filled with all the fulness of God Nor for our selves only do I bow my knees unto thee thou Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named but also for the whole Catholick Church O let the same presence and powerâ— of thy Spirit be amongst all those who believe in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ their Lord and ours build them up in their holy faith unite them in humility and love remove all the scandals and obstacles of righteousness that are in the midst of thy Church and support and protect it against all the Adversaries of the Cross and all the Enemies of holiness and vertue Let thy Son Jesus be glorified in the blameless and exemplary Lives of all that profess his Name let profaneness be put to confusion and Here sie and Errour be rooted out and let all with one mind and one mouth glorifie thee O God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen Amen O thou in whose hands are the hearts of Kings guide we beseech thee theirs whom thou hast set over us in thy faith and fear give them wisdom to rule this great People that under them we may live peaceable and quiet lives in all godliness and honesty and Lord possess all their Subjects with a due sense of their Authority and of the benefits we all reap from them that we may dutifully obey them and cheerfully contribute all we can to the maintainance and support of Law and Justice in this Realm that Righteousness and Peace may through thy blessing flourish amongst us and our Children after us through Jesus Christ our Lord. O merciful God and Saviour cause all them that sleep in sin to awake cause them to arise from the dead and let Christ give them light O thou God of tender mercies and compassions hearken to the voice of them that mourn break not the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax but bring forth righteousness unto victory O God who art the God of the fatherless and widow and judge of the oppressed and the Saviour of the meek and poor and distressed upon the earth visit with thy grace and salvation all that are in necessity or tribulation and hear them when they cry unto thee for succour O Lord our Defence O bless my Family and all my Relations possess them with the fear of God and Charity towards one another and make them all love the Lord Jesus Christ to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be glory for ever O my God never suffer me to forget thy love or the love of Jesus never suffer me to break my holy Vows but strengthen me that I may always endeavour to walk as my Lord walked and may ever abide in him and he in me that I may be safe through thy protection and grace and when he who is my life shall appear I also may appear with him in glory Amen Amen Go home with a cheerful gravity and spend the remaining part of the day according to the Rule for the Lord's day only be more strictly careful to keep up a holy frame of mind and not by worldly thoughts and light discourse grieve the holy Spirit but improve every good inclination by Prayer that it may grow into practise and endeavour your good Resolutions by meditation and foreseeing what temptations may assault you to provide against them do not go abroad but spend that day in devotion reading and praying with your Family Of behaviour at Baptism and Marriage WHen you are present at the Baptising of Children attend to what is said let it put you in mind of what you vowed your self and think how well you have performed it joyn with great seriousness in Prayer with the Minister for the Child that it may live sutable to this dedication and enjoy the priviledges of the same If you are a Surety think your self obliged to take care that the Child learn what you undertook for it for that was the reason of God-fathers and God-mothers especially if the Parents die or are careless worldlings otherwise refuse being a Surety if you think you cannot Also at Marriages Churchings and the like avoid all vain behaviour but joyn in the Service with Reverence and Devotion and make particular applications to your self how you have performed your own duty when the Bannes are bid pray that the marriage may be to the glory of God These are some short Directions for your duty to God I shall now add some for your duty to your Neighbours CHAP. IV. The Country Man's Duty towards his Neighbour SECT I. To his Minister FIrst for your behaviour to your Minister be very just in paying Tithes and other Dues to him Duty to Ministers Mal. 2.7 Isa 30.20 Hebr. 13.17 1 Tim. 5.17 1 Cor. 6.7 9.7 8 9 11 13 14. Rom. 15 27. Gal. 6.6 Matth. 10.41 10.14 15. Luke 10.16 1 Cor. 4.1 1 Thess 12.13 and that in obedience to God who has taught us by his holy Apostle That they who wait at the Altar that is do the duty of a Minister should live by the Altar and if they minister to us spiritual things we ought to minister to them in temporal things for by attending the Ministry they are made incapable of gaining a livelyhood by other means Secondly Be very respectful in your behaviour to him never speaking rudely but believe in honouring your Minister you please God and let not any personal failing make you neglect your Duty for 't is not his person only but chiefly his office you must respect him for and God will reward you for it Supposing the worst that he has faults consider that he as well as you is liable to the same infirmities and temptations nay more for Satan is vigilant to ensnare him because by it he hopes to do more mischief either by