whither Blessed Lord whither should a defiled Soul go to be cleansed but unto that Fountain which is opened in the house of Israel for sin and for uncleanness In this inexhaustible Fountain of Divine grace my sinfull Soul longs to be washed and through the effusion of the precious Bloud of my Redeemer to be purified and my whole self for the future to be sincerely devoted to serve thee in holiness and righteousness before thee all the days of my life Amen III. Assist me Blessed Lord in the Triall and impartial Examination of my heart and of all the actions of my life in the full Confession of all my Sins with the tears of true Penitence and godly Sorrow for them in my Praiers for mercy and pardon of them and for grace to be sanctified against them O hear in Heaven and be mercifull unto me forgive me my Sins and heal my Soul through the merits and mediation of my dearest Saviour Jesus Christ Amen A short preparatory Meditation to the Sacrament out of S. Ambrose O with what great contrition of heart with what a floud of tears with what reverence fear and trembling with what purity of mind and chastity of body is that Divine celestial Mystery to be celebrated where thy Flesh O Lord is truly received and thy Bloud is truly drunk where things most high and low Divine and humane are mysteriously intermingled where the Angels of Heaven are invisibly present beholding and assisting in the celebration and where thou O Lord art inconceivably present both as the Priest and the Sacrifice O who can worthily either administer or receive such grand tremend celestial Mysteries except Thou the Omnipotent God make him worthy of thy Grace Even so come Lord Jesus The XXIII Psalm paraphrased Verse 1. THE Lord who hath created redeemed and sanctified me is my Shepherd to feed guide and defend me from the ravening of my ghostly foes therefore I can lack nothing that is needfull or convenient either for Soul or body 2. He shall feed me in a green pasture My Soul doth he feed with the verdant refreshing Indoctrinations of his Holy Word and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort Such are the influences of the Holy Ghost the Comforter and such are the Sacraments of his Church which as waters do quench the fire of Concupiscence wash off the pollution of Sin cleanse the heart from all vain and impure thoughts and desires satisfy the spiritual thirst of the Soul and feed the same to life eternal and these be Comforts both great and glorious 3. He shall convert my soul from the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and from the sinfull Lusts of the Flesh and bring me forth into the paths of righteousness to keep God's holy Will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the days of my life and this he will doe for his Name 's sake that his Name which is great wonderfull and holy may be glorified in me and by me 4. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death be conversant amidst continual Temptations and Tribulations which are the miseries of mortality and the shadows of death in this valley of tears I will fear none evill neither the evil of Sin nor Death the wages of Sin for thou art with me dwelling in my heart by Faith in this mortal life that after the shadow of death is vanished I may dwell with thee by Vision in life immortal Aug. thy rod and thy staff comfort me thy rod to correct me thy staff to support me thy rod to punish me when I doe evill thy staff to sustain me in my sufferings for my Sins Both are great comforts to the devout Soul as being signs of Adoption and Grace purchased by the mystical Rod and Staff of my Saviour's Sufferings on the wood of his Cross This was the rod of the Lord's indignation for our Sins and the rod wherewithall our Lord beat the Devil out of his strong holds this was the staff also or stay of fallen Man the merits whereof I humbly beg to be applied to my Soul in the Sacrament of his Passion For 5. Thou shalt prepare a table before me The Table of the Lord is spred before all true Believers where is prepared the Bread of Heaven the food of Angels the Body and Bloud of Christ for the strengthning and refreshing of my Soul against them that trouble me and these are chiefly home-bred Enemies even all those sinful Lusts of the flesh which war against the Soul But that I may be prepared for the conflict with them thou hast anointed my head with oil The Unction of the Holy one are the Graces of the Holy Spirit which from Christ the Head do flow down upon his Members in the devout use of his Sacraments and my cup shall be full That Cup of blessing which is the Communion of the Bloud of Christ is full of grace and heavenly benediction And this in all humility I call my cup because I am invited nay commanded to take and drink thereof And if I receive it worthily I may then rejoycing say The Lord himself is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup and as it follows 6. Thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life 'T was thy loving-kindness and mercy preventing me whereby I was called unto the state of Grace and Salvation and I believe and humbly pray that thy Grace may also follow me to continue in the same to my life's end and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever This is the end and the perfection of all the Lord's Blessings upon me He is therefore my Shepherd and doth feed and guide me protect and defend me correct and support me and with his precious Body and Bloud doth nourish me in his house of praier here below that I may hereafter dwell in his house of praise above and with his holy Angels and Saints for ever sing Glory be to God the Father As it was in the beginning Other Psalms seasonable for Meditation and relating to this Divine subject in several Verses are the XLII XLIII LXXXI LXXXIV Psalms the which I have not paraphrased or explained that this Volume might not swell into too great a bulk CHAP. III. Meditations and Praiers for the Friday especially before the Communion 1. AMongst all the days of the Week Friday is the most seasonable and fittest for the performance of those Religious Duties the which though never out of season are yet then most practical when commanded as necessary Preparatives for the worthy receiving of the Sacrament viz. the grand Duty of Self-examination of Confession of sins with Contrition Humiliation and Fasting as also for Meditations and Praiers upon the Passion of our Lord since it was upon this day of the week he was crucified and died for our Sins 2. 'T is upon this account that our Church enjoyns this day to be observed through the whole
year as a day of Fasting and Abstinence and it was ever observed as such since our Lord died upon the Friday through all the Ages of the Church untill these last and worst of days wherein the evil spirit of contradiction against the Religious practices of Christ's Church doth so rage as amongst many others to cry down all Times and Days devoted to the Service of God except what they call the sabbath-Sabbath-day the which under the Gospel is neither properly so called nor rightly observed by such as truly understand not the IV. Commandment but misinterpret the sound meaning of the Spirit by the killing Letter of the Law 3. All orthodox and understanding good Christians in stead of a Jewish Sabbath observe as festival and holy the Christian Sunday because the Sun of Righteousness arose upon that day from death to life and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel in which respect 't is frequently in Holy Scripture called the Lord's day 4. And there is the like reason for the observance of Friday as fasting in commemoration of Christ's Passion as there is for Sunday as festival in commemoration of his Resurrection Nor is this obscurely but plainly enough commanded by our Lord himself But the days will come when the Bridegroom shall be taken away from them and then shall they fast in those days a Luk. 5.35 These words are both 1. a positive command to all the Disciples of Christ they shall fast and also 2. the days whereon they shall fast are prescribed in those days whereon the Bridegroom was taken away from them which are the Fridays of the year whereon our Lord the Bridegroom and Head of his Church was taken off by a bitter death upon the Cross It is therefore but meet and just that all true Members of this Head should fast and pray and be humbled for their Sins on that day especially whereon the Son of God so sadly suffered and sorrowed for the Sins of the world Friday Meditations I. Part of LXIX Psalm paraphrased Verse 13. LORD I make my praier unto thee in an acceptable time Now is the acceptable time now is the day of Salvation even the day whereon for us men and for our Salvation the Blessed Son of God was crucified unto death 14. Hear me O God in the multitude of thy mercies against the multitude of my Sins which require a multitude of mercies to pardon them even in the truth of thy Salvation which on this day was so dearly purchased with the precious Bloud of the Son of God as a Lamb without spot 15. Take me out of the mire of all my sinfull pollutions and of all exorbitant lusts both secular and sensual that I sink not under the weight and pressure of them O let mâ— be delivered from them that hate me meaning chiefly the Devil and his angels and all the enemies of my Soul and out of the deep waters the rising waves of my unruly Passions and the waters of Trouble and Affliction which issue thence 16. Let not the water-floud of iniquity which overflows the face of the earth drown me with the rest of evill-doers neither let the deep swallow me up the deep abyss of Death the wages of Sin and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me so as that I arise not out of the gulph of Sin and Death to the life of Grace and Glory 17. Hear me O Lord for thy loâ—â—â— kindness is comfortable T is the 〈◊〉 and fountain life and soul of 〈◊〉 consolation at all times and in 〈◊〉 conditions both prosperous and adverse turn thee unto me not for any worth that is in me to attract thy loving-kindness but according to the multitude of thy mercies which are ever manifested to all them who truly turn unto thee 18. Hide not thy face from thy servant as angry and displeased for the alienations of my heart from thee and negligence in thy service for I am in trouble troubled for my Sins and frequent back-slidings and the sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit a broken and contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise O haste thee and hear me For if thou make as though thou hearest not I shall be like them that goe down into the pit 19. Draw nigh unto my Soal and save it who for the Salvation of my Soul didst this day humble thy self unto death even the cursed death of the Cross by the Merits and efficacy of which Cross and Passion O deliver me from all mine offences because of mine enemies that they triumph not in my confusion II. Meditations out of the Prophet Isaiah Chap. LIII Verse 4. SVrely he hath born our griefs and carried our serrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed 6. All we like sheep have gone astray and God hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all In the Sufferings of thy Saviour O my Soul thou maiest see as in a glass thine own Deformities and Sins The Great Lord over all Blessed for ever to be reproached reviled scorned contemned and numbred amongst the transgressours discovers thy false and uncharitable Judging Censuring Condemning Evil-speaking Lying and Slandering Railing and Reviling of others The blessed Face of Jesus besmeared with Spittle doth remember thee of all thy unclean Lusts and of all the filthy Communication that has proceeded out of thy mouth His blessed Mouth embittered with Gall and Vinegar doth mind thee of thy Effeminacy and Luxury Drunkenness and Gluttony and his Whipping of thy Stubbornness and Disobedience to the Laws of Heaven The King of Glory to wear a Crown of Thorns and for his Robes of Majesty onely a little Linen to cover his nakedness declares the iniquity of thy Pride and Vain-glory the folly of Gay cloathing and all thy vain and foolish affectation of the Pomps and Vanities of this sinfull World That Crown of Thorns beaten into his Temples with a Reed and much rage discovers the offensive nature of immoderate Cares of the world with the sharp and piercing Vexations issuing thence which eat up the Consolation of the heart and all true sincere Devotion of the spirit O sweetest Jesu let all my Sins be done away through thy Sufferings which did both represent and satisfy for them Let thy Wounds be a Salve for my Sin-wounded Soul and by thy Stripes let her be healed of all her Distempers Let thy Bonds discharge that Bond of malediction and woe wherein my Sins have enwrapt my Soul and let my Obligation to punishment be cancelled by thy Cross Let thy Pains deliver me from the Pains of Hell and thy Labours procure my Rest with the Saints in Heaven Let thy Sorrows purchase the Joys and thy Griefs the Pleasures of thy right hand Let thy Captivity be my Redemption thy Humiliation my Exaltation
Self-examination by the Decalogue or by the Third part of the Vow in Baptism To keep God's Holy Will and Commandments c. CHAP. V. The Examination of Religious actions CHAP. VI. The Examination of Repentance CHAP. VII Considerations with Directions in the Confession of Sin CHAP. VIII A Form of Confession of Sin fitted to the Rules of Self-examination whereunto every one may adde or substract as he finds himself guilty or not guilty CHAP. IX An ancient Form of Confession extant Biblioth Patrum CHAP. X. The Lord's Praier paraphrased CHAP. XI The Seven Penitential Psalms paraphrased CHAP. XII Meditations and Praiers to be partakers of the Merits of what our Blessed Redeemer hath done and suffered for us Pag. 195. l. 26. for Christ's number read this number p. 200. l. 27. for his read this THE PRACTICAL Christian PART I. CHAP. I. Of the great necessity of SELF-EXAMINATION 1. WHosoever believes as a Christian his Soul to be immortall being either entitled to everlasting Joy through Faith and Obedience to the Gospell of Christ or liable to eternall Woe through Disobedience and Misbelief a Joh. 5.28 29. must be very stupid and sottish if he do not frequently examine himself b Psal 4.4 2 Cor. 13.5 Gal. 6.4 whether he may reasonably conclude â—he is in the state of Grace and Salvation or of Sin and of Death the wages whereof c Rom. 6.23 2. That every man should know himself is such a fundamentall principle of true wisedom that wise men of old affirmed Nosce teipsum to be a command immediately derived to the sons of men by a voice from Hea ven as being absolutely necessary to the right guidance of all the actions of humane life upon earth 3. The reasonable Soul were it not debauched by the sensuall appetite and distracted by the hurry of exorbitant desires could not but often remember her self examine and call to mind the Authour and End of her Being the immortality and dignity of her nature what is her errand into this world and how she shall subsist in the world to come what is her chiefest Good and wherein her perfection and felicity consists which cannot be to eat and drink and sleep purchase lands build houses satisfy the lusts of the flesh swell with pride of life She would consider that she is stampt after the Image of God and her Happiness consists in the knowledge love and enjoyment of the Divine Majesty and in the imitation and representation according to her modell of the Perfections of the Godhead But alas vain man being in honour hath no understanding considers not the honour of his being after the Image of his Maker but receives his Divine immortall Soul in vain whilst he follows the sway of his sensuall irrationall appetite and is compared to the beasts that perish d Psal 49.12 4. And well it were for all such inconsiderate and imprudent persons if their Souls were as perishing and mortall as those which animate the beasts of the field But â—o their eternall sorrow 't is far otherwise for there is an account to be given by every man of his immortal Soul and of the Image of God stamped thereupon viz. how this blessed Image hath been either defaced or kept undefiled how it hath been obscured or how shined how deformed or how beautified through all the actions of each man's life For God will bring every work into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evill * Eccles. 12.14 Rom. 2.16 and 14.10 2 Cor. 5.10 5. Upon every man's Examination both in his particular and in the generall Judgment depends his everlasting well-being or undoing for ever each man's condition then shall be unchangeable whether it be of glory or misery They that have done good shall go into everlasting life and they that have done evill into everlasting fire f Matth. 25.46 6. Since this great Triall then shall be upon life and death eternall 't wil be wisely done to try beforehand Such is the advice of the wise Siracides Before judgment examine thy self and in the day of visitation thou shalt find mercy g Ecclus. 18.20 To examine accuse judge and condemn thy self in this life may through the merits of Christ acquit thee in the life to come So saith the Apostle If we would judge our selves we should not be judged h 1 Cor. 11.31 7. Now then sinfull man delay not to pass judgment upon thy self remember that the Great Judge himself hath said it I will reprove thee and set before thee the things that thou hast done i Psal 50.21 Be wise then and prevent this sad and dismall reproof by setting in order before thy self all the Sins of thy life And to this Triall of thy self these following particulars do necessarily concur 1. A Tribunall must be erected and this is not to be without thee but within thee even in thine own heart k 1 Joh. 3.20 21. 2. The Judge to sit upon this Seat of judicature must be thy Reason guided by the Law of the most High wherein beware of a misunderstanding and wresting of the letter of the Law to pass any unjust and partiall sentence upon thy self for that may undoe thee for ever l 2 Pet. 3.16 3. The Witnesses to be produc'd against thee are the Conscience bearing witness and the thoughts the mean while accusing or excusing one another and thus shall it be also in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Christ Jesus m Rom. 2.15 16. 4. The Executioners that stand ready to seize the Criminall are Fear and terrour and an horrible dread overwhelming the Soul n Phil. 2.12 Psal 55.5 These do ever attend 5. Self-condemnation which is an unfeigned and sad acknowledgment to have incurred the dismall Sentence of condemnation to death eternall To prevent which 6. Execution must be done and the bloud of the guilty Soul must be shed 'T is not to be believ'd or hoped that a black diseased Soul should recover its health and beauty after the Image of God except she bleed plentifully bleed in the tears of Compunction and godly sorrow bleed in the Confession of her Sins with an abhorrence of them for the filthiness guilt and danger contracted by them so as for the future to renounce and abjure them for ever 8. Thus to examine judge and condemn thy self is the same Christian duty which is called Repentance without the practice whereof our Lord positively affirms that we are all undone for ever saying Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish o Luk. 13.3 5. And he saith the same words again at the same time and in the same Text recorded 1. to enforce the great necessity of Repentance against all carnall careless self-conceited and seduced persons 2. to manifest his great goodness who would not have any to perish but that all should come to Repentance p 2 Pet. 3.9 9.
by a full confession of them to God and in some cases to Man and that 3. with all contrition and godly sorrow for sin and 4. with a full purpose of amendment Heb. 10.16 17. renewing your covenant with God contracted in the foregoing Sacrament of Baptism and now to be sealed in the Sacrament of Christ's Bloud 4. Have you with all reverence and humility 1 Cor. 6.20 both of Soul and body approached to that Sacrament and have you received the same 1. Ro. 5.1 2. with a lively Faith in the mercies of God through the merits of Christ 2. with all Devotion and thankfulness of heart in the grateful acknowledgment of God's infinite love Joh. 3.16 1 â—im 1.15 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Joh. 6.51 Matt. 5.23 24 25. Isa 12.3 in giving his Son to be both the price of your Redemption and the food of your Soul 3. with an entire and unfeigned Charity towards all men 4. being inwardly affected with a spiritual joy in the Lord 5. After the participation of those divine Mysteries examine 1. whether you feel your former sinful motions sensual and worldly lusts dying and decaying in your heart 2. whether you have any sense of God's mercy refreshing your Soul as to the pardon of your sins past Rom. 14.17 and 3. of Grace quickening and strengthning you to serve God more sincerely and industriously for the time to come If not you may justly suspect your self guilty either of an undue preparation or some sinful defect in the participation thereof And because the Name of God is called not onely upon his Word and Sacraments but also upon the Place where those are administred examine whether you have made your approaches to that House which is called by his Name 1 Cor. 3.17 Ps 93.5 Matt. 21.13 Psal 5.7.132.7 Ps 11.4 Hab 2.20 viz. the Temple of the Lord the house of God c. and demeaned your self therein with that lowly Reverence and Humility both inward and outward as becomes the place that is separate to his service and sanctified by his special presence therein If otherwise remember with horrour if any one defile or profane the Temple of the Lord 1 Cor. 3.17 him shall God destroy for the Temple of God is holy 'T is here objected that the immediate following words which Temple ye are do imply this Text to relate to holy Persons not to any holy Houses of God But 't is answered That this makes not void that duty of holiness which becometh the House of God but rather confirms the same for these words which Temple ye are are an illation or consequence flowing from this which the Apostle takes for an undeniable principle The Temple of God is holy And the plain and full meaning of the whole Verse is in other words briefly this The material Temple or House of God is a figure of the mystical Temple or People of God As therefore the material Temple is an holy place being sanctified to the holy Service of the most Holy God and whosoever profanes the same by irreverent and undecent carriage there him will God destroy so the People of God being his mystical Temple must keep themselves undefiled and pure both in heart and life that God destroy them not The Fourth Commandment Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath-day c. Examination by the Fourth Commandment 1. HAve you wisely distinguished betwixt times sacred and profane Ecclus. 33.7 8 9. by esteeming of such days as are devoted to the service of God in a select and separate respect from such as are common or ordinary days allowed for the service of man 2. Have you not omitted the Christian Duties required to the Sanctification of the Lord's day and of every day holy to the Lord viz. 1. the publick Prayers with Thanksgivings Eph. 5.19 Isa 56.7 the Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs in the Lord's House 2. the offices of Charity Matt. 12.12 Mar. 3.4 Alms-deeds Visiting the sick 3. Have you not profaned any days devoted to God's publick Worship Isa 56.2 Ex. 20.10 by doing such servile works that might be omitted or by going unnecessary journeys Isa 58.13 or by spending the same in idleness or vain sports luxury and wantonness 4. Have you observed not onely the Festival days Joel 1.14 Matt. 6.16 1 Cor. 7.5 Lev. 16.29 30. but also those daies of Fasting and Humiliation which have been observed in all ages of the Church of Christ by the devout people of God and are injoyned by lawful Superiours in order to the obedience we owe to the Commands of God 5. Have you kept the true Christian spiritual Sabbath which is to rest from the service of sin and to be wholly devoted to the service of God here Heb. 4 9 10 11. so that you may reasonably hope to keep an eternall Sabbath of peace and joy with God and all the Chore of Heaven hereafter The Fifth Commandment Honour thy Father and thy Mother c. Examination by the Fifth Commandment THE Christian Duties enjoyned in this Commandment are as many as there are Relations of Superiority and Inferiority amongst men 1. As to your natural Parents Have you not been stubborn and irreverent in your carriage towards them Deut. 21.18 Prov. 20.20 and 23.22 Prov. 30.17 Pro. 1.8 4.1 13.1 Eph. 5.1 Ecclus. 3.12 13. Mar. 7.11 12. Have you not secretly despised them in your heart nor openly published their infirmities Have you not slighted their wholsome admonitions nor disobeyed their lawful commands Have you not neglected to comfort and relieve them to the best of your power and skill in their sickness wants weakness and old age and have you not secretly coveted their estates though by their death 2. If you be a Father or a Mother of Children examine 1. have you taken care to see they were rightly and in due time Baptized 2. Eph. 6.4 that they be taught as soon as they are able to learn what a solemn Vow was made in their name when Baptized with the Principles of Religion implied therein and depending thereupon 3. to correct them for their offences Heb. 12.9 10 11. that they contract not a custom in sin 4. to give them good example 5. to pray for them in private and openly to give them your blessing 6. Ecclus. 3.9 1 Tim. 5.8 to provide for them according to your ability and not to spend in needless riot or otherwise what ought to have been reserv'd for their maintenance 3. As to your civil Father 1 Pet. 2.13 14. Jud. 8. Pet. 2.10 11. Rom. 13.6 Tit. 3.1 Rom. 13.1 2. Pro. 24.21 Eccles. 10.20 who is the King as Supreme have you not been censorious and malapert in judging and traducing him or his government Have you not grudged to pay him toll or tribute refused to obey his lawful commands had no hand in rising up against him nor contributed thereunto by sowing sedition and faction spreading
service of thy great Name And though thus and more ways then thus in more respects then I can possibly conceive or remember I have profaned thy Holy Name yet is thy Name called upon me and I do daily call upon thy Name I do therefore humbly beg For thy Name 's sake O Lord be merciful unto my sin for it is great Many of those Days and hours Sins against the Fourth Commandment times and seasons dedicated to thy Divine Worship publick and private have I profan'd and unhallowed making no difference either by my words or works betwixt Daies separate to the sacred Service of God and such as are left in common for the service of our selves I have too often absented my self from thy solemn publick Worship without sufficient cause and have too carelesly irreverently and indevoutly demeaned my self therein I have mis-spent much of the time assigned for holy Exercises in following my own private business satisfying my sensful lusts pursuing the pleasures and interests of this present world spending upon such daies in luxury riot and excess what might better have been laid out in Alms and Charitable uses The whole course of my life which thou grantedst me to be spent in thy service here that I might advance my hopes of Heaven hereafter I have foolishly thrown away upon my lusts and vanities continually grieving thy good Spirit quenching those sacred flames he hath enkindled in my breast never ceasing from the works of sin but daily labouring to destroy my hopes to keep a perpetual Sabbath in Heaven O God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my eyes to Heaven for mine iniquities are increased over mine head and my trespass is gone up unto the Heavens Sins against the Second Table of the Law O Most just and dear God Sins against the Fifth Commandment I humbly confess my self not onely to have broken the bonds of that love fear and service I owe unto thee but I have also transgrest my duty in all my Relations unto others I have been disobedient to my Parents Against Parents stubborn and disrespective in my carriage towards them I have sometimes secretly despised them in my heart and openly reviled them I have slighted their admonitions thinking my self too good to own them too wise to obey their commands I have not to the best of my power comforted and relieved them in their wants and weaknesses sorrows and sicknesses and I have too often wished for their death that I might enjoy their estate and follow the sway of my own corrupt humour and inclinations God be merciful to me a sinner I have not been careful Against Children either my self to instruct my Children or to see they were by others instructed in the Principles of holy and true Religion I have been more careful for their temporal then spiritual estate for the health of their Bodies then for the Salvation of their Souls not wisely admonishing discreetly correcting and seasonably reproving them and by my good example teaching them the ways of Truth and Holiness God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner Against the King I have been too disobedient to my Prince too censorious and malapert in traducing his Person and Conversation his Government and the Governours under his Majesty I have murmured to pay him Toll and Tribute and refused to obey many of his Laws and lawful Commands I had too deep a hand in the Rebellion against the late King of blessed memory by my many personal sins provoking the wrath of God by entertaining false opinions by believing and spreading lies and infamous stories God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have not made conscience to obey the Laws and Orders of thy Church Against the Church whether universal or particular not acknowledging or not submitting to the authority of either and am justly to be therefore rankt amongst Publicans and Sinners My Ghostly Fathers and the Ministers thereof in the several Orders of Bishop Priest and Deacon I have disbelieved disrespected disobeyed despised them in their Persons in their Callings in their Admonitions for my Soul's health And I have also detained diminished defrauded and grudingly paid the Dues of the Church God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner Amongst the Ministers of the Gospel I have had respect of persons being better pleased with a stranger then with my own lawful Pastour better pleased with the Factious and Schismatical then with the Orthodox and Regular Clergy better pleased with Preachers that tickle the itching ear then with such as feed the Soul with sound and wholsom Doctrine I have hated him that reproveth in the gate I have hardened my heart and refused when admonished to return from the Errours of my ways God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner Towards all my Superiours I have been too haughty and disrespectful Against all men in their relations and conditions both in my carriage towards them and speeches of them I have not honoured the aged and admonished the younger and less experienc'd Towards all men my deportment has been too churlish and ungentle not so meek and lowly not so courteous and affable as becomes the spirit of a true Christian I have been proud and vain-glorious stubborn and disobedient slighting contemning deriding others giving rash judgment but have been impatient my self of scorn or of a just reproof not enduring to be slighted and yet extremely deserving it God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have not ordered aright the members of my Family or my Servant Sins of Masters of Fandlies or Servants been too remiss in my care for their instruction and for their daily attendance upon the publick Worship of God preferring their attendance upon me and their service in my worldly concerns before the great concernment and interest of their own Souls Salvation in the service of thy Sacred Majesty I have detained or curtail'd their wages murmuring to give them their due provoked their spirits exacted too hard duty from them and too superciliously lorded it over them God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have oftentimes disobeyed And of Servants and murmured to obey my Master's commands I have not been so lowly and submissive in my demeanour towards him so just and honest in the management of his affairs as becomes a good and faithful Servant Have mercy upon me O God after thy great goodness and according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences through Jesus Christ I have been hainously and frequently guilty of immoderate Anger Sins against the Sixth Commandment Immoderate Anger in the heart in word and deed been peevish and disquieted at trifles at slight miscarriages of others and inconsiderable accidents about me My Anger hath often swelled into wrath and fury broken out into bitter railing and cursing opprobrious speeches to such and such mindful of wrongs forgetful of benefits going to law with such and such
opprobrious language I have transgrest the precepts of thy Gospell injoyning me to feed the hungry clothe the naked visit the sick I have been unjust in detaining the Dues of thy Church and in the dispensation of Ecclesiasticall goods in the contracts of Usury bargaining and sale over-reaching lying withholding what has been more or less righteous and just I have not attended upon thy publick and solemn Worship upon Sundays and Holidays devoted thereunto I have not behaved my self upon such days soberly righteously and godly I have approached and come into thy House without that reverence and godly fear which becometh that Sacred place and there I have demeaned my self unseemly sitting standing leaning lolling and staring about when the respective parts of thy Sacred Service required more humble and devout gestures and behaviour I have entertained vain idle wandering thoughts and intermingled unprofitable wanton worldly talk in the time of thy solemn Worship I have unhallowed many holy things many holy actions by using the same as common and unclean and with unclean hands and an impure conscience I have not joyned with a right understanding and devotion in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs publick Praiers and other the sacred acts of Religious Worship too often speaking with my lips cursorily and customarily whilst my heart hath been roving by evill imaginations and false suspicions judging rashly of what is sacred and holy when transcending my shallow capacity I have sinned by perverse reasonings against the Truth because either above my understanding or not agreeable with my will by consenting and not reproving the sinfull by not instructing the ignorant not reducing the erroneous not admonishing not exhorting such as have gone astray to entertain more sound and sober counsells I have not reverenced my Superiours I have both defamed and disobeyed my Governours Ecclesiasticall and Civil neither have I repayed to my friends and benefactours such gratefull acknowledgments and due obsequiousness as becometh I have entertained in my heart many loose and unchast thoughts and filthy lusts and have looked upon the carnal copulation and intermixture of beasts with an unclean delectation of mind I have been guilty of much superfluous and opprobrious language of lying and slandering of falsehoods and flatteries of railing and reviling of scurrilous and vain jangling of profane and irreligious speaking and customary swearing of taking unlawfull oaths of much filthy communication and of all the evills of an untamed tongue the instrument of a corrupt heart I have even renounced the Covenant of my God by not renouncing the Devil and all his works I have too often yielded to his suggestions to disobey the will of God and to transgress his Commandments in the breach of my Duty both towards God and Man And thus I have sinned both in my thoughts and desires in my words and actions by seeing hearing tasting touching smelling even all my Senses have been as so many windows to let in Sin to my Soul and Death by Sin And not onely thus but in all kinds of Vice whereunto humane frailty is liable or in whatever any dissolute and debauched person doth or can offend have I offended the Great Lord of Heaven and earth And I acknowledge my self above all the men in the world to be the greatest of Sinners Have mercy upon me Almighty and most mercifull Father for thy Son my Lord Jesus Christ his sake pardon and deliver me from all mine offences confirm and strengthen me in all goodness and bring me to everlasting life through Jesus Christ Psalm 6. O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger Psal 32. Blessed is he whose unrighteousness is forgiven Psal 38. Put me not to rebuke O Lord Psal 51. Have mercy upon me O God Psal 102. Hear my praier O Lord and let my crying Psal 130. Out of the deeps have I called unto Psal 143. Hear my praier O Lord and consider Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name the world to come through Jesus Christ III. O mercifull Lord to whom chiefly it appertaineth to forgive sins and by whom alone the Souls of true Penitents are absolved from all their offences wash me O wash my unclean Soul in the fountain of thine inexhaustible mercy through faith in the bloud of my dear Redeemer Jesus Christ IV. Look down from Heaven O Lord with the eye of pity and compassion upon thy humble servant confessing his wickedness and being sorry for his sins imploring withall thy pardon and trusting alone in thy mercics through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ V. Be propitious O Lord we humbly beseech thee be propitious to the praiers and supplications of thy humble servants and grant that the remission of our sins being obtained we may evermore rejoyce in thy heavenly benediction through Jesus Christ CHAP. X. The Lord's Praier paraphrased Praefat. ad Orat. Domin ex Lit. Mozarab Ad te pervenire cupimus Domine per Christum qui apud te factus est Advocatus noster Orationem quam ipso Domino instruente didicimus ad te introire permittas proclamantes è terris PATER NOSTER QVIES IN COELIS OVR Father 1. The Preface as we have a Being with all things by Creation and Providence 2. as we are reasonable creatures with Men and Angels by Representation and Likeness 3. as we are Christians by Adoption and Grace Which art in Heaven by thy Majesty and great Glory in earth by thy Mercy and good Providence and in all things both in Heaven and earth by thy essential Presence Thou O Lord art more ready to hear then we are to pray and art wont to give more then we desire or deserve as being our Father and though daily provok'd by our sins yet still our Father and thou art able to doe exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think as being in Heaven And to Heaven vouchsafe to raise up our immortal Souls Let them not cleave to the dust of worldly vanities since we have a Father in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Petition 1 O that all the Nations whom thou hast made would come and worship thee and glorifie thy Name which is great wonderful and holy but more especially may thy ever-blessed Name be magnified by me and by all people who have thy Name call'd upon us in all our thoughts words and deeds manifesting that reverence and godly fear that divine love and filial obedience we owe unto thee Our Father which art in Heaven Thy Kingdom come Petit. 2 Maiest thou rule and reign in all the affections of our hearts and over all the actions of our lives swaying thy Sceptre of Righteousness by thy Holy Word and Spirit to the destruction of the Kingdom of Sin and Satan And may we all live in obedience of thy most holy Laws and continue such loyal and faithful subjects of thy Kingdom of Grace in this life that we may become Saints in thy Kingdome of Glory in the life to come Thy
in justice to cast down and thy remembrance throughout all generations Thy gracious promises both of the life that now is and of that which is to come are in all ages remembred to thy praise and glory 13. Thou shalt arise to redeem deliver and defend and have mercy upon Sion thy Church militant here upon earth for it is time that thou have mercy upon her the time of this life is the seasonable time of mercy because it is a time of misery yea the time is come even the fulness of time is compleated of our Redemption and Salvation 14. And why thy servants think upon her stones both Angels and Saints resent with much regret the dispersed members of thy Church and it pitieth them to see her in the dust they pity her distractions and confusions and have great desires to succour and relieve her 15. The heathen shall fear thy name O Lord which now they blaspheme but being converted from their Idolatries and from all the errours of their ways they shall with us adore the blessed and saving Name of Jesus and all the Kings of the earth thy majesty being converted unto thee they shall in all humility confess the greatness of thy Majesty far to transcend their greatest power and glory 16. When the Lord shall build up Sion repair the breaches of his Church and settle it upon the foundation of Prophets and Apostles and when his glory shall appear the glory of his great grace shall manifest it self in the edification and support of his Church upon the pillars of Truth and Peace 17. When he turneth him to the prayer of the poor destitute For his ears are ever open to the prayers of the humble and poor in spirit and such as be destitute of all exteriour consolations and despiseth not their desire when flowing from a true Faith and enfir'd with Charity and Devotion 18. This shall be written for those that come after That the succeeding people of God under the Gospel may have upon record the wondrous works of God under the Law and the people that shall be born regenerate and born anew of water and of the Holy Ghost shall praise the Lord. for the grace of Redemption and great mercy attain'd 19. For he hath looked down from his Sanctuary God the Son from the bosom of his Father above looked down with the eye of his mercy upon us miserable sinners here below out of heaven did the Lord behold the earth when the King of Heaven descended upon earth when the day-spring on high came down to visit us when the Word was made flesh for the building up of Sion 20. That he might hear the mourning of such as are in captivity groaning under the bonds and chains of their sins and deliver out of the gulf of sin and clutches of Satan the children appointed unto death as the due wages of sin 21. That they may declare the name of the Lord in Sion being delivered from the sad condition of being the children of the Devil in the vast womb of this wicked world to be the children of God in the sacred womb of their Mother the Church they might therein and therefore extoll the great Name of God and his worship at Hierusalem promote and advance the holy Worship of God in his Church and unanimously joyn therein together to the glory of his Name 22. When the people are gathered together When the people of God dispersed through the world shall be nevertheless joyned together in the unity of the true Faith enlivened by divine Charity and the kingdoms also to serve the Lord. when both the Kings and the people of their dominion assemble together and joyn with one heart and one mouth in the publick Worship of God then shall the Name of the Lord be magnified in Sion 23. He brought down my strength in my journey In the mean time whilst I walk in the way of Repentance my strength is decayed and he hath shortned my days of health and outward prosperity that I may apply my heart unto wisedom 24. But I said addressing my self unto God by Prayer O my God the God of my life of my health of my joy my God and my all take me not away in the midst of mine age before the natural course of my life expire as for thy years they endure throughout all generations being from everlasting to everlasting in respect of whose duration the years of my life are nothing and therefore I humbly beg they may not be shortned through the violence of thy afflicting hand 25. Thou Lord who art without beginning in the beginning of time hast laid the foundations of the earth which is the centre of this visible World and the heavens are the works of thy hands both the Heavens and the earth and all things visible and invisible are of thy Creation 26. They shall perish as having their beginning in time but thou shalt endure as being from all eternity and through all the changes of created beings remaining in thy self unchangeable 27. They all shall wax old as doth a garment which is worse for the wearing and as avesture shalt thou change them from their present state and condition and they shall be changed in their qualities and operations But thou art the same in thy self immutable and thy years shalt not fail or rather being not liable at all to any term of years but without either beginning or end of Time 28. The children of thy servants if they follow the steps of their godly Fathers in the sacred service of God shall continue in the land of the living being translated from the life of Grace to the life of Glory and their seed of good works the issue of their true faith shall stand fast in thy sight being treasured up in Heaven where no moth or rust corrupteth Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning Psalm CXXX Verse 1. OVT of the depths both of my sins and sufferings and out of the depth of my heart wounded with godly sorrow for my sins have I called as Jonas out of the whale's belly so do I lift up my voice in praier to be delivered from the power of the Devil unto thee O Lord with whom alone is power to help and save me Lord hear my voice in my prayers which I make before thee 2. O let thine ears which are not corporeal but wholly spiritual and therefore more quick andintense to consider well the voice of my complaint be intent to release me of my sins under the weight whereof my Soul complains 3. If thou Lord to whom no secrets are hid wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss so as to take notice of all our faults and failings and punish us accordingly O Lord who may abide it There is none so exactly righteous and holy as to abide the strict scrutiny of thy vindicative justice since every sin from which none is free is in respect of the person offended
by a timely true Repentance and Amendment that sad and dismall sentence at the last Day Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire h Matt. 25.41 4. Disobedience to these commands of our Lord in the neglect of this Blessed Sacrament doth declare every such person so neglecting whatever his excuses may be 1. in generall that he is more in love with his Sins then with his Saviour with the errours of his ways then with the Truth that is in Jesus i Eph. 4.21 or 2. more particularly that he prefers either his sloth and negligence or his enmity and maliciousness or his temporall concerns and covetousness or in a word some secular or sensual lust before the purification of his Soul in the Bloud of Christ and its nourishment to life eternall 5. He disobeys the commands slights the orders contemns the discipline of Christ's Church makes no conscience of conforming to the practice of and of holding communion with all sound and orthodox Members of Christ but rather implies nay openly declares that he is none of Christ's number but separate and divided from Christ's mysticall Body which is the Church k Col. 1.24 and consequently not quickened with his Spirit for these two are inseparable one Body the Church and one Spirit l Eph. 4.4 viz. of truth and holiness which quickeneth this one Body and this alone The guilt of any which particulars is so inconsistent with the state of true Christianity that there is no person who reads and seriously considers them can reasonably call himself a Member of Christ or acceptably call upon God as such and yet still continue his neglect of this Blessed Sacrament 6. And this amongst others is one of the greatest causes of so great a decay of Piety of so much dulness and deadness of heart in all Religious performances of so much averseness from the publick Worship of God in his House of prayer and of so much irreverence and profaneness therein 'T is the cause of so many spiritual diseases in the Souls of men of so much weakness against Temptations of so much wavering in opinion of so many Errours Schisms Factions even because the Souls of all such are not fed nourished strengthned and refreshed quickned and confirmed with the precious Body and Bloud of Christ the which being rightly and reverently received illuminates the Understanding purifies the Will cleanses the Heart rectifies the Affections and renders the whole Man apt and active to every good work of the Lord. II. The Second general Duty in order to this Holy Sacrament is To use all possible means and endeavours to receive the same worthily There will need no other Reasons to enforce this Duty then the terrour of those known words of the Apostle He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself And this Unworthiness consists in not discerning the Lord's Body as it immediately follows m 1 Cor. 11.29 Here then every man that hath any care of his Soul will desire to know what it is not to discern the Lord's Body which makes a man liable to Damnation by being an unworthy Communicant at the Lord's Table To understand this fully and clearly we must use the light of a distinction For there is a threefold Body of Christ abstracted from that of his personal subsistence as Man of a reasonable Soul and humane Flesh subsisting viz. 1. Mystical 2. Doctrinal 3. Sacramental And not to discern the Lord's Body in any of these three meanings thereof makes unworthie Receivers 1. The Mystical Body of Christ is his Church n Eph. 1.22 23. Col. 1.24 And he discerns not this Body of Christ who rightly believes not the Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints 'T is one of the names whereby this Holy Sacrament is called The Holy Communion excluding thence as unworthy all that are not within the Pale and Communion of Christ's Church both Unbelievers and Misbelievers Hereticks and Schismaticks all disobedient factious contentious spirits with all sorts of Separatists from the Church of Christ whether in Faith or Charity Doctrine or Worship For all worthy Communicants being many are one Body in Christ and every one Members one of another o Rom. 12.5 1 Cor. 12.12 13. 2. The Doctrinal Body of Christ is the Doctrine of Christianity or the Body of Faith wherein all found orthodox Christians do agree and are united as Members of the foresaid Mystical Body of Christ the Church which is therefore called the common Faith p Tit. 1.4 and 't is that Faith which was once given to or rather by the Saints q Jude v. 3. the holy Apostles of our Lord. He discerns not this Body of the Lord who understands not the Principles of his Religion which are summed up in the Vow or Covenant which every person rightly Christned hath made with God in his Baptism the positive parts whereof besides the negative are 1. the Apostles Creed 2. the Ten Commandments with what is implied therein and depends thereupon viz. 3. the Lord's Praier and 4. the Doctrine of the Sacraments Not to know these general Heads of Religion which be plainly and fully delivered in the Church-Catechism or having learned them by heart when Children not frequently to remember and consider them when come to age so as to understand and hold them fast as the Essentials of Christianity is the second general kind of Unworthiness of the Lord's Supper from whence all ignorant and careless foolish and sottish persons are excluded r Jer. 24.7 Heb. 8.11 with all such as hold not fast the first Principles of the Oracles of God †Heb. 5.12 3. The Sacramental Body of Christ is the consecrated Elements of Bread and Wine in the Sacrament This is expresly affirmed by our Lord saying This is my Body This is my Bloud Who then dare say as the Fathers frequently observe This is not his Body but a Figure of his Body onely He discerns not this Body of our Lord 1. who sees not with the eye of Faith Christ really present under the Species of Bread and Wine though he conceive not the manner thereof who doth not with all gratefull acknowledgment and divine love and with the greatest humility and devotion adore the infinite wisedom power mercy goodness and condescension of this Presence of our Lord not curiously questioning much less pragmatically defining the way and manner of his Presence as being deeply mysterious and inconceivable Those old Verses expressing the Faith of the wifest of our first Reformers may satisfy every modest humble and sober-minded good Christian in his great Mystery of godliness It was the Lord that spake it He took the Bread and brake it And what the Word did make it So I believe and take it 2. He discerns not this Sacramental Body of the Lord who knows not in some measure the nature ends uses and benefits of this Sacrament with what is required of them that come thereunto All
which being plainly fully and yet very briefly taught in our Church-Catechism to be therefore ignorant of these things which every Child is bound to learn and say is another Species of an unworthy Communicant 3. He discerns not this Sacramental Body of the Lord who prepares not himself to receive the same with all reverence and godly fear t Heb. 12.28 with hands washed in innocency v Psal 26.6 and into a pure and clean heart x Isa 1.16 Psal 24.4 into a Soul cleansed from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit y 2 Cor. 7.1 and perfumed as was our Lord's crucified Body with the sweet odours of Humility and Compunction of Love and Devotion of Obedience and Charity And hereunto all the parts and kinds of true Repentance do necessarily concur for there can be no cleanness of hands no purity of heart if the naturally stiff and proud heart be not first humbled and its stifness broken with godly sorrow for sin and its filthiness washed off with the devout tears of true Penitence through Faith in the bloud of Christ And he that receives Christ's Holy Body and Bloud into his Soul not first emptied of all his Sins by holy Faith and all the sacred offices of true Repentance doth with Judas betray his Master into the hands of his enemies even those very enemies which crucified him for those were our Sins And therefore 't is said of such unworthy Receivers that they are guilty of the Body and Bloud of Christ To avoid such a horrid Sin 1 Cor. 11.27 and Damnation following the same v. 29. betwixt both Verses 't is commanded v. 28. Let a man examine himself and so let him eat Self-examination as 't is in the former Leaves prescribed to be practised is the first and the greatest Duty and requires the most of spiritual labour care and industry of all that is required to the worthy Receiving of the Holy Communion And this because 't is not onely necessary in it self but necessarily conducing to the sincere performance of all the other Religious Duties commanded Our Repentance in all its parts our Humiliation and godly Sorrow for sin our holy Purposes and Resolves of amendment our Faith our Hope our Charity must be examined that they be sincere and without hypocrisy And therefore it is that this Duty is commanded by the Apostle as if it were alone sufficient when sincerely performed to make us acceptable Guests at the Lord's Table saying Let a man examine himself and so let him eat And indeed this so great so necessary a Duty is as greatly extolled and withall pretended unto by most men especially such as talk much of their Religion but practise little 'T is generally the pretence and the plea of such who cry up Self-examination to cry down the Sacerdotal power and function to withdraw themselves from under the guidance and examination of their respective Pastours whose Instructions being not received or observed but so far forth as to every man seemeth good in his own eyes is the great reason why this grand Duty is so generally neglected or negligently performed The which is manifest 1. From the numerous company of those who make no conscience of coming to the Holy Communion when invited 'T is not possible that men otherwise prudent as to their worldly concerns should yet be so sottish so retchless so stupidly careless of their eternal health and happiness did they ever seriously examine and consider the state and condition of their Souls But whilst they know not themselves in their spiritual wants weakness and wickedness how can they have any desire much lesse a delight to come to the fountain of mercy truth and holiness z Wisedom 2 21 22. Matt. 5.6 'T is the reason 2. Why many persons having received the Sacrament but feeling no virtue no efficacy no power of grace no consolation flowing from these celestral Mysteries of Salvation have therefore afterwards slighted and neglected the same For whilst their ignorances and errours whether in opinion or practice for want of due Examination appeared not unto them that Sun of Righteousness shined not into their hearts who appears not but through the windows and the openings of broken hearts and displayed consciences a Wised 5.6 And besides such is the corrupt nature of all finfulness and vice that if the leaven thereof be not narrowly searched out and abandoned it will sour the Bread of life and make it without any tast of sweetness to the Soul b 1 Cor. 5.7 8. 'T is the reason 3. Why many persons have by the receiving of that Blessed Sacrament been more hardened in their sins and in the errours of their ways For errours in judgment and offences in conversation which are the soars and diseases of the Soul being not searched to the bottom and salved by Repentance and the acknowledgement of the Truth c 2 Tim. 2.25 do change the spiritual food and nourishment of the Soul into the poison thereof whereby what was ordained unto life is found unto death d Rom. 7.10 CHAP. II. Meditations and Praiers preparatory to the Holy Communion the Week before THE truly sincere good Christian whose Faith is not in Fancy or Opinion or Presumption or consisting in word and tongue alone but in deed and in truth who desires truly to serve God and to honour and obey him with his whole heart and through his whole life every such qualified Christian will as soon as he hath notice given by his Pastour of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to be administred seriously apply himself to the great work of fitting preparing and ordering his Soul for the joyfull and devout entertainment of his Blessed Redeemer thereinto In order to such a Blessed work 't will be very usefull and advantageous the whole Week foregoing to adde to your daily Praiers and Meditations these or the like following Collects with the Psalms ensuing I. Almighty God our heavenly Father who of thy tender mercy didst give thine onely Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the Cross for our Redemption and hast commanded us to continue a perpetual memory of that his precious Death untill his comiong again Hear me O mercifull Father I most humbly beseech thee and grant that I may with that right Understandingâ— true Faith sincere Repentance deep Humility and fervent Charity receive the Sacrament of my dear Saviour's Death accoridng to his institution and command that I may be made partaker of all the benefits of his Passion to the justification sanctification and eternal Salvation of my Soul through the same Jesus Christ II. I will not presume to approach thine Altar O Lord trusting in mine own Righteousness but in thy manifold and great Mercies I am not worthy to gather up the crums that fall from thy Table for I am an unclean creature to whom the Childrens bread belongs not having too often returned to my old Sins as the dog to his vomit But
into Egypt to return into thy countrey to be subject to thy parents to be baptized by John to be afflicted with a forty days fast and thrice to be tempted of the Devil to be wearied with journeys and macerated by hunger and thirst and watchings to be tired with preaching to weep for compassion to be rejected of the Jews and frequently abused by them Thy Passion approaching thou vouchsafedst to be heavy and exceeding sorrowful to pray not onely with bended knees but thrice to fall upon thy face to be in a bitter Agony and to sweat drops of bloud to be betrayed by Judas with a deceitful kiss to be apprehended by the Jews and bound as a thief to be left desolate and alone for all thy Disciples forsook thee and fled To be led to Annas the High-priest first and there to be buffeted to be sent by him bound to Caiaphas and there to be many ways derided to be brought before the council of the Jews and there to be falsely accused and condemned to have thy face polluted with spittings to be provok'd by manifold reproâ—ches to be scorned and blasphemed and again smitten on the face and buffeted to be delivered bound unto Pilate and before him vehemently accused unto death and by him to be sent unto Herod and there to be calumniated and set at nought by him and his men of war to be arrayed in white and sent back unto Pilate by his command to be bound to a pillar and cruelly scourged unto bloud to be by him condemned and delivered up to the souldiers to be crucified by whom thou wast mockt with a purple garment and pierced with a Crown of thorns derided with a Reed in stead of a Regal sceptre and with bowing of knees named in contempt The King of the Jews again the third time bespatter'd with spittle and buffeted and beaten with a Reed on thy head laden with the weight of thy Cross and led away to the place of thy Passion there again stript naked of thy garments and profered to drink Gall mingled with Myrrh At last thou wast extended on the Cross thy hands and feet transfixed with nails crucified amongst thieves numbred amongst transgressours blasphemed both by them that stood by and by them that passed by and in the extremity of thy sufferings criedst out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Thy head bowed down thou didst give up the ghost and thy Side was pierced by a Souldier whence issued both water and bloud Taken down from the Cross and buried by Joseph the third day thou didst rise again and appear to thy disciples The fortieth day thou ascendedst into Heaven and sitting on the right hand of God the Father thou didst send down the promise of the Holy Ghost upon thy blessed Apostles and Disciples and shalt come again to Judgment to render to all men according to their works done in the body whether they be good or whether they be evil O Blessed Lord Jesus by all these thy most sacred Sufferings by thy bitter death and most precious bloud shed for us and by all things foretold of thee and fulfill'd by thee vouchsafe in great mercy to deliver me a sordid sinner with all my friends and enemies parents brothers sisters all that are poor and desolate tempted and afflicted bound and imprison'd with all Christian people From all our tribulations and distresses from the snares of the Devil from the bonds and chains of our Sins and from all evils both of Soul and body good Lord deliver save and defend us All our imaginations and actions vouchsafe so to dispose and order that they may be acceptable unto thee fill us with thy grace and with holy peace and with all vertue and grant us herein to persevere even unto death that making a good end of this present life thou mayst bring us to eternal life in thy celestial Kingdom where thou livest and reignest CHAP. VI. Saint Gregorie 's Praiers upon the Passion of Christ I. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus hanging upon the Cross and bearing on thy venerable head a Crown of Thorns and I humbly beg by thy Cross to be delivered from the destroying Angel II. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus Christ expanded on the Cross with five great wounds in thy nailed hands and feet and pierced side and I humbly beg that thy dire and gastly wounds may be a healing remedy to my sin-sick Soul III. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus panting under the sad weight of the sins of the world and I humbly beg by that unconceivable bitterness of sorrow thy innocent Soul suffered in that moment when it left the body have mercy upon my Soul in the memert of her departure hence IV. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus laid in the Sepulchre and anointed with Myrrh and Aloes and I humbly beg that thy death may be the life of my Soul V. O Save Holy Jesus the good Shepherd who laid down his life for his Sheep save and preserve the righteous call home the wicked justifie the penitent have mercy upon all true believers and upon me a miserable sinner Amen CHAP. VII The Form of Praier used by our Lord upon the Cross viz. the XXII Psalm paraphrased Verse 1. MY God my God So prayed my dear Redeemer hanging upon the Cross the gemination of his words expressing both the great Devotion and also the bitter Anguish of his Soul look upon me imploring divine commiseration and assistence in the sufferings of his humane nature why hast thou forsaken me That 's the height of sorrow and suffering to be therein forsaken as if the personall union of his divine and humane nature were dissolved and art so far from my health not affording the least mitigation of my tormenting pains or consolation therein and from the words of my complaint or the voice of my roaring for with strong crying and tears I offer up my prayers and supplications a Heb. 5.7 2. O my God I will never cease to call thee so though now thine indignation for the sins of the world lieth heavy upon me so that though I cry in the day-time in the which I suffer the torments of crucifixion yet thou hearest not so as to deliver me from them and in the night-season also when I was in a bitter agony sweating drops of bloud under the pressure of the Sins of men and thy wrath for them in both seasons and sad sufferings I take no rest no ease of my Soul's sorrows no cessation of my bodily torments 3. And thou continuest holy just and faithfull in all thy promises of mercy to the miserable or thou dwellest in thy holy one in this holy and innocent body of mine though nailed to the cross So we reade God was in Christ reconciling the world b 2 Cor. 5.19 O thou worship of Israel who hast so often delivered thy people and been made both the subject matter of their prayers and praises and onely object of
shalt make his Soul an offering for Sin he shall see his seed k Isa 53.10 even the fruits of his Passion devout Believers who shall serve him or keep his holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of their life they shall be counted unto the Lord for a generation being regenerated by Water and the Holy Ghost in Baptism whereby they are made Members of Christ Children of God and Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven 32. They shall come being admitted into the glorious Communion of his blessed Saints and the Heavens both above and below both the Church Triumphant and Militant shall declare his righteousness His Mercies promised and performed in the Redemption of the world shall be proclaimed to all succeeding generations to a people that shall be born new born in and through all the Ages of the Church whom the Lord hath made his own peculiar people whose mouths are filled with his praise for ever saying Glory be to God the Father As it was in the beginning In the Greek Liturgy the people pray in the words of the Thief upon the Cross Lord remember us in thy Kingdom The Priest answers God be mindful of every one of us in his Kingdom both now and always for ever and ever Amen In the Mozarabick Liturgy I. By the wood of a Tree was Adam banished out of Paradise and from the Tree of wood the Cross the Thief that was crucified with our Lord ascended into Paradise The one by eating the forbidden Fruit transgrest the Law of his Maker the other confessed Christ in his Crucifixion to be the Lord of Heaven saying Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom II. Grant unto us O Lord the Repentance of the Thief upon the Cross and grant that we may with the like Faith call upon thee our Lord of great and much mercy saying Lord remember us in thy Kingdom III. Lord thou hast made us in the image of thine ineffable Glory which we have much defaced by the black marks of our many Falls have mercy upon the work of thine hands sanctify us of thy great goodness and restore us to our much-desired Country the celestial Paradise Lord remember us in thy Kingdom CHAP. VIII Meditations and Praiers preparatory to the Blessed Sacrament on Saturday-night or Sunday-morning before I. THOU art now invited O my Soul to such a Banquet as Heaven and Earth affords not the like 'T is the precious Body and Bloud of thy dear Redeemer which he first gave to be the price of thy Redemption and now gives again to be thy food and nourishment Teach me O Lord by thy Holy Spirit Out of St. Ambrose to understand and believe and ever to conceive and speak of those great and wonderful Mysteries and this day to receive the same with that Faith and Esteem Humility and Contrition holy Desires and Resolutions Reverence and Devotion as may please thee and conduce to my Soul's Salvation Empty my heart of all vain idle wandring Thoughts and of all filthy and unfruitfull Lusts Take from me this Heart of stone and give me an heart of flesh a soft and melting heart to fear thee love thee honour thee delight in thee and so to follow thee that I may be for ever happy in the enjoyment of thee II. O Holy crucified Jesus Out of St. Aug. Man ca. 11. I humbly beg by that sacred effusion of thy most precious Blead give unto thy Servant the effusion of Tears with compunction of spirit when I approach thine Altar to partake of that celestial Sacrament worthy of all Reverence and the most inflamed Devotion which thou O Lord God didst institute and command to be received in commemoration of thine infinite Love in dying for us and for the reparations of our manifold infirmities and daily failings Grant me Blessed Lord Out of T. Aquin. not onely to receive that Sacrament in the outward Elements but in the virtue and power thereof not Bread and Wine alone but the Body and Bloud of my Jesus to the Remission of all my Sins and to all other the Benefits of his Death and Passion for me III. The whole need not a Physician Out of T. Aquin. but they that are sick And such am I a diseased sin-sick Soul and as sick I now go to my Physician as a Sinner to the Redeemer of fallen Man as miserable to the Father of Mercy as unclean to the fountain of Purity as poor and needy to the Lord of all Bounty as blind and ignorant to the Brightness and splendour of Spirits as infirm and weak to the Strength of Israel And oh that it may please thee to enlighten my Darkness to heal all my Infirmities to inrich my Poverty to strengthen my Weakness to wash away all my Uncleanness and by the Communion of thy precious Body and Bloud to cleanse me from all Filthiness both of flesh and spirit that I may perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. IV. Thou didst offer up thy self Out of Tho. a Kempis Blessed Jesus even thy whole self upon the Altar of the Cross a Sacrifice for my Sins no Member of thy Body not tormented no Power of thy Soul not sacrificed no Drop of thy Bloud not shed for me a miserable Sinner 'T is therefore most just and meet and my bounden Duty that I should offer up my self my whole self to thee and to thy service for I am not mine own being bought with a price and such a price as transcends the value of all that the whole Heavens and Earth afford beside Whatever I offer unto thee O Lord though it be all that I do enjoy in the world with my Praiers for all it will not be accepted without the offering of my self for 't is not mine but me not all that is without me but all that is within me thou requirest as the price of thy self to be enjoyed Receive me O Lord in the devout Participation of thy most holy Body and Bloud whereunto I am now invited Guard me O Lord with the pious custody and strong defence of thy holy Angels invisibly present and assistent in the transaction of those tremend Mysteries of Godliness and Salvation that the enemies of all that is holy and good may be thence driven back with shame and confusion In all the holy Actions of that sacred celestial Service make me sensible of the sweetness of thy presence with me that I may taste and see how gracious the Lord is a Psal 34.8 be satisfied with the plenteousness of thy house and drink of thy pleasures as out of a river For with thee is the Well of life and in thy light shall we see light b Psal 36.8 9. O send out thy light and thy truth that they may lead me and bring me to thy holy hill and to thy dwelling and that I may goe unto the Altar of God even the God of my joy and gladness and upon the
harp with my heart will I give thanks unto thee O God my God c Psal 43.3 4. The CXI Psalm Verse 1. I Will give thanks unto thee O Lord with my whole heart a God must be worshipped not with the lips alone nor alone in the closet but both with heart and voice both secretly and in the Congregation secretly among the faithfull and in the congregation b not in the Conventicles of Hereticks and Schismaticks but in the Congregation of the faithfull 2. The works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein c whose delight it is to study and meditate upon the greatness of God apparent in his works 3. His work is worthy to be praised and had in honour and his righteousness endureth for ever d wherein to the honour of God his righteousness is as himself unchangeable and everlasting 4. The merciful and gracious Lord hath so done his marvellous works that they ought to be had in remembrance * Though the Lord be marvellous in all his works yet of his grace and mercy he hath therein observed such an excellent order that we might remember and recount them to his praise and glory 5. He hath given meat to them that fear him he shall ever be mindfull of his covenant f In remembrance of the Covenant of grace he has made with his people he feeds them with celestial meat even the Sacrament of his Holy Body and Bloud 6. He hath shewed his people the power of his works that he may give them the heritage of the heathen g by the power and virtue whereof we who were heathens are entitled to the heritage of Heaven 7. The works of his hands are verity and judgment all his Commandments are true h Christ is Truth to them who worthily receive him but Judgment to the unworthy 8. They stand fast for ever and ever and are done in truth and equity i And this being true and equitable shall never fail of its due accomplishment 9. He hath sent Redemption to his people he hath commanded his Covenant for ever Holy and reverend is his Name k God's holy and reverend Name is to be for ever magnified for the Redemption of his people in the Bloud of his Son which is sealed and applied in the Blessed Eucharist to stand as an everlasting Covenant betwixt God and man 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisedom l The first part of this Covenant is the beginning of Wisedom viz. to fear the Lord and to depart from evill or to renounce the Devil and all his works the Pomps a good understanding have all they that doe thereafter the praise of it endureth for ever m They are truly wise who frame both their hearts and lives by this rule of Divine fear the praise whereof is everlasting Glory be to the Father and As it was in the beginning The Praiers I. THou art worthy O Lord to be praised and had in honour for all thy marvellous works but most to be admired for thy grace and mercy in the Redemption of thy people by the Bloud of thine own dear Son whom thou hast also given to be meat unto them that fear thee Be ever mindfull O Lord of this thy Covenant of grace and grant that I may ever receive the Blessed Sacrament which is the Seal thereof in verity and not unto judgment nor to my condemnation but unto the attainment of the heritage of Heaven through Jesus Christ II. Vouchsafe O Lord to pierce my heart with such an awfull fear of thy Name which is holy and reverend that I may not dare to offend thee by transgressing the least of thy Commandments but carefully conscienciously and constantly doe thereafter that I may be admitted into the blissful Society of those happy Souls the praise of whose innocence and holiness endureth for ever through Jesus Christ Praefatio ad Orationem Dominicam ex Liturgia S. Basilii ante Communionem Corporis That we may worthily receive the Body and Bloud of our Lord to the confirming and strengthning of our Souls let us worthily say that Praier which the onely-begotten Son of God hath taught us crying unto heaven with a pure heart Our Father which art in Heaven You may if you desire to enlarge your Praiers upon this divine subject adde Psal CXVI verse 10. to the end and CXXVIII and CXLVII verse 12. to the end CHAP. IX Meditations upon your going to Church with some short Directions for your demeanour in the House and in the Service of God UPON your going to Church three things will be necessary for you to consider 1. the condition of the Place whither you are going 2. the great End of your going thither and 3. how there you are to demean your self All this you would consider if you were going to the Palace of an earthly Prince who is but a mortall man like your self and you surely have much more reason to consider these particulars now that you are going unto the Courts of the Lord's House First then as to the House whither you are going 't is indeed as to its Fabrick but like other houses made of wood and stone even as the Lord's Day is but like other days as to the air and light of Heaven But the relative Holiness of this House and its eminency above other houses will appear by the Names whereby it is called both in the Book and by the People of God Under the Law it was called the Tabernacle of the congregation i. e. the place of God's meeting with his people the Temple of the Lord where he presents himself to the view of his people sitting betwixt the Cherubims as on his Throne of state 'T is also called the Sanctuary of the Lord the House of God the Habitation of his Holiness and the place where his Honour dwelleth All which Names do explain each other and need no interpretation Under the Gospell 't is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Church of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord's House 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the King's Palace and Oratorium the house of Praier Any of which Names much more all of them together considered will oblige any man who hath any sense of Religion to obey that command of God himself which is not merely ceremonial and typical but moral and perpetual Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary I am the Lord a Lev. 19.30 Secondly as to the great End of your going to Church it is to present your self before the Lord and there to adore the great Majesty of Heaven from whom you have your life and breath and all things It is not to serve your self by hearing this or tother fine-gifted Minister tickling your itching ears by his taking discourses agreeable to your fancy but to serve the Lord is your errand to his House viz. there to joyn
with the Minister and the Congregation in publick Praiers and Praises of God in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs in Confessions Thanksgivings and Benedictions as wherein chiefly the service of God consists Behold now praise the Lord all ye servants of the Lord ye that by night stand in the house of the Lord even in the Courts of the house of our God Lift up your hands in the Sanctuary and praise the Lord b Psal 134.1 2. As for me I will worship towards thy holy Temple and praise thy name c Psal 138.2 Thirdly as to your Carriage and Demeanour in the House of God you are commanded Keep thy foot when thou goest unto the house of God d Eccles. 5.1 enjoyning thee 1. to beware of all light unseemly indecent and irreverent carriage and to shew Humility and Devotion in all the Gestures of thy Outward man bowing down thy self and kneeling before the Lord thy Maker * Psal 95.6 before him who made both thy Body and Soul and joyned them together that they might be joyned in his Service So worshipped the people of God the whole congregation bowed themselves with their faces to the ground f 2 Chron. 7.3 And so all good people resolve to doe We will goe into his tabernacle and fall low on our knees before his footstool g Psal 132.7 2. The foot of the Inward man must also and chiefly be kept upright in the House of God Thy Affections are the feet or motions of thy Soul these must be kept free from all secular Cares pure from all sensuall Lusts clean from all wanton wicked Inclinations yea from all Thoughts of any worldly concerns For ye cannot serve God and Mammon h Matt. 6.24 In the High-priest's forehead was engraven in a plate of gold Holiness to the Lord i Exod. 28.36 and every ordinary Priest was commanded to wash before he entred into the Sanctuary k Exod. 30.19 20. intimating that exact Purity and Holiness which is required of all both Priests and people when we approach the presence of the Lord in his holy Temple So saith the holy man of God Holiness becometh thy house O Lord for ever l Psal 93.5 and he resolves accordingly I will wash my hands in innocency and so will I goe to thine Altar m Psal 26.6 Be not slothfull and negligent averse and careless backward and tardy in coming to the Church for many and mischievous are the Consequents of coming late For 1. you rob your self of the opportunity of your private Praiers for a Blessing upon the publick 2. You lose the benefit of the publick Confession and Absolution which are of high esteem and value to all who are wisely Religious And 3. to deprive your self wittingly and willingly of any part of God's publick Worship is both a sin and a loss of so great an account as cannot easily be exprest or will be ordinarily believed Against such sinfull sloth and neglect endeavour to have imprinted in your heart the love of God's House and of his Service there performed Say with the man after God's own heart Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth o Psal 26.8 I was glad when they said unto me We will goe unto the house of the Lord p Psal 122.1 Our feet stand in thy gates O Jerusalem q Verse 2. 1. When you come to the Church-door Consider that you are now upon entrance into the Presence-chamber of the Great King of the world whose Throne of glory is in Heaven above but his Throne of grace in his Temple here below Say then within your self Surely the Lord is in this place How dreadful is this place this is none other but the House of God this is the Gate of heaven r Gen. ◠16 17. O how amiable are thy dwellings thou Lord of hosts My soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh rejoyce in the living God Yea the sparrow hath found her an house and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young even thine Altars O Lord of hosts my King and my God Blessed are they who dwell in thy House they will be always praising thee †Psal 84.1 2 3 4. And most happy were I could I both esteem it and make it my greatest joy and constant labour of love to praise the Lord in his Temple 2. When you are entred and View the Baptisterion or Font Give hearty thanks unto God for your Christendom that by holy Baptism he hath called you to the state of Grace and Salvation through Jesus Christ and humbly beseech God to give you his grace to continue in the same to your life's end by the religious observance of that Vow which was so solemnly taken in your name the which you must now perform that you forfeit not the great privileges rewards and honours of being a Member of Christ a Child of God and an Heir of the Kingdom of Heaven 3. When you view the Pulpit Remember how many good Lessons you have received thence the which not being carefully practised will rise up in judgment against you in the great Day of your Triall Resolve therefore for the future to be a Doer of the Word and not a Hearer onely deceiving your own self 4. When you look up towards the Altar say What reward shall I give unto the Lord for all the benefits he hath done unto me I will receive the Cup of salvation offer the sacrifice of Thanksgiving for my Redemption and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord in the sight of all his people in the courts of the Lord's house even in the midst of thee O Jerusalem Praise the Lord t Psal 116.12 13 14 18 19. Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning 5. When you come to your Seat kneeling down pray I. Praier Let thy merciful ears O Lord be open to the praiers of thy humble servants and grant that what we ask faithfully we may obtain effectually through Jesus Christ II. Prayer O God forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts and more especially be assistent to us in all the holy actions of this day through Jesus Christ III. Prayer And since by reason of our Sins we are unworthy to offer up any Sacrifice to so pure a Majesty grant mercifull Lord both to me and to all thy faithfull people pardon and peace that being cleansed from all our Sins we may serve thee with a quiet mind through Jesus Christ Directions relating to some parts of the publick Worship AS soon as the Minister begins with the publick Worship all your private Meditations and Praiers must be waved and your mind applied to attend diligently and to joyn devoutly in
the earth shall be filled with his majesty Amen Amen †Psal 72.18 19. The following Hymn of Ananias Azarias and Misael is in some Liturgies prescribed to be used after the Blessed Eucharist Tres pueri jussu Regis missi sunt in fornacem non timentes flammam ignis at dicentes Benedictus es Domine Hallelujah Verse 1. O ALL ye works of the Lord bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever a By this rhetorical invocation upon all creatures we stir up our own minds in by and for them all to praise the Lord. 2. O ye Angels of the Lord bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever b The Angels are called Morning-stars for the light of their Understanding which most eminently shines in their praises of the Lord begun in the very morning of the Creation and continued to all eternity Job 38 7. Rev. 4.8 3. O ye Heavens bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever c The heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his Psal 19.1 4. O ye Waters that be above the firmament bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever d All creatures even the most irrational do praise the Lord 1. By Excitement in that the conâ—â—deration of their vast number and distinct nature their beauty and variety their use and excellency their instincts and operations do excite all Angels and all men to revere the Power to admire the Wisedom to adore the Greatness to love the Goodness and to be ravished with the Perfections of the Lord which do so eminently appear in all the works of his hands Rom. 1.19 20. 2. By Obedience in that all created Beings do regularly obey the law imposed upon each both according unto and sometimes against their natural inclinations as in the example of these Three Children in the fiery furnace not consumed which is at large declared Wisedom 16.17 18 3. By the Benefit and Comfort we receive from them which is therefore particularly to be considered upon the mention of every Creature that in and for each we may with the more alacrity and devotion praise the Lord. 5. O all ye Powers of the Lord bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever 6. O ye Sun and Moon bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever 7. O ye Stars of heaven bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever 8. O ye Showrs and Dew bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever 9. O ye Winds of God bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever 10. O ye Fire and Heat bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever 11. O ye Winter and Summer bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever 12. O ye Dews and Frosts bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever 13. O ye Frost and Cold bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever 14. O ye Ice and Snow bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever 15. O ye Nights and Days bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever 16. O ye Light and Darkness bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever 17. O ye Lightnings and Clouds bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever 18. O let the Earth bless the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever 19. O ye Mountains and all Hills bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever 20. O all ye Green things upon the earth bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever 21. O ye Wells bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever 22. O ye Seas and Flouds bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever 23. O ye Whales and all that move in the waters bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever 24. O all ye Fowls of the air bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever 25. O all ye Beasts and Cattell bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever 26. O ye Children of men bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever * After all the works of the Lord Man is excited to praise him who made all things for the use of Man and Man for his praise in the use and consideration of them 27. O let Israel bless the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever f But the Church and people of God are most specially bound to praise God in his works as to whom alone they are sanctified in their use both natural and divine 28. O ye Priests of the Lord bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever 29. O ye Servants of the Lord bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever g It is the constant and common work both of the Priests and people of God in his Church militant 30. O ye Spirits and Souls of the righteous bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever h and of his Saints in his Church triumphant to praise the Lord. Psal 84.4 31. O ye Holy and Humble men of heart bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever i The humble are encouraged to praise the Lord because he hath respect to the lowly but as for the proud he beholdeth them afar off Psal 138.6 32. O Ananias Azarias and Misael bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him for ever k They who have received any signal Deliverances are engaged to be the more frequent and servent in praising the Lord for their Redemption both general and particular Glory be to the Father The Praier O God who didst miraculously asswage the fury of the fiery Furnace that it touched not to harm thy Three Servants when cast thereinto vouchsafe to allay all exorbitant heats of Concupiscence in my heart Let not any vicious fires inflame my Affections but quench them all through Faith in the Bloud of my dear Redeemer and by the sweet influences of thy Holy Spirit the Breath of Heaven and so shall my Soul bless thee and praise thee and magnify thy Holy Name for ever Amen Blessed be the Holy and undivided Trinity now and for evermore Amen The End