him before you say your prayers Again Consider what particular blessing or deliverance God has vouchsafed you the day past that you may give thanks for it and then say as follows Evening Prayer LEt my prayer O Lord be set forth in Thy sight as Incense and the lifting up of my hands be as an Evening Sacrifice Holy holy holy Lord God I miserable sinner humbly acknowledge that I have offended Thee this day in thought word and deed Particularly by Here mention any sin you have been guilty of But I fly into the Arms of Thy fatherly compassion Lord for Thy Mercies sake forgive me cleanse me from my wickedness and strengthen my weakness that I may overcome all the temptations which daily surround me and continue constant in my Obedience Accept of my Humblest Praise and Thanksgiving O Lord for all the goodness Thou hast this day shewed me for all the Helps of preventing or restraining grace Thou hast vouchsafed me for whatever I have done this day which is in any measure acceptable to Thee for whatever progress I have made in my Study for Thy Preservation of me from all the miseries and dangers which frail Mortality is every moment exposed to Particularly for Here name any particular blessing or deliverance God has sent you Praise the Lord O my Soul who saveth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with Mercy and Loving-kindness O Heavenly Father to Thy Almighty Protection I recommend my self and all my Relations and all that belong to this Colledge O Thou that never slumbrest nor sleepest watch over us to preserve us from sin and danger Lord let it be Thy good pleasure to refresh me this night with such seasonable rest that I may rise the next morning more fit for Thy service O pardon my failings and hear my prayers for the sake of my blessed Saviour in whose Holy words I sum up all my wants Our Father which art in heaven c. Ejaculations at going to Bed LOrd as I now go to my Bed I must one day go to my Grave O make me wise to consider my latter End I will lay me down in peace and take my rest for 't is Thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety Directions for Midnight IF you chance to wake in the Night or cannot sleep Beware Phil. of Idle and Unclean thoughts which will then be apt to crowd into your mind and therefore to arm your self against them I advise you to learn the 130 and the 139 Psalms by heart or treasure up some Ejaculations in your mind which will be excellent matter for your thoughts to feed on For instance Ejaculaions for the Night THou Lord hast granted Thy loving kindness in the day time and in the night season will I sing of Thee and make my Prayer to the God of my Life O Lord the Holy Angels are now before Thy Throne in Heaven they never rest day or night from Thy Praises and with them do I now sing Hallelujah Salvation and Honour and Glory and Power be unto our God for ever and ever Amen Amen Lord I know Thou wilt one day call me to give an account of my Stewardship but when Thou wilt come I know not whether at Even or at Midnight or at Cock-crowing or in the Morning O do Thou give me grace to Watch and to Pray always that at Thy coming Thou mayest say to me Well done good and faithful Servant Enter into the Joy of thy Master Amen Blessed Lord Amen But have a care Phil. you fix not your mind too much neither strive to repeat too many devout expressions for fear of hindring your sleep and of indisposing your self for the duties of the day following Directions for the Lords Day A Good Christian Philotheus that takes care to spend every day well will take more then ordinary care to sanctifie the Lords day it being the proper imployment of that day to attend Gods Worship and to provide for our Souls and therefore 't is fit you should add some Petitions to your Morning and Evening Prayer Relating to the solemn duties of the Day such as these are which follow Before Church time O My God I humbly beseech Thee to prepare my Soul to Worship Thee this day acceptably with Reverence and Godly fear Fill me with that faith which works by love Purifie my heart from all vain or worldly or sinful thoughts fix my affections on things above all the day long and O Lord give me grace to receive Thy Word which I shall hear this day into an honâ—st and good heart and to bring forth fâ—uit with Patieâ—ce Hear me O God for the sake of Jesus my Saviour Amen Amen When you come into the Church or Chappel not only on the Lords day but on any other day use this short preparatory Prayer at your first kneeling down In the Church O Lord I humbly beg Thy Holy Spirit to help my Infirmities at this time and to dispose my heart to devotion that my Prayers and Praises may be acceptable in Thy sight through Jesus Christ my Saviour Amen After Church time GLory be to Thee O Lord God Almighty Glory be to Thee who hast permitted me to appear before Thee this day and to tread Thy Courts Lord pardon all my failings in Thy Service this day past the wandrings and coldness and indevotion of my Prayers For the sake of my blessed Saviour have mercy upon me Lord make me a doer of Thy Word and not a hearer only lest I deceive my own soul. When you are called to Repetition at Night remember Phil. to make some amends for your negligent Hearing at the Church and treasure up in your memory some little portion of those Instructions you have heard to direct your Practice Directions for receiving the Holy Eucharist THe Receiving of the blessed Sacrament good Phil. is the most divine and solemn act of all our Religion and it ought to be the zealous endeavour of every true Christian by Gods assistance to prepare his Soul with the most serious and most devout dispositions he possibly can to approach the Holy Altar you are therefore to consider what you are to do before Receiving what in the time os Receiving and what after Receiving Before Receiving The duties you are to perform before Receiving are all comprehended in that one Rule which St. Paul gives us Let a man examine Himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup which are in a manner Commented on by the Church in the Exhortation before the Sacrament which I advise you to read over in your Common Prayer Book To put this Rule in practice 't is your best way Phil. â—t some convenient time to withdraw your self into your Chamber or into the Chappel and there to begin to commune with your own heart and to call your â—ins to remembrance but first pray heartily to God for His grace to assist you â—rayer before Examination
and Promise sake for all the merits and sufferings of the Son of Thy Love in whom Thou art always well pleased Pardon all my sins and fa lings and receive me into Thy favour Amen O Lord God Amen Amen A Petition for Grace in General O Lord God I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep Thy righteous Judgments But alas I am able of my self to do nothing that is good not so much as to think one good thought and I no sooner shall rise from my knees but I fear I shall be tempted to those very sins I have now so solemnly renounced and those temptations will certainly overcome me unless Thou Lord dost seasonably interpose Thy grace to with-hold me But I can do all things through Thee strengthening me Do Thou then O blessed Saviour perfect Thy strength in my weakness for in Thee only is my trust O my God Thou hast promised to give Thy Holy Spirit to those that ask it Behold Lord I do humbly I do earnestly ask Thy Holy Spirit now of Thee O fulfil Thy gracious promise to me O vouchsafe me that Holy Spirit I pray for to purifie my corrupt nature to strengthen my weakness to comfort me in troubles to support me in discouragements to succour me in temptations and to assist me in all parts of my duty that I may ever hereafter live in Thy fear and in constant sincere and universal obedience to all Thy righteous Laws Thou O searcher of hearts knowest the sin or sins I am most inclined to here name it or them and herein will lie my greatest danger of back-sliding But O my God I beg a double portion of Thy invisible aid against it or them Hold Thou up my goings in Thy paths that my Footsteps slip not O work in me that victorious Faith by which I may overcome the World the Devil and my own corrupt Nature True it is O Lord God that there are many sins which upon examination I find through Thy grace I have not yet committed and therefore not unto me Lord but to Thy name be the glory but alas there is in my corrupt nature so great a proneness to evil so great a curiosity to try what sin is that without Thy restraining Grace every temptation when I shall have more age and liberty and opportunity to enforce it will be apt to draw me from my obedience and to overthrow all my present Resolutions But my Help standeth in Thee O great Creatour who hast made Heaven and Earth and I commit my Soul to Thy keeping O Thou that art faithful as well as Almighty keep that safe which is committed to Thy trust watch over me that I may not be beguiled by the deceitfulnes of sin or betrayed by my own treacherous heart or surprized by my ghostly enemies and give me grace to watch and to pray incessantly my self lest I enter into temptation Hear Lord from Heaven and succour me for the alone merits of Jesus my Saviour Amen Amen Petition for particular Graces O That my ways Lord were made so direct that I might keep Thy Statutes for then shall I not be confounded when I have respect unto all Thy Commandments Vouchsafe me Thy Holy Spirit therefore O Lord God to work in me whatever is well-pleasing in Thy sight that for the time to come I may bring forth fruits meet for repentance O let it be Thy good pleasure to create in me a saving Knowledge of Thee and of my duty justifying Faith true sanctifying Grace and a purifying Hope an ardent Love and a filial fear of Thee a constant desire of pleasing Thee and a great tenderness of offending Thee Lord create in me a penitent heart a resigned will and mortified affections an habitual mindfulness of Thy presence and a steddy devotion in my Prayers sincere intentions and Zeal for Thy Glory Perseverance in all Holy purposes and constancy in all trials and temptations Lord create in me a Reverential awe of Thy Name a delight in Thy service a sacred regard to Thy day and house of Prayer and a great attention to Thy Word a dayly care of my time and diligence in my studies Lord make me chast and temperate humble and adviseable and patient of reproof and create in me a chearful and meek a contented and considerate a quiet and peaceful spirit Lord bless me with Health and Competency of living with a good understanding a retentive memory and a ready apprehension and with such a measure of temporal good things as Thou seest fit for me and give me grace to make a right use of all those blessings I have already receiveâ— Lord Purifie my thoughts Bridle my tongue Guide all my actions Guard all my senses Stop my ears and turn away my eyes from sin and vanity Lord give me grace to be just in all my dealing to do to all men as I would they should do to me to be subject to my Parents and to all my Superiours to the King as supreme and to all Civil Magistrates To the Pastors of Thy Church and to all my Governours in this place O grant that I may render due honour and obedience to them all in their several stations Lord make me willing to forgive injuries and unwilling to offer any Make me grateful to my Benefactors friendly to my equals condescending to my inferiours compassionate to the afflicted charitable to the Poor according to my ability a Lover of good men and kind to my enemies and give me grace to keep always a Conscience void of offence towards Thee and towards men and to continue in the Communion of Thy Church without wavering O Merciful God keep Thy servant from all wilful deliberate or presumptuous sins and let no wickedness have dominion over me From stubbornness and pride idleness and sloth intemperance and youthful lusts inconstancy and lying Good Lord deliver me From irreligious principles and false Teachers unruly passions and violent temptations from contracting vitious habits or taking pleasure in sin from prophaneness and ill company envy and malice detraction and uncharitableness Good Lord deliver me From the erros and vices of the Age and all remanent affections to sin from the sin or sins my corrupt Nature is most inclined to Here name it or them from whatsoever is offensive to Thee or destructive to my own Soul Good Lord deliver me Hear me O Heavenly Father and conform my whole life to the Example of my Blessed Saviour and that for his sake in whose holy words I sum up all my wants Our Father which art in heaven c. You have now Good Phil. by Gods help gone over the hardest part of your preparation for the Holy Sacrament the next thing you are to do is to examine your self whether you do sufficiently understand what the Sacrament is then to ask your self with what intentions you do approach it and to pray for Gods grace to dispose you for Worthy Receiving and
this night and for the time to come give me grace to fly all youthful lusts and to remember Thee my Creatour in the days of my youth Shower down Thy graces and blessings on me and on all my Relations on my Father and Mother on my Brethren and Sisters on all my Friends on all my Governours in this place and on all my Fellow-Scholars and give Thy Angels charge over us to protect us all from sin and danger Lord bless me in my Learning this day that I may every day grow more fit for Thy service O pardon my failings and do more for me then I can ask or think for the merits of Jesus my Saviour in whose holy words I sum up all my wants Our Father which art in heaven c Evening Prayer GLory be to Thee O Lord God for all the blessings I dayly receive from Thee and for Thy particular preservation of me this day O Lord have mercy uâ—on me and forgive whatsoever Thou hast seen amiss in me this day past and for the timk to come give me grace to fly all youthful lusts and to remember Thee my Creatour in the days of my youth Lord receive me and all my Relations and all that belong to this Colledge into Thy gracious protection this night and send me such seasonable rest that I may rise the next morning more fit for thy service Lord hear my prayers and pardon my failings for the merits of my blessed Saviour in whose holy words I sum up all my wants Our Father which art in Heaven c. This good Pbil. is the lowest degree of duty and it should be your dayly endeavour to improve in your devotion as well as in your learning and the more effectually to move you to so happy an improvement I advise you on Sundays and Holy-days attentively to read over this following Meditation and to propose to your self the Holy Child Jesus for your example A Meditation on the Holy â—hild Jesus GLory be to Thee O Lord Jesus Glory be to Thee who when Thou wert twelve years old didst go up to Jerusalem with Thy Parents after the custom of the Feast to eat the Passover and to worship Thy Heavenly Father O blessed Saviour give me grace like Thee to make Religion my first and chiefest care and devoutly to observe all solemn times and all holy Rites which relate to Thy worship Glory be to Thee O Lord Jesus Glory be to Thee who when Thy Parents returned home didst stay behind in Jerusalem and after three days wast found of them in the Temple sitting in the midst of the Doctors both hearing them and asking them questions O blessed Saviour who in Thy very Childhood didst triumph over all the vain delights of youth and wouldst choose no place but the Temple to reside in Mortifie in me all inordinate love of sensual pleasure which may pervert me from my duty raise in me an awful reverence of Thy House an early devotion in my Prayers and a delight in Thy Praises O blessed Jesu who didst choose before all others the company of the Doctors and didst both hcar them and ask them Questions give me grace to abhor all lewd company and all filthy communication give me grace to love wise and sober and profitable and religious conversation and to be diligent and inquisitive after learning and whatsoever is good Glory be to Thee O Lord Jesus Glory be to Thee who when Thy Father and Mother had sought Thee sorrowing didst reply to them How is it that ye sought me wist ye not that I must be about my Fathers business O blessed Jesu who from Thy infancie didst make it Thy whole imployment to do Thy Fathers will kindle in me a forward zeal for Thy Glory that I may consecrate my youth to Thy service and make it the great business of my life to know and fear to love and obey my Heavenly Father Glory be to Thee O Lord Jesus Glory be to Thee who didst at last return home with Thy Parents and wert subject to them O blessed Jesu give me grace to honour my Parents and Governours and readily to obey all their lawful commands Glory be to Thee O Lord Jesus Glory be to Thee who in those tender years wert blessed with such Heavenly wisdom that all that heard Thee were astonished at Thy understanding and answers who didst dayly increase in this Heavenly wisdom and in favour with God and Man O Lord Jesu bless me with all abilities of mind and body that may make me daâ—ly increase in my Learning but above all bless me with Wisdom from above and give me Thy Holy Spirit to assist and enlighten me that as I grow in Age I may dayly grow in Grace and in the knowledge of Thee and in favour with God and Man and every day more and more conformable to Thy Unsinning and Divine example Amen Lord Jesus Amen Directions for those that are more grown in years WHen you have attained to more knowledge and proficiencie in grace and are of an Age capable of receiving the Holy Sacrament God then expects more from you and 't is high time for you good Philotheus to lengthen your prayers and to begin to add some ejaculations over and above such as these are which follow Ejaculations at waking or rising AWake O my Soul and Sing praises to God Glory be to Thee O God for watching over me this night Lord raise me up at the last day to life everlasting Morning Prayer EArly in the morning will I cry unto Thee Lord hear my Prayer Glory be to Thee Lord God Almighty Glory be to Thee for renewing Thy mercies to me every morning Glory be to Thee for refreshing me this night with sleep and for preserving me from the perils of darkness O do away as the night so my transgressions scatter my sins as the Morning Cloud Lord forgive whatever Thou hast seen amiss in me this night my Here if you are conscious to your self of any sin committed in the night confess it O Father of Mercies wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin And let Thy Holy Spirit so prevent and accompany and follow me this day that I may believe in Thee and love Thee and keep Thy Commandments and continue in Thy fear all the day long Lord make me chaste and temperate humble and adviseable diligent in my studies obedient to my Superiours and charitable to all men Lord deliver me from sloth and idleness from youthful lusts and ill company from all dangers bodily and ghostly and give me grace to remember Thee my Creatour in the days of my youth Bless and defend and save the King and all the Royal Family and all Orders of men amongst us Ecclesiastical or Civil Lord give them all grace in their several stations to be instrumental to Thy glory and the publick good Together with them I commend to Thy Divine Providence my Father and Mother my Brethren and Sisters all
my Friends and Relations all my Superiours in this place and all my Fellow-Scholars O Lord vouchsafe us all those graces and blessings which Thou knowest to be most suitable for us Unto Thee O my God do I dedicate this day and my whole life O do Thou so bless and prosper me in my Studies that I may every day grow more fit for Thy service Hear me O Lord and pardon my failings for the merits of Thy Son Jesus in whose holy words I sum up all my wants Our Father which art in Heaven c. Directions for Reading Holy Scripture WHen you have said your Morning Prayer good Phil. you may then go cheerfully to your study and relie upon the Divine Goodness for a blessing But first if you have time I advise you to read before second Peal some short Psalm or piece of a Chapter out of the Gospels or Historical Books because they are the most easie to be understood Remembring the example of young Timothy who was bred up to know the Scripture from a Child But if you want time on ordinary days to read the Scripture be sure to read somewhat of it on Sundays and Holy-days and consider that you have it dayly read to you in the Hall before Dinner and Supper and at night when you are just going to Bed that you may close the day with holy thoughts and if you hearken diligently to it when it is read you do in effect read it your self Now to make your reading the more profitable to you begin with one or more of these Ejaculations Ejaculations before reading Holy Scripture WHerewithal Lord shall a young man cleanse his way even by ruling himself after Thy Word Lord open my eyes that I may see the wonderful things of Thy Law O heavenly Father I humbly beg Thy Holy Spirit so to help me at this time to read and understand and remember and practise Thy Word that it may make me wise to salvation When you are thus prepared good Phil. then begin to read and consider that it is Gods most holy Word you read and that all the while you are reading God is speaking to you and therefore read with attention and humility and endeavour as much as you can to suit your affections to the Subject you read For instance If you read any of Gods commands they should excite in you a zeal to keep them If you read any of Gods threatnings against sinners or his judgments on them they should excite in you a fear to provoke him When you read any of his gracious promises they should encourage and quicken your obedience When you read any of Gods mercies they should excite you to thanksgiving When you read any great mystery recorded in holy Writ you are to prostrate your Reason to Divine Revelation And to this purpose in the midst of your Reading say Lord give me grace to obey this command Or Lord deliver me from this sin or this judgment Or Lord I relie on this good promise Or Glory be to Thee O Lord for this mercy Or Lord I believe and adore this mystery Say any of these according as best agrees with the subject you read and when you have read as much as conveniently you can conclude with one of these Ejaculations Ejaculations after Reading BLessed be Thou O Lord O teach me Thy Statutes Lord make Thy Word a Lanthorn unto my feet and a Light unto my paths Lord make Thy Word my delight and my Counsellour Directions for the Day time O Philotheus you cannot enough thank God for the order of the place you live in where there is so much care taken to make you a good Christian as well as a good Scholar where you go so frequently to Prayers every day in the Chappel and in the School and sing Hymns and Psalms to God so frequently in your Chamber and in the Chappel and in the Hall so that you are in a manner brought up in a perpetuity of prayer Be sure Phil. that you are accountable to God for all these opportunities He gives you of serving Him and think how many blessings for your self and for the Colledge you might obtain if you prayed and praised God rather out of a devout affection then meerly to comply with the custom of the place Prayer good Phil. is the very life of a Christian and therefore we are so frequently commanded to pray without ceasing Not that we can be always on our knees but that we should accustom our selves to frequent thoughts of God that where-ever we are He sees us and when we think on God we should have always an ejaculation ready to offer up to Him and by this means we may pray not only seven times a day with David but all the day long In your reading holy Scripture especially in the Psalms you may easily gather those short sentences which most affect you for they are most proper for this use and when you have learned them without Book say one of them now and then as they occur to your mind or as occasion requires or as your devotion prompts you But be not troubled if being otherwise lawfully imployed or if being indisposed you pass a whole day without saying any for to omit them is no sin nor be you scrupulous in what posture you say them for they being short breathings of the soul to God require not that solemnity as Set Prayer does Now to give you some instances of ejaculatory Prayer take these following At going out Lord bless my going out and my coming in from this time forth for evermore After a sin committed Lord be merciful to me miserable sinner and for the merits of my Saviour lay not this sin to my charge After any blessing or Deliverance Glory be to Thee O Lord for this Blessing or for this Deliverance Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise His Holy name At giving Alms. O Lord who didst not despise the Widows mite Accept of this little I now give to relieve one of Thy poor members After having done any good Not unto me O Lord not unto me but unto Thy Name be the praise In Temptation Lord succour me with Thy Grace that I may overcome this Temptation Directions for the Evening COnsider good Phil. how many that have gone to Bed well over night have been found dead the next morning and therefore it highly concerns you to take care to make your peace with God before you go to sleep I advise you therefore towards night or when you go circum to call your self to an account how you have spent the day Examine your thoughts and discourses and actions and Recreations and Devotions and see what has been amiss in any of them Consider what Idleness or Unchastity what lying or stubbornness you have been guilty of or whether you have had a quarrel with any of your fellows and if you have be sure to be friends with
these which follow At going to the Altar In the multitude of Thy Mercies O Lord God do I now approach Thy Altar O Pardon my sins and Receive me Graciously Amen Amen At the Offertory Blessed be Thou O Lord God for all things come of Thee and of Thy own do I now give Thee O let this Alms be an Odour of a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable and well-pleasing to Thee At Consecration O Blessed Jesu In the bread Broken I call to mind Thy Body torn with Whips and Thorns and Nails and in the Wine poured out I call to mind Thy precious bloud shed for my sins Glory be to Thee O Lamb of God that didst offer Thy self a Sacrifice to take away the sins of the whole World Lord have mercy on me and take away Mine also Whilest others are Communicating O my God whom have I in Heaven but Thee and there is none on Earth I desire in comparison of Thee As the Hart panteth after the Water brooks so panteth my Soul after Thee O God! My Soul is athirst for Thee O God my God! Blessed Saviour I am Thine I am wholly Thine for Thou hast bought me with a Price with the inestimable price of Thy Own bloud Lord suffer not the price of Thy own bloud to perish and I will always glorifie Thee in my Body and in my Spirit which are Thine If there be many Communicants and thou hast much vacant time Phil. and doest want devout Matter to imploy thy thoughts till All have communicated thou mayest then repeat the Thanksgiving for Christs sufferings p. 44. either in whole or in part as thou seest it needful When the Priest cometh toward you O Lord God I now desire to renew my Covenant with Thee and to seal it in this Sacrament Lord put Thy Laws into my mind and write them in my heart and for the Passion of Thy Son which I now commemorate be merciful to my Unrighteousness My sins and my iniquities remember no more and be Thou my God and I will be Thy servant Amen Amen O my Soul taste now and see How gracious the Lord is After receiving the Bread Glory be to Thee O Lord who feedest me with the bread of life O Lord God who didst sanctifie us by the offering of the body of Jesus once for all sanctifie me even me O Heavenly Father After Receiving the Cup. Glory be to Thee O Lord Jesus who permittest me to drink of the fountain of life freely My Beloved is mine and I am his Blessed Saviour Thou hast Loved us and washed us from our sins in Thy own bloud and therefore to Thee be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen Amen Glory be to Thee O Jesus My Lord and my God for thus feeding my Soul with thy most blessed body and bloud O let Thy Heavenly food transfuse new life and new vigour into my Soul and into the Souls of all that Communicate with me that our Faith may daily increase that we may all grow more humble and Contrite for our sins that we may all love Thee and serve Thee and delight in Thee and Praise Thee more servently more incessantly then ever we have done heretofore Amen Amen After the Congregation is dismist Phil. if you cannot get privacie in your own Chamber I advise you â—t the first opportunity to go into the Chappel and there to give God thanks for that great blessing of which He has now made you a partaker A Thanksgiving after Receiving O How plentiful is Thy Goodness My Lord and my God which Thou hast laid up for those that fear Thee which Thou hast laid up for those that put their trust in Thy Mercy Was it not Love Infinite enough Dearest Lord to give Thy self for me on the Cross Was not that Sacrifice of Thy self sufficient to expiate the sins of the whole world What Lord couldst Thou then do more for me All the mighty Host of Heaven stood amazed to see the bloud of God shed to see their King of Glory to whom from everlasting they had sung their Hallelujahs Nailed to a Cross and all this to save Sinners Sure Lord None of all those Blessed Spirits with all the Glorious illuminations they had could ever have Imagined how Thou couldst give Thy self more to us then Thou hadst done And yet for all this Thou hast wrought new miracles of Love for us and as if it had not been Love enough to have given Thy self for us on the Cross Thou hast found out a way to give Thy self to us in the Holy Sacrament to Unite Thy self to us with the most intimate Union that 't is possible to conceive to become the very food the Life the strength the support of my Soul to become one with me to become the very Soul of my Soul O Lord God This is so Unconceivable a blessing this is so Divine an Union that the very Angels who so much desire to look into the great Mystery of our Redemption who learn Thy Manifold Wisdom from Thy Church and frequent the Places of Thy Publick worship do crowd about our Altars and with aweful Admiration contemplate the Holy Sacrament What thanks then Gracious Lord can I return to Thee for those wonders of Love Thou hast shewed to me wretched sinner which the very Angels who never sinned so much admire O dearest Lord raise Thou my devotion to the highest pitch it can possibly reach to Praise Thee Enlarge my Soul to its utmost extent to Love Thee How can I ever more offend such Riches of mercy as are in Thee O Crucified Saviour and yet whilest I carrry this body of sin about me I fear I shall But Lord I do from my heart Renounce and abhor all things that displease Thee I resolve to the Utmost of my power to Resist all temptations and to become as totally Thine as my frail Nature will permit me O Gracious Lord who hast so Infinitely Loved us and given us everlasting Consolation and good Hope through grace Comfort my Heart and for ever establish it in every good Word and Work Blessing and Honour and Glory and Power be unto Him that sitteth on the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever Rejoice in the Lord Jesus O my Soul for of Him cometh my salvation I will love Thee O Lord my King and I will praise Thy name for ever and ever Glory be to Thee O Lord God for giving me this blessed opportunity of coming to Thy Altar O grant I may never more Pollute my soul which Thou hast now made Thy Temple to reside in who art the God of Purity Praise the Lord O my Soul while I live will I praise the Lord as long as I have any being I will sing praises Unto Thee O Blessed Saviour My King and my God O gracious Lord Pardon all my failings Accept all my prayers and praises and supply all my wants which I sum up in Thy Own
time to come Deliver me fâ—om all frowardness and impatience and give me an entire Resignation to Thy divine Will O suffer not the disease to take away my senses and do Thou continually supply my Thoughts with Holy Ejaculations Lord Bless all means that are used for my Recovery and restore me to my Health in Thy good time But if otherwise Thou hast appointed for me Thy blessed will be done O wean my affections from all things below and fill me with ardent des res after Heaven Lord fit me for Thy self and then call me to those joys Unspeakable and full of Glory when Thou pleasest and that for the sake of Thy onely Son Jesus my Saviour In whose Holy Words I sum up all my wants Our Father c. Ejaculations in time of Sickness FAther if it he possible Remove this Cup from me Nevertheless not my Will but Thine â—e done Trouble and heaviness have taken hold on me but my sure Trust is in Thee O Lord Forsake me not O my God when my strength faileth me Haste Thee to help me O Lord God of my salvation Lord teach me so to number my days that I may apply my Heart to wisdom Deal Thou with me O Lord according to Thy Name for sweet is Thy Mercy Lord what is my Hope truly My Hope is even in Thee O my Soul Tarry thou the Lords leisure be strong and He shall comfort thy heart and put thou thy trust in the Lord Into Thy Hands I commend my spirit for Thou hast redeemed me O Lord Thou God of Truth In my Fathers house are many Mansions and Thou Lord Jesus art gone before to prepare a place for uâ— that where Thou art we may be also Lord be merciful to me Miserable siâ—ner O Lord God we must all at the last day appear before Thy Judgment Seat O Cleanse me from my sâ—ns that I may be found blameless at the Coming of the Lord Jesus As the day goeth away and the shadows of the Evening are stretched out so paâ—ieth away my life even like a vapour that appeareth for a little time and vanisheth away Eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor the heart of man conceived the good things which God has laid up for those that love Him Lord do Thou therefore enâ—ame my soul with Thy Love I know Lord that Thy Judgments are right and Thou of very faithfulness hast caused me to be troubled O Heavenly Father my Hope is wholly in Thy Mercy and in the merits and sufferings of my Saviour O for his sake forgive and save me To these and the like Ejaculations Phil. which thou mayest gather thy self thou mayest now and then either read a Psalm your self or have one read to you as particularly the 23. or 25. or 27. or 51. or any other that does best suit with thy Condition I need give you no further directions for the time of sickness because I presume Phil. that when you feel your sickness prevailing on you you will then send for a spiritual guide who will give you more particular Advice and minister to all the necessities of your soul and therefore I shall only add this form of Thanksgiving A Thanksgiving for Recovery GLory be to Thee O Heavenly Father for the sickness Thou hast in mercy sent me Lord the stripes Thou didst lay on me were the stripes of Love Glory be to Thee Before I was troubled I went wrong but now will I keep Thy Word It is good for me that I have been in trouble that I might learn Thy Statutes Glory be to Thee O Lord Glory be to Thee for delivering me from the terrours of death and restoring me to my health again Glory be to Thee I called upon the Lord in my trouble and the Lord heard me at large I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord Praise the Lord therefore O my soul as long as I have my life which at first God gave thee and which he has now restored me I will sing praises unto my God! O Lord God Who hast in Thy tender mercy prolonged my days in this World give me grace to spend that life Thou hast now lengthened in Thy service O give me grace to perform all my Resolutions of new Obedience and so to live in the filial fear of Thee all the Remainder of my time that I may at last die at peace with my self at peace with the whole World and at peace with Thee and that for the sake of Thy well-beloved Son and my Saviour in whose Holy words I sum up all my wants Our Father c. To this you may add if you think fit the 103 Psalm To conclude good Phil. if you have reapt any good from these Prayers and Instructions be sure to give God hearty thanks for it and let this encourage you to make the more frequent use of them and God of his Infinite mercy bless them every day more and more to your growth in grace and to his Own Glory Amen FINIS Eccles. 12. 1. 2 Tim. 2. 22. Psal. 25. 7 1 San. 3. 1. John 13. 23. â—rov 8. 17. 1 King 18 12. 〈◊〉 92. 1. Exâ— 29. 38 Luke 2 41. 2 Tim. 〈◊〉 Psal. 119 â—l 119. 〈◊〉 119. â—sal 121. Psal. 103 Mark 12. 42. Psal. 115. 1. Psal. 14â— Psal. 4â— Psal. 41. 8. Rev. 7. 15 Mark 13 3â— Luâ— 8. 15. Jamâ—s 1. 22. Cor. 11. â—r 17. 9. Chron. 4. 3. Joh. 1. Cor. 10 â—2 Psal. 19. 12. Maâ— 5. 23 Prov. 〈◊〉 8. Psal. 〈◊〉 Job 4. Rom. 7. Psal. 40. 12. Psal. 51. Eph. 4. 22 〈◊〉 6. 〈◊〉 19 〈◊〉 119 Luke 7. 38. Luke 22. 61. â—om 8. â—6 â—sa 26. 〈◊〉 Tim. 2. â—m 6. 1 Co◠〈◊〉 1. â—k 18. â—im 2. â—ke 15. â—n 3. â—n 8. 1 Joh. 〈◊〉 Joh. 〈◊〉 Hos. 1â— Mâ— 1â— 29. 〈◊〉 19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 11. â—n 5 1 Pet. 4. 19. Psal. 119. 〈◊〉 6. 1 Cor. 10. 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 5. Isa 53. John 6. 52. 1 Câ—r 11. Lukâ— 16. Joâ—n 〈◊〉 Chron. â—9 â—hil 4. Psal. 73. â—sal 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 〈◊〉 Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pâ—l 3â— Heb. 10. 10. â—v 1. â—al 31. Acts 20. 1 â—t 1â— 12. Ephâ—s 10. 1 Cor. 1â— Rev. 4. 8. Neh. 9. 6. Acts 14. 1 Timâ— Acts 10. â—an 6. 〈◊〉 â—al 55. 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 8. 12. 〈◊〉 12. 〈◊〉 40. â—b 2. 20 4. 15. Psâ—l 42. 1 Câ—r 1â— Maâ— Psal. Psal. â—sal Joâ— Jâ— Jâ— 1 〈◊〉 â—al 119 â—l 119 â—l 118
How Unutterable is Thy Mercy and Thy Love past finding out O All ye Holy Angels Behold and Wonder Wretched Man hath sinned against God and God himself has suffered the Sinners Punishment Was there ever any sorrow like that which my Lord and my God endured for me Was there any Love like to that Love my Lord and my God has shewed to me Help me then O ye Blessed Host of Heaven to celebrate that Unknown Sorrow that Wonderful Love which you your selves so much Admire Help me to praise my Crucified Saviour O my Gracious Lord my heart is now full of the sense of Thy Love and what have I to return to Thee but Love again 'T is all I have to offer Thee Accept it O merciful Lord imperfect as it is and Do Thou daily heighten my sense of Thy Love to me that I may dayly heighten my Love to Thee O Thou Infinite Lover of Souls with all my Heart I Love I Praise I Adore Thy Love to me but alaâ— I can never do it enough O do Thou at last Gracious Lord translate me to Thy Kingdom of Glory that there I may Love Thee to the Utmost Capacity of a Creature and Praise Thee to all Eternity Amen Lord Jesus Amen Amen What benefits we receive by it I Adore Thee O Blessed Jesu my Lord and my God when I consider the Benefits which through Thy Mercy we receive by the Holy Sacrament Glory be to Thee O Lord who there makest Thy own Body and Bloud to become our spiritual food to strengthen and refresh our Souls Glory be to Thee O Lord who by this Heavenly food dost mystically Unite us to Thy self for Nothing becomes One with our Bodies more then the bodily food we eat which turns into our very substance and Nothing makes us become One with Thee more then when Thou vouchsafest to become the very food of our souls Glory be to Thee O Lord who by this Immortal food dost nourish our souls to live the life of Grace here and doest raise us up to life everlasting hereafter Lord do Thou evermore give me this bread Amen Amen Motives of Receiving O Blessed Saviour what more powerful Motives can I have to perswade me to Communicate then Thy Command and the Admirable effects of the Holy Sacrament But alas my corrupt Nature is apt to suggest to me low and base inducements to this duty such as are fear of my Superiours displeasure if I abstain or shame of not appearing as devout as my Equals or the meer Custome of the Place or of the Season But Lord I do from my heart Renounce all these and the like Carnal Considerations and I come to Thy Altar to â—enew my Baptismal Covenant with Thee of which Thy Sacrament is a Seal I come to Testifie my sense of Thy Love O Heavenly Father in So loving the World as to give up Thy only Son to die for me I come to testifie my Faith in Thee and my Love toward Thee O Bleâ—ied Saviour and thankfully to Commemorate Thy Wonderful Love in dying for me I come Lord to testifie my stedfastness in the Communion of Thy Church and my Charity to all the World I come to Thy table O Lord out of the sense I have of the want of that Spiritual food to which Thou there invitest me Alas Alas I am soon apt to grow weary of well-doing a few prayers every little duty is apt to tire me Every slight temptation is apt to overcome me and I know there is â—o food can strengthen my Soul but Thy Body No Cordial can revive my drooping Obedience but Thy Bloud and 'T is Thy most blessed Body and Bloud I hunger and thirst after O Gracious Lord Grant that I and all that communicate with me may feel its saving efficacy O Feed O Refresh O Nourish our Souls with it to life everlasting and that for Thy own Infinite Mercy sake which moved Thee to offer up Thy Body and Bloud for us Amen Amen Prayer for Preparation Blessed Lord Jesus I even tremble when I consider that He that eateth and drinketh Unworthily is Guilty of Thy Body and Bloud and eateth and drinketh damnation to his own Soul and this severe Sentence on Unworthy Communicants makes me afraid to come to Thy Altar But when I consider that Thy Sentence is as Severe against those who being invited refuse to Come for Thou hast said they shall not taste of Thy Supper and Unless we eat Thy flesh and drink Thy bloud we have no life in us I am then afraid to Keep away But Bleâ—ied be Thy Mercy O Lord for in this streight my Soul is in Thou art my Guide Thou by giving me this opportunity of Receiving Invitest me to Thy table Thou callest me to seek Thy face and my heart replies Thy face Lord will I seek If Thou Lord should be extream to mark what is done amiss Alas alas I am then Unfit not only to Communicate but to say even my daily prayers I Know Lord that if I should stay till I am Worthy to come I should then never come and therefore though I am Unworthy of so Unspeakable a mercy yet I come to beg Thy Grace to make me Worthy or at least Such as Thou wilt accept O Blessed Jesus do Thou so open my eye of faith to discern Thy Body and Bloud in the Holy Sacrament Do Thou so Dispose my Soul at this time to Communicate that I may feel all the happy effects of Thy own Divine Inâ—titution that my Soul may receive such lasting impressions of Thy Goodness and be so Ravisht with the Love of Thee and with the Incomparable Delights of Thy Service and with such an early fore-taste of Heaven that all the pleasures of sin which in my growing years may tempt me may appear to me tasteless and Unwelcome O Heavenly Father Cloath me with the Wedding Garment even the Graces of my Blessed Saviour for then am I sure to be a Welcome guest to Thy Table when I shall come thither in the likeness of Thy only well-beloved Son in whom Thou art always well-pleased O Heavenly Father Fill me with a lively faith profound humility filial obedience enflamed affections and Universal Charity O raise in my Soul all those Heavenly transports of Zeal and Devotion of Love and desire of Joy and delight of Praise and thanksgiving which become the Remembrance of a Crucified Saviour which become one Redeemed by the Bloud of God and that for His sake only that Redeemed me in whose Holy Words I sum up all the Graces and Blessings I stand in Need of Our â—ather which art in heaven c. This Prayer Phil. is proper for you to add to your Morning Prayer the day on which you are to Receive Directions in time of Receiving IN time of Receiving Good Phil. Labour all you can to keep your heart affected with the Publick Prayers and to fill up all the vacant minutes with Holy Ejaculations such as
blessed words Our Father c. Remember good Phil. that when you have received the Holy Sacrament your Greatest Work is then but beginning which is to observe all the promises you have made to God of future Obedience and therefore 't is good for you to read over now and then and to renew your Resolutions and to examine your self How you have kept them that you may preserve in your soul a serious sense of your duty and a conscientious care to perform it A Form of General Thanksgiving WOrthy art Thou O Lord of heaven and earth to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast created all things and for Thy pleasure they are and were created Thou hast made heaven the Heaven of Heavens with all their Host the earth and all things that are therein Thou preservest them all and the Host of Heaven praiseth Thee Glory be to Thee O Lord God Almighty for creating man after Thine own image and making so great variety of Creatures to minister to His use Glory be to Thee who givest us life and breath and all things who givest us fruitful seasons and fillest our hearts with food and gladness Glory be to Thee O Lord God for all Thy many blessings and deliverances for all Thy forbearance and long-suffering to this sinful Nation Glory be to Thee O Lord who hast made me also share in those publick mercies and for that light of the Gospel Thou vouchsafest us of which the greatest part of the world is totally ignorant Glory be to Thee O Heavenly Father for my being and preservation strength and health understanding and memory friends and benefactors and for all my Abilities of mind and of body Glory be to Thee O heavenly Father for my competent livelyhood for my education in this Colledge for all my known or Unobserved deliverances and for the guard Thy holy Angels keep over me But above all Glory be to Thee for giving Thy only Son to die for my sins and for all the spiritual blessings he has purchast for me for my Baptism and all the opportunities Thou givest me of serving Thee or of receiving the holy Eucharist for whatever sin I have escapt for whatever good I have done or thought for all my helps of grace and hopes of Heaven Glory be to Thee Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise His Holy Name Glory be to Thee O Lord Jesus for Thy inexpressible Love to Lost man Glory be to Thee O Lord for Condescending to take our frail Nature on Thee Glory be to Thee for all Thy Heavenly Doctrine to Instruct us Thy great Miracles to Convince us and Thy unblamable Example to Guide us Glory be to Thee O Blessed Jesus for Thy Agony and bloudy sweat for all the torments and anguish of thy bitter passion Glory be to Thee O Blessed Jesus for Thy Glorious Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven and Intercession for us at the right hand of Thy Father O Gracious Lord Thou that hast done so much for me How can I ever sufficiently Praise and Love Thee Praise the Lord Jesus O my Soul and all that is within me Praise His Holy Name Glory be to Thee O Blessed Spirit Glory be to Thee for all the Miraculous Gifts and Graces Thou didst bestow on the Apostles to fit them to Convert the World and for Inspiring the Sacred Pen-men of Holy Scripture Glory be to Thee for Instilling Holy Thoughts into my soul for all the Ghostly strength and support and comfort and illumination we receive from Thee for all Thy Preventing and restraining and Sanctifying Grace Glory be to Thee Blessed Spirit let me never more by my sins grieve Thee who art the Author of life and Joy to me Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me Praise His Holy Name Here Phil. if you recite this Thanksgiving on any great Festival or Saints day you may add Particularly O Lord am I bound to Praise Thee for the great blessing we this day Commemorate Here mention it For instance the Nativity of our Blessed Saviour or the likâ— Or for the Saint whose memory we this day celebrate Here you may name him and add Praise the Lord therefore O my Soul and all that is within me Praise His Holy Name Blessing and Honour and Thanksgiving and Praise more than I can Utter more than I can Conceive be unto Thee O most Adorable Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost by all Angels All Men All Creatures for ever and ever Amen Amen A Form of General Intercession HOly Holy Holy Lord God Almighty I miserable sinner humbly acknowledge that I am altogether Unworthy to pray for my self but since Thou hast Commanded us to make prayers and intercessions for all men in obedience to Thy Command and in Confidence of Thy Unlimited Goodness I commend to Thy Mercy and Divine Providence the Wants and Necessities of all Mankind Lord let it be Thy good pleasure to restore to Thy Church Catholick Primitive peace and purity and to preserve it against the Gates of Hell Particularly O Lord God I implore Thy Mercy for this sinful Nation for the iniquity of the land is exceeding Great Alas alas we are Unthankful for Thy blessings incorrigible under Thy Judgments and unprofitable under all the means of Grace and what can we expect from Thee but to drink deep of the Cup of Thy Wrath And Wretch that I am my sins have increased the heap of the Publick Impieties and made their Cry the louder to Heaven for vengeance But O Lord God in the midst of Judgment Remember Mercy Turn Thou us Lord and so shall we be turned O be favourable to Thy people and give us all Grace to Turn to Thee in Fasting Weeping and Mourning To put a period to our provocations and do Thou put a period to our Punishments O Lord God out of the Multitude of Thy Mercies give us grace to fear Thee and to keep Thy Commandments always that it may be well with us and Thou mayest Rejoice over us to do us good Amen Amen O let it be Thy good pleasure to bless us all from the highest to the lowest in our several stations To defend the Church of England from all the Asâ—aults of Schism or Heresie or Sacriledge and to bless all Bishops Priests and Deacons with Apostolicol graces exemplary lives and sound doctrin O let it be Thy good pleasure to save and defend our Sovereign Lord King Charles from all His Enemies grant him a long and happy reign over us and endue him with all those gifts and graces which may make him a terrour to evil works and a great promoter of Thy Glory Bless Him and all His Royal relations with a great measure of all temporal good things and with eternal Glory in the world to come Lord let it be Thy good pleasure to grant To the Privy Council Wisdom from above To all Magistrates Integrity and Zeal for Religion To
the Gentry and Commonalty Pious and just peaceable and loyal Hearts To our Armies and Navy Protection and Victory To the whole Nation Healthful and fruitful and peaceful times Lord let it be thy good pleasure to grant To all Jews Turks Infidels Atheists and Hereticks Conversion To all Malefactors and wicked men timely Repentance To all Holy persons increase of grace and perseverance To all that I have tempted any way to siâ— or with whom I have been a Companion in evil Contrition and pardon Lord let it be Thy good pleasure to bless all those I have any way wronged and to forgive those that have wronged me To Comfort the disconsolate to give health to the sick ease to those that are in pain Patience to the afflicted food to the Hungry Clothes to the Naked liberty to the Captive and a safe delivery to women with Child Lord be Thou a Guide to the traveller safety to those that are at Sea a Refuge to the oppressed Be Thou a Father to the fatherless Take care of Widdows Pity and Relieve all poor Prisoners of debt and Have mercy on all Ideots and mad persons Lord let it be Thy good pleasure to Bless my Parents my Brothers and Sisters and All my Relations All my Friends All my Governours in this Colledge All my Fellow-Scholars All who have commended themselves to my Prayers Particularly Here you may name them if you see occasion Lord Thou best Knowest all our Conditions All our Desires All our Wants O do Thou therefore sute Thy graces and blessings to our several necessities of Body or Soul Hear O merciful Father my Supplications and that for the sake of Thy Son Jesus who died for us all in whose Holy words I sum up my own and the wants of all I pray for Our Father which c. If you are a Child of the Colledge Good Phil. I advise you now and then to say that usual Collect wherein you give thanks for the Founder and pray for the Colledge both which you have great reason to do in private as well as in publick when you Consider that God has made the Founder an Instrument of doing you much good in advantaging your education and the blessings you pray for on the Colledge you have your self a part in A Thanksgiving for the Founder I Give Thee Humble and Hearty thanks O most merciful Father for our Founder William of Wickham and all other our Benefactors by whose benefits we are in this Colledge brought up to Godliness and good Learning and I beseech Thee to give us grace so to use these Thy blessings to the Glory of Thy Name that we may become profitable members in the Church and Commonwealth and may be at last partakers of the immortal Glory of the Resurrection Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Amen Directions to use the foregoing Prayers HAve a great care good Phil. that you make not any of the Rules here given you a pretence to neglect the Orders and duties of the place you live in or of the School for that were Idleness rather than devotion When you fix on a day to examine your Soul or to confess your sins in Believe me Phil. nothing will more enforce your Prayers and Repentance than if they are accompanied with Fasting and Alms as you may see in the example of Cornelius whose Prayers and Fasting and Alms all joyned together were so acceptable to God as made Him send first an Angel from Heaven and after the Angel an Apostle and after the Apostle the Holy Ghost to confirm and enlighten Him But take notice Phil. that all the Fasting I advise you to is only on some Fasting-day on some one Friday or Saturday when your Commons are less than on other days to Content your self with your bare allowance and withal to lay aside some small matter according to your stock for the Poor But beware you do not your duty only to be seen and approved of by Others for this were Hypocrisie and take lieed your performances do not puff you up with a vain conceit of your Holiness and that you are better than your fellows for this were abominable Pride and alas when you have done the best you can you fall infinitely short of your duty and 't is Gods mere Mercy not any the least worth in you makes your service any way acceptable to Him When you have once throughly examined your self Good Phil. and made a particular Confession of the sins of your whole life and begged Pardon there is not the same Absolute Necessity of such laborious Examination at your next communicating especially if you examine your self carefully every Night and dayly repent of the evil of the day past and are not Conscious to your self of any Great or Notorious Sins since your last Confession for if you are not the Examination and Confession only of what past since your last Communicating together with a General Confession of your former sins and a solemn renewing of your former acts of Repentance may serve the turn But if your Conscience Accuses you of any Culpable neglect in your last Examination or of any great relapses or of any wilfull violations of your last Vows and Resolutions in those and the like Cascs 't is the surest way to begin all your Repentance again Remember Phil. that though 't is God that works in you to will and to do of his good pleasure yet God also commands you to work out your own salvation your self and therefore you are to labour for those blessings and to practise those graces you pray for so that you are to read your duty in your prayers If you find any particular Sin you are guilty of or any particular grace which you want or any particular blessing which you are to give thanks for which is not here mentioned 't is easie for you to add it to your prayers as occasion requires in like manner if you meet with any passage in any prayer which does not either so directly or so fully express the sense of your Soul as you could wish leave it out If Opportunity Leisure and Devotion altogether do at any time when you go home or at times of liberty incline you to make some present addition to your dayly prayers or like Daniel and Holy David not only at Morning and at Evening but at Noon day to Pray to God thou mayest then Use the Prayer for particular graces p. 39. or those Acts of Resolution and Oblation p. 34 35. or on Sundays and Holy-days the Form of General Thansgiving or on Fasting-days the Form of General Intercession as may best sute with the season and with your own Affections Directions concerning Infirmities IF after all the Care and pains you can take and your petitions also for Gods grace you find in the performance of any duty in your dayly Prayers Examination Receiving the Holy Eucharilt or the like great Coldness and Wandrings and indisposedness and weariness of Spirit and
that your heart is little affected with it and that you fall very much short of the Rules here laid down and therefore are ready to Conclude that all you have done is in vain and displeasing to God Be not disheartned at this Phil. 't is a good sign to be so much grieved for your failings in your duty 't is an argument of a filial tenderness and desire to serve God better that your spirit is willing though your flesh is weak and if you still continue your endeavours and prayers pâ—tiently relying on Gods infinite goodness and on his gracious promises of Hearing you He will assuredly Hear you in His good time Know good Phil. that this is the case of thousands as well as of your self the very best of Christians sigh under the pervcrsness and impotence of their corrupt nature and even the Just man falls seven times a day through sins of Ignorance or Infirmity or sudden surreption or inadvertency or the like though it is true he riseth again by an Habitual repentance and therefore be not discouraged but dayly beg pardon for your daily failings To ease you in such indispositions or when you are also streightned in time or diverted by any Unavoidable avocations I advise you to shorten your prayers and for the longer Morning and Evening prayer say the shorter and as for the other parts of Devotion throughout this whole Manual they are cut into so many breaks and divisions on purpose that you may lengthen or shorten your prayers as may best comply with your Occasions and Infirmities Onely let me warn you seriously that under colour of Indulging your infirmities you dò not indulge your sloth Be not then afflicted good Phil. if you cannot come up exactly to the Rules here given you Believe me it was never imagined you would it was onely hoped that you would endeavour it and know that it is a great errour of many devout souls to think all they do signifies nothing because they fall short of the Rules laid down in their Books of Devotion little considering that 't is Sincerity God requires of us and not perfection for if there be a willing mind in us it is accepted according to that which a man hath and not according to that a man hath not so that your Infirmities ought to humble but not to discourage you For instance Suppose you should not be able after all your endeavours and prayers to shed any or but few tears for your sins Be not too much cast down at it for to be troubled for want of tears is one sign of godly sorrow and 't is certain though tears are very desirable yet they are not always signs of true Repentance for Hypocrites may shed them and there may be true godly sorrow without them and perhaps God will at last give them to you when his wisdom sees your Heart in a fit temper for them Whensoever then you are troubled with an afflicting sense of your infirmities and for your many failings I advise you to say this Prayer following and to rest satisfied that He that died for you will both hear and accept and succour you A Prayer against Failings O Thou Compassionate Saviour of sinful man look down from Heaven and have mercy upon me wretched sinner O save me O help me for without Thee I can do Nothing as I ought Miserable man that I am my very Prayers and Repentance are accompanied with so many failings that I am sometimes afraid that Thou Lord wilt not hear such Prayers nor regard such Repentance But O Blessed Saviour my Lord and my God 't is Thy promise not to discourage the least measure of grace Thou wilt not quench the smoaking Flax or break the bruised Reed 'T is Thy practice Lord to comply with the weakness of Thy servants Thou arâ— the good Shepherd who carriest the tender Lambs in Thy very bosome and gently leadest those that be with young Nay Lord 'T is Thy very Nature so to do for Thou Thy self hast felt humane infirmities and canst not but commiserate those that sigh under them Why art thou then so heavy O my Soul and why art thou so disquieted within me O put thy trust in thy Saviour who is the help of my Countenance and my God! O gracious Lord do Thou Pity me and Accept my weak and imperfect performances and supply by Thy boundless mercy all the defects in my duty and if it be Thy pleasure I should serve Thee better O Lord God increase Thy succours of Grace and I shall then increase my obedience O Thou lover of Souls for the sake of that infinite Compassion of Tâ—ine which moved Thee to die for me Hear me and Help me Amen Lord Jesus Amen Amen Directions in time of Sicknâ—ss FAr be it from you good Phil. to Counterfeit your self sick at any time to avoid the School or the like Lest God send you sickness indeed to punish your Idleness and dissimulation But if it please God to visit you with a real disease let it be your first care to make your peace with Heaven for God by taking you off from your usual Studies does give you a Call to Repentance and the exâ—mination of your self in the beginning of your sickness is as seasonable and necessary as before your Communicating besides if your sickness prove dangerous you will then I doubt not desire to Communicate so that to fit you both for the Holy Sacrament and for Heaven examination and Repentance ought to be first in your thoughts Beware Phil. of deferring this duty because you are young and think you may have time enough to repent Hereafter for you see that persons younger then your self die and you are not sure to out-live this distemper and if you should put it off till your sickness grows more on you it may perhaps take away your senses or if it does not be sure it will much more indispose you to Prayer and Recollection In the beginning then of your sickness begin your Repentance and say over this following Prayer and do not only say but practise it A Prayer in the beginning of Sickness O Heavenly Father who in Thy wisdom knowest what is best for me Glory be to Thee Lord if it seem good in Thy sight divert this distemper from me which I now feel seizing on me that I may imploy my health to Thy Glory and Praise Thy Name But if Thou art pleased it should grow on me I willingly submit to Thy affâ—icting hand for Thou art wont to chastise those whom Thou dost love and I am sure Thou wilt lay no more on me then Thou wilt enable me to bear I know O my God Thou sendest this sickness on me for my Good even to Humble and reform me O grant that it may work that saving effect in me Lord crâ—ate in me a true Penitent sorrow for all my sins past A stedfast Faith in Thee and sincere resolutions of amendment for the
A MANUAL of PRAYERS For the Use of the SCHOLARS of Winchester Colledge HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE Manners makyth man W W LONDON Printed for John Martyn 1675. Academiae Cantabrigiensis Liber A MANUAL OF PRAYERS For the Use of the Scholars of Winchester Colledge An Exhortation to young Philotheus IF you have any regard good Philotheus to your own eternal happiness it ought to be your chiefest care to serve and glorifie God 'T is for this end God both made and redeemed you and two excellent rules He hath given you in Holy Scripture by the conscientious observation of which you will be able through His grace to dedicate your tender years to His glory The one teaches you what you are to do Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youtb The other teaches you what you are to avoid Fly youthful lusts that is all those sins which are usually incident to young persons You cannot imagine the unspeakable advantages a pious youth gains by the practice of these two Rules and how many ghostly dangers that Soul escapes which is seasoned betimes with the fear of God before he is sullied with ill Company before he hath contracted vitious habits which will cost him infinite pains to unlearn before his affections are too far engaged in the World to be easily recalled and before the Devil hath got too strong a hold in him to be suddenly dispossessed O Philotheus do but ask any one old Penitent what fruit what satisfaction he hath purchast to himself by all those pleasures of sin which slattered him in his youth and of which he is now ashamed Will he not sadly tell you he has found them all to be but vanity and vexation of Spirit How will he befool himself for the many good opportunities he hath lost and wish a thousand times that he were to live over his mispent days again And how bitterly will he with David bewail the sins of his youth Learn then good Phil. by the dear-bought experience of others to accustom your self to bear Christs yoke from your youth and his yoke will sit easie on your neck for your duty will grow natural to you by beginning betimes Do but consider how welcome a young Convert is to God it was to young Samuel that God revealed himself and that at such a time too when the Word of God was pretious and very rare to shew how much God honoured a young Prophet and you know that St. John the youngest of all the Disciples is the only person of all the twelve who was permitted to lean on our Saviours bosome at the last Supper as dearest to Him in affection and who is emphatically called the Disciple whom Jesus loved and this is suitable to that gracious promise which God hath made to encourage all young persons to serve him I love them that love me and they that seek me early shall find me O Philotheus let this Heavenly promise excite in you a great zeal to sâ—ek God and to seek Him early for if you do seek you are sure to find Him you are sure when you have found Him He will love you and you shall reap all the happy effects of Gods infinite Love and of an early Piety An early Piety then which nothing will make you a greater comfort to all your friends or a greater blessing to the very Colledge where you are bred nothing will make you more universally esteemed and beloved by all men or more successful in your Studies and besides that peace of Conscience and the pleasure of well-doing you will at present feel think if you can how unconceivable a joy it will be to you when in your elder years you can reflect on your well spent time and the innocence of your Youth how great a Consolation it will be to you on your death-bed how easie it will render your accounts at the great Day of Judgment and how much a whole life spent in Gods service will increase your glory in Heaven God of his great mercy Philotheus make these and the like considerations effectual to create holy Resolutions in you and give you grace to make good use of these following Directions which are designed to teach you to fear the Lord from your youth and are suited to your particular Age and Condition in hope they may the more affect you God grant they may Amen Directions in general AS soon as ever you awake in the morning good Philoâ—heus strive as much as you can to keep all worldly thoughts out of your mind till you have presented the first fruits of the day to God which will be an excellent preparative to make you spend the rest of it the better and therefore be sure to sing the Morning and Evening Hymn in your Chamber devoutly remembring that the Psalmist upon happy experience assures you that it is a good thing to tell of the loving kindness of the Lord early in the morning and of his truth in the night season When you are ready look on your Soul as still untill you have said your Prayers Remember that God under the Law ordained a Lamb to be offered up to Him every Morning and Evening A Lamb which is a fit emblem of Youth and Innocence Think then that you arâ— to resemble this Lamb and be sure every day to offer up your self a Morning and Evening Sacrifice to God If you are a Commoner you may say your prayers in â—our own Chamber but if you are a Child or a Chorister then to avoid the interruptions of the Common Chambers go into the Chappel between first and second Pcal in the Morning to say your Morning Prayer and say your Evening Prayer when you go Circum Now that every one may have his duty proportioned to his capacity the best way is to distinguish two degrees of young Christians in this Colledge namely those that are of an Age capable of receiving the Holy Sacrament and those that are not and in one of theâ—e two degrees you are to rank your self Directions for the Youngest IF you are very young good Philotheus that Gods commands may not seem grievous to you at your first setting out I shall advise you to no more then your Infant Devotion will bear and that is To take great care to learn your Catechism without Book and to learn to understand it for 't is impossible you can ever perform your duty unless you first know what it is 't is impossible you can ever go to Heaven unless you learn the way thither and that you may beg Gods dayly blessing and his grace to assist you learn these two short Prayers by heart and say them every day Morning Prayer GLory be to Thee O Lord God for all the blessings I dayly receive from Thee and for Thy particular preservation and refreshment of me this night past O Lord have mercy upon me and forgive whatsoever Thou hast seen amiss in me