people so long GOD would have that to be the solemn manner of confessing these attributes but when the Priesthood being changed there was a change also of the Law the great dutie remain'd unalterable in changed circumstances We are eternally bound to confess God Almightie to bee the Maker of Heaven and Earth but the manner of confessing it is chang'd from a rest or a doing nothing to a speaking somthing from a day to a symbol from a ceremonie to a substance from a Jewish rite to a Christian dutie wee profess it in our Creed wee confess it in our lives wee describe it by every line of our life by every action of dutie by faith and trust and obedience and wee do also upon great reason complie with the Jewish manner of câ—nfessing the Creation so far as it is instrumental to a real dutie Wee keep one day in seven and so confess the manner and circumstance of the Creation and wee rest also that wee may tend holie duties so imitating God's rest better then the Jew in Synesius who lay upon his face from evening to evening and could not by stripes or wounds bee raised up to steer the ship in a great storm God's rest was not a natural cessation hee who could not labor could not bee said to rest but God's rest is to bee understood to bee a beholding and a rejoicing in his work finished and therefore wee truly represent God's rest when wee confess and rejoice in God's Works and God's glorie This the Christian Church does upon every day but especially upon the Lord's day which she hath set apart for this and all other Offices of Religion being determined to this day by the Resurrection of her dearest Lord it beeing the first day of joy the Church ever had And now upon the Lord's day wee are not tied to the rest of the Sabbath but to all the work of the Sabbath wee are to abstain from bodily labour not because it is a direct dutie to us as it was to the Jews but because it is necessarie in order to our dutie that wee attend to the Offices of Religion The observatioâ— of the Lord's daie differs nothing from the observation of the Sabbath in the matter of Religion but in the manner They differ in the ceremony and external rite Rest with them was the principal with us it is the accessory They differ in the office or forms of worship For they were then to worship God as a Creator and a gentle Father we are to adde to that Our Redeemer and all his other excellencies and mercies and though we have more natural and proper reason to keep the Lords day then the Sabbath yet the Jews had a divine Commandement for their day which we have not for ours but we have many Commandements to do all that honour to GOD which was intended in the fourth Commandement and the Apostles appointed the first day of the week for doing it in solemn Assemblies and the manner of worshipping God and doing him solemn honour and service upon this day we may best observe in the following measures Rules for keeping the Lords day â—nd other Christian festivals 1. When you go about to distinguish Festival daies from common do it not by lessening the devotions of ordinary daies that the common devotion may seem bigger upon Festivals but on every day keep your ordinary devotions intire and enlarge upon the Holy day 2. Upon the Lords day wee must abstain from all servile and laborous works except such which are matters of necessity of common life or of great charity for these are permitted by that authoritie which hath separated the day for holy uses The Sabbath of the Jewes though consisting principally in rest and established by God did yeeld to these The labour of Love and the labours of Religion were not against the reason and the spirit of the Commandement for which the Letter was decreed and to which it ought to minister And therefore much more is it so on the Lords day where the Letter is wholly turned into Spirit and there is no Commandement of God but of spiritual and holy actions The Priests might kill their beasts and dress them for sacrifice and Châ—ist though born under the Law might heal a sick man and the sick man might carry his bed to witness his recovery and confess the mercy and leap and dance to God for joy and an Ox might be led to water and an Ass be haled out of a ditch a man may take physick and he may eat meat and therefore there were of necessity some to prepare and minister it and the performing these labours did not consist in minutes and just determined stages but they had even then a reasonable latitude so onely as to exclude unnecessary labour or such as did not minister to charity or religion And therefore this is to be enlarged in the Gospel whose Sabbath or rest is but a circumstance and accessory to the principal and spiritual duties Upon the Christian Sabbath necessity is to be served first then charity then religion for this is to give place to charity in great instances and the second to the fiâ—st in all and in all cases God is to be worshipped in spirit and in truth 3. The Lords day being the remembâ—ance of a great blessing must be a day of joy festivitie spiritual â—ejâ—icing and thanksgiving and therefore it is a proper work of the day to let your devotions spend themselves in singing or reading Psalms in recounting the great works of God in remembring his mercies in worshipping his excellencâ—es in celebrating his attributes in admiâ—ing his person in sending portions of pleasant meat to them for whom nothing is provided and in all the arts and instruments of advancing God's glorie and the reputation of Religion in which it were a great decencie that a memorial of the resurrection should be inserted that the particular religion of the day bee not swallowed up in the general And of this wee may the more easily serve our selvs by rising seasonably in the morning to private devotion and by retiring at the leisures and spaces of the day not imploied in publick offices 4. Fail not to be present at the publick hours and places of praier entring early and cheerfully attending reverently and devoutly abiding patiently during the whole office piously assisting at the praiers and gladly also hearing the Sermon and at no hand omitting to receive the holy Communion when it is offered unless some great reason excuse it this being the great solemnitie of thanksgiving and a proper work of the day 5. After the solemnities are past and in the intervalls between the morning and evening devotion as you shall finde opportunitie visit sick persons reconcile differences do offices of neighbâ—uâ—hâ—od â—nquire into the needs of the poor especially house keepers relieve them as they shall need and as you are able for then wee truly rejoice in God when we make
case is so with us that we are reduced to that Religion which no man can forbid which we can keep in the midst of a persecution by which the Martyrs in the daies of our Fathers went to Heaven that by which we can be servants of God and receive the Spirit of Christ and make use of his comforts and live in his love and in charity with all men and they that doe so cannot perish My Lord I have now described some general lines and features of that Religion which I have more particularly set down in the following pages in which I have neither served nor desserved the interest of any party of Christians as they are divided by uncharitable names from the rest of their brethren and no man will have reason to be angry with me for refusing to mingle in his unnecessary or vitious quarrels especially while I study to doe him good by conducting him in the narrow way to Heaven without intricating him in the Labyrinths and wilde turnings of Questions and uncertain talkings I have told what men ought to doe and by what means they may be assisted and in most cases I have also told them why and yet with as much quickness as I could think necessary to establish a Rule and not to ingage in Homily or Discourse In the use of which Rules although they are plain useful and fitted for the best and worst understandings and for the needs of all men yet I shall desire the Reader to proceed with the following advises 1. They that will with profit make use of the proper instruments of virtue must so live as if they were alwaies under the Physicians hand For the Counsels of Religion are not to be applied to the distempers of the soul as men use to take Hellebore but they must dwell together with the Spirit of a man and be twisted about his understanding for ever They must be used like nourishment that is by a daily care and meditation not like a single medicine and upon the actual pressure of a present necessity For counsels and wise discourses applied to an actuall distemper at the best are but like strong smels to an Epileptick person sometimes they may raise him but they never cure him The following rules if they be made familiar to our natures and the thoughts of every day may make Virtue and Religion become easie and habitual but when the temptation is present and hath already seised upon some portions of our consent we are not so apt to be counsell'd and we finde no gust or relish in the Precept the Lessons are the same but the Instrument is unstrung or out of tune 2. In using the instruments of virtue we must be curious to distinguish instruments from duties and prudent advices from necessary injunctions and if by any other means the duty can be secured let there be no scruples stirred concerning any other helps onely if they can in that case strengthen and secure the duty or helpe towards perseverance let them serve in that station in which they can be placed For there are some persons in whom the Spirit of God hath breathed so bright a flame of love that they doe all their acts of virtue by perfect choice and without objection and their zeal is warmer then that it will be allayed by temptation and to such persons mortification by Philosophical instruments as fasting sackcloth and other rudenesses to the body is wholly uselesse It is alwaies a more uncertain means to acquire any virtue or secure any duty and if love hath filled all the corners of our soul it alone is able to doe all the work of God 3. Be not nice in stating the obligations of Religion but where the duty is necessary and the means very reasonable in it self dispute not too busily whether in all Circumstances it can fit thy particular but super totam materiam upon the whole make use of it For it is a good signe of a great Religion and no imprudence when we have sufficiently considered the substance of affairs then to be easie humble obedient apt and credulous in the circumstances which are appointed to us in particular by our spiritual Guides or in general by all wise men in cases not unlike He that gives Alms does best not alwaies to consider the minutes and strict measures of his ability but to give freely incuriously and abundantly A man must not weigh grains in the accounts of his repentance but for a great sin have a great sorrow and a great severity and in this take the ordinary advices though it may be a lesse rigour might not be insufficient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Arithmetical measures especially of our own proportioning are but arguments of want of Love and of forwardness in Religion or else are instruments of scruple and then become dangerous Use the rule heartily and enough and there will be no harm in thy errour if any should happen 4. If thou intendest heartily to serve God and avoid sin in any one instance refuse not the hardest and most severe advice that is prescribed in order to it though possibly it be a stranger to thee for whatsoever it be custome will make it easie 5. When many instruments for the obtaining any virtue or restraining any vice are propounded observe which of them fits thy person or the circumstances of thy need and use it rather then the other that by this means thou may'st be engaged to watch and use spiritual arts and observation about thy soule Concerning the managing of which as the interest is greater so the necessities are more and the cases more intricate and the accidents and dangers greater and more importunate and there is greater skill required then in the securing an estate or restoring health to an infirm body I wish all men in the world did heartily beleive so much of this as is true it would very much help to doe the work of God Thus My Lord I have made bold by your hand to reach out this little scroll of cautions to all those who by seeing your honour'd name set before my Book shall by the faireness of such a Frontispice be invited to look into it I must confesse it cannot but look like a design in me to borrow your name and beg your Patronage to my book that if there be no other worth in it yet at least it may have the splendor and warmth of a burning-glasse w th borrowing a flame from the Eye of Heaven shines burns by the rayes of the Sun its patron I will not quit my self from the suspicion for I cannot pretend it to be a present either of it self fit to be offer'd to such a personage or any part of a just return but I humbly desire you would own it for an acknowledgment of those great endearments and noblest usages you have past upon me But so men in their Religion give a piece of Gum or the fat of a cheap Lamb in Sacrifice
to him that gives them all that they have or need and unless He who was pleased to imploy your Lordship as a great Minister of his Providence in making a Promise of his good to me the meanest of his servants that he would never leave me nor forsake me shall enable me by greater services of Religion to pay my great Debt to your Honour I must still increase my score since I shall now spend as much in my needs of pardon for this boldness as in the reception of those favours by w ch I stand accountable to your Lordship in all the bands of service and gratitude though I am in the deepest sense of duty and affection My most Honoured Lord Your Honours most obliged and Most Humble Servant IER TAYLOR The Table CHAP. I COnsideration of the general instruments and means serving to a holy life by way introduction Page 1. Sect. 1. Care of time and the manner of spending it 4 23 Rules for imploying our time 7 The 5 benefits of this exercise 17 Sect. 2. Purity of intention or purpose in all our actions c. 17 10 Rules for our intentions 20 8 Signes of purity of intention 23 3 Appendant Considerations 27 Sect. 3. The consideration and practise of the presence of God 29 6 Several manners of the divine presence 30 10 Rules of exercising this consideration 35 The 5 benefits of this exercise 38 Prayers and Devotion according to the Religion and purposes of the foregoing considerations 41 Devotions for ordinary daies 42 CHAP. II. Of Christian sobriety 64 Sect. 1. Of sobriety in the general sense 64 5 Evil consequents of voluptuousness or sensuality 65 3 Degrees of sobriety 67 6 Rules for suppressing voluptuousness 68 Sect. 2. Of Temperance in eating and drinking 71 4 Measures of Temperance in eating 73 8 Signes and effects of Temperance 75 Of Drunkenness 76 7 Evil consequents to Drunkenness 78 8 Signes of Drunkenness 80 11 Rules for the obtaining temperance 81 Sect. 3. Of Chastity 84 The 10 evil consequents of uncleanness 88 7 Acts of Chastity in general 93 5 Acts of Virginal or Maiden Chastity 95 5 Rules for Widows or Vidual Chastity 96 6 Rules for Married persons or Matrimonial Chastity 97 10 Remedies against uncleanness 101 Sect. 4. Of Humility 106 9 Arguments against Pride by way of consideration 107 19 Acts or offices of Humility 110 14 Means and exercises of obtaining and increasing the grace of Humility 117 17 Signes of Humility 124 Sect. 5. Of Modesty 126 4 Acts and duties of Modesty as it is opposed to Curiosity ibid. 6 Acts of Modesty as it is opposed to boldness 130 10 Acts of Modesty as it is opposed to Vndecency 132 Sect. 6. Of Contentedness in all estates c. 135 2 General arguments for Content 137 8 Instruments or exercises to procure contentedness 142 8 Means to obtain Content by way of consideration 157 The Consid. applied to particular cases ibid. Of Poverty 164 The charge of many Children 173 Violent Necessities 174 Death of Children Friends c. 176 Vntimely Death 177 Death unseasonable 180 Sudden Deaths or violent 182 Being Childlesse ibid. Evil or unfortunate Children ibid. Our own Death 183 Prayers for the several graces and parts of Christian sobriety fitted to the necessity of several persons 184 CHAP. III. Of Christian Justice 191 Sect. 1. Of Obedience to our Superiours 192 15 Acts and duties of obedience to all our Superiours 193 12 Remedies against disobedience by way of consideration 198 3 Degrees of obedience 203 Sect. 8. Of Provision of that part of justice which is due from Superiours to inferiours 205 12 Duties of Kings and all the supreme power as Lawgivers ibid. 2 Duties of Superiours as they are Judges 209 5 Duties of Parents to their Children 210 Duty of Husbands Wives reciprocally 213 7 Duties of Masters of Families 215 Duty of Guardians or Tutors 216 Sect. 3. Of Negotiation or civil Contracts 217 13 Rules and measures of Justice in bargaining ibid. Sect. 4. Of Restitution 222 7 Rules of making Restitution as it concerns the persons obliged 224 9 As it concerns other circumstances 227 Prayers to be said in relation to the several obligations and offices of Justice 232 CHAP. IV. Of Christian religion 241 1. Of the internal actions of religion 242 Sect. 1. Of Faith 243 The 7 acts and offices of Faith ibid. 8 Signes of true Faith 245 8 Means and instruments to obtain Faith 248 Sect. 2. Of Christian Hope 250 The 5 acts of Hope 251 5 Rules to govern our Hope 252 12 Means of Hope and Remedies against Despair 254 Sect. 3. Of Charity or the Love of God 261 The 8 acts of Love to God 263 The 3 measures rules of Divine Love 266 6 Helps to encrease our Love to God by way of exercise The 2 several states of Love to God 271 viz. The state of Obedience ibid. The state of Zeal 272 8 Cautions and rules concerning zeal ibid. 2 Of the external actions of Religion 275 Sect 4. Of Reading or Hearing the Word of God 276 5 General considerations concerning it 278 5 Rules for hearing or reading the Word 279 4 Rules for reading spiritual Books or hearing Sermons 280 Sect. 5. Of Fasting 282 15 Rules for Christian fasting ibid. Benefits of Fasting 289 Sect. 6. Of keeping Festivals and daies holy to the Lord particularly the Lords day ibid. 10 Rules for keeping the Lords day and other Christian Festivals 292 3. Of the mixt actions of Religion 297 Sect 7. Of Prayer 297 1 Motives to Prayer 298 16 Rules for the practise of Prayer 300 6 Cautions for making vows 309 7 Remed against wandring thoughts c. 311 10 Signes of tediousness of Spirit in our prayers and all actions of Religion 313 11 Remedies against tediousness of Spirit 314 Sect. 8. Of Alms. 319 The 18 several kindes of corporal Alms. 321 The 14 several kinds of spiritual Alms. 322 The 5 several kinds of mixt Alms. ibid. 16 Rules for giving Alms. 323 13 Motives to Charity 332 Remedies against the parents of unmercifulness 335 1.9 Against Envy by way of consideration ib. 3.12 Remedies against anger by way of exercise 13 Remed against anger by way of consid 341 7 Remedies against Covetousness 344 Sect. 9. Of Repentance 352 11 Acts and parts of Repentance 355 4 Motives to Repentance 364 Sect. 10. Of Preparation to and the manner how to receive the Sacram. of the Lords Supper 367 14 Rules for preparation and worthy Communicating 370 The effects and benefits of worthy c. 375 Prayers for all sorts of men c. 381 The Rule and Exercises of HOLY LIVING c. CHAP. I. Consideration of the general instruments and means serving to a holy Life by way of Introduction IT is necessary that every Man should consider that since God hath given him an excellent nature wisdom and choice an understanding soul and an immortal spirit having made him Lord over the Beasts and but a little lower then the
from his beloved and much valued mare Phorbante Plutarch de Curiosit More prudent and severe was that of Sir Thomas More who being sent for by the King when he was at his prayers in publick returned answer he would attend him when he had first performed his service to the KING of Kings And it did honour to Rusticus that when Letters from Caesar were given to him he refused to open them till the Philosopher had done his Lecture In honoring God and doing his work put forth all thy strength for of that time only thou mayest be most confident that it is gained which is prudently and zealously spent in Gods service 19. When the Clock strikes or however else you shall measure the day it is good to say a short ejaculation every hour that the parts and returns of devotion may be the measure of your time and doe so also in all the breaches of thy sleep that those spaces which have in them no direct business of the world may be filled with religion 20 If by thus doing you have not secured your time by an early and forehanded care 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Procop. 2. Vandal yet be sure by a timely diligence to redeem the time that is to be pious and religious in such instances in which formerly you have sinned and to bestow your time especially upon such graces the contrary whereof you have formerly practised doing actions of chastity and temperance with as great a zeal and earnestness as you did once act your uncleanness and then by all arts to watch against your present and future dangers from day to day securing your standing this is properly to redeem your time that is to buy your security of it at the rate of any labour and â—â—nest arts 1 Cor. 7.5 21. Let him that is most busied set apart some solemn time every year in which for the time quitting all wordly business he may attend wholly to fasting and prayer and the dressing of his soul by confessions meditations and attendances upon God that he may make up his accounts renew his vows make amends for his carelessenesse and retire back again from whence levity and the vanities of the world or the opportunity of temptations or the distraction of secular affairs have carried him 22. In this we shall be much assisted and we shall finde the work more easie if before we sleep every night * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag Cam. we examine the actions of the past day with a particular scrutiny if there have been any accident extraordinary as long discourse a Feast much business variety of company If nothing but common hath happened the lesse examination will suffice only let us take care that we sleep not without such a recollection of the actions of the day as may represent any thing that is remarkable and great either to be the matter of sorrow or thanksgiving for other things a general care is proportionable 23. Let all these things be done prudently and moderately not with scruple and vexation For these are good advantages but the particulars are not divine commandements and therefore are to be used as shall be found expedient to every ones condition For provided that our duâ—â— be secured for the degrees and for the instruments every man is permitted to himself and the conduct of such who shall be appointed to him He is happy that can secure every hour to a sober or a pious imployment but the duty consists not scrupulously in minutes and half hours but in greater portions of time provided that no minute be imployed in sin and the great portions of our time be spent in sober imployment and all the appointed daies and some portions of every day be allowed for Religion In all the lesser parts of time we are left to our own elections and prudent management and to the consideration of the great degrees and differences of glory that are laid up in Heaven for us according to the degrees of our care and piety and diligence The benefits of this exercise This exercise besides that it hath influence upon our whole lives it hath a special efficacy for the preventing of 1. Beggerly sins that is those sins which idleness and beggery usually betray men to such as are lying flattery stealing and dissimulation 2. It is a proper antidote against carnal sins and such as proceed from fulness of bread and emptiness of imployment 3. It is a great instrument of preventing the smallest sins irregularities of our life which usually creep upon idle disimployed and curious persons 4. It not only teaches us to avoid evil but ingages us upon doing good as the proper business of all our daies 5. It prepares us so against sudden changes that we shall not easily be surprised at the sudden coming of the day of the Lord For he that is curious of his time will not easily be unready and unfurnished SECT II. The second general instrument of holy Living Purity of intention THat we should intend and designe Gods glory in every action we doe whether it be natural or chosen is expressed by S. Paul 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink doe all to the glory of God Which rule when we observe every action of nature becomes religious and every meal is an act of worship and shall have its reward in its proportion as well as an act of prayer Blessed be that goodness and grace of God which out of infinite desire to glorifie and save mankind would make the very works of nature capable of becoming acts of virtue that all our life time we may doe him service This grace is so excellent that it sanctifies the most common action of our life and yet so necessary that without it the very best actions of our devotion are imperfect and vitious For he that prayes out of custome or gives almes for praise or fasts to be accounted religious is but a Pharisee in his devotion and a begger in his alms and an hypocrite in his fast But a holy end sanctifies all these and all other actions which can be made holy and gives distinction to them and procures acceptance For as to know the end distinguishes a Man from a Beast so to chuse a good end distinguishes him from an evil man Hezekiah repeated his good deeds upon his sick bed and obtained favour of God but the Pharisee was accounted insolent for doing the same thing because this man did it to upbraid his brother the other to obtain a mercy of God * Atticus eximiè si coenat lautus habetur Si Rutilus demens Iuven Sat 11. Zacharias question'd with the Angel about his message and was made speechlesse for his incredulity but the blessed Virgin Mary questioned too and was blamelesse for she did it to enquire after the manner of the thing but he did not believe the thing it self He doubted of Gods power or the truth of the messenger but she
the heart and the want of this consideration was declared to be the cause why Israel sinned so grievously For they say the Lord hath forsaken the earth and the Lord seeth not Ezek. 9 9. Psal. 10.11 therefore the land is full of blood and the city full of perversness What a child would doe in the eye of his Father and a Pupil before his Tutor and a Wife in the presence of her Husband and a Servant in the sight of his master let us alwaies doe the same for we are made a spectacle to God to Angels and to men we are alwaies in the sight and presence of the All-seeing and Almighty God who also is to us a Father and a Guardian a Husband and a Lord. Prayers and Devotions according to the religion and purposes of the foregoing Considerations I. For grace to spend our time well O Eternal God who from all eternity doest behold and love thy own glories and perfections infinite and hast created me to doe the work of God after the manner of men and to serve thee in this generation and according to my capacities give me thy grace that I may be a curious and prudent spender of my time so as I may best prevent or resist all temptation and be profitable to the Christian Common-wealth and by discharging all my duty may glorifie thy Name Take from me all slothfulness and give me a diligent and an active spirit and wisdom to choose my imployment that I may doe works proportionable to my person and to the dignity of a Christian and may fill up all the spaces of my time with actions of religion and charity that when the Devil assaults me he may not finde me idle and my dearest Lord at his sudden coming may finde me busie in lawful necessary and pious actions improving my talent intrusted to me by thee my Lord that I may enter into the joy of my Lord to partake of his eternal felicities even for thy mercy sake and for my dearest Saviours sake Amen ¶ Here follows the devotion of ordinary daies for the right imploiment of those portions of time which every day must allow for religion The first prayers in the Morning as sâ—â—n as we are dressed ¶ Humbly and reverently compose your self with heart lift up to God and your head bowed and meekely kneeling upon your knees say the Lords Prayer after which use the following Collects or as many of them as you shall choose Our Father which art in Heaven c. I. An act of adoration being the song that the Angels sing in Heaven HOly Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Heaven and Earth Angels and Men the Aire and the Sea give glory and honour and thanks to him that sitteth on the throne who liveth for ever and ever Rev. 11.17 All the blessed spirits and souls of the righteous cast their crowns before the throne and worship him that liveth for ever and ever 5.10.13 Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Rev 15.3 Great and marvellous are thy works O Lord God Almighty Just and true are thy waies thou King of Saints Thy wisdome is infinite thy mercies are glorious and I am not worthy O Lord to appear in thy presence before whom the Angels hide their faces O Holy and eternal Jesus Lamb of God who wert slain from the beginning of the world thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every nation and hast made us unto our GOD Kings and priests and we shall reigne with thee for ever Blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth on the throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever Amen II. An act of thanksgiving being the song of David for the Morning Sâ—ng praises unto the Lord O ye saints of his and give thanks to him for a remembrance of his holiness For his wrath indureth but the twinkling of an eye and in his pleasure is life heaviness may indure for a night but joy cometh in the morning Thou Lord hast preserved me this night from the violence of the spirits of darkness from all sad casualties and evil accidents from the wrath which I have every day deserved thou hast brought my soul out of hell thou hast kept my life from them that go down into the pit thou hast shewed me marvellous great kindness and hast blessed me for ever the greatness of thy glory reacheth unto the heavens and thy truth unto the clouds Therefore shal every good man sing of thy praise without ceasing O my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever Alleluâ—ah III. An act of oblation or presenting our selves to God for the day MOst Holy and Eternal God Lord and Soveraigne of all the creatures I humbly present to thy divine Majesty my self my soul and body my thoughts and my words my actions and intentions my passions and my sufferings to be disposed by thee to thy glory to be blessed by thy providence to be guided by thy counsel to be sanctified by thy Spirit and afterwards that my body and soul may be received into glory for nothing can perish which is under thy custody and the enemy of souls cannot devour what is thy portion nor take it out of thy hands This day O Lord and all the daies of my life I dedicate to thy honour and the actions of my calling to the uses of grace and the religion of all my daies to be united 〈◊〉 the merits and intercession of my holy Saviour Jesus that in him and for him I may be pardoned and accepted Amen IV. An act of repentance or contrition FOr as for me I am not worthy to be called thy servant much lesse am I worthy to be thy son for I am the vilest of sinners and the worst of men a lover of the things of the world and a despiser of the things of God proud and envious lustfulâ— and intemperate greedy of sin and impatient of reproof desirouâ— to seem holy and negligent of being so transported with interest fool'd with presumption and false principles disturbed with anger with a peevish and unmortified spirit and disordered by a whole body of sin and death Lord pardon all my sins for my sweetest Saviours sake thou who didst die for me Holy Jesus save me and deliver me reserve not my sinnes to be punished in the day of wrath and eternal vengeance but wash away my sins and blot them out of thy remembrance and purifie my soul with the waters of repentance and the blood of the crosse that for what is past thy wrath may not come out against me and for the time to come I may never provoke thee to anger or to jealousie O just and dear God be pitiful and gracious to thy servant Amen V. The Prayer or Petition BLesse me gracious God in my calling to such
door of my lips that I offend not in my tongue neither against piety nor charity Teach me to think of nothing but thee and what is in order to thy glory and service to speak nothing but thee and thy glories and to do nothing but what becomes thy servant whom thy infinite mercy by the graces of thy holy Spirit hath sealed up to the day of Redemption VII LEt all my passions and affections be so mortified and brought under the dominion of grace that I may never by deliberation and purpose nor yet by levity rashness or inconsideration offend thy Divine Majesty Make me such as thou wouldst have me to be strengthen my faith confirm my hope and giue me a daily encrease of charity that this day and ever I may serve thee according to all my opportunities and capacities growing from grace to grace till at last by thy mercies I shall receive the consummation and perfection of grace even the glories of thy Kingdom in the full fruition of the face and excellencies of God the Father the Son and the holy Ghost to whom be glory and praise honour and adoration given by all Angels and all Men and all creatures now and to all eternity Amen ¶ To this may be added the prayer of intercession for others whom we are bound to remember which is at the end of the foregoing Prayer or else you may take such special Prayers which follow at the end of the fourth Chapter for Parents for children c. After which conclude with this eâ—aculation Now and in all tribulation and anguish of spirit in all dangers of soul and body in prosperity and adversity in the hour of death and in the day of judgment holy and most blessed Saviour Jesus have mercy upon me save me and deliver me and all faithfull people Amen ¶ Between this and Noon usually are said the publick prayers appointe by â—uthority to which all the Clergie are obliged and other devout persons that have leisure to accompany them ¶ Afternoon or at any time of the day when a devout person retires into his closeâ— for private Prayer or spiritual exercises he may say the following devotions An exercise to be used at anytime of the day IN the name of the Father and of the Son c. Our Father c. The Hymn collected out of the Psalms recounting the excellencies and greatnesse of God O be joyful in God all ye lands sing praises unto the honour of his Name make his Name to be glorious * O come hither and behold the works of God how wonderful he is in his doings toward the children of men He ruleth with his power for ever He is the Father of the fatherlesse and defendeth the cause of the widow even God in his holy habitation He is the God that maketh men to be of one minde in a house and bringeth the prisoners out of captivity but letteth the runnagates continue in scarceness It is the Lord that commandeth the waters it is the glorious God that maketh the thunder * It is the Lord that ruleth the sea the voice of the Lord is mighty in operation the voice of the Lord is a glorious voice Let all the Earth fear the Lord stand in awe of him all ye that dwell in the world Thou shalt shâ—w us wonderfull things in thy righteousness O God of our salvation thou that art the hope of all the ends of the Earth and of them that remain in the broad Sea Glory be to the Father c. Or this O Lord thou art my God I will exalt thee I will praise thy Name for thou hast done wonderful things thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth Isa. 25.1 Thou in thy strength setst fast the Mountains and art girded about with power Thou stillest the raging of the Sea and the noise of his waves and the madness of his people They also that remain in the uttermost parts of the Earth shall be afraid at thy tokens thou that makest the out goings of the morning and evening to praise thee O Lord God of Hosts who is like unto thee thy truth most mighty Lord is on every side Among the gods there is none like unto thee O Lord there is none that can doe as thou dâ—est For thou art great and doest wondrous things thou art God alone God is very greatly to be feared in the councel of the Saints and to be had in reverence oâ— all them that are round about him Righteousness and equity is in the habitation of thy seat mercy and truth shall go before thy face Glory and worship are before him power and honour are in his Sanctuary Thou Lord art the thing that I long for thou art my hope even from my youth through thee have I been holden up ever since I was born thou art he that took me out of my mothers womb my praise shall be alwaies of thee Glory be to the Father c ¶ After this may be read some portion of holy Scripture out of the New Testament or out of the sapiential books of the Old viz Proverbs Ecclesiastes c. because these are of great use to piety and to civil conversation Vpon which when you have a while meditated humbly composing your self upon your knees say as followeth Eiaculations My help standeth in the name of the Lord who hath made Heaven and Earth Shew the light of thy countenance upon thy servant and I shall be safe Doe well O Lord to them that be true of heart and evermore mightily defend them Direct me in thy truth and teach me for thou art my Saviour and my great Master Keep me from sin and death eternal and from my enemies visible and invisible Give me grace to live a holy life and thy favour that I may die a godly and happy death Lord hear the prayer of thy servant and give me thy holy â—pirit The Prayer O Eternal God merciful and gratious vouchsafe thy favour and thy blessing to thy servant let the love of thy mercies and the dread and fear of thy Majesty make me careful and inquisitive to search thy will and diligent to perform it and to persevere in the practises of a holy life even till the last of my daies II. KEep me O Lord for I am thine by creation guide me for I am thine by purchase thou hast redeemed me by the blood of thy Son and love me with the love of a Father for I am thy child by adoption and grace let thy mercy pardon my sins thy providence secure me from the punishments and evils I have deserved and thy care watch over me that I may never any more offend thee make me in malice to be a childe but in understanding piety and the fear of God let me be a perfect man in Christ innocent and prudent readily furnished and instructed to every good work III. KEep me O Lord from the destroying Angel and from the wrath of God let thy anger never rise
against me but thy rod gently correct my follies and guide me in thy waies and thy staffe support me in all sufferings and changes Preserve me from fracture of bones from noisâ—me infectious and sharp sicknesses from great violences of Fortune and sudden surprises keep all my senses intire till the day of my death and let my death be neither sudden untimely nor unprovided let it be after the common manner of men having in it nothing extraordinary but an extraordinary piety and the manifestation of thy great and miraculous mercy IV. LEt no riches make me ever forget my self no poverty ever make me to forget thee Let no hope or fear no pleasure or pain no accident without no weakness within hinder or discompose my duty or turn me from the waies of thy Commandements O let thy spirit dwell with me for ever and make my soul just and charitable full oâ— honesty full of religion resolute and constant in holy purposes but inflexible to evil Make me humble and obedient peaceable and pious let me never envy any mans good nor deserve to be despised my self and if I be teach me to bear it with meekness and charity V. GIve me a tender conscience a conversation discreet and affable modest and patient liberal and obliging a body chaste and healthful compitency of living according to my condition contentedness in all estates a resigned will and mortified affections that I may be as thou wouldest have me and my portion may be in the lot of the righteous in the brightness of thy countenance and the glories of eternity Amen Holy is our God Holy is the Almighty * Holy is the immortal Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabaoth have mercy upon me A form of Prayer for the Evening to be said by such who have not time or opportunity to say the publick Prayers appointed for this office I. Evening Prayer O Eternal God Great Father of Men and Angels who hast established the Heavens and the Earth in a wonderful order making day and night to exceed each other I make my humble addresse to thy Divine Majestie begging of thee mercy and protection this night and ever O Lord pardon all my sins my light and rash words the vanity and impiety of my thoughts my unjust and uncharitable actions and whatsoever I have transgressed against thee this day or at any time before Behold O God my soul is troubled in the remembrance of my sins in the frailty and sinfulness of my flesh exposed to every temptation and of it self not able to resist any Lord God of mercy I earnestly beg of thee to give me a great portion of thy grace such as may be sufficient and effectual for the mortification of all my sins and vanities and disorders that as I have formerly served my lust and unworthy desires so now I may give my self up wholly to thy service and the studies of a holy life II. BLessed Lord teach me frequently and sadly to remember my sins and be thou pleased to remember them no more let me never forget thy mercies and doe thou still remember to doe me good Teach me to walk alwaies as in thy presence Ennoble my soule with great degrees of love to thee and consigne my spirit with great fear religion and veneration of thy holy Name and laws that it may become the great imployment of my whole life to serve thee to advance thy glory to root out all the accursed habits of sin that in holiness of life in humility in charity in chastity and all the ornaments of grace I may by patience wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus Amen III. TEach me O Lord to number my daies that I may apply my heart unto wisdom ever to remember my last end that I may not dare to sin against thee Let thy holy Angels be ever present with me to keep me in all my waies from the malice and violence of the spirits of darkness from evil company and the occasions and opportunities of evil from perishing in popular judgments from all the waies of sinfull shame from the hands of all mine enemies from a sinful life and from despair in the day of my death Then O brightest Jesu shine gloriously upon me let thy mercies and the light of thy countenance sustain me in all my agonies weaknesses and temptations Give me opportunity of a prudent and spiritual Guide and of receiving the holy Sacrament and let thy loving Spirit so guide me in the waies of peace and safety that with the testimony of a good conscience and the sense of thy mercies and refreshment I may depart this life in the unity of the Church in the love of God and a certain hope of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord and most blessed Saviour Amen Our Father c. Another form of Evening Prayer which may also be used at bed-time Our Father c. Psal. 121. I Will lift up my eyes unto the hils from whence cometh my help My help cometh of the Lord which made heaven and earth He will not suffer thy foot to be moved he that keepeth thee will not slumber Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep The Lord is thy keeper the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand The sun shall not smite thee by day neither the moon by night The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth for evermore Glory be to the Father c. I. VIsit I beseech thee O Lord this habitation with thy mercy and me with thy grace and salvation Let thy holy Angels pitch their tents round about and dwel here that no illusion of the night may abuse me the spirits of darkness may not come neer to hurt me no evil or sad accident oppresse me and let the eternall spirit of the father dwell in my soul and body filling every corner of my heart with light and grace Let no deed of darkness overtake me and thy blessing most blessed GOD be upon me for ever through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen II. INto thy hands most blessed Jesu I commend my soul and body for thou hast redeemed both with thy most precious blood So blesse and sanctifie my sleep unto me that it may be temperate holy and safe a refreshment to my wearied body to enable it so to serve my soul that both may serve thee with a never failing duty O let me never sleep in sin or death eternal but give me a watchfull and a prudent spirit that I may omit no opportunity of serving thee that whether I sleep or wake live or die I may be thy servant and thy childe that when the work of my life is done I may rest in the bosome of my Lord till by the voice of the Archangel the tâ—ump of God I shall be awakened and called to sit down and feast in the eternal supper of
the Lamb. Grant this O Lamb of God for the honour of thy mercies and the glory of thy name O most merciful Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Amen III. BLessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus who hath sent his Angels and kept me this day from the destruction that walketh at noon and the arrow that flieth by dry and hath given me his Spirit to restrain me from those evils to which my own weaknesses and my evil habits and my unquie◠enemies would easily betray me Blessed and for ever hallowed be thy name for that never ceasing showre of blessing by which I live and am content and blessed and provided for in all necessities and set forward in my duty and way to heaven * Blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth on the throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever Amen Holy is our God Holy is the Almighty Holy is the Immortal Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabaoth have mercy upon me Ejaculations and short meditations to be used in the Night when we wake Stand in awe and sin not commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still I will lay me down in peace and sleep for thou Lord only makest me to dwell in safety O Father of Spirits and the God of all flesh have mercy and pity upon all sick and dying Christians and receive the souls which thou hast redeemed returning unto thee Blessed are they that dwell in the heavenly Jerusalem where there is no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God does lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof And there shall be no night there and they need no candle for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign for ever and ever Rev. 21.23 Meditate on Jacobs wrastling with the Angel all night be thou also importunate with God for a blessing and give not over till he hath blessed thee Meditate on the Angel passing over the children of Israel and destroying the Egyptians for disobedience and opression Pray for the grace of obedience and charity and for the divine protection Meditate on the Angel who destroyed in a night the whole army of the Assyrians for fornication Call to minde the sins of thy youth the sins of thy bed and say with David My reins chasten me in the night season and my soul refuseth comfort Pray for pardon and the grace of chastity Meditate on the agonies of Christ in the garden his sadnes and affliction all that night and thank and adore him for his love that made him suffer so much for thee and hate thy sins which made it necessary for the Son of God to suffer so much Meditate on the four last things 1. The certainty of death 2. The terrors of the day of Judgment 3. The joyes of Heaven 4. The pains of Hell and the eternity of both Thinke upon all thy friends which are gone before thee and pray that God would grant to thee to meet them in a joyful resurrection The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in the which the heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness looking for and hastning unto the coming of the day of God 2 Pet. 3.10 11. Lord in mercy remember thy servant in the day of judgement Thou shalt answer for me O Lord my God In thee O Lord have I trusted let me never be confounded Amen I Desire the Christian Reader to observe that all these offices or forms of Prayer if they should be used every day would not spend above an hour and a half but because some of them are double and so but one of them to be used in one day it is much lesse and by affording to God one hour in 24 thou mayest have the comforts and rewards of devotion But he that thinks this is too much either is very busie in the world or very carelesse of heaven However I have parted the Prayers into smaller portions that he may use which and how many he please in any one of the forms Ad Sect. 2◠A Prayer for holy intention in the beginning and pursuit of any considerable action as Study Preaching c. O Eternall God who hast made all things for man and man for thy glory sanctifie my body and soul my thoughts and my intentions my words and actions that whatsoever I shall think or speak or doe may be by me designed to the glorification of thy Name and by thy blessing it may be effective and successful in the work of God according as it can be capable Lord turn my necessities into virtue the works of nature into the works of grace by making them orderly regular temperate subordinate and profitable to ends beyond their own proper efficacy and let no pride or self-seeking no covetousness or revenge no impure mixture or unhandsome purposes no little ends and low imaginations pollute my spirit and unhallow any of my words and actions but let my body be a servant of my spirit and both body and spirit servants of Jesus that doing all things for thy glory here I may be partaker of thy glory hereafter through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Ad Sect. 3. A Prayer meditating and referring to the Divine presence ¶ This Prayer is specially to be used in temptation to private sins O Almighty God infinite and eternal thou fillest all things with my presence thou art every where by thy essence and by thy power in heaven by Glory in holy places by thy grace and favour in the hearts of thy servants by thy Spirit in the consciences of all men by thy testimony and observation of us Teach me to walk alwaies as in thy presence to fear thy Majestie to reverence thy wisdom and omniscience that I may never dare to commit any undecency in the eye of my Lord and my Judge but that I may with so much care and reverence demean my self that my Judge may not be my accuser but my advocate that I expressing the belief of thy presence here by careful walking may feel the effects of it in the participation of eternal glory through Jesus Christ. Amen CHAP. II. Of Christian Sobriety Sect. I. Of sobriety in the general sense CHristian Religion in all its moral parts is nothing else but the Law of Nature and great Reason complying with the great necessities of all the world and promoting the great profit of all relations and carrying us through all accidents of variety of chances to that end which God hath from eternal ages purposed for all that live according to it and which he hath revealed in Jesus Christ and according to the Apostles Arithmetick hath but these three
Ancients sunâ—sta pecunia Templo Noâ— duÌ„ habitas nullaâ—â—â—mmoâ—uÌ„ creximas aras Vt â—â—litur pax atque fides that they who made Gods of gold and silver of hope and fear peace and fortune Garlick and Onions Beasts and Serpents and a quartan ague yet never deified money meaning that however wealth was admired by common or abused understandings yet from riches that is from that proportion of good things which is beyond the necessities of Nature Hâ—rat od 31. lib. 1. no moment could be added to a mans real content or happiness Coâ—n from Sardinia herds of Calabrian cattel meadows through which pleasant Liris glides silks from Tyrus and golden Chalices to drown my health in are nothing but instruments of vanity or sin and suppose a disease in the soul of him that longs for them or admires them Chap. 4. Sâ— 1. 8 â—itle of Covetoâ—â—ness And this I have otherwhere represented more largely to which I here add that riches have very great dangers to their souls not only who covet them but to all that have them For if a great personage undertakes an action passionately and upon great interest let him manage it indiscreetly let the whole designe be unjust let it be acted with all the malice and impotency in the World he shall have enough to flatter him but not enough to reprove him He had need be a bold man that shall tell his Patron he is going to Hell and that Prince had need be a good man that shall suffer such a Monitor And though it be a strange kinde of civility and an evil dutifulness in Friends and Relatives to suffer him to perish without reproof or medicine rather then to seem unmannerly to a great sinner yet it is noâ—e of their least infelicities that their wealth and greatness shall put them into sinne and yet put them past reproof I need not instance in the habitual intemperance of rich Tables nor the evil accidents and effects of fulness pride and lust wantonness and softness of disposition huge talking and an imperious spirit despite of Religion and contempt of poor persons At the best Iam. â— 5 6 7. it is a great temptation for a man to have in his power whatsoever he can have him in his sensual desires and therefore riches is a blessing like to a present made of a whole Vintage to a Man in a Hectick Feaver he will be much tempted to drink of it and if he does he is inflamed and may chance to die with the kindness Now besides what hath been already noted in the state of poverty there is nothing to be accounted for but the fear of wanting necessaries of which if a man could be secured that he might live free from care all the other parts of it might be reckoned amongst the advantages of wise and sober persons rather then objections against that state of fortune But concerning this I consider that there must needs be great security to all Christians since Christ not only made expresse promises that we should have sufficient for this life but also took great pains and used many arguments to create confidence in us and such they were which by their own strength were sufficient though you abate the authority of the Speaker The Son of God told us his Father takes care of us He that knew all his Fathers counsels and his whole kindness towards mankinde told us so How great is the truth how certain how necessary which Christ himself proved by arguments The excellent words and most comfortable sentences which are our Bills of Exchange upon the credit of which we lay our cares down and receive provisions for our need Mat. 6 â—5 are these Take no thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye â—â—all drink nor yet for your body what ye shall put on Is not the life more then meat and the body then raiment Behold the fowls of the ayre for they sow not neither doe they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly Father feedeth them Are ye not much better then they Which of you by taking thought can adde one cubit to his stature And why take ye thought for raiment Consider the Lillies of the field how they grow They toil not neither doe they spin and yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arayed like one of these Therefore if God so clothe the grasse of the field which to day is and to morrow is caâ—â— into the oven shall he not much more clothe you O ye of little faith Therefore take no thought saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink â—â— wherewith all shall we be clothed for after all these things doe the gentiles seek For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you Take therefore no thought for the morrow for the mâ—rrow shall take though for the things â—f it self sufficient to the day is the evil thereof The same discourse is repeated by Saint Luke â—uke 12.22 to ver 31. and accordingly our duty is urged and our confidence abetted by the Disciples of our Lord in divers places of holy Scripture So Saint Paul â—â—il 4.6 Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God And again â— Tim 6.17 Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded nor trust in uncertain riches but in the living GOD who giveth us â—ichly all things to enjoy And yet again Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper And all this is by S. Peter summed up in our duty thus Cast all your care upon him for he careth for you Which words he seems to have borrowed out of the 55 Psalm verse 23. where David saith the same thing almost in the same words To which I only adde the observation made by him and the argument of experience I have been young and now am old and yet saw I never the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging their bread And now after all this a fearless confidence in God and concerning a provision of necessaries is so reasonable that it is become a duty and he is scarce a Christian whose faith is so little as to be jealous in God and suspicious concerning meat and clothes that man hath nothing in him of the nobleness or confidence of Charity Does not God provide for all the birds and beasts and fishes Doe not the sparrows flie from their bush and every morning finde meat where they laid it not Doe not the young ravens call to God and he feeds them and were it reasonable that the sons
Laws of Religion and the Common-wealth O Lord I am but an infirm man and know not how to decree certain sentences without erring in judgment but doe thou give to thy servant an understanding heart to judge this people that I may discern between good and evil Cause me to walk before thee and all the people in truth and righteousness and in sincerity of heart that I may not regard the person of the mighty nor be afraid of his terrour nor despise the person of the poor and reject his petition but that doing justice to all men I and my people may receive mercy of thee peace and plenty in our daies and mutual love duty and correspondence that there be no leading into captivity no complaining in our streets but we may see the Church in prosperity all our daies and religion established and increasing Doe thou establish the house of thy servant and bring me to a participation of the glories of thy kingdom for his sake who is my Lord and King the holy and ever blessed Saviour of the world our Redeemer Jesus Amen A Prayer to be said by Parents for their Children O Almighty and most merciful Father who hast pâ—omised children as a reward to the righteous 〈◊〉 hast given them to me as a testimony of thy mercy and an ingagement of my duty be pleased to be a Father unto them give them healthful bodies understanding souls and sanctified spirits that they may be thy servants and thy children all their daies Let a great mercy and providence lead them through the dangers and temptations and ignorances of their youth that they may never run into folly and the evils of an unbridled appetite So order the accidents of their livâ—s that by good education careful Tutors holy example innocent company prudent counsel and thy restraining grace their duty to thee may be secured in the midst of a crooked and untoward generation and if it seem good in thy eyes let me be enabled to provide conveniently for the support of their persons that they may not be destitute and miserable in my death or if thou shalt call me off from this World by a more timely summons let their portion be thy care mercy and providence over their bodies and souls and may they never live vitious lives nor die violent or untimely deaths but let them glorifie thee here with a free obedience and the duties of a whole life that when they have served thee in their generations and have profited the Christian Common-wealth they may be coheirs with Jesus in the glories of thy eternal Kingdom through the same our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen A prayer to be said by Masters of Families Curats Tutors or other obliged persons for their charger O Almighty God merciful and gracious have mercy upon my Family or Pupils or Parishioners c. and all committed to my charge sanctifie them with thy grace preserve them with thy providence guard them from all evil by the custody of Angels direct them in the waies of peace and holy Religion by my Ministery and the conduct of thy most holy Spirit and consigne them all with the participation of thy blessings and graces in this World with healthful bodies with good understandings and sanctified spirits to a full fruition of thy glories hereafter through Jesus Christ our Lord. A Prayer to be said by Merchants Tradesmen and Handicrafts men O Eternal God thou Fountain of justice mercy and benediction who by my education and other effects of thy Providence hast called me to this profession that by my industry I may in my small proportion work together for the good of my self and others I humbly beg thy grace to guâ—de me in my intention and in the transaction of my affairs that I may be diligent just and faithful and give me thy favour that this my labour may be accepted by thee as a part of my necessary duty and give me thy blessing to assist and prosper me in my Calling to such measures as thou shalt in mercy choose for me and be pleased to let thy holy Spirit be for ever present with me that I may never be given to covetousness and sordid appetites to lying and falshood or any other base indirect and beggerly arts but give me prudence honesty and Christian sinceâ—ity that my trade may be sanctified by my Religion my labour by my intention and thy blessing that when I have done my portion of work thou hast â—llotted me and improved the talent thou hast instrusted to me and served the Common-wealth in my capacity I may receive the mighty price of my high calling which I expect and beg in the portion and inheritance of the ever blessed Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Amen A Prayer to be said by Debtors and all persons obliged whether by crime or contract O Almighty God who art rich unto all the treasurie and fountain of all good of all justice and all mercy and all bounty to whom we owe all that we are and all that we have being thy Debtors by reason of our sins and by thy own gracious contract made with us in Jesus Christ teach me in the first place to perform all my Obligations to thee both of duty and thankfulness and next enable me to pay my duty to all my friends and my debts to all my Creditors that none be made miserable or lessened in his estate by his kindness to me or traffick with me Forgive me all those sins and irregular actions by which I entred into debt further then my necessity required or by which such necessity was brought upon me but let not them suffer by occasion of my sin Lord reward all their kindness into their bosoms make them recompense where I cannot and make me very willing in all that I can and able for all that I am obliged to or if it seem good in thine eyes to afflict me by the continuance of this condition yet make it up by some means to them that the prayer of thy servant may obtain of thee at least to pay my debt in blessings Amen V. LOrd sanctifie and forgive all that I have tempted to evil by my discourse or my example instruct them in the right way whom I have led to errour and let me never run further on the score of sin but doe thou blot out all the evils I have done by the spunge of thy passion and the blood of thy Crosse and give me a deep and an excellent repentance and a free and a gracious pardon that thou may est answer for me O Lord and enable me to stand upright in judgment for in thee O Lord have I trusted let me never be confounded Pity me and instruct me guide me and support me pardon me and save me for my sweet Saviour Jesus Christ his sake Amen A Prayer for Patron and Benefactors O Almighty GOD thou Fountain of all good of all excellâ—ncy both to Men and Aâ—gels exâ—end thine abundant favour and
will be as tempting with the windiness of a violent fast as with the flesh of an ordinary meal But a daily substraction of the nourishment will introduce a lesse busie habit of body and that will prove the more effectual remedy Chi digiuna altro ben non faâ— spâ—ragna il pane al infernova See Chap. 2. Sect. 2 3. 8. fasting alone will not cure this Devil though it helps much towards it but it must not therefore be neglected but assisted by all the proper instruments of remedy against this unclean spirit and what it is unable to doe alone in company with other instruments and Gods blessing upon them it may effect 9. All fasting for whatsoever end it be undertaken must be done without any opinion of the necessity of the thing it self without censuring others with all humility in order to the proper end and just as a man takes physick of which no man hath reason to be proud and no man thinks it necessary but because he is in sickness or in danger and disposition to it 10. All fasts ordained by lawful authority are to be observed in order to the same purposes to which they are enjoyned and to be accompanied with actions of the same nature just as it is in private fasts for there is no other difference but that in publick our Superiours choose for us what in private we doe for our selves 11. Fasts ordained by lawful authority are not to be neglected because alone they cannot doe the thing in order to which they were enjoyned It may be one day of Humiliation will not obtain the blessing or alone kill the lust yet it must not be despised if it can doe any thing towards it An act of Fasting is an act of self-denial and though it doe not produce the habiâ— yet it is a good act 12. When a principal end why a Fast is publickly prescribed is obtained by some other instrument in a particular person as if the spirit of Fornication be cured by the rite of Marriage or by a gift of chastity yet that person so eased is not freed from the Fasts of the Church by that alone if those fasts can prudently serve any other end of Religion as that of prayer or repentance or mortification of some other appetite for when it is instrumental to any and of the Spirit it is freed from superstition and then we must have some other reason to quit us from the Obligation or that alone will not doe it 13. When the Fast publickly commanded by reason of some indisposition in the particular person cannot operate to the end of the Commandment yet the avoiding offence and the complying with publick order is reason enough to make the obedience to be necessary For he that is otherwise disobliged as when the reason of the Law ceases as to his particular yet remains still obliged if he cannot doe otherwise without scandal but this is an obligation of charity not of justice 14. All fasting is to be used with prudence and charity for there is no end to which fasting serves but may be obtained by other instruments and therefore it must at no hand be made an instrument of scruple or become an enemy to our health or be imposed upon persons that are sick or aged or to whom it is in any sense uncharitable such as are wearied Travellers or to whom in the whâ—le kinde of it it is uselesse such as are Women with childe poor people and little children But in these cases the Church hath made provision and inserted caution into her Laws and they are to be reduced to practise according to custome and the sentence of prudent persons with great latitude and without niceness and curiosity having this in our first care that we secure our virtue and next that we secure our health that we may the beter exercise the labours of virtue lest out of too much austerity we bring our selves to that condition * S. Basil Monast Constit. cap. 5. Cassian coll 21. cap. 22 Nè per causaÌ„ necessitatis eò impingâ—mus ut voluptatibus serviamus that it be necessary to be indulgent to softnesse ease and extreme tendernesse 15. Let not intemperance be the Prologue or the Epilogue to your fast lest the fast be so farre from taking off any thing of the sin that it be an occasion to increase it and therefore when the fast is done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naâ— be carefull that no supervening act of gluttony or excessive drinking unhallow the religion of the passed day but eat temperately according to the proportion of other meals lest gluttony keep either of the gates to abstinence The benefits of Fasting He that undertakes to enumerate the benefits of fasting may in the next page also reckon all the benefits of physick for fasting is not to be commended as a duty bâ—t as an instrument and in that sense no Man can reprove it or undervalue it but he that knows neither spiritual arts nor spiritual necessities but by the doctors of the Church it is called the nourishment of prayer the restraint of lust the wings of the soul the diet of Angels the instrument of humility and self-denial the purification of the Spirit and the paleness and maigâ—enesse of visage which is consequent to the daily fast of great mortifiers is by Saint Basil said to be the mark in the Forehead which the Angel observed when he signed the Saintâ— in the forehead to escape the wrath of God The soul that is greatly vexed which goeth stooping and feeble and the eyes that fail Baruch â— v. 18. and the hungry soul shall give thee praise and righteousness O Lord. SECT VI. O keeping Festivals and daies holy to the Lord particularly the Lords day TRue naturall Religion that which was common to all Nations and Ages did principally relye upon four great propositions 1. That there is one God 2. That God is nothing of those things which we see 3. That God takes care of all things below governs all the World 4. That he is the Great Creator of all things without himself and according to these were fram'd the four first precepts of the Decalogue In the first the Unitie of the Godhead is expresly affirmed In the second his invisibility and immateâ—iality In the third is affirmed God's government and providence by avenging them that swear falsly by his Name by which also his Omniscience is declared In the fourth Commandement he proclaims himself the Maker of Heaven and Earth for in memorie of God's rest from the work of six daies the seventh was hallowed into a Sabbath and the keeping it was a confessing GOD to bee the great Maker of Heaven and Earth and consequently to this it alâ—o was a confâ—ssion of his goodness his Omnipotence and his Wisdom all which were written with a Sun-beam in the great book of the Creature So long as the Law of the Sabbath was bound upon God's
our neighbours the poor members of Christ rejoice together with us 6. Whatsoever you are to do your self as necessarie you are to take care that others also who are under your charge do in their staâ—ion and manner Let your servants bee called to Church and all your familie that can be spared from necessarie and great houshold ministeries those that cannot let them go by turns and be supplied otherwise as well as they may and provide on these daies especially that they be instructed in the articles of faith and necessary parts of their dutie 7. Those who labour hard in the week must bee eased upon the Lord's day such ease beeing a great charity alms but at no hand must they be permitted to use any unlawful games any thing forbidden by the Laws any thing that is scandalous or any thing that is dangerous and apt to mingle sin with it no games prompting to wantonness to drunkenness to quarrelling to ridiculous and superstitious customs but let their refreshments bee innocent and charitable and of good report and not exclusive of the duties of Religion 8. Beyond these bounds because neither God nor man hath passed any obligation upon us wee must preserv our Christian libertie and not suffer our selvs to be intangled with a yoke of bondage for even a good action may become a â—â—are to us if we make it an occasion of scruple by a pretence of necessity binding loads upon the conscience not with the bands of God but of men and of fancy or of opinion or of tyranny Whatsoever is laid upon us by the hands of man must be acted and accounted of by the measures of a man but our best measure is this He keeps the Lords day best that keeps it with most religion and with most charitie 9. What the Church hath done in the article of the resurrection she hath in som measure done in the other articles of the Nativity of the Ascention and of the Descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost and so great blessings deserve an anniversary solemnity since he is a very unthankful person that does not often record them in the whole year and esteem them the ground of his hopes the object of his faith the comfort of his troubles and the great effluxes of the divine mercy greater then all the victories over our temporal enemies for which all glad persons usually give thanks And if with great reason the memory of the resurrection does return solemnly every week it is but reason the other should return once a year * To which I adde that the commemoration of the articles of our Creed in solemn daies and offices is a very excellent instrument to convey and imprint the sense and memory of it upon the spirits of the most ignorant person For as a picture may with more fancie convey a story to a man then a plain narrative either in word or writing so a real representment and an office of remembrance and a day to declare it is far more impressive then a picture or any other art of making and fixing imagery 10. The memories of the Saints are precious to God and therefore they ought also to be so to us and such persons who served God by holy living industrious preaching and religiouâ— dying ought to have their names preserved in honour and God be glorified in them and their holy doctrines and lives published and imitated and we by so doing give testimony to the article of the communion of Saints But in these cases as every Church is to be sparing in the number of daies so also should she be temperate in her injunctions not imposing them but upon voluntary and unbusied persons without snare or burden But the Holy day is best kept by giving God thanks for the excellent persons Apostles or Martyrs we then remember and by imitating their lives this all may do and they that can also keep the solemnity must doe that too when it is publikly enjoyned The mixt actions of Religion are 1. Prayer 2. Alms. 3. Repentance 4. Receiving the blessed Sacrament SECT VII Of Prayer THere is no greater argument in the world of our spiritual danger and unwillingness to religion then the backwardness which most men have alwaies and all men have sometimes to say their praiers so weary of their length so glad when they are done so wittie to â—xcuse and frustrate an opportunitie and yet all is nothing but a desiring of God to give us the greatest and the best things wee can need and which can make us happie it is a work so easie so honorable and to so great purpose that in all the instances of religion and providence except onely the incarnation of his Son God hath not given us a greater argument of his willingness to have us saved and of our unwillingness to accept it his goodness and our gracelesness his infinite condescention and our carelesness and follie then by rewarding so easie a duty with so great blessings Motives tâ— Praier I cannot say any thing beyond this very consideration and its appendages to invite Christian people to pray often But wee may consider That first it is a duty commanded by God his holie Son 2. It is an act of grace and highest honour that wee dust and ashes are admitted to speak to the Eternal God to run to him as to a Father to laie open our wants to complain of our burdens to explicate our scruples to beg remedie and ease support and counsel health and safety deliverance and salvation and 3. God hath invited us to it by many gracious promises of hearing us 4. Hee hath appointed his most glorious Son to bee the President of Praier and to make continual intercession for us to the throne of Grace 5. Hee hath appointed an Angel to present the Praiers of his servants and 6. Christ unites them to his own and sanctifies them and makes them effective and prevalent and 7. Hath put it into the hands of men to rescind or alter all the decrees of God which are of one kinde that is conditional and concerning our selvs and our final estate and many instances of our intermedial or temporal by the power of praiers 8. And the praiers of mâ—n have saved câ—ties and kingdoms from ruine praier hath raiseâ— dead men to life hath stopped the violence of fire shut the mouths of wilde beasts hath altered the course of nature caused rain in Egypt and drought in the sea it made the Sun to go from West to East and the Moon to stand still and rocks and mountains to walk it cures diseases without physick and makes physick to do the work of nature and nature to do the work of grace and grace to do the work of God and it does miracles of accident and event and yet praier that does all this is of it self nothing but an ascent of the minde to God a desiring things fit to bee desired and an expression of this desire to
fear or when the appetites of Lust are newly satisfied or newly served and yet when the temptation comes again sins again and then is sorrowfull and resolves once more against it and yet fals when the temptation returns is a vain man but no true penitent nor in the state of grace and if he chance to dye in one of these good moods is very far from salvation for if it be necessary that we resolve to live well it is necessary we should do so For resolution is an imperfect act a term of relation signifies nothing but in order to the actions it is as a faculty is to the act as Spring is to the Harvest as Egges are to Birds as a Relative to its Correspondent nothing without it No man therefore can be in the state of grace and actual favour by resolutions holy purposes these are but the gate and portal towards pardon a holy life is the onely perfection of Repentance and the firm ground upon which we can cast the anchor of hope in the mercies of God through Jesus Christ. 7. No man is to reckon his pardon immediately upon his returns from sin to the beginnings of good life but is to begin hiâ— hopes and degrees of confidence according as sin dyes in him and grace lives as the habits of sin lessen and righteousness grows according as sin returns but seldom in smaller instances and without choice and by surprize without deliberation and is highly disrelished and presently dashed against the Rock Christ Jesus by a holy sorrow and renewed care and more strict watchfulness For a holy life being the condition of the Covenant on our part as we return to God so God returns to us and our state returns to the probabilities of pardon 8. Every man is to work out his salvation with fear and trembling and after the commission of sins his feares must multiply because every new sin and every great declining from the wayes of God is still a degree of new danger and hath increased Gods anger and hath made him more uneasie to grant pardon and when he does grant it it is upon harder terms both for doing and suffering that is we must do more for pardon and it may be suffer much more For we must know that God pardons our sins by parts as our duty increases and our care is more prudent and active so Gods anger decreases and yet it may be the last sin you committed made God unalterably resolved to send upon you some sad judgment Of the particulars in all cases we are uncertain and therefore we have reason alwaies to mourn for our sins that have so provoked GOD and made our condition so full of danger that it may be no prayers or tears or duty can alter his sentence concerning some sad judgment upon us Thus GOD irrevocably decreed to punish the Israelites for Idolatry although Moses prayed for them and God forgave them in some degree that is so that he would not cut them off from being a people yet he would not forgive them so but he would visit that their sin upon them and he did so Dâ—ndam interstitium poenitentiae Tacit. 9. A true penitent must all the days of his life pray for pardon and never think the work completed till he dyes not by any act of his own by no act of the Church by no forgiveness by the party injured by no restitution these are all instruments of great use and efficacy the means by which it is to be done at length but still the sin lyes at the door ready to return upon us in judgment and damnation if we return to it in choice or action And whether God hath forgiven us or no we know not (a) I â—ecâ—ati 〈◊〉 debiti sâ—u sempre â—in di quâ—l â—â—e fiâ—â—â—de and how far we know not and all that we have done is not of sufficient work to obtain pardon therefore still pray and still be sorrowfull for ever having done it and for ever watch against it and then those beginnings of pardon which are working all the way will at last be perfected in the day of the Lord. 10. Defer not at all to repent much lesse mayest thou out it off to thy death-bed It is not an easie thing to root out the habits 〈◊〉 sin 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arria which a mans whole life hath gathered and confirmed We find work enough to mortifie one beloved lust in our very best advantage of strength and time and before it is so deeply rooted as it must needs be supposed to be at the end of a wicked life â—nd therefore it will prove impossible when the work is so great and the strength 's so little when sin is so strong and grace so weak for they alwayes keep the same proportion of increase and decrease and as sin growes grace decayes so that the more need we have of grace the lesse at that time we shall have because the greatness of our sins which makes the need hath lessened the grace of GOD which should help us into nothing To which adde this consideration that on a Mans death bed the day of repentance is past for repentance being the renewing of a holy life a living the life of grace Mortem 〈◊〉 nemo 〈◊〉 excipâ—◠〈◊〉 qui ad 〈◊〉 sâ— d◠〈◊〉 postitas 〈…〉 it is a contradiction to say that a man can live a holy life upon his death-bed especially if we consider that for a sinner to live a holy life must first suppose him to have overcome all his evill habits and then to have made a purchase of the contrary graces by the labours of great prudence watchfulness self-denyall and severity Nothing that is excellent can be wrought suddenly 11. After the beginnings of thy recovery be infinitely fearfull of a relapse and therefore upon the stock of thy sad experience observe where thy failings were and by especiall arts fortifie that faculty and arm against that temptation For if all those argumâ—â—â— which God uses to us to preserve out innocence and thy late danger and thy fears and the goodness of God making thee once to escape and the shame of thy fall and the sense of thy own weaknesses will not make thee watchfull against a fall especially knowing how much it costs a man to be restored it will be infinitely more dangerous if ever thou fallest again not onely for fear God should no more accept thee to pardon but even thy own hopes will be made more desperate and thy impatience greater and thy shame turn to impudence and thy own will be â—ore estranged violent and refractory and tâ—y latter end will be worse then thy beginning To which adde this consideration That thy sin which was formerly in a good way of being pardoned wil not onely return upon thee with all its own loads but with the baseness of unthankfulnesse and thou wilt be set as far back from Heaven as ever and
of Christ whereof they are members and you in conjunction with Christ whom then you have received are more fit to pray for them in that advantage and in the celebration of that holy sacrifice which then is Sacramentally represented to GOD * Give thanks for the passion of our dearest Lord remember all its parts and all the instruments of your Redemption and beg of GOD that by a holy perseverance in well doing you 〈◊〉 from shadows passe on to substances from eating his body to seeing his face from the Typicall Sacramentall and Transient to the Reall and Eternall Supper of the Lambe 13. After the solemnity is done let Christ dwell in your hearts by faith and love and obedience and conformity to his life and death as you have taken CHRIST into you so put CHRIST on you and conform every faculty of your soul body to his holy image and perfection Remember that now Christ is all one with you and therefore when you are to do an action consider how Christ did or would do the like and do you imitate his example and transcribe his copy and understand all his commandments and choose all that he propounded and desire his promises fear his threatnings and marry his loves and hatreds and contract all friendships for then you do every day communicate especially when Christ thus dwels in you and you in Christ growing up towards a perfect man in Christ Jesus 14. Do not instantly upon your return from Church return also to the world and secular thoughts and imployments but let the remaining parts of that day be like a post-Communion or an after-office entertaining your blessed Lord with all the caresses and sweetness of love and colloquies and entercourses of duty and affection acquainting him with all your needs and revealing to him all your secrets and opening all your infirmities and as the affairs of your person or imployment call you off so retire again with often ejaculations and acts of entertainment to your beloved Guest The effects and benefits of worthy communicating When I said that the sacrifice of the cross which Christ offered for all the sins and all the needs of the world is represented to God by the minister in the Sacrament and offered up in prayer and Sacramental memory after the maner that Christ himself intercedes for us in Heaven so far as his glorious Priesthood is imitable by his Ministers on earth I must of necessity also mean that all the benefits of that sacrifice are then conveyed to all that communicate worthily But if we descend to particulars Then and there the Church is nourished in her faith strengthned in her hope enlarged in her bowels with an increasing charity there all the members of Christ are joyned with each other and all to Christ their head and we again renew the covenant with God in Jesus Christ and God seals his part and we promise for ours and Christ unites both and the holy Ghost signes both in the collation of those graces which we then pray for and exercise and receive all at once there our bodies are nourished with the signes and our souls with the mystery our bodies receive into them the seed of an immortall nature our souls are joyned with him who is the first fruits of the resurrection and never can dye and if we desire any thing else and need it here it is to be prayed for here to be hoped for here to be received Long life and health and recovery from sickness and competent support and maintenance and peace and deliverance from our enemies and content and patience and joy and sanctified riches or a cheerfull poverty liberty and whatsoever else is a blessing was purchased for us by Christ in his death and resurrection and in his intercession in Heaven and this Sacrament being that to our particulars which the great mysteries are in themselves and by designe to all the world if we receive worthily we shall receive any of those blessings according as God shall choose for us and he will not onely choose with more wisdom but also with more affection then we can for our selves After all this it is advised by the Guides of souls wise men and pious that all persons should commuÌ„icate very often even as often as they can without excuses or delayes Every thing that puts us from so holy an imployment when we are moved to it being either a sin or an imperfection an infirmity or indevotion and an unactiveness of Spirit All Christian people must come They indeed that are in the state of sin must not come so but yet they must come First they must quit their state of death and then partake of the bread of life They that are at enmity with their neighbours must come that is no excuse for their not coming onely they must not bring their enmity along with them but leave it and then come They that have variety of secular imployments must come only they must leave their secular thoughts and affections behind them L'Evesque de Geneve introd a la vie dâ—vote and then come and converse with God If any man be well grown in grace he must needs come because he is excellently disposed to so holy a feast but he that is but in the infancy of piety had need to come that so he may gâ—ow in grace The strong must come lest they become weak and the weak that they may become strong The sick must come to be cured the healthfull to be preserved They that have leisure must come because they have no excuse They that have no leisure must come â—ither that by so excellent religion they may sanctifie their business The penitent sinners must come that they may be justified and they that are justified that they may be justified still They that have fears and great reverence to these mysteries and think no preparation to be sufficient must receive that they may learn how to receive thee more worthily and they that have a less degree of reverence must come often to have it heightned that as those Creatures that live amongst the snowes of the Mountains turn white with their food and conversation with such perpetual whitenesses so our souls may be transformed into the similitude and union with Christ by our perpetual feeding on him and conversation not onely in his Courts but in his very heart and most secret affections and incomparable purities Prayers for all sorts of Men and all necessities relating to the severall parts of the vertue of Religion A Prayer for the Graces of Faith Hope Charity O Lord God of infinite mercy of infinite excellency who hast sent thy holy Son into the world to redeem us from an intolerable misery and to teach us a holy religion and to forgive us an infinite debt give me thy holy Spirit that my understanding and all my faculties may be so resigned to the discipline and doctrine of my Lord that I may be prepared
our sins 1 John 3.5 If ye being evill know to give good things to your children how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good things to them that ask him Matth. 7.11 This is a faithfull saying and worthy of â—ll accepâ—ation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners He that hath given us his â—on how should not he with him give us all things else Acts of hope to be used by sick persons after a pious life I Am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nâ—â— Principalities noâ— powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8.38 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but unto all them also that love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.7 Blessed be the God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comforts who comforts us in all tribulation 2 Cor. 1.3 A prayer to be said in behalf of a sick or dying person O Lord God there is no number of thy dayes nor of thy mercies and the sins and sorrows of thy servant also are multiplied Lord look upon him with much mercy and pity forgive him all his sinnes comfort his sorrows ease his pain satisfie his doubts relieve his fears instruct his ignorances strengthen his understanding take from him all disorders of spiritâ— weakness and abuse of fancy Restrain the malice and power of the spirits of darkness and suffer him to be injured neither by his ghostly enemies noâ— his own infirmities and let a holy and a just peace the peace of God be within his conscience Lord preserve his senses till thâ— last of his time strengthen his faith confirm his hope and give him a never ceasing charity to thee our God and to all the world stir up in him a great and proportionable contrition for all the evills he hath done and give him a just measure of patience for all he suffers give him prudence memory and consideration rightly to state the accounts of his soul and do thou reminde him of all his duty that when it shall please thee that his soul goes out from the prison of his body it may be received by Angels and preserved from the surprize of evil spirits and from the horrors and amazements of new and stranger Regions and be laid up in the bosom of our Lord till at the day of thy second coming it shall be reunited to the body which is now to be layed down in weakness and dishonour but we humbly beg may then be raised up with glory and power for ever to live and to behold the face of God in the glories of the Lord Jesus who is our hope our resurrection and our life the light of our eyes and the joy of our souls our blessed and ever glorious Redeemer Amen Hither the sick persons may draw in and use the acts of several vertues respersed in the several parts of this book the several Letanies viz. of repentance of the passion and the single prayers according to his present needs A Prayer to be said in a storm aâ— Sea O My God thou didst create the Earth and the Sea for thy glory and the use of man and doest daily shew wonders in the deep look upon the danger and fear of thy servant my sins have taken hold upon me and without the supporting arm of thy mercy I cannot look up but my trust is in thee Do thou O Lord rebuke the Sea and make it calm for to thee the windes and the sea obey let not the waters swallow me up but let thy Spirit the Spirit of gentleness and mercy move upon the waters Be thou reconciled unto thy servants and then the face of the waters will be smooth I fear that my sins make me like â—onas the cause of the tempest Cast out all my sins and throw not thy servants away from thy presence and from the land of the living into the depths where all things are forgotten But if it be thy wil that wâ— shall go down into the waters Lord 〈◊〉 my soul into thy holy hands and preserve it in mercy and safety till the day of â—estâ—â—â—tion of all things and be pleased â—oâ—n â—e my dâ—â—th to the 〈◊〉 of thy Son and â—o accept of it so united as a punishment for all my sins that thou mayest forget all thine anger and blot my sins out of thy book and write my soul there for Jesus Christ his sake our dearest Lord and most mighty Redeemer Amen Then make an act of resignation thus TO God pertain the issues of life and death It is the Lord. Let him do what seemeth good in his own eyes Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven Recite Psalm 107. and 130. A form of a vow to be made in this or the like danger IF the Lord will be gracious and hear the Prayer of his servant and bring me safe to shore then I will praise him secretly and publickly and pay unto the uses of charity or Religion then name the sum you designe for holy uses O my God my goods are nothing unto thee I will also be thy servant all the dayes of my life and remember this mercy and my present purposes and live more to Gods glory and with a stricter duty And do thou please to accept this vow as an instance of my importunity and the greatness of my needs and be thou graciously moved to pity and deliver me Amen This form also may be used in praying for a blessing on an enterprize and may be instanced in actions of devotion as well as of charity A Prayer before a journey O Almighty God who fillest all things with thy presence and art a God afar off as well as neer at hand thou didst send thy Angel to bless Jacob in his journey and didst lead the children of Israel through the Red Sea making it a wall on the right hand and on the left be pleased to let thy Angel go out before me and guide me in my journey preserving me from dangers of robbers from violence of enemies and sudden and sad accidents from fals and errours and prosper my journey to thy glory and to all my innocent purposes and preserve me from all sin that I may return in peace and holyness with thy favour and thy blessing and may serve thee in thankfulness and obedience all the dayes of my pilgrimage and aâ— last bring me to thy country to the celestial Jerusalem there to dwell in thy house and to sing praises to thee for ever Amen Ad. Sect. 4. A prayer to be said before hearing or reading the word of God O
Holy and Eternal Jesus who hast begotten us by thy word renewed us by thy Spirit fed us by thy Sacraments and by the daily ministery of thy word still go on to build us up to life eternall Let thy most holy Spirit be present with me and rest upon me in the reading or hearing thy sacred word that I may do it humbly reverently without prejudice with a minde ready and desirous to learn and to obey that I may be readily furnished and instructed to every good work and may practise all thy holy laws and commandments to the glory of thy holy name O holy and eternall Jesus Amen Ad Act. 5.9.10 A form of confession of sins and repentance to be used upon fasting dayes or dayes of humiliation especially in Lent and before the Holy Sacrament HAve mercy upon me O God after thy great goodness according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences For I will confess my wickedness be sorry for my sin * O my dearest Lord I am not worthy to be accounted amongst the meanest of thy servants not worthy to be sustained by the least fragments of thy mercy but to be shut out of thy presence for ever with dogs and unbelievers But for thy names sake O Lord be mercifull unto my sin for it is great I am the vilest of sinners and the worst of men proud and vain-glorious impatient of scorn or of just reproof not enduring to be slighted and yet extremely deserving it I have been cousened by the colours of humility and when I have truly called my self vitious I could not endure any man else should say or think so I have been disobedient to my superiours churlish and ungentle in my behaviour unchristian and unmanly But for thy names sake c. O Just and dear God how can I expect pity or pardon who am so angry peevish with and without cause envious at good rejoycing in the evil of my neighbours negligent of my charge idle and useless timerous and base jealous and impudent ambitious and hard-hearted soft unmortified and effeminate in my life indevout in my prayers without fancie or affection without attendance to them or perseverance in them but passionate and curious in pleasing my appetite of meat and drink and pleasures making matter both for sin and sickness and I have reaped the cursed fruits of such improvidence entertaining undecent and impure thoughts and I have brought them forth in undecent and impure actions and the spirit of uncleanness hath entered in and unhallowed the temple which thou didst consecrate for the habitation of thy Spirit of love and holiness But for thy names sake O Lord be mercifull unto my sin for it is great Thou hast given me a whole life to serve thee in and to advance my hopes of heaven and this precious time I have thrown away upon my sins and vanities being improvident of my time and of my talent and of thy grace and my own advantages resisting thy Spirit and quenching him I have been a great lover of my self and yet used many wayes to destroy my self I have pursued my temporall ends with greediness and indirect means I am revengfull and unthankfull forgetting benefits but not so soon forgetting injuries curious and murmuring a great breaker of promises I have not loved my neighbours good nor advanced it in all things where I could I have been unlike thee in all things I am unmercifull and unjust a sottish admirer of things below and careless of heaven and the wayes that lead thither But for thy names sake O Lord be merciful unto my sin for it is great All my senses have been windows to let sin in and death by sin Mine eyes have been adulterous and covetous mine eares open to slander and detraction my tongue and palat loose and wanton intemperate and of foul language talkative and lying rash and malicious false and flattering irreligious and irreverent detracting and censorious My hands have been injurious and unclean my passions violent and rebellious my desires impatient and unreasonable all my members and all my faculties have been servants of sin and my very best actions have more matter of pity then of confidence being imperfect in my best and intolerable in most But for thy names sake O Lord c. Unto this and a far bigger heap of sin I have added also the faults of others to my own score by neglecting to hinder them to sin in all that I could and ought but I also have encouraged them in sin have taken off their feares and hardened their consciences and tempted them directly and prevailed in it to my own ruine and theirs unless thy glorious and unspeakable mercy hath prevented so intolerable a calamity Lord I have abused thy mercy despised thy judgments turned thy grace into wantonness I have been unthankfull for thy infinite loving kindness I have sinned and repented and then sinned again and resolved against it and presently broke it and then I tyed my self up with vows and then was tempted then I yeelded by little and little till I was willingly lost again and my vows fell off like cords of vanity Miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin And yet O Lord I have another heap of sins to be unloaded My secrets sins O Lord are innumerable sins I noted not sins that I willingly neglected sins that I acted upon wilfull ignorance and voluntary mispersuasion sins that I have forgot and sins which a diligent and a watchful spirit might have prevented but I would not Lord I am confounded with the multitude of them and the horrour of their remembrance though I consider them nakedly in their direct appearance without the deformity of their unhandsome and aggravating circumstances but so dressed they are a sight too ugly an instance of amazement infinite in degrees and insufferable in their load And yet thou hast spared me all this while and hast not throwne me into Hell where I have deserved to have been long since and even now to have been shut up to an eternity of torments with insupportable amazement fearing the revelation of thy day Miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin Thou shalt answer for me O Lord my God Thou that prayest for me shalt be my Judge The Prayer THou hast prepared for me a more healthfull sorrow O deny not thy servant when he begs sorrow of thee Give me a deep contrition for my sins a hearty detestation and loathing of them hating them worse then death with torments Give me grace intirely presently and for ever to forsake them to walk with care and prudence with fear and watchfulness all my dayes to doe all my duty with diligence and charity with zeal and a never fainting spirit to redeem the time to trust upon thy mercies to make use of all the instruments of grace to work out my salvation with fear and trembling that thou mayest have
Baptisme Thou hast reconciled us by thy death justified us by thy Resurrection sanctified us by thy Spirit sending him upon thy Church in visible formes and giving him in powers and miracles and mighty signes and continuing this incomparable favour in gifts and sanctifying graces and promising that he shall abide with us for ever thou hast led us with thine own broken body and given drink to our soules out of thine own heart and hast ascended upon high and hast overcome all the powers of Death and Hell and redeemed us from the miseries of a sad eternity and sittest at the right hand of God making intercession for us with a never-ceasing charity O that men would therefore praise the Lord c. The grave could not hold thee long O holy eternal Jesus thy body could not see corruption neither could thy soul be left in Hel thou wert fre among the dead and thou brakest the iron gates of Death and the barrs and chains of the lower prisons Thou broughtest comfort to the souls of the Patriarchs who waited for thy coming who long'd for the redemption of Man and the revelation of thy day Abraham Isac and Jacob saw thy day and rejoyced and when thou didst arise from thy bed of darkness and leftest the grave-clothes behinde thee and put on a robe of glory over which for 40 dayes thou didst wear a veil and then entred into a cloud and then into glory then the powers of Hell were confounded then Death lost its power and was swallowed up into victory and though death is not quite destroyed yet it is made harmless and without a sting and the condition of Humane Nature is made an entrance to eternal glory and art become the Prince of life the first-fruits of the resurrection the first-born from the dead having made the way plain before our faces that we may also rise again in the Resurrection of the last day when thou shalt come again unto us to render to every man according to his works O that men would therefore praise the Lord c. O give thanks unto the Lord for he is gracious and his mercy endureth for ever O all ye angels of the Lord praise ye the Lord praise him and magnifie him for ever O ye spirits and souls of the Righteous praise ye the Lord praise him and magnifie him for ever And now O Lord God what shall I render to thy Divine Majesty for all the benefits thou hast done unto thy servant in my personall capacity Thou art my Creator and my Father my Protector and my Guardian thou hast brought me from my Mothers wombe thou hast told all my Joynts and in thy book were all my members written Thou hast given me a comely body Christian and carefull parents holy education Thou hast been my guide and my teacher all my dayes Thou hast given me ready faculties an unloosed tongue a cheerful spirit straight limbs a good reputation and liberty of person a quiet life and a tender conscience a loving wife or husband and hopefull children thou wert my hope from my youth through thee have I been holden up ever since I was born Thou hast clothed me and fed me given me friends and blessed them given me many dayes of comfort and health free from those sad infirmities with which many of thy Saints and dearest servants are afflicted Thou hast sent thy Angel to snatch me from the violence of fire and water to prevent praecipices fracture of bones to rescue me from thunder and lightning plague and pestilentiall diseases murder and robbery violence of chance and enemies and all the spirits of darkness and in the dayes of sorrow thou hast refreshed me in the destitution of provisions thou hast taken care of me and thou hast said unto me I will never leave thee nor forsake thee I will give thanks unto the Lord with my whole heart secretly among the faithfull and in the congregation Thou O my dearest Lord and Father hast taken care of my soul hast pitied my miseries sustained my infirmities relieved and instructed my ignorances and though I have broken thy righteous Laws and Commandements run passionately after vanities and was in love with Death and was dead in sin and was exposed to thousands of temptations and fell foully and continued in it and lov'd to have it so and hated to be reformed yet thou didst call me with the checks of conscience with daily Sermons and precepts of holiness with fear and shame with benefits and the admonitions of thy most holy Spirit by the counsell of my friends by the example of good persons with holy books and thousands of excellent arts and wouldest not suffer me to perish in my folly but didst force me to attend to thy gracious calling and hast put me into a state of repentance and possibilities of pardon being infinitely desirous I should live and recover and make use of thy grace and partake of thy glories I will give thanks unto the Lord with my whole heart secretly among the faithful and in the congregation For salvation belongeth unto the Lord and thy blessing is upon thy servant But as for me I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercies and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple * For of thee and in thee and through and for thee are all things Blessed be the name of God from generation to generation Amen A short Form of thanksgiving to be said upon any special deliverance as from Child-birth from Sickness from battel or imminent danger at Sea or Land c. O most mercifull and gracious God thou fountain of all mercy and blessing thou hast opened the hand of thy mercy to fill me with blessings and the sweet effects of thy loving kindness thou feedest us like a Shepherd thou governest us as a king thou bearest us in thy arms like a nurse thou dost cover us under the shadow of thy wings and shelter us like a hen thou ô Dearest Lord wakest for us as a Watchman thou providest for us like a Husband thou lovest us as a friend and thinkest on us perpetually as a carefull mother on her helpless babe and art exceeding mercifull to all that fear thee and now O Lord thou hast added this great blessing of deliverance from my late danger here name the blessing it was thy hand and the help of thy mercy that relieved me the waters of affliction had drowned me and the stream had gon over my soul if the spirit of the Lord had not moved upon these waters Thou O Lord didst revoke thy angry sentence which I had deserved and which was gone out against me Unto thee O Lord I ascribe the praise and honour of my redemption I will be glad and rejoyce in thy mercy for thou hast considered my trouble and hast known my soul in adversity As thou hast spred thy hand upon me for a covering so also enlarg my heart with thankfulness and fill my
mouth with praises that my duty and returns to thee may be great as my needs of mercy are and let thy gracious favours and loving kindness endure for ever and ever upon thy servant and grant that what thou hast sown in mercy may spring up in duty and let thy grace so strengthen my purposes that I may sin no more lest thy threatning return upon me in anger and thy anger break me into pieces but let me walk in the light of thy favour and in the paths of thy Commandments that I living here to the glory of thy name may at last enter into the glory of my Lord to spend a whole eternity in giving praise to thy exalted and ever glorious name Amen We praise thee O God we knowledge thee to be the Lord. All the earth doth worship thee the Father Everlasting To thee all Angels cry aloud the heauens all the powers therein To thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth Heaven and Earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory * Thâ— glorious company of the Apostles praise thee * The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise thee * The noble army of Martyrs praise thee * The holy Church throughout all the world doth knowledg thee * The Father of an infinite Majesty * Thy honourable true and only Son * Also the Holy Ghost the Comforter * Thou art the King of glory O Christ. * Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father * When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man thou didst not abhor the Virgins womb * Wheâ— thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers * Thou sittest at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father * We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge * We therefore pray thee help thy servants whom thou hast redeem'd with thy precious blood * Make them to be number'd with thy Saints in glory everlasting O Lord save thy people and bless thine heritage Govern them and lift them up for ever Day by day we magnifie thee and we worship thy name ever world without end Vouchsafe O Lord to keep us this day without sin O Lord have mercy upon us have mercy upon us O Lord let thy mercy lighten upon us as or trust is in thee O Lord in thee have trusted let me never be confounded Amen A Prayer of thanksgiving after the receiving some great blessing as the birth of an Heir the success of an honest designe a victory a good harvest c. O Lord God Father of mercies the fountain of comfort and blessing of life and peace o plenty and pardon who fillest Heaven with thy glory and earth with thy goodness I give thee the most earnest most humble and most enlarged returns of my glad and thankfull heart for thou hast refreshed me with thy comforts and enlarged me with thy blessing thou hast made my flesh and my bones to rejoyce for besides the blessings of all mankinde the blessings of nature and the blessings of grace the support of every minute and the comforts of every day thou hast opened thy bosom and at this time hast powred out an excellent expression of thy loving kindness here name the blessing What am I O Lord and what is my Fathers house what is the life and what are the capacities of thy servant that thou shoul'd do this unto me * that the great God 〈…〉 and Angels should make a speciall decree in Heaven for me and send out an Angel of blessing and in stead of condemning and ruining me as I miserably have deserved to distinguish me from many my equals and my betters by this and many other speciall acts of Grace and favour Praised be the Lord daily even the Lord that helpeth us and powreth his benefits upon us He is our God even the God of whom cometh salvation God is the Lord by whom we escape death Thou hast brought me to great honour and comforted me on every side Thou Lord hast made me glad through thy works I will rejoyce in giving praise for the operation of thy hands O give thanks unto the Lord and call upon his name tell the people what things he hath done As for me I will give great thanks unto the Lord praise him among the multitude Blessed be the Lord God even the Lord God of Israel which only doth wondrous and gracious things And blessed be the name of his Majesty for ever and all the earth shall be filled with his Majesty Amen Amen Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. A prayer to be said on the Feast of Christmas or the birth of our blessed Saviour Jesus the same also may be said upon the feast of the Annunciation and Purification of the B. Virgin Mary O Holy and Almighty God Father of mercies Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of thy love and Eternal mercies I adore and praise and glorifie thy infinite and unspeakable love and wisdom who hast sent thy Son from the bosom of felicities to take upon him our nature and our misery and our guilt and hast made the Son of God to become the Son of Man that we might become the Sons of God and partakers of the divine nature since thou hast so exalted humane nature be pleased also to sanctifie my person that by a conformity to the humility and laws and sufferings of my dearest Saviour I may be united to his spirit and be made all one with the most Holy Jesus Amen O holy and Eternal Jesus who didst pity mankinde lying in his blood and sin and misery and didst choose our sadnesses and sorrows that thou mightest make us to partake of thy felicities Let thine eyes pity me thy hands support me thy holy â—eet tread down all the difficulties in my way to Heaven let me dwell in thy heart be instructed with thy wisdom moved by thy affections choose with thy will and be clothed with thy righteousness that in the day of Judgment I may be found having on thy garments sealed with thy impression and that bearing upon every faculty and member the character of my elder brother I may not be cast out with strangers and unbleivers Amen O Holy and ever blessed spirit who didst overshadow the holy Virgin Mother of our Lord and causedst her to conceive by a miraculous and mysterious manner be pleased to overshadow my soul and enlighten my spirit that I may conceive the holy Jesus in my heart and may bear him in my minde and may grow up to the fulness of the stature of Christ to be a perfect man in Christ Jesus Amen To God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. To the eternall Son that was incarnate and born of a virgin To the spirit of the Father and the Son be all honour and glory worship and adoration now and for ever Amen The same Form of Prayer
may be used upon our own Birth day or day of our Baptism adding the following prayer A Prayer to be said upon our Birth-day or day of Baptisme O Blessed and Eternall God I give thee praie and glory for thy great mercy to me in causing me to be born of Christian parents and didst not allot to me a portion with Misbelievers and Heathen that have not known thee thou didst not suffer me to be strangled at the gate of the womb but thy hand sustained brought me to the light of the world and the illumination of baptisme with thy grace preventing my election and by an artificiall necessity and holy prevention engaging me to the profession and practises of Christianity Lord since that I have broken the promises made in my behalf and which I confirmed by my after act I went back from them by an evil life and yet thou hast still continued to me life and time of repentance and didst not cut me off in the beginning of my dayes and the progress of my sins O Dearest God pardon the errours and ignorances the vices and vanities of my youth and the faults of my more forward years and let me never more stain the whiteness of my baptismal robe and now that by thy grace I still persist in the purposes of obedience and do give up my name to Christ and glory to be a Disciple of thy institution and a servant of Jesus let me never fail of thy grace let no root of bitterness spring up and disorder my purposes and defile my spirit O let my years be so many degrees of neerer approach to thee and forsake me not O God in my old age when I am gray-headed and when my strength faileth me be thou my strength and my guide unto death that I may reckon my years and apply my heart unto wisdom and at last after the spending a holy and a blessed life I may be brought unto a glorious eternity through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Then adde the form of thanksgiving formerly described A prayer to be said upon the dayes of the memory of Apostles Martyrs c O Eternal God to whom do live the spirits of them that depart hence in the Lord and in whom the souls of them that be elected after they be delivered from the burden of the flesh be in peace and rest from their labours and their works follow them and their memory is blessed I blesse and magnifie thy holy and ever glorious name for the great grace and blessing manifested to thy Apostles and Martyrs and other holy persons who have glorified thy name in the dayes of their flesh and have served the interest of religion and of thy service and this day we have thy servant name the Apostle or Martyr c. in remembrance whom thou hast lead through the troubles and temptations of this World and now hast lodged in the bosome of a certain hope and great beatitude until the day of restitution of all things Blessed be the mercy and eternal goodness of God and the memory of all thy Saints is blessed Teach me to practise their doctrine to imitate their lives following their example and being united as a part of the same mysticall body by the band of the same faith and a holy hope and a never ceasing charity and may it please thee of thy gracious goodness shortly to accomplish the number of thine elect and to hasten thy Kingdom that we with thy servant * and all others departed in the true faith and fear of thy holy Name may have our perfect consummation and bliss in body and soul in thy eternall and everlasting kingdom Amen A form of prayer recording all the parts and mysteries of Christs passion being a short history of it to be used especially in the week of the passion and before the receiving the blessed Sacrament ALl praise honour and glory be to the holy and eternal Jesus I adore thee O blessed Redeemer eternall God the light of the Gentiles and the glory of Israel for thou hast done and suffered for me more then I could wish more then I could think of even all that a lost and a miserable perishing sinner could possibly need Thou wert afflicted with thirst and hunger with heat and cold with labours and sorrows with hard journeys and restless nights and when thou wert contriving all the mysterious and admirable wayes of paying our scores thou didst suffer thy self to be designed to slaughter by those for whom in love thou were ready to dye What is man that thou art mindfull of him the Son of man that thou thus visitest him Blessed be thy Name O holy Jesus for thou wentest about doing good working miracles of mercy healing the sick comforting the distressed instructing the ignorant raising the dead inlightning the blinde strengthning the lame streightening the crooked relieving the poor preaching the Gospel and reconciling sinners by the mightiness of thy power by the wisdom of thy Spirit by the Word of God and the merits of thy Passion thy healthfull and bitter passion Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him c. Blessed be thy Name O holy Jesus who wert content to be conspired against by the Jews to be sold by thy servant for a vile price to wash the feet of him that took money for thy life and to give to him and to all thy Apostles thy most holy Body and Blood o become a Sacrifice for their sins even for their betraying and denying thee and for all my sins even for my crucifying thee a fresh and for such sins which I am ashamed to think but that the greatness of my sins magnifie the infiniteness of thy mercies who didst so great things for so vile a person Lord what is man c. Blessed be thy Name O holy Jesus who being to depart the world didst comfort thy Apostles powring out into their ears hearts treasures of admirable discourses who didst recommend them to thy Father with a mighty charity and then didst enter into the Garden set with nothing but Bryers â—orrows where thou didst suffer a most unspeakable agony untill the sweat strain'd through thy pure skin like drops of blood and there didst sigh and groan and fall flat upon the earth and pray and submit to the intolerable burden of thy fathers wrath which I had deserved and thou sufferedst Lord what is man c. Blessed be thy Name O holy Jesus who hast sanctified to us all our natural infirmities and passions by vouchsafing to be in fear and trembling and sore amazement by being bound and imprisoned by being harrassed and drag'd with cords of violence and rude hands by being quench'd in the brook in the way by being sought after like a theif and us'd like a sinner who wert the most holy and the most innocent cleaner then an Angel and brighter then the Morning-Star Lord what is man c. Blessed be thy Name O holy Jesus and
blessed be that loving kindness and pity by which thou didst neglect thy own sorrows and go to comfort the sadness of thy Disciples quickning their dulness incouraging their duty arming their weakness with excellent precepts against the day of triall Blessed be that humility and sorrow of thine who being Lord of the Angels yet wouldest need and receive comfort from thy servant the Angel who didst offer thy self to thy persecutors and madest them able to seise thee and didst receive the Traytors kiss and sufferedst a veil to be thrown over thy holy face that thy enemies might not presently be confounded by so bright a lustre and wouldest do a miracle to cure a wound of one of thy spitefull enemies and didst reprove a zealous servant in behalf of a malicious adversary and then didst go like a Lamb to the slaughter without noise or violence or resistance when thou couldest have commanded millions of Angels for thy guard and rescue Lord what is man c. Blessed be thy Name O holy Jesus and blessed be that holy sorrow thou didst suffer when thy Disciples fled and thou wert left alone in the hands of cruel men who like evening Wolves thirsted for a draught of thy best blood and thou wert led to the house of Annas and there asked insnaring questions and smitten on the face by him whose ear thou hadst but lately healed and from thence wert dragged to the house of Caiaphas and there all night didst endure spittings affronts scorn contumelies blows and intolerable insolencies and all this for man who was thy enemy and the cause of all thy sorrows Lord what is man c. Blessed be thy Name O holy Jesus and blessed be thy mercy who when thy servant Peter denied thee and forsooke thee forswore thee didst look back upon him and by that gracious and chiding look didst call him back to himself and thee who were accused before the High Priest and rail'd upon and examined to evill purposes and with designes of blood who wert declar'd guilty of death for speaking a most necessary and most profitable truth who wert sent to Pilate and found innocent and sent to Herod and still found innocent and wert arayed in white both to declare thy innocence and yet to deride thy person and wert sent back to Pilate and examined again and yet nothing but innocence found in thee and malice round about thee to devour thy life which yet thou wert more desirous to lay down for them then they were to take it from thee Lord what is man c. Blessed be thy Name O holy Jesus and blessed be that patience charity by which for our sakes thou wert content to be smitten with canes and have that holy face which Angels with joy and wonder do behold be spit upon and be despised when compared with Barabbas and scourg'd most rudely with unhallowed hands till the pavement was purpled with that holy blood and condemned to a sad and shamefull a publick and painfull death and arayed in Scarlet and crown'd with thorns and strip'd naked and then cloathed loaden with the crosse and tormented with a tablet stuck with nails at the fringes of thy garment and bound hard with cords and dragg'd most vilely and most piteously till the load was too great and did sink thy tender and virginal body to the earth and yet didst comfort the weeping women and didst more pity thy persecutors then thy self and wert grieved for the miseries of Jerusalem to come forty yeares after more then for thy present passion Lord what is man c. Blessed be thy Name O holy Jesus and blessed be that incomparable sweetness and holy sorrow which thou sufferedst when thy holy hands and feet were nailed upon the crosse and the crosse being set in a hollowness of the earth did in the fall rend the wounds wider and there naked bleeding sick and faint wounded and despised didst hang upon the weight of thy wounds three long hours praying for thy persecutors satisfying thy Fathers wrath reconciling the penitent thief providing for thy holy and afflicted mother tasting vineger and gall and when the fulness of thy suffering was accomplished didst give thy soul into the hands of God didst descend to the regions of longing souls who waited for the revelatiō of this thy day in their prisons of hope and then thy body was transfixed with a spear and issued forth two Sacraments Water and blood and thy body was compos'd to buriall and dwelt in darkness three dayes and three nights Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him and the Son of man that thou thus visitest him The Prayer THus O blessed Jesu thou didst finish thy holy passion with pain anguish so great that nothing could be greater then it except thy self and thy own infinite mercy and all this for man even for me then whom nothing could be more miserable thy self onely excepted who becamest so by undertaking our guilt and our punishment And now Lord who hast done so much for me be pleased onely to make it effectuall to me that it may not be useless and lost as to my particular lest I become etenally miserable ' and lost to all hopes and possibilities of comfort All this deserves more love then I have to give but Lord do thou turn me all into love and all my love into obedience and let my obedience be without interruption and then I hope thou wilt accept such a return as I can make make me to be something that thou delightest in and thou shalt have all that I am or have from thee even whatsoever thou makest fit for thy self Teach me to live wholly for my Saviour Jesus and to be ready to dye for Jesus and to be conformable to his life and sufferings and to be united to him by inseparable unions and to own no passions but what may be servants to Jesus and Disciples of his institution O sweetest Saviour clothe my soul with thy holy robe hide my sins in thy wounds and bury them in thy grave and let me rise in the life of grace and abide and grow in it till I arrive at the Kingdome of Glory Amen Our Father c. Ad. Sect. 7.8 10. A form of prayer or intercession for all estates of people in the Christian Church The parts of which may be added to any other formes and the whole office intirely as it lyes is proper to be said in our preparation to the holy Sacrament or on the day of celebration 1. For our selves O Thou gracious Father of mercy Father of our Lord Jesus Christ have mercy upon thy servants who bow our heads and our knees and our hearts to thee pardon and forgive us all our sins give us the grace of holy repentance and a strict obedience to thy holy word strengthen us in the inner man with the power of the holy Ghost for all the parts and duties of our calling and holy living preserve us for
the Christian Common-wealth and the salvation of their own souls through Jesus Christ. Amen 9. For all estates of Men and Women in the Christian Church O Holy God King Eternal out of the infinite store-houses of thy grace and mercy give unto all Virgins chastity and a religious spirit to all persons dedicated to thee and to religion continence and meekness an active zeal and an unwearied spirit to all married paires faith and holiness to widows and fatherless an all that are oppressed thy patronage comfort and defence to all Christian women simplicity and modesty humility and chastity patience and charity give unto the poor to all that are robbed and spoiled of their goods a competent support and a contented spirit and a treasure in heaven hereafter give unto prisoners and captives to them that toil in the mines and row in the gallies strength of body and of spirit liberty and redemption comfort and restitution to all that travell by land thy Angel for their guide and a holy and prosperous return to all that travel by sea freedom from Pyrates and shipwrack and bring them to the Haven where they would be to distressed and scrupulous consciences to melancholy and disconsolate persons to all that are afflicted with evill and unclean spirits give a light from heaven great grace and proportionable comforts and timely deliverance give them patience and resignation let their sorrows be changed into grace and comfort and let the storm wast them certainly to the regions of rest and glory Lord God of mercy give to thy Martyrs Confessors and all thy persecuted constancy and prudence boldness and hope a full faith and a never failing charity To all who are condemned to death do thou minister comfort a strong a quiet and a resigned spirit take from them the fear of death and all remaining affections to sin and all imperfections of duty and cause them to die full of grace full of hope and give to all faithfull particularly to them who have recommēded themselves to the prayers of thy unworthy servant a supply of all their needs temporall and spirituall and according to their severall states and necessities rest and peace pardon and refreshment and shew us all a mercy in the day of judgment Amen Give O Lord to the magistrates equity sinceritie courage and prudence that they may protect the good defend religion and punish the wrong doers Give to the Nobilitie wisdom valour and loyaltie To Merchants justice and faithfulness to all Artificers and Labourers truth and honesty to our enemies forgiveness and brotherly kindness Preserve to us the heavens and the Ayre in healthful influence and disposition the Earth in plentie the kingdom in peace and good government our marriages in peace and sweetness and innocence of societie thy people from famine and pestilence our houses from burning and robbery our persons from being burnt alive from banishment prison from Widowhood destitution from violence of pains and passions from tempests and earth-quakes from inundation of waters from rebellion or invasion from impatience and inordinate cares from tediousness of spirit and despair from murder and all violent accursed and unusual deaths from the surprise of sudden and violent accidents from passionate and unreasonable fears from all thy wrath and from all our sins good Lord deliver and preserve thy servants for ever Amen Repress the violence of all implacable warring and tyrant Nations bring home unto thy fold all that are gone astray call into the Church all strangers increase the number and holyness of thy own people bring infants to ripeness of age and reason confirm all baptized people with thy grace and with thy Spirit instruct the novices and new Christians let a great grace and mercifull providence bring youthfull persons safely and holily through the indiscretions and passions and temptations of their younger years and those whom thou hast or shalt permit to live to the age of a man give competent strength and wisdom take from them covetousness and churlishness pride and impatience fill them full of devotion and charity repentance and sobriety holy thoughts and longing desires after Heaven and heavenly things give them a holy and a blessed death and to us all a joyfull resurrection through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Ad Sect. 10. The manner of using these devotions by way of preparation to the receiving the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper The just preparation to this holy Feast consisting principally in a holy life and consequently in the repetation of the acts of all vertues and especially of Faith Repentance Charity and thanksgiving to the exercise of these four graces let the person that intends to communicate in the times set apart for his preparation and devotion for the exercise of his Faith recite the prayer or Letany of the passion For the exercise of Repentance the form of confession of sins with the prayer annexed And for the graces of thanksgiving charity let him use the speciall forms of prayer above described or if a less time can be allotted for preparatory devotion the two first will be the more proper as containing in them all the personal duty of the communicant To which upon the morning of that holy solemnity let him adde A prayer of preparation or address to the holy Sacrament An act of Love O Most gracious and eternall God the helper of the helpless the comforter of the comfortless the hope of the afflicted the bread of the hungry the drink of the thirsty and the Saviour of all them that wait upon thee I blesse and glorifie thy Name adore thy goodness and delight in thy love that thou hast once more given me the opportunity of receiving the greatest favour which I can receive in this World even the body and blood of my dearest Saviour O take from me all affection to sin or vanity let not my affections dwell below but soar upwards to the element of love to the seat of God to the Regions of Glory and the inheritance of Jesus that I may hunger and thirst for the bread of life and the wine of elect soules and may know no loves but the love of God and the most mercifull Jesus Amen An act of Desire O Blessed Jesus thou hast used many arts to save me thou hast given thy life to redeem me thy holy Spirit to sanctifie me thy self for my example thy Word for my Rule thy grace for my guide the fruit of thy body hanging on the tree of the cross for the sin of my soul and after all this thou hast sent thy Apostles Ministers of salvation to call me to importune me to constrain me to holiness and peace and felicity O now come Lord Jesus come quicly my heart is desirous of thy presence and thirsty of thy grace and would fain entertain thee not as a guest but as an inhabitant as the Lord of all my faculties Enter in and take possession and dwell with me for ever
that I also may dwell in the heart of my dearest Lord which was opened for me with a spear and love An act of contrition Lord thou shalt finde my heartfull of cares and worldly desires cheated with love of riches and neglect of holy things proud and unmortified false and crafty to deceive it self intricated and intāgled with difficult cases of conscience with knots which my own wildness and inconsideration and impatience have tied and shuffled together O my dearest Lord if thou canst behold such an impure seat behold the place to which thou art invited is full of passion and prejudice evill principles and evill habits peevish and disobedient lustfull and intemperate and full of sad remembrances that I have often provoked to jealousie and to anger thee my God my dearest Saviour him that dyed for me him that suffered torments for me that is infinitely good to me and infinitely good and perfect in himself This O dearest Saviour is a sad truth and I am heartily ashamed and truly sorrowfull for it and do deeply hate all my sins and am full of indignation against my self for so unworthy so careless so continued so great a folly and humbly beg of thee to increase my sorrow and my care and my hatred against sin and make my love to thee swell up to a great grace and then to glory and immensity An act of Faith This indeed is my condition But I know O blessed Jesus that thou didst take upon thee my nature that thou mightest suffer for my sins and thou didst suffer to deliver me from them and from thy Fathers wrath and I was delivered from this wrath that I might serve thee in holiness righteousness all my daies Lord I am sure thou didst the great work of Redemption for me and all mankinde as that I am alive This is my hope the strength of my spirit my joy and my confidence and do thou never let the spirit of unbelief enter into me and take me from this Rock Here I will dwell for I have a delight therein Here I will live and here I desire to die The Petition Therefore O blessed Jesu who art my Saviour and my God whose body is my food and thy righteousness is my robe thou art the Priest and the Sacrifice the Master of the feast and the feast it self the Physician of my soul the light of my eyes the purifier of my stains enter into my heart and cast out from thence all impurities all the remains of the Old man and grant I may partake of this holy Sacrament with much reverence and holy relish and great effect receiving hence the communication of thy holy body and blood for the establishment of an unreproveable faith of an unfained love for the fulness of wisdom for the healing my soul for the blessing and preservation of my body for the taking out the sting of temporall death and for the assurance of a holy resurrection for the ejection of all evill from within me and the fulfilling all thy righteous Commandements and to procure for me a mercy and a fair reception at the day of judgement through thy mercies O holy and ever blessed Saviour Jesus Amen Here also may be added the prayer after receiving the cup. * Ejaculations to be said before or at the receiving the holy Sacrament Like as the Hart desireth the water brooks so longeth my soul after thee O God My soul is a thirst for God yea even for the living God when shall I come before the presence of God O Lord my God great are thy wonderous works which thou hast done like as be also thy thoughts which are to us-ward and yet there is no man that ordereth them unto thee O send out thy light and thy truth that they may lead me and bring me unto thy holy hill and to thy dwelling And that I may go unto the Altar of God even unto the God of my joy and gladness and with my heart will I give thanks to thee O God my God I will wash my hands in innocency O Lord and so will I go to thine altar that I may shew the voice of thanks-giving and tell of all thy wonderous works Examine me O Lord and prove me try out my reins and my heart For thy loving kindness is now and ever before my eyes and I will walk in thy truth Thou shalt prepare a table before me against them that trouble me thou hast anointed my head with oil and my cup shall be full But thy loving loving kindness and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever This is the bread that cometh down from Heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him and hath eternall life abiding in him and I will raise him up at the last day Lord whether shall we go but to thee thou hast the words of eternall life If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink The bread which we break is it not the communication of the body of Christ and the cup which we drink is it not the communication of the blood of Christ What are those wounds in thy hands They are those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends Zech 13.6 Immediately before the receiving say Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof But do thou speak the word onely and thy servant shall be he led Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew thy praise O God make speed to save me O Lord make hast to help me Come Lord Jesus come quickly After receiving the consecrated and blessed bread say O tast and see how gracious the Lord is blessed is the man that trusteth in him * The beasts do lack and suffer hunger but they which seek the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good Lord what am I that my Saviour should become my food that the Son of God should be the meat of Worms of dust and ashes of a sinner of him that was his enemy But this thou hast done to me because thou art infinitely good wonderfully gracious and lovest to bless every one of us in turning us from the evill of our wayes Enter into me blessed Jesus let no root of bitterness spring up in my heart but be thou Lord of all my faculties O let me feed on thee by faith and grow up by the increase of God to a perfect man in Christ Jesus Amen Lord I believe help mine unbelief Glory be to God the Father Son c. After the receiving the cup of blessing It is finished Blessed be the mercies of God revealed to us in Jesus Christ. O blessed and eternall high Priest let the sacrifice of the Cross which thou didst once offer for the sins of the whole World and which thou doest now and always represent in
Heaven to thy Father by thy never ceasing intercession and which this day hath been exhibited on thy holy Table Sacramentally obtain mercy and peace faith and charity safety and establishment to thy holy Church which thou hast founded upon a Rock the Rock of a holy Faith and let not the gates of Hell prevail against her nor the enemy of mankinde take any soul out of thy hand whom thou hast purchased with thy blood and sanctified by thy Spirit Preserve all thy people from Heresie and division of spirit from scandal and the spirit of delusion from sacriledge and hurtfull persecutions Thou O blessed Jesus didst die for us keep me for ever in holy living from sin and sinfull shame in the communion of thy Church and thy Church in safety and grace in truth and peace unto thy second coming Amen Dearest Jesu since thou art pleased to enter into me O be jealous of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth suffer no unclean spirit or unholy thought to come near thy dwelling lest it defile the ground where thy holy feet have trod O teach me so to walk that I may never disrepute the honour of my Religion nor stain the holy Robe which thou hast now put upon my soul nor break my holy Vows which I have made and thou hast sealed nor lose my right of inheritance my privilege of being coheir with Jesus into the hope of which I have now further entred but be thou pleased to love me with the love of a Father and a Brother and a husband and a Lord and make me to serve thee in the communion of Saints in receiving the Sacrament in the practise of all holy vertues in the imitation of thy life and conformity to thy sufferings that I having now put on the Lord Jesus may marry his love and his enmities may desire his glory may obey his laws and be united to his Spirit and in the day of the LORD I may be found having on the Wedding Garment and bearing in my body and soul the marks of the LORD JESUS that I may enter into the joy of my LORD and partake of his glories for ever and ever Amen Ejaculations to be used any time that day after the solemnity is ended LOrd if I had lived innocently I could not have deserved to receive the crums that fall from thy Table How great is thy mercy who hast feasted me with the Bread of Virgins with the Wine of Angels with Manna from Heaven O when shall I pass from this dark glass from this veil of Sacraments to the vision of thy eternal clarity from eating thy body to beholding thy face in thy eternal Kingdom Let not my sins crucifie the Lord of life again Let it never be said concerning me the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the Table O that I might love thee as well as ever any creature lov'd thee Let me think nothing but thee desire nothing but thee enjoy nothing but thee O Jesus be a Jesus unto me Thou art all things unto me Let nothing ever please me but what savors of thee and thy miraculous sweetness Blessed be the mercies of our Lord who of God is made unto me Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. Amen THE END A CATALOGUE of some Books Printed for Richard Royston at the Angel in Ivie-lane London A Parahphrase and Annotations upon all the Books of the New Testament by Henry Hammond D. D. in sol The Practical Catechisme with all other English Treatises of Henry Hammond D. D. in two volumes in 4 o. Dissertationes quatuor quibus Episcopatus Jura ex S. Scripturis Primaeva Antiquitate adstruuntur contra santentiam D. Blondelli aliorum Authore Henrico Hammond in 4 o. A Letter of Resolution of six Quaeries in 12 o. Of Schisme A Defence of the Church of England against the Exceptions of the Romanists in 12 o. Of Fundamentals in a notion referring to Practise by H. Hammond D. D. in 12 o The names of several Treatises and Sermons written by Jer. Taylor D. D. viz. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Course of Sermons for all the Sundayes of the Year together with a Discourse of the Divine Institution Necessity Sacredness and Separation of the Office Ministerial in sol 2. Episcopacy asserted in 4 o. 3. The History of the Life and death of the Ever-blessed Jesus Christ 2 d Edit in sol 4 The Lib. of Prophesying in 4 o. 5. An Apology for authorized and Set-forms of Liturgie in 4 o. 6. A Discourse of Baptisme its institution and efficacy upon all Believers in 4 o. 7. The Rule and Exercises of holy living in 12 o 8. The Rule and Exercises of holy dying in 12 o. 9. A Short Catechisme for institution of young persons in the Christian Religion in 12 o. 9 The Real Presence and Spirituall of CHRIST in the Blessed Sacrament proved against the Doctrine of Transubstantiation in 8 o. Certamen Râ—ligioâ—â—re or a Conference between the late King of England and the are Lord Marquis of Worcester concerning Religion at Ragland Castle Together with a Vindication of the Protestant Cause by Chr. Cartwright in 4 o. The Psalter of David with Titles and Collects according to the matter of each Psalm by the Right honorable Chr. Hatton in 12 o. Boareâ—gâ—s and Barnabas or Judgment and Mercy for wounded and afflicted souls in several Seliloquies by Francis Quarles in 12 o. The life of Faith in dead Tires by Chr. Hudson in 12 o. Motives for Prayer upon the seven dayes of the Week by Sir Richard Baker Knight in 12 o. The Guide unto True Blessedness or a Body of the Doctrine of the Scriptures directing man to the saving knowledge of God by Sam. Crook in 12 o. Six excellent Sermons upon several occasions preached by Edward Willan Vicar of Heane in 4 o. The Dipper dipt or the Anabaptists duck'd and plung'd over head and ears by Daniel Featly D.D. in 4 o. Hâ—rmes Theologus or a Divine Mercury new descants upon old Records by Theoph. Wodnote in 12 o. Philosophical Elements concerning Government and Civil society by Thomas Hobbs of Malmesbury in 12 o. An Essay upon Statius or the five first books of Publ. Papinius Statius his Thebais by Tho. Stephans School-master in S â—amonds bury 8 o. Nemenclatura Brevis anglo-Latina Graeca in usum Scolae Westmonasteâ—â—â—nsisâ—pâ—r F Gregory in 8 o. Grammatiâ—â—s Graecae Enchiâ—â—dâ—on in usum Scholae Colligialis Wigorniae in 8 o. A Discourse of Holy Love by Sir Geo Strode Knight in 12 o. The Saints Honey-Comb full of Divine Truths by Rich. Govâ— Preacher of Henâ—on S Gâ—oâ—ge in Soâ—â—cisethshire in 8 o. Devotions digested into several Discourses and Meditations upon the Lords most Holy Prayer Together with additional Exercitations upon Baptism The Lords Supper Heresies Blasphemy The Creatures Sin The souls pantings after God The Mercies of God The souls complaint of its absence from God by Peter Samwaies Fellow lately resident in Trinity College Cambridge in 12 o. Of the Division between the English and Romish Church upon Reformation by Hen Fern D D in 12 o. Directions for the profitable reading of the Scriptures by John whit M. A. in 8 o. The Exemplary Lives and Memorable Act. of 9. the most worthy women of the world 3 Jewes 3 Gentiles 3 Christians by Tho. Heywood in 4 o. The Saints Legacies or a Collection of premises out of the Word of God in 12 o. Judicium Vniversitatis Oxoniensis de Solemn Leg. â—â—dere Juramento Negativo c. in 8 o. Certain Sermons and Letters of Defence and Resolution to some of the late Controversaries of our times by Jasper Mayn D. D. in 4 o. Janua Linguarum Referta sive omnium Scientiarum Linguarum seminarium Auctore Cl. Viro J. A. Cemenio in 8 o. A Tratise concerning Divine providence very seasonable for all Ages by Tho. Morton Bishop of Duresme in 8 o. Animadversions upon M r Hobbs his Leviathan with some Observations upon Sir Walter Rawleighs History of the World by Alex. Râ—sse in 12 Fifty Sermons preached by that learned and reverend Divine John Donne in sol Wits-Common-wealth in 12 The Banquet of Jests new and old in 12 o. Balzâ—cs Letters the fourth part in 8 o. Quarles Virgin Widow a Play in 4 o. Solomons Recantation in 4 o. by Francis Quarles Amesii Antisynodalia in 12 o. Christs Commination against Scandalizers by John Tombes in 12 o. Dr. Stuart's Answer to Fountains Letter in 4 o. A Tract of Fortification with 22 brasse cuts in 4 o. D r Griffiths Sermon preached at S. Pauls in 4 o Blessed birth-day printed at Oxford in 8 o. A Discourse of the state Ecclesiastical in 4 o. An Account of the Church Catholick where it was before the Reformation by Edward Boughâ—n D. D. in 4 o. An Advertisement to the Jury-men of England touching Witches written by the Author of the Observations upon M r. Hobbs Leviathan in 4 o Episcopacy and presbytery considered by Hen. Fern D. D. in 4 o. A Sermon preached at the Isle of Wiâ—ht before His Majesty by Hen. Fern. D.D. in 4 o. The Commoners Liberty or the English-mans Birth-right in 4 o. An Expedient for composing Differences in Religion in 4 o. A Treatise of Self-denial in 4 o. The holy Life and Death of the late Viâ—countesse Falkland in 12 o. Certain Considerations of present Concernment Touching the Reformed Church of England by Henry Fern in 12 o. Englands Faithfull Reprover and Monitour in 12 o. Newly published The grand Conspiracy of the Members against the Minde of Jewes against their King As it hath been delivered in four Sermons by John Allington B. D. in 12 o The Quakers wild Questions obiected against the Ministers of the Gospel many sacred acts and offices of Religion with brief answers therunto Together with a Discourse of the holy Spirit his workings and impressions on the souls of men by R. Sherlock B. D. in 8 o. White Salt or a sober correction of a mad world By John Shaman B. D. a discontinuer in 12 o. The Matching of the Magistrates Authority and the Christians true liberty in matters of Religion By William Iyford B.D. and late Minister of Sherboâ—n in Dors. in 4 o.