and secure in so extream danger nor lulled asleep when I am even ready to be utterly swallow'd up but let me ever be preparing and buckling on my whole Armor that I may stand fast in this evil day and preserve my self until the Conquest be gotten and I Crowned O let me never deceive my self by imagining my case to be good when I am but a Carnal Worldling or meer Hypocrite but Lord help me daily but especially before thy Sabbaths to examin and try my Spiritual Estate how I grow in all Graces in more sincere obedience to all thy Commands Faith in all thy Promises and in the power of all true Godliness That I may hereby not only avoid all Hardness of heart Lukewarmness Sleeping in Sin prevent an evil Conscience with the dreadful Punishments thereof and be kept from Satans power but also may get strong Consolation may be every day more filled with content and delight in thee increasing in Love to thy Majesty People and Ordinances in Zeal for thy Glory and Kingdom full of Life and Cheerfulness in accomplishing all thy good pleasure and submiting my self to thee only and thy gracious direction in all things having my Eyes and Faith fixed upon thee believing thou wilt always watch over me for good thy Fatherly care shall feed and supply all my wants thy faithful and powerful Protection make me safe and thy wise and holy Providence order all things for my advantage in the end Save me O Lord from backsliding from thee after the manner of this evil Age and preserve me from all the causes thereof conceitedness of the goodness of my State standing at a stay in Religion neglect of any means of Grace especially the Word and Sacraments unfaithfulness in my Calling committing or living in any known Sin without speedy Repentance Grant me to Glorifie thee according to my Knowledge of thee and so to love and practice thy Sacred Truth that thou mayst never leave me or in judgment give me up to vile Affections a Reprobate Sence or the strong delusions of Anti-christ And now O Lord as I am in duty bound I do here present unto thee from an humble heart this my Evening Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving for all thy Goodness and Mercy to me a poor miserable Sinner that I was born and live in the shining Light of thy glorious Gospel and am not as others under the darkness of Popery and Tyranny of Antichrist in all Afflictions and Misery That I have any measure of Peace in my Spirit when I might have been in continual horror of Conscience for my Sins and left unto the power of Satan that thou hast granted me health and sufficiency of the things of this Life many kind Friends about me my good Name and Credit preserved and thy Blessings in any measure upon my labours whereas thou mightest have smitten me to have lain continually Bed rid tormented with most loathsome Diseases and Sores or like a poor Lazar to have begged my Bread from door to door yea to have layn without in the Streets or in Prison hungry naked thirstie as many better than my self do destitute of Friends in the midst of cruel enemies odious to all my Name rottenness and my labours accursed and what is more than all this that thou shouldst continue all those kindnesses unto me notwithstanding all my unthankfulness great impenitency and hardness of heart and altho' I have profited so little by the means of Grace thou hast so long vouchsafed me both of thy Word and Ordinances thy Judgments Mercies Fatherly Chastisements and Corrections so that thou might'st in Justice have shut up all thy Loving kindness in heavy displeasure and have cast me off as one in whom thou takest no pleasure it is thy Goodness thy Goodness alone which is the Fountain whence all those rich Mercies flow unto me And that thou mayst receive all the Glory shall be the constant Prayer and indeavour of thy Servant all the daies of his life to the which I do here solemnly engage and bind my self in thy Sacred Presence beseeching thee to Sanctifie unto me this night's rest that I be not troubled with any Terrors or weakened with any Sickness or impoverish'd by any Casualities or Crosses but that being defended under the Shadow of thy Wings and by the Protection of thy holy Angels I may be secured both from the Assaults of Satan and the designs of evil Men. Into thy holy Protection and Custody O Father I do here commend my self and all that through thy Goodness do belong unto me beseeching thee both to hear and grant these my Requests and all other things needful either for my self or any Member of thy whole Church for thy dear Son Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour's sake to whom with thy self and the Blessed Spirit be all Honour and Obedience from Generation to Generation Amen Our Father c. FINIS
from my Mother's Womb and thy long-suffering Patience and Compassion that never fail that I have not been long ago consumed swallowed up or swept away with some extraordinary Judgment for those many gross and heinous Sins of my Life my whole Nature is deformed with Original corruption my whole Life my whole Life abounding with the fruits thereof all manner of actual Transgressions My Vnderstanding is full of Blindness Vanity and Infidelity my Conscience Dead and Remorsless my Heart Hard and Impenitent my Affections Disorderly and Violent Vnruly and Masterless my Appetite Sensual and Brutish I have no ability to any good Duty no restraint or moderation in Sinning against thee Yea if I do any Good I am apt to blemish it with Self-love and Hypocrisie if I abstain from any Evil it is many times rather from the Act than from the Love of it I ought to have lived as under covenant with thee but wretch that I am I have broken my Vow falsified my Faith and violated the everlasting Covenant What Commandment of thine is there O Lord I have not transgressed What Grace I have not abused What Curse I have not deserved When I view the wretched course of my Life and consider my weighty and crying Sins what Lord can I say And what confusion should cover me Here confess to God thy secret Sins with the Circumstances of Time Place Person and Manner c. In how many things have I Sinned against Knowledge against Conscience against Light and against many Vows and Promises of better Obedience I have no colour of excuse nothing to plead with thee in defence of my many and heinous Sins if I dispute I must lay my hand upon my mouth and learn to abhor my self in Dust and Ashes for Lord for these my Sins I stand here guilty of thy Curse with all the Miseries of this Life and that to come But O blessed Lord thou art he that Justifies the ungodly and hast sent thy Son to die for Sinners and hast made a general Offer and invited all to come unto Christ that they may be sav'd whosoever will every very one that thirsteth yea and hast most graciously promised John 6.37 That him that cometh shall not in any wise be repulsed or cast out John 3.16,17 Luke 2.10 and that whosoever believeth shall not perish that thou wilt not despise a broken heart Rev. 22.17 John 7.37 John 6.40 2 Cor. 5.20 John 3.23 Nay Lord it is thy Will Desire and Command that I should believe on the Name of thy Son that so I may be saved 1 John 5.10 And thy Word of Truth saith That whosoever believeth not maketh thee a Lyar. O Father of Mercies I am bold in the name of Christ to come unto thee and by the hand of Faith to lay hold upon thy Promises yet feeling my own weakness I beseech thee strengthen my unbelief and what assurance I cannot have by my Faith weakly embracing thee let me have from thy self embracing me who art mighty to save Thou did'st inable thy Servant Jacob to lay hold on thee and not let thee go till thou had'st blessed him Lord give me the same Strength the same Courage and the same Success I beseech thee O Lord who despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart nor desirest the death of a penitent Sinner but delightest by thy Goodness to Reign where Sins have most abounded to pardon and forgive me all my Sins and to wash away the unâ—…leanness of them by that precious Blood of Sprinkling which Christ Jesus my Saviour hath shed I hope for me And seeing he has born the burden of the Curse due for my Transgressions deliver me O Lord both from my Sins and those Judgments which hang over my head as due unto me for the same bury them in the Burial of Christ that they may never have power to rise up against me to shame me in this life or condemn me in that to come And I beseech thee O Lord not only to pardon the Guilt of my Sins but to purge my heart by thy holy Spirit from the Dross of my natural Corruptions that I may feel thy Spirit more and more killing my sins in the power and practise thereof especially my special Sins and Corruptions Let my Flesh be Crucified with its Affections and Lusts And let me find the power of Christ's death mortifying my corruptions and the power of his Resurrection raising me up to newness of life Arm me O Lord with the Furniture of thy Grace and write thy Laws in my inward parts that I may not only be thy Soldier but thy Servant and Subject Set up the Scepter of thy Kingdom in my Conscience subdue my heart to the obedience of thy Commands win my Affections to the Love of thy Statutes conform my Life to the Rule of thy Righteousness and transform me daily more and more into thy Image Bless all the Means of Grace unto me and me with a heart sanctified and set upon the Means for the increase of Grace let thy holy Word be my chief Treasure thy Statutes my Counsellors thy Promises my Comforters thy Sacraments my Delicates thy Sabbaths my best Daies and thy Servants my dearest Companions Renew daily with me the Covenant of thy Peace and now this morning let thy Spirit from Heaven Seal me a new Patent of Mercy that being to meet with thee in the ways and works of this day I may be sure to find thee as a reconciled Father not as an offended Judge As thou do'st add Days unto my Life so good Lord add Repentance and amendment unto my Days and bestow a supply upon me of all those Graces which thou knowest to be wanting in me and necessary for me with an increase of all those Gifts wherewith thou hast already indowed me Give unto me such Spiritual Eye-sight that I may see thee in thy Word and Works Let me live in thy sight and not without thee as the Gentiles do O let me not be cast out of thy presence as Cain nor run against thee as Balaam but walk with thee as Enoch Noah and Abraham in all my ways taking knowledge of thy Presence Promises and Providences Bless me O Lord this day in the Duties of my Calling preserve me from all fraudulent oppressing greedy Courses Draw my Affections from the Love of this World fix my heart upon things above if things succeed according to my mind make me thankful to thee which hast given the Blessing if any Cross comes make me patient and careful to profit by the Chastisement good Lord do thou bless me with such a portion of Health Peace Prosperity and every good thing as may inable and make me Chearful in Duty And because the daily occasions of danger to my Soul are infinite teach me to keep my Heart with all diligence to make a Covenant with my Eyes to keep my mouth as with a Bridle for the avoiding all filthy communication to use
Father c. Evening Prayer O Lord God Almighty the Great and Supream Being before whom the Blessed and Glorious Angels cover their faces thou art a God terrible in Wrath and Vengeance against all obstinate wicked men but infinite in Mercy and endless in Compassion to all poor sinners that with unfeigned Repentance truly turn unto thee thou keepest Covenant and Mercy for ever for all who desire to fear thy great Name and walk humbly before thee I Vile Earth and Ashes miserable Creature laden with Sin might justly fear to lift up my Eyes to Heaven but since thou art so far from despising and driving from thee a Weak and Vile Sinful Wretch as I am that thou callest and drawest such unto thee I am bold to approach the Throne of thy Grace in the name of thy dear Son my Lord Jesus Christ whom thou hast given for Sinners not only a Saviour but also an Advocate and Intercessor to put up our Suits and make our Prayers accepted Through him Lord admit me into thy Presence and hold forth unto me the Golden Scepter of thy Grace let not thy Power dismay but strengthen my Weakness thy Glory not confound but cover my Vileness thy Purity not pursue but purge my Wickedness I can plead nothing but Misery in my self to make way unto thy Mercy from thee alone must all motives unto compassion be drawn I beseech thee O Lord be not ashamed of my Poverty be not weary of my Importunity but as the Sense of my misery leads me unto thee so let the Pity and Commiseration of the same incline thy Merciful Heart towards me I brought with me a World of Sin into this thy World I have derived from my first Parents not only the Guilt of their Sin but also the Corruption of their Nature that Leprosy of Adam cleaves unto me and has overspread all the Powers and Parts both of Soul and Body darkening and misleading my Vnderstanding benumming and abusing my Conscience inthralling and hardening my Will disturbing and disordering my Affections and making my Bodily Senses and Members either as Porters to let in Sin or as Instruments to execute it And from this cursed Root have sprung all those Actual Transgressions which in Imitation of Adam's Sin I have committed and multiply'd against thy Majesty by breaking every one of thy Commands in Thought Word and Deed even from the beginning of my life unto this present time So that there is scarce any Sin but I have been guilty of it one time of my life or other nay this very day how miserably have I departed from thee how frequently and sadly have I backslid in what Liberty have I allow'd my self how heedlessly have I conversed I have walked at a meer peradventure with thee my God And here O Lord I desire to confess with shame unto thee not only the Sin of this Day but those great and notorious Offences of all my sinful life past with all those heinous Circumstances whereby my Sins have been made out of measure sinful as the abuse of thy Patience the quenching thy Spirit despising thy Gospel unthankfulness for thy Mercies unfaithfulness in thy Covenant These and many more are the Mischiefs with which my Nature is blemished my Life filled my Conscience hardned and thy heavy Wrath most justly deserved yet because thou hast out of thy free Grace given thy Son Jesus Christ the Lord a means of Propitiation in whom thou reconcilest the World to thy self I humbly beg of thee through him Grace and Pardon O let his sufferings satisfie thy Justice for all my Sins and procure favour and forgiveness from thee let thy Christ be my Jesus to save and deliver me from wrath to come And whereas thou hast not only promised to deal thus with me but commanded me to believe that promise of thine Lord I desire to obey thy Command and Seal to thy Truth yet privy to the weakness of my Faith I pray thee help my unbelief Behold not my Iniquities O Lord as a severe Judge to be avenged of them but as a Sovereign Physician to cure and heal them Shew me my Pollutions by Sin in the Glass of thy World and by the Lamp thereof help me to search and know how wicked I am that Judging and condemning my self I may avoid thy Judgment and heavy Sentence and may so hate abhor and be avenged of my self as that I may avoid thy Wrath and Punishment O let Sin be as bitter to me in the attempting as in the repenting at leastwise more bitter in the repenting than ever it was sweet in the committing Grant me thy Grace to overcome my special Lusts at least alwaies to strive against them Subdue my proud haughty and vain Thoughts and straiten my crooked and distorted Affections Let me look on the Pleasures and Profits of life not only as thy liberal allowances unto me but also as Satan's Baits avoiding all excess and abuse and using them with thankfulness moderation and as things that must shortly leave me or I them Let me not value Pleasure Honor Profit Ease or any thing whatsoever at so high a rate as for the love thereof to make shipwrack of a good Conscience Let me measure my self not by what others Judge me or I feel my self to be but by that I desire and labour to be Teach me to keep a diligent account of what I receive from thee remembring there will be a day of Reckoning and grant me so to manage and employ thy Talents that thou mayest receive thy own with advantage Let my whole Life be a preparation to Death And the Meditation of Death the Rule of my Life Vnto my old and gray head O Lord forsake me not and let thy Fear keep me from forsaking thee let me be amongst those that are planted in thy House and flourish in thy Courts who bring forth most fruit in their old age Help me often to consider the danger I stand in through the Multitude Power and Subtilty of my Spiritual Enemies And to my Faith in thee let me always joyn Fear not only of Satan with whom I am continually to Fight but also of the slippery paths of this sinful World and the Frailty and Treachery of my deceitful Heart and Sinful Nature ever running after Satan's allurements and conspiring with him my utter ruin Let me ever remember how Satan shews only the fair side of Sin and chooses the fittest Instruments to deceive and knows how to sute his Temptation and also of the Scourges which follow after Sin the bitter Fruits thereof how it unfits me for any Service makes me miserable what ever my condition be And how thou wilt most certainly make those that belong to thee to feel the smart thereof especially if it be against Conscience Lord let me never forget Satan's deadly malice against thy best Servants how few of them have ever escaped to the end of their lives without some grievous Wounds Let me not O Lord be drowsy
may'st run through the whole Day In the next place consider your Religious Duties and carriage in them Your Calling and how you have perform'd the Duties belonging to that your Relations and carriage to them As a Husband Wife Parent Child Master Servant Your particular Corruptions and the Sins you are most inclin'd to together with your Temptations and how you have behaved your self in reference to them Your Talents whether you have wasted and mispent or improv'd and employ'd them for the end they were given Your Providences what they have been and how you have and ought to have carry'd your self under them In short whether you have lived by Faith that is have fram'd your Life according to the revealed Will of God the Object of Faith and whether you have been constant to your own Rules Having thus examin'd your self Reform that which you find amiss Rejoice or be griev'd as you find you have done well or ill and renew and confirm your peace with God committing thy Spirit Soul and Body thy Relations Name and Substance to his Tuition by Prayer and Thanksgiving who alone can keep thee in safety By this daily examination of our Selves we gain these two great Advantages First Our Repentance will hereby be more particular not only of clamorous and more crying Sins but multitudes of other particulars every branch and circumstance of every Action every Word Thought and Affection many Sins which otherwise would have been forgot will by this means be brought to remembrance and repented of by us And again when ever Death seizes us we shall have but one day of our whole Life to Account for The Christian Exercise taken out of a Learned Divine TO keep the Heart in ure with God is the highest Task of a Christian Good motions are not frequent but the constancy of good Disposition is rare and hard This work must be continual or else speedeth not If this Field be not Till'd every day it will run out into Thistles The evening is the fittest for this work when retir'd into our Selves we chearfully and constantly both look up to God and into our Hearts as we have to do with both To God in Thanksgiving then in Request It shall be therefore expedient for the Soul duly to recount to it self all the specialities of God's favour A confused thanks savours of carelesness and neither doth affect us nor win acceptance above Bethink your self then of all these External Inferior Earthly Graces and Favours That your Being Breathing Life Motion Reason is from him and that he hath given you a more noble Nature than the rest of the Creatures excellent Faculties of the Mind perfection of Senses soundness of Body competency of Estate seemliness of Condition fitness of Calling preservation from Dangers rescue out of Miseries kindness of Friends carefulness of Education honesty of Reputation liberty of Recreations quietness of Life opportunity of Well-doing protection of Angels Then rise higher to your Spiritual Favours tho here on Earth and strive to raise your Affections with your Thoughts Bless God that you were born in the light of the Gospel for your Profession of the Truth for the Honour of your Vocation for your incorporating into the Church for the priviledge of the Sacraments the free use of the Scriptures the Communion of Saints the benefit of their Prayers the aid of their Counsel the example of their Lives the pleasure of their Conversion for the beginnings of Regeneration any footsteps of Faith Hope Love Zeal Patience Humility Peace Joy for any desire of more Then let your Soul mount highest of all into her Heaven and acknowledge those Celestial Graces of her Election to Glory Redemption from shame and Death of the Intercession of our Saviour of the preparation of her place and there let her stay a while upon the Meditation of her future Joyes This done the way is made for your Requests Sue now to your God as for Grace to answer these Mercies so to see wherein you have not answer'd them From him therefore cast your Eyes down upon your self and as some careful Justice doth a suspected Felon so do you strictly examin your heart of what you have done that Day of what you should have done Inquire whether your thoughts have been sequesterd to God Strangers to the World fix'd on Heaven whether Just Charitable Lowly Pure Christian whether your Senses have been holily guided neither to let in temptations nor to let out Sins whether your Speeches have not been Offensive Vain Rash Indiscreet Unsavory Unedifying whether your Actions have been warrantable expedient comely profitable whether you have perform'd the particular Dutyes of the day in your Awaking Refreshing Calling Company Pleasures then see if you have been negligent in watching your Heart expence of your time exercises of Devotion performance of good Works resistance of temtation good use of Examples and compare your present State with your former look Jealously whether your Soul hath gain'd or lost lost ought of the heat of her Love tenderness of Conscience fear to Offend strength of Virtue gain'd more increase of Grace more assurance of Glory And when you find Alas who cannot but find either Holiness decay'd or Evil done or Good omitted cast down your Eyes strike your Breasts humble your Soul and sigh to him whom you have Offended sue for Pardon as for Life heartily yearningly injoyn your self careful amendment redouble your holy Resolutions strike hands with God in a new Covenant my soul for your safety Rules for the Night THERE 's not a moment of our time our own The Night brings it's Duties as well as the Day This is a proper Season for Meditation and Prayer as appears by the many Instances we have in Scripture Both of David Psal 42.8 The Lord will command his loving kindness in the Day-time and in the Night his Songs shall be with me and my Prayer unto the God of my life Isa 6.9 Cant. 3.1 And of the Church But 't is then especially our Duty when we are under any heavy and sore Affliction in deep Humiliation or in Suits of great Importance which we would solicite with the greatest earnestness and importunity Colos 4.2 1 Pet. 4.7 2 Sam. 12.16 Est 4.3 1 Kings 2.27 Joel 1.13 In such Cases it has been an ancient Custom for the Servants of God to abstain from their ordinary Sleep that so they might watch unto Prayer As to Dreams tho they are not much to be regarded in respect of any guess can be made by them yet we are not utterly to neglect them because we may gain thereby some knowledge of the temperature of our Body our natural dispositions and the Sins to which we are most inclin'd according to that saying The Night shall teach me what I am the Day what I should be Of Sleep IT is as impossible to give a constant and certain Rule for Sleep as to prescribe the measure of Meats and Drinks Tho we may as well
Content In thy Adversity it will add affliction to affliction Superadding to thy outward troubles a misgiving Soul Besides Sin unqualifies thee for any good Duty either to God or Man If thou prayest yet the sense of Sin thou bringest with thee makes thee ungrateful to thy self and how can'st thou expect to be accepted by the Holy God In a good work the Sin thou art guilty of makes the comfort of it Insipid thy Heart tells thee There is sin in the Conscience and this makes thee asham'd to own the good that is in the Action Again will it not be a grief to the good Angels to be present and Spectators of thy Enormities will it not work a loathing and nauseousness in them and cause those chast and pure Spirits who are employ'd for thy preservation to retire themselves And will it not be a most grateful Spectacle to the envious and malignant Spirits and lay thee open to their power and malice who have gotten thee within their Territories unless God in mercy restrain them Consider the heynousness of the least Sin It is against God's Infinite Majesty and the riches of his Bounty in giving his Son for us Also against his Honor and the Love and Loyalty we profess to owe unto him for all his Goodness and Mercy and likewise against our Covenant with him the vileness of which is seen in the fearful Punishments of the Sin of Angels Adam the old World Lot's Wife Saul and so of Moses Vzzah David Josiah and chiefly that inflicted on the Son of God for our Sins Numb 20.24 Deut. 3.26 A Child of God cannot look to carry away the least Sin against Knowledge and Conscience unpunish'd without speedy submission and amendment Live alwaies as in God's presence whose Eye is ever upon thee and who may take thee away on a sudden Gen. 17.1 Job 32.22 2 Cor. 5.15 Remember thy appearance before him and account every day thy last being always prepar'd to give upthy Account Keep continually a fresh remembrance of God's great Goodness especially his chief Mercies Bodily and Spiritual Ordinary and Extraordinary Let thy great Deliverances never depart out of thy Heart say always with Joseph How can I do this and Sin against my good God Gen. 39.9 Neh. 6.11,13 Psal 103.25 116.12.16 Walk ever painfully in thy special Calling and in the Conscionable use of all the meanes of Grace Keep a perpetual memory of the former misery of Sin and Blessings of Righteousness Be resolv'd to chuse rather to endure any misery than to Sin against God as Joseph Daniel and the three Children did Dan. 1.8 Warily resist the first motions to any Sin James 1.5 Lust when it has conceiv'd brings forth Sin Achan tells Joshua by what degrees he came to finish his Sin Josh 7.21 I saw a Babylonish Garment then I coveted it and took it and it is hid in my Tent. Avoid every occasion of Sin as you would do of Infectious Diseases 1 Thes 5.22 Gen. 39.10 1 Thes 5.17 Eph. 6.18 But above all use Fervent Prayer to be kept by these Preservatives Of the Sabbath REmember the Sabbath before it come that thou may'st dispatch all thy own works in six days to attend the better upon the right Sanctification of the Sabbath Meddle not with any Recreation Pastime or Ordinary Work from Saturday night at eight of the Clock till Monday morning Isa 56.2,4,6 58.13.14 Now in thy Evening Devotions allow thy self so large a portion of time as may serve for some preparatory Meditations and Prayers and be not slight and uncertain but constant to thy set times and earnest in this work Now look into thy by-past Life and chiefly to thy walking with God the last Week be sure to set all strait between God and you examine thy self both by the Law and Gospel and see whether there be not some sin or miscarriage that lies unrepented of which may blast thy next day's performances if there be consider of it more particularly in its aggravations and nature reconcile thy self with God by Faith and Repentance and renewing thy Vows of walking more Conscionably after thou hast cleansed thy heart and hands Let thy Prayers be sutable to thy Condition beg fervently forgiveness of thy particular sins confessed and bewail'd together with Grace for the future against them and an increase of all other Graces which thou standest most in need of especially for a quiet setled composed mind that thou may'st attend with all thy Soul upon thy holy concerns and business likewise for inliven'd Affections that thou may'st not be dull and heartless but of a tender and melting Spirit for a pliable and yielding mind that thou may'st hear the Word with and render the obedience of Faith that the Lord would fix thy mind and make it serious inlighten it and open thy heart that thou may'st have a clear and right understanding that the Spirit would set in with the Preaching of the Word and make it effectual for the beating down of thy Corruptions and that it may be the power of God to the salvation of thy soul And lastly for the Minister that the Lord would teach him what he should teach the People and direct and inable him to declare the mind of God and make it manifest that utterance may be given unto him to speak boldly as he ought to speak and that God would Pardon his sins and frailties Earnestly endeavour to tast the sweetness of holy Exercises and to long for the enjoyment of God's Sabbaths that so thou may'st come to make them thy Delight Rise at least three hours before morning Sermon if it will stand with your Health and not hinder your fitness for Spiritual Exercises through drousiness afterwards When thou art up retire into thy Closet and having read two Chapters in the Bible betake thy self to Meditation and Prayer Consider with thy self what an impure Sinner thou art and into what an holy place thou goest to appear before the most Holy God who seeth thy Heart and knoweth all the Sins of thy Life tho' thou may'st have forgotten them and hateth all Impurity and Hypocrisie Now again examine thy self and Confess thy sins unto God earnestly praying for the pardon and forgiveness of them and so reconcile thy self with God in Christ and renew thy Vows to walk more Conscionably and especially pray that thou may'st have Grace to hear God's Word with profit and be inabled to Sanctify his holy Day not forgetting the Minister And after your private Prayer read another Chapter Be present with the first at all Publick Assemblies of the Church with cheerful Reverence and the greatest attention as before the Lord of the whole Earth Both to declare thy Love and Honour and for the good Example of others Be afraid of the least unseemly gesture or of being overtaken by sleep drowsiness or wandring thoughts 1 Cor. 12.12 Acts. 2.46 4.32 Joyn in with the Congregation in every publick Action according to
due and holy Order cheerfully with thy Heart In hearing apply each speech as spoken by God to thee in particular Like a Practiser of the Art of Memory refer all things to their proper place If it be matter of comfort this is for my sick Bed for my outward losses for my drooping under affliction for the Sence of any Spiritual Defection If matter of Doctrine that is for my settlement in such a Trust for the conviction of such an Error for my direction in such a practise If matter of Reproof and threatnings against Sin whether thy own or others as a member of the same Body or in danger thereof be humbled do not point at thy Neighbour but deeply charge thy self This meets with my dead heartedness and security with my Worldly mindedness Self-love and Flattery of my own Estate This with my uncharitable Censoriousness with my foolish proud Heart That with my Hypocrisie and the neglect of Gods Service and my Duty That with my Irregular Life and Conversation Resolve to walk in every good way and to depart from all evil This is the best Art of Memory for exceeding Joyes Griefs Hatred or desires do leave the deepest Impressions in us and so stick longest by us In hearing therefore labor to exercise Humility under Reproofs Rejoycing in all the Promises Thankfulness for Mercies Desire after Graces and holy Resolution of amendment and more close walking with God As thou returnest home or when thou art entred into thy House Meditate a little while upon those things thou hast heard and then kneeling down turn all into a Prayer beseeching God to pardon thy Sins of Worship to accept of thee and thy Imperfect performances in and through Christ thy Lord to give such a blessing to those things which thou hast heard that they may be a direction to thy Life and a consolation to thy Soul Eat Moderately at Dinner rather sparingly than plentifully on this day That thou may'st be fit for the afternoon Exercises Som little and short Discourse about Temporal things upon occasion may be so directed and temper'd with Pious Meditation as that it may rather be a furtherance than hindrance of the Duties of Religion and indeed such Business or Discourse in such a manner doth not withdraw the Mind from God's Worship But be sure that in all thy Speeches and Actions this day there be no lightness nor Vanity nor any thing unbecoming the Solemnity Sacredness and Seriousness of it Walk half an hour after Dinner to digest thy meat and then go to thy Chamber and recollect what you remember of the forenoon Sermon If you are well be sure you attend on God's Ordinances Fore-noon and Afternoon Ps 92.1 Acts. 20.7 For so often exercises of publick Worship ought to be held After evening Sermon retire to thy Closet read the Chapters in which the Texts were then recollect and examine what you have heard meditating on the whole Sermon in order The Coherence and Explication of the Text The occasion and meaning The chief Sum and Scope of the Holy Ghost in it The Division or parts The Doctrines severally by marking the Text and how they were gather'd out of it The Proofs and Reasons of the several Doctrines The Uses And lastly which is the chief of all apply it to thy self and try what work every part hath in thee If the Preacher's Method be too curious or confused then labor to remember How many things he taught which thou knowest not before and be thankful What Sin he reprov'd whereof thy Conscience tells thee thou art Guilty and therefore must be confess'd repented of resolv'd against and amended What Virtues he exhorted to which are not so perfect in thee and therefore thou must indeavour to practice them with more Zeal and Diligence After the finishing of thy Closet exercise or as a preparation to it thou mayest walk in the Fields and Meditate on the Works of God for in every Creature thou may'st see the Wisdom Power Goodness Providence and Justice of God Pray to God that he would open thy Eyes so as thou mayest give him the Glory of his Works Especially consider these things more fully in their several Ends and Uses as the Scriptures apply them Be sure to return so early as neither thy Closet nor Family Devotions if not perform'd be omitted Works of necessity may this day be perform'd and works of Mercy thou art not to forget Such as Visiting the Sick Instructing Exhorting Admonishing Reproving Comforting Relieving Collecting c. To conclude Thou may'st certainly expect that God will proportion his Blessings to thee as thou measurest to him in thy Preparation to come before him Lev. 10.3 22.3 Ex. 19.22 Mal. 7.2 Mar. 4.14 Psal 44.5 Isa 56.58 Ez. 7.10 Gen. 35.2.5 Ec. 4.17 1 Cor. 11.23.24 Mat. 5.23.24 Therefore as thou desirest the Blessing of a Sabbath so resolve by a constant Vow to perform thy work of Preparation and try whether the Lord will not perform his Promise abundantly Examin thy Life thou shalt find that a strict and diligent observation of the Duties of this day has ever joyn'd to it a Blessing upon the rest of thy time and the Week that is so begun has been blessed and prosperous Whereas when thou hast been negligent of the Duties of this day the rest of thy Week has been unsuccessful I could easily saith Judge Hales make an Estimate of my success in my own Secular Employments by the manner of my passing and spending the Lord's day On Wednesday or Thursday evening set some time apart for Recollecting and Reviewing what thou did'st hear and lay up in thy mind the Lord's day past this will rivet the Word the faster in thy Memory and put thee in mind to practice it A Prayer for the Morning QVicken me O Lord that I may call upon thy Name prepare my unprepared Heart by the Blessed Influences of the Spirit of Grace and Supplication O most holy and most glorious Lord God the Almighty Maker and careful Preserver of all thy Creatures but especially the Saviour and Sanctifier of them that Believe by the Merit and Efficacy of the Blood of Jesus Christ I sinful Dust and Ashes dare not of my self lift up my Eyes to Heaven yet through thy dear Son my Saviour come unto thee according to thy Command and Promise freely acknowledging that I am less than the least of all thy Mercies and therefore utterly unworthy of the inestimable favour of being thy Child and a fellow Heir with Christ that after suffering a little here I should Reign with him for evermore For thou know'st O Lord that in Sin I was conceiv'd and born and that I have lived ever since in Iniquity I am by Nature the Child of Wrath a Vassal of Satan an Enemy to Thee my God It was thy great Mercy that I escaped thy Wrath due unto me at the very instant of my Birth in respect of that Mass of Corruption which I brought with me