is declared In the fourth Commandement hee proclaims himself the Maker of Heaven and Earth for in memory of Gods rest from the work of six dayes 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 also was a confession of his goodnesse 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 Gods people so long GOD would have that to be the folemn manner of confessing these attributes but when the Priesthood being changed there was a change also of the Law the great duty remain'd unalterable in changed circumstances We are eternally bound to confesse God Almighty to be 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 something from a day to a symbol from a ceremony to a substance from a Jewish rite to a Christian duty we professe it in our Creed we confesse it in our lives we describe it by every line of our life by every action of duty by faith and trust and obedience and we do also upon great reason comply with the Jewish manner of confessing the Creation so far as it is instrumental to a real duty We keepe one day in seven and so confesse the manner and circumstance of the Creation and we rest also that we may tend holy duties so imitating Gods rest better then the Jew in Synesius who lay upon his face from evening to evening and could not by stripes or wounds be raised up to steer the ship in a great storm Gods rest was not a natural cessation hee who could not labour could not be said to rest but Gods rest is to be understood to be a beholding and a rejoycing in his work finished and therefore we truly represent Gods rest when we confesse and rejoyce in Gods works and Gods glory This the Christian Church does upon every day but especially upon the Lords day which she hath set apart for this and all other Ofâ—ices of Religion being determined to this day by the Resurrection of her dearest Lord it being the first day of joy the Church ever had And now upon the Lords day we are not tyed to the rest of the Sabbath but to all the work of the Sabbath and we are to abstain from bodily labour not because it is a direct duty to us as it was to the Jews but because it is necessary in order to our duty that we attend to the Offices of Religion The observation of the Lords day differs nothing from the observation of the Sabbath in â—he 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 solemne 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 and other Christian Festivals 1. When you go about to distinguish Festival dayes from common do it not by lessening the devotions of ordinary dayes 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 abstaine from all servile and laborious workes except such which are matters of necessity of common life or of great charity for these are permitted by that authority 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 dresse them for sacrifice and Christ though born under the law might heal a sick man and the sick man might carry hâ—s bed to witnesse his recovery and confesse the mercy and leap and dance to God for joy and an Ox might be led to water and an Asse be haled ouâ— of a ditch and 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 and then religion for this is to give place to charity in great instances and the second to the first in all and in all cases God is to be worshipped in spirit and in truth 3. The Lords day being the remembrance of a great blessing must be a day of joy festivity spiritual rejoycing 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 excellencies in celebrating his attributes in admiring his person in sending portions of pleasant meat to them for whom nothing is provided in all the arts and instruments of advancing Gods glory the reputation of religion in which it were a great decency that a memorial of the resurrection should be inserted that the particular religion of the day be not swallowed up in the general And of this we may the more easily serve our selves by rising seasonably in the morning to private devotion and by retiring at the leisures and spaces of the day not imployed in publick offices 4. Fail not to be present at the publick hours and places of prayer entring early and cheerfully attending reverently and devoutly abiding patiently during the whole office piously assisting at the prayers and gladly also hearing the Sermon and at no hand omitting to
discompose my duty or turn me from the wayes of thy Commandements O let thy Spirit dwell with me for ever and make my soul just and charitable full of 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 meeknesse and charity V. GIve me a tender conscience a conversation discreet and aâ—fable modest and patient liberal and obliging body a chaste and healthful competency of living according to my condition contentednesse in all estates a resigned will and mortified affections that I may be as thou wouldst have me and my portion may be in the lot of the righteous in the brightnesse 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 Sabbath 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. 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 succeed each other I make my humble addresse to thy Divine Majesty begging of thee mercy protection this night 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 sinfulnesse 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 do thou still remember to do me good Teach me to walk alwayes as in thy presence Ennoble my soul with great degrees of love to thee and configne 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 holinesse 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 dayes 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 wayes from the malice and violence of the spirits of darknesse from evil company and the occasions and opportunities of evil from perishing in popular judgements from all the wayes of sinful 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 let thy loving spirit so guide me in the wayes 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. I Will lift up my eyes unto the hills 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 dwell here that no illusion of the night may abuse me the spirits of darknesse may not come neer to hurt me no evil or sad accident oppresse me and let the eternal spirit of the Father dwell in my soul and body filling every corner of my heart with light and grace Let no deed of darknesse 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 watchful a prudent spirit that I may omit no oportunity 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 bosom of my Lord till by the voice of the Archangel the trump 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 flyeth by day and hath given me his Spirit to restrain me from those evils to which my own weaknesses and my evil habits and my unquiet enemies would easily betray me Blessed and for ever hallowed be thy name for that never ceasing showre os 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
be express'd in all our actions and the light of thy countenance be upon us in all our sufferings that we may delight in the service and in the mercies of God for ever Amen O gracious Father and merciful God if it be thy wil say unto the destroying Angel it is enough and though we are not better then our brethren who are smitten with the rod of God but much worse yet may it please thee even because thou art good and because we are timerous and sinful not yet fitted for our appearance to set thy mark upon our foreheads that the Angel thy Minister of thy justice may passe over us and hurt us not let thy hand cover thy servants and hide us in the clefts of the rock in the wounds of the holy Jesus from the present anger that is gone out against us that though we walk thorough the valley of the shadow of death we may fear no evil and sufâ—er none and those whom thou hast smitten with thy rod support with thy staff and visit them with thy mercies and salvation through Jesus Christ. Amen 8. For all women with childe and for unborn children O Lord God who art the Father of them that trust in thee and shewest mercy to a thousand generations of them that fear thee have mercy upon all women great with childe * be pleased to give them a joyful a safe deliverance let thy grace preserve the fruit of their wombs and conduct them to the holy Sacrament of Baptisme that they being regenerated by thy Spirit and adopted into thy family and the portion and duty of Sons may live to the glory of God to the comfort of their parents and friends to the edification of the Christian Common-wealth and the salvation of their own souls thorough Jesus Christ. Amen 9. For all estates of Men and Women in the Christian Church O Holy God King Eternal out of the infinite stâ—re-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 holinesse to widows and fatherless and all that are oppressed â—hy paâ—ronage comfort and defence to all Christian women simplicity and modâ—sâ—y humility and chastity pâ—tience aâ—d charity give unto the poor to all â—hat are robbed and spoiled of their goods a competent supporâ— 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 â—he gallâ—es strength of body and of spirit liberty and redemption comfort and restitution to all that travel by land thy Angel for their guide and a holy and prosperous return to all that travel by sea freedom from Pirates 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 evil and unclean spirits give a light from heaven great grace and proportionable comforts and â—imely deliverance give them patience and resignation let their sorrows be changed into grace and comfort and let the sâ—orm waft 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 dye full of grace full of hope and give to all faithfull and particularly to them who have recommended themselves to the prayers of thy unworthy servant a supply of all their needs temporal and spiritual and according to their several 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 Nobility wisdom valour and loyalty To Merchants justice and faithfulnesse to all Artificers and Labourers truth and honesty to our enemies forgivenesse and brotherly kindnesse Preserve to us the Heavens and the Ayre in healthful influence and disposition the Earth in plenty the kingdom in peace and good government our marriages in peace and sweetnesse and innocence of society thy people from famine and pestilence our houses from burning and robbery our persons from being burnt alive from banishment and prison from Widowhood destitution from violence of pains and passions from tempests and earth-quakes from inundation of waters from rebellion and invasion from impatience and inordinate cares from tediousnes of spirit and despair from murder and all violent accursed and unusual deaths from the surprize 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 Represse 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 holinesse of thy own people bring infants to ripenesse 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 merciful providence bring youthful persons safely and holily through the indiscretions and passions and temptations of their younger years those whom thou hast or shalt permit to live to the age of a man give competent strength and wisdom take from them covetousnesse and churlishnesse 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 joyful 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 prepararion to this holy Feast consisting principally in a holy life and consequently in the repetition 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 and charity let him use the special formes of prayer above described or if a lesse 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
the being of a society and a Government yet they are not of its constitution as it is Christian and hopes to be saved And now the 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 dayes 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 do 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 disserved 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 uncertaine talkings I have told what Men ought to do and by what means they may be assisted and in most cases I have also told them why and yet with as much quicknesse as I could thinke 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 for the worst understandings and for the needs of all men yet I shall desire the Reader to proceed with the following advices 1. They that will with profit make use of the proper instruments of vertue must so live as if they were alwayes under the Physicians hand For the Counsels of Religion are not to be applyed 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 applyed to an actual 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 Vertue and Religion become easy and habitual but when the temptation is present and hath already seized upon some portions of our consent we are not so apt to be counsel'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 vertue 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 help towards perseverance let 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 do all their acts of vertue 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 useless It is alwayes a more uncertain means to acquire any vertue or secure any duty if love hath filled all the corners of our soul it alone is able to do 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 easy 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 Almes does best not alwayes 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 sinne 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 Arithmeticall measures especially of our own proportioning are but arguments of want of Love and of forwardnesse in Religion or else are instruments of scruple and then become dangerous Use the rule heartily and enough and there will be no harme in thy errour if any should happen 4. If thou intendest heartily to serve God and avoid sinne 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 easy 5. When many instruments for the obtaining any vertue 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 soul. 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 infirme body I wish all men in the world did heartily believe so much of this as is true it would very much help to do 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 fairnes of such a Frontispiece be invited to look into it I must confess it cannot but look like a designe 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 splendour and warmth of a burning glasse which borrowing a flame from the Eye of Heaven shines and 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 offered to such a Personage or any part of a just return but I humbly desire you would own it for an acknowledgement 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 unlesse 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 boldnesse as in the reception of those favours by which 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 TAYLOR THE TABLE CHAP. I. Consideration of the general instruments and means serving to a holy life by way of introduction Page 1 Sect. 1. Care of our time and the manner of spending it Page 4 23 Rules for imploying our time Page 7 The 5 benefits of this exercise Page 16 Sect. 2. Purity of intention or purpose in all our actions c. Page 17 10. Rules for our intentions Page 19 8 Signes of purity of intention Page 22 3 Appendant Considerations Page 26 Sect. 3. The consideration and practise of the presence of God Page 27 6 Several manners of the divine presence Page 28 10 Rules of exercising this consideration Page 33 The 5 benefits of this exercise Page 36 Prayers and Devotions according to the Religion and purposes of the faregoing considerations Page 39 Devotions for ordinary dayes Page 40 CHAP. II. Of Christian sobriety Page 61 Sect. 1. Of sobriety in the general sence Page 61 5 Evil consequents of voluptuousnesse or sensuality Page 62 3 Degrees of sobriety Page 63 6 Rules for suppressing voluptuousnesse Page 64 Sect. 2. Of Temperance in eating and drinking Page 67 4 Measures of Temperance in eating Page 69 8 Signes and effects of Temperance Page 70 Of Drunkennesse Page 72 7 Evil consequents to drunkennesse Page 73 8 Signes of drunkennesse Page 75 11 Rules for the obtaining temperance Page 76 Sect. 3. Of Chastity Page 80 The 10 evil consequents of uncleannesse Page 83 7 Acts of Chastity in general Page 88 5 Acts of Virginal or Maiden Chastity Page 89 5 Rules for Widows or Vidual Chastity Page 91 6 Rules for married persons or maâ—rimonial chastity Page 92 10 Remedies against uncleannesse Page 95 Sect. 4. Of Humility Page 100 9 Arguments against pride by way of consideration Page 100 19 Acts or offices of humility Page 103 14 Means and exercises of obtaining and increasing the grace of humility Page 111 17 Signes of humility Page 117 Sect. 5. Of Modesty Page 119 4 Acts duties of Modesty as it is opposed to curiosity Page 119 6 Acts of Modesty as it is opposed to boldness Page 123 10 Acts of Modesty as it is opposed to undecency Page 124 Sect. 6. Of Contentednesse in all estates and accidents Page 128 2 General arguments for content Page 129 8 Instruments or exercises to procure contentednes Page 135 8 Means to obtain content by way of consideration Page 148 The Considerations applyed to particular cases Page 148 Of Poverty Page 156 The charge of many Children Page 163 Violent Necessities Page 164 Death of Children Friends c. Page 166 Vntimely Death Page 167 Death unseasonable Page 169 Sudden Deaths or violent Page 171 Being Childlesse Page 171 Evil or unfortunate Children Page 172 Our own Death Page 172 Prayers for the several graces and parts of Christian sobriety fitted to the necessity of several persons Page 173 CHAP. III. Of Christian Iustice. Page 180 Sect. 1. Of Obedience to our Superiours Page 182 15 Acts and duties of obedience to all our Superiours Page 183 12 Remedies against disobedience by way of consideration Page 187 3 Degrees of obedience Page 192 Sect. 2. Of Provision or that part of justice which is due from Superiours to inferiours Page 193 12 Duties of kings and all the supream power as Law-givers Page 194 2 Duties of Superiours as they are Iudges Page 197 5 Duties of parents to their children Page 199 Duty of Husbands and wives reciprocally Page 202 7 Duties of Masters of Families Page 203 Duty of Guardians or Tutors Page 204 Sect. 3. Of Negotiation or civil contracts Page 205 13 Rules and measures of Iustice in bargaining Page 205 Sect. 4. Of Restitution Page 211 7 Rules of making Restitution as it concerns the persons obliged Page 212 9 As it concerns other circumstances Page 216 Prayers to be said in relation to the several obligations and offices of Iustice. Page 220 CHAP. IIII. Of Christian religion Page 227 1. Of the internal actions of religion Page 228 Sect. 1. Of Faith Page 229 The 7 acts and offices of Faith Page 229 8 Signes of true Faith Page 231 8 Means and instruments to obtain Faith Page 234 Sect. 2. Of Christian Hope Page 236 The 5 acts of Hope Page 237 5 Rules to govern our Hope Page 238 12 Means of Hope and Remedies against despair Page 240 Sect. 3. Of Charity or the Love of God Page 246 The 8 acts of Love to God Page 248 The 3 measures and rules of Divine Love Page 251 6 Helps to encrease our Love to God by way of exercise Page 252 The 2 several states of Love to God Page 256 viz. The state of obedience Page 256 The state of zeal Page 256 8 Cautions and rules concerning zeal Page 257 2. Of the external actions of Religion Page 260 Sect. 4. Of Reading or Hearing the word of God Page 260 5 General considerations concerning it Page 263 5 Rules for hearing or reading the word of God Page 262 4 Rules for reading spiritual books or hearing sermons Page 264 Sect. 5. Of Fasting Page 266 15 Rules for Christian Fasting Page 266 Benefits of Fasting Page 272 Sect. 6. Of keeping Festivals and dayes holy to the Lord particularly the Lords day Page 273 10 Rules for keeping the Lords day other Christian Festivals Page 276 3. Of the mixt actions of Religion Page 281 Sect. 7. Of Prayer Page 281 8 Motives to Prayer Page 281 16 Rules for the practise of Prayer Page 283 6 Cautions for making vowes Page 291 7 Remedies against wandring thoughts in Prayer Page 293 10 Signes of tediousnesse of Spirit in our prayers and all actions of Religion Page 295 11 Remedies against tediousnesse of Spirit Page 296 Sect. 8. Of Almes Page 302 The 18 several kindes of corporal Almes Page 303 The 14 several kindes of spiritual Almes Page 304 The 5 several kindes of mixt Almes Page 305 16 Rules for giving Almes Page 305 13 Motives to Charity Page 313 Remedies against the parents of unmercifulness Page 316 1.9 Against Envy by way of consideration Page 316 2.12 Remedies against anger by
short you may supply and lengthen with ejaculations and short retirements in the day time in the midst of your imployment or of your company 18. Do not the work of God negligently and idlely let not thy heart be upon the world when thy hand is lift up in prayer and be sure to prefer an action of religion in its place and proper season before all worldly pleasure letting secular things that may be dispensed with in themselves in these circumstances wait upon the other not like the Patriarch who ran from the Altar in S. Sophia to his stable in all his Pontificals and in the midst of his office to see a Colt newly fallen from his beloved and much valued Mare Phorbante More prudent and severe was that of Sr. Thom. 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 perfomed 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 honouring God and doing his work put forth all thy strength for of that time onely thou mayest be most confident that it is gain'd 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 do so also in all the breaches of thy sleep that those spaces which have in them no direct businesse 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 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 temperance with as great a zeal and earnestnesse as you did once act your uncleannesse 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 honest arts 21. Let him that is most busied set apart some solemn time every year in which for the time quitting all worldly businesse 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 importunity 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 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 businesse 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 duty 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 dayes 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 idlenesse 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 fulnesse of bread and emptinesse of imployment 3. It is a great instrument of preventing the smallest sins and irregularities of our life which usually creep upon idle disimployed and incurious persons 4. Iâ— not onely teaches us to avoid evil but ingages us upon doing good as the proper businesse of all our dayes 5. It prepares us so against sudden changes that we shall not easily be surprized 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 do whether it be natural or chosen is expressed by S. Paul Whether ye eat or drink do 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 goodnesse and grace of God which out of infinite desire to glorifie and save mankinde would make the very works of nature capable of becoming acts of vertue that all our life time we may do 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 beggar in his alms and an hypocrite in his fasts 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
seeth not therefore the land is full of blood and the city full of perversenesse What a childe would do 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 alwayes do the same for we are made a spectacle to God to Angels and to men we are alwayes in the sight and presence of the Allseeing 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 do 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 temptations and be profitable to the Christian Common-wealth and by discharging all my duty may glorifie thy Name Take from me all slothfulnesse and give me a diligent and an active spirit and wisdom to choose my imployment that I may do 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 mercie sake and for my dearest Saviours sake Amen Here follows the devotion of ordinary dayes for the right imployment of those portions of â—ime which every day must allow for religion The first prayers in the Morning as soon as we are dressed Humbly and reverently compose your self with heart lift up to God and your head bowed and meekly 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 All the blessed spirits and souls of the righteous cast their crowns before the throne and worship him that liveth for ever and ever 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 Great and marvellous are thy works O Lord God Almighty Just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Thy wisdom 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 SIng praises unto the Lord O ye saints of his and give thanks to him for a remembrance of his holinesse For his wrath indureth but the twinkling of an eye and in his pleasure is life heavinesse may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning Thou Lord hast preserved me this night from the violence of the spirits of darknesse from all sad casualtyes 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 kindesse and hast blessed me for ever the greatnesse of thy glory reacheth unto the heavens and thy truth unto the clouds Therefore shall every good man sing of thy praise without ceasing O my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever Allelujah 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 dayes 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 dayes to be united to 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 lustful and intemperate greedy of sin and impatient of reproof desirous to seem holy and negligent of being so transported with interest fool'd with presumption and false principles disturb'd 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 dye for me Holy Jesus save me and deliver me reserve not my sins 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 bloud 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 purposes as thou shalt choose for me or imploy me in Relieve me in all my sadnesses make my bed in my ficknesse give me patience in my sorrows confidence in thee and grace to call upon thee in all temptations O be thou my
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 ejaculation 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 judgement holy and most blessed Saviour Jesus have mercy upon me save me and deliver me and all faithful people Amen Between this and Noâ—n usually are said the publick prayers appointed by Authority to which all the Clergy are obliged and other devout persons that have leisure do accompany them Afternoon or at any time of the day when a devout person retires into his closer for private prayer or spiritual exercises he may say the following devotions An exercise to be used at any time 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 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 scarcenesse It is the Lord that commandeth the warers 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 shew us wonderful things in thy righteousnesse O God of our salvation thou that art the hope of all the ends of the Earth and of them that remaine 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 faithfulnesse and truth Isay 25.1 Thou in thy strength â—etst fast the Mountains and art girded about with power Thou stillest the raging of the Sea and the noise of his waves and the madnesse 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 do as thou doest * For thou art great doest wondrous things thou art God alone God is very greatly to be feared in the counsel of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are round about him Righteousnesse 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 alwayes 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 bookes 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 Ejaculations 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 Do 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 dye a godly and happy death Lord hear the prayer of thy servant and give me thy holy Spirit The prayer O Eternal God mercifull and gracious 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 dayes 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 childe 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 mee but thy rod gently correct my follies and guide me in thy ways and thy staffe support me in all sufferings and changes Preserve me from fracture of bones from noisome infections and sharp sicknesses from great violences of Fortune and sudden surprizes 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 ever make me forget my self no poverty ever make me to forget thee Let no hope or fear no pleasure or pain no accident without no weaknesse within hinder or
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 onely makest me 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 glorie of God does lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof And there shal be no night there they need no candle for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign for ever and ever Revel 21.23 Meditate on Iacobs 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 oppression 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 sadnesse 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 terrours of the day of judgement 3. The joyes of Heaven 4. The pains of Hell and the eternity of both Think 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 thiefe 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 godlinesse looking for and hasting 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 halfe but because soâ—e 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 Eternal 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 do may he by me designed to the glorification of thy Name and by thy blessing it may be effective and successeful in the work of God according as it can be capable Lord turn my necessities into vertue 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 covetousnesse 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 thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Ad Sect. 3. A prayer meditating and referring to the divine presence This prayer is especially to be used in temptation to private sins O Almighty God infinite and eternal thou fillest all things with thy 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 alwayes as in thy presence to fear thy Majesty 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 thorough 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 Aâ—ithmetik hath but these three parts of it 1. Sobriety 2. Justice 3. Religion For the grace of God bringing salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live 1. Soberly 2. Righteously and 3. Godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the greaâ— God and our Saviour Iesus Christ. The first contains all our deportment in our personal and private capacities the fâ—ir treating of our bodies and our spirits The second eâ—larges our duty in all relations to our Neighbour The third contains the offices of direct Religion and entercourse with God Christian sobriety is all that duty that concerns our selves in the matter of meat and drink and pleasures and thoughts and it hath within it
Tragedians and from them by Arrianus saying That all our Tragedies are of Kings and Princes and rich or ambitious personages but you never see a poor man have a part unlesse it be as a Chorus or to fill up the Scenes to dance or to be derided but the Kings and the great Generals First sayes he they begin with joy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crown the houses but about the third or fourth Act they cry out O Citheron why didst thou spare my life to reserve me for this more sad calamity And this is really true in the great accidents of the World for a great estate hath great crosses and a mean fortune hath but small ones It may be the poor man loses a Cow for if his Childe dyes he is quit of his biggest care but such an accident in a rich and splendid Family doubles upon the spirits of the parents Or it may be the poor man is troubled to pay his rent and that 's his biggest trouble but it is a bigger care to secure a great fortune in a troubled estate or with equal greatnesse or with the circumstances of honour and the nicenesse of reputation to defend a Law-suit and that which will secure a common mans whole estate is not enough to defend a great mans honour And therefore it was not without mystery observ'd among the Ancients 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 no moment could be added to a mans real content or happinesse Corn from Sardinia herds of Calabrian cattel meadows through which pleasant Liris glides silkes from Tyrus and golden Chalices to drown my health in are nothing but instruments of vanity or sinne and suppose a disease in the soul of him that longs for them or admires them And this I have otherwhere represented more largely to which I here adde that riches have very great dangers to their souls not onely 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 bee a strange kinde of civility and an evil dutifulnesse in Friends and Relatives to suffer him to perish without reproofe or medicine rather then to seem unmannerly to a great sinner yet it is none of their least infelicities that their wealth and greatnesse 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 fulnesse pride and lust wantonnesse and softnesse of disposition huge talking and an imperious spirit despite of Religion and contempt of poor persons At the best it is a great temptation for a man to have in his power whatsoever he can have 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 inflam d and may chance to dye with the kindnesse 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 onely 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 Sonne of GOD told us his Father takes care of us Hee that knew all his Fathers counsels and his whole kindnesse towards mankinde told us so How great is that 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 are these Take no thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall 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 air for they sow not neither do 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 do 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 cast 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 or wherewithall shall we be clothed for after all these things do 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 righteousnesse and all these things shall bee added unto you Take therefore no thought for the morrow for the morrow shall take thought for the things of it self sufficient to the day is the evil thereof The same discourse is repeated by S. Luke and accordingly our duty is urged and our confidence abetted by the Disciples of our Lord in divers places of holy Scripture So S. Paul Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God And againe Charge them that are rich in this world that they bee not high minded nor trust in uncertaine riches but in the living GOD who giveth us richly all things to enjoy and and yet again Let your conversation be without covetousnesse 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
fasting is an act of mortification that is is intended to subdue a bodily lust as the spirit of fornication or the fondness of strong and impatient appetties it must not be a sudden sharp and violent fast but a state of fasting a dyet of fasting a daily lessening our portion of meat and drink and a choosing such a course dyet which may make the least preparation for the lusts of the body He that fasts 3 dayes without â—ood will weaken other parts more then the ministers of fornication and when the meals return as usually they also will be serv'd assoon as any In the mean time they will be supplyed and made active by the accidental heat that comes with such violent fastings for this is a kinde of aerial Devil the Prince that rules in the air is the Devil of fornication and he will be as tempting with the windinesse of a violent fast as with the flesh of an ordinary meal But a daily substraction of the nourishment will introduce a lesse busy habit of body and that will prove the more effectual remedy 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 do alone in company with other instruments and Gods blessing upon them it may effect 9. All fasting for whatsoever end it be undertaken must de 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 sicknesse 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 do for our selves 11. Fasts ordained by lawful authority are not to be neglected because alone they cannot do the thing in order to which they were enjoyn'd It may be one day of Humiliation will not obtain the blessing or alone kill the lust yet it must not be despis'd if it can do any thing towards it An act of Fasting is an act of self-denial and though it do not produce the habit yet it is a good act 12. When the 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 cur'd 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 end 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 do 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 disoblig'd as when the reason of the Law ceases as to his particular yet remains still oblig'd is he cannot do 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 obtain'd 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 impos'd 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 whole 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 râ—duced to practise according to custome and the sentence of prudent persons with great latitude and without niâ—enesse and curiosity having this in our first care that we secure our vertue and next that we secure our health that we may the better exercise the labours of vertue lest out of too much austerity we bring our selves to that condition that it be necessary to be indulgent to softnesse ease and extream tendernesse 15. Let not intemperance be the Prologue or the Epilogue to your fast lest the fast be so far from taking off any thing of the sin that it bee an occasion to increase it and therefore when the fast is done be careful 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 but 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 that palenesse and maigrenesse 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 Saints 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 and the hungry soul shall give thee praise and righteousnesse O Lord. Sect. VI. Of keeping Festivals and dayes 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 wee see 3. That God takes care of all things below and governs all the World 4. That hee 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 Unity of the Godhead is expresly affirmed In the second his invisibility and immateriality In the third is affirmed Gods government and providence by avenging them that swear falsly by his Name by which also his Omniscience
receive the Holy Communion when it is offered unlesse some great reason excuse it this being the great solemnity 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 op portunity visit sick persons reconcile differences do offices of Neighbourhood inquire into the needs of the poor especially house-keepers relieve them as they shall need and as you are able for then we truely rejoyce in God when we make our neighbours the poor members of Christ rejoyce together with us 6. Whatsoever you are to do your self as necessary you are to take care that others also who are under your charge do in their station manner Let your servants be called to Church and all your family that can be spared from necessary great houshold ministeries those that cannot let them go by turns and be supplyed otherwise as well as they may and provide on these dayes especially that they be instructed in the articles of faith and necessary parts of their duty 7. Those who labour hard in the week must be eased upon the Lords day such ease being a great charity and 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 wantonnesse to drunkennesse to quarrelling to ridiculous and superstitious customs but let their refreshments be 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 we must preserve our Christian liberty and not suffer our selves to be intangled with a yoke of bondage for even a good action may become a snare 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 â—f 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 charity 9. What the Church hath done in the article of the resurrection she hath in some measure done in the other articles of the Nativity of the Ascension 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 dayes 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 fancy 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 fâ—r more impressive then a picture or any other art of making and fixing imagery 10. The memories of the Saints are precioâ—s to God and therefore they ought also to be so to us and such persons who served God by holy living industrious preaching and religious 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 dayes 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 do that too when it is publickly enjoyned The mixt actions of religion are 1. Prayer 2. Alms. 3. Repentance 4. Receiving the blessed Sacrament Sect. 7. Of Prayer THere is no greater argument in the world of our spiriâ—ual danger and unwillingness to religion then the backwardnesse which most men have alwayes and all men have sometimes to say their prayers so weary of their length so glad when they are done so witty to excuse and frustrate an opportunity and yet all is nothing but a desiring of God to give us the greatest and the best things we can need and which can make us happy it is a work so easy so honourable 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 willingnesse to have us saved and of our unwillingnesse to accept it his goodnesse and our gracelessenesse his infinite condescension and our carelessenesse and folly then by rewarding so easy a duty with so great blessings Motives to prayer I cannot say any thing beyond this very consideration its appendages to invite Christian people to pray often But we may consider That first it is a duty commanded by God and his holy Son 2. It is an act of grace and highest honour that we dust and ashes are admitted to speak to the Eternal God to run to him as to a Father to lay open our wants to complain of our burdens to explicate our scruples to beg remedy 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. He hath appointed his most glorious Son to be the president of prayer and to make continual intercession for us to the throne of grace 5. He hath appointed an Angel to present the prayers 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 selves and our final estate and many instances of our intermedial or temporal by the power of prayers 8. And the prayers of men have saved cities and kingdoms from ruine prayer hath raised 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 drowth in the sea
may very much be helped if we take in the assistance of a spiritual Guide therefore the Church of God in all ages hath commended and in most ages enjoyn'd that we confesse our sins and discover the state and condition of our souls to such a person whom we or our superiours judge fit to help us in such needs For so if we confesse our sins one to another as S. Iames advises wee shall obtaine the prayers of the holy Man whom God and the Church hath appointed solemnly to pray for us and when he knowes our needs he can best minister comfort or reproof oyl or Causticks he can more opportunely recommend your particular state to GOD he can determine your cases of conscience and judge better for you then you do for your self and the shame of opening such Ulcers may restrain your forwardnesse to contract them and all these circumstances of advantage will do very much towards the forgivenesse And this course was taken by the new Converts in the dayes of the Apostles For many that believed came and confessed and shewed their deeds And it were well if this duty were practised prudently and innocently in order to publick Discipline or private comfort and instruction but that it be done to God is a duty not directly for it self but for its adjuncts and the duties that go with it or before it or after it which duties because they are all to be helped and guided by our Pastors and Curates of souls he is careful of his eternal interest that will not lose the advantage of using a private guide and judge He that hideth his sins shall not prosper Non dirigetur saith the Vulgar Latin he shall want a guide but who confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy And to this purpose Climaâ—us reports that divers holy persons in that age did use to carry Table-books with them and in them describ'd an account of all their determinate thoughts purposes words and actions in which they had suffered infirmity that by communicating the estate of their souls they might be instructed and guided and corrected or incouraged 6. True repentance must reduce to act all its holy purposes and enter into and run through the state of holy living which is contrary to that state of darknesse in which in times past we walked For to resolve to do it and yet not to do it is to break our resolution and our faith to mock God to falsifie and evacuate all the preceding acts of repentance and to make our pardon hopelesse and our hope fruitlesse He that resolves to live well when a danger is upon him or a violent 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 sorrowful 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 and signifies nothing but in order to the action 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 and holy purposes these are but the gate and portal towards pardon a holy life is the onely perfection of Repentance and the firme 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 returnes from sin to the beginnings of good life but is to begin his hopes and degrees of confidence according as sin dyes in him and grace lives as the habits of sin lessen and righteousnesse growes according as sin returnes but seldom in smaller instances and without choice and by surprize without deliberation and is highly disrelished and presently dash'd against the Rock Christ Jesus by a holy sorrow and renewed care and more strict watchfulnesse 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 sinnes 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 resolv'd to send upon you some sad judgement Of the particulars in all cases wee are uncertain and therefore wee have reason alwayes to mourn for our sinnes 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 judgement 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 ofâ— from being a people yet he would not forgive them so but he would visit that their sin upon them and he did so 9. A true penitent must all the dayes 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 forgivenesse by the party injured by no restitution these are all instruments of great use and efficacy and 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 judgement and damnation if we return to it in choice or action and whether God hath forgiven us or no we know not and how far we know not and all that we have done is not of sufficient worth to obtain pardon therefore still pray and still be sorrowful 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 put it off to thy death-bed It is not an easie thing to root out the habits of sin which a Mans whole life hath gathered and confirmed We finde work enough to mortifie one beloved
thou doest receive the blessed elements into thy mouth that thou puttest thy finger to his hand and thy hand into his side and thy lips to his fontinel of blood sucking life from his heart and yet if thou doest communicate unworthily thou eatest and drinkest Christ to thy danger and death and destruction Dispute not concerning the secret of the mystery and the nicety of the manner of Christs presence it is sufficient to thee that Christ shall be present to thy soul as an instrument of grace as a pledge of the resurrection as the earnest of glory and immortality and a means of many intermedial blessings even all such as are necessary for thee and are in order to thy salvation and to make all this good to thee there is nothing necessary on thy part but a holy life and a true belief of all the sayings of Christ amongst which indefinitely assent to the words of institution and believe that Christ in the holy Sacrament gives thee his bodie and his blood He that believes not this is not a Christian He that believes so much needs not to enquire further nor to intangle his faith by disbelieving his sence 11. Fail not this solemnity according to the custom of pious and devout people to make an offering to God for the uses of religion and the poor according to thy ability For when Christ feasts his body let us also feast our fellow members who have right to the same promises and are partakers of the same Sacrament and partners of the same hope and cared for under the same providence and descended from the same common parents and whose Father God is and Christ is their Elder Brother If thou chancest to communicate where this holy custom is not observed publickly supply that want by thy private charity but offer it to God at his holy Table at least by thy private designing it there 12. When you have received pray and give thanks Pray for all estates of men for they also have an interest in the body 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 may from shadowes 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 conforme every faculty of your soul and 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 and fear his threatnings and marry his loves and hatreds and contract all his friendships for then you do every day communicate especially when Christ thus dwells in you and you in Christ growing up towards a perfect man in Christ Iesus 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 sweetnesse 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 aâ—fairs 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 crosse 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 manner 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 strengthened in her hope enlarged in her bowels with an increasing charity there all the members of Christ are joyn'd 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 immortal nature and 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 sicknesse and competent support and maintenance and peace and deliverance from our enemies and content and patience and joy and sanctified riches or a cheerful poverty and 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 these 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 communicate 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 unactivenesse 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
and will save such as are of an humble spirit Psal. 34.17 Thou Lord shalt save both man and beast how excellent is thy mercy O God and the children of men shall put their trust under the shadow of thy wings Psal. 36.7 They shall be satisfied with the plenteousness of thy house and thou shalt give them to drink of thy pleasures as out of the rivers v. 8. For with thee is the well of life and in thy light we shall see light v. 9. Commit thy way unto the Lord and put thy trust in him he shall bring it to passe Ps. 37.5 But the salvation of the righteous cometh of the Lord who is also their strength in the time of trouble v. 40. So that a Man shall say verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that judgeth the earth Psal. 58.10 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and receivest unto thee he shall dwell in thy court and shall be satisfied with the pleasures of thy house even of thy holy temple Psal. 65.4 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy Psal. 126.6 It is written I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.5 The prayer of faith shall save the sick and the Lord shall raise him up and if he have committed sins they shal be forgiven Iam. 5.15 Come and let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will binde us up Hos. 6.1 If we sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins 1 Iohn 2.2 If we confesse our sins he is faithful righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse 1 Iohn 1.9 He that forgives shall be forgiven Luke 6.37 And this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us 1 Iohn 5 14. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins 1 Iohn 3.5 If ye being evil 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 faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners * He that hath given us his Son 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 nor principalities nor 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 righteousnesse 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 our 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 sorrowes of thy servant also are multiplied Lord look upon him with much mercy and pity forgive him all his sinnes comfort his sorrowes ease his pain satisfie his doubts relieve his feares instruct his ignorances strengthen his understanding take from him all disorders of spirit weaknesse and abuse of fancy Restraine the malice and power of the spirits of darknesse and suffer him to be injured neither by his ghostly enemies nor his own infirmities and let a holy and a just peace the peace of God be within his conscience Lord preserve his senses till the 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 evils 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 remind 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 receiv'd 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 laid down in weaknes and dishonour but we humbly beg may then be raised up with glory 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 soules our blessed and ever glorious Redeemer Amen Hither the sick person 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 prayâ—rs according to his present needs A prayer to be said in a storm at 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 gentlenesse and mercy move upon the waters Be thou reconcil'd unto thy servants and then the face of the waters will be smooth I fear that my sinnes make me like Ionas 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 we shall go down into the waters Lord receive my soul into thy holy hands and preserve it in mercy and safety till the day of restitution of all things and be pleased to unite my death to the death of thy Son and to accept of it so united as a punishment for all my sinnes that thou mayest forget all thine anger and blot my sinnes 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 greatnesse 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 blesse Iacob in his journey and didst leade 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 preseving me from dangers of robbers from violence of enemies and sudden and sad accidents from falls 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 holinesse with thy favour and thy blessing and may serve thee in thankfulnesse and obedience all the dayes of my pilgrimage and at last bring me to thy countrey to the coelestial 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 dayly ministery of thy word still go on to build us up to life eternal 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 â—hat I may â—e 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 eternal Jesus Amen Ad Sect. 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 goodnesse according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences For I will conâ—esse my wickednesse and 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 unbelievers But for thy names sake O Lord be merciful 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 â—ot enduring to be slighted and yet extreamly deserving it I have been cosened by the colours of humility and when I have truly called my self vitious I could not endure any man else should say so 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 pitty or pardon who am so angry and peevish with and without cause envious at good rejoycing in the evil of my neighbours negligent of my charge idle and uselesse 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 sicknesse and I have reâ—ped 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 entred in and unhallowed the temple which thou didst consecrate for the habitation of thy Spirit of love and holinesse But for thy names sake O Lord be merciful 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 pretious 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 temporal ends with greedinesse and indirect means I am revengful and unthankful 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 bin unlike thee in all things I am unmerciful 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 unâ—â— 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 ears open to slander and detraction my tongue and palate loose and wanton intemperate and of foul language talkative lying rash and malicious false and flattering irreligious and irreverent detracting and censorious My hands have bin 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 besâ— 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 fears and hardened their consciences and tempted them directly and prevailed in it to my own râ—ine and theirs unlesse thy glorious and unspeakable mercy hath prevented so intolerable a calamity Lord I have abused thy mercy despised thy judgements turned thy grace into wantonnesse I have been unthankful for thy infinite loving kindnesse 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 then was tempted and then I yielded by little little till I was willingly lost again and my vows fell ofâ— 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 willfull 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 appearances 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 thrown 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 Iudge The Prayer Thou hast prepared for me a more healthful 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 watchfulnesse 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 the glory of pardoning all my sins and I may reap the fruit of all thy mercies and al thy graces of thy patience and long-suffering even to live a holy life here and to reign with thee for ever through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Ad Sect. 6. Special devâ—tions to be used upon the Lords-day and the great Festivalls Of Christians In the Morning recite the following forme of Thanksgiving upon the special Festivalls adding the commemoration of the special blessing according to the following prayers adding such prayers as you shall choose out of the foregâ—ing Devotions 2. Besides the ordinary and publick duties of the day if you retire into your closet to read and meditate after you have performed that duty say the song of S. Ambrose commonly called the Te Deum or We praise thee c then add the prayers for particular graces which are at the end of the former Chapters such and as many of them as shall fit your present needs and affections ending with the Lords prayer This form of devotion may for variety be indifferently used at other times A forme of thanksgiving with a recital of publick and private blessings To be used upon Easter-day Whit-sunday Ascension-day and all Sundayes of the year but the middle part of it may be reserved for the more solemn Festivals and the other used upon the ordinary as every mans affections or leisure shall determine I. Ex Liturgiâ S. Basilii magnâ ex parte O Eternal Essence Lord God Father Almighty Maker of all things in Heaven and Earth it is a good thing to give thanks to thee O Lord and to pay to thee all reverence worship and devotion from a clean and prepared heart and with an humble spirit to present a living and reasonable sacrifice to thy holinesse and Majesty for thou hast given unto us the knowledge of thy truth and who is able to declare thy greatnesse and to recount all thy marvellous works which thou hast done in all the generations of the world O Great Lord and Governour of all things Lord and Creator of all things visible and invisible who sittest upon the throne of thy glory and beholdest the secrets of the lowest abysse and darknesse thou art without beginning uncircumscribed incomprehensible unalterable and seated for ever unmoveable in thy own essential happinesse and tranquillity Thou art the Father of our Lord JESU SCHRIST who is Our Dearest and most Gracious Saviour our hope the wisdom of the Father the image of thy goodnesse the Word eternal and the brightnesse of thy person the power of God from eternal ages the true light that lightneth every Man that cometh into the World the Redemption of Man and the Sanctification of our Spirits By whom the holy Ghost descended upon the Church the holy Spirit of truth the seal of adoption the earnest of the inheritance of the Saints the first fruits of everlasting felicity the life-giving power the fountain of sanctification the comfort of the Church the ease of the afflicted the support of the weak the wealth of the poor the teacher of the doubtful scrupulous and ignorant the anchor of the fearful the infinite reward of all faithful souls by whom all reasonable and understanding creatures serve thee and send up a never-ceasing and a never-rejected sacrifice of prayer and praises and adoration All Angels and Archangels all Thrones and Dominions all Principalities and Powers the Cherubins with many eyes and the Seraphinâ— covered with wings from the terror and amazement of thy brightest glory These and all the powers of Heaven do perpetually sing praises and never-ceasing Hymns and eternal Anthems to the glory of the eternal God the Almighty Father of Men and Angels Holy is our God Holy is the Almighty Holy is the Immortal Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth Heaven and Earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory Amen * With these holy and blessed Spirits I also thy servant O thou great lover of souls though I be unworthy to offer praise to such a Majesty yet out of my bounden duty humbly offer up my heart and voice to joyn in this blessed quire and confesse the glories of the Lord. * For thou art holy and of thy greatnesse there is no end and in thy justice and goodnesse thou hast measured out to us all thy works Thou madest man out of the earth and didst form him after thine own image thou didst place him in a garden of pleasure and gavest him laws of righteousnesse to be to him a seed of immortality O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that he hath done for the children of men For when man sinned and listned to the whispers of a tempting spirit and refused to hear the voice of God thou didst throw him out from Paradise and sentest him to till the Earth but yet left nor his condition without remedy but didst provide
for him the salvation of a new birth and by the blood of thy Son didst redeem and pay the price to thine own justice for thine own creature lest the work of thine own hands should perish O that men would therefore praise the Lord c. For thou O Lord in every age didst send testimonies from Heaven blessings and Prophets and fruitful seasons and preachers of righteousness and miracles of power and mercy thou spakest by thy Prophets and saidst I will help by one that is mighty and in the fulnesse of time spakest to us by thy Son by whom thou didst make both the Worlds who by the word of his power sustains all things in Heaven and Earth who thought it no robbery to be equal to the Father who being before all time was pleased to be born in time to converse with men to be incarnate of a holy Virgin he emptied himself of all his glories took on him the form of a servant in all things being made like unto us in a soul of passions and discourse in a body of humility and sorrow but in all things innocent and in all things afflicted and suffered death for us that we by him might live and be partakers of his nature and his glories of his body and of his Spirit of the blessings of earth and of immortal felicities in Heaven O that men would therefore praise the Lord c. For thou O holy and immortal God O sweetest Saviour Jesus wert made under the Law to condemn sin in the flesh thou who knewest no sin wert made sin for us thou gavest to us righteous Commandements and madest known to us all thy Fathers will thou didst redeem us from our vain conversation and from the vanity of Idols false principles and foolish confidences and broughtest us to the knowledge of the true and onely God and our Father and hast made us to thy self a peculiar people of thy own purchase a royal Priesthood a holy Nation Thou hast washed our soules in the Laver of Regeneration the Sacrament of 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 giâ—ts and sanâ—tifying graces and promising that hee shall abide with us for ever thou hast fed us with thine own broken body and given drink to our soules out of thine own heart and hast ascended up on 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 Hell thou wert free among the dead and thou brakest the iron gates of Death and the bars 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 Isaac and Iacob saw thy day and rejoyced and when thou didst arise from thy bed of darknesse and leftest the grave-clothes behinde thee and put on a robe of glory over which for 40 dayes thou didst wear a vail 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 though death is not quite destroyed yet it is made harmlesse and without a sting and the condition of Humane Nature is made an entrance to eternal glory 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 Lords 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 personal 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 careful parents holy education Thou hast been my guide and my teacher all my dayes Thou hast given me ready faculties and unloosed tongue a cheerful spirit strait limbs a good reputation and liberty of person a quiet life and a tender conscience a loving wife or husband and hopeful 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 pestilential diseases murder and robbery violence of chance and enemies and all the spirits of darknesse 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 faithful 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 Lawes 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 holinesse with fear and shame with benefits and the admonitions of thy most holy Spirit by the counsel 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 thee and for thee are all things Blessed be the name of God from generation to generation Amen A â—hort Form of thanksgiving to be said upon any special deliverance as from Châ—ld-birth from Sickness from baâ—â—el or imminent danger at sea or Land c. O most merciful 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 kindnesse thou feedest us like a Shepherd thou governest us as a king thou bearest us in thy arms like a nurse thou doest cover us under the shadow of thy wings and shelter us like a hen thou O 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 careful mother on her helplesse babe and art exceeding merciful 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 gone 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 hasâ— sâ—râ—ad thy hand upon me for a covering so also enlarge my heart with thankfulnesse and fill my mouth with praises that my duty and returns to theâ— may be great as my needs of mercie are and let thy gracious favours and loving kindnesâ—e 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 Heavens and 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 * The 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 knowledge 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 * When thou hadst overcome the sharpnesse 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 redeemed with thy precious blood * Make them to be numbered with thy Saints in glory everlasting * O Lord save thy people and blesse 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 â—in * O Lord have mercy upon us have mercy upon us * O Lord let thy mercy lighten upon us as our trust is in thee O Lord in thee have I trusted let me never be confounded Amen A Prayer of thanksgiving after the receiving some great blessing as the birth of an Heir the successe 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 of plenty and pardon who fillest Heaven with thy glory and earth w th thy goodnes I give thee the most earnest most humble and most enlarged returnes of my glad and thankful 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 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 kindnesse 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 should'st do this unto me * that the great God of men and Angels should make a special decree in Heaven for me and send out an Angel of blessing and instead 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 special acts of grace and savour 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 and praise him among the multitude Blessed be the Lord God even the Lord God of Israel which only doth wondrous 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 bleâ—sed Saviour Iesus 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 sanctify 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 â—esus 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 pertake of thy felicities let thine eyes pity me thy hands support me thy holy feet 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 judgement 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 unbelievers Amen To God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. * To the eternal 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 Baptisme adding the following prayer A Prayer to be said upon our Birth-day or day of Baptisme O Blessed and Eternal God I give thee praise and glory for thy great mercy to me in causing me to be born of Chrisâ—ian 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 and brought me to the light of the world and the illumination of baptisme with thy grace preventing my election and by an artificial 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 progresse 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 desile 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 â—n 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 thorough 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 goodnesse 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 mystical body by the band of the same â—aith and a holy hope and a never ceasing charity and may it please thee of thy gracious goodnesse shortly to accomplish the number of thine elect to hasten thy Kingdom that we with thy servant * and all others departed in the true faith fear of thy holy Name may have our perfect consummation and blisse in body and soul in thy eternal 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 blesâ—ed Redeemer eternal 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 â—hen 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 sorrowes with hard journeys and restlesse 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 wert ready to dye What is man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of man that thou thus visitâ—st 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 â—ame straitning the crooked relieving the poor preaching the Gospel and reconciling sinners by the mightinesse of thy power by the wisdom of thy Spirit by the Word of God and the merits of thy Passion thy heaâ—thful and bitter passion Lord what is man that thou art mindful 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 and to wash the feet of him that took moneâ— for thy life and to give to him and to all thy Apostles thy most holy Body and Blood to become a Sacrifice for their sins even for their betraying and denying thee and for all my sins even for my crucifying thee afresh and for such sins which I am ashamed to think but that the greatnesse of my sins magnifie the infinitenesse 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 and 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 and sorrowes where thou didst suffer a most unspeakable agony until 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 drench d in the brook in the way by being sought after like a thief 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 kindnesse and pity by which thou didst neglect thy own sorrows and go to comfort the sadnesse of thy Disciples quickning their dulnesse incouraging their duty arming their weaknesse with excellent precepts against the day of trial 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 seiz thee and didst receive the Traytors kisse sufferedst a veil to be thrown over thy holy face that thy enemies might not presently be confounded by so bright a lusâ—re and wouldest do a miracle to cure a wound of one of thy spiteful 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 Cajaphas and there all night didst endure spittings affronts scorn contumelies blowes 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 forsook thee and forswore thee didst look back upon him and by that gracious and chiding look didst call him back to himself and thee who wert accused before the High Priest and rail'd upon and examined to evil 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 â—ound innocent and sent to Herod and still found innocent and wert arrayed 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 and 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 compar'd 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 shameful a publick and painful death and arayed in Scarlet and crown'd with thorns and strip'd naked and then cloth'd and loaden with the crosse and tormented with a tablet stuck with nails at the fringes of thy garment and bound hard with cords dragged 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 years after more then for thy present passion Lord what is man c. Blessed be thy Name O holy Jesus and blessed be that incomparable sweetnesse and holy sorrow which thou sufferedst when thy holy hands and feet were nailed upon the crosse and the crosse being set in a hollownesse of the earth did in the fall rend the wounds wider and there naked and bleeding sick 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 fulnesse of thy suffering was accomplished didst give thy soul into the hands of God and didst descend to the regions of longing souls who waited for the revelation 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 burial and dwelt in darkness 3 dayes and 3 nights Lord what is man that thou art mindful 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 and 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 câ—uld 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 effectual to me that it may not be uselesse and lost as to my particular lest I become eternally 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 â—e 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 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 Kingdom of Glory Amen Our Father c. Ad. Sect. 7 8 10. A â—orm 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 oâ— 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 holy living preserve us for ever in the unity of the holy Catholick Church in the integrity of the Chrâ—stian faith and in the love of God and of our neighbours and in hope of life Eternal Amen 2. For the whole Catholick Church O holy Jesus King of the Saints and Prince of the Catholick Church preserve thy spouse whom thoâ— hast purchased with thy right hand and redeemed and cleansed with thy blood the whole Catholick Church from one end of the Earth to the other she is founded upon a rock but planted in the sea O preserve her safe from schisme heresy and sacriledge Unite all her members with the bands of Faith Hope and Charity and an external communion when it shall seem good in thine eyes let the daily sacrifice of prayer and Sacramental thanksgiving never cease but be for ever presented to thee and for ever united to the intercession of her dearest Lord and for ever prevail for the obtaining for every of its members grace and blessing pardon and salvation Amen 3. For all Christian Kings Princes and Governours O King of Kings and Prince of all the Rulers of the Earth give thy grace and Spirit to all Christian Princes the spirit of wisdom and counsel the spirit of government and godly fear Grant unto them to live in peace and honour â—hat their people may love and feare them and they may love and fear God speak good unto their hearts concerning the Church that they may be nursing Fathers to it Fathers of the Fatherlesse Judges and Avengers of the cause of Widowes that they may be compassionate to the wants of the poor and the groans of the oppressed that they may not vex or kill the Lords people with unjust or ambitious wars but may feed the â—lock of God and may inquire after and do all things which may promote peace publick honesty and holy religion so administring things present that they may not fail of the everlasting glories of the world to come where all thy faithful people shall reign Kings for ever Amen 4. For al the orders of them that minister about H. things O thou great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls Holy and Eternal Jesus give unto thy servants the Ministers of the Mysteries of Christian religion the Spirit of prudence and sanctity faith and charity confidence and zeal diligence and watchfulnesse that they may declare thy will unto the people faithfully and dispense the Sacraments rightly and intercede with thee graciously and acceptably for thy servants Grant O Lord that by a holy life and a true beliefe by well doing and patient suffering when thou shalt call them to it they may glorifie thee the great lover of souls and after a plentiful conversion of sinners from the errour of their wayes they may shine like the stars in glory Amen Give unto thy servants the Bishops a discerning Spirit that they may lay hands suddenly on no man but may depute such persons to the Ministeries of religion who may adorn the Gospel of God whose lips may preserve knowledge such who by their good preaching holy living may advance the service of the Lord Jesus Amen 5. For our neerest relatives as Husband Wife Children Family c. O God of infinite mercy let thy loving mercy and compassion descend upon the head of thy servants my wife or huâ—band children and family be pleased to give them health of body and of spirit a competent portion of temporals so as may with comfort support them in their journey to Heaven preserve them from all evil and â—ad accidents defend them in all assaults of their enemies direct their persons their actions sanctify their hearts and words and purposes that we all may by the bands of obedience and charity be united to our Lord Jesus and alwayes feeling thee our merciful and gracious Father may become a holy family discharging our whole duty in all our relations that we in this life being thy children by adoption and grace may be admitted into thy holy family hereafter for ever to sing praises to thee in the Church of the first-born in the family of thy redeemed ones Amen 6. For our Parents our Kinred in the flesh our Friends and Benefactors O God merciful and gracious who hast made my Parents my Friends and my Benefactors ministers of thy mercy and instruments of providence to thy servant I humbly beg a blessing to descend upon the heads of name the persons or thâ— relations Depute thy holy Angels to guard their persons thy holy spirit to guide their souls thy providence to minister to their necessities and let thy grace and mercy preserve them from â—he bitter pains of eternal death and bring them â—o everlasting life through Jesus Christ. Amen 7. For all that lye under the rod of war famine pestilence to be said in the time of plague or war c. O Lord God Almighty thou art our Father we are thy children thou art our Redeemer we thy people purchased with the price of thy most precious blood be pleased to moderate thy anger towards thy servants let not thy whole displeasure arise lest we be consumed and brought to nothing Let health and peace be within our dwellings let righteousness and holyness dwell for ever in our hearts
prayer of preparation or addresse to the holy Sacrament An act of Love O most gracious and eternal God the helper of the helplesse the comforter of the comfortlesse 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 and adore thy goodnesse and delight in thy love that thou hast once more giveâ— 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 mâ— affections dwell below but soar upwards to the element of love to the seat of God to â—he Regions of Glory and the inheritance of â—esus that I may hunger and thirst for the bread of life and the wine of â—lect soules and may know no loves but the love of God and the most merciful Jesus Amen An act of Desire O blessed Jesus thou hast used many arts to save mee 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 crosse for the sin of my soul and after all this thou hast sent thy Apostles and Ministers of salvation to call me to importune me to constraine me to holinesse and peace and felicity O now come Lord â—esus come quickly 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 heart full of cares and worldly desires cheated with love of riches and neglect of holy things proud unmortified false and crafty to deceive it self intricated and intangled with difficult cases of conscience with knots which my own wildnesse 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 evil principles and evil habits peevish and disobedient lustful 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 sor me that is infinitely good to me and infinitely good and perfect in himself This O dearest Saviour is a sad truâ—h and I am heartily ashamed and truly sorrowful for it and do deeply hate all my fins and am full of indignation against my self for so unworthy so carelesse so continued so great a folly and humbly beg of thee to increase my sorrow and my care and my hatâ—ed 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 holinesse and righteousnesse all my dayes Lord I am as 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 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 dye The Petition Therefore O blessed Jesu who art my Saviour and my God whose body is my food and thy righteousnesse 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 fulnesse of wisdom for the healing my soul for the blessing and preservation of my body for the taking out the sting of temporal death and for the assurance of a holy resurrection for the ejection of all evil 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 athirst for God yea even for the living God when shall I come before the presence of God O Lord my God great are thy wondrous 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 gladnesse and with my heart will I give thanks to thee O God my God I will wash my hands in innocency O Lord so will I go to thine altar that I may shew the voice of thanksgiving tell of all thy wondrous works Examine me O Lord and prove me try out my reins and my heart For thy loving kindnesse 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 kindnesse 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 dye Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him and hath eternal life abiding in him I wil raise him up at the last day Lord whither shall we go but to thee thou hast the words of eternal life If any man thirst let him come unto me 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 healed Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew thy praise O God make speed to save me O Lord make hasâ—e to help me Come Lord Iesus come quickly After receiving the consecrated and blessed bread say O taste 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 Wormes 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 and wonderfully gracious and lovest to blesse every one of us in turning us from the evil of our wayes Enter into me blessed Jesus let no root of bitternesse 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 eternal high Priest let the sacrifice of the Crosse which thou didst once offer for the sinnes of the whole World and which thou doest now and alwayes 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 hurtful persecutions Thou O blessed Jesus didst dye for us keep me for ever in holy living from sin and sinful 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 priviledge 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 loves 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 crumbs 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 passe from this dark glasse from this vail 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 betraieth 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 favours of thee and thy miraculous sweetnesse Blessed be the mercies of our Lord who of God is made unto me Wisdom and Righteousnesse and Sanctification and Redemption He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. Amen The End LONDON Printed by R. Norton MDCL 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian Epict. l. 1. c. 13. Ezekiel 16.49 Sâ—nec * â—ee Chap. 4. â—â—ct 6. S. Bern. de tripli ci custodia Laudatur Augustus Caesar apud Lucanum media inter praelia semper stellaâ—um caelique plagiâ— superisque vacabat Casâ—â—an Collâ—â— 24 c. â—1 Jerem. 48.10 Plutarch â—e Curioâ—t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—rocop 2. Vandal 1 Cor. 7.5 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag. Carm. 1 Cor. 1â— 31. Seneca â—ui furatur ut â—â—â—chetur moechus est tragis quam fur Arist. Eth. See Sect. 1. of this Chapt. Rule 18. Seneca Ep. 113. S. Chrys. l. 2. de compan cordis S. Greg. moral 8. cap. 25. S. â—ern lib. de praecept Publius Mimuâ—â—â— Jer. 23.24 Hebr. 4. â—3 Acts. 17.28 Lib 7. de Civit. â—â—p 3â— Mat. 18.20 Heb. 10.25 1 King 5 9. Psal. 138 â— 2 1 Cor. 3 16. 2 Cor. 6 16. S. Aug. de verbis Don. c. 3 Psâ—l 13â— 7. ◠〈…〉 de conâ—ol â—sa 26..12 Jâ—â—em â—1 15 Secâ—nd 〈◊〉 Edic â—n vitâ—â— S. 〈◊〉 Ezek. 9.9 Psal. 10. â—â— Rev. 11. â—7 â— 5.10.13 Revel â— â— 3 For the Chuâ—ch For the Glory For wife or husband For our children For Friends Benefaâ—tors For our family For al in misery Evening prayer Psal. 121 Psal. 4. 〈◊〉 2.11 12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian c. 2. l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Epist. c. 34 1 Cor. 9.25 Apoc. 2.17 〈…〉 tum 〈…〉 desinant 〈◊〉 L. 3 〈◊〉 c. 12. Facâ—llus 〈…〉 qua◠〈…〉 86. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voluptateâ— abâ—untes feâ—laâ— paenitentia plenas animis nostris natâ—â—a â—ubiâ—cit quo minus câ—pide repetantur Senec. Lâ—ta veniâ—e Venâ—s trisâ—is abire so â—et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Foâ—lix initium prior aetas contenta dâ—lcibus arvis Facileque seâ—a solebat jejunia solvere glande â—oeth l. 1. de consol Arbuteos â—erus montanaque fragâ—a legeâ—