when you first awake lift up your Eyes to God and say I lift up mine Eyes to the Hills from whence cometh my help Open thou mine Eyes O Lord that I may see the wonders of thy Law My voice shalt thou hear betimes O Lord Early in the morning will I direct my Prayer unto thee and will look up At your up-Rising In the name of God the Father who Created me God the Son who Redeemed me and God the Holy Ghost who Sanctifieth me Amen I arise from my Bed of rest to praise and glorifie him the Preserver of all the World He of his infinite mercy and goodness Bless and keep me this day and for ever Amen I laid me down and slept and rose up again for the Lord hath sustained me Then kneel down and say this Prayer Prevent me O Lord in all my doings with thy most gracious favour and further me with thy continual help that in all my works begun continued and ended in thee I may glorifie thy Holy Name and finally by thy Mercy obtain Everlasting life through Jesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour Amen O Lord my heavenly Father Almighty and everlasting God who hast safely brought me to the beginning of this day defend me in the same with thy mighty power and grant that this day I fall into no sin neither run into any kind of danger but that all my doings may be ordered by thy governance to do always that which is righteous in thy sight through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen O God who art the author of peace and lover of concord in knowledge of whom standeth my eternal life whose service is perfect freedom defend me thy humble Servant in all assaults of my Enemies that I surely trusting in thy defence may not fear the power of any adversaries through the might of Jesus Christ my Lord Amen Almighty God the Fountain of all Wisdom who knowest my necessity before I ask and my ignorance in asking I beseech thee to have compassion upon my infirmities and those things which for my unworthiness I dare not and for my blindness I cannot ask vouchsafe to give me for the worthiness of thy Son Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen Almighty God who hast promised to hear the Petitions of them that ask in thy Son's name I beseech thee mercifully to incline thine Ears to me that have made now my Prayers and Supplications unto thee and grant that those things which I have faithfully asked according to thy will may effectually be obtained to the relief of my necessity and to the setting forth of thy Glory through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen O Almighty God behold me a wretched Sinner here prostrate before thee do with me as seems best in thine own Eyes only give me a penitent and a patient Spirit to expect thee and make this my service acceptable to thee while I live and my Soul ready for thee when I die Amen Our Father which art in Heaven c. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with me and remain with me this day and for evermore Amen Read the Psalms appointed for the Morning Service and the First and Second Lesson Devotions for the Evening for every day in the week Evening Ejaculations O Lord let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the Incence And the lifting up of my hands as an evening Sacrifice My trust and hope hath been in thee all the day long and under the Shaddow of thy Wings shall be my Refuge day and night for ever Lighten mine eyes O Lord that I sleep not in death Almighty God who hast made the day for labouâ— and the night for rest let thy Sons blood cleanse me from this days Guilt that I may sleep in thy peace and rise again refreshed and preserved by thy favour through Jesus Christ my Crucified Saviour Amen O Eternal God who hast preserved me this day from many sins and dangers for which I humbly magnifie thy Holy Name for thy Grace and goodness towards me beseeching thee to forgive me all the Errors of this day whereof my Conscience doth or may accuse me and grant that those things which by my frailty I have committed may be by the help of thy Spirit more carefully avoided that I may ever walk in thy favour and under thy Protection and now rest and lye down in thy peace and at last come to thy heavenly Kingdom through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ Amen O God from whom all holy desires all good Councels and all just works do proceed give unto me thy Servant that peace wich the world cannot give that my whole heart may be set to obey thy Commandments and also that by thee I being defended from the fear of my Enemies I may pass my time in rest and quietness through the merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour Amen Lighten my darkness I beseech thee O Lord and by thy great mercy defend me from all perills and dangers of this night for the love of thy only Son my only Lord and Saviour Our Father which art in Heaven c. The peace of God which passeth all understanding keep my heart and mind in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son Jesus Christ my Lord and the blessing of God Almighty the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost be with me this Night and all the days of my life at the hour of my death and at the day of Judgment Amen When you lye down say I will lay down my head in peace and take my rest for thou only O Lord makest me to dwell in safety Into thy hands I commit my Soul and Body keep me for thy mercy sake Amen On Monday morning and every day in the Week use these Ejaculations Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of Man that thou regardest him Thou madest him lower than the Angels to crown him with glory and worship Behold I was shapen in wickedness and in sin hath my Mother conceived me Thou shalt purge me with Hyssop and I shall be clean thou shalt wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow Turn thy face from my sins and put out all my misdeeds Make me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me O give me the comfort of thy help again and establish me with thy free spirit Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be now and evermore acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my redeemer A preparatory Meditation upon the most Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper I. O who will give to my head Water and to my eyes a fountain of Tears that I may weep day and night for my sins and ingratitude towards God my Creator Consider O my Soul the multitude of Gods benefits bestowed upon
your knees God speak those words and said I am the Lord thy God thou shalt have none other Gods but me Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this Law Self examination by the first Commandment If I have not absolutely denied Gods being or in a gross manner renounced him by Apostacy yet Have I not been angry with the Almighty murmuring and complaining against him in an adversity or trouble which he hath been pleased to lay upon me as though he were not both just and merciful Have I had such a confidence and trust in God as I ought to have had together with such a strength and consolation as ordinarily a lively confidence brings with it Have I not put all my confidence in the world and on the things which belong to it fearing man who can only kill the body more than God who can cast both Soul and Body into everlasting torments Have I not denyed my Maker by refusing to wait on him in his holy ordinances or if I have been there have I not been guilty of irreverence and cold devotion Lord have mercy upon me and pardon the breach of this Commandment II. Commandment Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image nor the likeness of any thing which is in Heaven above or in the Earth beneath or in the water under the Earth thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God and visit the sins of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shew mercy unto thousands in them that love me and keep my Commandments Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this Law Self examination by the II. Commandment Though I have not set up a graven Image nor fallen down to worship any yet Have I not been troubled with the Fool in my heart in laying up treasures which a 〈…〉 liable to Corruption and idolizing the vain pomps and vanities of this wicked world by covetousness which is I do latry If I have abhorred Idols have I not been guilty of Sacrilege robbing of God in his Tithes and Offerings not extending my charity to the poor as I ought to do but fixing my mind more on the Creature then on the Creator Have I not made a God of my belly by luxuriousness indulging my self with carnal delights and sensual appetites and have been hurried away by every wind of Doctrin Lord have mercy upon me and pardon the breach of this Commandment Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this Law Self examination by the III. Commandment If I have not blasphemously profaned Gods nâ—mâ— yet Have I not taken his holy name in my mouth with much irreverence and jestingly and scoffingly abused his holy ordinances Have I not taken many false Oaths and Protestations and have been guilty of too frequent and customary swearing cursing by the dreadful name of God which is only to be mentioned for blessing and adoration Have I been careful to keep those lawful Oaths I have taken as my Baptismal vow or any other Oath which was administred lawfully to me without being guilty of the breach of them Have I not neglected to call upon that name whereby alone I must receive salvation and have turned the grace of God into wantonness to the destruction of my own Soul Lord have mercy upon me and pardon the breach of this commandment IV. Commandment Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day six days shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt do no manner of work thou and thy Son and thy Daughter thy Man servant and thy Maid-servant thy Cattle and the Stranger that is within thy Gates For in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this Law Self examination by the IV. Commandment If I have not actually ossiciated on that day my worldly calling or employment yet Did I spend my time in the House of God as I ought to do to praise him for all his mercies bestowed upon me Have not I omitted Prayers and Sermons and followed my own idle imaginations not caring at all for the Church but being weary of the Lords day like those in Amos 8. 5. who ask when will the Sabbath be gone that we may set forth Wheat Have I not invented ways to draw others from the service and worship of God by vain sports and idle discourses not remembring to praise God on this day for the Creation and joyful Resurrection Have I at home instructed my Family as I ought to do but on the contrary have neglected those duties of prayers reading and meditation Lord have mercy upon me and pardon the breach of this Commandment V. Commandment Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this Law Self examination by the V. Commandment If I have not grosly abused my parents by cursing or swearing at them yet Have I not spoken meanly and lightly of my superiors and instead of obeying them have made it my study to oppose and contradict them Have I not been undutiful to them in several respects as not hearkning to their Counsel not taking their reprooss with meekness and humility but have despised and mocked them refusing to practice their exhortations not remembring the words of the wise Man Pro. 30. 17. The eye that mockeâ—h his Father and despiseth to obey his Mother the Reavens of the valleys shall pick it out and the young Eagles shall eat it Have not I wisht my Parents death out of greediness of gaining their possessions when rich and have I not when they were poor been so unnatural as to turn my back upon their necessities Lord have mercy upon me and pardon the breach of this Commandment VI. Commandment Thou shalt do no Murther Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this Law Self examination by the VI. Commandment If I have not actually committed Murther yet Have I not drawn many to intemperance and other vices which cause diseases or bring death or have I not made strife among men by which means they have engaged themselves in quarrelling and in the encounter come off maimed or killed Have I not out of malice and revenge strove to shorten many ones life or have I not taken a delight to grind the face of the poor making them work of necessity for that which can never maintain their
Families Have I not been guilty of much intemperance in eating and drinking and have I not been guilty of the death of several by not relieving their necessities in due time Lord have mercy upon me and pardon the breach of this Commandment VII Commandment Thou shalt not commit Adultery Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this Law Self examination by the VII Commandment If I have not actually committed Adultery or Fornication yet Have I not pleased my sancy with loose and wanton imaginations and suffered unchast thoughts so long to dwell in my heart till by the corrupt bent of its concupiscence have grown into unruly lusts which war against the Soul Have not my eyes betrayed my heart secretly to lust and sinfully to enjoy that which was unlawful and have I not made use of those provocations which lead to chambering and wantonness Have not I used my self to filthy and obscene talking to all manner of effeminacy and unchast behaviour forgetting those threatnings which are pronounced in Scripture that Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Lord have mercy upon me and pardon the breach of this Commandment VIII Commandment Thou shalt not steal Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this Law Self examination by the VIII Commandment If I have not been guilty of robbery and burglary yet Have I not been guilty of theft by negligence and prodigaâ—ity wasting both the Estates of my self and others by contracting of debts without taking care to pay them Have I not broke my promises in not paying for what I agreed for and have I not kept back the wages of the servant and the hireling forgetting the strict command in this matter Deut. 24. 14 15. Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy at his day thou shalt give him his hire neither shall the sun go down upon it for he is poor and setteth his heart upon it lest he cry against thee to the Lord and it be sin unto thee Have I not been guilty of pilferring and filching cogging and lying couzening and deceiving and have I not been guilty of defrauding and circumventing in buying selling and lending to the loss of the borrower Lord have mercy upon me and pardon the breach of this commandment IX Commandment Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this Law Self examination by the IX Commandment If I have not been guilty of perjury against my neighbour yet Have I not blasted their reputation by railing whispering and encouraging others in slandering them and have I not harboured uncharitable thoughts and spread abroad false reports which have been the product of lying envy malice and great unworthiness Have I not been injurious churlish and proud froward and peevish in conversation using bitter and reproachful language and have not I rejoyced when any evil and mischief hath befaln them Have I not strove to betray into ruine many innocent persons by laying traps and snares for them and have I not accused any falsly of that which they were never guilty of Lord have mercy upon me and pardon the breach of this Commandment X. Commandment Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house thou shalt not covet thy neighbours Wife nor his Servant nor his Maid nor his Ox nor his Ass nor any thing that is his Lord have mercy upon me and write all these thy Laws in my heart I beseech thee Self examination by the X. Commandment If I have not been guilty of covetousness in a very gross manner yet Have I not had an evil eye and a greedy mind in coveting that which could not lawfully be purchased and have I not envyed many so as to grieve at their prosperity and rejoyce in their losses Have I been content with my present estate condition in this world how mean soever without roring after the exterior consolations of the Creature abroad which is the only way to loose contentment in my self at home Have I not with too much vigour pursued after the riches honours and pleasures of the world and have neglected that one thing necessary the working out my own salvation with with fear and trembling Lord have mercy upon me and pardon the breach of this and all thy Commandments I beseech thee A Prayer for pardon and remission of sins O Most mighty God and creator of all things when I think with my self how grievously I have offended thy divine Majesty with my sins I wonder at my own folly when I consider what a loving and bountiful Father I have forsaken I accurse my ingratitude when I behold how I am faln from such a noble liberty into such a miserable bondage I condemn my self for my unworthiness in sinning against thee and without thy tender mercy and compassion can expect nothing but Hell and Damnation II. O whether can I fly but thy justice will find me out and make my Conscience display the emblem of guilt in my face but when I consider the words of the Kingly Prophet that thy mercies are over all thy works then do I feel afresh and pleasant air of hope to refresh and strengthen again my weak and sorrowful soul wherefore then should I despair the tender mercies of my God but endeavour to get such a trust in him as I may never be ashamed neither to confess his name nor manfully to fight under his banner who is the Captain of my salvation against Sin the Flesh the World and the Devil thou hast promised O Lord that thou wouldest not the death of a Sinner but rather that he should turn from his wickhedness and live III. O Lord I beseech thee turn my heart that I may sin no more against thee so will not iniquity be my ruine and grant that I may repent me of all my sins before I come to that holy Table to tast of thy precious body and blood and to receive it with the eye of faith and thanks-giving alas I am unworthy to lift up my eyes towards thee or to call thee Father but thou art a Father indeed O look upon me then with thy Fatherly eyes of compassion for thy sight raises the dead and can raise me which am dead in trespasses and sin when I went wandring a far off from thee thou didst vouchsafe to look down from Heaven upon me and didst open the eyes of my understanding that I may see my self to be vile wretched and naked and to take a ful view how full fraught I was with sins IV. And now O Lord thou comest to receive me again O fetter me with thy chains that I may never run away from thee and grant that nothing may ever be able to seperate me from thee hearken therefore unto me I beseech thee O merciful Father aad cleanse my heart throughly by the inspiration of thy holy word that I may receive Jesus Christ with all the benefits of his
for the rich it is the staff of our life and signifies that body of thine which thou gavest for the life of the World thou hast by thy holy Mystery made this Bread and Wine spiritual food as well as temporal O Lord I beseech thee let the operation of it be such as to strengthen my soul that it may withstand all Temptations whatsoever and evermore serve thee in spirit and in truth Amen When the Minister breaks the Bread and pours out the Wine use these Meditations O Holy Jesus thy Blessed Body was torn with Nails upon the Cross and thy precious Blood was inhumanely spilt by the Crucifiers but I an unworthy Wretch by my manifold sins have occasioned more torments to thee they Crucified thee but once but I crucifie thee dayly they Crucified thee because they knew thee not but I have known thee what thou art in thy self the Lord of glory and what thou art to me a most tender and Merciful Father and yet I have still continued to Crucifie thee afresh O do thou work in me first a great sorrow for my sins past and then a great hatred and a firm resolution against them for the time to come When the Minister receives in both kinds himself say 1. Thou that hearest Prayers unto thee shall all flesh come 2. 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 Holy Temple 3. Thou shalt guide me with thy council and after that receive me with glory 4. The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble the name of the God of Jacob defend thee 5. Send thee help from the Sanctuary and strengthen the out of Sion 6. The Lord remember all thy offerings and accept this thy Sacrifice 7. Grant thee thy hearts desire and fulfill all thy mind the Lord perform all thy petions which thou hast made at this time both for thy self for us and for all persons 8. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel World without end Amen When the Minister is drawing near thee with the Elements say I adore thee O must righteous Redeemer that thou art pleased to convey unto my soul thy precious Body and Blood with all the benefits of thy Death and Passion I am not worthy O Lord to receive thee but let thy Holy and Blessed Spirit with all his purities prepare for thee a lodging in my Soul where thou mayest unite me to thy self for ever Amen Ejaculations before the Bread This is that Bread which came down from Heaven whosoever eateth shall never hunger Thou dealest thy bread to those which hunger after righteousness O feed my fainting soul with this bread of life O strengthen my heart and hand by a lively faith and open my mouth with fervent desires that I may eat not for bodily sustenance but for spiritual relief and the refreshment of my soul O let my soul feel the spiritual efficacy of thy grace that I may not eat unworthily or to my condemnation O Lord I beseech thee enable and direct me by thy holy and blessed spirit to receive it worthily Amen When the Minister gives the holy bread say softly with him The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for me preserve my body and soul unto everlasting life Here take the bread with reverence then proceed I take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for me and will feed on him in my heart with faith and thanks-giving Then answer audibly Amen After the bread say I give thee hearty thanks O Lord most Holy that thou hast refreshed my soul at this time by my feeding upon thy Body which was broken for me If I had lived innocently and had kept all thy Commandments yet could I have had no proportion of merit to so transcendent a mercy but since I have so loved sin and added transgression to transgression thy mercy is so glorious and infinite that I stand amazed at the consideration of its immensity O let me not throw off this Wedding Garment or stain it with pollution of deadly sin but let me be wholly united to thee being transformed according to thy holy will and life who livest and reignest for ever Amen Or this O Blessed Jesus sanctifie this bread to me that it may be to my Soul the staff of strength whereby I may vanquish and overcome all the assaulis of the Devil the World and the Flesh and continue thy faithful Soldier and Servant to my lifes end Amen Ejaculations before the Cup. 1. The Lord himself is the portion of my Inheritance and of my Cup thou shalt maintain my lot 2. The lot is fallen unto me in a fair ground yea I have a goodly heritage 3. I have set God always before me for he is on my right hand therefore I shall not fall 4. Gracious is the Lord and righteous yea our God is merciful 5. What reward shall I give unto the Lord for all the benefits he hath done unto me 6. I will receive the Cup of Salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. 7. I will walk before the Lord in the Land of the living When thou receivest the Cup say after the Minister softly The Blood of my Lord Jesus Christ which was shed for me preserve my body and soul unto everlasting life I drink this in remembrance that Christ's Blood was shed for me and am thankful Amen After the Cup say O how delightful is this Cup to me Blessed Jesus which was so heavy to thee it was thy Agonies and Bloody sweat thy bitter Death and Passion which afforded me this Cup of chearfulness thou didst find it bitter when thou wast appeasing an angry Father but thou hast sweetned it by a reconciliation and hast wrought out my Redemption and Salvation Or this I praise thee I bless thee I glorifie thee O Lord most Holy that thou hast at this time so refreshed my soul and filled me with holy desires O let thy tender mercy always keep me in this happy temper that I may never err nor stray from thy Commandments but keep firm that Covenant which thou hast sealed with thy most precious Blood for my redemption and direct me O Lord and guide me so here that I may be a fit member for thy Heavenly Kingdom hereafter Amen Whilst others are Communicating say I. Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name What greater gift O Lord couldst thou bestow upon me than to give me thy Body for meat thy Blood for drink and to lay down thy life for the price of my redemption What greater mercy than that thou shouldest now enter into me and dwell with me as thou hast promised II. I yield thee humble and hearty thanks most Merciful Father and desire to magnifie thy name for ever for the Holy Death and bitter Passion of thy Son and that great Redemption thou hast wrought for me in him and
God in the eternal life and happiness of my body and soul which consists in my union with and fruition of God in heaven for ever which is effected by the Spirit and grace of God through the merits of Jesus Christ drawing my soul through faith in the Son of God made Man to himself who by the evil of sin both original depravation and actual Commissions am removed at an infinite distance from the love of God the fountain of happiness and placed in a state of Guilt liable to the justice and wrath of God and by consequence to eternal misery and Damnation II. A State not more miserable in it self than unavoidable by me unless the free grace immense goodness of the Almighty which brings sinners to repentance had prevented both my desert and desire by an eternal purpose of offering pardon life and salvation to sinful mankind which good pleasure and purpose in himself God hath clearly revealed according to the divers dispensations of his wisdom and providence even from the first promise of Christ made to the first sinners to the personal coming of the Son of God into the World to bear the Name and Office of the Saviour of Sinners and hath fully accomplisht and clearly reveal'd unto Mankind this undeniable truth of the eternal purpose of God to give pardon life and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ his only Son who became Man and died for the sins of the World and so satisfied the Justice of God for them that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life III. That great saying and most comfortable Truth Preached by Christ witnessed by the Apostles Dictated by the Spirit of God written by the Evangelists Confirmed by many Miracles delivered by the Church by constant Tradition and believed on in all ages this God requires me to believe as a certain and infallible truth in it self and by faith it becomes to me saving and comfortable It brings my soul to see by the law it s own sinful and desperate estate it calls me off from my self and all Creatures and assures me of immortal happiness for ever by adhering and relying upon Christ and that free grace of God in him and through him bestowed upon my soul IV. This faith and trust in the free Grace through Jesus Christ as it is first wrought by the word of God and his holy Spirit in my soul which is the beginning of this spiritual and eternal life so that it may be further nourished and strengthened to a farther degree of comfort and assurance God hath out of a wonderful Indulgence to our weakness and difficulty of believing annexed to his word these holy Sacraments as visible and most manifest Seals of this Covenant of Grace and Mercy that the soul might in no sort doubt of it nor be discouraged at the sight of it 's own sin and unworthiness when it sees the love of God and its pardon confirmed and assured to it by all its senses and his Saviour the great worker and teacher of this salvation by these sensible means lively set forth in his death and sufferings and himself with all his merits personally offered and conveighed to its self in particulars V. This then is the End to which this holy Sacrament as other means of grace is especially directed that it may be to the souls spiritual life of such efficacy as Food is to the Temporal life of our Bodies a means to maintain life to encrease strength and inward comfort to enable holy actions and cheerful obedience to assure our hopes and affiance in the great truth of God for the pardon of sins and bestowing the Son of God Jesus Christ our great Redeemer who is the Fountain and conveigher of life through these Conduits of the outward means to the penitent and believing soul Secondly The Author by whom it was Instituted I. Was the Lord Jesus Christ the Saviour of the World who being the Lord of power and the Jesus of Mercy is both able and wiling to make this holy Ordinance the means of that Mercy and Grace which he promiseth to us which means are effectual to this supernatural end not by any proportion of innate vertue or Physical efficacy of themselves as food hath to our temporal life by the common rule and ordination of Providence but by a Spiritual Divine and most Mysterious appointment Instituted by our God and Saviour himself whose Authority only could Institute and whose power only can make effectual his Institution by uniting earthly sensible so small and unproportionable means to so heavenly spiritual and excellent an End II. So that in this great mystery though reason assures us in the general assent that the Omnipotency of God can make effectual whatever means he pleaseth in his wisdom to ordain to an end though never so unproportionable yet for the particular demonstrating of the matter of efficiency whereby such means do certainly convey to us so great an end and benefit Reason is quite dazl'd and blind having no ground to fasten upon but devolving all the work of this holy mystery to faith which relies upon the truth power and love of the Institutor Jesus Christ who while he was yet on Earth by a Corporal and Natural presence conversing with men but chiefly with his choice and Domestick Company the Twelve Apostles a little before his death Instituted this Sacred Mystery after his last Supper which he made with them III. By the evidence of this Sacrament exhibiting himself to them and all beliving souls in such an extraordinary and eminent degree of comfort and personal assurance as might greatly establish their faith and hearts in the near and dismal Times of his sufferings shortly ensuing and after his Ascention might be a continual memorial and Seal of the Covenant of Grace established in the death of Christ a support of the faith of Belivers a lively token pledge of his spiritual presence with his Church during his bodily absence till his second coming as also a badge of the profession of the Christian Religion and that mutual love and charity of Believers who are all united by faith to one and the same Saviour of whom they are all partakers in this one Sacrament as well of the invisible Grace as the outward and visible signs the bread and wine Thirdly The outward Means suitable to this end I. The choice of which familiar signs made by our Saviour for the outward means discovered a wonderful wisdom and no less love and condescention to his Church while he made choice of such things for the Representation of his greatest Grace and our comfort as best sitting this staâ—e of Senses and Infirmity such as for the Community may be had of all Nations and in all Countries either by native Commodities as in most or by cheap and easy Commerce with others whose abundance may spare though where the proper species of bread and wine cannot be had those means of nourishment
death and pasion as a true token and pledge that he suffered for my sins and rose again from thâ— dâ—ad for my justification and now sitteth at the right hand of God the Father making intercession for me to whom be all honour power and glory adoration and subjection from this time forth and for ever more Amen Our Father c. Meditations for Monday Evening on the Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper Shewing the necessity of receiving of it I. OUR Blessed Saviour the wise Physitian having felt the Pulses of our weaknesses ordain'd this must Holy and Divine Sacrament and for this purpose hath he instituted the same in form of food that the very form wherein he did institute it might declare unto us the effect it worketh and withall the great necessity our Souls have of it II. O most wonderful Sacrament what shall I say of thee thou art the life of my Soul and a Medicine to heal all my Wounds What Tongue is able to express the Excellency of this most blessed Sacrament which thou O Lord invitest me to who am a vile and miserable Sinner when I consider who thou art and what I am how rich and excellent the benefits are which thou preparest for me and how little I am dispos'd to receive them my Soul is in trouble and I tremble to draw near to thy glorious Majesty III. Thou art O Lord without quantity great without quality good without measure wise and without time Everlasting the Stars are dimn'd in thy presence the Pillars of Heaven quake before thee the highest of the Seraphins do gather in their Wings and account themselves as it were little Flyes when thou art present How then dare so vile a Creature as I am approach unto thy holy Table if St. John Baptist whom thou filledst with the Holy Ghost from his Mothers womb thought himself not worthy to stoop down and unloose the Lachet of thy Shoos Shall I who am loaden with Sins dare to present my self to that holy Banquet where Angels wait as Ministring Spirits sent out for the good of those who are to receive the earnest of Salvation Shall I with lascivious Eyes full of wanton looks behold that Lamb without spot or blemish with my polluted looks and lying Tongue shall I touch the bread of Angels or shall I lodge the King of Kings in a heart filled with foul concupiscence IV. I am in a strait O Lord on both sides for if I absent my self from this Holy Table I am disobedient to my Saviour who commands me to set forth his death till he shall come again I keep at a distance from the Fountain of Life I renounce the seals of the Covenant and the pledges of thy love and if I come to it unworthily I am affraid I may Eat and Drink my own Damnation and draw upon my self thy heavy Judgments if thou Lord shouldst mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand but there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared mercies and forgiveness are from the Lord our God for we have rebelled against him But where sin hath abounded thy grace hath much more abounded O Lord my whole trust is in thee as by thy goodness thou givest me thy blessing so by thy wisdom thou wilt instruct me how to receive them to Salvation A Prayer for Monday Evening on the Holy Sacrament O Lord I take the boldness to approach unto thee O receive me according to thy tender mercy Banish from my mind all those Earthly and Carnal thoughts which disturb my Devotion affect my Senses with a Pious veneration Give unto me such Humility and Repentance such fear and reverence as so high a Mystery does require I come not O Lord to excuse but accuse my self I trust not O Lord in my own Righteousness neither have I any merits to be puft up with nor do I extol my self with the proud Pharisec II. But O Lord I come to thee as the poor Publican with Eyes cast down as being ashamed of my own unworthiness and laying my hand on my breast saying Lord be merciful to me a Sinner I come to thee with poor Bartemeus that I may receive my sight who am blind and lame I come as naked to thee the Father of Compassion as hungring and thirsting after Righteousness to thee O Lord who art the bread of Life and the fountain of living VVater springing up from the Wells of eternal Salvation III. Thou didst O Lord accept of Mary Magdalens tears the faith of the Thief on the Cross the Repentance of St. Peter and the Prayers of the poor Publican accept now of this my humiliation confirm my pardon seal my Redemption cleanse me from all my pollutions support my weakness and cover my nakedness O send me not away empty lest I faint by the way but satisfie my Soul with the food of thy heavenly banquet that thereby it may receive nourishment unto eternal life IV. Grant O Lord that I may receive thee with pure lips and a penitent heart that thou dwelling in my heart by Faith I may find my self strenghned comforted and my heart inflam'd with the love of thee then shall I prostrate my self before thee and acknowledge in the Assembly of thy Saints that it is thou alone who hast comforted me and that there is no Salvation in any besides thee V. As thou preparest a Table in the midst of mine Enemies and fillest up my Cup and dost anoint and wash thy poor Guests pour upon me I beseech thee thy most fragrant oyl wash not only my feet but also my hands and my head that I may have part with thee make me not only partaker of the Seals of thy Covenant and of the pledges of thy love but also that I may receive thy self with all the benefits of thy death and passion let my preparation which I now make be sincere and without lukewarmness that I may become a worthy receiver at thy holy Table Our Father c. Meditations for Tuesday Morning on the Holy Sacrament THe true knowledge of the will of God is the gracious manifestation of his goodness He is good in the Graciousness of his Promises and upright in the truth of his performances and this Grace and Truth which is the Habitation of his Throne is the Refuge of the Sinner and the Sanctuary of the Penitent II. And where O my Soul canst thou better taste the goodness of the Lord then in this blessed Eucharist the sacred Feast of the Lords Goodness And as his Goodness does invite thee so let his uprightness encourage thee for that faithful is he who hath promised faithful to give according to his promise healing for thy wounds strengthening for thy weakness comfort for thy sorrow and will give that which is the Compendium of all Spiritual good things peace of Conscience and joy in the holy Ghost III. Why art thou so heavy O my Soul And why art thou so cast down within me Is it because thou hast
apparelled in mockery with white and red garments for my sake thou wast contenâ—ed to be torn with whips crown'd with thorns smâ—tten with a reed and to have thine eyes covered with a Veil to be condemn'd to death and to be led to the place of Execution with that heavy cross upon thy shoulders whereon thy blessed hands and feet were nailed thou wast crucified between two Theeves and reputed amongst the wicked thou hadst Vinegar and Gall given thee to drink and in the end put to a most shameful and cruel death III. In this manner O Lord with so many intollerable troubles pains and agonies hast thou redeemed me but I a most vile and wretched sinner have shewed my self unthankful for all these benefits and have so often by my sins crucified thee afresh that without hearty contrition humiliation and repentance I can expect nothing but thy wrath and damnation I have loved vanity more then truth and have esteem'd the Creature more than the Creator it is high time O Lord that I should now begin to weep and bewail for those hainous sins I have committed against thee IV. This sorrow and grief for my sins is the thing which thou hast so long look'd for at my hands even from the time thou first gavest me life thou hast often called me and I have like the deaf adder stopped my 〈◊〉 and would not hearken to thee thou hast given me a long time to repent me of my sins and I have consumed it in pride and vanity the more I have been chastised and cherish'd by thee the more hath mine heart been hardned shewing my self unthankful towards the one and rebellious towards the other But yet for all this O Lord since thou hast suffered for my sake so many things and hast commanded me never to despair nor mistrust thy goodness I therefore refer my self wholly to thy mercy and do beseech thee to grant me grace to amend my life that from henceforth I may serve and please thee in holiness and newness of Life and continually remain in thy grace and favour world without end Amen Meditations on Wenesday morning on the most holy Sacrament COnsider after this what troubles our Saviour suffer'd in that doleful night when the Soldiers had him in Custody mocked and laughed him to scorn Luk. 22. 63. and used as a means to pass away their drowsiness to scoff and jest at the Lord of Majesty Consider O my Soul how thy sweet Saviour is set here as a mark to receive all the strokes and buffets their malice could invent O cruel and unquiet night in which O sweet Saviour thou tookest no rest nor thy adversaries any repose but accounted it even a pastime and recreation to vex and torment thee II. The night was ordain'd for this end that all creatures should therein take their rest and that the Senses and Members that are wearied with toils and labours of the day might be refresh'd and reliev'd but these wicked men use it now as a fit time to torment all thy Members and Senses striking thy Body afflicting thy Soul binding thy Hands buffeting thy Cheeks and spitting in thy Face that at such time as all Members should be at rest all thy Members were in great pain and anguish III. Now let us Consider the denial of Saint Peter who was so familiar a friend of our Saviours that he chose him to see the glory of his transfiguration yet not once but three several times even in the very presence of his Lord and Master sweareth and for sweareth that he knows him not O Peter is he that stands by thee so wicked a man that thou account'st it so vile a shame only to have known him Consider that this is a Condemnation of him by thee before he is Condemn'd by the High Priests since by this denial thou giv'st the whole World to understand that he is such a man that even 〈…〉 self dost 〈…〉 great reproach and dishonour to thee ever to have known him IV. Our Saviour hearing this denial turned back and beheld Peter and cast his eyes on the lost sheep with a look full of vertue mystery and signification Peter understood right well the voice and language of that look and although the Crowing of the Cock was not able to awake his Spirits yet was this able as indeed it did for the eyes of our Saviour do not only speak but also work as it plainly appears by the tears of Saint Peter which though they gush'd from the eyes of Peter yet did they much more proceed from the look and eyes of Christ V. Wherefore when thou art at any time awak'd out of thy sinful life and dost with grief and sorrow call thy sins to remembrance wherein thou hast offended Almighty God think with thy self that the merciful eyes of Christ looks upon thee the Cock had already crowed but Peter remembred not himself because our Saviour had not as yet look'd on him but when Christ look't upon him then he remembred himself and repented and bewail'd his offences for the eyes of Christ do open ours and awake such as are asleep Lord let my eyes then be for ever open that I may behold those heavenly gifts which thou hast prepared for all those who love and fear thee VI. O then receive me a poor sinner at thy holy Table this most holy Medicine cures all the wounds of Sin this quickning flesh overcometh all mortal sin this is the most holy Seal of divine Promises which we may shew before Gods Judgment Seat having this pledge we may glory and be secure of eternal Life if Christs Body and Blood be exhibited unto us assuredly all other benefits by that most holy Body and most blessed Blood are prepared for us how then can he that hath given us greater things deny us the less He that hath given his Son to us how shall he not give all other things with him Rom. 8. 32. Let the Spouse therefore be glad and rejoyce for the time is at hand when she shall be called to the Marriage Supper Rev. 19. 7. Let her put on precious apparel let her put on her Wedding Garment Mat. 22. 12. That she be not found naked this Garment is the Bridegrooms righteousness which we put on in our baptism but our righteousness is so far from being a Weding Garment that it is nothing but filthy rags O let us endeavour to cast them of and not bring them with us to this great Solemnity A Litany of Confession of Sins to Almighty God before the holy Sacrament O Lord I have committed many grievous sins against thee I have not piously frequented thy house with that filial fear and holy reverence which becometh thy Child but have too often sinfully absented it so that mine attendance upon thee in thy Service of the day hath been formal my Devotion hypocritical and my Expectation of a blessing deceitful Lord be merciful to me a sinner All the faculties of my Soul all the
Members of my Body which thou hast giv'n me for thy Service and ought to have been instruments of holiness I have daily made weapons of iniquity mine understanding which should daily have delighted in thee and thy law hath been daily busied in the search of sin mine affections which I should have wholly fixt upon thee the highest holiest and most happy object in whom is alsufficiency have been foolishly and falsly bestowed on the emptiness and vanity of the Creature in which I have found nothing else but shortness and uncertainty falshood and flattery weariness and misery Lord be merciful to me a sinner I have not wisely nor timely considered that the grace of repentance is thy heavenly Gift and ought to be early begg'd of thee by Prayers and Tears but have sinfully imagin'd it in mine own power to repent when I would when I have been neither sure of time to ask it of hope to obtain it grace to receive it or of mercy to enjoy it Lord be merciful to me a sinner I have not only turned thy grace into wantonness but even thy choicest of thy gifts bestowed on me into wickedness by being spiritually proud of my endowments so that while I have pharisaically seemed in mine own eyes to be much better than others I have in thy â—ight been far worse and have thereby lost the blessed presence of thy holy Spirit who resisteth the proud and givest grace to the humble Lord be merciful to me a sinner I have not daily and duly as I ought examined my Soul by each particular of thy Commandments that so my Conscience might be throughly convinced of my sins and I thereby with holy fear might heartily bewail them utterly forsake them perfectly hate them and together with thy Justice condemn my self for them but have only looked on them with a carnal eye as common spectacles of mans misery and proper objects of thy Mercy from whence it is that I have not died unto sin daily as I ought that this my sorrowing for sin hath been but superficial my hope of thy pardon deceitful and even my very mortification to sin exceeding sinful Lord be merciful to me a sinner I have readily remembred that there is no condemnation to those which are in Christ Jesus but sinfully forgotten that it is to those only which walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit thus have I wretchedly put of the punishment of sin from the guilt of it and am thereby become guilty of thy double punishment that for the committing of evil and this for denying thee in Christ to be the rewarder only of good Lord be merciful to me a sinner I have willingly believed that it is the blood of God which cleanseth me from all iniquity and that if I believe in thee although I were dead yet shall I live and that if I live and believe in thee I shall never die but I have wilfully forgotten that by my daily sinning I have daily trampled on thy precious blood and am therefore dead while I live and may therefore justly fear that without mercy I must live in endless torments when I am dead Lord be merciful to me a sinner I have sometimes promised the general amendment of my own evil ways by my thorough Mortification to Sin and Sanctification to Righteousness in my more frequent watchings fastings Prayings holy strivings against my corruptions and holy hungrings for thy heavenly graces but all these to my Souls grief were soon forgotten by me and my sinful affections instead of drawing nearer to thee alienated every day more and more from thee Lord be merciful to be a sinner I have missed many happy opportunities of going to thy holy Table under the false pretences of unfitness to receive want of Charity to forgive and of Faith to believe whereas these sinful wants which have all proceeded from my want of grace ought much rather to have been graciously repair'd with earnest prayers and truly repented of with daily tears Lord be merciful to me a sinner I have not so freely and so fully forgiven and forgotten those injuries which man hath offer'd unto me as I ought to have done but have too often come unto thy holy Table with reproach in my mouth and malice in my heart Thus O Lord have I had sinfully to do with malice that stood in so grea need of mercy and by refusing to forgive my brother upon Earth may justly fear to be denied forgiveness by thee in heav'n Lord be merciful to me a sinner From these my sinful inconsiderations undue preparations ungracious absentings and more ungodly frequentings of thy blessed Table have proceeded these my declinings in grace and decayings in goodness so that without thy rich mercy unto me in Christ whose precious blood thou hast spilt for me and by this thy blessed Seal confirm'd unto me I may justly fear I have received unworthily and thereby eaten and drank unto my self mine own damnation Lord be merciful to me a sinner A Prayer after Confession of sins to Almighty God I. ALmighty God I have sinned and I desire to repent I am heavy laden with the burthen of my sins and can find none on earth to releive me to thee therefore O thou father of mercies and God of all consolations who invitest weary Souls to come unto thee and easiest them when they are come do I apply my self for mercy and forgiveness O thou blessed fountain of eternal good who hast freely given me thine only Son to dye for me and in him thy self to be for ever reconciled to me who desirest not the death of me a miserable sinner but rather that I should repent and live have mercy upon me O thou blessed Shepherd of my Soul who aimest to seek and to save those that were lost that findest all whom thou seekest and looseth none of those whom thou hast found have mercy upon me O thou sacred and for ever blessed spirit who visitest and cherishest the drooping Souls of thine Elect assist and comfort me Lord save me or I perish Lord help me or I faint Lord seek me or I am lost for ever II. With all humility of soul I humbly acknowledg that I have too long sinfully depended on the vain shadows and deceitful shews of mine own imperfect holiness and have too sinfully neglected the improvements of thy heavenly graces whereby I have too long deluded my own Soul with hopes of my heavenly assurance and have then thought my self to be spiritually rich when in thy sight I have been wretchedly poor sinfully blind wilfully naked distressedly miserable III. Lord open thou mine eyes by thy precious Eye-salve of thy Sacred Word that I may clearly see the sadness of my mine own condition in these my sad mistakes by this the great deceit of my own deluding heart enrich my poverty with the gifts and graces of thy holy Spirit cover my nakedness with the precious robes of Christs righteousness swallow up this my
great misery in thine endless mercy of carnal make me spiritual increase thy graces daily in me and for thy mercy sake remove all vain pretences of a false assurance from me give me that sincerity of heart in thy service that constant holiness and gracious perseverance that makes my Calling and Election sure IV. O thou glorious and for ever blessed Spirit who eternally enjoyest blessedness in the sweetness and fulness of thy self and yet most graciously communicatest happiness to us thy sinful Creatures that we might thereby spiritually know thee love thee 〈…〉 e thee and eternally enjoy thee vouchsafe me I humbly beseech thee the blessed p 〈…〉 e of thy holy Spirit that I may thereby become 〈…〉 iritual that I may no longer live af 〈…〉 destruction but daily m 〈…〉 ds of the flesh by the S 〈…〉 may thereby joyfully attain unto 〈…〉 V. Suffer me not O Lord any longer to delude my self with the shews and shadows of devotion but so guide me by the blessed motions of thy holy Spirit that I may dye truly and daily unto sin and live hourly unto righteousness Lord thou seest all my desires and my groanings are not hid from thee O! grant me this mercy and take from me what thou wilt even life it self without thee is bitterness unto me unglew my heart from the World and fix it wholly upon thee and thy service that so I may spiritually rejoyce in thee be graciously accepted of thee and ever blessed with thee Amen Meditations for Wednesday Evening a preparation to the Holy Sacrament I. AFter all these injuries Consider what Scourgings and Whipping our Saviour suffered at the Pillar for when the Judge perceived that he was not able to pacifie the furious rage of those his most cruel Enemies he determin'd to punish our Saviour with such a severe kind of punishment as might suffice to satisfie the malicious outrage of such cruel hearts that they being content therewith should cease and seek no more after his death II. This was one of the greatest and most wonderful fights that was seen in the World who would ever have thought that lashes should have been laid on the shoulders of the Almighty the Prophet David saith the place of thy habitation O Lord is most High and that there shall no evil approach near thy Tabernacle if the Blessed Angels fill'd the Air with high lauds and praises upon the day of his Nativity when as yet they had only seen him in swadling cloaths and in the Manger where he was laid what did they think when they see him so maliciously and cruelly handled III. Whither O Son of God whither hath thy humility descended Whither hath thy charity pity love and compassion extended For I have done wickedly and thou art punished I have committed the offence and thou art chastened with revenge the tree carried me to unlawful desire and perfect charity led thee to the tree of thy Cross teach me O Lord to mortifie my worldly affections and all vices that reign in this mortal body O pour into my wounds the Oyl of thy goodness that I may come with that health unto thy holy Table as becomes a worthy receiver Let nothing be sweet I pray thee unto me without thee let all other things be vile and of no account but troublesome unto me which is contrary to thy good will and pleasure let tears be my bread day and night let thy law be better unto me than millions of gold and silver and let it be delightful unto me to walk in the ways of thy Commandments unto the end IV. As there is no greater incentive of divine wrath than sin so there is not any greater obstructive of devout Prayer in removing that wrath than impenitence impenitence clogs yea clips the wing of devotion so that it cannot mount aloft it cannot reach the throne of grace and of this David himself gives us his profession from his experience saying Psal 66. 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me look how far our lives are from Gods precepts to obey them so far are Gods Ears from hearkning to our Prayers saith Tertul the person then must be excepted before the petition and so a sincere penitent is the best suppliant for that our Lord Jesus Christ being the Priest that offers and the Altar that sanctifies all our services there can be no acceptation without his mediation and sure I am he will not be our Advocate unless he be our Lord he will not be our Priest unless he be our King he will not present God our Prayers unless we present him our persons and whom faith and repentance consecrates through the Spirit him grace and mercy accepts through Christ V. In this Blessed Sacrament here we have an unmovable Centre to rest on God our portion Christ our fullness an object larger than the Heavens Oh that our Faith were now suitable to its object the firmness of our trust to the fulness of our God our Jesus had the Widow of Sarepta prepared more Vessels she had receiv'd more Oyl and that we receive less in the supplies of grace and bounties of love from God and Christ it is because we are straightned in our Faith not God or Christ straightned in his bounty we less capable to receive not he less willing or able to give the Widows vessels are all fill'd and here each humble Soul shall be replenished according to the measure of their capacity VI. Not according to the riches of Christs fulness who as the Sea can fill the vessels though never so large and therefore where the measure is but little there the vessels are but small Enlarge we then the thirsting desires of our Soul that the Fountain of Christs fullness here set open in this Ordinance may satisfie and fill them here behold the promises of life sealed here feel the riches of grace Communicated and here see the earnest of Salvation and Glory Confirmed O then let us hasten to these wells of Salvation for in them we shall find eternal life while we are here we shall find rest to our Bodies and Souls but in the life to come joy everlasting A Prayer for Wednesday Evening preparatory to the Holy Sacrament I. To thee O thou blessed Centre of my Soul mine inward and mine outward Consolation my blessed quietness and richest rest with all humility of Soul and prostration of Spirit do I apply my self for mercy and forgiveness Lord pardon in the Blood of Christ all my offences and for the time to come withdraw my heart from worldly vanities and fix it wholly upon thee and thy Kingdom that so I may sincerely love thee joyfully delight in thee and be both now and ever happy with thee II. O God most Holy O Lord most Righteous O Father most Merciful who in thy tender bowels of compassion towards me hast freely given me thine only Son to perform that in mercy for me which thou in justice
requirest of me look not upon me I meekly beseech thee as I am in my self in my frailties of sinful nature but graciously behold me in the beauties and perfections of thy blessed Son Lord give me that holy hungring and thirstings after thee that my longings may be earnest for thee let thy holy Table be delightful to me and sweeter than all outward enjoyments that I may truly love it and joyfully possess thy Heavenly comforts by it III. Almighty God who so perfectly hatest sin that thou hast most severely punished it in thine only and beloved Son whom thou freely gavest not only to dye for sin but also to condemn it and to call sinners to repentance for it have mercy upon me I humbly beseech thee thy vile sinful and most unworthy servant Who have not only foolishly and sinfully imagined that thou wouldst cherish that in me which thou hast so sharply punished in my Saviour but also wickedly divided thee in thine own essence and there by my self from thee in the loosing of thy gracious presence have pity upon me and release me from these misty fogs of sin and ignorance and lead me by thy blessed light of grace to those thy blessed paths which lead to glory IV Lord I have sinned and I desire to repent I tremble at the greatness of my sin and humbly beg thy pardon for it in the richness of thy mercy O let thy sweet saving and preventing grace make this my humiliation effectual unto me O let me no longer vainly think the guilt only of sin to be mine and the punishment my Saviours but let me faithfully believe that untill by thy grace I am made truly conformable to him I have no part nor portion in him but am yet in my sins and thereby liable to thy sorest punishments Lord give me a saving Faith to believe in him a sanctified life to be a true follower of him and a Blessed death to live for ever with him Amen Meditations for Thursday Morning on the Holy Sacrament AFfliction is the proper object of Compassion misery the proper object of mercy and therefore we read how Pilate willing to release Jesus he brings him forth having his back surrowed with the Whips his Head harrowed with the Thorns and his derisive purple stain'd yea drencht with blood and presents him thus ghastly a spectacle to the Jews with an Ecce homo behold the man supposing so sad a sight would have moved malice to mercy and envy it self to Compassion now what Pilate did to the Jews with Christ Christ in a fit resemblance and apt allusion does with the penitent to his Father he brings him forth in the Court of Conscience having his heart wounded with sorrow his Spirit broken in Contrition and his Soul fainting in Languishments of repentance and presents him so sad a spectacle to the Father with an Ecce homo behold the max. II. Behold the man once so lofty in his pride now so lowly in his penitence once so hardned in his rebellion now so humbled in his contrition once so obstinate a Sinner now so pittifull a Penitent and oh whilst this man of sorrows mourns in affliction how does the Father of mercies melt in Compassion when the wounded sinner is presented by the wounded Son and the penitents tears cry aloud with the Mediators Blood how must the Fathers compassion needs melt into sins remission III. This affliction and pain is either that of the penitent sinner or that of the devout Saint that of the penitent sinner who having withdrawn himself from the World and retired into the secret closet of his conscience how does he with Hezekiah even overturn the Annals of his life in the bitterness of his Soul and after a strict survey having faithfully observed the sins which he hath committed and the several circumstances by which they are aggravated he then summs them up into a Catalogue which is no sooner in his eye but sorrow is in his heart endeavouring to blot our those letters of guilt with his tears of repentance through faith in the Blood of Christ IV. And whilst he sets his sins in order before him oh how does a secret affrightment chill his blood and make his heart to tremble in apprehension of their loathsom filth and dreadful curse yea in beholding himself under the heavy sentence of the Laws condemnation oh how is he wholly encompassed with terror and amazement when he looks within him oh the terrors of an accusing conscience and a killing guilt when he looks without him oh the horror of a deserved death and a tormenting Hell when he looks above him oh the dread of an offended Majesty and an avenging Judge oh whither then shall this poor penitent fly for succour where oh where shall his affrighted and afflicted soul seek for shelter where but at the Cross of his Redeemer V. And when Christ so full of pity so full of love when he beholds the humble suppliant and sincere penitent in the lowest depths of his humiliation pouring out his complaint at the foot of his Cross when he hears his mournful sighs his painful groans the earnest messengers of his asslicted soul it is then as impossible for Christ to forget the passions of sorrow which he suffered as not to compassionate this poor penitent for whom he suffered he who stopped not his ears at the Jews blasphemies will certainly not stop his ear at the penitents complaints he that turned not away his face from his enemies buffetings will not turn away his Eyes from the suppliants tears though the Devil hath bereav'd the sinner of his purity yet can he not deprive his Saviour of his pity Christ doth not Christ cannot so remember the sins that man hath committed that he forgets the soul which himself hath purchast his eye and nothing else indeed can do it but his eye of mercy that looks through the guilt of sin to behold the sorrow of the sinner and that affliction moves his compassion VI. The sorrow of affliction and pain in the penitent becomes destructive of sin through the power of faith in the blood of Christ for that God will be sanctified in all them that come nigh unto him and therefore he being a consuming fire in the fury of his vengeance when we humble our selves before him tho with the deepest of afflictions unless it be by faith in Jesus Christ as the Mediator God will be a just Judge to condemn rather than a merciful Father to forgive for it is not our tears without Christs blood not our sorrows without his sufferings not our affliction without his passion that can quench the fire of Gods wrath satisfie the severity of Gods Justice and move the tenderness of his mercy when therefore acted by love and strengthned by faith we pour out our complaints unto our God in a sincere repentance our affliction and pain shal become the proper object of his divine mercy A Prayer for Thursday Morning preparatory to the
Holy Sacrament O Lord who weeled for me as a Lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before the shearer is dumb so thou opened'st not thy mouth thou did'st good to thy Enemies and pray'dst earnestly for thy persecutors O plant in my heart gentleness patience and meekness that I may not be transported with the violent passion of anger disorder'd by peevishness or thoughts of revenge but patiently bear all crosses and with charity may return blessing for cursing keeping peace with all men and loving my Neighbour as my self and thee more than my self and more than all the World I may at last come into the regions of peace and Eternal Charity where thou livest who lovest all men and wouldest have none to perish but all men to be saved through thee O most merciful Saviour and Redeemer II. O thou who sitteth between the Chérubims and whose throne is in the highest Heavens purge me from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit that I may perfectly love thee and worthily magnifie thy holy Name all the dayes of my life For thou art gracious and full of Compassion and givest meat unto them that fear thee and drink from the wells of Eternal Salvation thou preparest a table for us and anointest our heads with thy heavenly Vnction and our Cup runneth over let thy precious blood which was shed for me and the water which gushed from thy side wash me clean that I may with a pure heart and a clean soul come to Eat of that best Sacrifice the Lamb slain from the beginning of the World III. O Lord in the wonders of this holy Sacrament thou givest thy self to be the food of our souls in the faith of thy word in the blessings and graces of thy holy spirit perform that in me thy unworthy Servant which thou hast prepared and effected in thy Son enkindle in my heart a bright devotion Extinguish all the fires of Hell pardon all my sins and fill me with thy holy spirit that by obedience and love I may adore and honour thee all the days of my life IV. Thou hast opened unto me the fountains of thy mercy and hast invited all penitent sinners to come and receive pardon the oppressed to be eased and the sorrowful to be comforted admit me O Lord to this great Celebration of thy loving kindness that I may be comforted in all my griefs healed of all the wounds of my Soul and the bruises of my Spirit and finish my Journey through this valley of Tears unto my portion of thy Heavenly Kingdom Amen Meditations for Thursday Evening on the most Holy Sacrament O Lord thou not only art good and gracious but thou wilt also be so acknowledged so declar'd yea as such worshipped and adored that thy name then be not dishonoured let me though a sinner be accepted pardon mine iniquity that it may not be said thou ever rejectedst a poor penitent and thereby loose the glory of thy name whose name is merciful Exod. 34. 5 6. a merciful clemency is a royal virtue and honourable in every Soveraign Majesty thou then O Lord who art the King of Glory Psalm 24. 7 8. make this thy Holy Sacrament to be the Broad-Seal to my pardon and this for thy Names sake even for thy mercy sake II. I plead not Lord my merits who am less than the least of thy mercies and as I look not upon my merit do thou not look upon my demerit as I do not view my worthiness do not thou view my unworthiness but be merciful unto my sin of which I cannot say as Lot of Zoar is it not a little one no it is great for that it is against thee so great a God and so good to me great for that my place my office my calling is great the Sun the higher it is the less it seems but my sins the higher I am the greater they are even in thine and others eyes III. My knowledge of thee and thy ways is great I knew thy will and did it not my conscience checked me and yet I obeyed not thy Spirit moved me and yet I yielded not the number of my sins is numberless those I know and confess are few in comparison of what are unknown and hidden from me Wherefore O Lord hide not thy great mercy from me who hide not my great sins from thee and the greater is the guilt of my sin the greater shall be the glory of thy mercy to pardon it let it be the glory of thy mercy then to pass by my offences so shall the greatness of my sins make the glory of thy mercies more conspicuous for that where sin hath abounded there grace doth much more abound Rom. 5. 20. IV. And thus though I went against mine own knowledge in sinning yet do not thou Lord go against thine own nature in punishing who hast promised if we believe and repent 1 Cor. 10. 12. thou wilt forgive and now as my sins teach them that stand to take heed least they fall so let thy pardon of my sins teach them that are fall'n upon their repentance not to doubt of thy mercy and so giveness which mercy and forgiveness do thou seal unto my Soul and to each humble penitent through Jesus Christ in a return of peace unto our consciences by this Blessed Sacrament A Prayer for Thursday Evening on the most Holy Sacrament O Most blessed Fountain of Eternal love who hast tender bowels of Compassions and multitudes of rich mercies for all those sinful Souls that cry to thee for mercy and forgiveness forgive the sinful failings wilful Errors and most dangerous mistakes of my wretched life past and grant me that true repentance for the time to come which may truly convert me unto thee II. Lord where Sin hath abounded there let thy grace abound much more Let my degrees of Sin be truly answered with my degrees of sorrow my measure of pollution with my measure of Sanctification Lord hear my Prayer and let my cry come unto thee for thy Names sake for thy promise sake for thy blessed Son Christ Jesus sake Amen III. O most sacred and for ever blessed being who hast therefore Commanded me to be holy that I might be happy look not upon me I meekly beseech thee as I am in my self in the deceitfulness of mine own heart falshood of mine own wayes but in the Righteousness of Christ in whom alone thou canst not but be well pleased Lord open my sinful Eyes that I may see the folly of my great mistakes unvail the faces of my close Corruptions that I may thereby see the foulness and deformity of Sin and apprehend the greatness of thy wrath against it that so I may truly and timely repent and gain thy gracious pardon for it IV. Search me throughly O Lord and try me that none of those false ways of wickedness may hereafter be found in me that so my heart may be clean my Conscience pure my Conversation upright my life Holy
and my death happy be merciful to me thy frail and sinful Creature who have daily been so far from abstaining from the least appearance of it that I have daily ran with greediness into it and hourly studied vain Excuses for it V. Grant dear Lord for thy mercy sake that these my daily diminutions of Sin may now daily increase in me the Augmentations of sorrow that so I may truly and heartily bewail mine offences thou may st graciously forgive them and by thy grace assisting I may perfectly abhor them grant this dear Father for thy mercy sake in ham who dyed for Sin and had no Sin in him Amen Meditations for Fryday Morning on the Holy Sacrament HIs Guards are strong his Fence is sure whose Salvation is Christ which Salvation is Communicated to us in the promises of grace exhibited in the Ministry of the word and more plentifully conveyed yea more effectually confirmed in the Ministration of the Sacraments Now to spoil us of the treasure to rob us of the comfort of this Salvation is Satan's grand design in his temptations unto sin and his suggestions of distrust for by these he labours to withdraw us from our God and deprive us of Communion with Christ who is our love and our life II. But when the bird is mounted on the wing it is safe from the Fowlers net and the soul raised in Communion with Christ is preserv'd from Satan's snare and if through infirmity the soul flag and fall to the Earth and so become intangled in carnal and worldly affections yet keeping the eye fixt upon Christ looking to him in his ordinances to receive the quickning power of his grace though corrupt affections may intangle yet shall they not inthral the soul which becomes restored by the Power of Christs Spirit a Spirit of life and liberty a Spirit of grace and holiness delivering from the Power of Satan and from the Dominion of sin III. Who art thou then O thou afflicted soul who in thy spiritual desertions walkest in darkness clouded with sorrows oh in the greatest dejections lift up thine eyes unto the Lord that when the rising Sun appears thou mayest see his refreshing light and how ever now by reason of thy present anguish thou canst not serve God in alacrity of performance yet do it in sincerity of obedience and this this will be a cranny to convey some beams of light even in the lowest dungeon of thy spiritual distress IV. Psal 27. 14. Wait upon the Lord having the eye of faith still towards him and so shall comforts be redoubled in a life recovered and thy difficulties of obtaining shall the more sweeten thy delights of injoying even of injoying God and Christ in the refreshing comforts of the Spirit conveyed and Confirmed in his Blessed Sacrament in which Blessed Sacrament especially let thine eyes be still towards the Lord in his merits in his grace in his benefits in his love let him have thy fixed heart and thine intent eye yea let him have thy whole man for to this end it is that he here gives thee his whole self A Prayer for Fryday Morning of consession of sins to God before the Holy Sacrament O Most holy Lord God I thy unworthy servant do here prostrate my self before thee in all humility acknowledging and confessing my manifold sins and wickedness my whole life has abounded with actual transgressions against every one of thy Commandments I have O Lord lived in contempt of thy providence committing Idolatry with thy Creatures taking thy glorious name in vain prophaning thy most holy Sabbath I have not regarded my superiors as I ought to do I have envied my brethren defiled my soul with unchast desires laboured to be rich by unlawful means I have slandered my Neighbour and have coveted after his wealth I have heard thy word O Lord but have not believed it I have known thy word but have not practised it I have come into thy house without reverence and approached to thy holy Table without repentance I have practised many sins without remorse and when I read thy sacred Scriptures it is not sweet to me as the Honey Combe but my delight is more in ungodliness prophaneness and atheism II. I have by gluttony and drunkenness pampered my body I am guilty of pride in my apparel I am negligent in my calling by mispending my time I have used vain discourses at my Table and have sinned out of measure against all those means of grace which thou hast been pleased to afford me from time to time I have wandering eyes wanton lusts and ambitious mind and covetous desires which have no bounds nor limits I have lascivious ears unsavory speeches and censorious reproaches Here name thy particular sins I am still adding sin unto sin and transgression unto transgression * and am altogether unfaithful in my life and forgetful of my death and of the day of Judgment III. My abusing of thy mercies and despising of thy judgments is testified against me yet O Lord I am not ashamed nor confess my self guilty but still run on in a course of sinning against the motions of thy holy Spirit and the checks of my own conscience and have refused thy calls and my own purposes and vows of amendment O what shall I say or how shall I open my mouth O thou that art the preserver of all men I know that the wages of sin is death but thy gift O God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord O enter not into judgment with thy servant O Lord for in thy sight is no flesh righteous Be merciful O Lord be merciful unto my sins for they are great out of thy abundant mercy forgive me all that is past and be gracious unto me in preventing sins to come IV. Correct me O Lord but with mercy not in thy Judgment for then shall I be consumed and brought to nothing destroy in me O Lord the cursed works of the Devil increase in me dayly the gifts of thy Spirit fit me for that calling in which thou hast or wilt place me and make me to refer the strength of my body the gifts of my mind and whatsoever grace thou hast already or wilt hereafter bestow upon me to the glory of thy holy name and the eternal salvation of my own Soul and Lord grant that the remainder of the time which I shall live in this present evil World that my conversation may be in Heaven and that whether I eat or drink or whatsoever I do else I may hear always this voice sounding in my ears arise you dead and come to judgment many other things O Lord I have to beg that my ignorance knoweth not how to ask or my forgetfulness does not remember but accept O Lord this my humble confession unto thee at this time and whatever else thou knowest needful for me supply it with the merits of thy dear Son my only Lord and Saviour Amen Our Father c. A Prayer after
Confession O Almighty God whose nature and property is always to have mercy and to forgive receive these my humble petitions made unto thee at this time and though I be tyed and bound by the chains of my sins yet let the pittifulness of thy great mercy loose them through Jesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour Amen A Prayer for Faith O Almighty God whose nature is above our reach and whose secret operations no humane reason can conceive give me that faith without which no man can know thee and without which no soul can please thee Lord I believe but to believe unto righteousness O God increase my Faith Concerning the great Sacrament of thy precious body and blood I believe that in the same night that thou O Lord Jesus wast betrayed thou didst give to thy Disciples Bread and Wine which thou didst call thy Body and Blood with a charge to eat and drink and do the same in remembrance of thee for as thou wast upon thy departure thou wouldest leave them and me a sign of thy Body a figure of thy Blood and a memorial oâ— thy bitter Death and bloody Passion lest I should forget thee who wast ready to lay down thy life for me who am the worst and vilest of sinners II. Therefore I take these Elements of Bread and Wine for holy signs of thy Body and Blood believing that though they remain after the Consecration in their substance both Bread and Wine yet they are more than common Bread and Wine being made by prayer and thy holy word the figures of thy Flesh and Blood which in the action and use of the Sacrament are really and effectually taken by the faithful So though I feel and tast Bread and Wine yet by the eye of Faith I eat thy Body and Drink thy Blood in remembrance that thou didst die for me and for all mankind III. O then let the operation of thy blessed Spirit apply to my Soul the merits of thy Death and Passion and O Lord I beseech thee let me love and die in this faith and never be ashamed to confess thy holy name who hath suffered such an ignominious Death for my redemption O let my Soul live and it shall praise thee and magnifie thy all glorious name thou hast said that he that eateth thy Flesh and drinketh thy Blood hath eternal life and thou wilt raise him up at the last day O Lord I beseech thee confirm my faith and grant that it fail not either concerning this or any other point of holy mysteries for thine alone sake my only Saviour and Redeemer Amen Our Father c. Meditations for Fryday Evening on the Holy Sacrament GOD alone who is the author of our life is likewise the object of our trust as being the Fountain and fulness of all our comfort and strength all our grace and holiness all our glory and happiness Wherefore O my God I trust in thee as a Creator to sustain me as a Lord to govern me as a guide to direct me as a rock to defend me and as a Father to succour me all which relations thou hast taken upon thee in a merciful regard to my weakness and wants that thou mightest the more manifestly declare thy goodness and love which goodness and love now seal unto my Soul by a Communion with thee in the Lord Jesus II. And the best way to strengthen our trust in God is by renewing our resignation and when can we more seasonably do it than at our receiving the Blessed Sacrament in which we have exhibited the fulness of Christs merits as the propitiatory Sacrament and atonement for our Souls by whom we have access unto the Father to receive a blessing of pardon and peace of life and salvation from him do we then with all humble devotion make this sincere resignation at the Table of the Lord even offer and present unto God from our hearts as we profess with our tongues offer and present our selves our Souls and Bodies as a reasonable Holy and lively sacrifice unto him casting our selves upon him in the mercy and truth of his promise in the wisdom and power of his providence III. And upon this total resignation he seals us this assurance that he will exercise those his properties imploy those his attributes for our comfort and protection for our support and salvation and this beyond what our wits can design our wishes can desire or our thoughts can conceive and let not any penitent though a languishing Soul be discouraged from this Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist there to renew his resignation and strengthen his trust IV. And here this treasury is open in this Blessed Sacrament come and receive of this mercy of thy God dispensed by the bountiful hand of thy Jesus who with that mercy gives his merits his benefits his spirit his whole fulness even himself wherefore rouse up thy Soul to receive the bounty of thy God and of thy Saviour with an humble a thankful and a devout heart not forgetting the price Christ gave for thee to redeem thee from the slavery of Sin and Satan A Prayer for Fryday Evening on the most Holy Sacrament BLessed for ever be thy holy Name O thou God of Infinite Compassions who art both truth and holiness it self in thine Essence and therefore strictly requirest truth and sincerely in the hearts of thy Children and holiness and righteousness in their lives and Conversation look not upon those sinful failings of my Corrupt heart but graciouâ—ly behold me in the righteousness of Christ forgive me my many sinful Complâ—ances with nature abberations from grace and deviations from goodness which have caused these my sinful Errors which might thereby deprive me of present grace and hopes of future Blessedness II. Lord suffer me not any longer thus wretchedly to delude mine own Soul but make me truly such as thou would'st have me to be a zealous and sincere Christian that so my Spirit which for those my Sins thou hast much broken by afflictions may much more abundantly rejoyce in thee by heavenly Consolations Lord accept of these my sinful desires and let my loss of tears repair my loss of truth and loss of time in thy service assist my weakness accept my willingness forgive my sinfulness cherish the blessed motions of thy holy Spirit daily in me and for thy mercy sake remove the danger of my own Corruption from me III. O Lord to thy glory and my own deserved shame I willingly confess that I am most impure and sinful even in the very best of all my holy performances I therefore humbly beg of thee that as thou hast graciously afforded me the light of thy sacred word to discover me unto my self so thou wilt also give unto me the Sword of thy holy Spirit to deliver me from my self deliver me from the evil man O Lord even from the close Corruptions and secret Abominations of mine own evil and Corrupt heart Lord pardon and pass by the many
secret and unknown Errors of my sinful life past and graciously prevent the failings of that to Come IV. Make me truly and sincerely holy and to imbrace it neither for fear of punishment nor hope of reward but purely for thy sake who art holiness it self O let me never think my self holy enough but press still forward in thy holy Race until at last I have attained unto that full measure of holiness which by thy gracious Acceptation of it in Christ will End in Endless happiness Bless these my holy desires with happy performances for his sake whose perfect Righteousness thou both graciously acceptest for me and willingly imputest to me Amen Meditations for Saturday Morning on the Holy Sacrament NOw to keep the Soul in an even temper we must observe these following directions first for the best ordering our lives as to the safety and peace of our Souls be the more servent the more importunate in your Prayers when your lusts are most eager and vehement in their desires for this we have St. Pauls example for our imitation when he proportions the vehemency of his devotion to the violence of his temptation and by how much the messenger of Satan 2 Cor. 12. 9. Doth the more furiously reiterate his buffetings the more zealously doth he renew his Prayers and at length he receives this comfortable answer to his sorrowful complaint my grace is sufficient for thee sufficient to cure thy wound and to pardon thy guilt sufficient to strengthen thy weakness and to perfect thy deliverance II. Secondly entertain we no parley no treaty with our lusts have no commerce or company with them silence their suggestions or if they will needs be suggesting give them not the ear lest they make that the passage to the heart we betray our selves to sin whensoever we treat with our lusts conference with them is the way to be ensnared by them we must flie sin as a Serpent not let in the head lest it draw in its body not yield to the first motion lest we be engaged in its full Commission III. Thirdly set we up the law of spirit and life in our hearts Rom. 8. 2. and by how much the law of sin will be stirring in our thoughts by so much the more let this royal law of Christs Spirit and life bear sway in our souls and to that end especially now in the solemnity of the Blessed Eucharist renew we our purposes our vows our Covenants renew we our self denyal our total resignation thereby to obtain a further quickning in grace a further strengthning of the inward Man and all by a nearer Communion of Christ in his fulness thus this Holy Sacrament shall seal unto our hearts the comfort of this assurance that he will never leave us nor forsake us IV. Let us offer up to God the Sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit which sorrow of contrition must be like that of one Mourning for the dead a funeral sorrow the deepest of Mournings like that of one Mourning for her only Son the saddest of Funerals and for our sins deep humiliation is 〈◊〉 necessary whereby we confess the guâ—lt of our sins bewail the bitterness of distress deprecating Gods wrath and imploring his mercy for a full and free pardon of our sins A Prayer for Saturday Morning on the Holy Sacrament O Thou blessed Fountain of Eternal sweetness who art infinitely sweeter to my weary soul than all earthly enjoyments in whose presence is the fulness of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore forgive the follies and infirmities of me thy sinful servant who have foolishly preferred these transitory drops of insufficient joys which have been wearisome and burthensome unto me to those thy rivers of Eternal pleasures in which thy Blessed Saints do sweetly bathe their happy Souls where everlasting jâ—y is on their heads and thine Eternal comforts in their hearts II. Lord open mine eyes now at last that I may clearly see the vanity of the Creature and the fulness sweetness and all sufficiency of Christ withdraw mine affections from the World and fix them wholly upon thee and thy Kingdom Lord sanctifie my heart to believe that there is no true sweetness but in goodness and that there can be no true goodness in that pleasure which is not subordinate to this sweetness which alone is in thee my Lord and Saviour the comfort of all Earthly Comforts and Heavenly Consolations III. Almighty God when I look upon thee out of Christ as thou art in thy self I can there see nothing else but destruction to my body and amazement to my soul in thine essence light inaccessible unto which no mortal eye can approach in thine attributes terrour unutterable from which no Creature can escape thy wisdom trying my corrupt heart and searching my sinful veins thy Justice most severe fearful in the pronunciation dreadful in the Execution thy truth admitting no alteration no judgment pronounced by thee but most precisely fulfilled yet such O Lord hath the folly of my false heart been that I have sinfully depended on thy mercy in Christ without either faith to receive thee hope to enjoy thee or love to delight in thee IV. Lord whither wilt thou suffer me to stray from thee How long Lord wilt thou leave me in this sleep of sin Lord seek me thy stray sheep or I am lost for ever open my sinful eyes that I sleep not in death make me wisely to remember that then only there is mercy with thee when thou art truly feared grant therefore dear Father for thy mercy sake that I may no longer dally with my precious soul by this my security in sin but sorely upon thy mercy as to have a filial fear of thy justice and from security in sin good Lord deliver me Amen Meditations for Saturday Evening on the most Holy Sacrament O Thou great Creator of Heaven and Earth I am ashamed of my self to see in what a posture I am in at this present I am cast down when I look into my self and make enquiry into my own unworthiness I cannot but behold my own vileness and baseness but thou O Lord dost receive sinners else how dare I approach to thy Holy Table thou art he that sayest come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and that the whole have no need of a Physician but they that are sick O Lord I am weary and heavy laden and come unto thee for ease and refreshment I am sick of sin be thou my Physician and my Medicine I am wounded hungry and weak be thou my soveraign balsome nourishment and strength I am sorrowful poor and foolish be thou my comfort enrich me and enlighten me I am fall of dross unclean and dead do thou refine me purifie me and quicken me with thy Heavenly grace unto salvation II. O that I were now with an humble heart at the Holy Table of my Lord there are all mercies conveyed and sealed all graces are
hast heaped upon me from time to time thy unspeakable favours and loving kindnesses in feeding me at this time with the spiritual food of the Body and Blood of thy Son Jesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour Amen III. O Eternal God who vouchsafest to send thine only begotten Son into the World for my redemption and to deliver him up even unto death in remembrance whereof until his second coming he hath commanded me to eat his Body and drink his Blood to the end by Faith I should be united and knit unto his Body and being washed from all my sins lead a new life vouchsafe I humbly beseech thee for his sake to indue me with thy Holy Spirit unto my lives end Amen IV. O Almighty God grant I may cast away all the works of darkness and walk in the true light of thy Holy Gospel Vouchsafe me O Lord an unfeigned desire in being a partaker of this thy Holy institution and that I may lead my life according to thy Heavenly will in all things keeping my body undefiled as a fit receptacle for so Heavenly Food that my soul may enjoy the benefit of the Mystery thereof by Faith according to thy Heavenly providence through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour Amen A Prayer for all the Communicants that are present O Let us now all magnifie the name of the Lord from the rising of the Sun to the setting of the same Blessed are they who dwell in thy house O Lord and are fed though it be but with the Crums that fall from thy Table We have all now tasted and seen how gracious the Lord is for he hath heard our Prayers and granâ—ed our requests and redeemed us from the slavery of sin and death O that we might never depart from thee but be unwearied in thy service let not our stedfastness which is now fixed pass away as the Morning Cloud or our Devotions fly away as a shadow which hath no continuance but arm us O good Lord against all manner of sin that we may all say with the Kingly Prophet I have sworn and am stedfastly purposed to keep thy righteous Judgments Direct and guide us O Lord with thy Holy Spirit thy All seeing eye and thy Heavenly hand that though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we may fear no evil for thou art with us Amen Meditations out of the Psalms O praise the Lord with me and let us Magnifie his name together I sought the Lord and he heard me yea he delivered me out of all my fears O fear the Lord ye that be his Saints for they that fear him do lack nothing The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears are open unto their prayers The righteous cry and the Lord heareth them and delivereth them out of all their troubles The Lord is nigh unto all them that are of a contrite heart and will save such as be of an humble Spirit Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of all He hath not dealt with us after our sin nor rewarded us according to our iniquities For he knoweth whereof we are made he remembreth we are but dust The Lord delivereth the souls of his servants and all they that put their trust in him shall not be destitute Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. A Concluding Prayer I Thank thee O thou great Creator that thou hast at this time given me such a supply of thy Grace whereby I may come to thy Eternal Glory thou hast now entertained me at thy Holy Table and received me with that fatherly affection by speaking peace unto my conscience and saying to my soul thou art my salvation O what reward can I return for these unspeakable mercies I will rejoyce and be exceeding glad admire and celebrate the love of my Saviour O ye Almighty powers it is my duty to extol him to whom you pay all these praises let me for ever Magnifie thy Holy Name O Lord and thy praises for ever shall be in my Mouth for thou only art Holy and it is thy peace alone which passeth all understanding O let it keep my heart and mind in the knowledge and love of thee and of thy Son Jesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour and let thy favour and blessing O merciful Father with thy Son my only Saviour and the Holy Ghost my only sanctifier remain with we alwaies Amen A Prayer at home the same day O Thou Fountain of everlasting happiness strike my soul with an Holy admiration of thy Divine goodness thou hast of thine infinite Pitty and Compassion to me a poor wretched Sinner received me into the bosom of thy Mercy and art reconciled unto me by the Blood of thy Son Jesus Christ thou hast issued forth a free and full pardon unto me of all my sins and transgressions from that great office of Mercy thou hast opened to thy Church and People and I have now again renewed my Covenant of Love and Allegiance unto thee my God and anâ— again consecrated unto thee in the Holy Blood of the Lord Jesus O let the Holy sense of this thy great goodness and loving kindness rest for ever upon my Soul and oblige my heart for ever unto thee and I beseech thee that thou wâ—lt never leave me nor forsake me but let me walk in the light of thy countenance to my lives end Amen Lastly how to live well a righteous godly and sober life after receiving this most Holy Sacrament Psal 50. 23. Whoso offereth me thanks and praise he honoureth me and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the Salvation of God I. And the better to attain these directions let us follow what the Kingly Prophet layeth down to eschew evil and do good seek peace and ensue it which is the banishing from the Soul all kind of Vices and adorning it with Virtues and this is by becoming a new creature destroying of the image of old earthly Adam and reforming it with the Image of the new Adam our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ II. By this means we attain to that supernatural end for which we were created which is to see Almighty God in his own glory and excellency which that we may all do let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of God As soon as you awake in the Morning give the first fruits of thy reason to the Divine Majesty let your memory understanding will and heart discharge their duties let your tongue and mouth hands and arms contribute in offering up this Morning Sacrifice to thy great Creator Which thou mayest do in this manner A Prayer for the Morning O Most Powerful Lord God which sittest upon the Cherubims and stretchest out the Heavens like a Curtain I adore thee my God from the centre of my Nothing with all the Creatures of the Vniverse and come unto thee upon the bended knees of my heart humbly beseeching thee in thy mercy to look upon me and fully to remit unto me all my sins and transgressions whatsoever and give me unfeigned repentance and newness of life for the time to come as thou hast now awakened my body from sleep so I beseech thee awake my soul from sin and carnal security as thou hast caused the light of the day to shine upon my bodily eyes so good Lord cause the light of thy Word and Holy Spirit to illuminate my heart and give me grace to walk in all holy obedience before thy face this day teach me to fear thee continually wheresoever I am to neglect all things in regard of thee to love thee and my Brethren for thy s 〈…〉 ke let whatsoever I do this day be pleasing in thy sight who art my alone Creator let not any temptations this day delude me but O Lord my God be thou ever near me with me and about me to protect preserve and defend me from this time forth and all the days of my life now and for evermore Amen Our Father c. A Prayer for Noon O Eternal God every hour of the day will I lift up my heart unto thee stop not thine ear O Lord but hear me and that right soon let me not nourish the disease of sloth in my blood but spend my life as the clouds execute their offices to be still in motion quench and kill O Lord in me the weed of Covetousness and let me not be over careful for my self but pittiful and merciful to those that want Keep my hands clean from touching riches unlawful last with Ahab and Jezabel I commit Murder and shed Naboth's blood to wring from him his Vineyard or with Achan be stoned to death for taking goods that are to me forbidden give me grace to be content with what portion thou hast allowed me and to remember that this is no continuing City but I must seek one to come in which Heavenly Kingdom of thine thou art my portion for ever which God grant me for his Mercy sake Amen Our Father c. A Prayer for the Evening O Almighty God the only keeper of Israel who neither slumbrest nor sleepest behold me thy servant who by reason of my sin and the corruption of my nature am wholly subject to sloth and am now even ready to ease and rest my self upon my Bed I know not whether thou wilt this very night make my Bed in the dark and the hour of my visitation be this present Evening my years are but a span long my age is nothing unto thee my days pass like a Weavers shuttle and my life is brought to an end as it were a tale that is told this hour may be my last hour and my next sleep my last and long sleep therefore I beseech thee let me every Evening seriously ponder and meditate and though my eyes sleep yet let my soul continually watch to attend thy coming keep me this night both in body and soul from all mine enemies both visible and invisible now and for evermore Amen Our Father c. FINIS
thee and be thou confounded and ashamed of all thy iniquities consider who thy Creator is and who thou art how he hath behaved himself towards thee and what ungrateful returns thou hast made in requital to him Thou hast made me O Lord when I was not and that according to thy own Image and from the very instant of my being hast been my God my Father and my Deliverer and with the benefits of thy providence hast preserved my life even till this present moment II. But because these things O Heavenly Father cost thee nothing to bind me more fast to thee thou hast given me a present which cost thee dear thou didst come down from Heaven to seck me in all those ways in which I had lost my self by thy captivity thou hast loosed my bonds and by delivering thy self into the hands of sinners thou hast delivered me from the power of the Devil and by taking upon thee the form of a sinner thou hast destroyed my sin these things thou didst to allure and bind me unto thee and to strengthen my hope to make me detest and abhor sin by beholding what thou hast done and suffered to over throw the Kingdom of sin O how can I without tears call to remembrance how oft times thou mightest justly have bereaved me of my life how many thousand Souls now peradventure burn in Hell who have less sinned than I and yet I burn not there how then can I be so ungrateful as not to prize the large extent of that mercy which cannot be comprehended Monday morning a Preparatory Prayer to the Holy Sacrament O Almighty Lord God thou hast called me to thine holy Table and hast set out a part of consecrated Bread and Wine for me I acknowledge my Ignorance that I must be instructed by such means as thou in thy bounty hast appointed for me and I acknowledge thy divine goodness that thou vouchsafest me to be taught by those 〈…〉 of Grace whereby I may come to that of 〈…〉 I do hear thy word and thy dear Son is 〈…〉 my â—â—r I receive this Sacrament 〈…〉 ffered unto my eye in the testimony of these two witnesses this truth is established in my heart that my Saviour suffered death for my sins II. As it hath pleased thee thus to offer me thy favour so I beseech thee give me that grace whereby I may walk worthy of it Am I thus invited to the heavenly Banquet to the Table of the King of Kings O let me not go without my wedding Garment last the Bridegroom of this Feast say unto me how comest thou in hither without thy richest vestments which are suitable to this great solemnity thou hast now commanded me to examine my self and let me now try and examine my heart and be acquainted with it whereby I may find out all my spiritual wants and necessities and look how I stand in thy sight by making a severe scrutiny into my self The Jews would not eat with unwashed hands dare I eat with an unwashed heart they would not drink but their Vessels must be purified and dare I now drink and my soul not purified before the passover they sanctified themselves and before this Sacrament shall not I now prepare my self I desire to do it Lord help my desire lest eating and drinking unworthily I eat and drink my own damnation A Prayer before examination O Holy Jesus who art a merciful embracer of true penitents but yet a consuming fire to obstinate offenders I am now preparing my self to come to thy holy Table unfeignedly confessing my own unworthiness committed against thy divine Majesty I have sinned against thee many ways and that since I last received this most holy Sacrament I have not known thee in thy word beheld thee in thy works apprehended thee in thy Son served thee in the Spirit applyed thee by Faith fâ—â—râ—d thee for thy Justice nor admired thee as I ought for thy great mercies I have not frequented thine House heard thy word laid it up in my heart nor practiced it in my life as I ought to do 〈…〉 even I by the lusts of my eyes the lusts of thâ— flâ—sh and the pride of life have dishonoured thy great and glorious name and when thou hast forgiven me ten thousand Talents I would not forgive my Brother a hundred Pence II. As one deep calls upon another the depth of misery upon the depth of mercy what shall I say unto thee O thou Preserver of all men much more what shall I do to inherit eternal life I will arise and go unto God my Father and say unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy Son but thou hast said that he which hideth his sins shall not prosper but he which confesseth them shall obtain mercy I confess and am truly sorrowful I have sinned Lord do pardon and forgive me all my sins and grant that in the whole course of my life hereafter I may live to the honour of thy great name and to the comfort and salvation of my own Soul III. O Lord give unto me now a broken heart a contrite spirit a sorrowful soul and a mind hungring and thirsting after Jesus Christ and his righteousness give me I beseech thee grace to know thee the only true God the Creator and preserver of all mankind O give me grace now to feel the burthen of all my sins and that thou wilt speak peace unto my soul and say unto it thou art my salvation O let me be eased of this lump of sin by washing it away with the Blood of thy dear Son I do believe Lord help my unbelief I am sorry for my sins make me to be heartily and unfeignedly sorrowful I promise to live nearer to thee than ever I have done give me power to perform my promise I forgive all that have wronged me even as thou for Christs sake hast forgiven me let this forgiveness of mine be without dâ—ssimulation and Lord grant that I may humble my self under the sense of my ignorance and dulness and weakness and wickedness and spiritual deadness of heart and having emptied my self of my self I may receive of thy fulness and grace for grace in whose name I put up these my imperfect prayers OVr Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy name thy Kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven give us this day our daily Bread and forgive us our trepasses as we forgive them that trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil Amen Still upon your knees say ALmighty God unto whom all hearts be open all desires known and from whom no secrets are hid cleanse the thoughts of my heart by the inspiration of thy holy Spirit that I may perfectly love thee and worthily magnify thy holy name through Christ our Lord. Amen Some heads of self examination by the X. Commandments to be expressed on