in justice to cast down and thy remembrance throughout all generations Thy gracious promises both of the life that now is and of that which is to come are in all ages remembred to thy praise and glory 13. Thou shalt arise to redeem deliver and defend and have mercy upon Sion thy Church militant here upon earth for it is time that thou have mercy upon her the time of this life is the seasonable time of mercy because it is a time of misery yea the time is come even the fulness of time is compleated of our Redemption and Salvation 14. And why thy servants think upon her stones both Angels and Saints resent with much regret the dispersed members of thy Church and it pitieth them to see her in the dust they pity her distractions and confusions and have great desires to succour and relieve her 15. The heathen shall fear thy name O Lord which now they blaspheme but being converted from their Idolatries and from all the errours of their ways they shall with us adore the blessed and saving Name of Jesus and all the Kings of the earth thy majesty being converted unto thee they shall in all humility confess the greatness of thy Majesty far to transcend their greatest power and glory 16. When the Lord shall build up Sion repair the breaches of his Church and settle it upon the foundation of Prophets and Apostles and when his glory shall appear the glory of his great grace shall manifest it self in the edification and support of his Church upon the pillars of Truth and Peace 17. When he turneth him to the prayer of the poor destitute For his ears are ever open to the prayers of the humble and poor in spirit and such as be destitute of all exteriour consolations and despiseth not their desire when flowing from a true Faith and enfir'd with Charity and Devotion 18. This shall be written for those that come after That the succeeding people of God under the Gospel may have upon record the wondrous works of God under the Law and the people that shall be born regenerate and born anew of water and of the Holy Ghost shall praise the Lord. for the grace of Redemption and great mercy attain'd 19. For he hath looked down from his Sanctuary God the Son from the bosom of his Father above looked down with the eye of his mercy upon us miserable sinners here below out of heaven did the Lord behold the earth when the King of Heaven descended upon earth when the day-spring on high came down to visit us when the Word was made flesh for the building up of Sion 20. That he might hear the mourning of such as are in captivity groaning under the bonds and chains of their sins and deliver out of the gulf of sin and clutches of Satan the children appointed unto death as the due wages of sin 21. That they may declare the name of the Lord in Sion being delivered from the sad condition of being the children of the Devil in the vast womb of this wicked world to be the children of God in the sacred womb of their Mother the Church they might therein and therefore extoll the great Name of God and his worship at Hierusalem promote and advance the holy Worship of God in his Church and unanimously joyn therein together to the glory of his Name 22. When the people are gathered together When the people of God dispersed through the world shall be nevertheless joyned together in the unity of the true Faith enlivened by divine Charity and the kingdoms also to serve the Lord. when both the Kings and the people of their dominion assemble together and joyn with one heart and one mouth in the publick Worship of God then shall the Name of the Lord be magnified in Sion 23. He brought down my strength in my journey In the mean time whilst I walk in the way of Repentance my strength is decayed and he hath shortned my days of health and outward prosperity that I may apply my heart unto wisedom 24. But I said addressing my self unto God by Prayer O my God the God of my life of my health of my joy my God and my all take me not away in the midst of mine age before the natural course of my life expire as for thy years they endure throughout all generations being from everlasting to everlasting in respect of whose duration the years of my life are nothing and therefore I humbly beg they may not be shortned through the violence of thy afflicting hand 25. Thou Lord who art without beginning in the beginning of time hast laid the foundations of the earth which is the centre of this visible World and the heavens are the works of thy hands both the Heavens and the earth and all things visible and invisible are of thy Creation 26. They shall perish as having their beginning in time but thou shalt endure as being from all eternity and through all the changes of created beings remaining in thy self unchangeable 27. They all shall wax old as doth a garment which is worse for the wearing and as avesture shalt thou change them from their present state and condition and they shall be changed in their qualities and operations But thou art the same in thy self immutable and thy years shalt not fail or rather being not liable at all to any term of years but without either beginning or end of Time 28. The children of thy servants if they follow the steps of their godly Fathers in the sacred service of God shall continue in the land of the living being translated from the life of Grace to the life of Glory and their seed of good works the issue of their true faith shall stand fast in thy sight being treasured up in Heaven where no moth or rust corrupteth Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning Psalm CXXX Verse 1. OVT of the depths both of my sins and sufferings and out of the depth of my heart wounded with godly sorrow for my sins have I called as Jonas out of the whale's belly so do I lift up my voice in praier to be delivered from the power of the Devil unto thee O Lord with whom alone is power to help and save me Lord hear my voice in my prayers which I make before thee 2. O let thine ears which are not corporeal but wholly spiritual and therefore more quick andintense to consider well the voice of my complaint be intent to release me of my sins under the weight whereof my Soul complains 3. If thou Lord to whom no secrets are hid wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss so as to take notice of all our faults and failings and punish us accordingly O Lord who may abide it There is none so exactly righteous and holy as to abide the strict scrutiny of thy vindicative justice since every sin from which none is free is in respect of the person offended
I ought To believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith rightly and fully to understand all the Articles of the holy Christian Faith whereinto I was Baptized and made Christian and my Faith in those Fundamentals of the Religion I profess has been weak and wavering clouded by ignorance depraved by errour and distracted by many various Opinions and doubts of the Truth God be merciful to me a sinner I have not fram'd the affections of my heart and the actions of my life according to what each Article of my Christian Faith doth imply and implicitly command but I have profaned nay even denied that Faith by the sinful works of my hands which I have professed with my mouth God be merciful to me a miserable sinner I have too often neglected and been sometimes ashamed to make confession of my Faith when called hereunto by the Minister in the Congregation and most justly therefore may my Blessed Saviour be ashamed of me at the last great Day But he is merciful and I a miserable sinner God be merciful to my sin for it is great I have not studied fully to know what the Will of my God is To keep God's holy Will and Commandments and to understand aright those Divine Commandments I am obliged to observe neither have I obeyed thy Will and kept thy Commandments according to the knowledge I have had thereof To thee O Lord God belongeth mercy and forgiveness but to me shame and confusion of face for I have rebelled against thee and have not walked in those Laws which thou hast appointed for us Sins against the First Table of the Law I Have not so stedfastly and unfeignedly believed in thee my God Sins against the First Commandment as not many times to entertain wild and roving thoughts of Infidelity and Atheism I have lived too much and too long without God in the world Against Faith in God spending my time either in doing nothing or nothing to purpose or doing what I ought not as if there were no God to call me to an account for the expence of my time and for all my actions in time The whole course of my life has been a trade of rebellion to my Creatour of ingratitude to my Redeemer of obstinacy to my Sanctifier of contradiction to a sincere Faith in the Trin-une God Blessed Father Son and Holy Ghost being little better then one of those Atheists who profess to know God but in their works deny him being abominable disobedient and to every good work reprobate Remember not Lord the sins of my youth nor of my riper age but according to the multitude of thy mercies think upon me O God for thy goodness I have not fully relied upon the all-wise and good providence of God Trust in God and cast all my care upon him but I have often distracted my mind with carking cares and fears for the things of this life and have used unlawful and indirect means to obtain and advance my worldly ends and interests I have leaned to my own understanding trusted to my policy and cunning made flesh my arm and riches my confidence been puft up by prosperity cast down by adverse occurrents for want of a sure trust and holy confidence in my God God be merciful to me a miserable sinner I have not made my Creatour the chief object of my hope and desires Hope in God but being made in honour after the Image of God I have made my self like the beasts that perish roving in my desires and vain hopes of consolation in the Creature I have foolishly hoped to avoid thy threatned Judgments and yet have not avoided the Sins against which they are denounced and I have as vainly hoped to attain thy promised Mercies having not obeyed thy Precepts in order thereunto O turn thy face away from my sins and blot out all mine offences I have not stood in awe of thy dreadful Majesty Fear of God so as not to sin and provoke thee to anger I have more feared to commit sin before men then in the presence of the All-seeing God more feared the penalty of humane laws then the threatnings of the Divine more feared to lose a little empty credit and esteem amongst men then to incur the displeasure of the Almighty and the little fear I have had of God hath been more servile then filial more afraid of the punishment then of the sin Enter not into judgment with thyservants O Lord for in thy sight shall no flesh living be justified The Love of God in my heart is weak and defective Love of God and no better then dissimulation and hypocrifie since I have not hated what is evil nor delighted my self in the Lord and in the ways of his service since I have not obeyed his Laws nor studied to please him more then to please my self and pleasure others since I have not longed after a more full enjoyment of God's Sacred Majesty in Heaven above but my Soul cleaveth to the dust and rubbish of worldly vanities Withdraw not thou thy mercy from me O Lord though my heart hath been withdrawn from thee but let thy loving mercy and truth alway preserve me I have too often neglected and omitted that indispensable duty of holy Prayers both publick and private Prayers unto God in the Church and in the Closet taking any light occasion sometimes to omit sometimes to curtail my Devotions and too often glad of such an occasion I have been too rash with my mouth to utter Prayers before God that have been impertinent irregular and unfit to be offered up to the infinite wisedom and purity of Heaven In the use of those holy Prayers which have been weighed in the balance of the Sanctuary I have been both indevout and irreverent weary of their length displeased at their return cold dull heavy and without advertency in the effusion of them And that which renders the best and most zealous prayers ineffectual I have presumed to pray in my sins with an impure heart and unclean hands so that wherein I might have most confidence I find nothing but imperfections weaknesses and defects God be mercifull unto me a miserable sinner I have not so seriously considered and entertained so deep a sense of thy great glories in thy self Praises of God and manifold graces to us sinful mortals as duly to praise thee both with heart and voice both in the congregation and in the closet neither hath the light of holy Truth so shined in the actions of my life that others seeing my good works may glorifie thee also God be merciful unto my sin for it is great O thou who art an Eternal Sins against the Second Commandment Incomprehensible Spiritual Pure Invisible Essence how have I misapprehended thy greatness My imaginations and conceptions of thee have been vain and mean and far below the excellency purity and perfection of thy Divine Nature And as my thoughts have
thy Cross my Crown and thy Death my Life for ever God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ whereby the world is crucified to me and I unto the world b Gal. 6.14 III. Meditations out of the Prophet Jeremy IS it nothing to you Lam. 1.12 all ye that pass by behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger Ob that mine head were waters Jer. 9.1 and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for the Sufferings of my Saviour Shall I not weep for him who both wept and bled for me yea wept out every drop of his most precious Bloud to deliver me from weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth for ever In the natural Body if one Member suffer all suffer with it and 't is thus in the Body mysticall also If I be a lively Member of Christ his Afflictions will afflict and pierce my heart his Passion will excite both compassion and compunction in my Soul so as to bewail not my Saviour onely but my self and my Sins also to bewail my self and the hardness of my heart that I cannot even with a floud of tears bewail my Saviour in his Sufferings nor yet sufficiently lament and abhor my Sins the causes thereof Upon the Passion of our Lord the veil of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom That Temple mystically represents the Heart of man which signifies by its triangular form that 't is framed to be a Temple consecrated to the thrice-blessed Trinity But woe and alas my Heart is harder then the stones of that material Temple and receives not any deep impressions of that honour and happiness whereunto it was created Yet if any thing will mollify its stifness it must be the precious Bloud of my dear Redeemer which was for this very end shed upon the Cross There he bled whilst he had one drop to shed and there together with his precious Bloud he poured forth his righteous Soul with strong cryings and tears to melt the stony hearts of the sons of men into tears of Penitence and Devotion of divine Love and Obedience The gaping Wounds of my dear Lord are as so many Mouths opened to shew forth the bowels of his Compassion and through the hollow of his pierced Side may the devout Soul behold with the eye of faith his broken Heart flaming with the love of Man and dying for love O senseless ingratefull Soul who art not wounded with the Wounds of thy Saviour who art not throughly pierced with the dart of his Love who was pierced to the heart for the love of thee whose mouth is not continually opened in the praise of him all whose Wounds were as so many mouths praising the Lord for thy Redemption I am surely bound deeply engaged to love to honour to obey and wholly to live unto him who died for me even to give up my self my whole self all that I am and all that I have to his service who gave up his whole self every member of his Body every power of his Soul every drop of his Bloud a Sacrifice for my Sins And the very God of peace sanctify me wholly to his service And I pray God my whole spirit and Soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen CHAP. IV. Saint Augustine 's Recommendation of the Passion of Christ unto God the Father BEhold Holy Father thy Blessed Son suffering for me great and grievous things Regard most glorious King who it was that suffered and remember in mercy for whom he suffered Is not this He my Lord even that Innocent one whom to redeem a Servant thou offeredst up being a Son Is not this He even that Authour and Giver of Life who was led as an innocent Lamb to the slaughter and became obedient unto thee even unto death and feared not to undergo the most bitter of all deaths Is not this He whom thou the dispenser of all Salvation didst beget from all eternity but in fulness of time wouldst have him partaker of my infirmity This is truly thy Deity who hath put on my mortality who was lifted up on the Cross and in my flesh suffered that sad punishment of a cursed death Look back O Lord my God with the eyes of thy Majesty upon this unspeakable work of mercy Behold thy sweet Son in all the parts of his Body extended and rackt See his innocent Hands flowing with his precious bloud and pardon in great mercy the iniquities which my wicked hands have committed Consider his naked Side pierced with a cruel spear and renew me in the sacred Font which I believe to have issued thence Behold those immaculate Feet which never stood in the way of sinners but alway walked in the Law of the Lord cruelly bored and transfixed with nails remove far from me the way of iniquity and make me to chuse the way of truth to hate and decline the ways of the ungodly and to walk in the paths of thy Commandments O hold thou up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not I beseech thee O King of Saints by him who is the chief of Saints my Blessed Redeemer make me to run the way of thy Commandments that I may be united unto him who abhorred not to be cloathed with my flesh Behold most merciful Creatour the Humanity of thy beloved Son and have mercy upon the infirmity of thy frail creature His naked Breast is white and wan his pierced Side red and bloudy his distorted Bowels wither his splendid Eyes do languish his majestick Countenance is pale his procerous Arms are stiff and cold his marble Thighs hang down whilst his precious Bloud like water bedews his Feet Behold the punishment of God made Man and relax the misery of created man consider the sufferings of the Redeemer and forgive the sins of the redeemed This is He my Lord whom thou hast stricken for the sins of thy people although he be thy beloved Son in whom thou art well pleased This is He who knew no sin neither was any guile found in his mouth and yet he was numbred amongst the Transgressours and bore the sins of many CHAP. V. Saint Ambrose 's Commemoration of our Saviour's Passion O Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the living God the Creatour and Redeemer of all mankind we give thee thanks unworthy though they be yet desire they may be devout and acceptable to thee who for us miserable sinners camest down from Heaven and tookest flesh of the blessed Virgin Mary of her thou vouchsafedst to be born to be wrapt in swadling-cloaths and laid in a manger to suck the breasts to be circumcised in thy tender flesh to be manifested to the Wise men and adored by them to be presented in the Temple to be carried
wills for the Will of God their own Fancies for Divine Illumination the love of themselves for the Love of God and the revelations of flesh and bloud for the Dictates of God's holy Spirit The mind of man saith S. Gregory doth often bely it self and conceits both in a good work to love what truly it loves not and also in an evill work to hate what throughly it hates not nor can such secret collusions of the deceitfull heart of man be throughly sifted and found out until the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed in that great day of a generall examination and triall 1 Cor. 4.5 2. As the end of every Religious action is to be examined whereby the equity or iniquity sincerity or hypocrisy is discerned so the care and caution fervour and devotion of the heart in its performance is to be considered Jer. 48.10 for Cursed is he that doeth the work of the Lord negligently When the heathen Priests offered Sacrifices to their false gods in the midst of their idolatrous Ceremonies an Herald cried unto them Age quod agis Be intent upon what you are about And 't is surely unreasonable to imagine that the all-seeing spiritual God or the God of the spirits of all flesh should be pleased with any worship or act of Religion where the heart is not wholly intent thereupon and devoted thereunto 3. After any holy action performed in publick examine your own thoughts whether they reflect not upon your own dextrous wit wisedom elocution zeal or holiness for any of which you may expect to be praised and extolled by men And though your heart be so upright as not to seek and hunt after popular applause yet if you be affected and delighted with the praise of men 't is not without some tincture of vain-glory 4. Have you not been so secure and conceited of your Religious performances as to lay your self the more open to after-temptations For the more fervent and frequent you be in holy actions the more earnest and forcible will be your temptations And these also shall the more easily prevail against you the more secure you think your self of the Divine grace and favour upon such or such Religious Duties conscienciously performed CHAP. VI. The Examination of Repentance HAving by all these particulars examined your self to find out your sins it will be necessary to try your Repentance also that the great Antidote against the poison of sin be not defective nor counterfeit And the first particular herein to be examined is the duty of Examination it self 1. Psal 26.2 Have you daily considered your daily offences duly weighed them and emptied them out of your heart by a full and particular Confession of them in the presence of God 2. Have you so deeply considered your sins in the stain and danger thereof as to beget in your heart true compunction 2 Cor. 7.10 and that godly sorrow for sin which worketh repentance unto Salvation not to be repented of 3. Luk. 11.24 Joh. 5.14 2 Pet. 2.20 21 22. Hath not your Repentance been too often an hypocritical mocking of God by returning again to your sins repented breaking your promises of amendment in time of sickness danger and the like 4. Matt. 3.8 Hos 14.1 2. Dan. 4.27 Have you brought forth fruits meet for Repentance Such are 1. more frequent and hearty Devotions for your sins of ungodliness 2. Alms-givings for your sins of unrighteousness 3. Joel 2.12 Matt. 3.10 7.16 17. Fasting for your sins of Intemperance If the tree of Repentance bring not forth such fruits 't is neither lively nor likely to be accepted CHAP. VII Considerations with Directions in the Confession of Sin 1. HAving discovered the black stains and pollutions of Sin your Soul hath contracted in the strict Examination of your heart and life by the foregoing particulars with what other your own judgment and conscience may suggest unto you your next work must be to empty them all out of your Soul to cast them out with an abhorrence which is to be done by a particular and punctuall Confession of them all unto Almighty God in prayer Num. 5.6 7. Without such a sincere and through Confession of Sin Lev. 16.21 26.40 Prov. 28.13 1 Joh. 1.9 the Pardon thereof is not promised and therefore not likely to be obtained by a bare and naked Faith in Christ who very probably wil not pardon and forgive men their trespasses but upon his terms prescribed 2. 'T is not to be imagined that God therefore commands the Confession of Sins as if he were ignorant or unmindfull of any of our evill doings Psal 90.8 for he hath set even our most secret sins in the light of his countenance But hereby first in all humility we acknowledge our undeservings of the least of God's mercies which secondly Jos 7.19 Quando homo detegit Deus tegit cùm homo celat Deus nudat cùm homo agnoscit Deus ignoscit Aug. in Psal does magnify the glory of his grace and the greatness of his glory thirdly we discover our soars to our Physician and our wants of mercy to the Father of mercies our great needs of pardon to the fountain of goodness fourthly we declare our great obligations for pardon granted and mercy obtained fifthly our hearts are excited and our affections inflamed with the greater love of our dear Lord who died to merit so great a mercy sixthly the Confession of sin doth imprint in our hearts the deeper sense with an abhorrence of them and lastly being cordially done 't is an evident sign that we have abjur'd and forsaken them 3. But the outward confession of the mouth without the inward compunction of the heart is but the shell of Repentance without the kernell a carkass without a Soul to quicken it King David 1 King 15.5 Isal 6.6 for his onely Sin in the matter of Vriah every night washed his bed and in the day-time also he watered his couch with his tears Mary Magdalen also with her penitent tears washed the blessed feet of our Lord Luk. 7.38 and such must be a floud of tears and not a few drops onely S. Peter for one single sin Luk. 22.62 wept bitterly and 't is recorded of him that he never heard the cock crow through the course of his life but by a showr of tears he declared the sorrow of his heart for his offence And some of the Fathers have styled Repentance the Baptism of tears Clem. Alex apud Euseb as not to be exactly performed with dry eyes in an outward verbal Confession of Sin 'T is confessed that for sins of daily infirmity small peccadillo's and frequent failings through ignorance inadvertency the daily confession of sins saying devoutly as S. Augustine Forgive us our trespasses as we will be sufficient Quà m magnè deliquimus tam granditer defleamus Poenitentia crimine minor non sit Cypr. Serm. de Laps through
thee for thy guidance in the way of life And he that is thus guided himself will say unto others 10. Be ye not like to the horse that is untam'd head-strong and stubborn or to the mule that is foolish and slothful which have no understanding or reason to bridle their sensual appetites whose mouths must be held with bit and bridle lest they fall upon thee Be not so brutish as not to keep the ways of God's Laws except he whip and spur thee with affliction and trouble this is like a horse that will not obey his rider without a bridle in his jaws and a spur in his sides 11. Great plagues remain for the ungodly often in this life to drive them to repentance but assuredly in the life to come if they repent not but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord and will be doing good his holy confidence in God being not onely notionary in the brain and fancy but practical in the heart and life mercy embraceth him on every side The Lord's mercy shall surround him for his protection and support him for his perseverance in the way to Heaven where he shall both see and enjoy Divine mercy on every side 1. above him in the beatifical Vision of God's Majesty 2. below him in the torments he hath escaped 3. and mercy round about him in the blissful society of Angels and Saints great cause of joy surely 12. Be glad O ye righteous through the testimony of a good Conscience and rejoyce in the Lord not in your own merits for by grace we are saved and be joyfull not ye that prosper in the world but all ye that are true of heart sincere and upright before God whose wills and affections are conformable to the Divine will both in desire and deed such may rejoyce heartily in this life in the assured hope of celestial happiness in the life to come And therefore Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. Psalm XXXVIII Verse 1. PVT me not to rebuke O Lord in thine anger to take revenge of the ingratitude and perjury of mine offences against thee neither chasten me in thy heavy displeasure Let not my correction for my faults be in rigour of justice but temper'd with mercy as a father chasteneth his son whom he loveth 2. For thine arrows stick fast in me The sharp sentences of thy holy Word against sinners pierce my heart with fear and terrour and thy hand presseth me soar Thy vindicative power which thou exercisest against offenders weigheth down and oppresseth myspirits 3. There is no health in my flesh thence is the spring and foment of my sinful corruption and therefore justly punished because of thine anger the sad effects whereof afflict me neither is there any rest in my bones by reason of my sin The sinful sickness of my Soul renders me so disquieted and disturb'd as be those who are so afflicted with bodily pain and sickness that they find no ease or intermission of their anguish 4. For mine iniquities by my frequent reiteration of them are gone over my head their number is greater then the hairs of my head and so prevalent withall that they have brought under both head and heart both my Judgment and Affections are ensnared thereby and are as a heavy burthen which sinks the body to the earth so is the weight of sin upon the Soul too heavy for me to bear the weight of punishment due thereunto 5. My wounds stink My sins through long continuance in them fester in my Soul and are corrupt through my foolishness in consenting and delighting my self to wallow with the sow in the mire of sinful pollutions 6. I am brought into so great trouble and misery Both the powers and parts of my Soul and body are so distemper'd and disturb'd that I go mourning all the day long The sense of my sins and just fears of punishment make the day of my present life sad and heavy 7. For my loyns are filled with a soar disease there there my carnal lusts engendred the fulfilling whereof hath made my Soul like a loathsome leper or some such ulcerous creature and there is no soundness in my flesh which alway lusteth against the spirit to the great distemper of both 8. I am feeble in body through carnal incentives and soar broken in spirit by their prevalency over me I have roared for the very disquietness of my heart My conscience gain-saying such exorbitances but not prevailing makes me now cry aloud through its disquietude unto the searcher of all hearts 9. Lord thou knowest all my desire my earnest longings after thee for ease and help and my groaning under the heavy weight of my sins and of thy displeasure is not hid from thee although I should be silent and not express the same by prayers and tears 10. My heart panteth through the disquietude of its unruly passions the peace of my Conscience being also lost and my strength hath failed me the wonted vigour of my Devotion is decayed whence fear and solicitude do issue and the light of mine eyes is gone from me My understanding which is the eye of the Soul is darkned through the sway of its passions and the Sun of righteousness is gone down upon my Soul because of the deeds of darkness I have committed 11. My lovers and my neighbours who are obliged by the ties of friendship and continued conversation did stand looking upon my trouble â—â—t moving to perform their wonted friendly offices to me and my kinsmen they of mine own flesh and bloud either out of scorn or abhorrence of my troubled estate 〈◊〉 aâ— far off as if I were a stranger to them and not onely my friends but mine enemies 12. They that seâ—k â—fter my soul the Devil and his Angels and wicked men their instruments laid sâ—â—res for me by their cunning temptations of me unto sin to destroy me and they that went about to doe me evil endeavoured by all means to doe me all the mischief was in their power have to this end talked of wickedness framed lies raised false reports consulted and contrived pernicious designs against me and imagined deceit all the day long or continually framed all their imaginations to deceive and ruine me 13. As for me I was like a deaf man that heareth not With such patience I sustained all this as if I had heard nothing of their consultations nor known any thing of their designs against me and as one that is dumb who doth not open his mouth either to rail against mine enemies or to murmur at the sadness of my condition 14. I became even as a man that heareth not taking no notice of what was said or done against me and in whose mouth are no reproofs I opened not my mouth to reprove much less to revile my adversaries So my dear Saviour has taught me by his example who suffered himself with all sweetness of patience he was led as a sheep to the
slaughter and as a lamb dumb before the shearers so opened he not his mouth 15. For in thee O Lord have I put my trust As knowing that vain is the help of man but thou O Lord art both able and willing to succour all such as unjustly suffer and depend upon thee for right thou shalt answer for me O Lord my God Hear my praiers and answer my desires plead my cause against mine adversaries and disappoint me not of my hope which hangeth upon thee the God of my Salvation 16. I have required requested of thee in my praiers that mine enemies should not triumph over me insult in my overthrow for when my foot slipt at my slips and failings either into sin or other danger they rejoyced greatly against me My falls which are grief to the godly were great cause of joy to my ghostly adversaries how much more greatly then would they rejoyce and triumph in my utter overthrow 17. And I truly am set in the plague being born to suffering because born in sin being prone to fall if not by thee supported and my heaviness is ever in my sight being conscious of my sins the cause of all my sorrows But that the plague thereof may be healed 18. I will confess my wickedness and this not onely outwardly with my lips but inwardly from my heart I will be sorry for my sins And great reason sure for they are the cause of all my sorrows and sufferings both in Soul and body 19. But mine enemies the Devil and his angels live and are mighty they are lively active strong and vigorous whilst I am weak and feeble and they that hate me without a cause are many in number they are multiplied and make head against me without cause given them by me And not onely they whom I have not wronged or provok'd but even 20. They that reward evil for good are against me And such undoubtedly who repay evil for good doe it by the instinct of Satan and out of mere hatred to goodness it self and therefore they hate me because I follow the thing that good is hating my person because of the integrity of my actions But 21. Forsake me not In time of temptation and trouble leave me not destitute of thy assistence O Lord my God in whom are all my hopes of salvation be not thou far from me by taking away thy grace from me But if in thy great wisedom it be withdrawn a little for my trial yet not too far nor too long but rather 22. Haste thee to help me against all the assaults of the Devil the World and the Flesh whom to vanquish and overcome is from thee and by thy assisting presence O Lord God of my salvation the authour the promiser the donour of eternal Salvation Let others trust in their riches power yet shall my Soul for ever trust in thee for saving happiness in whom and from whom alone is peace and joy and to whom be all glory Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning Psalm LI. Verse 1. HAve mercy upon me O God the Father of mercies after thy great goodness were not thy goodness infinitely great I could not hope for thy mercy and after the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences Mine offences are multitudinous and hainous and require a multitude of mercies to cover them 2. Wash me throughly who am throughout foul and polluted in all the parts and powers both of Soul and body from my wickedness 't is mine own indeed from mine own wicked will proceeding and cleanse me from my sin both from my wickedness against God and from my sin against man from my wickedness past and from sin to come that both the guilt of sin and my corrupt inclination thereunto may be cleansed 3. For I acknowledge my faults I desire neither to hide nor excuse them but with a penitent heart I own and confess them that thou mayest forget and forgive them and my sin is ever before me my conscience constantly accusing and condemning my great folly and ingratitude in sinning against thee And 't is 4. Against thee onely have I sinned who alone art both my Judge and the Witness of my sins Thou alone searchest the hearts and knowest the greatness and grievousness of my sins and thou alone hast supreme power both to punish and to pardon and done this evil in thy sight What I was ashamed to doe before men I have without either fear or shame done before thee to whose all-seeing eye nothing is hid Have mercy upon me O God 5. That thou maist be justified in thy saying be found just in all thy words and in this particularly Hos 13.9 Thou hast destroyed thy self O Israel but in me is thy help and clear when thou judgest free from the least injustice in pardoning the penitent and condemning the obstinate 6. Behold I was shapen in wickedness contracting together with my very being in nature original corruption from my parents loins and in sin hath my mother conceived me Hence my flesh becomes so frail and rebellious against the spirit 7. But lo thou requirest truth in the inward parts the internall purity of the heart and affections are thy delight and shalt make me to understand wisedom secretly By the secret influences of thy Holy Spirit make me to understand and practise that wisedom which is from above 8. Thou shalt purge me with hyssop My foul and corrupt Conscience hath need of a purge the ingredients whereof must be the bitter sorrows and sufferings of my dearest Saviour intermixt with the salt tears of bitter sorrow of Soul for my sins thou shalt wash me in the inexhaustible fountain of thy mercy through Faith in the bloud of Christ and I shall be whiter then snow through the spiritual candour of my justified Soul 9. Thou shalt make me hear or be inwardly sensible of joy and gladness in the remission of my sins and hopes of eternal happiness then the which no greater joy can touch the immortal Soul that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce in the light of thy countenance shining into my broken heart and there diffusing the glimmering rays of a blessed hope 10. Turn thy face away not from me through indignation but from my sins by the remission of them and put out all my misdeeds out of thy book of remembrance that they appear not in judgment against me to my condemnation at the last great Day 11. Make me a clean heart O God cleansed from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit and renew a right spirit rectified from all the crooked paths of vanity and iniquity raised up to heaven-wards and cleaving stedfastly to thee my God and let this be within me Purifie my will and affections whence all my extravagancies issued 12. Cast me not away from thy presence in whose presence is both the light and health of the Soul and though I am unworthy to appear in thy presence but deserve
rather to be as a cast-away given up to a reprobate sense yet take not thy holy Spirit from me though I have often quench'd his sacred fires by my extravagant lusts yet leave me not forsake me not utterly But 13. Give me the comfort of thy help again or Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation which by my sins I have forfeited and lost and stablish me with thy free spirit Free me by thy holy Spirit of liberty from the law of sin and of death 14. Then shall I teach both by word and example thy waies of mercy and truth unto the wicked who follow the ways of their own hearts and sinners shall be converted unto thee by the example of my sincere conversion and seasonable admonitions 15. Deliver me from bloud-guiltiness O God from all the kinds and degrees of bloud-guiltiness such are immoderate anger hatred malice envy and from all mortal or soul-killing sins thou that art the God of my health the health both of my body and Soul both temporal and eternal Salvation is from thee and therefore my tongue shall sing of thy righteousness extolling thy truth in making good thy promised mercies to the truly penitent 16. O Lord open my lips which my sins have closed up and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise which becometh not the lips of sinners but thou art a God forgiving offences and even out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast perfected praise 17. For thou O Lord desirest no sacrifice of slain beasts for the expiation of sin else would I give it thee were it thy pleasure to accept the same but thou delightest not in burnt-offerings 'T is not the outward carnal offerings though commanded by thee that thou respectest as the principal means to pacifie thy displeasure but the inward devotion and compunction of the person offering 18. The sacrifices of God those he chiefly respecteth and accepteth are a troubled spirit wounded and groaning under the sad sense of his sins a broken and contrite heart the fallow-ground whereof is broken up by a strict Self-examination contrite by Compunction weeded by Confession watered with the tears of godly Sorrow such a Sacrifice O God thou wilt not despise but accept through his merits who with a torn body and broken heart offered up himself a sacrifice for the sins of the world 19. O be favourable and gracious unto Sion Let thy blessing plentifully descend upon our holy Mother the Church both universal and this particular Church whereof I am a Member build thou the walls of Jerusalem Repair the breaches both in true doctrine and discipline which through licenciousness in opinion and conversation are greatly decayed that the Souls of the righteous may enjoy the vision of peace 20. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness with those sacred acts and offices of true Repentance whereby through Faith in the bloud of Christ the sinner is justified with burnt-offerings not of beasts without spot or defect but of holy innocent persons enfir'd with godly zeal and devotion to thy Service and whole burnt-offerings even the whole man devoted to a whole entire obedience through the whole course of life then shall they offer young bullocks upon thine altar themselves shall they offer upon the Altar of a pure heart a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God through Jesus Christ Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. Psalm CII Verse 1. HEar my praier O Lord as to the saving effects thereof and let my crying come unto thee be accepted by thee since my loud voice manifests the inward zeal and devotion of my heart 2. Hide not thy face from me under the thick cloud of my transgressions in the time of my trouble when burthened with the weight of sin or violence of temptation inclâ—ne thine ears to me when I call being penitent and humbled under thy mighty hand O hear me and that right soon there being danger in delay 3. For my days are consumed away like smoak spent in airy light vain unprofitable and black sinful works and my bones the strength and support of my Soul are burnt up as it were a firebrand scorched and withered through the exorbitant heat of carnal concupiscence which renders me liable to the fire of thy wrath 4. My heart is smitten down and withered like grass As when the grass is mowed down and withered by the Sun 's hot beams so my Soul being smitten down by the violence of temptation is dried up and withered in her devotion so that I forget to eat my bread neglecting the sweet refreshments of thy Holy Word and Sacraments where the Soul is nourished with the bread of life 5. For the voice of my groaning under the heavy burthen of my sins my bones will scarce cleave to my flesh being macerated by the strict rigour of penitential severities 6. I am become like a pelican in the wilderness flying even the sight and society of men through shame and confusion of face and like an owl that is in the desart that takes up her lodging in ruinous houses and not inhabited 7. I have watched in the serious consideration of my sinful and sad condition and am even as it were a sparrow flying the company of sinners that sitteth alone upon the house top solitary serious and studious how to escape the snares of sin below and mount up my Soul to Heaven above 8. Mine enemies revile me all the day long Such as hate to be reformed and are enemies to a serious and settled course of Religion continually deride and revile me and they that are mad upon me with rage and fury are sworn together against me have conspired my ruine 9. For I have eaten ashes as it were bread My meat was as unpleasant to me as if I had eaten ashes and mingled my drink with weeping All my wonted corporal refreshments were sowred with spiritual sorrow for my sins Or a August in loc I have exercised the penitential rigours of ashes and weeping sack-cloath and ashes being the armour and cloathing of penitents 10. And that because of thine indignation and wrath That 's the chief ingredient in my sorrow that I have deservedly incurred thy wrath for thou hast lift me up and cast me down Thou seemest as it were to raise me up that I may fall with the greater weight and violence or Thou hast raised me to great honour to be stampt after thine own image but for want of understanding I have faln down as low as the beasts that perish 11. My days are gone like a shadow they are not onely vain empty and unprofitable but also darksom and gloomy because I have declined from the Sun of righteousness and I am withered like grass for want of the celestial dew of Divine grace 12. But thou O Lord shalt endure for ever Whilst all other things pass away thou changest not being immutable as in mercy to raise up so
infinite 4. For there is mercy with thee to forgive the sins of the penitent and to raise up them that are faln therefore shalt thou be feared or worshipped with reverence and godly fear thy mercy engaging and sweetly working upon our hearts to fear thy Name 5. I look for the Lord even for his saving mercy my soul doth wait for him to heal her soars and satisfie her longing desires with the oil and wine of mercy and consolation in his word is my trust for therein he hath promised to pardon the penitent to heal the broken-hearted And I doubt not but he will be as good as his word and therefore 6. My soul fleeth unto the Lord upon the spiritual wings of ardent desires strong hopes fervent prayers before the morning-watch very early in the morning of the day or in the morning of my life the time of my youth I say before the morning-watch or more carnestly then such who are appointed watch-men for the night do wait for the morning to be discharged from their watch and have liberty to repose themselves 7. O Israel Ye that are of the number of God's people members of his Church if you be wise trust not in your selves nor in others but trust in the Lord who never faileth to help them that put their trust in him and be doing good for with the Lord there is mercy There is there was and ever will be mercy with him to justifie sinners that truly repent and believe in him for his mercy endureth for ever and with him there is plenteous redemption His precious bloud whereby we are redeemed is plentifully sufficient to satisfie for our sins and not for ours onely but for the sins of the whole world 8. And he shall redeem Israel No doubt but he will more especially above all others redeem his own inheritance from all his sins Be they never so many mortal and venial if truly repented through Faith in the bloud of Christ they shall be pardoned And therefore we have great reason to give Glory to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. Psalm CXLIII Verse 1. HEar my prayer O Lord for the obtaining of what is good and consider my desire for the avoiding of what is evil hearken unto me in both respects for thy truth of thy promises made to hear the prayers of the humble and for thy righteousness sake in performing all such promises to those who trust not in their own but in thy righteousness condemning themselves that they may be absolved by thee 2. And enter not into judgment without any intermixture of mercy with thy servant O Lord I dare not say thy son but confess with the Prodigal that I have sinned against Heaven but reject me not from among the number of thy servants for in thy sight who art a God of purer eyes then to behold iniquity shall no man living in this frail mortal flesh be justified by his own merits but by the mercy of God through the merits of Christ 3. For the enemy the Devil hath persecuted my soul and doth incessantly undermine its innocence by his temptations and snares he hath smitten my life down to the ground so that my Soul grovels in the dust of earthly desires he hath laid me in the darkness involv'd in the night of secular lusts as the men that have been long dead in their trespasses and sins having no sense or feeling of their desperate condition 4. Therefore is my spirit vexed within me My Conscience within me being defiled and my Soul which would aspire to Heaven-ward depressed with the weight of her sins and the corruption of her flesh is a great corrosive and vexation of my spirit and my heart within me is desolate destitute of all consolation 5. Yet do I remember the time past wherein thy people have been exercised and tried both by adversity and prosperity both by temptations and deliverances and for my consolation and strengthning my hopes of deliverance I muse upon all thy works wherein I observe as thy great power and wisedom so thy mercy allaying the rigour of thy justice yea I enâ—â—ise my self in the works of thy hands wherein I find thy mercy to be over thy works and that I though an unprofitable work of thy hands may obtain mercy also 6. I stretch forth my hands unto thee both praying with my lips and working with my hands to obtain may petitions and my soul pours forth her self in the expansion of my hands which being in her self dry and barren of consolation gaspeth unto thee the fountain of living waters and well-spring of Divine graces even as a thirsty land gapeth to be fill'd and satisfied with rain from Heaven 7. Hear me O Lord watering my thirsty Soul with the celestial dew of thy Divine grace and that soon delay not to satisfie the thirst of my soul which is great for my spirit waxeth faint hath lost its wonted fersour of devotion being oppressed with the burthen of her sins and destitute of the sweet refreshments and influences of thy Holy Spirit hide not thy face from me as one turns away his face from his enemie or one with whom he is justly offended lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit If thou look not in mercy upon me I shall be in the same condition with them that are involved in the pit both of sin and of death 8. O let me hear be made sensible of thy loving kindness betimes in the morning early and betimes in this life and after the night of this life is ended in the morning of that day which never shall have end for in thee is my trust not in my self nor in any help of man for it is but vain and so will prove my trust in thee also except I obey thy will and walk in thy ways the which that I may do I humbly beg shew thou me the way of thy laws and the paths of thy Commandments wherein I should walk as leading to my native home of Heaven where my immortal Soul was first framed by the hands of the Almighty for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul which being made after thine Image aspires to become perfect in the beatifical vision and fruition of thy sacred Majesty In which way being soar let and hindred it implores thy assistence saying 9. Deliver me from mine enemies O God both visible and invisible ghostly and bodily adversaries for I flee unto thee when assaulted by them to hide me under the covert of thy protection from all the storms of temptations which daily arise in the tumultuous sea of this life 10. Teach me who am naturally blind and careless of my duty to doe the thing that pleaseth thee not onely to know but to doe thy will not to follow mine own pleasure but what is pleasing and acceptable unto thee for thou art my God who hast created and redeemed me and that I may be
throughly sanctified let thy loving Spirit the Spirit of love and verity lead me forth in the straight direct way that leads into the land of righteousness That 's the promised Land the celestial Canaan where alone is perfect everlasting righteousness in the blissful presence of the God of righteousness 11. Quicken me O Lord who am dull and dead-hearted and faint in the way towards the land of the living for thy name's sake which I invoke and adore and for thy righteousness sake not for mine which is little and good for little bring my soul out of trouble delivering me from whatever disturbs the peace of my Soul and hinders her progress in the way to Heaven 12. And of thy goodness slay mine enemies Mortifie in me all unruly lusts and passions that rebell against Reason and Religion and destroy all them that vex my soul by exciting and fomenting the flesh against the spirit the sensual against her rational faculties that the whole may be obedient unto thee for I am thy servant Created Redeemed not to serve my own lusts and exorbitant passions but to be Sanctified or devoted wholly to serve thee in holiness and righteousness before thee all the days of my life And so shall my Soul praise thee with joyfull lips and say Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning I. O most just and merciful God who being by Sin offended art by true Repentance appeased be propitious to the Prayers of thy faithful people and in great mercy turn away from us those scourges of thy wrath which our sins have justly deserved through Jesus Christ our Lord. II. Remember not Lord our offences nor the offences of our fore-fathers neither take thou vengeance of our sins but spare us good Lord spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious bloud and be not angry with us for ever III. O God whose nature and property it is ever to have mercy and to forgive receive our humble Petitions and though we be tied and bound with the chain of our sins yet let the pitifulness of thy great mercy loose us for the honour of Jesus Christ our Mediatour and Advocate Amen CHAP. XII Meditations and Prayers to be partakers of the Merits of what our Blessed Redeemer hath done and suffered for us O Most Holy and ever-Blessed Jesus The Incarnation of the Son of God who vouchsafedst for the redemption of mankind to be made Man by the blessed merits of thy mysterious Incarnation grant me to become one Spirit with thee who becamest one flesh with me Thou Blessed Lord Nativity wert miraculously born of a pure immaculate Virgin by the power of the Holy Ghost overshadowing her grant me by the same power of the most High to possess a pure virgin Soul in a pure and chast body and to be fruitful in all good works Holy Jesus Circumcision who vouchsafedst to be circumcised the eighth day and made obedient to the Law for man grant unto me I humbly beg the true circumcision of the Spirit that my heart and all my members may be mortified from all carnal and worldly lusts and whatever hinders my regular obedience to thy most holy Laws By the merits and mysteries of thy Baptism in the river Jordan Baptism wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sins whereby I have unhallowed those sacred and saving waters of my Baptism and perjuriously broken my Vow and Promise made therein Holy Jesus Fasting who didst fast forty days and forty nights forgive me the manifold acts of Gluttony and Drunkenness Riot and Excess whereof I have been guilty and by the virtue and power of thy miraculous Fast grant me the mastery over my rebellious appetite to live soberly that I may also live righteously and godly in this present world Holy Jesus Temptation who being fasting wast tempted of the Devil and overcamest him grant me by the influences of thy Blessed Spirit so devoutly to intend the holy duties of Fasting and Prayer that by the power of thy victory over the Devil I may have strength and power to triumph over the Devil the world and the flesh and to continue thy faithful servant and souldier to my life's end Holy Jesus Doctrine and Example who being inaugurated in thy Prophetical office by Baptism and confirmed by the vanquishment of the Devil wentest about preaching the Gospel doing good healing all manner of sickness and all manner of diseases amongst the people being by thy doctrine and example the Way and the Truth that leads unto Life grant me to believe aright all thy Revelations to obey all thy Commands to walk in thy steps and so to follow thee the Light of the world that I walk not in darkness but may have the light of life Holy Jesus He is conspir'd against and betrayed who didst condescend to have thy precious life conspired against by the Jews and to be betrayed and sold by one of thine own Disciples for a vile price deliver me from the conspiracies of all mine enemies ghostly and bodily and specially from the treachery and corruption of mine own deceitful heart and from the rebellion of my flesh which for vile things and of no value daily betray my Soul into the hands and under the power and bondage of Sin and Satan the great enemies of my life in Grace and Glory Holy Jesus His Agonie in the Garden who didst begin thy last and bitter passion in a Garden where thy innocent Soul was sorrowful even unto death sanctifie I beseech thee all my natural infirmities and passions comfort me in all my troubles and disquietudes of mind and make me sensible with godly sorrow of that heavy wrath and curse for Sin which thou sufferedst and I deserved Holy Jesus Bloudy swear who didst prostrate thy self upon the cold earth sweating drops of bloud under the pressure of our sins and out of a sad apprehension of thy ensuing sufferings offering up strong â—â—ies with tears unto him that is able to save O that my heart might inwardly bleed tears of compassion and of compunction and vent it self by such fervent and effectuall prayers with tears of devotion as to be heard in Heaven and healed of all my sinfull infirmities Holy Jesus Submission to the will of God who with all sweetness of patience and submission didst give up thy self wholly to the will of thy Heavenly Father endue me with the same spirit of lowliness and meckness patience and contentedness in all conditions submitting to the good will of my God both in prosperity and adversity health and sickness life and death Holy Jesus Apprehension who didst yield thy self to be apprehended when thou mightest escape and to be bound as a Malefactour being clearer then an Angel of light O let not my Soul be feised by any infernal Fiends to eternal horrour in the other world But out of the sangs and clutches of all the
which being plainly fully and yet very briefly taught in our Church-Catechism to be therefore ignorant of these things which every Child is bound to learn and say is another Species of an unworthy Communicant 3. He discerns not this Sacramental Body of the Lord who prepares not himself to receive the same with all reverence and godly fear t Heb. 12.28 with hands washed in innocency v Psal 26.6 and into a pure and clean heart x Isa 1.16 Psal 24.4 into a Soul cleansed from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit y 2 Cor. 7.1 and perfumed as was our Lord's crucified Body with the sweet odours of Humility and Compunction of Love and Devotion of Obedience and Charity And hereunto all the parts and kinds of true Repentance do necessarily concur for there can be no cleanness of hands no purity of heart if the naturally stiff and proud heart be not first humbled and its stifness broken with godly sorrow for sin and its filthiness washed off with the devout tears of true Penitence through Faith in the bloud of Christ And he that receives Christ's Holy Body and Bloud into his Soul not first emptied of all his Sins by holy Faith and all the sacred offices of true Repentance doth with Judas betray his Master into the hands of his enemies even those very enemies which crucified him for those were our Sins And therefore 't is said of such unworthy Receivers that they are guilty of the Body and Bloud of Christ To avoid such a horrid Sin 1 Cor. 11.27 and Damnation following the same v. 29. betwixt both Verses 't is commanded v. 28. Let a man examine himself and so let him eat Self-examination as 't is in the former Leaves prescribed to be practised is the first and the greatest Duty and requires the most of spiritual labour care and industry of all that is required to the worthy Receiving of the Holy Communion And this because 't is not onely necessary in it self but necessarily conducing to the sincere performance of all the other Religious Duties commanded Our Repentance in all its parts our Humiliation and godly Sorrow for sin our holy Purposes and Resolves of amendment our Faith our Hope our Charity must be examined that they be sincere and without hypocrisy And therefore it is that this Duty is commanded by the Apostle as if it were alone sufficient when sincerely performed to make us acceptable Guests at the Lord's Table saying Let a man examine himself and so let him eat And indeed this so great so necessary a Duty is as greatly extolled and withall pretended unto by most men especially such as talk much of their Religion but practise little 'T is generally the pretence and the plea of such who cry up Self-examination to cry down the Sacerdotal power and function to withdraw themselves from under the guidance and examination of their respective Pastours whose Instructions being not received or observed but so far forth as to every man seemeth good in his own eyes is the great reason why this grand Duty is so generally neglected or negligently performed The which is manifest 1. From the numerous company of those who make no conscience of coming to the Holy Communion when invited 'T is not possible that men otherwise prudent as to their worldly concerns should yet be so sottish so retchless so stupidly careless of their eternal health and happiness did they ever seriously examine and consider the state and condition of their Souls But whilst they know not themselves in their spiritual wants weakness and wickedness how can they have any desire much lesse a delight to come to the fountain of mercy truth and holiness z Wisedom 2 21 22. Matt. 5.6 'T is the reason 2. Why many persons having received the Sacrament but feeling no virtue no efficacy no power of grace no consolation flowing from these celestral Mysteries of Salvation have therefore afterwards slighted and neglected the same For whilst their ignorances and errours whether in opinion or practice for want of due Examination appeared not unto them that Sun of Righteousness shined not into their hearts who appears not but through the windows and the openings of broken hearts and displayed consciences a Wised 5.6 And besides such is the corrupt nature of all finfulness and vice that if the leaven thereof be not narrowly searched out and abandoned it will sour the Bread of life and make it without any tast of sweetness to the Soul b 1 Cor. 5.7 8. 'T is the reason 3. Why many persons have by the receiving of that Blessed Sacrament been more hardened in their sins and in the errours of their ways For errours in judgment and offences in conversation which are the soars and diseases of the Soul being not searched to the bottom and salved by Repentance and the acknowledgement of the Truth c 2 Tim. 2.25 do change the spiritual food and nourishment of the Soul into the poison thereof whereby what was ordained unto life is found unto death d Rom. 7.10 CHAP. II. Meditations and Praiers preparatory to the Holy Communion the Week before THE truly sincere good Christian whose Faith is not in Fancy or Opinion or Presumption or consisting in word and tongue alone but in deed and in truth who desires truly to serve God and to honour and obey him with his whole heart and through his whole life every such qualified Christian will as soon as he hath notice given by his Pastour of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to be administred seriously apply himself to the great work of fitting preparing and ordering his Soul for the joyfull and devout entertainment of his Blessed Redeemer thereinto In order to such a Blessed work 't will be very usefull and advantageous the whole Week foregoing to adde to your daily Praiers and Meditations these or the like following Collects with the Psalms ensuing I. Almighty God our heavenly Father who of thy tender mercy didst give thine onely Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the Cross for our Redemption and hast commanded us to continue a perpetual memory of that his precious Death untill his comiong again Hear me O mercifull Father I most humbly beseech thee and grant that I may with that right Understandingâ— true Faith sincere Repentance deep Humility and fervent Charity receive the Sacrament of my dear Saviour's Death accoridng to his institution and command that I may be made partaker of all the benefits of his Passion to the justification sanctification and eternal Salvation of my Soul through the same Jesus Christ II. I will not presume to approach thine Altar O Lord trusting in mine own Righteousness but in thy manifold and great Mercies I am not worthy to gather up the crums that fall from thy Table for I am an unclean creature to whom the Childrens bread belongs not having too often returned to my old Sins as the dog to his vomit But
into Egypt to return into thy countrey to be subject to thy parents to be baptized by John to be afflicted with a forty days fast and thrice to be tempted of the Devil to be wearied with journeys and macerated by hunger and thirst and watchings to be tired with preaching to weep for compassion to be rejected of the Jews and frequently abused by them Thy Passion approaching thou vouchsafedst to be heavy and exceeding sorrowful to pray not onely with bended knees but thrice to fall upon thy face to be in a bitter Agony and to sweat drops of bloud to be betrayed by Judas with a deceitful kiss to be apprehended by the Jews and bound as a thief to be left desolate and alone for all thy Disciples forsook thee and fled To be led to Annas the High-priest first and there to be buffeted to be sent by him bound to Caiaphas and there to be many ways derided to be brought before the council of the Jews and there to be falsely accused and condemned to have thy face polluted with spittings to be provok'd by manifold reproâ—ches to be scorned and blasphemed and again smitten on the face and buffeted to be delivered bound unto Pilate and before him vehemently accused unto death and by him to be sent unto Herod and there to be calumniated and set at nought by him and his men of war to be arrayed in white and sent back unto Pilate by his command to be bound to a pillar and cruelly scourged unto bloud to be by him condemned and delivered up to the souldiers to be crucified by whom thou wast mockt with a purple garment and pierced with a Crown of thorns derided with a Reed in stead of a Regal sceptre and with bowing of knees named in contempt The King of the Jews again the third time bespatter'd with spittle and buffeted and beaten with a Reed on thy head laden with the weight of thy Cross and led away to the place of thy Passion there again stript naked of thy garments and profered to drink Gall mingled with Myrrh At last thou wast extended on the Cross thy hands and feet transfixed with nails crucified amongst thieves numbred amongst transgressours blasphemed both by them that stood by and by them that passed by and in the extremity of thy sufferings criedst out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Thy head bowed down thou didst give up the ghost and thy Side was pierced by a Souldier whence issued both water and bloud Taken down from the Cross and buried by Joseph the third day thou didst rise again and appear to thy disciples The fortieth day thou ascendedst into Heaven and sitting on the right hand of God the Father thou didst send down the promise of the Holy Ghost upon thy blessed Apostles and Disciples and shalt come again to Judgment to render to all men according to their works done in the body whether they be good or whether they be evil O Blessed Lord Jesus by all these thy most sacred Sufferings by thy bitter death and most precious bloud shed for us and by all things foretold of thee and fulfill'd by thee vouchsafe in great mercy to deliver me a sordid sinner with all my friends and enemies parents brothers sisters all that are poor and desolate tempted and afflicted bound and imprison'd with all Christian people From all our tribulations and distresses from the snares of the Devil from the bonds and chains of our Sins and from all evils both of Soul and body good Lord deliver save and defend us All our imaginations and actions vouchsafe so to dispose and order that they may be acceptable unto thee fill us with thy grace and with holy peace and with all vertue and grant us herein to persevere even unto death that making a good end of this present life thou mayst bring us to eternal life in thy celestial Kingdom where thou livest and reignest CHAP. VI. Saint Gregorie 's Praiers upon the Passion of Christ I. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus hanging upon the Cross and bearing on thy venerable head a Crown of Thorns and I humbly beg by thy Cross to be delivered from the destroying Angel II. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus Christ expanded on the Cross with five great wounds in thy nailed hands and feet and pierced side and I humbly beg that thy dire and gastly wounds may be a healing remedy to my sin-sick Soul III. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus panting under the sad weight of the sins of the world and I humbly beg by that unconceivable bitterness of sorrow thy innocent Soul suffered in that moment when it left the body have mercy upon my Soul in the memert of her departure hence IV. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus laid in the Sepulchre and anointed with Myrrh and Aloes and I humbly beg that thy death may be the life of my Soul V. O Save Holy Jesus the good Shepherd who laid down his life for his Sheep save and preserve the righteous call home the wicked justifie the penitent have mercy upon all true believers and upon me a miserable sinner Amen CHAP. VII The Form of Praier used by our Lord upon the Cross viz. the XXII Psalm paraphrased Verse 1. MY God my God So prayed my dear Redeemer hanging upon the Cross the gemination of his words expressing both the great Devotion and also the bitter Anguish of his Soul look upon me imploring divine commiseration and assistence in the sufferings of his humane nature why hast thou forsaken me That 's the height of sorrow and suffering to be therein forsaken as if the personall union of his divine and humane nature were dissolved and art so far from my health not affording the least mitigation of my tormenting pains or consolation therein and from the words of my complaint or the voice of my roaring for with strong crying and tears I offer up my prayers and supplications a Heb. 5.7 2. O my God I will never cease to call thee so though now thine indignation for the sins of the world lieth heavy upon me so that though I cry in the day-time in the which I suffer the torments of crucifixion yet thou hearest not so as to deliver me from them and in the night-season also when I was in a bitter agony sweating drops of bloud under the pressure of the Sins of men and thy wrath for them in both seasons and sad sufferings I take no rest no ease of my Soul's sorrows no cessation of my bodily torments 3. And thou continuest holy just and faithfull in all thy promises of mercy to the miserable or thou dwellest in thy holy one in this holy and innocent body of mine though nailed to the cross So we reade God was in Christ reconciling the world b 2 Cor. 5.19 O thou worship of Israel who hast so often delivered thy people and been made both the subject matter of their prayers and praises and onely object of
shalt make his Soul an offering for Sin he shall see his seed k Isa 53.10 even the fruits of his Passion devout Believers who shall serve him or keep his holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of their life they shall be counted unto the Lord for a generation being regenerated by Water and the Holy Ghost in Baptism whereby they are made Members of Christ Children of God and Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven 32. They shall come being admitted into the glorious Communion of his blessed Saints and the Heavens both above and below both the Church Triumphant and Militant shall declare his righteousness His Mercies promised and performed in the Redemption of the world shall be proclaimed to all succeeding generations to a people that shall be born new born in and through all the Ages of the Church whom the Lord hath made his own peculiar people whose mouths are filled with his praise for ever saying Glory be to God the Father As it was in the beginning In the Greek Liturgy the people pray in the words of the Thief upon the Cross Lord remember us in thy Kingdom The Priest answers God be mindful of every one of us in his Kingdom both now and always for ever and ever Amen In the Mozarabick Liturgy I. By the wood of a Tree was Adam banished out of Paradise and from the Tree of wood the Cross the Thief that was crucified with our Lord ascended into Paradise The one by eating the forbidden Fruit transgrest the Law of his Maker the other confessed Christ in his Crucifixion to be the Lord of Heaven saying Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom II. Grant unto us O Lord the Repentance of the Thief upon the Cross and grant that we may with the like Faith call upon thee our Lord of great and much mercy saying Lord remember us in thy Kingdom III. Lord thou hast made us in the image of thine ineffable Glory which we have much defaced by the black marks of our many Falls have mercy upon the work of thine hands sanctify us of thy great goodness and restore us to our much-desired Country the celestial Paradise Lord remember us in thy Kingdom CHAP. VIII Meditations and Praiers preparatory to the Blessed Sacrament on Saturday-night or Sunday-morning before I. THOU art now invited O my Soul to such a Banquet as Heaven and Earth affords not the like 'T is the precious Body and Bloud of thy dear Redeemer which he first gave to be the price of thy Redemption and now gives again to be thy food and nourishment Teach me O Lord by thy Holy Spirit Out of St. Ambrose to understand and believe and ever to conceive and speak of those great and wonderful Mysteries and this day to receive the same with that Faith and Esteem Humility and Contrition holy Desires and Resolutions Reverence and Devotion as may please thee and conduce to my Soul's Salvation Empty my heart of all vain idle wandring Thoughts and of all filthy and unfruitfull Lusts Take from me this Heart of stone and give me an heart of flesh a soft and melting heart to fear thee love thee honour thee delight in thee and so to follow thee that I may be for ever happy in the enjoyment of thee II. O Holy crucified Jesus Out of St. Aug. Man ca. 11. I humbly beg by that sacred effusion of thy most precious Blead give unto thy Servant the effusion of Tears with compunction of spirit when I approach thine Altar to partake of that celestial Sacrament worthy of all Reverence and the most inflamed Devotion which thou O Lord God didst institute and command to be received in commemoration of thine infinite Love in dying for us and for the reparations of our manifold infirmities and daily failings Grant me Blessed Lord Out of T. Aquin. not onely to receive that Sacrament in the outward Elements but in the virtue and power thereof not Bread and Wine alone but the Body and Bloud of my Jesus to the Remission of all my Sins and to all other the Benefits of his Death and Passion for me III. The whole need not a Physician Out of T. Aquin. but they that are sick And such am I a diseased sin-sick Soul and as sick I now go to my Physician as a Sinner to the Redeemer of fallen Man as miserable to the Father of Mercy as unclean to the fountain of Purity as poor and needy to the Lord of all Bounty as blind and ignorant to the Brightness and splendour of Spirits as infirm and weak to the Strength of Israel And oh that it may please thee to enlighten my Darkness to heal all my Infirmities to inrich my Poverty to strengthen my Weakness to wash away all my Uncleanness and by the Communion of thy precious Body and Bloud to cleanse me from all Filthiness both of flesh and spirit that I may perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. IV. Thou didst offer up thy self Out of Tho. a Kempis Blessed Jesus even thy whole self upon the Altar of the Cross a Sacrifice for my Sins no Member of thy Body not tormented no Power of thy Soul not sacrificed no Drop of thy Bloud not shed for me a miserable Sinner 'T is therefore most just and meet and my bounden Duty that I should offer up my self my whole self to thee and to thy service for I am not mine own being bought with a price and such a price as transcends the value of all that the whole Heavens and Earth afford beside Whatever I offer unto thee O Lord though it be all that I do enjoy in the world with my Praiers for all it will not be accepted without the offering of my self for 't is not mine but me not all that is without me but all that is within me thou requirest as the price of thy self to be enjoyed Receive me O Lord in the devout Participation of thy most holy Body and Bloud whereunto I am now invited Guard me O Lord with the pious custody and strong defence of thy holy Angels invisibly present and assistent in the transaction of those tremend Mysteries of Godliness and Salvation that the enemies of all that is holy and good may be thence driven back with shame and confusion In all the holy Actions of that sacred celestial Service make me sensible of the sweetness of thy presence with me that I may taste and see how gracious the Lord is a Psal 34.8 be satisfied with the plenteousness of thy house and drink of thy pleasures as out of a river For with thee is the Well of life and in thy light shall we see light b Psal 36.8 9. O send out thy light and thy truth that they may lead me and bring me to thy holy hill and to thy dwelling and that I may goe unto the Altar of God even the God of my joy and gladness and upon the
harp with my heart will I give thanks unto thee O God my God c Psal 43.3 4. The CXI Psalm Verse 1. I Will give thanks unto thee O Lord with my whole heart a God must be worshipped not with the lips alone nor alone in the closet but both with heart and voice both secretly and in the Congregation secretly among the faithfull and in the congregation b not in the Conventicles of Hereticks and Schismaticks but in the Congregation of the faithfull 2. The works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein c whose delight it is to study and meditate upon the greatness of God apparent in his works 3. His work is worthy to be praised and had in honour and his righteousness endureth for ever d wherein to the honour of God his righteousness is as himself unchangeable and everlasting 4. The merciful and gracious Lord hath so done his marvellous works that they ought to be had in remembrance * Though the Lord be marvellous in all his works yet of his grace and mercy he hath therein observed such an excellent order that we might remember and recount them to his praise and glory 5. He hath given meat to them that fear him he shall ever be mindfull of his covenant f In remembrance of the Covenant of grace he has made with his people he feeds them with celestial meat even the Sacrament of his Holy Body and Bloud 6. He hath shewed his people the power of his works that he may give them the heritage of the heathen g by the power and virtue whereof we who were heathens are entitled to the heritage of Heaven 7. The works of his hands are verity and judgment all his Commandments are true h Christ is Truth to them who worthily receive him but Judgment to the unworthy 8. They stand fast for ever and ever and are done in truth and equity i And this being true and equitable shall never fail of its due accomplishment 9. He hath sent Redemption to his people he hath commanded his Covenant for ever Holy and reverend is his Name k God's holy and reverend Name is to be for ever magnified for the Redemption of his people in the Bloud of his Son which is sealed and applied in the Blessed Eucharist to stand as an everlasting Covenant betwixt God and man 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisedom l The first part of this Covenant is the beginning of Wisedom viz. to fear the Lord and to depart from evill or to renounce the Devil and all his works the Pomps a good understanding have all they that doe thereafter the praise of it endureth for ever m They are truly wise who frame both their hearts and lives by this rule of Divine fear the praise whereof is everlasting Glory be to the Father and As it was in the beginning The Praiers I. THou art worthy O Lord to be praised and had in honour for all thy marvellous works but most to be admired for thy grace and mercy in the Redemption of thy people by the Bloud of thine own dear Son whom thou hast also given to be meat unto them that fear thee Be ever mindfull O Lord of this thy Covenant of grace and grant that I may ever receive the Blessed Sacrament which is the Seal thereof in verity and not unto judgment nor to my condemnation but unto the attainment of the heritage of Heaven through Jesus Christ II. Vouchsafe O Lord to pierce my heart with such an awfull fear of thy Name which is holy and reverend that I may not dare to offend thee by transgressing the least of thy Commandments but carefully conscienciously and constantly doe thereafter that I may be admitted into the blissful Society of those happy Souls the praise of whose innocence and holiness endureth for ever through Jesus Christ Praefatio ad Orationem Dominicam ex Liturgia S. Basilii ante Communionem Corporis That we may worthily receive the Body and Bloud of our Lord to the confirming and strengthning of our Souls let us worthily say that Praier which the onely-begotten Son of God hath taught us crying unto heaven with a pure heart Our Father which art in Heaven You may if you desire to enlarge your Praiers upon this divine subject adde Psal CXVI verse 10. to the end and CXXVIII and CXLVII verse 12. to the end CHAP. IX Meditations upon your going to Church with some short Directions for your demeanour in the House and in the Service of God UPON your going to Church three things will be necessary for you to consider 1. the condition of the Place whither you are going 2. the great End of your going thither and 3. how there you are to demean your self All this you would consider if you were going to the Palace of an earthly Prince who is but a mortall man like your self and you surely have much more reason to consider these particulars now that you are going unto the Courts of the Lord's House First then as to the House whither you are going 't is indeed as to its Fabrick but like other houses made of wood and stone even as the Lord's Day is but like other days as to the air and light of Heaven But the relative Holiness of this House and its eminency above other houses will appear by the Names whereby it is called both in the Book and by the People of God Under the Law it was called the Tabernacle of the congregation i. e. the place of God's meeting with his people the Temple of the Lord where he presents himself to the view of his people sitting betwixt the Cherubims as on his Throne of state 'T is also called the Sanctuary of the Lord the House of God the Habitation of his Holiness and the place where his Honour dwelleth All which Names do explain each other and need no interpretation Under the Gospell 't is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Church of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord's House 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the King's Palace and Oratorium the house of Praier Any of which Names much more all of them together considered will oblige any man who hath any sense of Religion to obey that command of God himself which is not merely ceremonial and typical but moral and perpetual Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary I am the Lord a Lev. 19.30 Secondly as to the great End of your going to Church it is to present your self before the Lord and there to adore the great Majesty of Heaven from whom you have your life and breath and all things It is not to serve your self by hearing this or tother fine-gifted Minister tickling your itching ears by his taking discourses agreeable to your fancy but to serve the Lord is your errand to his House viz. there to joyn
accepted and please thee O Lord my God IV. Let not the Participation of thy Body Lord Jesus which I too much unworthy presume to receive be unto me for judgment but effectual through thy great mercy for the safeguard both of my Mind and Body and for the healing of my sin-sick Soul who livest and reignest with the Father Out of the Greek Ritual I. May what we now offer up unto thee O Lord be accepted for the mercy of the universal World for all them for whom Christ offered up himself a Sacrifice upon the Altar of the Cross for the glory of thy Name and for the coming of the Holy Ghost that he may please to visit and enlighten my heart Amen II. As the Offering of righteous Abel as the Sacrifice of Noah of Abraham of Isaac so let this our Sacrifice be acceptable unto thee O Lord and may the same be so worthily offered by us and mercifully received by thee as when 't was performed by thy holy Apostles Amen III. O God the King of all give me I beseech thee true Compunction the Redemption of my Sins and the Amendment of my life who am deeply immers'd in bodily Affections estranged from thee and without hopes but in thy great goodness and saving mercies Omnipotent Jesus Saviour and Redeemer Amen Out of the Mozarabick Liturgy I. May the Sacrifice we now offer up unto thy Divine Majesty be effectual for the Pardon of all our offences for the Establishment of the Holy Catholick and Apostolick Faith and for all who religiously profess the same through Jesus Christ II. Bearing in mind continually the Holy Catholick Church we pray that the Lord may be pleased to be propitious hereunto and by the increase of Faith Hope and Charity to enlarge its limits We likewise remember all them that are fallen all that be in captivity the infirm and sick the stranger the fatherless and widow that the Lord would in mercy look upon them restore redeem heal comfort and relieve them all through Jesus Christ III. O Holy Trinity the Store-house of blessings vouchsafe to bless confirm and strengthen us all here present before thee deliver us from the day of condemnation and let us not be confounded when we shall appear before thee and in the presence of thy holy Angels but make us joyfull in thy Resurrection Blessed Jesus Keep the Soul of thy Servant the King and let Grace and Peace Charity and Humility flourish in his days through Jesus Christ IV. Grant O Lord our God that we may receive the Body and Bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ to obtain the Remission of all our Sins and to be replenished with thy Holy Spirit who livest and reignest Father Son and Holy Ghost one God over all Blessed for ever Out of the Aethiopick Liturgy I. Holy Holy Holy thrice Blessed ineffable Lord grant me to receive the Blessed Body of my Redeemer not unto judgment but to all fruitfulness in Good works according unto thy will and that such fruits may remain to thy glory Quicken us in thee to doe thy will In faith we call thee Father and pray Thy Kingdom come Hallowed be thy Name in us and by us for thou art most powerfull praise-worthy and glorious To thee be glory for ever Amen II. O God the Governour of Souls the Guide of the holy and the Crown of the just open mine Eyes now to see thee mine Ears always to hear thee and mine Heart to receive thee O give me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me And after of thy great grace thou hast satiated my Soul with thy Blessed Body and Bloud give me to understand both thy Greatness and thy Goodness and grant that thy holy will may ever be done in my Soul for thine is the Kingdom O Lord. Glory and Blessing be to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost for ever Amen III. Grant me Blessed Lord Out of the English Lit. so to eat the Flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ and to drink his Bloud that my sinfull Body may be made clean by his most Holy Body and my Soul washed in his most precious Bloud that I may evermore dwell in him and he in me Amen which is the great benefit of the Communion of Saints After you have received the consecrated Bread The Bread which I have now taken is the Bread which came down from Heaven and giveth life unto the world Oh that I may now feel its efficacy enquickening and inflaming my Soul with the heavenly ardours of divine love having all my Affections set upon things above and not upon things below May this Bread be to my Soul the staff of strength whereby I may vanquish all the assaults of the Devil the World and the Flesh and continue my Lord 's faithfull Servant and Souldier to my life's end Amen After the Cup received O that this precious Bloud of my dear Redeemer may be now both the Purification and Nourishment of my Soul the seal of my Pardon and Peace with God and the pledge of mine Inheritance in Heaven After both Grant Holy Jesus that as I have now received in faith thy precious Body and Bloud veiled under the Species of Bread and Wine I may hereafter behold thy blessed Face reveiled in Heaven to eat and drink with thy holy Angels and Saints in their mansions of blisse where they are satisfied with the fulness of the most ravishing delights in the Beatificall vision of the thrice-blessed Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost of whom and through whom and in whom are all things and to whom be all glory for ever Amen Out of the Greek Ritual We give thee thanks good Lord the Benefactour of our Souls that thou hast this day made us worthy of thy celestial and immortall Mysteries Vouchsafe O Lord to confirm us in thy fear to preserve our life to secure our paths and to guide our feet in the way of peace Amen The Song of Simeon 1. Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy Word 2. For mine eyes have seen thy Salvation 3. Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people 4. To be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning Meditations whilst others are communicated The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God the Lord God of his fathers though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary i 2 Chron. 30.18 19. Blessed are they who dwell in the House of the Lord and are fed though it be but with the crums that fall from his Table The XXXIV Psalm is in the Apostolical Constitutions and in S. Chrysostom 's Liturgy appointed to be at this time devoutly praied Verse 1. I Will alway give thanks unto the Lord his praise shall ever be in my mouth 2. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord the