Cries Is there then no Help and must I perish for Ever wherefore hast thou made all Men for Naught Why did thy Exuburant love express it self to lost Mankind by such a woundrous Miracle Why dist thou empty thy self and come down among us become Poor endure Hardship Cold and Hunger and run through a Sea of Blood But to attone those Crimes from which Men nor Angels were able to set us Free to afford us that Mercy which the justice of God would not allow of Oh my God hast thou only excepted me wilt thou be so severe with me who have most need of the satisfaction of my Saviour which was offer'd for a Sinful World I am inexpressibly Miserable and want to be sensible of my Condition and will infinite Mercy refuse what the love of God came on purpose to do Can my Sins come near the dimensions of thy Mercy I own to my Confusion I am as great a Sinner as a mortal Man can be but 't is neither beyond thy Power nor unsual to thy Mercy to relieve such a matchless Object of Distress I confess I 'm not a penitent Sinner but thou canst make me one and though I want an humble and contrite Spirit yet thou canst enable me to offer up a Sacrifice that thou wilt not Despise Oh my abused Jesus I fly to thee thou mayst indeed censure the Approach but 't is thy Love thy Mercy and my own Unworthiness which drives me to thee thou knowest I 'm more unworthy then I think my self but was I yet worse I firmly believe thy Blood can cleanse me and that the merit of thy Cross and Passion can cover my imperfections Oh Holy Spirit of God inspire me with the humblest Soul and devoutest Affections that I may apply my self to the Father of Mercies and be made a fit Object for the God of comfort to relieve O God the Father O God the Son O God the Holy Ghost O Blessed Trinity have mercy upon me a miserable Sinner We may reasonably suppose that a Man who has devoted himself to Wickedness at the unburthening his Conscience must entertain some such thoughts as these 'T is natural he should be devided betwixt Hope and Fear the more he is sensible of his Sins the greater his Astonishment His Humiliation and mean Opinion of himself can't be two severe if he keeps from Despaire for after all we can neither sufficiently know the evil of Sin nor lament for committing it The more we consider the greater will be our Aversion and when we have arriv'd to such a sense of Sin as will beget in us a hatred to it we may with more security promise an Amendment But before we proceed to that let us by the help of some Catalogue of Sin examine our Condition more fully for the Heart is deceitful and the Memory willing to forget what it is affraid to consider Having laid before us such a Scheme let us then beg of God to enable us in this work that we main't deceive our Souls Let us upon our Knees consider that we are now to Examine our selves of those things which we are to Answer at the Day of Judgment if we don't Confess and Repent shall be miserable for ever and that 't is much better that we condemn our selves than leave it to the Tribunal of a just God therefore believing we are in the presence of God as we certainly are at all times but God is more especially present when we are upon Religious Duties let us say Oh my God! hear the Voice of my humble Petition now I cry unto thee and lift up my Hands to thy mercy Seat Behold Lord now I am about to search into my own Heart but alass my Heart is Deceitful and desperately Wicked how can I know it Thou therefore that searchest the Heart and triest the Reins discover to me all the evil and deceits of my own Heart that I may Confess Bewail and forsake them and obtain mercy Lord hear me Lord help me for the merits of Jesus my Saviour Amen Oh my Soul Thou art now in the presence of the Great Judge of Heaven and Earth before whose dreadful Tribunal thou must certainly appear at the day of Judgment to give a strict Account of all thy Actions of every idle Word and every evil Thought and thy own Conscience will then be thine Accuser Think O my Soul think if thou canst what unimaginable Horrors will seize an impenitent Sinner when the last Trump calls him out of his Grave and Devils begin to drag him to God's Judgment Seat What wou'd such a Wretch give to purchase one such opportunity of Repentance as God now in great mercy gives thee if ever thou hopest to escape those Horrors O my Soul make thy Peace with God judge thy self here least thou be Condemned hereafter Let us now proceed to ask our selves whether we are Guilty or not when we find our selves Guilty let us set it down upon a Paper and say Lord have Mercy on me and forgive me this sin To those we have not consented let us humbly praise God and say Glory be to thee O Lord for preserving me from this Sin O continue thy Goodness and give me Grace to resist it to my lives end After we have ranslak'd our Breast and laid before us the dismal scene of our Folly we shall certainly be moved at our Transgressions and our Repentance will be usher'd in with Sighs and Groans to testifie our Abhorrence or Tears to show our Trouble It is possible with both together and when God sees us thus Relenting and Trembling Weeping and Blushing for our Offences he may be moved through the intercession of our Saviour to hear our humble Petitions for such a Sacrifice he is pleased with and a Heart thus broken God will not dispise Therefore let us now humble our selves and with all possible Penitence confess our selves to God in the following form Righteousness O Lord belongs unto thee but unto me confusion of Face the Vainest the Vilest the sinfullest of all the Children of Men. Lord I am vile in my own Eyes and desire to be more vile because my sins have made me vile in thine I am not worthy of the Air I breath of the Earth I tread upon or the Sun that shines upon me much less worthy to lift up Hands or Eyes to Heaven for thou hast said that no unclean thing shall come within thy sight how then shall I appear who am so miserably defil'd If the Man according to thine own Heart cou'd say that he was a Worm and no Man Lord what am I If Abraham who had the Honour to be called thy Friend cou'd say that he was but Dust and Ashes O God what am I O my God thou maidst me of nothing and thou seest how I have spoiled this Work of thine I have made my self worse than nothing for I am still in my Sins and know not what to do but this I will do I will confess
my Sins and Failings and receive me into thy favour for the sake of him who has taught me to call the Father and when I pray to say Our Father which art c. The following Form to be added when we have some assurances that our Hearts are steadfast towards God O the God of my life and the unexhausted Fountain of mercy which can never be drawn dry I have now by the assistance of thy Holy Spirit gone through though with weak and trembling steps the whole exercise of Repentance for I have confessed my Sins and thou hast promised upon my Confession of them not to impute them to me I have gone one step farther I have repented of my Sins and thou hast promised upon my Repentance thou wilt remember them no more and because thy Holy Word hath taught me that a new life is the only Repentance I have this day in thy sight and in the presence of all the Angels that attend thee in the conversion of a sinner made my firm resolution never to fall again into the Sins I have repented of and now O God the Father of Heaven who canst not be thought so cruel as to make me only to destroy me Have mercy upon me O God the Son who knowing thy Father's Will didst make it thy business to come into the World to save me Have Mercy c. O God the Holy Ghost who to the same end didst sanctifie me in my Baptism and hast so often since breathed Holy thoughts into my Soul Have mercy c. O Holy Blessed and Glorious Trintiy whom in three persons I adore as my one and only true God Have mercy on me Hear me O Lord. Help me O Lord. Save me or else I perish Lord carest thou not that I perish Thou that wouldest have all men to be saved Thou who wouldest have none to perish And wilt thou now shew thine anger against a Worm against a Vapour that vanishes before thee O remember how short my time is and deliver not my Soul into the power of Hell for what profit is there in my Blood no let me live in thy sight let me live O my God that my Soul may praise thee O remember for whose sake it was that thou camest from the Bosom of thy Father Remember for whom it was that thou enduredst the agony of the Cross and shed thy precious Blood Was it not for the Sins of the whole World and hast thou particularly excepted me Can I imagine thou diest for Sinners of a lower kind and left such as I without Remedy O how easie is it to thee to forgive for 't is thy Nature how proper is it for thee to save for it is thy Name how suitable is it to thy only end of coming into the World for it was thy business and when I consider that I am chief of Sinners may I not urge the Father and say shall the very chief of thy business be left undone Mercy Mercy Good Lord. I ask not of thee any longer the things of this World but thy pardoning Mercy O that I could hear thee say as thou didst to him in the Gospel My Son be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee O that I could never sin against thee more never purposely deliberately willfully sin against thee more and for those sins of daily Incursion those over familiar corruptions of my Nature which thou hast not yet given me strength enough to conquer Lord either subdue them by degrees or lay them not to my Charge but wherein soever my Conscience most accuseth me therein O my God be thou most merciful unto me Save me O Lord as a brand snatch out of the Fire Receive me O my Jesus as a sheep that has wandred but now is return'd to the Great Shepherd and Bishop of my Soul Let this day O my God be noted in thy Book do not thou forget my Prayers nor suffer me to forget my Resolutions though I am weak though I am unworthy though I am unprofitable yet I am thy Servant and here upon my bended Knees I humbly beg of thee that I may live and die so Lord hear my Prayers and let my cry come unto thee Lord pardon my Prayers and let not my coldness and wandrings and infinite unworthiness turn them into Sin Lord hear my Prayer and let my cry come unto thee O Lord Jesu Christ Son of the Eternal God interpose thy holy Death thy Cross and Passion between thy Judgment and my Soul now and in the hour of my death granting unto me Grace and Mercy to all faithfull people pardon and peace to the Church unity and amity to all Sinners especially those I have led into Sin Repentance and Amendment to us all life and Glory everlasting who livest and reignest ever one God World without end Amen O Lord bless me and keep me O Lord Make thy face to shine upon me O Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon me and give me peace for ever Amen Having performed this Office with due sincerity let us reflect upon what we have been doing 't is possible the result of our Thoughts may terminate in a mixture of fear and joy But we ought not to let either passion prevail more than is justly necessary don 't let our fear depress and cast us into such a Melancholy as may suggest God won't be reconciled and if we have been dull in the performance of these things that God has rejected us The Devil knows how fatal this course is to redeem us from his Power he is very busie to prevent our repentance and abuse our imaginations with allusions perhaps our own disuse of prayer has rendred us uncapable of a due attention 't is impossible to become immediately good from being very wicked or that we should pray with the same steadfastness as they who are accustomed to this duty We are therefore to strive to the uttermost where we fail to be sorry ask God's Pardon and Grace to do better for the future and in a little time we shall prevail to our satisfaction On the other side don't let our joy puff us up and because we have shed a few Tears said so many Prayers Fasted and given Alms that we are now become perfect and need no more Repentance we have but set the first step to this great work of our Salvation were we sure we had fully conquered sin and shou'd not suffer our selves to be deceived any more Yet this negative part of Christianity is not sufficient 't is not enough that we cease to do Evil but learn to do Well we are now to begin our course and as we have many things to unlearn so there are abundance to learn without which we shall never see the Face of God What they are the Scripture will inform us 't is from thence we are to learn our perfection for he hath shewed thee O man what is Good to do Justice to love Mercy and to walk humbly
my Wickedness and be sorry for my Sins I will pour out my Prayers in the bitterness of my Spirit and therefore now Lord call my Sins to my Remembrance and when thou hast so done blot them out of thy Remembrance and Pardon me A Confession of Sin O Thou great Judge of Heaven and Earth before whose glorious Majesty even the good Angels who never sinned fall prostrate and tremble with what debasement and dread ought I to appear before thy awful Presence who am but Dust and Ashes and which is infinitely worse a miserable Sinner Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty thou art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity with the least approbation the way of the wicked and the sacrifice of the wicked is an Abomination unto thee Wo is me then O Lord Wo is me for I have inclined unto Wickedness but for the sake of thy well-beloved Son cast not out my prayer nor turn thy mercy from me Miserable wretch that I am I have gone astray from the very Womb I was shapen in Wickedness and in Sin did my Mother Conceive me Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean What is Man then O God that he should be Clean or he that is born of a Woman that he should be Righteous Thou Lord puttest no trust in thy Saints The Heavens are nor clean in thy sight and the very Angels thou chargest with folly How much more abominable than am I who daily drink iniquity like Water Lord Pity cleanse forgive and save me for thy mercies sake I know O God that in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for when I would do Good Evil is present with me and I see a Law in my Members warring against the Law of my Mind bringing me into Captivity to the Law of Sin Lord have mercy on me and deliver me from this body of Death from this tyranny of Sin Alass my whole Nature is corrupt infinitely prone to all Evil and a verse to all that is Good my Understanding is full of Ignorance and error my will perverse my Memory tenacious of all things that may pollute me but forgetful of my Duty my Passions are inordinate my Senses the inlets to all impurity I have abused all my faculties and am unclean unclean Lord pity cleanse forgive and save me for thy mercies sake O Lord God how have I through my whole life violated the sollemn Vow I made to thee at Baptism by eagerly persuing the Vanities of this Wicked World by early yeilding to the Temptation of the Devil by greedily indulging my own carnal Desires and Lust by a fruitless and dead faith and by a disobedience to thy holy Will and Commandments Father I have Sin'd against Heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy Son I have Sin'd O Lord God I have Sin'd against Thee By c. Here make your confession of Sins against God and then add O Jesu Lamb of God Son of the Father let thy Blood cleanse me from these sins O pity forgive and save me for thy mercies sake I have sin'd O Lord God I have sin'd against thee and my own self By c. Here confess your sins against your Self and then add O Jesu Lamb of God c. I have sin'd O Lord God I have sin'd against thee and my Neighbor By c. Here confess your sins against your Neighbor and then add O Jesu Lamb of God c. O Lord God my wickedness is exceeding great and my iniquities are infinite they are more in number than the hairs of my head and my heart would fail me but that I know thy mercies are greater than my sins Have mercy upon me therefore O God according to the multitude of thy mercies do away my Offences Who alas can tell how oft he Offends Oh cleanse thou me from my secret faults from all my sins of Ignorance or Infirmity or Omission or which I have not observed or which I have forgot Lord lay none of them to my charge Father forgive me Lord Jesus have mercy upon me O remember not the sins and offences of my Youth but receive me O heavenly Father into the Arms of thy Fatherly compassion and forgive me all my Transgressions for the merits of Jesus thy Son and my Saviour Amen O Lord God of Mercy and Pardon give me a just remembrance and sad apprehension of my sins teach me to bewail them with as great indignation and bitterness as I have committed them with complacency and delight Let my Prayer and Confession come into thy presence and obtain mercy and pardon for me Let not thy Justice and Severity so remember my sins as to forget thy own mercy and though I deserve to be condemned yet thou canst not lose that glorious attribute whence flows comfort to us and hopes of being saved Spare me therefore O merciful God for to give pardon to a sinner that confesses his faults and begs remission is not impossible to thy Power nor disproportionate to thy Justice nor unusual to thy mercy Blessed Jesu acknowledge in me whatsoever is thine cleanse me from whatsoever is amiss Have pitty on me now in the time of mercy and condemn me not when thou comest to judgment for what profit is there in my Blood Thou delightest not in the death of a Sinner but in his Conversion is joy in Heaven and when thou hast delivered me from my sins and saved my Soul I shall praise and magnifie thy Name to all Eternity O Jesu God be merciful to me a miserable Sinner O Lord who art the God that hearest prayers and alone has power finally to forgive sin I beseech the mercifully hear and graciously answer these my Petitions for pardon I am a sinner and deserve punishment but O Lord remove my guilt and spare me who do now confess with shame and sorrow my sins unto thee that I whose Conscience by sin is accused so justly now before thee by thy merciful pardon may be absolved from my Guilt for the sake and through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. By thine Agony and bloody Sweat by thy Cross and Passion by thy precious Death and Burial Good Lord deliver O Lamb of God that takest away the Sins of the World Have mercy upon O Christ hear me Lord have mercy upon me Christ have c. Lord have mercy c. Our Father which art c. A Prayer O most gracious God who out of thy boundless Compassion to thy Creatures art never wanting in any means that may draw them to thy self I the unworthiest of thy Servants desire to give Glory to thee in a hearty acknowledgement that thou hast afforded me all the methods that might either force or allure me to Obedience but I have resisted that goodness of thine which should have lead me to Repentance Thy compassion has been affronted by my continuance in sin and thy forbearance only serv'd to harden me in Iniquity I have lived to provoke thy
complaint of a sad and miserable Sinner I have searched into the secret recesses of my Soul there I find nothing but Horror and a barren Wilderness a neglected Conscience overgrown with Sins and cares beset with fears and sore Amazement I tremble when I remember that sad Truth If the Righteous scarcely be saved where shall the Wicked and Ungodly appear I know O Lord that all my secret impurities shall be laid open at thy dreadfull Judgment O just and dear God! how shall I appear who shall plead for me who am loaden with Impurities Vanity Ingratitude Malice and the Terrors of an affrightning Conscience Wilt not thou answer for me O Jesus thou art my Judge and my Advocate thou art to pass Sentence upon me for those Sins for which thou diest O reserve not my Sins to be punished in the life to come for then I die Eternally but bring me in this World to a severe Repentance Behold I am in thy hand grant I may so Weep and be contrite for my Sins that in the hour of my Death I may find Mercy and in the day of Judgment be freed from the Terrors of thy Wrath and the Sentence of the Wicked Thou hast spared me all this while and not taken me off in the midst of my Sins which is an unspeakable Mercy for if thou had dealt with me according to my Deserts I had been now at this instant sealed up to an Eternity of Torments hopelesly miserably fearing the Revelation of thy day with an insupportable Amazement But now under the sweet influences of thy mercy I am praying to thee confessing my sins with Sorrow for my ingratitude but with a full hope in thy Mercy O my dear God let thy Grace speedily work that in me for which thou so long hast spared me even a true Faith and Holy Life establish in me a great contrition for my Sins lead me on to an humble Confession and let thy Grace make me bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance O Blessed Jesu who liveth and reigns ever one God world without end Amen I hate all evil ways O Lord But thy Law will I Love O God with shame I confess that other Lords besides thee have hitherto had Dominion over me Miserable Wretch that I am that I should begin so early to offend my Creator and sin so much in so short a time Lord I fear I never yet throughly considered how evil and bitter a thing it is to depart from thee O make me every day more and more sensible of the Error of my ways and of my own infinit Vileness Miserable Wretch that I am that ever I should commit those sins which expose me to all the vials of thy Wrath to all the curses of thy Law to all thy judgments Temporal or Spiritual in this life and to all the Horrors and Despair and Torments of the Damned in the life to come Miserable wretch that I am that ever I should transgress that Law of thine O God which is so Just Holy and Good perfect and so condescending to my Infirmities and in keeping of which there are so great so unconceivable rewards O Blessed Saviour how can I ever sufficiently lament the guilt of my Sins which was so great that nothing but thy own inestimable Blood could expiate O Blessed Spirit instil true penitential sorrow into my Soul make my Head Waters and my Eyes Fountains of Tears or do thou supply the want of them with Sighs and Groans unutterable But alass I know all the Tears I can possibly shed can never wash away the least of my Sins 't is thy Blood only Lord that can do it O Heavenly Father in the defect of my own Tears I offer thee the Blood of thy own well beloved Son for his sake have mercy upon me I have been in the snare of the Devil and been led Captive by him and sin hath reigned in my Mortal Body and I have obeyed it in the lust thereof but from henceforth I resolve to serve none but thee and from this very moment I utterly forsake all my sins and turn to thee I do from my heart renew my Baptismal Vow I do for ever renounce the Devil and all his Works and the Vanities of this World which may pervert me from thy Service and all the sinfull Lust of the Flesh O my God I do steadfastly believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith I will keep thy Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of my life All this I am bound to do and believe and by thy help so I will and I heartily thank thee O Father who hast called me to this state of Salvation through Jesus Christ my Saviour and I humbly pray thee for his sake to give me Grace to continue in the same to my lives end O Lord God I have Sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy Righteous Judgments but alass I 'm not able of my self to do nothing that is Good not so much as to think one good thought and I no sooner shall rise from my Knees but I fear I shall be tempted to those very sins I have now so solemnly renounced and those Temptations will certainly overcome me unless thou Lord do'st reasonably interpose thy Grace to with-hold me but I can do all things through the strengthning me do thou then O Blessed Saviour perfect thy strength in my weakness for in thee only is my trust O my God thou hast promised to give thy Holy Spirit to those that ask it Behold Lord I do Humbly I do Earnestly ask thy Holy Spirit now of thee O fullfil thy gracious Promises to me O vouchsafe me that Holy Spirit I pray for to purifie my corrupt Nature to strengthen my Weakness to comfort me in Troubles to support me in Discouragements to succor me in Temptations and to asist me in all the part of my Duty Thou O searcher of hearts knowest the sins I 'm most inclined to here name them herein will lie my greatest danger of Back-sliding but O my God I beg a double portion of thy Spirit and invisible aid against them hold thou up my goings in thy paths that my Foot-steps slip not O work in me that victorious Faith by which I may overcome the World the Devil and my own corrupt Nature My help standeth in thee O great Creator of Heaven and Earth and I commit my Soul to thy keeping O thou that art Faithful as well as Almighty keep that safe which is committed to thy Trust watch over me that I may not be beguiled by the deceitfulness of Sin or betrayed by my own treacherous heart or surprised by my Ghostly Enemies and give me grace to Watch and Pray incessantly my self least I enter into Temptation O Heavenly Father for thine own infinit Mercy sake for thy Truth and Promise sake for all the Merits and Sufferings of the Son of thy Love in whom thou art always well pleased pardon all
of men What can be more agreeable to a devout Soul than thus to exercise it self in the Law of God What can be more moving than to see and hear a devout Priest offering up Prayers and Supplications and others joining in his Petitions by Ecchoing a hearty Amen How does it constrain us to out-vie in Zeal and cause a Holy Emulation when we hear our Minister with fervency crying to the Father of Heaven to have Mercy upon us and we with equal earnestless invocating the Son and Holy Ghost mercifully to hear us Let others mock and call them vain repetitions while we endeavour to express the desires of our Souls in those Pathetical supplications Lord have mercy upon us We are not so vain but to confess our want of that Mercy nor ashamed of the Repetition when we find the benefit even the favour of the Lord which is better than life it self wherefore I must be earnest with every Christian to attend this service don't let our thoughts be roving but correct the wandrings of our minds the whole Service is in order to prepare us to a worthy reception of the Holy Sacrament when once we have got the mastry of our selves and can go along with all the parts of the Church we shall have less occasions for these helps to Devotion we shall find so much contained in the Prayers and Exhortations as will take up all the vacant time in Holy Meditation and this will make Holiness become exceeding delightful when we can turn our Souls towards God and solace them without interruption when we can leave the thoughts of this World and look steadfastly to God But this is to be done by degrees when we have conquer'd the love of this World and wearied our selves from its Alurements and this only to be performed by a constant watch over our words and actions and perseverance in the ways of goodness When the Prayers of the Church are over let us humbly ask God to pardon our defects in his Service and say O Lord Pardon the wandrings and coldness of my Petitions deal not with me according to my Prayers or Deserts but according to my needs and thy infinit mercy in Jesus Christ Amen Having discharged our duty in Prayer to God let us prepare our selves to hear what he will say to us out of his Holy Word we ought to look upon the Minister as an Ambassador of Christ and hearken with reverence to his Doctrine at the end of it to beg that we may bring forth the Fruit of it in our Lives and Conversation and this we can't do in better words than in one of the Collects after the Communion Grant we beseech thee Almighty God that the Words which we have heard this day c. While the People are going out let us devoutly turn towards the Table of the Lord and endeavour with admiration and reverence to contemplate the approaching Ordinance let us entertain thoughts of our unworthiness and then humble our selves before the Lord and say A Prayer O Almighty God who art infinite in Compassion and art able to pardon more sins than I can commit the stretcht out Arms of my dear Saviour upon the Cross can encompass the largest extention of my sins and his Passion affords an ever flowing Red Sea to cover them that they may not become my confusion O then let his Blood be my Bath purge me with Hysop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow and to capacitate me for these Mercies let the deepest sorrow wound my Soul Oh! let it grieve my Spirit that I have lived so long to the grief of thine and let me grieve so long that I can grieve no more make my Soul to ascend in an humble supplication and let my Saviour's intercession procure thine acceptance and give me such a Faith as may take possession of all I pray for and least my own trust should deceive me when I have said Amen to my Prayers do thou say Amen to my Amen that so an Establishment of Blessings may be the crown of my Soul which I beg through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ Extinguish O Lord all the Fires of Hell my Lust Pride Envy Malice and Uncharitableness create in me O God a great longing after the Bread of Heaven and a thirst after the fountain of Salvation that as the Heart panteth after the water brooks so my Soul may long after thee my Saviour and Redeemer Amen When the Minister goes up to the Holy Table letus raise our Affections and prepare our selves to accompany him in this great work and fixing our selves in a devout posture when he begins the Exhortation to Charity let our thoughts carry us beyond the litteral Expression of those Sentences and whilst he Reads consider the necessities of the Poor Let us enlarge our desires and wish we were able to satisfie the complaints of those who are in want at least let us resolve to do according as God has put it in our power not Grudgingly and of necessity because 't is the custom and the Church requires it at such Seasons Here we have an opportunity of examining our selves whether we have fulfill'd the will of God in this manner 'T is not to be supposed that we deserve the name of charitable persons who take no time to distribute of this World good but when we can't help it therefore let us ask our Souls at every Sentence Hast thou followed this Advice or obeyed this Command Hast thou performed that great duty of the Law doing as thou wouldst be done by Hast thou restored with interest whatever thou hast unjustly detained from any Man And first have we taken care that they who have sown unto us Spiritual things should reap of our Temporal for 't is meet those who wait at the Altar should be partakers with the Altar for we must know that even so God hath ordained that they who Preach should live of the Gospel Therefore if we have fail'd to do this let us ask God's Pardon and don't let us because the Minister can't exact it take that advantage and pay nothing Secondly have we shew'd our compassion to the poor by giving Alms Have we not turned away our Face from our Brother who was in need but been merciful after our power If our Hearts condemn us not we have confidence in God that he is Righteous and will not forget but reward us in the day of necessity thus may we turn these excellent Admonitions into heads of Examination and happy are we if we have offer'd up such Sacrifices as are acceptable The Church has taken care to tell us what they are and has placed them at the beginning of this excellent Office to exhort us to Good Works We are about to remember that exceeding love of Christ and the wonderful charity of our Saviour therefore 't is very proper in the entrance to this Holy Ordinance to exhort us to be like minded that
are in league with the Devil for so every one is that has not been heartily sorry for his sins and seriously intended a reformation of his Life we must not think our selves perfect because our affections are raised and we seem to have a zeal for the Glory of God for no one can approach this solemnity without transport if we examined our selves before entertained Resolutions of Repentance and come with Faith and Humility though during the Celebration of these Mysteries we had Wandrings evil Thoughts and Disturbances yet if we struggled with them then and are sorry for them now God will receive us into his favour therefore 't is very necessary we should now call our selves to an account be sorry for the ill and bless God for the good which may properly be done in the following form A Prayer at Night BLessed be thy glorious Name O Lord for all thy unspeakable Mercies to me and all the World I adore and magnifie thee for thy great goodness in giving thy Son to die for me and making me partaker of his blessed Body and Blood O Lord what is Man that thou regardest him Or what am I a vile and wretched sinner that thou shouldest be thus favourable to me thou hast been pleased to admit me to renew that Covenant with thee which I had broken and to give me assurance of thy readiness to pardon so vile and great a Sinner as I have been I have received the pledges of thy love and been admitted to thy Holy Table I have there devoted my self again unto thee I have vowed Obedience and after the most solemn manner consecrated my self to thy service Thou art a God that knowest the heart and art not to be mocked I tremble when I consider thy infinit Power Wisdom and Holiness let these thoughts beget in my Soul a great fear of thy Name and care to perform thy Will Grant I may not turn the Grace of thee my God into wantonness and that I may not receive thy grace in vain O Lord help thy Servant keep the possession of my Soul which I have unfeignedly surrendred up to thee O pardon the defect I have been guilty of in the performance of the duties of this day and unite my heart O'Lord to sear thy Name grant that I may spend the remainder of my time in obedience to thee and in acts of Charity to my Brethren create a clean heart O Lord and renew a right Spirit within me guide me by thy Counsel and at last receive me to thy Glory I do greatly desire the Salvation of Mankind and humbly represent to thy Divine Majesty the glorious sacrifice which our dearest Jesus made of himself upon the Cross and by a never ceasing intercession now exhibits to thee in Heaven in the Office of an Eternal Priesthood in behalf of all that have communicated this day in the divine Mysteries in all the Congregations of the Christian World in behalf of them that desire to communicate and are hindred by any accident sear or the sentence of their own Consciences Give unto me O God and unto them a portion of all good Prayers which are made in Heaven and Earth the intercession of our Lord and the supplications of all thy servants unite us in the band of the common Faith and a holy Charity I humbly commend to thee this Church and Kingdom all our superiors in Church or State have mercy upon all states of Men and Women give thy grace speedily to all wicked persons especially those that I have tempted to sin that they may repent live well and be saved to all good people give an increase of Gifts and Holiness to all Scismaticks and Hereticks grant conversion and to all that have erred from the Truth bring thou into the right way O merciful God I humbly pray unto thee in vertue of our Holy Saviour to grant unto us all the graces of an excellent and perfect Repentance an irreconcilable hatred of sin a love of thee an exact imitation of the Holiness of the Blessed Jesus fox the sake of the Sacrifice of thy Eternal Son O Heavenly Father let it be because it is best and because thou lovest it should be so Amen O God the Father of Heaven whose mercy is over all the World I am infinitly pleas'd to behold thy Glory and to hear the praises which thou hast gotten by thy mercy to poor sinners and I could even pour out my Soul in the manifestation of that joy which my heart conceives at thy universal Honour wherefore I will praise thee by Acknowledgments bless thee with Hymns worship thee with the lowest Reverence and glorifie thee to the utmost of my Power I will give thanks unto thee with all my Soul for thy Pitty Patience and Mercy towards thy unworthy and miserable Creatures How shall I express thy welcome into my Soul blessed Jesus Or how shall I celebrate thy Praises I will remember what thou art in thy self and what thou hast done for us O thou Eternal and only begotten Son of God equal to the Father who art thy self both Lord and God How lovely art thou O thou innocent Lamb of God encircled with Millions of redeemed Souls whom thou hast washed in thy Blood O how illustrious a Brightness shines round thee whilst thou art in the midst of all thy happiness interceeding for poor Sinners I adore thee and long to do thee Honour my Lord and my God hear then my importunate supplications and enable me to proclaim the goodness of the Lord. BLessed Jesus the Author and finisher of our Faith who art the same Yesterday as to Day and for ever thou hast given Spiritual means to those that fear thee and wilt ever be mindful of thy covenant but my goodness is as a morning Cloud which soon passeth away my Devotion fleeth like a shadow and never continueth in one stay Oh do thou establish me with thy free Spirit that I may not so easily forfeit my Comfort forget my Duty and break my Vows how unwearied art thou dearest Saviour in doing well unto me How constant is thy Love and shall I be so ungrateful to thee so cruel to my self as to forsake thee and my own Happiness I fear the Power and Policy of mine Enemies I do with shame and sorrow call to mind my former returns to folly I most passionately entreat thee not to leave me to my self I have through thy goodness now obtained some measure of Peace my Eyes are enlightned my Heart revived and my purposes seem to be sincere give me thy grace therefore that I may be able to perform whatsoever I have promised that I may be steadfast unmovable always abounding in thy work O Lord let me hold fast that which I have and daily strive to gain more make me faithful to Death that thou mayest give me a Crown of Life Now the God of Peace which brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ that great Shepherd of the Sheep
Glory can intend by puzelling themselves and every Body else with their pretentions to more Reason than God has given them I can't imagine unless under the disguise of Charity to our Reason they would subvert our Religion and by pretending to bring the sublime Truths of God's Word to our understanding they would Ridicule the hidden things of God and so open a way for Atheism and Insidellity by denying first that there is any thing which our reason can't comprehend and then that there is nothing in the Scripture but what can easily be understood This is to make our Reason not the Scripture a rule of Salvation and when once our sense is to judge of these Divine Truths all of them that we can give a Mathematical Account of must be rejected And yet that there are such truths of which they can have no Idea is certain and after all they must own that either they are not to be understood and yet believed or else that they are Non-sence and contradiction which is an impudence they dare not publickly own and what would be fatal to their designs for the Socinian needs only appear in his proper Colour to make him abhor'd and rejected by all and lookt upon as an Enemy to God Religion and the common sence of Mankind But there is yet another sort who pretend an Obedience to the Gospel of Christ and yet make that easie rule of Salvation so confused and perplex'd that either they dare not or cannot give an account of their Faith Their principles if they have any are as unaccountable to themselves as to the World and they agree in nothing so much as to oppose the plain sense of the Scripture that Baptism and the Lord's Supper are positive Institutions the one to be perform'd by Water in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and the other by Bread and Wine in remembrance of our Saviour's Death and Sufferings are as plainly and positively commanded as any one thing in the Scripture That the Apostles and primitive Christians made it their Practise is capable of the same proof as the Scriptures themselves they went about Preaching the Lord Jesus and Baptising all that believed in his Name and the condition of Salvation in those days was Faith Repentance and Baptism that to strengthen People in their Faith they meet on the first day in the Week to break Bread and St. Paul is very careful to instruct our Behaviour that we might receive the Bread of the Lord worthily Yet notwithstanding this as if an aukerd Gravity and sullenness of Behaviour were to pass for Authority they pretend by a New Light to another understanding of the Scripture and impudently prevert that Sense which the Christian Church for 1600 Years and more submitted too So unwilling are they to go to Heaven in the steps of their Fathers that they prefer every wild Enthusiastick Notion to the written Word of God and so fearful of following the Examples of Tradition that each Man sets up for a Rule to himself they have no Priests as well as no Sacraments no settled constitution of a Church and are so little observers of St. Paul's Command to do all things with Decency and Order as if he did not speak it by the Spirit but to gratifie his own Superstition they live as if the Gospel was all Privilege and no Duty are Enemies to a form in Divine Worship and in spight of the Scripture which commands Women to be in silence will needs have them for Speakers among them thus do they play at cross purposes with the Word of God and by their Obstinancy and Fantasticalness make it of none effect But there is an Argument against them which they never thought fit to answer and till they can must be thought Enemies to the Gospel of Christ An Ordinance once enjoyn'd and never repeal'd is still in force but Baptism by Water was once enjoyn'd but never repeal'd Ergo and so of the Lord's Supper and what ever else is accounted an Ordinance in the Church of God and all that lies upon us to prove is That what we assert is an Ordinance and was enjoyn'd by lawful Authority and this is what the Scriptures prove themselves and what has been strengthen'd by the Arguments and Practise of the Church down to this day So that if there is any such thing as Unbelievers false Teachers and denyers of the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles we may find them in this wretched Sect of pretenders to Christianity But now among these who have no knowledge of the Truth or hold it in Unrighteousness or put Godliness into a Form to draw the ridicule and scorn of the World it s no wonder to meet with them Debauch'd or fill'd with Pride Conceit and Devillishness or Deceitful trusting in themselves Hypocrites turning the truth of God into a lie But that we who are Born in a Nation where the true Religion is Established by Law and have all the Advantages which God can give us to make us Happy Our Church teaching us the form of sound Words once deliver'd to the Saints and makes the Word of God her Rule of Faith the Example of the Apostles and Primitive Fathers her Guide and her constitution such as Decency directs that we in the midst of such assistances should fail of the end of Creation and in the spight of God's Grace and Mercy deprive our selves of everlasting Happiness by living in Disobedience to this Church in contradiction to the word of God and in defiance of what our reason tells us is both our interest and duty Whence is this hardness of heart that Men forget they were Baptised and live as if they never heard of Religion Let us all put the Question to our selves and see whether one Reason of this Stupidity and Wickedness is not from our Neglect in the Education of those committed to our Charge We are dedicated to God and Religion as soon as Born according to the command of our Saviour but since most of us are borought to the Church when through our tender Years we are not capable to judge nor perform what is required of us The Church according to an Ancient Prescription has appointed Sureties in our behalf they solemnly Engage for us till we come to an Age that we are able to take care of our selves Whence is it then that notwithstanding this Prudent care of the Church so few are bred up to those Pious Rules prescribed in our Baptism and how many less when they come to Age think themselves bound to perform what was vow'd in their Names Do they who are God-fathers perform their part Do they endeavor early to instruct their Children and inform them to what advantages they are Born that they promised by them who are their Sureties to perform their duty to God and their Neighbour that now they are able they are to be accountable for their own Actions and take upon them that Solemn Engagement to
Mercies by endeavouring to out-vye them with my Sins what can I expect but to find a Judgment worthy of God such an irreversible ruine as might render me an astonishing instance of thy severity to the whole Earth Thou hast attested thy self to be indeed a Father of Mercies and yet I who enjoy the benefit of them neither consider them as Blessings nor thee as a God but Atheistically defie that providence by which I subsist Thou givest me a time for Repentance but I 'm unwilling to throw off this Bondage of Sin and think it a hardship to submit to that Yoak whieh is easie and delightful and if I cou'd stifle the Terrors of my Conscience wou'd glady proclaim Licence to my Lusts These are the base returns I have made thus have I requited the Lord and incur'd his Displeasure yet I am fearless of his Wrath and can't repent me of my ways nor consider the Evil I have done Surely my Heart is heardned and I am nigh unto Cursing O Lord what can I plead to avert the sentence who am as far from Penitence as Innocence How can I pray against that Vengeance which I make it my business to pull down if thou O Lord shou'dst spare me what wou'd it avail if it serve but to set me at a greater Hostillity with thee O merciful Saviour who gavest thy self a ransom for Sinners look again with compassionate Eyes on me who needs now a second Redemption even a rescue from my self Lord thou seest the miserable state to which I am reduced Where is thy Pitty and the sounding of thy Bowels towards the Afflicted Oh! bow thy Heaven and come down hear the Prayer of a distressed Sinner deliver me from that misery I have involved my self put thy Laws a new into my Heart and write them in my Mind O blessed Mediator who prayedst for thy Crucifiers interceed also for me who have under the name of a Disciple crucified thee afresh and tho' I have nothing to say for my self cannot pretend that I knew not what I did yet let thy Stripes and Wounds thy Cross and Passion plead for me Oh! let thy Blessed Spirit breath again upon me that even these dry Bones may live in thy sight Let him so effectually convince and reprove illuminate and excite me that I may cleanse my self from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit walk worthy of the holy Vocation whereto I am called and evidence my relation to the Prince of Peace Oh that my ways were thus direct but alas how little Disposition have I towards it This change must be only the work of that mighty Power which is able to subdue all things to it self and yet O Lord with what face can I beg of thee to force me to that happiness which I still resolve to resist What can I say to thee O thou preserver thou redeemer of men who have put my self beyond all the ordinary means of thy grace I can only lay my self at thy Feet display my misery and leave thee to consider thine own compassion Oh let that move thee to do for me whatever my wretched state is in need off O Lord Hear O Lord forgive consider and do it for thy name sake Thou art Jesus a Saviour save thy servant from his sin and let me not slide back by a perpetual backsliding Oh abandon not thy poor creature Lord carest thou not that I perish Turn thee again O Lord sanctifie and cleanse me for I am exceeding sinfull create a new Spirit within me melt my obdurate heart into contrition and if it cannot be done without the rigour of thy Laws Lord do that or any thing with me so that I may become a Vessel of honour meet for thy Service But O Lord if thy gentler method may have any effect be pleased to continue thy Long-suffering and though I have no pretence to mercy yet do thou assert thine own work be merciful because thou hast been so dispence to me whatever thou seest most apt to reduce me and that thy outward applications may be no longer in vain enforce and enliven them with thy free Spirit subdue my obstinate perversness and give me at last such Grace as I may not turn into wantonness Oh thou to whom all things are possible who hast been so merciful to me work again greater miracles in me and of a prophane ungrateful wretch make me a penitent and obedient servant that I may study as much to please as I have to provoke thee by a continuance in well doing may obtain the Crown which thou hast laid up for those that serve thee and possess eternal joys in the Kingdom of thy Father which thou O blessed Jesus hast purchased with thy blood and sealed by thy Spirit To which blessed Trinity be ascribed all praise honour Glory now and to eternity Amen O Lord God I am Ashamed and Blush to lift up my Face to thee for my iniquities are increased over my Head and my Trespasses grown up unto Heaven O my Soul what Fruit have I reapt from all the pleasures of Sin but Vanity and Vexation of Spirit Lord I am ashamed of my own Folly Madness and Disingenuity when I call to mind how greedily I have sucked in my own Pollution how treacherously I have betrayed my own Soul to Temptations and combined with the Devils to hasten and increase my own Damnation how obstinately I have fled from thee when thy Mercy persued me with promises of Pardon how unworthily I have abused thy Goodness and Forbearance and Long-sufferings which should have led me to Repentance Son of David Blessed Redeemer Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the World have Mercy upon me O Jesu be a Jesus unto me Thou that sparedst thy Servant Peter that denied thee thrice thou that didst cast seven Devils out of Mary Magdalen and forgavist the Woman taken in Adultery and didst bear the convert Thief from the Cross to the joys of Paradise have Mercy upon me also Though my Offences are greater than these yet not their Sins nor mine nor the Sins of the whole World can equal thy Glorious Mercy which is Infinite and Eternal as thy Self I acknowledge O Lord that I am Vile but yet redeemed with thy precious Blood thou O Lord lovest to shew Mercy behold then a fit Object for thy pitty My sins are so great and many that to forgive me will be a glorious act of mercy Dispise me not O Lord for I am thy Creature dispise me not for thou didst die for me cast me not away in thine Anger for thou camest to seek and save me Say unto my Soul I am thy Salvation let thy Holy Spirit lead me from the Error of my ways into the paths of Righteousness to great degrees of Repentance and thro' all the parts of a Holy Life to a Godly and Holy Death Grant this O Blessed Jesu for thy Mercies and for thy pitty sake Amen Most merciful and indulgent Jesus hear the
how miserable my end must be when the Heavens are not pure in thy sight and the very Angels are charged with folly there is no Holiness O Lord if thou with-draw thy Hand no Wisdom profits if thy Government ceases when thou leavest us we perish we are unstable and unsecure unless secured and confirmed by thee we fly to thee for help and yet depart from thy Commandments O how meanly do I deserve to be thought of how little and inconsiderable is the good I do how innumerable how intollerable are the Evils I have done many good things have I received from thee but I have abus'd them thou hast given me Grace but I have turned it into Wantonness thou didst create in me a hope of Glory but I have lost my Confidence Wherefore behold O Lord I come unto thee thou mightest indeed justly censure the approach of such a polluted Creature to be a daring presumption but I beseech the condemn not the action but behold the motives which drew me hither even my own miseries and thy mercies I increase the number of my sins what shall I do to thee O thou preserver of Men Who shall raise me up when I shall fall before thy dreadful Judgment Seat I will lay my Face in the Dust and confess my self to be nothing Pitty my Shame O God bind up my Wounds remove those sins that so easily overcome me and unite me to my Saviour Jesus O help me to supply in Humility what I want in worthiness let my mean and just opinion of my self my bended Knees and broken Heart shew that I durst not have adventured so nigh if thy mercy had not held out the Golden Scepter O then dear Jesus be a Jesus to me and let this Sacrament be a savor of life and thy Body the Bread of life thy Blood the purifier of my sinful life O send me not empty away for I shall faint and die I cannot live without thee O let vertue come from thee and heal my Sickness do thou appear to my Soul in these holy Mysteries enlighten my Darkness turn me from all vain imaginations and illusions of the Enemy all perversness of Will all Violence and Inordinate Passions sensual Desires Lust and Malice Gluttony Pride Envy and Detraction let not sin reign in my mortal Body nor the Divel lead my Will captive nor the World abuse my understanding nor debauch my Conversation O grant I may receive these Divine Mysteries for the amendment of my Life and for a defensative against all my sins for the increase of Vertue and the perfection of the Spirit this I beg O merciful God for the sake of thy Eternal Son my crucified Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Amen Here rising up read as Follows AND as they were Eating Jesus took Bread and gave thanks and blessed it and brea kt it and gave it to his Disciples and said Take Eat this is my Body which is given for you this do in remembrance of me likewise also he took the Cup and when he had given thanks he gave it to them saying Drink ye all of it for this Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you and for many for the Remission of sins and they all drank of it Verily I say unto you I will not drink henceforth of the Fruit of the Vine until that day when I drink it new in the Kingdom of God my Father I adore thee O Blessed Jesus for instituting this Holy Sacrament O let thy Divinity thus stampt on it strike into my Soul a holy awe in approaching it O create in me a Heaven disposition to celebrate so Heavenly an Institution and for thy Mercies sake pardon all my stupid forgetfulness and ingratitude hitherto do now create in me such a thankful and lively remembrance of thy dying love that may excite me to give up my self intirely to thee as thou didst give up thy self on the Cross for me Kneeling say A Prayer BEhold O sacred and undivided Trinity an unworthy wretched weak and wounded Soul oppressed with an intollerable weight of Misery terrified with the consideration of thy inscrutable Judgments confounded with the memory of her base ingratitude and encompassed with sorrow I have with the prodigal wasted that portion of Grace thou didst bestow upon me and therefore do infinitly want a supply out of thy Treasury but O Lord how shall such a wretch as I dare to approach this Holy Table how shall this spiritual Manna this Food of Angels be given to one Who has chosen to feed on Huscks with Wine nay to one who has so often trampled upon these precious things either carelesly neglecting or unworthily receiving these holy Mysteries O LOrd my horrible guiltiness makes me not dare to stay away for where shall my polluted Soul be washed if not in this Fountain which thou hast opened for sin and uncleanness hither therefore I come and thou hast promised him that cometh thou wilt in no wise cast out this is O Lord the Blood of the New Testament grant me so to receive it that it may be for the remission of my sins and though I have so often and so wretchedly broken my part of that Covenant whereof the Sacrament is a seal yet be thou graciously pleased to make good thine be merciful to my unrighteousness and remember my sins no more and not only so but place thy Laws in my Mind and write them in my Heart and by the power of thy Grace dispose my Soul to such a sincere and constant Obedience that I may never again provoke thee Lord grant that in these holy Mysteries I may not only commemorate but effectually receive my blessed Saviour and all the benefits of his Passion and to that end give me such a preparation of Soul as may qualifie me for it give me a deep sense of my sins and unworthiness that being weary and heavy leaden I may be capable of his refreshings Raise up my dull and earthly mind from groveling here below and inspire it with holy Zeal that I may with spiritual affections approach this spiritual Feast and let O Lord that infinite love of Christ in dying for so wretched a sinner inflame my frozen and benumed Soul and kindle in me that sacred fire of love to him and that so vehement that no water may quench no floods drown it such as may burn up all my dross and not leave one unmortified Lust within me and such as may also extend it self to all whom thou hast given me command to love even my Enemies as well as Friends O Lord I beseech thee cloath me with the Wedding Garment and make me though of my self a most unworthy yet by thy mercy an acceptable guest at thy Holy Table that I may not eat and drink my own Condemnation but may have my Pardon sealed my Weakness repair'd my Corruptions subdued and my Soul so inseperably united to thee that no temptation may be ever able to dissolve the
Union but that being begun here in grace it be consummated in Glory Grant this O merciful Father for thy dear Sons sake Jesus Christ our Lord. ONce more O my Soul contemplate that thou art now a preparing thy self for that Divine Banquet which thy loving Lord instituted a little before those Sufferings and that Death before the breaking of his Body and the sheding of his Precious Sacred and Royal Blood which he declared to be signified by the breaking of the Bread and the pouring out of the Wine for he went that very Night into the Garden where his pious Soul apprehensive of Divine Wrath humbly addressed with reiterated supplications for Relief and being sensible of the miseries of Mankind pressing hard upon his spotless Soul the Torments of the approaching Cross the executing Terrors of the Powers of Darkness and the whole Artillery of an incensed God which he was in little time to graple with they shook his very Nature melted him into streams of Blood and so cast down his Spirits that nothing less than an Angel of the presence was able to mittigate the conflicts of this otherwise insupportable Agony These are but the beginning of Sorrows for no sooner then Mercy overcame the afflicting convulsion of his Soul who was sorrowful to Death but he began to fortifie his kind intentions to poor Man by that inexpressibly loving and unparallel'd Resignation to the will of his Heavenly Father he chearfully proceeded to offer up that Sacrifice which was to appease the Divine Justice for the iniquities of an impious World when after a most exemplary submission to the affronts and injuries of implacable Spirits the ingrateful Malice and supercillious Envy of those who thirsted for his Blood being despitefully abused afflicted and tormented denied by some forsaken by others desolate and comfortless in every sense truly a Man of sorrows was forced to add weight to his past Sufferings and bear the Cross of his own Crucifixion Where O my Soul behold by Faith the Lamb of God lifted up for the sins of the World O humble thy self into the center of thy own nothing for of what punishment oughtest thou to be thought worthy that hast so insensed the Majesty of Heaven to give up the innocent and most Holy Jesus thy best thy only Friend and his dear Son to be Tortured and Tormented for thy sins O how cruelly was he scourged with Wips wounded with Thorns loaden with the Cross torn with Nails pierced with a Spear and racked on the most painful instrument of Death his lovely Face defiled with Blood and Spitting his Ears fill'd with Upbraidings and Curses his Eyes drenched in Tears for the ruine of his Enemies and his Soul amazed at the Terrors of an angry God 'till at length all wounded broken and bloody with many groans yet with admirable patience he breaths out his Soul with infinite Charity and Forgiveness O holy Jesu how excellent is thy Goodness O ye blessed Host of Heaven who rejoice at the conversion of a sinner adore and praise that unknown sorrow which ye your selves contemplate with awful admiration I cannot doubt thy power to ease me because of these Suffrings of thy Love I must not question thy willingness who callest me of thy own accord nor dare I suspect thy sincerity who art Truth it self and always in earnest with poor sinners my Guilt has made me think to fly from thee but thy melting Voice has eneouraged me to turn to thee and laid me prostrate at thy feet groaning under my Offences but if thou wilt pitty me I am safe it thou art pleased I am eased if thou pardon me my burden is gone and if thou wilt take away this intollerable Lord I will then venture to draw nearer even to thy Altar O holy Jesu there to receive more refreshment from thy mercy Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy leaden and I will give you rest These are thy words O Christ for you hast spoken them and they are mine because spoken for my salvation O sweet and amiable words in the ear of a poor sinner by which thou invitest an indigent starv'd wretch to pertake of thy Body But who am I O Lord that I should come The Angels and Archangels reverence thee thy Saints and holy Ones fear before thee and yet thou sayest unto me come Unless thou hast said it who could have believed it to be true Unless thou hadst commanded it who durst have attempted this approach Does my Saviour invite and shall I go Shall a sinner dare to sit down at his Table Does he invite and shall I not go Shall a Wretch presume to refuse his Call Rise then my Soul and take thy swiftest wings and fly to the presence of this great Mystery A Feast of Holy Bread and Holy Wine in representation of thy sacred Body and blood where thy all glorious self is freely to the meanest guest a feast of peace and love and incomparable sweetness to which thy own blest mouth thus kindly callest us But stay am I dressed like a friend of the Bridegroom that I safely may come to the Marriage Supper have I considered how chast those eyes should be which go to behold the God of purity have I considered how clean that mouth should be which presumes to eat that Bread of Heaven but most how all caelestial that Soul should be which aspires to a union with the Body of Christ Oh! how poor and dull and empty am I how infinitly unworthy of so divine a Sacrament yet am I call'd by him that can Command by him that sees and pitties my misery he bids me come he surely will receive me and with his bounteous fullness supply my defects Go then my Soul to that sacred Table and take thy part of that delicious banquet go all inflamed with Love and joy and hope and quench thy holy Thirst with that spring of bliss when thou hast tasted his everlasting sweetness and feelest his heavenly streams flow gently on thee open thy happy breast and suck those Waters in and let them freely run over all thy powers Let them soak deep to the root of thy heart and turn thy barren heath into a fruitful soil fruitful in holy thoughts and pious words fruitful in good just and charitable Deeds fruitful in good examples and God of his infinite goodness confirm all this that my Soul may bless his holy Name here and with the whole host of Heaven sing Hallelujah to him that sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb for over hereafter Amen Our Father c. O Lord bless me and keep me this day O Lord make thy Face to shine upon me and be gracious unto me O Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon me and give me peace this day and for ever Amen The Blessings to be obtained and the sense of our Unworthiness which surely by this time is ingrafted in our hearts will inform us that each moment of this
Holiness and Righteousness all the days of our Life Amen The Priest proceeds now to a more immediate invitation and to show us that we ought to think highly of these things calls only those who have such quallifications as he just before told us was absolutely necessary and that we might not come rashly puts it to us again ye that do truly Repent c. But to heighten our esteem and make us more in earnest with our selves let us imagine we hear Christ himself inviting us for 't is the Minister in his stead calling us to Repentance Confession and Humility of Soul these are the Garments wherewith we ought to be cloathed and he that comes without them does but mock God and we have heard the dreadful effect of that presumption 't is provoking him to plague us with Diseases and sundry kinds of Death we kindle God's wrath against us and his indignation will last to Eternity But that the Terrors of the Lord might fright away none but the impenitent the Church assures us all they who come with Faith and Repentance may take the Holy Sacrament to their comfort and accordingly exhorts them to draw near to testifie their sincerity by an humble Confession and to remove all suspicion of Hypocrisy commands that it be done upon our Knees with contrition They who hope for Pardon can expect it upon no other Terms therefore we ought to be very circumspect that we don't call upon God with our Lips when our Hearts is far from him the Sacrifice of such Fools only work their Destruction Don't let us look upon it as matter of form only that we are to tell God Almighty a sad story of our selves and yet in such a manner as if we were not concern'd for the Sin nor God for the punishment of it But when we come to that part of the Confession acknowledging our Offences by Thought Word and Deed let us reflect on some of those Transgressions we have repeated most and have most cause to repent of let us think of them with sorrow and detestation with a resolution to forsake them and a passionate desire to be freed from the Evil of them let our Hearts go along with our Prayers and they are such as will inform us of our condition and being affectionately repeated will teach us to be humble and contrite and that will render us capable of the pardon which follows to be pronounced by the Priest 'T is impossible to prescribe Rules for our thoughts in the time of Absolution we have a hundred Idea's at once in our Minds the Soul is full with Transport Rejoycing and Humilliation we have so much to say that we are confounded in our selves we know not how to bless God enough are affraid of our wickedness and astonished at his goodness there is no re-presenting the Passions of a Soul in this Religious Agony nor how prevailing the confused sighs of a ravish'd sinner are to our merciful God They who are most sensible of their sins can best tell what a boundless joy arises at the thoughts of their forgiveness But lest we should have any mistrust because of our sins the Church has collected some comfortable assurances from the Gospel for 't is no wonder we receive our Pardon doubting and trembling we have need of infallible Authority to perswade us of the truth of these things when our fear had so cast us down that we almost were brought to believe that God had utterly forsaken us we can now cry with chearfulness blessed be God that has not so turned his mercy from us but has sent his Son Jesus Christ to call us to Repentance therefore when we hear the Priest say Come unto me c. Let us humbly say I come unto thee O Jesus ease me of my Burthen so God loved the World c. I believe Lord save me or I perish this is a true saying c. Mercy sweet Jesus I am a miserable sinner If any man sin O thou great advocate of my Soul I bless thee and all that is within me shall praise thy Holy Name Certainly our affections are so moved that we shall be zealous to lift up our hearts with joy and gladness and now confess 't is meet and right to give thanks to which purpose let us summons our strongest affections that we may with Angels and Arch-angels magnifie the glorious Name of God most High If it be upon any particular Feast as Christmas or Easter there is greater reason to strain our selves to the highest Note to give thanks for those particular Blessings We are now approaching nearer to these Holy Mysteries and must express the greater Reverence and before we tast how gracious the Lord is confess our unworthiness to receive him into our Habitation This we can't do in better Words than the Church has provided for us therefore we are to joyn heartily in the following form and beg that our sinful Bodies may be made clean by his Body that being so prepared our Souls may be made fit to receive the Lord of Glory After this excellent Prayer is over let us look towards the Holy Table and whilst the Priest is ordering the Elements Meditate and be astonished at the transcending love of Christ let us lose our selves in contemplation of that Divine Mystery that Heaven should so condescend to Earth and Man be united to God that God should take upon him our Flesh die for us upon Earth and nourish us now he is in Heaven Let us represent to our Faith the intollerable sufferings of our dying Lord his whole Passion upon Mount Calvary and the Agonies of that unknown Sorrow there Imagine we behold him stretch'd upon the Cross and see the Blood issuing from his wounded side Behold him grapling with the fury of an incensed God and all the furies of the Powers of Darkness and this to redeem us from the Horrors of Hell which were due to us for Sin and Wickedness Sure the consideration of these things will create an odiousness of sin which was so great that nothing but the Blood of God could expiate we shall be sensible of our unworthiness and adore withall the forces of our Soul that love surpassing knowledge and beg of our crucified Redeemer to inspire us with holy Zeal that our now softned Souls may Eccho Hallelujahs and all that is within us may sing Eternally to God the Father who contrived this glorious Redemption to God the Son who effected it and to God the Holy Ghost who gives us the benefit thereof Let us now return with the Priest and earnestly beg of our merciful God that the Elements may really become what they represent After we have performed that with Devotion let us leave the rest to God and the Priest and rising from our Knees at the Consecration look toward the Holy Table devoutly attending every Word and Action for all is Mystery and deserves a particular Meditation let us imagine we hear our Saviour consecrating and that
we like his Disciples at the last Supper are waiting to be fed with the Bread from Heaven when we hear the Priest saying Who in the same Night he was betrayed took Bread c. Let us adore that inexpressible love of our Saviour which was working our Salvation when his cursed Enemies were contriving his Crucifixion let us bless the goodness of God and admire the Humillity of our Saviour that would be represented by no richer preparation than Bread Here is no costly sacrifice to exhault our Treasure That we may bestow upon those that want it the poor which we have always with us but for the representation of himself he chuses what is necessary for our sustinance to show us that his Body is as necessary to the strengthning of our Souls as Bread for the support of our Life And when he had given thanks he brea kt it c. O blessed Jesus doest thou give thanks for my Redemption behold I joyn my praises to thine and bless thee with all my Soul O shew thy acceptance of my praises by hallowing these Elements to the purposes they are designed Saying Take Eat this is my Body which is given for you c. Here let us reflect upon the passion of our Saviour and imagine we see him in that unspeakable Passion offering up his pious Soul upon the Cross Do this in remembrance of me O Jesus let me never be so ungrateful as to forget thee likewise also after Supper He took the Cup and when he had given thanks c. Our Saviour was not content to give us his Body alone but to pour out his Blood for us and has chosen Wine for the Commemoration of that inestimable mercy O let our Souls thirst after this Cup of Salvation and when the Minister holds it out to bless it let us call upon the Name of the Lord He gave it to them saying Drink ye all of this c. Do this in remembrance of me This is the time to Exercise our Faith and therefore let us believe they really are to us what they represent and say a hearty Amen for it is unto us according to our Faith if we believe 't is unto us the Blood of Christ indeed that no doubting nor infidelity may unhallow these sanctified Elements to any of our Souls Let us say A Prayer after Consecration LOrd it is done as thou hast commanded and I doubt not but the Mystery is rightly accomplished I am perswaded that here is that which my Soul longeth after a crucified Saviour communicating himself to poor penitent Sinners O let me be reckoned among that Number and then I shall assuredly receive thee Holy Jesus Amen O Holy Saviour I behold thee stretch'd upon the Cross with thy Arms spread ready to embrace all Mankind Glory be to thee O Lord Jesus Lamb of God Son of the Father who didst offer thy self a sacrifie to take away the sins of the whole World Lord have mercy upon me and take away mine also When the Minister is a Communicating let us humbly desire that God would hear his Prayer The Lord hear thee and remember all thy Offerings and Sacrifices grant thee thy Hearts desire and fullfil all thy mind The Lord perform all thy Petitions which thou hast made at this time for thy self for us and all Persons Amen We have nothing to do now but compose our selves for the acts of holy Communion remembering we are to feast with God by Silence and Heavenly Contemplation let us reflect upon the mercies of God in this Sacrament and when we have by Faith beheld the Glory of the Lord confess our unworthiness to appear before him and acknowledge his goodness which gives us the opportunity of adoring his inexpressible Love While others are Communicating O How dreadful is this place Seemeth it a small thing unto thee O my Soul to be feasted with God waited on by Angels fed with the Body of Jesus and refreshed with the Cup of that saving Blood which hath attoned for the Sins of the World What meaneth this secret that so poor a Wretch and sinful a Rebel should receive so mighty a Favour and be received to so near Embraces How can I approach to these terrible Mysteries till I have pulled back the Vail and worshipped him that feeds my Body to convey Grace to my Soul and make that stoop to the Eye of sence which Angels cannot behold with open Faces Here is represented the Almighty Love of an infinite Being here the God of Gods appears all Bloody to fright thee from thy sins here the All-merciful Saviour of the World is as it were crucified before thine Eyes that contemplating the horrid Aggonies of the Cross and remembring the cause of his cruel Sufferings thou mayst mourn for thy ingratitude that brought him to the torments of that inexpressible Passion here the Holy Jesus appears loaded with all the Blessings of Heaven here the everlasting Trinity seems to use his utmost endeavour to perswade thee into a Heavenly Conversation To thy Holy Altar O Dear Redeemer I am coming to renew my Baptizmal Vow to enter into a Solemn Covenant with God and faithfully to promise thee to resign my self intirely to thee to fall out with thee no more to be faithful to thee to vindicate thy Glory to live up to those Laws which thou hast sealed with thy own Blood To this end I eat of thy Bread and Drink of thy Wine and so seal my Covenant with thee Quicken me O Lord and make me more earnest and zealous in thy Service and as thou hast sent thy Son to bring me to thy self do thou likewise send thy Holy Spirit to sanctifie me for thy self and then I who of my self can scarce move unto thy Altar by the assistance of thy Grace may run the ways of thy Commandments Having declared the reasons of our approaching this Holy Table and beg'd God's blessing upon us let us Meditate after this manner Thou O my God hast prepared a Table for me and hast promised whosoever eateth thereof shall never Hunger and drinketh shall never Thirst This consideration alone is sufficient to furnish us with matter for Contemplation The mercy of God in preparing this Sacred Feast the benefits we receive from it and the time in which it was institued when he was surrounded with the Horrors of Death and began to feel the weight of our Transgressions are enough to put us in a confusion and constrain us at once to humble our selves even into our first nothing for abusing such goodness and then adore that amazing constancy of our Lord that in the greatest of his Agony could endure yet more for our sakes and resign himself to the Cross notwithstanding the contradiction of sinners O let us consider this price with which we were bought and glorifie God in our Bodies and Spirits which are his therefore bowing our bodies before the Lord let us consider the wonder of his love BEhold what kind of love
When shall I fully please thee O that I could always serve thee that I could perfectly obey thee Grant me O my only Love that I may continually reverence and adore thee Permit me not O Lord Jesus ever to be seperated from thee Teach me inlighten me direct me and assist me in all things but especially at this time that I may do or say nothing but what is agreeable to thy blessed Will Amen I Have made a large Collection of Meditations and Prayers because of the difference of Congregations some are very numerous and I esteem them pertinent to regulate our thoughts in that interval before we go up to the Altar the lesser Congregations and they who are desirous to be first at the Holy Table may have advantage of variety and make use of them as their inclinations and opportunity will give leave Our thoughts are not always upon the wing we require diversity of Arguments to press us to a forwardness besides they are not designed that our mind should be wholly taken up with them that we should read them all and then think we may safely go up to the Altar of God The best composure in the World will be insignificant if we don't offer it with Devotion Sincerity and Affection one of these Petitions rightly performed is of greater Efficacy than the whole repeated in a rambling disorder Lord have mercy upon me a miserable sinner said with humility was more prevalent than the long Prayer of the wordy Supplicant God knows our necessity before we ask and if we ask with Faith depending on the incercession of our Saviour he will grant our Petitions even before they are ended so that I would have some of them repeated with deliberation and between them call in our thoughts reconcile them to our reason and faith and then offer them up with earnest devotion and so shall we be prepared to receive the Lord of Glory When we have made an end of these Meditations and are ready to go to the Holy Table rising from our Knees with Reverence let us say GReat Captain of my Salvation I am going to learn to fight the good fight of faith in the blessed Sacrament of thy Love let thy great Example there encourage me to fight against all Ambition and Ostentation Censoriousness and Uncharitableness against coveteous lustfull and blasphemous Thoughts against guile and hypocrisie discontent and mistrust of thy providence against such enemies give me Grace to fight over these let me Triumph that having striven lawfully I may at last be admitted to the sight of thy sweet self and be charmed with thy Love for evermore Having thus began our Warfares and declared our chiefest Enemies let us approach the Holy Altar that there we may put on the Armor of God and being endued with Righteousness from above may walk more securely and be defended from the subtilty of Men and Devils therefore as we are going up let us turn our thoughts to God in the following manner As we go up to the Altar I Come Lord Jesus O take me to thee for thou lovest me and hast prepared a Table for me in the seat of thy Love in the multitude of thy mercies O Lord God do I now approach thy Altar O pardon my Sins and receive me graciously if thou shouldst be extream to mark what is amiss O Lord who may abide it but with the Lord is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption Lord hast thou set open this fountain and wilt thou let a wretched creature die for thirst in thy presence Hast thou prepared such Balm to heal me and shall I languish here before thee I know if thou wilt thou canst make me clean here is the very instrument Grant therefore holy Jesus that I may duly apply it and rightly use it and then it shall prepare me for thee and unite me to thee by such inseperable Bonds as shall never brake unless Eternity have an end Blessed are they who so eat thy Flesh and drink thy Blood so as thou requirest and so as thy Saints have done for they have been cleansed at this fountain and here there Union with thee first began O happy opportunity Lord let me do it well this once and I am thine for ever Let us now kneel before the Lord and say O Jesu Son of God everlasting King receive my Spirit O my Life take my Soul my Joy draw my heart unto thee thou that art my Head direct me Light of mine eyes enlighten me O my comfort rejoice me my sweet Food let me eat thee O Word of God refresh me O Light Eternal shine thou over me that I may understand know and love thee After we have thus dedicated our selves to God let us humbly represent to him the occasion which drew us hither and beg for his promise sake that we may not be sent Empty away O Lamb of God thou hast said he that eateth thy Flesh and drinketh thy Blood hath eternal Life behold thy Servant O Lord be it unto me according to thy Word O Lord God I desire to renew my Covenant with thee and to seal it now with this Sacrament Lord put thy Laws into my mind and write them in my heart and for the passion of thy dear Son which I now commemorate be merciful to my Unrighteousness my Sins and Iniquities do thou remember no more but be thou my God and I will be thy Servant The Minister now approaching us we ought with the Centurion in the Gospel to acknowledge our unworthiness to receive so glorious a guest and after such a Humilliation let us look up with confidence and represent to the Father of Heaven the prevailing sacrifice of his Son LOrd I am not worthy thou shouldst come under my roof but speak the word Lord and thy Servant shall be whole Behold O Lord the sacrifice of the everlasting Covenant the Lamb that takes away the sins of the World Oh let all the World feel the power of his Intercession hear good Lord the cry of his Wounds and deny me not since I bring thy Son with me let us all know that he lives that was dead and is a live for evermore O holy Bread which camest down from Heaven and givest life to the World come into my heart and cleanse me from all defilements of Flesh and Spirit enter into my Soul heal and sanctifie me within and without O my Soul taste now and see how gracious the Lord is Whence is it that my Lord himself should come to me Let us now with steadfast Faith repeat after the Minister bowing our Bodies The Body of our Lord Jesus c. After we have received the Bread let us lift up our Souls in thankfullness and say Hail Holy Lamb of God thrice welcome art thou to a poor perishing sinner Glory be to thee O Lord who feedest me with the Bread of Life let thy crucified Body deliver me from this body of death Before the Cup. I Will receive the
they had never felt before vigorous as a mighty wind chearing as the morning light inflaming their hearts with zeal and filling their mouths with Anthems indited with the Languages of all the World O wonderfull Change their Ignorance is turned into Learning their mistakes into infallibility their fear into courage their weakness into strength their sorrow into joy and they in a moment made able to confound the Arts and conquer the Oppositions of the Heathen world and maugre all the divices of Satan to set up the Kingdom of the Lord Christ and shall we not praise thee for these miraculous dispensations by which the gospel was made known even to us in the most utmost corners and last of times yes Holy Jesus we will also meet thee with one accord at thy table not doubting but thou would give us the measures of thy Spirit there if our duty or our necessity did require it it is enough to us that thou knowest our need more than will supply them we dare not ask lest thou wilt not give thou hast given us thy self wherefore we believe thou wilt not deny us thy Spirit without which we can have no Intrest in thee nor benefit from thee We come not gracious Lord with the carnal Jews to devour thy Flesh but to partake of thy Spirit which only giveth life the flesh profiteth nothing behold thy Spirit hath converted Millions Let me therefore together with thy precious Body receive here such proportions of thy holy Spirit as may suppress my evil Affections revive my dead heart comfort my dejected mind and turn my ignorance into knowledge my knowledge into practice and make that practice so sweet and easie that this may be a day of joy to me also solemnized in the white Garments of Sanctification and rejoycing and finally let not this Heavenly Inspiration be only expressed in Ecstasies and only fervours this day but let thy Spirit rest upon me and dwell in me for ever so shall I always have cause to bless thee for so incomparable a gift Methinks I feel already the force thereof bearing down my corruptions and the bright beams driving the mists of Sin and Error I find its flames warming my heart with Zeal and charity and its quickning power opening my sealed lips to shew forth thy praise A Meditation for the Communion on Trinity Sunday O Admirable mystery to be adored in the profoundest silence by the contemplation thereof when I am struck with amazement I can learn humility and discover mine own Ignorance and I have the opportunity of exercising a Nobler faith than if I could comprehend it with my shallow reasonings and imperfect demonstrations the Trinity in Unity and the Unity in Trinity hath been derided by the Heathens and endeavoured to be perplexed by the Wits of all kind of Hereticks but it sufficeth me Blessed Jesus that thou hast revealed it and thy Holy Church divided into many other things hath universally agreed in thy great Truth and I am the more confirmed in it because I learn by it to worship with a regular devotion from hence I am the more confirmed I am taught to pray to the Father in the Name of the Son through the assistance of the Holy Ghost and as long as I live will I praise thee and magnife thee in this manner I will bless thee particularly at this Holy Feast for so excellent a revelation for this Ordinance it self contains many things above my understanding and its all mystery the Trinity is the Article and thy Sacrament the Rite which do distinguish thy true Riligion from all the sects in the World wherefore by observing this Rite I do embrace this Faith and upon the representation of thy death I do profess to live in it and die for it resolving never to have other Lords when I find the Father giving the Son giving and the Holy Ghost dispensing that Gift unto my Soul in this sacred Communion it shall be a greater confirmation to my faith in divine Mystery than can be acquired from the most curious search into it However I am resolved my Reason shall vail to thy word and I will be content to stay for a full apprehension of this sublime truth till I am advanced to a State of Angelick perfection and come to hehold the glories of the true God till then I will bless thee for what I know and believe more than I can conceive and I will worship the same Majesty which the Heavenly Choir doth in these Addresses THE Church has now done her part and leaves us to discharge the rest she has told us the benefits and forewarned us of the danger let it be upon our own Heads if we have drunk Christ's Blood unworthily therefore let us as soon as possible retire and examine our behaviour during the Celebration of these Holy Mysteries How our thoughts were employed and how earnest our longings were after this Bread of Heaven whether we had duly examined our selves before and repented as we ought in what part soever of these things we have done amiss let us ask pardon and endeavour to come more prepared the next time This will show that we are sincere with God and don 't come out of custom but for his Grace and Mercy and let us take every opportunity to ask that for Christ is now come very near us therefore let us lay before him all our wants that so we may be fill'd with his Heavenly Benediction let us not lose a minute on this day but be earnest in all manner of supplication for we must not leave our Devotions with the Church that would be setting open the door indeed that Satan might enter into us but I hardly believe they who have had their hearts kindled at the Altar can suffer them to grow cold before they get home therefore let us retire before Dinner and after we have thus seriously reflected upon what we have been doing let us add to our thoughts the following Meditation A Meditation before Dinner WHen I compare thy acts with mine Holy Jesus I am exceedingly ashamed to behold so a vast a disproportion thou givest me thy Merits and Graces thy Life and Love at present and hast promised to me thy Kingdom in reversion and I have scarce return'd this with the intire devotion of one half hour O how little is my obdurate Heart affected with the sence of my own Guilt the fears of thy Divine Wrath or apprehensions of thy sufferings yet Lord I desire and did endeavour to praise thee so that I hope thou wilt consider my infirmities with much compassion and measure my services not by the exactness of my performance but by the sincerity of my wishes so shall I be accepted before thy Heavenly Father and by the mercy of that acceptance be obliged to thee for ever O Most merciful Lord God I am amazed at the mighty favours which thou hast shew'd to me a sinful wretched Creature I cannot but acknowledge thy