have inclined unto wickedness with my heart 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 and the Heavens are not clean in Thy sight and the very Angels Thou chargest with folly How much more abominable then and filthy am I who dayly drink iniquity like Water Lord pity and cleanse and forgive and save me for Thy Mercies sake I know O God that in my slesh 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 and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin Lord have mercy upon me and deliver me from this body of death from this Tyranny of sin Alas alas My whole Nature is Corrupt Infinitely prone to all evil and averse to all that is good my Understanding is full of Ignorance and Errour my Will is perverse my Memory tenacious of all things that may pollute me and forgetful of my duty my Passions are inordinate my Senses the inlets of all impurity and I have abused all my faculties I am Unclean Unclean Lord Pity and Cleanse and forgive and save me for Thy Mercies fake O Lord God How have I through my whole life violated the solemn Vow I made to Thee in my Baptism by eagerly pursuing the vanities of this wicked World by easily yielding to the temptations of the Devil by greedily indulging my own Carnal desires and lusts by a fruitless and dead faith and by disobedience to thy Holy Will and Commands Father I have sinned against Heaven and in Thy sight and am no more worthy to be called Thy Son I have sinned O Lord God I have sinned Against Thee by Here confess out of your Paper the sins which you have committed more immediately against God with those aggravations that accompany them For instance Lord I have committed this sin or these sins frequently against Checks of Conscience c. and then add Father I have sinned against Heaven and in Thy sight and am no more worthy to be called Thy Son O Pity and Cleanse and forgive and save me for Thy Mercies sake I have sinned O Lord God I have sinned Against Thee and against my own self by Here confess the sins you have committed more immediately against your self with their aggravations c. and say as before Father I have sinned against Heaven c. I have sinned O Lord God I have sinned Against Thee and against my Neighbour by Here confess the sins you have committed more immediately against your Neighbour with their aggravations c. and add as before Father I have sinned against Heaven c. O Lord God my wickedness is great and my iniquities are infinite they are more in number then the hairs of my head and my heart would fail me but that I well know Thy mercies are more Numberless then my sins Have mercy upon me therefore O Lord according to Thy great goodness according to the multitude of Thy mercies do away my offences Who alas can tell how oft he offendeth O 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 on me O remember not the sins and offences of my youth but receive me O Heavenly Father into the arms of Thy Fatherly Compassion as Thou didst the returning Prodigal and forgive me all my transgressions for the merits of Jesus Thy only well-beloved Son and my Saviour Amen Amen When you have thus confest your sins good Phil. endeavour to be still more sensible of them and to bewail them with a true Penitential Hatred and Shame and Sorrow for them then make steady resolutions of forsaking them and cry earnestly to God for pardon and grace for you must as well put on the New man as put off the Old of all which acts of Repentance I give you the following instances and advise you to say them over as devoutly as possibly you can Acts of Shame 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 are grown up unto the Heavens O my Soul what fruit have I reapt from all the pleasures of sin which flattered me but vanity and vexation of Spirit Lord I am ashamed of my own folly and 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 very Devils to hasten and increase my own damnation How obstinately I have fled from Thee when Thy Mercy pursued me with promises of Pardon How unworthily I have abused Thy Goodness and forbearance and long-suffering which should have led me to Repentance Surely after I was turned I repented and since I have considered my ways I am ashamed yea even confounded because I bear the Reproach of my youth Acts of Abâ—orrence I hate all evil ways O Lord but Thy Law will I love O Lord God nothing is more abominable in Thy sight or more Diabolical Nothing more defaces Thy Divine Image or makes me more odious in Thy Purest Eyes then Sin and therefore I hate and abhor it O Lord God I confess I have Nothing good in me Nothing that can any way move Thee to compaâ—ionate so loathsome a Sinner but Thy own free and Undeserved and Infinite Mercy and the merits of my Saviour O Lord God I cannot but admire the Riches of Thy Goodness who hast spared me so long and hast given me this opportunity of Repentance O do Thou yet Magnifie Thy mercy more in my forgiveness O Cleanse me from all that Filth my soul hath contracted which now renders me odious to my own self as well as to Thee Acts of Contrition Miserable Wretch that I am that I should begin so early to offend my Creatour and sin so much in so short a time Lord I fear I never yet throughly considered how evil and how bitter a thing it is to depart from Thee O make me every day more and more seusible of the errour of my ways and of my own Infinite 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
this night and for the time to come give me grace to fly all youthful lusts and to remember Thee my Creatour in the days of my youth Shower down Thy graces and blessings on me and on all my Relations on my Father and Mother on my Brethren and Sisters on all my Friends on all my Governours in this place and on all my Fellow-Scholars and give Thy Angels charge over us to protect us all from sin and danger Lord bless me in my Learning this day that I may every day grow more fit for Thy service O pardon my failings and do more for me then I can ask or think for the merits of Jesus my Saviour in whose holy words I sum up all my wants Our Father which art in heaven c Evening Prayer GLory be to Thee O Lord God for all the blessings I dayly receive from Thee and for Thy particular preservation of me this day O Lord have mercy uâ—on me and forgive whatsoever Thou hast seen amiss in me this day past and for the timk to come give me grace to fly all youthful lusts and to remember Thee my Creatour in the days of my youth Lord receive me and all my Relations and all that belong to this Colledge into Thy gracious protection this night and send me such seasonable rest that I may rise the next morning more fit for thy service Lord hear my prayers and pardon my failings for the merits of my blessed Saviour in whose holy words I sum up all my wants Our Father which art in Heaven c. This good Pbil. is the lowest degree of duty and it should be your dayly endeavour to improve in your devotion as well as in your learning and the more effectually to move you to so happy an improvement I advise you on Sundays and Holy-days attentively to read over this following Meditation and to propose to your self the Holy Child Jesus for your example A Meditation on the Holy â—hild Jesus GLory be to Thee O Lord Jesus Glory be to Thee who when Thou wert twelve years old didst go up to Jerusalem with Thy Parents after the custom of the Feast to eat the Passover and to worship Thy Heavenly Father O blessed Saviour give me grace like Thee to make Religion my first and chiefest care and devoutly to observe all solemn times and all holy Rites which relate to Thy worship Glory be to Thee O Lord Jesus Glory be to Thee who when Thy Parents returned home didst stay behind in Jerusalem and after three days wast found of them in the Temple sitting in the midst of the Doctors both hearing them and asking them questions O blessed Saviour who in Thy very Childhood didst triumph over all the vain delights of youth and wouldst choose no place but the Temple to reside in Mortifie in me all inordinate love of sensual pleasure which may pervert me from my duty raise in me an awful reverence of Thy House an early devotion in my Prayers and a delight in Thy Praises O blessed Jesu who didst choose before all others the company of the Doctors and didst both hcar them and ask them Questions give me grace to abhor all lewd company and all filthy communication give me grace to love wise and sober and profitable and religious conversation and to be diligent and inquisitive after learning and whatsoever is good Glory be to Thee O Lord Jesus Glory be to Thee who when Thy Father and Mother had sought Thee sorrowing didst reply to them How is it that ye sought me wist ye not that I must be about my Fathers business O blessed Jesu who from Thy infancie didst make it Thy whole imployment to do Thy Fathers will kindle in me a forward zeal for Thy Glory that I may consecrate my youth to Thy service and make it the great business of my life to know and fear to love and obey my Heavenly Father Glory be to Thee O Lord Jesus Glory be to Thee who didst at last return home with Thy Parents and wert subject to them O blessed Jesu give me grace to honour my Parents and Governours and readily to obey all their lawful commands Glory be to Thee O Lord Jesus Glory be to Thee who in those tender years wert blessed with such Heavenly wisdom that all that heard Thee were astonished at Thy understanding and answers who didst dayly increase in this Heavenly wisdom and in favour with God and Man O Lord Jesu bless me with all abilities of mind and body that may make me daâ—ly increase in my Learning but above all bless me with Wisdom from above and give me Thy Holy Spirit to assist and enlighten me that as I grow in Age I may dayly grow in Grace and in the knowledge of Thee and in favour with God and Man and every day more and more conformable to Thy Unsinning and Divine example Amen Lord Jesus Amen Directions for those that are more grown in years WHen you have attained to more knowledge and proficiencie in grace and are of an Age capable of receiving the Holy Sacrament God then expects more from you and 't is high time for you good Philotheus to lengthen your prayers and to begin to add some ejaculations over and above such as these are which follow Ejaculations at waking or rising AWake O my Soul and Sing praises to God Glory be to Thee O God for watching over me this night Lord raise me up at the last day to life everlasting Morning Prayer EArly in the morning will I cry unto Thee Lord hear my Prayer Glory be to Thee Lord God Almighty Glory be to Thee for renewing Thy mercies to me every morning Glory be to Thee for refreshing me this night with sleep and for preserving me from the perils of darkness O do away as the night so my transgressions scatter my sins as the Morning Cloud Lord forgive whatever Thou hast seen amiss in me this night my Here if you are conscious to your self of any sin committed in the night confess it O Father of Mercies wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin And let Thy Holy Spirit so prevent and accompany and follow me this day that I may believe in Thee and love Thee and keep Thy Commandments and continue in Thy fear all the day long Lord make me chaste and temperate humble and adviseable diligent in my studies obedient to my Superiours and charitable to all men Lord deliver me from sloth and idleness from youthful lusts and ill company from all dangers bodily and ghostly and give me grace to remember Thee my Creatour in the days of my youth Bless and defend and save the King and all the Royal Family and all Orders of men amongst us Ecclesiastical or Civil Lord give them all grace in their several stations to be instrumental to Thy glory and the publick good Together with them I commend to Thy Divine Providence my Father and Mother my Brethren and Sisters all
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 and Holy and good and perfect and so condescending to my infirmitiâ—s and in keeping of which there are so great so Unconceivable Rewards O that with Mary Magdalene I could weep much and love much having so much to be forgiven O Gracious Lord look on me as Thou didst on Peter and let Thy Compassionote look so pierce my heart that I may weep bitterly for my sins O Lord God Break this hard heart for Thou only canst do it and melt it into tears of Contrition Miserable wretch that I am that I should sin so much and yet grieve so little Wo is me Miserable wretch wo is me that ever 〈◊〉 should offend so Indulgent so Liberal so tender a Father Wo is me that ever I should repay the infinite love and the intolerable Sufferings of my Saviour for me with Nothing but those sins which occasioned those very sufferings Wo is me that ever I should grieve the Holy Spirit by rejecting so many of His good Motions from whom only I derive Grace and Consolation O Lord God every slight worldly trouble is apt to draw plenty of tears from mine eyes but when I should weep for my sins which are the greatest calamities that can possibly befal me either my eyes are dry or my tears too few to bewail so many Provocations O Blessed Spirit instil true penitent 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 alas 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 Blessed Saviour how can I ever sufficiently lament the guilt of my sins which was so great that nothing but Thy own inestimable bloud could expiate O Heavenly Father in the defect of my own tears I offer Thee the bloud of Thy own well-beloved Son for His sake Have mercy upon me Amen Amen Resolution O Lord God with shame I confess that Other Lords besides Thee have hitherto had dominion over me I have been in the Snare of the Devil and have been led captive by Him and Sin hath reigned in my Mortal body and I have obeyed it in the lusts thereof But henceforth I resolve to serve none but Thee and from this very moment I utterly forsake all my sins and turn to Thee O my God I do from my heart Renew my Baptismal Vow which alas I have hitherto so often violated I do for ever Renounce the Devil and all His works and all His temptations I do for ever Renounce all the vanities of this wicked World which may pervert me from Thy Service and all the sinful lusts of the flesh O my God I do stedfastly believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith and I will keep Thy Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of my life All this am I bound to do and believe and by Thy help so I will and I heartily thank Thee O Heavenly 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 that I may continue in the same to my lives end Oblation Blessed be Thy Name O Lord God who hast set before me life and death and hast bid me chuse life Behold Lord I do with all my heart chuse life I chuse Thee O my God for Thou art my life Save Lord and Hear me O King of Heayen and accept my Sacrifice even the Sacrifice of my whole heart which I now give Thee O my God I offer Thee my Senses and passions and all my faculties I offer Thee all my desires All my designs all my studies all my endeavours all the Remainder of my life All that I have or am I offer up all entirely to Thy service Lord sanctifie me wholly that my whole Spirit Soul and Body may become Thy Temple O do Thou dwell in me and be Thou my God and I will be Thy Servant Amen Amen Acts of Charity O Lord God I do from henceforth Resolve to love my Neighbour as my self and to love him not in word only but in deed and in truth I do from my heart forgive all men their trespasses Do Thou Lord forgive them also Lord bless them that Hate me and do Good to them that have any way despitefully used me O Repay them Good for Evil O my God bless all those that I have any way wronged Have mercy on All those to whose sins I have been any way accessory and give them all grace to forgive me Amen Amen Petition for Pardoâ— O Thou Father of Mercies and God of all Consolation be merciful to me a miserable sinner Lord Remember all Thy Gracious calls of sinners to Repentance All Thy Protestations that Thou delightest not in the death of him that dies and that Thou wouldst have all to be saved Lord Remember all the exceeding great and pretious promises which Thou hast made to Penitent sinners Lord Remember that Thy mercy is over all Thy works that in mercy Thou delightest and that all the Holy Angels seeing Thee well pleased in the exercise of that Mercy Rejoice at the Conversion of a Sinner that the greater my sins are the more will that Mercy be magnified in my forgiveness Lord Remember that Thou didst so love the world as to give Thy only beloved Son a Ransome for it O Heavenly Father Thou that sparedst not Thy only Son but deliveredst Him up for us wilt thou not with Him also freely give us All things and if all things wilt Thou not also give us the pardon of our sins O my God I firmly believe Thou wilt on that ransome my Saviour hath paid for me and on all Thy gracious promises of pardon which for his sake Thou hast made to me I wholly rely Here only is the sure and stedfast anchor of my soul to which my Faith and Hope shall for ever adhere All this Lord do I plead to implore Thy forgiveness Behold Lord though my failings are many yet to the utmost of my power I have confest and bewailed and forsaken my transgressions Behold Lord I come at Thy Call and I come weary and heavy laden with the burthen of my sins Be it unto me according to Thy Word O Thou that art faithful and just forgive me my sins and cleanse me from all Unrighteousness Lord do Thou in no wise cast me from Thee but Heal my Backslidings and love me freely Ease me of my Burthen that I may find rest in Thee and say unto my Soul Be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee O Heavenly Father for thine own Infinite Mercies sake for Thy truth
the Gentry and Commonalty Pious and just peaceable and loyal Hearts To our Armies and Navy Protection and Victory To the whole Nation Healthful and fruitful and peaceful times Lord let it be thy good pleasure to grant To all Jews Turks Infidels Atheists and Hereticks Conversion To all Malefactors and wicked men timely Repentance To all Holy persons increase of grace and perseverance To all that I have tempted any way to siâ— or with whom I have been a Companion in evil Contrition and pardon Lord let it be Thy good pleasure to bless all those I have any way wronged and to forgive those that have wronged me To Comfort the disconsolate to give health to the sick ease to those that are in pain Patience to the afflicted food to the Hungry Clothes to the Naked liberty to the Captive and a safe delivery to women with Child Lord be Thou a Guide to the traveller safety to those that are at Sea a Refuge to the oppressed Be Thou a Father to the fatherless Take care of Widdows Pity and Relieve all poor Prisoners of debt and Have mercy on all Ideots and mad persons Lord let it be Thy good pleasure to Bless my Parents my Brothers and Sisters and All my Relations All my Friends All my Governours in this Colledge All my Fellow-Scholars All who have commended themselves to my Prayers Particularly Here you may name them if you see occasion Lord Thou best Knowest all our Conditions All our Desires All our Wants O do Thou therefore sute Thy graces and blessings to our several necessities of Body or Soul Hear O merciful Father my Supplications and that for the sake of Thy Son Jesus who died for us all in whose Holy words I sum up my own and the wants of all I pray for Our Father which c. If you are a Child of the Colledge Good Phil. I advise you now and then to say that usual Collect wherein you give thanks for the Founder and pray for the Colledge both which you have great reason to do in private as well as in publick when you Consider that God has made the Founder an Instrument of doing you much good in advantaging your education and the blessings you pray for on the Colledge you have your self a part in A Thanksgiving for the Founder I Give Thee Humble and Hearty thanks O most merciful Father for our Founder William of Wickham and all other our Benefactors by whose benefits we are in this Colledge brought up to Godliness and good Learning and I beseech Thee to give us grace so to use these Thy blessings to the Glory of Thy Name that we may become profitable members in the Church and Commonwealth and may be at last partakers of the immortal Glory of the Resurrection Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Amen Directions to use the foregoing Prayers HAve a great care good Phil. that you make not any of the Rules here given you a pretence to neglect the Orders and duties of the place you live in or of the School for that were Idleness rather than devotion When you fix on a day to examine your Soul or to confess your sins in Believe me Phil. nothing will more enforce your Prayers and Repentance than if they are accompanied with Fasting and Alms as you may see in the example of Cornelius whose Prayers and Fasting and Alms all joyned together were so acceptable to God as made Him send first an Angel from Heaven and after the Angel an Apostle and after the Apostle the Holy Ghost to confirm and enlighten Him But take notice Phil. that all the Fasting I advise you to is only on some Fasting-day on some one Friday or Saturday when your Commons are less than on other days to Content your self with your bare allowance and withal to lay aside some small matter according to your stock for the Poor But beware you do not your duty only to be seen and approved of by Others for this were Hypocrisie and take lieed your performances do not puff you up with a vain conceit of your Holiness and that you are better than your fellows for this were abominable Pride and alas when you have done the best you can you fall infinitely short of your duty and 't is Gods mere Mercy not any the least worth in you makes your service any way acceptable to Him When you have once throughly examined your self Good Phil. and made a particular Confession of the sins of your whole life and begged Pardon there is not the same Absolute Necessity of such laborious Examination at your next communicating especially if you examine your self carefully every Night and dayly repent of the evil of the day past and are not Conscious to your self of any Great or Notorious Sins since your last Confession for if you are not the Examination and Confession only of what past since your last Communicating together with a General Confession of your former sins and a solemn renewing of your former acts of Repentance may serve the turn But if your Conscience Accuses you of any Culpable neglect in your last Examination or of any great relapses or of any wilfull violations of your last Vows and Resolutions in those and the like Cascs 't is the surest way to begin all your Repentance again Remember Phil. that though 't is God that works in you to will and to do of his good pleasure yet God also commands you to work out your own salvation your self and therefore you are to labour for those blessings and to practise those graces you pray for so that you are to read your duty in your prayers If you find any particular Sin you are guilty of or any particular grace which you want or any particular blessing which you are to give thanks for which is not here mentioned 't is easie for you to add it to your prayers as occasion requires in like manner if you meet with any passage in any prayer which does not either so directly or so fully express the sense of your Soul as you could wish leave it out If Opportunity Leisure and Devotion altogether do at any time when you go home or at times of liberty incline you to make some present addition to your dayly prayers or like Daniel and Holy David not only at Morning and at Evening but at Noon day to Pray to God thou mayest then Use the Prayer for particular graces p. 39. or those Acts of Resolution and Oblation p. 34 35. or on Sundays and Holy-days the Form of General Thansgiving or on Fasting-days the Form of General Intercession as may best sute with the season and with your own Affections Directions concerning Infirmities IF after all the Care and pains you can take and your petitions also for Gods grace you find in the performance of any duty in your dayly Prayers Examination Receiving the Holy Eucharilt or the like great Coldness and Wandrings and indisposedness and weariness of Spirit and
that your heart is little affected with it and that you fall very much short of the Rules here laid down and therefore are ready to Conclude that all you have done is in vain and displeasing to God Be not disheartned at this Phil. 't is a good sign to be so much grieved for your failings in your duty 't is an argument of a filial tenderness and desire to serve God better that your spirit is willing though your flesh is weak and if you still continue your endeavours and prayers pâ—tiently relying on Gods infinite goodness and on his gracious promises of Hearing you He will assuredly Hear you in His good time Know good Phil. that this is the case of thousands as well as of your self the very best of Christians sigh under the pervcrsness and impotence of their corrupt nature and even the Just man falls seven times a day through sins of Ignorance or Infirmity or sudden surreption or inadvertency or the like though it is true he riseth again by an Habitual repentance and therefore be not discouraged but dayly beg pardon for your daily failings To ease you in such indispositions or when you are also streightned in time or diverted by any Unavoidable avocations I advise you to shorten your prayers and for the longer Morning and Evening prayer say the shorter and as for the other parts of Devotion throughout this whole Manual they are cut into so many breaks and divisions on purpose that you may lengthen or shorten your prayers as may best comply with your Occasions and Infirmities Onely let me warn you seriously that under colour of Indulging your infirmities you dò not indulge your sloth Be not then afflicted good Phil. if you cannot come up exactly to the Rules here given you Believe me it was never imagined you would it was onely hoped that you would endeavour it and know that it is a great errour of many devout souls to think all they do signifies nothing because they fall short of the Rules laid down in their Books of Devotion little considering that 't is Sincerity God requires of us and not perfection for if there be a willing mind in us it is accepted according to that which a man hath and not according to that a man hath not so that your Infirmities ought to humble but not to discourage you For instance Suppose you should not be able after all your endeavours and prayers to shed any or but few tears for your sins Be not too much cast down at it for to be troubled for want of tears is one sign of godly sorrow and 't is certain though tears are very desirable yet they are not always signs of true Repentance for Hypocrites may shed them and there may be true godly sorrow without them and perhaps God will at last give them to you when his wisdom sees your Heart in a fit temper for them Whensoever then you are troubled with an afflicting sense of your infirmities and for your many failings I advise you to say this Prayer following and to rest satisfied that He that died for you will both hear and accept and succour you A Prayer against Failings O Thou Compassionate Saviour of sinful man look down from Heaven and have mercy upon me wretched sinner O save me O help me for without Thee I can do Nothing as I ought Miserable man that I am my very Prayers and Repentance are accompanied with so many failings that I am sometimes afraid that Thou Lord wilt not hear such Prayers nor regard such Repentance But O Blessed Saviour my Lord and my God 't is Thy promise not to discourage the least measure of grace Thou wilt not quench the smoaking Flax or break the bruised Reed 'T is Thy practice Lord to comply with the weakness of Thy servants Thou arâ— the good Shepherd who carriest the tender Lambs in Thy very bosome and gently leadest those that be with young Nay Lord 'T is Thy very Nature so to do for Thou Thy self hast felt humane infirmities and canst not but commiserate those that sigh under them Why art thou then so heavy O my Soul and why art thou so disquieted within me O put thy trust in thy Saviour who is the help of my Countenance and my God! O gracious Lord do Thou Pity me and Accept my weak and imperfect performances and supply by Thy boundless mercy all the defects in my duty and if it be Thy pleasure I should serve Thee better O Lord God increase Thy succours of Grace and I shall then increase my obedience O Thou lover of Souls for the sake of that infinite Compassion of Tâ—ine which moved Thee to die for me Hear me and Help me Amen Lord Jesus Amen Amen Directions in time of Sicknâ—ss FAr be it from you good Phil. to Counterfeit your self sick at any time to avoid the School or the like Lest God send you sickness indeed to punish your Idleness and dissimulation But if it please God to visit you with a real disease let it be your first care to make your peace with Heaven for God by taking you off from your usual Studies does give you a Call to Repentance and the exâ—mination of your self in the beginning of your sickness is as seasonable and necessary as before your Communicating besides if your sickness prove dangerous you will then I doubt not desire to Communicate so that to fit you both for the Holy Sacrament and for Heaven examination and Repentance ought to be first in your thoughts Beware Phil. of deferring this duty because you are young and think you may have time enough to repent Hereafter for you see that persons younger then your self die and you are not sure to out-live this distemper and if you should put it off till your sickness grows more on you it may perhaps take away your senses or if it does not be sure it will much more indispose you to Prayer and Recollection In the beginning then of your sickness begin your Repentance and say over this following Prayer and do not only say but practise it A Prayer in the beginning of Sickness O Heavenly Father who in Thy wisdom knowest what is best for me Glory be to Thee Lord if it seem good in Thy sight divert this distemper from me which I now feel seizing on me that I may imploy my health to Thy Glory and Praise Thy Name But if Thou art pleased it should grow on me I willingly submit to Thy affâ—icting hand for Thou art wont to chastise those whom Thou dost love and I am sure Thou wilt lay no more on me then Thou wilt enable me to bear I know O my God Thou sendest this sickness on me for my Good even to Humble and reform me O grant that it may work that saving effect in me Lord crâ—ate in me a true Penitent sorrow for all my sins past A stedfast Faith in Thee and sincere resolutions of amendment for the
time to come Deliver me fâ—om all frowardness and impatience and give me an entire Resignation to Thy divine Will O suffer not the disease to take away my senses and do Thou continually supply my Thoughts with Holy Ejaculations Lord Bless all means that are used for my Recovery and restore me to my Health in Thy good time But if otherwise Thou hast appointed for me Thy blessed will be done O wean my affections from all things below and fill me with ardent des res after Heaven Lord fit me for Thy self and then call me to those joys Unspeakable and full of Glory when Thou pleasest and that for the sake of Thy onely Son Jesus my Saviour In whose Holy Words I sum up all my wants Our Father c. Ejaculations in time of Sickness FAther if it he possible Remove this Cup from me Nevertheless not my Will but Thine â—e done Trouble and heaviness have taken hold on me but my sure Trust is in Thee O Lord Forsake me not O my God when my strength faileth me Haste Thee to help me O Lord God of my salvation Lord teach me so to number my days that I may apply my Heart to wisdom Deal Thou with me O Lord according to Thy Name for sweet is Thy Mercy Lord what is my Hope truly My Hope is even in Thee O my Soul Tarry thou the Lords leisure be strong and He shall comfort thy heart and put thou thy trust in the Lord Into Thy Hands I commend my spirit for Thou hast redeemed me O Lord Thou God of Truth In my Fathers house are many Mansions and Thou Lord Jesus art gone before to prepare a place for uâ— that where Thou art we may be also Lord be merciful to me Miserable siâ—ner O Lord God we must all at the last day appear before Thy Judgment Seat O Cleanse me from my sâ—ns that I may be found blameless at the Coming of the Lord Jesus As the day goeth away and the shadows of the Evening are stretched out so paâ—ieth away my life even like a vapour that appeareth for a little time and vanisheth away Eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor the heart of man conceived the good things which God has laid up for those that love Him Lord do Thou therefore enâ—ame my soul with Thy Love I know Lord that Thy Judgments are right and Thou of very faithfulness hast caused me to be troubled O Heavenly Father my Hope is wholly in Thy Mercy and in the merits and sufferings of my Saviour O for his sake forgive and save me To these and the like Ejaculations Phil. which thou mayest gather thy self thou mayest now and then either read a Psalm your self or have one read to you as particularly the 23. or 25. or 27. or 51. or any other that does best suit with thy Condition I need give you no further directions for the time of sickness because I presume Phil. that when you feel your sickness prevailing on you you will then send for a spiritual guide who will give you more particular Advice and minister to all the necessities of your soul and therefore I shall only add this form of Thanksgiving A Thanksgiving for Recovery GLory be to Thee O Heavenly Father for the sickness Thou hast in mercy sent me Lord the stripes Thou didst lay on me were the stripes of Love Glory be to Thee Before I was troubled I went wrong but now will I keep Thy Word It is good for me that I have been in trouble that I might learn Thy Statutes Glory be to Thee O Lord Glory be to Thee for delivering me from the terrours of death and restoring me to my health again Glory be to Thee I called upon the Lord in my trouble and the Lord heard me at large I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord Praise the Lord therefore O my soul as long as I have my life which at first God gave thee and which he has now restored me I will sing praises unto my God! O Lord God Who hast in Thy tender mercy prolonged my days in this World give me grace to spend that life Thou hast now lengthened in Thy service O give me grace to perform all my Resolutions of new Obedience and so to live in the filial fear of Thee all the Remainder of my time that I may at last die at peace with my self at peace with the whole World and at peace with Thee and that for the sake of Thy well-beloved Son and my Saviour in whose Holy words I sum up all my wants Our Father c. To this you may add if you think fit the 103 Psalm To conclude good Phil. if you have reapt any good from these Prayers and Instructions be sure to give God hearty thanks for it and let this encourage you to make the more frequent use of them and God of his Infinite mercy bless them every day more and more to your growth in grace and to his Own Glory Amen FINIS Eccles. 12. 1. 2 Tim. 2. 22. Psal. 25. 7 1 San. 3. 1. John 13. 23. â—rov 8. 17. 1 King 18 12. 〈◊〉 92. 1. Exâ— 29. 38 Luke 2 41. 2 Tim. 〈◊〉 Psal. 119 â—l 119. 〈◊〉 119. â—sal 121. Psal. 103 Mark 12. 42. Psal. 115. 1. Psal. 14â— Psal. 4â— Psal. 41. 8. Rev. 7. 15 Mark 13 3â— Luâ— 8. 15. Jamâ—s 1. 22. Cor. 11. â—r 17. 9. Chron. 4. 3. Joh. 1. Cor. 10 â—2 Psal. 19. 12. Maâ— 5. 23 Prov. 〈◊〉 8. Psal. 〈◊〉 Job 4. Rom. 7. Psal. 40. 12. Psal. 51. Eph. 4. 22 〈◊〉 6. 〈◊〉 19 〈◊〉 119 Luke 7. 38. Luke 22. 61. â—om 8. â—6 â—sa 26. 〈◊〉 Tim. 2. â—m 6. 1 Co◠〈◊〉 1. â—k 18. â—im 2. â—ke 15. â—n 3. â—n 8. 1 Joh. 〈◊〉 Joh. 〈◊〉 Hos. 1â— Mâ— 1â— 29. 〈◊〉 19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 11. â—n 5 1 Pet. 4. 19. Psal. 119. 〈◊〉 6. 1 Cor. 10. 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 5. Isa 53. John 6. 52. 1 Câ—r 11. Lukâ— 16. Joâ—n 〈◊〉 Chron. â—9 â—hil 4. Psal. 73. â—sal 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 〈◊〉 Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pâ—l 3â— Heb. 10. 10. â—v 1. â—al 31. Acts 20. 1 â—t 1â— 12. Ephâ—s 10. 1 Cor. 1â— Rev. 4. 8. Neh. 9. 6. Acts 14. 1 Timâ— Acts 10. â—an 6. 〈◊〉 â—al 55. 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 8. 12. 〈◊〉 12. 〈◊〉 40. â—b 2. 20 4. 15. Psâ—l 42. 1 Câ—r 1â— Maâ— Psal. Psal. â—sal Joâ— Jâ— Jâ— 1 〈◊〉 â—al 119 â—l 119 â—l 118