Lord I beseech thee mercifully hear my prayer and spare me who now confess my sins unto thee that I whose conscience by sin is accused by thy merciful pardon may be absolved from all my offences through Christ our Lord. Amen O most Mighty God and Merciful Father who hast compassion upon all Men and hatest nothing that thou hast made who wouldest not the Death of a Sinner but that he should rather turn from his Sin and be saved mercifully forgive me my Trespasses receive and comfort me who am grieved and wearied with the Burthen of my Sins Thy property is alwayes to have mercy to thee only it appertaineth to forgive Sins Spare me therefore good Lord spare me whom thou hast redeemed Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant who am vile Earth and a miserable Sinner but so turn thine anger from me who meekly acknowledg my vileness and truly repent me of my faults and so make hast to help me in this World that I may ever live with thee in the World to come through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen This being done you are next to review your Sins again and consider what were the occasions which drew you into each particular Sin and then consider and think of those ways and mean by which you may for the future avoid them and arm your self before-hand with reasons and holy resolutions against their assaults whensoever they invade which you may do well to commit to Writing After this consider what Graces directly oppose your Vices that you may in the next place petition for them for it is not enough that you are pardoned but you must also remember that that will not stand you in stead If you again return to your Old Vices An Examplification of this you have in one or two Sins following As January I fasted and upon Examination I found my self guilty of unclean and unchast thoughts and that with delight and approbation which sometimes brake forth into corrupt frothy Discourse and immodest or unclean Actions Upon reflecting into the Causes of this Sin I found them to be Eating and Drinking too highly keeping light or idle Company not keeping that Guard over my self as I ought nor behaving my self in all places with that gravity and seriousness as I should and giving way to the first motions of vain and impure thoughts Upon which I resolved to use my self to a spare low Diet to avoid Drinking much Wine or Strong Liquors to avoid light Company and not suffer mine ears to hear or my tongue to utter any frothy or corrupt Communication to carry my self always with a becoming gravity in my behaviour to deport my self as in the immediate presence of God remembering that he is a God of infinite Purity and Holiness I will be watchful over my own Heart that I do not permit any unclean thoughts or fancies to enter within me much less give them Entertainment and as soon as they offer themselves to my fancy I will endeavour to divert them by holy and heavenly Meditations And last of all I will be frequent in my prayers to God for a clean heart and purity of spirit and for the Graces of Temperance and Chastity When I fasted likewise I found my self guilty of muth deadness and dulness in my Devotions vain and wandring thoughts in them c. Upon Examination of my self I found the great Causes of it to be the want of keeping my self continually in a serious frame and temper of spirit my not spending some some time in Meditation before I came to pray my want of frequency in my Devotions and want of the due sense of God's great and dreadful Majesty and my own necessities of those things I come to pray for Upon which I resolved constantly to keep my self in an habitual frame and temper of piety to be more frequent in Prayer and to praemeditate of the dread and awfulness of that Majesty before whom I appear to consider before-hand that nothing but what is hearty and from the ground of the Soul will be accepted by him and how great need I have of those things I ask I will pray often for the Spirit of Devotion and Sincerity and will be sure to watch over my thoughts when I am at my Devotions but if any such enter I will presently repel them and then pray with greater fervency to cross the Devil's design therein These meditations and resolutions being over you may begin again thus O Lord increase my weak Faith Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief and give me Grace to live and die according to my belief for I believe in thee O God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth And in Jesus Christ thy only Son our Lord who was conceived by the holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried He descended into Hell The third day he rose again from the dead He ascended into heaven and siteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead I believe in the Holy Ghost the Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints the Forgiveness of Sins The Resurrection of the Body and the life everlasting Amen O Lord be with my Spirit O Most gracious God make me careful to discharge and perform all my Vows and Resolutions which I have made unto thee both in publick and in private Make me a serious and professed enemy to every sin and to all ungodliness especially O Lord to all c. Here meition thy most prevailing Sins and Corruptions and let no sinful thought surprize me without a sorrowful sigh no ungracious word pass me without a suddain retractation and devour confession no wicked action defile me without a sincere and godly humiliation Unto each measure of sin enable me to allow a due measure of sorrow Let those sins that have been reigning over me be at set times constantly revenged by me and as my body hath been a deep sharer in my Sins so let it have a daily share in my Sufferings Help me at set times to deny my self some of those outward Enjoyments which thou O Lord in mercy hast allowed me as a true sign of my godly sorrow for that sinful excess which I have too oft taken without thine allowance Let those sinful hours which have been vainly lost in idleness and emptiness be willingly redeemed in a constant observation of Religious Duties Let no day pass me with out a solemn and devout task of Devotion no hour without some sweet Ejaculation and when at any time the troubles and disturbances of this frail life shall deny me happy opportunities for those heavenly performances what is wanting in act let it be made up in desire which thou Lord I trust wi lt graciously accept and look upon because faithfully intended These and whatever mercies thou knowest needful and requisite I humbly beg in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ
mercy upon me Lord be thou my helper O spare me a little that I may recover my strength before I go hence and be no more seen II. I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of Men The Lord is Righteous for I have rebelled against his Commandments Lam. 1.18 I will bear the Indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him Thy ways are equal but mine have been very unequal The Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his Works Thou hast punished me less than mine Iniquity hath deserved I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son no not the meanest of all thy Servants But yet O do not thou cast off the bowels and compassions of a Father but as a Father pitieth his own Children so be thou merciful unto me Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant O Lord for in thy sight shall no Flesh living be justified But there is Forgiveness with thee that thou may'st be feared Thou art full of Compassion and Mercy long Suffering and very Pitiful and forgivest Sins and savest in time of Affliction Eccles 2.11 Look upon my Affliction and my Pain and forgive me all my Sin My sins have deserved Eternal Torments make me cheerfully and thankfully to bear my present Pains Chasten me here as thou pleasest that I be not Condemned with the World III. I have set the Lord always before me Because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved Though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of Death I will fear no Evil for thou art with me thy Rod and thy Staff shall comfort me Thy Word standeth fast for ever in thy Word and gracious Promises is my hope This is my Comfort in my Affliction In the multitude of the Sorrows that I have on my Bed thy Comforts shall refresh my Soul My Flesh and my Heart faileth but God is the strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever I will wait patiently for the Lord untill he incline his Ear unto me and hear my cry I know that my Redeemer liveth and because he lives I shall live also He that spared not his own Son but delivered him for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me Put thy trust in God for I shall yet give him thanks who is the health of my countenance and my God I have fought a good Fight I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Glory IV. I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is far better than to remain in this Vale of Tears for there all Tears shall be wiped away from mine Eyes and there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying nor pain O that I had Wings like a Dove for then would I fly away and be at rest My Soul is athirst for God even for the living God When shall I come to appear before the presence of God In thy presence is fulness of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace for mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation Thou art my Helper and my Redeemer O Lord make no long tarrying Into thine hands I commend my Spirit for thou hast redeemed it O Lord thou God of Truth Come Lord Jesu come quickly Thanksgiving for Recovery BEhold for peace I had great bitterness but thou hast in love to my Soul delivered it from the Pit of Corruption for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back Isaiah 38.17 The Lord was ready to save me therefore will I sing unto him as long as I live yea I will sing praises to the God of my life while I have any being I should utterly have fainted but that I believed verily to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the Living I will praise thee for thou hast heard me and art become my Salvation The Lord hath Chastned and Corrected me but he hath not given me over unto Death Open to me the Gates of Righteousness I will go into them and will praise the Lord and pay him the Vows which I promised with my Lips and spake with my Mouth when I was in trouble Gracious is the Lord and Righteous yea our God is merciful The Lord preserveth the simple I was in Misery and he helped me Return into thy rest O my Soul for the Lord had dealt bountifully with thee For thou hast delivered my Soul from death mine Eyes from Tears and my Feet from falling What shall I render unto the Lord for all the benefits he hath done unto me I will take the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living Hold thou up my goings in thy paths that my Foot-steps slip not Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning c. A Prayer for the Morning in private EArly in the morning will I direct my Prayer unto thee O â—ord and will look up O hear me in the multitude of thy mercies and for the sake of Jesus Christ O thou great Creator both of Heaven and Earth and of all things contained therein thou art a God infinately Wise Holy Powerful Just and Good transcendent in all perfections give me I beseech thee O Lord a firm belief and an acknowledgment of thy divine Nature and Existence a deep sense and due apprehensions of all thy excellencies and goodness together with sutable affections and demeanor towards thee that I may daily more and more adore thee love thee fear thee honour thee and depend upon thee Give me a deep sense of thy infinite Purity and Holiness which may cause in me aversness unto and an abhorrence of whatsoever is sinful and impure and excite in me the fear of Reverence and Caution of offending thee by doing any thing that may displease thee or omitting to do what may be pleasing unto thee I confess O Lord hadst thou been exact to mark iniquity and laid judgment to the Line and righteousness to the Plummet I had long since been cut off in the midst of my sins and felt the Effects of thy severe displeasure but because thy mercy triumphs over thy justice I am not consumed unto this day I have one opportunity more praised be thy holy name to beg pardon at thy hands for all my sins which to my own shame and confusion I confess to be exceeding great and hainous but yet O Lord I know thy mercies do far exceed the multitude and haniousness of my Transgressions O magnifie therefore the Riches of the same mercy in the full pardon and forgiveness of them all cast them behind thy Back bury them in my Saviour's Grave
my Heart unto Wisdom when I awake up I am ever with thee Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the ginning is now c. Then have an especial care that no vain filthy or impure thoughts have any entertainment within thy Breast but if any such endeavour to crowd themselves in presently discard them with detestation and abhorrency emembring that the First Fruits belong to God and he ought to have the râ—ime of all thy Thoughts then cast thy self out of Bed and whiles thou art dressing thy self desire God to cloath thee with the Righteousness of his Son Christ Jesus and use the following Ejaculations O Lord grant that I may put on the whole Armour of God that I may be able to stand against all the Fiery Darts of the Devil Above all things O Lord give me the Shield of Faith the Breast-plate of Righteousness the Sword of the Spirit the Girdle of Verity the Helmet of Salvation and let my Feet be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace O grant that I may put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no Provision for the Flesh to fulfil it in the Lusts thereof Before thou art throughly dressed kneel down by the Bed-side and say In the Name of the Father and of the the Son and of the Holy Ghost prevent me O Lord in all my doings with thy most gracious Favour and further me with thy continual Help that in all my works begun continued and ended in thee I may glorifie thy holy Name and finally by thy Mercy obtain everlasting Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Our Father which art in Heaven c. On Combing your Head or Plaiting the Hair you may use such Ejaculaions as these Grant O Lord my Ornament may not be that of the Hair but that of a lowly meek quiet and humble Spirit Let it not be that of the outer but of the inner and hidden Man of the Heart Make me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me While you are Washing you may Ejaculate thus O Lord wash me throughly from mine Iniquities and cleanse me from my Sin O cleanse me from all Filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit Not only my Hands and my Face O Lord but my Heart also Purge me with Hysop and so shall I be clean O Lord wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow I am unclean I am unclean but O Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean O touch me and say I will be thou clean Being now compleatly dress'd withdraw to thy Closet or place of Retirement and there lift up thy Soul to God in this or the like manner O Lord I beseech thee let thy holy Spirit direct me how I may spend this day most of all to thy Glory and my own and others benefit And then ponder a while on the business of the day and consider what sins either thy natural Temper Business or Company may most subject thee to to what dangers thou art most liable and what opportunities thou art like to have either of doing God Service or thy Neighbour good Against the former implore Gods Aid and Assistance in a particular Petition which you may find a convenient place to insert in your Morning Devotions and also Arm your self before-hand with Resolutions and the best Means you can to prevent them that so you may avoid the occasions of Sin And for the latter resolve to embrace all opportunities for the discharge of your Duty and then use this Ejaculation Thus thus O Lord I purpose by thy Grace to spend this day O be thou pleased to be present with me by the preventings and assistings of thy Grace and Holy Spirit that so I may perform what I intend to the Glory of thy Name the discharge of my Duty the benefit of others the comfort of my own Soul here and everlasting happiness hereafter in and through Jesus Christ Let thy Grace be sufficient for me Consider also seriously what Sins have passed from thee since thy Evening Devotions Being thus prepared take Gods Holy Book into thy hands yet not without Reverence and to put a distinction between this and other Books it will be commendable if thou uncover thy head in the reading of it or stand up even the Hearhens pay it Reverence the Jews hear the Law with Adoration and the Turks kiss the Alcoran thou maist also use one of these or the like Ejaculation or the Collect of the second Sunday in Advent Assist me I pray thee O Lord with thy Holy Spirit in the reabing of thy holy Word enlighten the Eyes of my Vnderstanding that I may understand the same give me a retentive Memory and Grace to reduce the same into Practice in my Life and Conversation through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour Amen Open thou mine Eyes O Lord that I may see the wondrous things of thy Law Blessed art thou O Lord O teach me thy Statutes O Lord sanctifie unto me my present Reading and Meditations for Jesus Christ his sake Then read that portion of Scripture that is either accommodated to the day or most fitted for your own condition and that with much seriousness attention and particular application of it to your self When you have ended use the common Doxology of Glory be to thee O Lord. Then re-collect what things observable you have met with in your reading and spend some time in Meditation of them and consider what use you may afterwards make of them either to encourage to Vertue or deter from Vice without this Post Meditation you will reap no more benefit by this â—alutary Word than a Body by the reception of the most nutritious Aliment which is not well digested in the Stomach Nay as this will be apt to turn into Crudities and Diseases to the Body so will the other prove fatal to the Soul and that which should have been the savour of Life unto Life will be nothing else than the savour of Death unto Death Meditation being ended betake your self decently and reverently to your knees and with great fervency offer up your Morning Devotions unoâ— the Throne of Grace which being done follow your lawful Studies or Employments still having an awful sense of Gods Omnipresence But if you be a Master of a Family then call your Family together and let they as well as you serve the Lord. Read a Chapter unto them and Pray again with them before you dismiss them to their business And if you live in a place where Publick Prayers are Celebrated and your manner of Life be such that you can without considerable inconveniences dispense with it think your self not excused from the Prayers of the Church in the Congregation At Noon when you see the Table spread you may meditate concerning Gods Mercy and Bounty towards thee and all mankind and use those or the like Ejaculations hereafter prescribed for that purpose and then receive
much less can I perform any good Action that might please thee I most humbly beseech thee that as by thy special Grace preventing me thou dost put into my Mind good desires and intentions so by thy continual help I may bring the same to good Effect To that end I beseech thee cleanse the thoughts of my Heart by the Inspiration of thy Holy Spirit and give me such a preparation of Soul as may qualifie me for the Duties of the ensuing day and grant that I may perfectly love thee delight in thy service and worthily magnifie thy holy Name through Christ Jesus our Lord. The Morning being come consider what necessary business you have to do that day and dispose as prudently of it as you can that it may not interfere with your Holy Exercises of Religion when you begin upon it And if any such be you may do well to dispatch it in the Morning In your private Morning Devotions be not unmindful to continue your Requests unto God for his assistance in the Duties of the day in these or the like Expressions which you may find place to insert among your other Petitions O Most gracious God thou hast been pleased to discover unto me my Duty and hast given me an hearty desire to perform the same But O Lord I know without thee I can do nothing but through thine assisting Grace I shall be able to offer up such a Sacrifice this day as may be well pleasing and acceptable in thy sight Let that Grace O Lord be sufficient for me to quicken my Devotions to kindle my Zeal and to work in me a Godly Humiliation for all my past Sins together with stedfast Resolutions of forsaking them for the time to come And tho O Lord I know thou hearest not Sinners wilfully resolved to persevere in their Sins yet thou wilt hear those that confess and abandon them Hear me therefore O Lord in the multitude of thy Mercies even in the Truth of thy Salvation and remove my Sins from before thy sight that they may not hinder good things from me this day but set them full in mine and let them ever be before me that I may not only confess them with an humble lowly penitent and obedient Heart but also actually forsake them that so 〈◊〉 may obtain forgiveness of the same by thy infinite goodness and mercy in and through Jesus Christ Amen Another to this purpose out of the Method of Private Devotions O Lord who seest the purposes of alâ— Hearts and hast been privy to the Intentions of thy Servant touching calling himself this day to an account of his ways and humbling himself before thee for all his Transgressions and rendring thee praise and thanks for all thy Mercies Be thou in Mercy present to mâ— by the preventings and assistings of thy Grace that I may with a true Hearâ— and contrite Spirit perform what I intend Grant that no worldly cares oâ— business may so take off my mind from thee but that I may be able forthwitâ— to return and without distraction to imploy my whole Soul in my designeâ— Devotions to the Glory of thy Name my own amendment and comfort here and everlasting Blessedness hereafter iâ— and through thy Son Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen 1. First abstain from all Food and Sustenance unless thouart of a weak and valetudinary temper until the Solemnity be over If thou art if thou eat and drink sparingly with a design only to strengthen thy self the better for the carrying on of thy Duty I think thou hast not broken thy Fast The Fast it self being not injoyned so much for its own sake but as it is a help and furtherance to other Duties 2. Have a care that you do not only fast from Meat but from Sin also for if you abstain from the former and not from the latter it is a great Argument of your Hypocrisie and that your Righteousness doth not exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees who fasted to be seen of Men Matth. 6.16 and are promised their Reward shall go no farther than that of Men too This is not such a Fast as God hath chosen or will accept 3. Abstain likewise this day from all gratification of your Senses from all Pleasures and Recreations This day you have design'd for condemning your self for your sins for humiliation of your self for them and mourning over them then how inconsistent will this be with Mirth and Jollity Altogether as great a Soloecism as Musick and Dancing at a Funeral to have silence in the Kitchin and the noise of Mirth in the Chamber is a thing very indecent and incongruous 4. Lastly let not Intemperance be either the Preface or Conclusion to your Fast least the Fast be so far from taking off your old sins that it be an occasion to draw on new guilt Thus I have led you through those previous Acts towards this Duty of Fasting we now come more closely to the Exercises of it Being retired to thy Closet about Noon thy mind being as much as possible disburthen'd of Worldly Thoughts cast thy self down upon thy knees and humbly say In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen Prevent me O Lord in all my doings with thy most gracious favour and further me with thy continuual help that in all my Works begun continuued and ended in thee I may glorifie thy holy Name and finally by thy Mercy obtain everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Our Father which art in Heaven c. And then taking Gods Holy Book into thy hands â—ay Sanctifie unto me O Lord my present Reading and Meditations that it may in some measure prepare me for that great Work I am now about Take off my mind from all Vain and Earthly Things and inspire it with a holy Zeal that I may with spiritual desires and affections perform this spiritual Duty and grant that nothing may find admitâ—ance into my heart but what shall reaâ—ilysubmit to thy Laws and Discipline Grant this O Lord for Jesus Christ â—is sake Amen After you have spent half an hour in â—he reading of that portion of Scripture which you have thought fit to select for his purpose or that good practical â—ook which you have made choice of â—pend another half hour in digesting it â—r Meditating upon it and make partiâ—ular applications of it to your self This â—roximate preparation also you will find â—ery necessary in Order to the calling â—f your Mind from Vain and Worldly â—houghts which without it would be too apt to Straggle and be Distracted and to fix and intend them on that Exercise which you are about This being done you begin again with Prayer after this manner O Lord thou High and Holy one whose glory is above the Heavens and hast Thousands of Angels Ministring unto thee and yet are pleas'd to humble thy self to behold the things that are done by us poor wretched Mortals here on Earth In confidence therefore
my head and my Trespass is grown up even unto Heaven All the thoughts and imaginations of my heart have been Evil and only Evil and that continually I have wrought many and great provocations in thy sight especially O Lord c. Here enumerate thy old capital Sins and that in the mosâ— provoking manner They have not been only single but repeated acts of sin for O Lord of this black Cataloguâ— which I have now brought forth before thee how few are there which I have not often times committed nay which are not become even habitual and customary unto me And to this frequency I have added both agreediness and obstinacy in sinning turning into my course as the Horse rusheth into the Battel doing evil with both hands earnestly yea hating to be reformed and casting thy words behind me quenching thy Spirit within me which testified against me to turn me from my evil ways and frustrating all those outward means whether of Judgment or Mercy which thou hast used to draw me to thy self Nay O Lord even my Repentances may be numbred amongst my greatest Sins they have sometimes been feigned and hppocritical always so slight and ineffectual that they have brought forh no Fruit in amendment of Life but I have still return'd with the Dog to his vomit and the Sow to the mire again and have added the breach of many resolutions and vows both at thy Table and in private to all my former Guilts Yea O Lord I desire to confess to my own shame and confusion that since the last time that I humbled my self in thy sight and so solemnly vowed and purposed to forsake every Sin and not to regard any iniquity in my heart I have returned unto the same if not worse Sins than I then came to confess before thee and to beg pardon at thy hands for for my thoughts O Lord have been vain c. Here enumerate the sins My Words have been inconsiderate c. my Actions have been unweighed c. And besides all this O Lord I have still the same proneness to that which is evil aversness and obstinacy towards what is good I have still an impenitent hard heart which is not sufficiently mollified with the sense of my Sins or thy wrath due unto me for them O God! God be merciful to me a Sinner yea I know not how often I have offended O cleanse cleanse thou me from my secret faults Thus thus O Lord am I become out of measure sinful and since I have thus chosen death I am most worthy to take part in it even in the second death the lake of Fire and Brimstone which burneth for evermore This this O Lord is in Justice to be the portion of my Cup to me belongs nothing but shame and confusion of face and that eternally But to thee O Lord God belongeth mercy and forgiveness though I have â—â—belled against thee O remember not my Sins and Offences but according to thy mercy think thou upon me O Lord for thy goodness Thou sentest thy Son to seek and to save that which was lost be hold O Lord I have gone astray like a Sheep that is lost O seek thy servant and bring me back again to the Shepherd and Bishop of my Soul Let thy Spirit work in me a hearty sense and detestation of all my abominations that true contrition of heart which thou hast promised not to despise And then be thou pleased to look upon me in mercy to take away all my iniquity and to receive me graciously into thy favour and for his sake who hath done nothing amiss be thou reconciled to me who have done nothing well Wash away the guilt of all my Sins in his Blood bury them so deep in his grave and hide them in his Wounds that they may never rise up in Judgment against me either here to shame me or hereafter to condemn me and subdue the power of them by his grace and grant O Lord that I may from this hour bid a final adieu to all Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts that I may never once more cast a look toward Sodom or long after the Flesh Pots of Egypt but consecrate my self intirely to thee to serve thee in righteousness and true holiness all the days of my life reckoning my self to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our blessed Lord and Saviour Amen After this go on with your Devotions and pray over the One and fiftieth Psalm HAve mercy upon me O God after thy great goodness according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences Wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sins For I acknowledg my faults and my sin is ever before me Against thee thee only have I sinned and done these Evils in thy sight that thou mightest be justified in thy saying and clear when thou art judged Behold I was shapen in Wickedness and in sin hath my Mother conceived me But lo thou requirest Truth in the inward parts and shalt make me to understand Wisdom secretly Thou shalt purge we with Hysop and I shall be clean thou shalt wash me and I shall be whither than Snow Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Turn thy face from my sins and put out all my misdeeds Make me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me O take away this stony this hard heart of mine and give me a heart of flesh O give me the comfort of thy help again and stablish me with thy free Spirit Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked and sinners shall be converted unto thee Deliver me from blood-guiltiness O God thou that art the God of my health and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousness Thou shalt open my lips O Lord and my mouth shall shew thy praise For thou desirest no Sacrifice else would I give it thee but thou delightest not in burnt Offering The Sacrifice of God is a troubled Spirit a broken and contrite Heart O God shalt thou not despise O be savourable and gracious unto Sion build thou the Walls of Jerusalem Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of Righteousness with the burnt Offerings and Oblations then shall they offer Young Bullocks upon thine Altar Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be World without end Amen Conclude your Penitentials with the following Collects ALmighty and everlasting God who hatest nothing that thou hast made and do'st forgive the sins of all them that are penitent create and make in me a new and contrite heart that I worthily lamenting my sins and acknowledging my wretchedness may obtain of thee the God of all mercy perfect remission and forgiveness through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen O
Amen A Prayer for Grace out of the Whole Duty of Man O Most Gracious God from whom every good and perfect gift commeth I wretched creature that am not able of my self so much as to think a good thought beseech thee to work in me both to will and to do according to thy good pleasure O inlighten my mind that I may know thee and let me not be barren or unfruitful in that Knowledge Lord work in my heart a true faith a purifying hope and an unfeigned love towards thee give me a full trust on thee zeal for thee reverence of all things that relate unto thee make me fearful to offend thee in any thing careful to please thee in all things thankful for thy mercies humble under thy corrections devout in thy service sorrowful for my sins and grant that in all things I may behave my self so as befits a creature to his Creator a servant to his Lord Enable me likewise to perform that duty I owe to my self Give me that meekness humility and contentedness whereby I may always possess my Soul in patience and thankfulness Make me diligent in all my duties watchful against all temptations perfectly pure and temperate and so moderate in my most lawful enjoyments that they never become a snare to me Make me also O Lord to be so affected towards my Neighbour that I never transgress that Royal Law of thine in loving him as my self Grant me exactly to perform all parts of Justice yielding to all whatsoever by any kind of right becomes their due and give me such bowels of mercy and compassion that I may never fail to do all acts of Charity to all Men whether Friends or Enemies according to thy Command and Example Finally I beseech thee O Lord to sanctifie me throughout that my whole Spirit and Soul and Body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory for ever Amen Here you may also pray more particularly for those graces you have found your self most of all to stand in need of better forms for which I can not advise you to thâ—n those contained in the Book of that Excellent Author The whole Duty of Man where you have devout Prayers for all those particular Graces which a Christian can stand in need of These Prayers being over spend some time again in Reading and Meditation afterwards having before prayed for your self you are next in Charity bound to pray for others also being as members of the same mystical body the Church which you may do in this or the like Form A Prayer of Intercession O Most gracious Lord who so tenderly lovedst Mankind as to give thy dear Son out of thy bosome to be a propitiation for the Sins of the whole World grant that the effect of this redemption may be as universal as the design of it that it may be to the Salvation of all O Let no person by impenitence and wilful Sin forfeit his part in it but by the power of thy Grace bring all even the most obstinate sinners to repentance Inlighten all that sit in Darkness all Jews Turks Infidels and Hereticks take from them all blindness hardness of heart and contempt of thy Word and so fetch them home blessed Lord unto thy Fold that they may be saved among the number of the true Israelites And for all those upon whom the Name of thy Son is called grant O Lord that their conversations may be such as becometh the Gospel of Christ that his Name be no longer blasphemed among the Heathens through us O blessed Lord how long shall Christendom continue the vilest part of the World a sink of all those abominable pollutions which even Barbarians detest O let not our profession and our practice be always at so wide a distance Let not the disciples of the holy and immaculate Jesus be of all others the most profane and impure Let not the Subjects of the Prince of Peace be of all others the most contentious and bloody but make us Christians in deed as well as in Name that we may walk worthy of that holy vocation wherewith we are called and may all with one mind and one mouth glorifie thee the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Have mercy on this languishing Church and sinful Nation look down from Heaven the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory Where is thy zeal and thy strength the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards us Are they restrained Be not wroth very sore O Lord neither remember iniquity for ever but though our backslidings are many and we have grievously rebelled yet according to all thy goodness let thy anger and thy fury be turned away and cause thy Face still to shine upon thy Sanctuary which is in danger to be desolate for the Lord's Sake do thou compose our differences heal the wounds which our unhappy schisms and divisions have made in thy Church and make up the breaches of our Sion and so separate between us and our sins that they may no longer separate between us and our God Avert those heavy judgments which we either fear or feel and our sins cry aloud to Heaven for and deny us not the continuance of those mercies which we yet enjoy and are altogether unworthy of but whatever temporal mercies thou art pleas'd to deny us whatever temporal judgments thou art pleased to bring upon us O remove not thy Candle-stick from us nor quench the light of our Israel but blessed Lord be pleased still to continue unto us the liberty of thy House the freedom of thy Gospel the injoyment of thy Sabbaths Sacraments and Ordinances in their primitive purity and regularity until time shall be no more Save and defend all Christian Kings Princes and Governours especially thy Servant Charles our King and those to whom we owe subjection Plead thou their cause O Lord against those that strive with them and fight thou against those that fight against them and so guide and assist them in the discharge of that Office whereunto thou hast appointed them that under them we may live quiet and peaceable Lives in all godliness and honesty Bless them that wait at thy Altar by what Names or Titles dignified and distinguished whether Arch Bishops Bishops or other inferiour Clergy Grant that they may all speak as the Oracles and live as the Messengers of God that so they may both save themselves and those that hear them More especially be gracious unto thy Servants Here you may insert the Bishop of the Diocese your Parochial Minister the Authors of good Books yet living or any that have been instrumental to your conversation Pour down a double portion of thy Spirit into their hearts make them eminent Instruments for thy glory Let them turn many from their wicked ways unto thee the living God and hereafter let them shine as Stars of the Firmament in thy Kingdom O
of Christ As to all our outward concerns here in this life we desire to refer our selves wholly unto thee our good God Thou art infinitely wise and knowest what condition is best for every one of us give us therefore any measure of prosperity or adversity riches or poverty health or sickness whereby we may most of all glorifie thy holy Name and in every condition give us grace to look up unto thee as the author and disposer of it and therein to be really content Together with us we beseech thee to be mindful of all mankind Let thy ways be known upon earth and thy saving health among all nations Bless thy universal Church lead it into all truth and let not the Gates of Hell be ever able to prevail against it Be gracious unto our Soveraign Lord the King the Queen and all the Royal Family to all the Ministers and Magistrates toall that fear thee and call upon thyname Remember all the Sons and Daughters of sorrow and affliction in what case or state soever and relieve them all according to thy Mercies and their several necessities for thou only knowest them all Bless all our Friends Kindred and Benefactors and all that we are under any Obligation to pray for whether Friends or Enemies infuse Grace where it is not and where it is weak do thou strengthen it give them all things necessary for their Souls and Bodies guide them here by thy Counsel and at length receive them to thy self in Glory And now O Lord because it is very meet right and our bounden duty at all times and in all places to give thanks unto thee we desire at this time to praise and magnifie thy holy Name for all the freeness and fulness of thy Mercy and loving kindness towards us and others Thou daily loadest us with thy benefits spiritual and temporal who art the God of our Salvation thou hast given a fresh Testimony of thy Goodness and Mercy to us in our preservation this Night past from those many sad Casualties and Accidents which might justly by reason of our sins fall upon us and brought us safe unto another day O Lord thou mightest have made our Beds our Graves our Sheets our Winding Sheets and our rising again this Morning a rising unto judgment What is man that thou art mindful of him Or the Son of Man that thou visitest him Praise the Lord O our Souls and all that is within us praise his holy Name Praise the Lord O our Souls and forget not all his benefits and grant that we may render thee not only the fruit of our Lips but the obedience of our Lives by consecrating our selves entirely to thy Service and walking before thee in a sincere and impartial observance of thy holy Commandments all the days of our lives And seeing thou hast been graciously pleased to add another day unto our Lives so we beseech thee to give us Grace to add more Wariness Repentance and Circumspection unto our days Make us O Lord carefully to watch against all Sin especially those that do so easily beset us and that we have been so often conquered by Teach us by the Strength of thy holy Spirit to deny our selves to pluck out even our right Eyes to cut off even our right hands to undergo the severest afflictions rather than to offend so Sacred a Majesty Let our thoughts be always holy and heavenly and when we are about our Studies and Employments let them be often carried up unto thee by holy Meditations and Divine Ejaculations Let our words be seasoned with Salt with prudence and discretion not stained with filthiness and vanity lying detraction or any other sin but such as may tend to the use of Edifying and minister Grace unto the hearer Set a watch O Lord before our Mouths and keep the doors of our Lips Let our Actions O Lord be always holy and just or at least innocent and unblameable give us grace to walk as in thy sight and evermore to set thee before our Eyes Make us careful in the well spending of our time so as we may best prevent or resist Temptations and by discharging our Duties in our places and callings may glorifie thy holy Name Take from us O Lord all slothfulness and give us diligent and active Spirits that when the Devil assaults us he may not find us idle but improving those Talents intrusted to every one of us that we may at length receive from our great Lord and Master Jesus Christ that blessed Sentence Of Well done ye good and faithful Servants enter ye into your Masters Joy Do thou O Lord be with us in our labours and employments this day and bless us bless and prosper O Lord the works of our hands upon us yea prosper thou our handy-work Give thy holy Angels charge over us to keep us in all our ways that we rush not into any Temptation nor fall into any kind of bodily danger which our sins may justly expose us to but preserve us as the Apples of thine Eye and hide us under the shadow of thy Wings that in our going out and in our coming in we may be blessed and have always thy watchful protection over us These and whatever other Mercies thou knowest needful and requisite for us for all thine and thy whole Church we humbly begg in the Name and for the sake of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and in whose words we shut up our imperfect Petitions saying as he hath taught us Our Father which art in Heaven c. A Prayer at Noon Morning and Evening and at Noon will I praise thee and thou wilt hear my Voice Open thou my Lips O Lord and my Mouth shall shew forth thy praise O Father of Mercies and God of all Comfort and Consolation Thou art to be Worshipped and Adored with my continual Praises and Thanksgivings for thou continually followest me with thy Goodness and thy Mercies are renewed upon me every moment In thee I live and move and have my being and without thy succour and support I should quickly return to my first Principle of no being at all Thou hast created me redeemed me and by thy Fatherly care and providence constantly provided for me Thou art the God of my life and the Author of all those Mercies I enjoy whether Spiritual or Temporal and therefore thou alone deservest my praises and unto thee I ascribe as is most due all honour praise and glory both now and for evermore More especially I desire to bless and praise thy holy Name for thy particular Mercies towards me at this time that thou hast so plentifully refreshed my Body with thy good Creatures and filled me with the Flower of Wheat Blessed be the Lord God who daily loadeth me with his benefits even the God of my Salvation O Lord refresh my Soul also with the Spiritual Manna of thy Heavenly Grace and grant my pursuiâ— may not be after the Meat that perisheth but after that
which endureth to Everlasting Life Pardon I beseech thee O Lord as all my sins in general so especially whatever amiss hath passed from me this day and for Jesus Christ his sake do thou become unto me a reconciled Father own me for thy Child and continually preservr me by thy providence keep in me always a Religious Sense of thee and of thy goodness towards me and sanctifie my heart with thy holy Spirit that I may walk before thee the remaining part of this day and all the days of my life to thy honour and glâ—ry through Jesus Christ my blessed Lord and Saviour in whose Name and Words I continuâ— to implore thy Mercies saying Our Father c. A Prayer for the Evening in private O Most holy holy Lord God Heaven and Earth are full of the Majesty of thy Glory Thou art a God of purer Eyes then to behold the least Iniquity with the least Approbation thou chargest thine Angels with folly yea the Heavens are not pure in thy sight How shall I then so sinful and impure a Wretch dare to appear before thee or to take so holy a Name into my sinful and unhallowed Lips But O Lord thou art God and not Man thy ways are not as our ways nor thy thoughts as our thoughts but as high as the Heavens are above the Earth so are thy thoughts of Love and Peace higher than our thoughts and therefore relying on thy Mercies and gracious Promises I am bold at this time to prostrate my self before thee humbly confessing that I am corrupt in my very Nature having an inability and aversness to that which is good and an aptitude and proneness to all that is evil but I have corrupted my self yet much worse by many vicious Customs and sinful Habits I have transgressed my duty to thee my Neighbour and my self followed too much the devices and desires of my own wicked heart and not only not obeyed but many times wilfuâ—ly broken thy Commandements which are holy just and good and to my former provocations I have added the sins of the day past of omission and commission of thoughts words and actions Here particularize any sin Yea I know not how often I have offended O cleanse cleanse thou me from my secret faults And now O Lord should'st thou be extream to mark what I have done amiss I could not be justified in thy sight nor be able to answer thee for the sins of this one day but thou O God delightest in Mercy and there is forgiveness with thee that thou may'st be feared O I beseech thee let Repentance and Contrition prepare me for that Mercy of thine and then be thou pleased to take away all mine Iniquity and to receive me graciously into thy favour Neither do I desire thee only for the pardon of my past sins but do most bumbly beg for a Divine Power that I may be able to subdue them for the time to come and get a compleat Victory over all the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil To that end let thy Grace and goodness and tender mercies prevent and follow me all the days of my life and bring into obedience whatsoever exalteth it self against thy blessed will that at last I may come to be such as thou would'st have me to be even holy in all manner of Conversation And as I pray unto thee so I desire likewise from an unseigned heart to praise and to bless thee for thy infinite Mercies for those which relate to this life and a better particularly for the Mercies of the day past Here enumerate them O Lord the least of these deserves my hearty Thanksgivings let not the universality and commonness of thy goodness make me to have the slighter regard of it but fill my Soul with a Sense of thy Love and my Tongue with sincere acknowledgments that as I daily receive blessings from thee so I may daily from an affectionate and devout heart offer up thanks unto thee and let my whole life and all my actions be the verification of my Praises And now I beseech thee O Lord receive me this Night into the Arms of thy providence hide me under the shadow of thy Wings Give thy holy Angels charge over me to pitch their Tents round about me that no evil happen unto me nor any plague come nigh unto my Dwelling but that I and mine and all my Concerns may be safe under thy gracious protection that lying down in thy fear and being refreshed with moderate rest I may be the fitter to serve thee in the duties of the ensuing day And all I beg in the Name and for the sake of Jesus Christ my alone Saviour and Redeemer for whom my Soul hath endless cause to bless and to praise thee to whom with thy self and Holy Spirit of Grace be by me ascribed as is most due and all thy Saints and Servants both in Heaven and in Earth all possible Praise Might Majesty and Dominion both now and for evermore Amen A Prayer in publick with the Family for the Evening HEar us O Lord in the multitude of thy Mercies even in the truth of thy Salvation and let not O let noâ— the loud cry of our sins hinder our Prayers from coming up unto thee or thy Graces and Mercies from coming down upon us but pardon our sins which make us unworthy to appear in thy presence and our services to be accepted by thee and assist us we pray thee with thy holy Spirit which may make us fervent and earnest in our Devotions that so we may obtain our Requests at thy hands in and through Jesus Christ O Eternal and Everliving Lord our God thou art in thy self most glorious and in thy Son most gracious Heaven is thy Throne and that thou fillest with thy Majesty the Earth is but thy Foot-stool and yet that thou fillest with thy Goodness both Heaven and Earth loudly proclaim the exceeding greatness of thy Glory and transcendent Excellencies We thy sinful Creatures who are not worthy to lift up our Eyes unto Heaven for we have sinned against Heaven and before thee are yet bold in the Bowels and Mercies of Jesus Christ to cast our selves down at the Foot-stool of thy Majesty desiring in all humility of Souls and Bodies to acknowledg our own vileness and wretchedness O Lord we brought into the World with us evil and wicked Inclinations and we have since made it our business to improve them into practice As the thoughts and imaginations of our hearts so the very words of our Lips and actions of our Lives have been evil and only evil and that continually Our provocations against thee our God have been very great and hainous and as for their number more than the Sands of the Sea We have lived in an universal disobedience to thy Laws and violated all thy holy Commandments in the keeping of which there is great Reward And this O Lord not only through ignorance and frailty but too many
Give us grace to apply it to our selves and to reduce it into practice that thy word may be unto us the savour of life unto life and not unto any Soul of us the savour of death unto death These Mercies O most merciful Father for our selves or any of thine and whatever else thou knowest fitting for us together with the acceptance of our praises we humbly beg at thy hands though not for any worthiness that is in our selves for we utterly disclaim all but for the Merits of him who alone is worthy Jesus Christ the Righteous in whose endearing Name and holy Words we continue to pray unto thee saying Our Father c. Thy Grace O Lord Jesus Christ c. A Prayer for Sunday Evening in the Family Open thou our Lips O Lord and our Mouths shall shew forth thy praise O Most blessed and glorious Lord God Father of Mercies and of our Lord Jesus Christ Thou fillest Heaven with thy Glory and the Earth with thy Goodness All thy works praise thee O Lord and thy Saints give thanks unto thee Thy Name only is excellent and thy praise above Heaven and Earth but because thou art good and delightest in doing good thou art pleased to permit us thy poor unworthy Creatures here on Earth to offer up our Prayers and our Praises unto thee who dwellest in the highest Heavens that thou may'st reward them with thy favour and loving kindness And that we might never be wanting to our selves thou art daily pleased to give us new and fresh occasions of Praising and Magnifying thy Holy Name Even this very day we have had large Experiences of thy Goodness which call for our highest Thanksgivings The temporal Mercies we have received in thy protection of us from those many dangers to which we were exposed by reason of our sins and the plentiful refreshment we have had in the use of thy good Creatures deserve our due acknowledgments but that thou hast given us Dust and Ashes an opportunity and leave to come into thy more immediate presence to wait upon thee in thy House to speak unto thee the glorious Majesty of Heaven before whom Angels cover their Faces and to hear thee speaking unto us instructing us in our Duties and offering unto us terms of Reconciliation most justly challenge our devoutest Affections and most exalted Praises Thou hast given thine only Son to be a Sacrifice for us by whom we have Redemption through his Blood thou hast given him Victory over Hell and the Grave by his Resurrection from the dead and he is now sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high making continual Intercession for us Thou hast given us the constant Solicitations of thy blessed Spirit of Truth the Seal of our Adoption and the earnest of the Inheritance of the Saints together wih a succession of Pastors and Teachers to be the Dispensers of thy Word and Will and the Guides of our Souls And thou hast prepared such things for those that fear thee as Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard nor ever entred into the heart of Man to conceive Lord what is Man that thou art mindful of him Or the Son of Man that thou hast done such great things for him Praise the Lord O our Souls and all that is within us praise his holy Name Praise the Lord O our Souls and forget not all his benefits O that all this Goodness of thine might ingage us by way of just return to thy free and undeserved Mercies more heartily to love thee more devoutly to worship thee and more diligently to live after thy Commandments Give us a due savour and relish of those Divine Truths we have learned this day Grant that we may not be only hearers but doers of thy Word lest we deceive our own Souls Cherish those holy Thoughts Affections and Resolutions which thy good Spirit hath raised in us O Let not them pass out of our minds with the day but leave Impressions upon our hearts the whole Week following and all our days that as we have received how we ought to walk and to please thee our God so we may abound more and more Bless all the faithful Dispensers of thy Word and Sacraments however dignified or distinguished More especially bless him O Lord who hath this day blessed us in thy Name Pour down a double portion of thy holy Spirit into his heart make him an eminent Instrument for thy Glory Let him turn many from their wicked ways unto thee the living God and hereafter let his Soul shine as a Star in the Firmament of thy Kingdom Continue unto us O Lord such holy opportunities and seasons of Grace as thou now affordest us and send them where they are not Let not O let not the loud cry of our national Sins provoke thee to remove thy Candlestick from us or to quench the Light of our Israel but blessed God whatever temporal Judgments thou art pleased to bring upon us whatever Mercies thou art pleased to deny us yet for thy Names sake and for thy Truth and Righteousness sake be pleased still to continue unto us the free liberty of thy House of thy Word Sacraments and Ordinances in their primitive purity and regularity until time shall be no more Pardon we pray thee good God whatever thou hast seen amiss in us the day past even the many frailties and imperfections of our holiest Duties and Performances Look not upon the weakness of our Flesh but upon the sincerity of our Hearts and Desires Pity all our Infirmities and let those Sacrifices which we have this day offered unto thy Divine Majesty be accepted in and for that Sacrifice which thy Son Christ Jesus hath offered up upon the Cross for us Finally O Lord we commend into thine hands this Night our Selves Souls and Bodies and all our Friends every where to be protected by thy providence refreshed with moderate rest and raised again the next Morning by thy power to serve thee with more cheerfulness and to praise thee for thy renewed Mercies And all we beg for the alone sake and love of thy Son who is the Son of thy love Jesus Christ our Lord In whose holy Name we are bold to beg the acceptance of our Petitions and Thanksgivings and to continue to supplicate thy Divine Majesty Saying as he hath taught us Our Father which art in Heaven c. Thy Grace O Lord Jesus Christ c. A Prayer preparatory for Death to be often used in the time of Health O Immortal and Everliving Lord God thy years endure throughout all Generations from everlasting to everlasting thou art God I thy frail Creature created at first by thy power to a state of Immortality with thy self which by Adams Transgression the representative of all mankind I have long since forfeited my right to and am become liable to Death I acknowledg thy mercy towards me in my Creation and thy justice and faithfulness in the execution of thy Threatnings upon breach
of thy mercy I here prostrate my Self before thee begging leave of thee that I may once more worship and adore thee and be admitted into thy Service which is perfect Freedome It is the unfeigned desire of my soul now wholly to attend upon thee and to devote my self entirely to thy Service I am come into thy presence to call my self to an Account for my Sins with Sorrow to bewail them most earnestly to deprecate thy displeasure for them and to renew my Vows and Obligations to thee against them for the time to come to acknowledg my dependance on thee to praise thee for thy Mercies and to make an absolute surrender of my self all the daies of my Life unto thy Service But alas O Lord what am I and what can I do without thee I do not attempt this great Work trusting in any power or strength of my own but in the gracious assistance of thy most holy and blessed Spirit O Gracious God who hast promised to give thy Holy Spirit unto them that ask it send it now down into my Soul and let him bring into my remembrance and convince me of every Sin and every Evil way What I see not teach thou me Search me O God and know my heart O try me and know my thoughts and see what way of Wickedness there is in me and lead me in the way everlasting Make the 〈◊〉 remembrance of my former sins bitter unto my soul Work in me a compleat repentance for them a loathing and abhorrence of them stedfast purposes and resolutions of forsaking them for the time to come and of making an entire resignation of my Self to thy service that so I may obtain the pardon of them in and through Jesus Christ O let not O Lord any of my former great and crying Sins the breach of former vows and promises my impenitency or obduracy or want of suitable Affections for this holy Exercise or any other thing interpose between me and thee this day to stop the current of thy mercy or cause thee to hide thy Face from me in displeasure But gracious God scatter all my Sins which may be as a cloud to hinder my prayers from coming up towards thee and thy mercies from coming down upon me that so in the end of this my Duty I may have an assurance of thy favour which is better than life and all the comforts of it I may have peace with thee and peace in my own Conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost and receiving Power and Strength from thee may run with chearfulness the ways of thy Commandments and serve thee by 〈◊〉 sincere impartial uniform obedience all the days of my Life through Jesuâ— Christ Amen Those whose Piety may inlarge their Devotions may here also fitly use thâ— two Prayers of the Author of the wholâ— Duty of Man for Sincerity and Contrition which because all those perhapâ— into whose hands this Manual may fall may not have by them I shall anon insert towards the end of it Then betake your self to a Seriouâ— and Impartial Examination of your seâ—â— concerning your Sins and if you be a person who use your self to those periodical Returns every Week your inquisition need go no farther than the preceding Week unless it be before every Sacrament when it may be necessary to renew your Repentance for the Capital Sins of your whole Life you may begin with reflecting upon the spending every day of the week where you were in what Company and what your Business or the like which will be apt to afford you fresh remembrances of your Sins and then if you please you may first consider and examine what your thoughts have been wherein they have been exorbitant and sinful what the bent and inclinations of your heart have been and how you have endeavoured to suppress the evil and to cherish the good and when you have found them humbly confess them and lift up your Soul to God in this Ejaculation Lord be merciful to me a Sinner Consider next your Words Whether they have been Vain Idle Corrupt Lying Detracting Uncharitable Passionate or the like Whether they have been mix'd with that Grave Discretion tending to Reprehension and Edification c And then after Confession annex the former Ejaculation God be merciful c. Last of all Examine thy self strictly also concerning all thy Actions thy Violations of the First and Second Table thy Sins of Omission and Comission towards God thy Neighbour and thy Self Examine how thou hast spent thy time resisted Temptations or compli'd with them and what the circumstances of aggravation have been then humbly confess them Endeavour to Work your heart to a true Sorrow and Contrition for them Be angry with your self that you should be so basely led away by the corruptions of your Nature and the pleasures of Sin which are but for a Moment by Evil company or the like Temptations then lift up thy Soul in this manner Thus thus O Lord have I sinned against thee yea I know not O Lord how often I have offended many a times more I am sure I have which I have either forgot or not adverted to O clâ—anse cleanse thou me from my secret faults Here make serious Resolutions against every Sin and especially those thou hast by Examination found thy self guilty of After this fall down up on thy knees or perhaps if the Sins be great and thy humility so too thou may'st think it more proper to prostrate thy self on the ground and Petition the Throne of Grace in this or the like Form following O God the Father of Heaven have Mercy upon me a miserable Sinner O God the Son Redeemer of the World have Mercy c. O God the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son have Mercy c. O Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity Three Persons and one God have Mercy c. The Prayer taken out of the Whole Duty of Man magna ex parte O Most holy holy holy Lord God who art of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity how shall I who am nothing but Iniquity dare to appear before thee Or take so Sacred a Name into my unhallowed lips but yet O Lord whom shall I invoke but thee whom I have offended Against thee thee only have I sinned and done these evils in thy sight I know that thou alone canst forgive sin and that we might not be discouraged to come unto thee thou hast publish'd thy self to be the Lord gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great goodness a God forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin yea thou hast promised That if we confess our Sins thou wilt be faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness Relying therefore on this thy gracious promise I am now emboldened to postrate my self before thee in all Humility of Soul and Body desiring to be ashamed and to blush when I lift up mine Eyes unto thee for my Iniquities are increased over
let not the Lights of the World any more be put under Bushels but keep them in their Candlesticks that they may give light to all that are in the House Let not Jeroboam's Priests profane thy service but let the seed of Aaron still minister before thee And O thou Father of mercies and God of all comfort succour and relieve all that are in affliction and deliver the outcast and poor help them to right that suffer wrong Let the sorrowful sighing of the Prisoners and the Captives come before thee and according to the greatness of thy Power preserve thou those that are appointed to die Grant easie to those that are in pain health to those that are in Sickness Here mention any that you know in that Condition Give them patience and contentation under this thy Visitation and a happy Issue out of all their Afflictions when and which way it shall seem best to thy godly Wisdom only so preserve them by thy Grace that Christ may be unto them whether in Life or Death advantage Give suitable supplies to all that are in want to all presumptuous sinners give a sense of their sins and to all despairing a sight of thy mercy and do thou O Lord for every one above what they can ask or think forgive my Enemies Persecutors or Slanderers overcome all their evil with thy infinite goodness turn their hearts and draw them powerfully to thy self Pour down thy blessings on all my Friends and Benefactors all that have commended themselves to my prayer or that I am bound to pray for especially c. Here specify thy nearest relations particular Friends and all committed to thy Charge O Lord infuse Grace where it is not and where it is weak do thou strengthen it give them all things necessary for their Souls and Bodies guide them here by thy counsel and afterwards receive them to thy self in glory And grant O merciful Father that through this Blood of the Cross we may all be presented pure and unblamable and unreproveable in thy sight that so we may be admitted into that place of Purity where no unclean thing can enter there together with Saints and Angels to sing eternal Praises Doxologies and Alelujahs to Father Son and holy Ghost for ever Amen Either before or immediately after this Intercession make an oblation unto God of something for the Poor or Pious Uses and if it be the tenth of all thy Acquists thou wilt in the end be no looser by it but 't will prove unto thee a piece of frugal prodigality He that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully 2 Cor. 9.6 We put our money into sure hands it is but lent though it be given We engage God himself and he will pay us again Pro. 19.17 This is the Fast that God hath chosen and delights in Isa 58.7 This stock that you thus lay up is the treasure that you send before you to heaven your Friend of the mammon of unrighteousness that when these earthly things fail will receive you into everlasting habitations 'T is call'd a Sacrifice wherewith God is well pleased Heb. 13.16 and again Phil. 4.18 a Sacrifice acceptable well pleasing to God St. Augustine saith that Jejunium sine Eleemosina Lampas sine Oleo Fasting without Alms is a Lamp without Oyl It may shew beautiful to the Eye but will never lead you by it's light to Heaven When you have separated that portion which you chearfully design for this Charitable Use it may not be amiss if you offer and devote it to God in this or the like manner O Blessed Lord God I know that my goodness extendeth not to thee thou art infinitely happy in and from thy self alone Lucret. and wants nothing of ours to make any addition to thy happiness Yea O Lord all that we have and enjoy is from thy bounty and goodness and I can retribute nothing to thee but what must first come from thee Yet O Lord seeing there are many of thy poor necessitous Servants that stand in need of our Charity and thou hast said that whatsoever we do unto these we do it unto thee in consideration of my duty and thy mercies I here offer and devote unto thee for pious and holy uses this small portion as thou hast been pleased to bless me the week past O let it be a Sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing in thy Sight throughâ— Jesus Christ Amen Put this up in the poor Man's Purse by it self By this course thou wilt have always something in store by thee to give all indigent persons as there is opportunity offered and this great advantage thou wilt have by it also thou wilt not give grudgingly as the Apostle terms it 2 Cor. 9.7 or murmur when a poor Man asks an Almes of thee Deut. 15.10 for thou lookest upon this stock as not thy own and thy self only as Gods Purser and the Hand to dispense it yea thou will rejoyce and give God thanks when thou hast a fit opportunity to distribute do good and refresh the hungry bowels of thy poor Brother After this spend some time in Reading or Meditating or both Then call to mind and consider your Mercies both Spiritual and Temporal which you have in the foregoing Week received at the hands of God and if they have been any way eminent omit not to commit them to your Diary where also you may place your Vows if you have made any the benefit which may accrue from hence I shall hereafter shew you If you have no other mercies but the preservation of you from your own vile-Lusts Lusts and Affections from Presumptuous Sins and from Death and Damnation for the Temporal Mercies of each particular day and the mercies even of this day thou hast Matter enough of thanksgiving therefore you cannot do better than conclude your Fast with Praises and Thanksgiving The Thanksgiving and Conclusion of the Work O Most holy and for ever blessed Lord God thy Name only is excellent and thy praise above Heaven and Earth Heaven is thy Throne and that thou fillest with thy Majesty the Earth is but thy Foot-stool and yet that thou fillest with thy Goodness O how great are thy tender Mercies to us O Lord how large is the Summ of them If I would declare them and speak of them they are more than I am able to express I may as well count the sands upon the Sea Shore or the drops of the Ocean as enumerate thy favours Thou didst at first create me out of nothing instamp thine own Image upon me and gavest me Dominion over the Works of thy hands Thou art he that took me out of my Mothers womb By thee have been holden up ever since I was Born thy Almighty hand hath constantly supported me and thy Providence watched over me and I still acknowledg my dependance on thee When Mankind had departed from thee by Disobedience and erased that Image and Innocency in which he was created and for feited that Right to all thy
Mercies which thou freely and undeservedly at first gavest him and made himself obnoxious to thy Wrath and eternal Misery thou hast not abhorred our Nature but hast so loved and honoured thy sinful Creatures as to manifest thy self in our Flesh O! that Men would therefore praise the Lord for his Goodness and declare the Wonders that he doth for the Children of Men. I revere and adore thee O Most Glorious Majesty for the Son of thy love and for all those mercies we enjoy in and through him I praise and magnifie thy holy Name for the Mission of thy holy Spirit to be the Seal of our Adoption the Sanctifier of our Souls the Earnest of the Inheritance of the Saints and the First Fruits of Everlasting Felicity that thou hast spared me so long and given me so large a time for Repentance whereas thou mightest have justly long since cut me off in my Sins and sent me headlong into eternal Destruction Had I no other Mercies but Here enumeraâ—â— thy spiritual Mercies I have sufficient matter for perpetual Praise and Thanksgiving O what what shall I render unto the Lord for all the benefits he hath done unto me I will take the Cup of Salvation and will call upon the Name of the Lord Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Riches and Wisdom and Honour and Power and Glory and Blessing Wherefore Blessing and Honour Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever Besides O Lord those Spiritual Mercies I have infinite Obligations upon me to bless and praise thee for those Temporal ones I have and do yet enjoy Thou followest me with thy goodness day by day and loadest me with thy benefits every moment It is a great mercy that I live and a greater that I enjoy not only the necessaries but the comforts of Life Thou hast been wonderfully gracious unto me in thy protections of me from and deliverances out of many apparent dangers I desire with all thankfulness to remember here mention thy deliverances many more I have forgotten or which I have suffered to pass unregarded through inadvertency for all which my Soul doth magnifie the Lord and all that is within me praiseth his holy Name Praise thou the Lord O my Soul Blessed be thy holy Name in particular for the fresh Testimonies of thy mercies this day for that thou hast put it into my heart and given me an opportunity now to humble my self before thee by Prayer and Fasting to call my self to an account of my Sins to make stedfast Resolutions against them to beg thy preventing Grace to render thee thanks for thy Mercies and to endeavour a reconcilation with thee and for any assurance of thy love and favour which thou hast given in unto my Soul Praise the Lord O my Soul and forget not all or any of his benefits And now I beseech thee O blessed God to accept of my Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving of my Fasting and Humiliation Alms and Oblation and do thou smell a sweet savour from them Let it be a Sacrifice well pleasing and acceptable in thy sight though not for any worth in it self yet in and for the Merits of Jesus Christ I confess O Lord should'st thou be extreme to mark the Iniquities of my holy things my Prayers have need to be prayed for my Repentance to be repented of and my Humiliations and Fastings to be humbled and fasted for But O Lord consider I pray thee that I am flesh and blood yea dust and ashes and so pity and pardon all my Infirmities and deal with me not according to the weakness of my performances but according to the riches of thy mercy in and through Jesus Christ Seal unto my Soul the pardon of all those sins that I have this day confess'd before thee and beg'd pardon at thy hands for especially c. and not only those but all others known or secret of what Nature or what kind soever Grant unto me all those Graces I have this day desired or thou seest me to stand in need of especially c. give me Grace to resist all Sin for the time to come not to regard any Iniquity in my heart but to abstain from the very appearance of Evil to have respect unto all thy Commandments and to serve thee by a constant sincere uniform and impartial Obedience all the days of my Life O mind me continually of all my Vows and Obligations and I pray thee let me receive such strength from thee as may enable me readily to perform the same Of my self I am a frail weak Creature obnoxious to the arrests and victory of all temptations O do thou perfect thy strength in my weakness and let thy Grace be sufficient for me O deliver me Blessed God from my own self and save me or I perish everlastingly that so when I appear again before thee in this manner I may find I have gotten Strength over my Corruptions and that I can now run the way of thy Commandments because thou hast set my Feet at liberty And now O Lord seeing thou hast been pleased to promise that thou wilt give thy holy Spirit to them that ask it I most humbly and ardently beseech thee to send down this holy Spirit into my heart and let him take possession there and rule and reign and govern therein for ever And let this Spirit of thine also if thou see it fit in the close of this Exercise assure my Soul of my pardon and reconciliation with thee and let me have any even the least taste of those joys those ravishments of thy Love wherewith some of thy Saints have been so transported that I may never be weary of well-doing nor faint in my mind but may run the way of thy Commandments with chearfulness and alacrity and may very feelingly and in the sincerity of my heart confess that thy ways are ways of pleasantness and all thy paths are Peace Hear me O Lord for my self Hear me for others Hear others for me and hear the Intercessions of thy dear Son Jesus Christ for us all In whose prevailing Name and holy Words I conclude my imperfect Prayers and Services saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. Thy grace O Lord Jesus Christ thy love O heavenly Father thy sweet and comfortable Fellowship O holy blessed and glorious Spirit of Grace be with me and remain with me always Amen This being over leave thy Closet and carry thy self with a Chearful gravity towards thy own Family or others that thon appear not unto Mâ—n to fast Mat. 6.18 then receive the good Creatures of God with moderation and thankfulness and conclude the day as you do other Days You having been for some time constant in this Duty your Soul will still call for it as your hungry Stomack will for food and you will delight in the â—eturns of it Some time the Week after it may be very profitable if you
thee he sees all thy wants and necessities He is an All-sufficient God he is able and will always succour and relieve thee take up then holy David's resolution Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me put thy trust in God Psalm 42.5 Or that of the Church Lamen 3.24 The Lord is my portion saith my Soul therefore will I hope in him 5. This should stir up in thee longing and ardent desires after the full enjoyment of his more immediate presence in Heaven where our joys shall be full and our pleasures everlasting Psalm 16.11 Draw nearer yet then O my Soul Is there in his presence such fulness of joy Bring forth then thy strongest love towards him that hath prepared such great things for so contemptible Worms as we are Thy strongest endeavours to please him here and desires to enjoy him hereafter I have had some prelibations or fore-tastes of the sweetness of thy presence in Praying Meditating Hearing thy Word and Receiving the Holy Sacrament but these have been incompleat and interrupted It will not be long before I shall by his Mercy be admitted unto a more full perfect and compleat enjoying of his more immediate presence where I shall for ever behold his Face and be united to him without any divorce or separation to all Eternity Eo feror quocunque feror Nihil aliud velim quam permanere illic in aeternum St. Aug. Conf. If those Servants were accounted happy that stood continually in the presence of an Earthly Prince 1 Kings 10.8 and if the Twelve Apostles were happy in the enjoyment of the sweet company of our Saviour here on Earth though in the State of his Humiliation then thrice happy are those Men and those Servants which shall stand continually before thee in thy Kingdom who art King of Kings and Lord of Lords One day in those Coelestial Courts is better than a thousand My Soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the Courts of the Lord my Flesh and my Heart rejoyce in the living God My Soul thirsteth for thee my Flesh also longeth after thee in a barren and dry land where no water is Like as the Hart desireth the VVater brooks so longeth my Soul after thee O God My Soul is athirst for God even for the living God when shall I come and appear before the presence of God Of the Mercy of God MErcy in God is an Attribute Essential to his Nature by which he pitieth those that are in Misery relieveth those that are in Necessity and passeth by many sins and frailties in his Creatures which he might in Justice severely punish Mercy and Misery are relatives and were there no Want nor Trespass there needed no Mercy Mercy is either in the Affection or Expression In the Affection it is termed Bowels of Mercy in the Expression Works of Mercy The former God always hath for it is one of his principal Attributes and cannot be separated from him no not at the time when he is in the Execution of his Justice for when his hand strikes his heart as I may so speak melts and pities and his Bowels yearn within him like a merciful Judge who at the same time being compell'd by justice that he condemns the Criminal relents in his heart for him In the very midst of Judgment God remembers Mercy The latter every Man living hath daily fresh Experiences of in the plentiful Largesses of his undeserved Bounty That thou yet livest is an unparallell'd Mercy for thou mightest have been now in Hell beyond the Hopes of any more Mercy as well as many thousands who perhaps have deserved it less than thy self It is of the Lords Mercy that we are not consumed Lam. 3.22 Should I go about to enumerate the variety of Gods Mercies towards us as Men and as Christians I might in the next page recount what the Philosopher foolishly attempted the sands of the Sea-shore or the drops of the Ocean Gods Mercies towards us as they are undeserved so they are free he hath no other motive than what proceeds from his own goodness and pleasure He hath Mercy on whom he will have Mercy Rom. 9.18 Alass there is nothing in us that could invite his Mercy but our own misery and wretchedness he pitied us when we lay in our blood and said unto us live God's mercy is universal illimitable His mercy is over all his Works Psalm 145.9 The wicked as well as the godly daily taste of his mercies for he sendeth Rain upon the just and the unjust Matt. 5.45 but yet his Mercy is more special towards his Elect Servants 1 Tim. 1.16 for those he hath mercies tender mercies yea multitudes of tender mercies Psalm 51.1 God is great in mercy Psalm 119.156 2 Sam. 24.14 He is rich in Mercy Eph. 2.4 The duration and constancy of God's mercy it is for everlasting Psal 100. ul◠136.1 God is delighted in mercy He is mercy in the abstract and therefore David calls him his mercy Psal 59.10 It it said that Mercy rejoyceth or triumpheth over Judgment 2 Jam. 2.13 as if there were a pretty kind of contention between them and mercy had gotten the upper-hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God in the Second Commandment threatens to punish to the third and fourth Generation but his mercy extendeth to thousands There is no perfection in God the Acts of which are more manifest than in that of his Mercy Let us Consider it's opposite Justice How few Acts can we find of this for multitudes of his mercies And when he does smite how many warnings doth he give before-hand How long is he whetting his Sword and lifting up his hand to strike He seems even to lay aside his Omnisciency that he might be frustrated in doing this work This his strange Work Isaiah 28.21 I will go down saith God and see if their wickedness be altogether so great as the Cry which is come up unto me and if not I will know Genes 18.21 God delighteth in mercy Micah 7.18 But it grieves him to the very heart if I may so speak when he is forced to execute his Justice Dolet Deus quoties cogitur esse Deus Who is there that can say he hath been punished according to his demerits Nay canst thou find out any Act of his Justice which hath not an Alloy or Mixture of his Mercy for his tender mercies are over all his Works Psal 145.9 1. Learn then hence O my Soul to admire and adore this infinite perfection of Almighty God and to labour after a due Sense and Consideration of it that rhou mayst glorifie him for it 2. Learn hence to acknowledge God's mercy in all that thou hast and dost enjoy All thy mercies come from him 1 Chron. 29.14 What hast thou which thou hast not received from his benign hand Every good gift comes down from above James 1.17 and St. Paul tells us 2 Corinth 1.3 That he is the Father of all mercies and