us and then most strongly assails us when we have the least power to resist him There was a time when Satan did suspend his Tyranny sit close in the heart feeding on those lusts he found there without any outward shew of violence Certa quiscendi tempora fata dabant But now he awakes as a Lion out of sleep and as a young Lion greedy of his prey ready to tear the poor Languishing Soul in pieces calls in all his powers and artifices because he knows that he hath but a short time and if he miss this opportunity he must then let it alone for ever Therefore it will be very necessary that you pre-arme your self against his Objections or Assailings and they may be such as these 1. First He may assail thee by setting before thee the multitude and hainousness of thy Sins that they are so many and so great that thou canst not expect that God should pardon them and so endeavour to draw thee to a despondency of God's mercy But then presently oppose this Temptation of his by calling to Mind the multitude and infinitness of God's mercies which cannot be out-numbred by our Sins nor out-weighed by our most presumptuous transgressions Remember that place of Micah 7 and 18. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgressions of thine heritage Who retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy and that other in Isa 1.18 Though your Sins were as Scarlet they shall be white as Snow though they be Red like Crimson they shall be as Wooll Consider also that the greatest Sinners repenting have found Mercy as Manasses Mary Magdelen Peter Paul yea the Thief on the Cross who at the last breath found mercy 2. The Devil may in the time of thy Sickness assail thee by setting before thee the Strictness and Severity of God's Justice and tell thee It is true God is merciful indeed but he is just too Zephan 3.5 Psal 92 15. And he will not let the Wicked go unpunished his justice runs parallel with his mercy and as the one is infinite so is the other too To this oppose Christ's full and compleat Satisfaction Indeed by the Law no Man could be justified but Christ was made a Curse for us that he might redeem us from the Curse of the Law That he might receive the Adoption of Sons Gala. 3.13 Christ by one Oblation of himself once offered made a full perfect and sufficient Sacrifice Oblation and Satisfaction for the Sins of the whole World Christ himself will answer for thee These are mine and shall be made up with my Jewels for their transgressions was I stricken and cut off from the Earth for them was I bruised and put to grief my Soul was made an offering for their Sins and I bare their transgressions they are my seed and the travel of my Soul I have healed them by my Stripes I have justified them by my Knowledge they are my sheep who shall take them out of my hands 3. Satan may object that thou hast no part in these promises because thou art not elected To this oppose God's free Covenant all are invited to receive mercy God excludes none but such as exclude themselves Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the Waters and drink is the Language of God by the Prophet Isa 55.1 Nay our blessed Saviour confirms it also John 7.37 If any excluding none Man thirst let him come unto me and drink and again in the 55. of Isa 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous Man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon And so in the 33. of Ezekiel 11. As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the Wicked but that the Wicked turn from his way and live turn ye turn ye from your evil way for why will ye die O house of Israel And therefore if thou be one that hath turned from thy evil ways never dispute thy election but as sure as God lives and that his Oath and Word are Truth so sure shalt thou live with him in everlasting bliss and happiness and therefore here thou may'st call to mind some of the fruits of thy Faith that thou hast at any time found in the Course of thy Life and thence comfort thy drooping Soul concluding that thou art certainly of the number of those that are ordained to Salvation 4. Fourthly The Devil may perhaps endeavour to perswade thy Soul that because thou art as it were in some kind of desertion and wantest that clear evidence which formerly thou hadst by reason of Gods present dealings with thee that God is not thy God that thy unpardoned Sins causeth him now to hide his Face from thee in thy greatest Extremity and that he will no more be intreated by thee Indeed if thou hast not repented of thy Sins the Devil's argument is good but if thou hast the Testimony of thy Conscience that thou hast truly repented of all thy sins and that in simplicity and godly sincerity thou hast had thy conversation in this life never be discouraged but assure thy self that though God seems to hide himself from thee yet he has no other design in it but to try thee and the strength of thy Faith thy Christian courage and resolution This will be but for a short time and then the sweetness of his return will abundantly compensate for his short with-drawing For a small moment saith God Isa 54.7 have I forsaken thee but with great Mercies will I gather thee Job had sufficient confidence of the return of God's favour and mercy though for the present there was no manifest appearance of it but lay under the greatest pressure of affliction that a poor mortal could bear and was advised because God had forsaken him to curse God and die and therefore with a generous and noble Spirit resolves that though he kill him yet will he trust in him Job 13.15 Holy David's faith and courrage was no less when he could confidently say though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death yet will I fear none evil Psalm 23.4 I have read of a Martyr that during the time of his Imprisonment being under some trouble of Mind had often besought God for some irradiations of his Love and Favour and that he would send him the Comforter but could receive nothing of it but rather more disquiet and anxiety of mind but yet he was resolved to wait God's leisure which he did and when he was fastened to the Stake he cries out with a heart too full of joy to express it in larger terms He is come He is come I shall conclude this with the words of the Prophet Isaiah ch 50.10 Though a Man walk in darkness and see no light yet may he trust in the Lord and lean upon his God Of Meditation IT is
about me a Body of Flesh which is ready to shrink at the approach of any thing grievous do thou O Blessed Jesu pray for me that my Faith fail not that no terrors of Death or Pains may ever shake my constancy or cause me to deny that Lord that suffered such bitter Agonies for me but that I may continue faithful unto Death and so receive a Crown of Life 13. Vpon an Epileptick Person falling into the Fire and being thereby Cured of his Disease THis Person had for a long time laboured of his Epilepsie the accessions of which at length were so frequent and violent that it would often precipitate him to the Ground without as much as giving him any warnings of it's approaches where he would lie as incapable of helping himself as he was insensible of his condition The Patient used to have a Servant attending him to prevent danger but was now by God's providence out of the way In the mean time a fit seizes him he falls into the Fire which being fervent scalded and burned the hinder part of his Head and Neck whereby were produced many Blisters and Ulcers which afterwards unexpectedly by Gods blessing effected a Cure of that obstinate Disease which hitherto had eluded the force of all Medicines Good God! what a Providence is this how wonderful art thou in all thy doings what an allay of Mercy with Judgment is here judgment in Afflicting mercy in Relieving The impotent Man which thirty and eight years had been Diseased lay a long time at the Pool Bethesda but could not be cured till our Saviour came when we are all together unable to help our selves and when all outward means do fail then God comes with his seasonable Relief and to our amazement and admiration perfects that which we could not expect He that once brought light out of darkness can still bring good out of evil nothing shall impede or hinder his Designs but even that which in humane Judgment seems contrary shall prove a salutary Remedy This shall teach me even in the mid'st of the heaviest pressures not to despond but to trust in him who is able by ways tho altogether unknown to me to relieve me in the greatest difficulties Ejaculations for several Occasions For Pardon of Sin HAve mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindness according to the multitude of thy tender Compassions blot out all my Transgressions Wash me throughly from my Iniquity and cleanse me from my Sin For I acknowledg my Transgressions and my Sins are ever before me O God thou knowest my foolishness and my Sins are not hid from thee Purge me with Hyssop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow If thou Lord should'st be extream to mark what is done amiss O Lord who could abide it But there is forgiveness with thee therefore thou may'st be feared Hide thy Face from my Sins O Lord and blot out all mine Offences Be Merciful unto me O Lord heal my Soul for I have sinned against thee Remember O Lord thy tender mercies and loving kindness for they have been ever of old For thy Names sake for thy Mercies sake yea for thy dear Son Jesus Christ his sake pardon all my Iniquities for they have been very great For Grace TEach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee for thou art my God Shew me thy way O Lord and I will walk in thy Truth O knit my heart to thee that I may love and fear thy holy Name Lead me in thy Truth and teach me for thou art the God of my Salvation on thee do I wait all the day With my whole heart have I sought thee O let me not wander from thy Commandments Incline my heart unto thy Testimonies and not to Covetousness Make me a clean heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way Everlasting Set a Watch O Lord before my Mouth and keep the door of my Lips Blessed art thou O Lord teach me thy Statutes So teach me O Lord to number my days that I may apply my heart unto Wisdom Lord make me to know mine end and the measure of my days what it is that I may know how frail I am For the Light of Gods Countenance O Lord hide not thy Face far from me put not thy Servant away in anger thou hast been my help leave me not neither forsake me O God of my Salvation O Lord whatever thou art pleas'd to deny me yet lift up the Light of thy Countenance upon me Thy loving kindness is better than life My Lips shall praise thee Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me Give me the comfort of thy help again and stablish me with thy free Spirit Withhold not thy tender Mercies from me O Lord let thy loving kindness and truth continually preserve me Turn me again O God of Hosts and cause thy Face to shine upon me and so shall I be saved Make me to hear of joy and gladness that the Bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Speak peace unto my Soul and Conscience and say unto my Soul Thou art my Salvation Thanksgiving I Will praise the Lord according to his Righteousness I will sing praise to the Name of the Lord most high I will praise thee O Lord with my whole heart I will shew forth all thy marvellous Works I will freely sacrifice unto thee I will praise thy Name O Lord for it is good Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which only doth wondrous things Morning and Evening and at Noon will I praise thee Seven times a day will I praise thee because of thy Righteous Judgments While I live I will praise the Lord I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name Praise the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits Blessed be the Lord God which daily loadeth us with his benefits who is the God of our Salvation and blessed be the Name of his Majesty from everlasting and to everlasting Amen Amen In the time of outward or inward Trouble O Lord rebuke me not in thine Anger neither chasten me in thy heavy displeasure Look upon my Adversity and Misery and forgive me all my sin Be merciful unto me O Lord for my Soul trusteth in thee and under the shadow of thy Wings shall be my refuge until these Calamities be overpast Have Mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me for my Bones are vexed My Soul also is sore vexed but thou O Lord how long Be not far from me for trouble is near at hand and there is none to help Give me help for I am in trouble and vain is the help of Man Keep me as the
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
times knowingly and wilfully against the Motions of thy holy Spirit against the Checks of our own Consciences against those various methods of thy Mercies and thy Judgments which thou hast used to draw us to thy self yea against those many Promises Vows and Resolutions which we have so often made betwixt thee and our own Consciences both in publick and in private of better obedience and amendment of Life And now O Lord what belongeth unto us but shame and confusion of Face And should'st thou abandon and cast us out of thy favour for ever we must needs confess that the Lord our God is Righteous and that we reap but the fruit of our ways but unto thee our God belong Mercies and Forgiveness though we have rebelled against thee Thou hast published thy self to be the Lord Merciful and Gracious slow to Anger and abundant in goodness and in truth A God forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin and therefore it is that we yet hope and because we hope we pray Have Mercy therefore upon us O God according to thy loving kindness and according to the multitude of thy tender Mercies blot out all our Transgressions washus throughly from our Iniquities and cleanse us from our Sins for we acknowledg our faults and our sins are ever before us We know O Lord that though our sins are exceeding great and many yet they cannot exceed the multitude of thy Mercies nor the greatness of Christ his Merits O we beseech thee therefore remember thy tender Mercies which have been ever of old and remember the bitter Sufferings of our blessed Redeemer and for the Merits thereof pardon all that is past and become unto us a reconciled Father and own us for thy Children Neither do we desire thee only to forgive unto us our past sins but we pray thee also to sanctifie our Natures to instruct our Understandings that we may know the things that belong to our Peace to regulate our Affections and place them on their right Objects and to dispose and incline our Wills readily to choose and cheerfully to imbrace what relates to thy Glory and our own Eternal Happiness Subdue all our Lusts mortifie all our Corruptions and bring into obedience whatsoever exalteth it self against thy most holy and blessed will that at last we may come to be such as thou wouldest have us and canst delight in Strengthen us O Lord against all the Temptations of the Devil the World and our own corrupt Flesh O Lord thou knowest the Frailties and weaknesses of our Natures and the number and strength of those Temptations we have to struggle with We humbly pray thee leave us not to our selves for then we shall quickly leave thee but assist us with thy Grace perfect thy Strength in our weakness and where thou feest we are either by Nature or Custom Company or Temptation most apt to be drawn aside to sin there do thou more especially magnifie thy power in our preservation Set a watch O Lord before our Mouths and keep the doors of our Lips Turn away our Eyes from beholding Vanity our hearts lest they think on Vanity and our hands lest they at any time act it and quicken thou us in thy way Search us O God and know our hearts O try us and know our thoughts and see what ways of Wickedness there are in us and lead us in the way Everlasting Give us grace to abstain from the very appearance of Evil and to watch and pray that we enter not into Temptation Possess our Souls continually with an holy fear and love of thee our God Make us holy as thou art holy pure as thou art pure and merciful as thou our heavenly Father art Merciful and Crown all thy Graces in us with Patience and Perseverance that notwithstanding all those discouragements and oppositions which we may meet withal here in this sinful World we may go on chearfully and constantly to do and suffer those things which thou requirest of us in order to thy Glory and the Salvation of our precious and immortal Souls O grant that we may not recede from any Christian performance upon the sight of any Obstruction lying in the way but may be willing to resist even unto Blood for the Name and for the sake of Jesus Christ Fit and prepare us O Lord for all Estates and Conditions whatsoever thou in thy Divine Providence hast allotted for us for Adversity as well as prosperity for Sickness as well as health for an Evil as well as a good Report But above all fit and prepare us for the hour of Death and the day of Judgment that so whensoever wheresoever or howsoever it shall please thee to call for us out of this Vale of Tears we may be found prepared for thy coming and may cheerfully and contentedly resign our Souls up into thine hands as into the hands of a faithful Creator But seeing that whilst we are here below we have a continual need of supply of all those outward things for supportance of these Houses of Clay we humbly beseech thee give us such a portion of them as thou knowest may make most for the glory of thy Name and the good of our selves and others Grant that we may seek first thy Kingdom and the Righteousness thereof and then let all those outward things be added unto us in such a measure as thou in thy Divine Wisdom seest best for us and in every condition that it shall please thee to place us give us Grace to be content Take away from us O Lord both the Evil of Sin and the Evil of Punishment O keep thy Servants from presumptuous Sins deliver us from thine Anger from the withdrawing of thy Grace and from Everlasting Damnation and as for all Temporal Afflictions not as we will O Lord but thy holy and blessed will be done in all things only whatsoever thou shalt please to inflict upon us give us patience and contentment under it and then chasten us here O Lord as thou pleasest that we be not condemned with the World With us we humbly beseech thee to be mindful of all thine the World over give thy Enlightning Grace to all that are in darkness Thy Converting Grace to all that are in Sin O be favourable and gracious unto Zion Build thou the Walls of Jerusalem look upon the Tribe of thine own Inheritance and the place where thou hast dwelt Let thy Mercies and Blessings rest upon all people of this Nation from the highest to the lowest more especially bless with thy choicest blessings our Gracious King Charles The Queen and all the Royal Family Bless all our Ministers and Magistrates Grant that they may be Men fearing God and hating Coverousness Charge thy Providence with all our Friends and Relations Let those that are near and dear unto us be near and dear unto thee let their Souls be bound up in the bundle of Life 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 Extend thy Compassions towards all that are in any Want Trouble Sorrow Sickness or other Adversity either of Soul or Body O visit and relieve them according to thine own Mercies Reward those that have done us any good and pardon those that have done or wish'd us any Evil. And now O Lord we desire to mingle praises with our Prayers and to bless and magnifie thy glorious Name for all thy Mercies and Favours from time to time vouchsafed unto us but more especially for the Fountain of all our Mercies Jesus Christ for the means of Grace and the hopes of Glory for all those Temporal Mercies which thou hast given us richly to enjoy For the Mercies of the day past to our Souls and Bodies to our selves and others Blessed be the Lord God which daily loadeth us with his benefits even the God of our Salvation and blessed be the Name of his Majesty for ever and ever Finally we recommend unto thee our good God our Souls and our Bodies all that we have and all that are near and dear unto unto us most humbly beseeching thee to receive us this Night into thine Almighty protection and whensoever it shall please thee that our Souls depart our Bodies receive them O Lord receive them into the Arms of thine Everlasting Mercy in whose presence is fulness of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore Grant us quiet and comfortable Refreshment by sleep and awaken us again the next Morning with hearts full of the sense and with mouths full of the acknowledgments of thy Mercies that we may all of us return with more cheerfulness to serve thee in the respective places of our calling Hear us O most merciful Father and graciously answer us in these our Requests and not only in these but in whatever else thou knowest more needful and requisite for us Accept we humbly pray thee both of our persons and our Prayers at this time pardon the many frailties and imperfections of our holy things and deal with us not according to their weakness or our demerits but according to the Richness of thy Mercy in and through Jesus Christ for whom we bless thee and in whose Name and Words we farther pray 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 and blessed Spirit of Grace be with us remain with us guide defend and comfort us this Night and for evermore Amen A Prayer for Sunday Morning in the Family which with very little variation may be used by any single person in his Closet Hear our Prayer O Lord give Ear to our Supplications In thy faithfulness answer us and in thy righteousness O Thou high and lofty One that inhabitest Eternity Thy Name is great wonderful and holy and thou dwellest in the high and holy place with them also that are of a contrite and humble Spirit howshall we then sinful Dust and Ashes who dwell in Houses of Clay and are very far from that Humility and Contrition which should render us fit for thy Co-habitation dare to appear before thee or approach the place where thine honour dwelleth But though thou art high yet hast thou respect unto the lowly and art pleas'd to humble thy self to behold the things that are done by us poor wretched Mortals here on Earth Thou art pleased not only to permit but to invite and command us miserable and needy Creatures to make known our Requests unto thee and it is our interest as well as our duty so to do In obedience therefore unto thy Commands in a sense of our Duâ—y and in a sense of our own Necessities which can no where else be supplied but from the riches of thy Bounty we are now emboldened at this time to present our Petitions unto thee And because thou hast said 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 an thy Mercies and gracious Promises we desire in the first place most humbly to confess before thee that we were not only conceived in Sin and brought forth in Iniquity but as if that had been but a small matter we have proceeded on to the commission of many actual Transgressions To Sins of omission we have daily added sins of commission To sins of weakness and surprize sins of wiljulness and obstinacy To sins of ignorance sins of presumption Yea O Lord if we reflect upon the actions of our lives past and seriously consider how we have behaved our selves even from the first use of our Reason to this very moment we can scarcely find that sin which we have not committed that Commandment of thine which we have not often broken although to the keeping of it thou hast annexed a great reward Thou hast not been wanting unto us in any thing that might invite or incourage us to promote the welfare of our precious and immortal Souls Thou hast given us the knowledg of our duty and instructed us in it and followed it with the inward work of thy Grace whereby we might be enabled to perform it and to conquer our sinful Lusts and Desires But O Lord we still retain a darkness in our Vnderstandings an unruliness in our Affections and a crookedness in our Wills bending down towards the carnal part and great proneness to gratifie it Thou hast deterred us also by thy menaces and denunciation of Judgments saying Thou wilt by no means clear the guilty Tribulation and Anguish Indignation and Wrath upon every Soul that sinneth and yet neither have thy Mercies allured us nor thy Threats affrighted us from following the dictates of our own sinful Inclinations but we have gone on in a continual Rebellion against thee as if we meant speedily to fill up the measure of our Iniquity and to hasten our own destruction And now O Lord what can we say for our selves But that we have deserved the severest of thy wrath and displeasure and that it is purely of the Lords Mercy that we are not consumed And now Lord what is our hope Truly our hope is even in thee Thou hast revealed thy self to be a God gracious and merciful slow to Anger and of great kindness repenting thee of the evil We Appeal therefore from the Bar of thy Justice to the Throne of thy Mercy humbly beseeching thee not to deal with us after our sins nor to reward us according to our Iniquities but for thy Names sake for thy Mercies sake yea for thy dear Son Jesus Christ his sake in whom thou hast said thou art well plsased blot out the multitude of our Transgressions pardon all our sins and receive us graciously yet once more into thy favour And as we destre thee to free us from the guilt and punishment of our sins so we pray thee also to free us from the power of them too
and no doubt when it is performed with good ends and designs as it is an act of Austerity and holy Revenge upon our Selves so by God's Mercy it will procure that Mortification that we aim'd at by it and we shall find either the Temptation removed or God impowering us from on High with Grace sufficient to withstand it 3. It is very profitable and instrumental for the removing or prevention of Judgments and that either particular upon thy Self Family or Friends or National Ahab though a wicked King yet because he fasted and humbled himself before God tho positive Judgments were denounced against him he receives a Suspension of them in his days 1 Kings 21.27 and 29. and tho David found not that effect when he fasted for the Child 2 Sam. 12.16 because his Sin was notorious and scandalous and God would have the punishment as publick to yet it is manifest that David expected it and thought that the readiest way to attain it The Heathen Ninevites succeeded in their Fast for the removal of a general Judgment upon the whole City Jonah 3.5 they proclaimed a Fast and in the tenth verse you have the good success of it God repented of the evil that he had said he would do unto them and he did it not Lastly Fasting is very seasonable when we have any extraordinary thing to beg of God I do not give much Credit to the many Stories amongst the Romish Credentials and what great things have been done by Prayer and Fasting but we have a much surer Word of Prophesie we know what the effect of Hester's Fast was Esther 4.16 how she obtained her request for the deliverance of the Jews We know that when Paul and Barnabas were to be ordained Apostles there was Fasting as well as Prayer premised Acts 13.3 Therefore if we have any Internal Mercy or Grace to desire of God or if we have any extraordinary External Blessing to implore at his Hands let us unto our Prayer joyn Fasting also One Emolument more I will by way of surplusage subjoyn which probably with some sort of persons may be more perswasive than all the rest and that is the advantage of it upon the Score of Health In most Constitutions when the Stomach does as it were keep Holy day and is not charg'd with a new load or taken up with the concocting of new Food it hath time to digest Crude and Superflous Humours which oppress it and so after Concoction either manifestly evacuates or insensibly dissipates them so that that which could not be before digested by a full Stomach is now effectually performed by an empty one All the ways and passages of the body are by this means rendred open and ready for Exclusion Fasting powerfully opens Obstructions makes Respiration more Free and Easie and the Mind and all the Senses more chearful quick and vegate Fasting is not onely the Physick of the Soul but the Body too Many Diseases have been by this prevented many cured Hence that of Fernelius Quos igitor morbos inediâ— non sustulit Medicatione curato So that you see if we had nothing else in Prospect but our own Health Fasting or rather in this sense Abstinence seems most fit and reasonable It will be impossible for me to prescribe to every one how often they ought to fast Every Man's piety and his necessary occasions must instruct him in the frequency of this Duty From those who labour and are bound in the Sweat of their Brows to procure a Competency for themselves and their poor Family little of this Duty is expected However seeing they ought to separate some time before the receiving of the Holy Sacrament for Examination of themselves Prayer and Preparation they cannot do better than add Fasting also But for those who are not under such indispensible necessities and have any tolerable leisure their Piety certainly may well prompt them to set apart one Day every Week for Fasting Calling themselves to an Account of their Sins Humiliation and Prayers unto God for Pardon Preventing or Strength'ning Grace It is Observed even in the outward affairs of this World that those who keep the closest Accounts thrive best and though there be a Day-Book as they call it in which they set down the Debentures of every Day yet once in a Week at least these are all summ'd up and put into a better Form in the great Shop-book that they mey be found and review'd upon all occasions Thus ought the Spiritual Merchant do likewise though he examines himself every day for the Sins thereof yet he ought to have other particular days to look them over again that so having a few of them altogether it may make him more humble more penitent If thou therefore art a Man of leisure and God hath wrought in thy Heart to set apart one Day in a Week thus to humble thy self before him to be reconciled to and to be at peace with him and thy own Conscience thou hast thy liberty to choose which Day of the Week thou wilt for this purpose only give me leave to inform thee That it hath been the Practise of the Primitive Christians and that not without some reason and it is the Command of our Church too to set a part Friday for that purpose as being the Day of our Blessed Saviour's Crucifixion which was thus long observ'd by the Christians after his Passion Others choose rather Saturday for that Action which was likewise kept as a Fast by the Christians who bewailed our Saviours absence he now lying in the Grave And others observe the same day because it may serve as a preparation to the Lords Day which may be best sanctified when some Preparatory Religious Acts have gone before casting off the Cares and Thoughts of the World before-hand that they may attend upon the Lord without distraction Either of these I judge convenient enough neither do I think it necessary to bind you to either of them Prudence and your own occasions must prescribe to you in this However this is my Custom I always design Fryday for my Fasting day because if by any Interposition of Friends or Company or accidential Business I am then hindred from my Design I may have the benefit of another Day i. e. Saturday to perform my Devotions in You may also perhaps see cause to set apart a particular day or days in a year to humble your self for any great or capital Sin that day committed or to praise God for any great mercy or deliverance that day received And that you may perform this Exercise the better I shall give you some particular Rules or Directions for it Rules for a Religious Fast THe Evening before you fast insert some such Petitions as these by way of preparation into your private Prayers O blessed God to whom all hearts are open and all desires known and from whom no secret is hid I could not think a good thought unless thou hadst first infused it into my Soul
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
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
review your Catalogue of old Sins and your holy resolutions against them that you may be still humbled for the one and be put in mind to perform the other And because I have here mentioned the Catalogue of Sins I shall in the next place shew you the reasons and benefits of keeping such a Catalogue or Narative by you and afterwards direct you to the manner of doing it by giving you â—n Exemplification thereof in some Sins Reasons why we ought to keep such a Narrative or Catalogue of our Sins and the benefits of it 1. FIrst the committing of our Sins to such a Diary or Catologue â—eeps them in perpetual Memory and makes them in David's phrase Psal â—1 3 to be ever before us so that we may Novas agere penitentias renew our â—epentance for them which probably was â—ot so compleat at first as it ought to have been besides we should think such Sins never sufficiently bewailed and repented of and possibly too our memory may be too willingly treacherous we may forget them or at least the aggravating Circumstances of them we desire God indeed not to remember them but then we our selves must and ought 2. The committing of our Sins to such an Accomptal makes us presently to remember when God sends any Judgment upon us for what particular Sin it is Punishment is the natural effect and consequence of Sin God many a times spares when we deserve punishment but he never punishes us without our demerits yea God many times doth so adapt the punishment to the sin that we may very intelligibly read the one in the other and then we shall have this benesit that understanding the Cause we may hasten to the Cure confess and bewail the same kiss his Rod acknowledge the Justice of his proceedings and say Righteous art thou O Lord and just are thy Judgments This affliction is but the genuine product of my Sin I may thank my self for it and therefore I will bear the Indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him the Cup is bitter but salutary God chastens me here that he may satisfie his Justice and spare me hereafter And so the Sin repented of the removal of the Judgment soon follows seeing it hath answered that end for which it was sent 3. The keeping our sins in memory hath this great benefit in it to teach us how to arm our selves against the same sins for the time to come If we have been once foiled by an Adversary it is ten to one but if we have adverted to it we may easily remember what it was that gave him the advantage over us and so like Alfrid strongly prepare against the next Assault Si modo victus erat ad crastina bella parabat It will be no difficult matter having an account of your sin and the circumstances of it to re-collect also what inducements and temptations prevailed against you at what avenue the sin entred and so thou mayst immediately guard and fortifie thy self that thou do not twice fall by the same Stratagem 4. It is profitable that you may see what strength you have got over them and know how to keep your ground against them Though an Enemy be several times repulsed yet if he be still potent subtil and malicious he will not cease to assassinate King Alfrid sate as unquiet when he was Conqueror as when he was conquered Si modo victor erat ad crasâ—ina bella pavebat We have entered the lists against a strong and malicious Combatant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Enemy of Mankind by way of Eminency and he is constantly upon his Guard going his Round and seeking whom he may devour and so subtil that like Hanibal he will lay an Ambush even in the smoothest Field let us not therefore â—emit our watchfulness or diminish our force lest he again enter and our last Estate be worse than the first 5. A fifth Reason is That we may frustrate the Devils great Design and Endeavour which is either to make them appear small in our Eyes when they are indeed very great or else to hide them altogether from us until the Judgment of the great Day No sin is indeed positively small being committed against a God of infinite purity and holiness but comparatively so with relation to other sins but yet the Devil is such an Impostor that he would needs perswade us that even great sins are no sins at all or very small ones peccadillo's and tells us as Lot of Zoar Is it not a little one 'T is but a small inconsiderable Lust a humane Frailty this will not ruin thy Soul many thousands are guilty of far greater than this Thus he will endeavour to hood-wink thee for the present but then at the hour of Death or day of Judgment he will take off this Vail and open thine Eyes when to thine astonishing amazement thou wilt find how miserably how irremediably thou hast been deceived The constant sight of thy sins will be apt to raise thy thankfulness to God for being delivered from the power of them Sin is the greatest Evil and if we once come to be sensible of it we shall not only fly from it but have our hearts enlarged with the greatest thankfulness to God for our delivery from the power and dominion of it Lastly The keeping of such a Catalogue is very profitable that by reflex thoughts on our sins we may be kept in the greater humility and low opinion of our selves We have generally in our Natures an inbred Principle of Pride which puffs us up with a vain conceit of our selves and more especially in respect of Grace with which being but slenderly imbued we are presently opinionated of our selves undervalue others and think that we have arrived to the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and heighth of Grace in a moment not unlike your young Sophisters who having suddenly suck'd in some of the Elements of Logick and Philosophy think as well or better of themselves than the Doctors of the Chair Now the serious remembrance of our former Obliquities and Follies will be apt to chastise this Vanity and correct our Pride It is storied of the Peacock that though his Train be never so much expanded and his Crest elevated yet one glance of his Eye upon his black Feet will presently depress his Crest shrink and contract his Plume In the highestâ— thoughts of our selves the consideration of our great enormous sins if we be any way pious or ingenious will humble us and make us confess That in us dwelleth nothing that is good He that covereth his sin shall not prosper but he that confesseth his sin shall find mercy The manner of keeping your Narrative and an Exemplification of it in some Sins SUffer no sin to pass by you unregarded and make every day a particular reflection upon the actions of the day as before directed that you may discover what sins you have been guilty of and what most inclined to And
Subtilties and Assaults of the Devil and discover to thee the sin for which he now sees it fit to afflict thee anâ— make an absolute surrender of thy seâ—â— unto Gods all-wise disposal 2. As soon as thou art in thy Bed anâ— hast leisure and privacy begin whilâ— thou hast strength and the free use 〈◊〉 thy Reason which possibly in some acuâ— Distempers thou may'st not long enjoy to renew thy Repentance taking a freâ— survey of all thy Capital Sins which the former Catalogue will help thee in and of any others lately committed by thee remembring that God never corrects but for Sin When thou with rebukes saith David dost chasten Man for sin Psalm 39.11 These again humbly confess to Almighty God acknowledg thy de-merits and the justice of his proceeding and most earnestly implore his pardon 3. Next exercise thy Faith by a stedfast recumbency on God through Jesus Christ for the full pardon of all thy sins and resting upon those gracious promises of his that he hath made Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wooll Isa 1.18 That God will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.5 That Jesus Christ is the propitiation for thy sins and that in him God hath said He is well pleased Math. 3.17 That God will deliver thy Soul from going down to the pit because he hath found a Ransom Job 33.24 and will certainly give thee Eternal Salvation if thou continue faithful unto Death Believe also that God is wise and just in sending thee Afflictions that he wil not suffer thee to be tempted above what thou art able That all things shall work together for good to them that love God Rom. 8.28 That if thou live thou shalt live to him and if thou die Death shall be unto thee advantage In a word firmly believe all those Truths that thou did'st believe and wert perswaded of in the time of thy greatest health 4. The next Grace now to be exercised is Hope which is nothing else but a comfortable expectation of the performances of all those good promises made unto thee by God Job assures us that the hope of the Hypocrite shall perish because it was not founded upon a good bottom he continued in his sins and yet hoped for Mercy But thou hast repented of thy sins and purified thy self from them quite forsaken them and therefore thy hope is such as maketh thee not ashamed but thou may'st be assured that thou art of the number of those Righteous ones Who have hope in their death Prov. 14.32 Fifthly Exercise throughout the whole course of thy Sickness Prayer and Devotion This is a time of trouble and God bids us then to call upon him and to encourage us hath promised to hear us Psalm 5.15 besides as we have now greater needs than ever so for the most part the Devotion of every pious Soul is at this time raised to a greater height and accompanied with more fervency and humility than in the time of his greatest health Therefore frequently Pray and Ejaculate unto God as thou findest the temper of thy Soul requires whether it be for support under thy weaknesses against despondencies impatience distractions or confusions of Mind whether for Revelations of his Goodness and Irradiations of his Love and Favour and if thou art a constant Reader and Meditator of Gods Word thou canst not want suitable Expressions out of that rich Treasury the Holy Bible You may find some cull'd out for that purpose in the subsequent pages and in The Whole Duty of Man many more But if thy Devotion be not so much exalted as thou would'st have it remember this is a time for Passion not Action and God will accept thee 6. Exercise likewise throughout the whole time of thy Sickness Christian patience You have need of Patience saith the Apostle Heb. 10.36 That when you have done all you may inherit the promises Now is the chief use of this grace therefore you cannot want it It is that which crowns all the rest This discovers it self by a cheerful submission to Gods Fatherly Correction justifying God and condemning thy self saying with the Psalmist Thou hast punished me less than my sins have deserved or with the Prophet I will bear the Indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him Micah 7.9 or with good old Ely It is the Lord let him do as it seemeth him good Or with the Apostle Chasten me here as thou pleasest that I be not condemned with the World And then resting in a cheerful Expectation that God will convert all to thy good and that he will be to thee both in life and death advantage taking up holy Job's resolve That tho he kill thee thou wilt trust in him Job 13.5 and that tho thou walk through the valley of the shadow of death thou wilt fear no Evil Psalm 23.4 Submit to the Rules of thy Physician and be kind and courteous not peevish as too many are towards thy Attendants and all that come to see thee and give them and thy Family good Instructions â—eeing those that are spoken from a Friend on a dying Bed stick closest â—f any Be sure no word drop from thee of repining or murmuring against Gods dispensations towards thee but let thy words be sueh as tend to the use of Edifying and in all things behave thy â—elf as if thou wert giving up the Ghost â—he next moment Be willing and content to die say as St. Paul did I desire to be dissolved and â—o be with Christ which is best of all or as David Like as the Hart desireth the Water-brooks so longeth my Soul aftee 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 O that I had Wings like a Dove for then would I fly away and be at rest Thou art my Helper and my Redeemer O Lord make no long tarrying Last of all exercise thy Charity not as if thou wert not to use it all along but now more particularly give and forgive Beg pardon for any injury done thy Neighbour and if it be in thy power make restitution for any Offence that is capable of it if not beg God to accept of thy Intentions and to pay thy debt in Blessings Forgive from thy heart all others who have injured thee as thou expectest to be forgiven by God When thou shalt find thy strength fail and Death approaching say or ejaculate thus Lord Jesus receive my Soul Into thy hands I commend my Spirit for thou hast redeemed it O Lord thoâ— God of Truth Come Lord Jesus come quickly Remedies against some particular Temptations of the Devil in the time of Sickness THe Devil is so delusory and subtil a Spirit that like the cunning Angler he loves to fish in Troubled Waters and takes all Advantages of our weaknesses and disturbances of mind to insnare
that they may never rise to shame me here or to condemn me hereafter and I pray thee O Lord to give me every day a deeper sense of my sins and a more compleat repentance for them a loathing and detestation of them and let their remembrance be bitter unto my soul Send down thy holy Spirit into my heart and let him root out every accursed unmortified Lust and sinful corruption from my Soul and destroy in me all the remaining affections unto Sins and dispose my Soul to a constant obedience of all thy Commandments and keep me in an habitual frame and temper of Piety all the days of my Life O Lord give me daily a clearer sight of my Duty and incline my heart to walk exactly and so acceptably continually before thee make me sensible of thy exuberent Love and let not all thy mercies longanimity and patience towards me a miserable Sinner prove successless but raise in my heart all grateful acknowledgments Blessed be thy great and glorious Name O Lord God for all the mianfestations of thy love and goodness towards me unto this day for the Mercies of thy right as well as thy left hand but especially for the Fountain and Foundation of all our Mercies Jesus Christ for the means of Grace for the hopes of Glory for thy particular preservation of me and mine this Night past and for all other thy goodness and loving kindness and I pray thee O Lord Give me that due sense of all thy Mercies that my heart may be unfeignedly thankful and that I may shew forth thy praise not only with my lips but in my life by giving up my self to thy Service and by walking before thee in Holiness and Righteousness all my days And now O Lord since thou hast been pleased in thy Mercy to bring me safe to the beginning of another day preserve me I beseech thee in the same by thy mighty power from all sin and from all danger Let thy spirit and providence direct and preside over all my Actions this day and keep me by the power of thy Grace from those Sins to which my wicked and disorderly Nature subjects me to but especially free me from Here mention thy most prevailing Sins or such as thy Nature Business or Company may that day incline thee to Make me exactly watchful over my self to behave my self as in thy presence and to set thee always before my Eyes that so I do nothing which may dishonour thee my God or wound my own Soul and grant that by the conduct of thy Grace I may be directed and assisted in keeping strictly close unto all thy Commandments and in the discharge of my Duty in that place and Calling in which thou hast set me Let thy blessing O Lord attend me in my Studies Labours or Employments this day give me holiness of intention in them and succeed all with thy benediction Let thy Providence signally watch over me and thy Presence secure me from all evil either of Soul or Body this day and for ever Hear me O Lord and answer me graciously and do for me more abuundantly then I can ask or think and all I beg for Jesus Christ his sake for whom my Soul desires to bless thee and in whosemost prevailing name and holy words I farther pray unto thee saying Our Father which art in heaven c. A Prayer for the Morning in publick with thy Family which with little variation may be also used in private It is a good thing to give thanks unto thee O Lord and to sing praise unto thy name O thou most high to shew forth thy loving kindness in the Morning and thy faithfulness every Night Hear our Prayers O Lord and accept of our praises in Jesus Christ O Most Gracious Lord our God whose Mercies endures for ever and thy Remembrance throughout all generations Thou art boundless in thy compassions towards all thy Creatures and art infinitely good unto them not only beyond what they can deserve but what they can wish We the unworthyest of them desire at this time to give glory unto thee in a humble and hearty acknowledgment of those many mercies and favours both Spiritual and Temporal which thou from time to time hast vouchsafed unto us and most liberally heaped upon us We confess O Lord that we are not worthy of the least of all thy Mercies but most worthy of the greatest and severest of all thy Judgments especially when we consider the sinfulness and wickedness of our lives past for we have drank iniquity like water gone on very Stubbornly and Rebelliously against thee and thy Commandments all the days of our lives continually committing those things thou forbiddest and leaving undone those things which thou commandest yea all the thoughts and imaginations of our hearts have been evil and only evil and that continually and which is worst of all we have still the same proneness to all that is evil but aversness and obstinacy towards that which is good We have still impenitent hard hearts that are not mollified with the sense of our Sins or of thy Wrath due unto us for them But O thou who art a God of infinite Mercies and Compassions manifest the same unto us in the full pardon and forgiveness of all the Sins that ever we have committed against thy Divine Majesty Accept of that satisfaction and attonement made by thy innocent and beloved Son Jesus Christ and for the merits of his suffering pardon all that is past and be thou fully reconciled unto us And so assist us with thy Grace and Holy Spirit that we may be able for the time to come to repel all the temptations of the Devil the World and the Flesh and to live more Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present evil World that so having our fruits unto holiness here we may have our ends everlasting Life O make us stedfastly resolved to despise all the pleasures of sin rather than offend thee our God and to chuse the most difficult parts of Virtue and Piety to obtain and secure thy Love O let us delight in thy Service and desire thy favour above alâ— things which is better than life it self and all the comforts of it Let us love what thou lovest and hate what thou hatest wish nothing so much as to please thee fear nothing so much as to offend thee and in all things be conformable to thy holy Will and walk before thee in all well pleasing O Lord put us in mind of Death and Judgment that every day we draw nearer to our last day and that we shall all shortly give a severe account of all that we have done in the Body and all that we have left undone of all that we have spoken nay of all that we have thought So teach us therefore O Lord to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto Wisdom and continually so to demean our selves as those that must one day appear before the Judgment seat
we discover in the World and have Idea's of we cannot find to be in our selves we may from thence rightly and on good grounds conclude to be in some thing distinct from us and that is more perfect than our selves namely in God All the Pulchritude and Perfection of an Effect ought to be contained in the Cause for the Cause cannot give that to the Effect which it self enjoyeth not wherefore all the Perfection of living Creatures ought to be comprehended in that Cause If any thing could pretend to be the Author of its own Original it must certainly be Man Man which is the Epitome and Perfection of all Sublunary Beings but He alas owes even his own being to another and for his first Production stands in need of such a preparation of Matter and concourse of Causes that it is many times a greater Wonder that He is than that He is not and being born stands in need of so many Second Causes Helps and Furtherances that he may live and at length dies and expires with so much facility that he has very little cause to boast of his own Perfections A man may sooner believe that there is no such Man as himself than that there is no Author of his being no God for himself can cease to be and once was not and shall again be changed from what he is and in very many Periods of his Life knows not that he is and so it is every Night with him when he sleeps but none of these can happen unto God who is the same Yesterday too Day and for ever When we see a Clock or some curious Piece of Art we presently enquire after the Artificer concluding it not to be its own Production And although we Finite Creatures cannot well comprehend vvhat those Infinite Perfections of God are yet vve can more plainly and clearly understand them than any Corporeal things because they are better adapted to and more fill our Cogitations and are more simple not obscured by any limitations at all The Existence of a Deity being â—evinced from those Principles that are Interwoven in the very make of our Natures from the Universal Consent of all Ages and Nations from the Uncertainness of our Reasoning without the Concession and the Necessity of an Intelligent Spirit or Incorporeal Being for such Acurate Productions as we find in the World It may in the next place be further Illustrated from the exact Symmetry Order and Disposition of all things in the World with respect to their several Ends. Esse praestantem aliquam naturam eam suspiciendam adorandamque hominum generi pulchritudo mundi ordoque rerum coelestium cogit confiteri Cicero de Divin lib. 2. So great was the Fore-knowledge and Providence of God and so boundless his Mercy and Goodness that as the one plainly upon the first Intuition discovered him the end so the other most readily designed the means and laying aside obstinate perverse Man there is nothing in the whole Frame of the Universe that doth not answer the end of its Creation If we consider the greatest Luminary of Heaven the Sun whose Lustre is such as that it transcends all visible things yet it is not made for it self nor can it apprehend or reflect upon its own beauty but is made for the good and benefit of others and how doth it answer its assigned End in that it conveys Light not only to the whole World communicating to every Nation sometime or other an equal share of its bounteous Influence but also to the Inferiour Orbs as the Moon Planets c. and in that it warms and enlightens the Air which of its self is cold and dark and in that it exhales Fumes from the Earth and Vapours from the Water which again distil in gentle Dews Rain or Snow to refresh the dry and thirsty Earth Whence proceed the Maturation of Fruits Grass Herbs and Trees for the use of Man Consider also the Winds how they serve their designed End by ventilating and fanning the Air and keeping it from Putrefaction which would otherwise produce Plagues and noisom Diseases by carrying the Clouds and distributing them to several Countries and Regions and without them the Mediterranean Places and such as are remote from the Sea would be ever destitute of Clouds and Showrs and scorcht with heat These also serve the great end of Navigation by which we entertain Commerce and Traffick with all the habitable Places of the World and to shew the Extensive Munificence of the Donor they are not always consined to one and the same Point but are by turns liberal to all and sometimes one sometimes another enjoys the Benefit of them as their Occasions require or God sees it fit In like manner how doth the vast Body of the Earth answer the wonderful ends of its Creation If we consider the upper Superficies of it how is it made a fit Receptacle for Men and Beasts Birds and feathered Fowls Worms Flies Insects and living Creatures innumerable to dwell therein and how doth its bountiful hand supply out of its rich Store-house what is convenient for the maintenance and support of all its Ofspring sending forth Corn and Wine and Oyl Plenty and Superfluity Herbs for Food and Medicine for Man Grass for Fodder and Use of Cattel and Beasts Flowers for Variety Colour and Smell Trees for Shade Timber and Fruit and Seeds to perpetuate and preserve every Species together with a multitude of other things which conspire together for the preservation of its numerous Issue and yet there is such an exact Order and Harmony between all these that neither of them interferes with the other but every Individual combines for the benefit of the Whole On this Spot of Earth are high Hills which serve to curb the violence of the Winds to bound Kingdoms and Places to furnish Stones for Buildings to be a Refuge for the wild Beasts and to stand as so many Bulwarks to defend us from our Enemies On that Spot of Earth are the low Valleys which not only afford us Pleasure and Delight to the Eye but abundant Profit to the Hand and no less Joy to the Heart These are thickly laden with variety of Corn and every Ear is so proud of its Burden that it seems to laugh and sing Here are places for Pasture and Fodder green Herbs and more fragrant Flowers Things pleasant profitable and useful Here are Woods for Shelter Firing and Timber there are Chrystal streams to water the Furrows and pleasant Meadows and to give Drink unto the Cattel Every Field hath as it were a Monopoly of its own and claims Priviledge and Prescription for one Plant or other In this grows the Cowstip and Herba Paris In the next the Poppey and the Violet In the third the Pearly Ros Solis and Royal Osmund every Soil hath its peculiar Faecundity Hic segetes illic veniunt foelicius uvae Arborei foetus alibi atque injussa virescunt Gramina Nonne vides croceos ut
sonat sed Deum certè which bespeaks God and not Man the Author of it and therefore he alone deserves the Glory And if we shall be so impudent to appropriate that to our selves which belongs only to him we may justly expect to fare as the Man in the Gospel Acts 12.23 who was eaten up of Worms for not giving the Glory to the right Proprietor It is of his pleasure and goodness that we our selves enjoy our health and beings and of his great mercy that we can be any way Instrumental to convey the one or preserve the other to any person let us not be therefore so unreasonable and ungrateful to defaulk from God what is his due and of right pertains to him but as his is the Work so let him have the glory Moreover neither doth this only correspond with Divinity but common Prudence for since it is in the power of God to bless or frustrate our proceedings to prosper or blast the operation of our Medicines For it is he that maketh sore and bindeth up he woundeth and his hands make whole Job 5.18 we cannot rationally imagine but that he will do better when he sees them turn to so bad an account And I do not doubt but this one sin is that which renders them so often unprosperous and ineffectual Now that they may better succeed for the future and that the Physician may discharge his duty in his place I should with submission to more pious and learned persons offer these following Rules and Directions 1. Having premised that a Physician ought to live a Holy and Vertuous Life let him in the first place when any sick person desires his assistance cast himself on his knees or if the suddainness or multitude of business or want of privacy interrupts he may supply it by silent Ejaculation and most humbly implore the great Phpsician to instruct his Judgment and bless his Undertakings for whatever the Second Cause be God is the First and therefore the Divine presence and assistance is absolutely necessary and first to be invoked in all weighty affairs and what greater than those which concern the Lives of Men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plin. in Paneg. Bene sapienter majores instituerunt ut rerum agendarum initium à praecationibus caperetur and it was a high pitch of a Heathens mind namely Epictetus Enchirid. Cap. 78. In quovis incaepto haec optanda sunt duc me ô Jupiter et tu factum Guid me O God and thou divine providence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plaâ—o in Tymaeo If Hippocrates thought it necessary for those who had taken any Cure in hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to ask Advice of all even of Ideots and those who knew but little in that Art much rather then ought we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ask Counsel of God by Prayer and then perhaps our Prayer may do as much as our Medicine or if both prove successless tho we are assur'd to the contrary James 5.15 That the Prayer of Faith shall save the Sick yet we have this satisfaction in our Consciences that we have done our duties 2. Neither must we rest here but must joyn our Studies and Endeavours to our Prayers and after we have fully inform'd our selves of our Patients condition and throughly examin'd all Circumstances carefully and advisedly prescribe them abstaining from trying any new Experiments or extreme Remedies except in extreme and desperate Diseases or where they are very consentaneous to the Rules of Physick and highly probable to answer those designs which a known and tried Medicine would not effect that to they make not themselves accessory to the destruction of their Patients and ruin of their own Reputation 3. That we do not peremptorily promise a Cure in uncertain and dangerous Diseases It is too well known how many Physicians there are who are so Dogmatical in their Opinions confident of their own Abilities and Success of their Medicines that they will not stick even in the most difficult Cases at first sight to warrant a perfect Cure by which at last when they find themselves defeated in their hopes and their prognosticks deceive them they expose their Judgments and many times forfeit their Repute And it were well if this were all but alass the consequence is far more dangerous for by this means the Patient is careless of putting his House in order and which is worse of trimming and preparing his Soul for Death The best Christians altho they live in an habitual holiness and constant preparation for their end and like the Wise Virgins have Oyl in their Lamps in expectation when the Bride-groom will come yet they would willingly then yet once more dress their Wedding Garments and trim their Lamps by Repetition of Acts of Repentance Faith Hope Devotion Patience Charity and Resignation of themselves to God And who is there who when he is ready to breath his last thinks so well of his Condition that he would not pray Davids Prayer O spare me a little that I may recover my Strength before I go hence and be no more seen Or cry out with Crisorius in Gregory Iuducias vel usque ad mane iuducias vel usque ad mone Truce respite Lord until the Morning But I fear the far greater number of those we are concern'd for are such as need not only trimming but Oyl in their Lamps too not only the Ornaments but the Garment it self and then certainly when there is time for it and God may in mercy accept of a Death-bed Repentance how much have we to answer for either for flattering them with the hopes of Recovery or not acquainting them with their approaching danger I know the common Objection to this is that by incouraging the Patient his langushing Spirits are upheld he more readily submits to the use of means and bears his Sickness with a greater cheerfulness and on the contrary by telling him the truth his Spirits are dejected he becomes impatient and rejects the Prescription To these it is easily answered that either the Patient is a Religious good Man or a Vicious and Wicked Man If the former he loves not to be flattered but will certainly have the better esteem of his Physician for dealing so plainly with him and because he thinks the time of his deliverance from his present Pains and Sickness and inauguration into a State of everlasting Joy and Blessedness so near approaches his Spirits instead of being dejected are exalted and because he knows that his time is in Gods hand that neither he nor the Physician can infallibly know the time of his departure and that God hath commanded the use of means he is content to submit to the Rules prescrib'd him and leave the success to God On the contrary If he be a Vicious and Wicked Man it is but fit that if more gentle and mild perswasions will not prevail that he should be fright'ned into a sense of his desperate condition and not suffer'd to go like
an Oxe to the slaughter to his eternal perdition without some Monition and Advice which for ought we know being given prudently and in season may with the Operation of Gods Spirit concurring work so good an effect upon him as to draw him to a true tho late Repentance and then he hath pull'd him out of the Fire as a Fire-brand ready to be consumed and saved a Soul from Death as St. James saith Chap. 5.20 and then let any one tell me if this be not a sufficient recompence for his pains and amongst all sober and prudent persons salve enough for his Reputation It may be farther urged that Physicians are only to take care of the Body and the Divine of the Soul It is true for that purpose they were consulted and it were to be wished the Divine might never be forgotten but acquainted early with the Diseased's Case and earnestly in treated to visit the Patient as well as the Physician but yet I humbly conceive that the Physician hath many better opportunities than he can have and which is much to be lamented he is seldom so early or so often advised with as the Physician and though the later be not so much obliged by his Profession as the former yet certainly even he cannot be excused in point of Charity The last Caution or Advice is That if it shall please God to make us successful in our Endeavours we do not ascribe the praise of it as is too common unto our selves but unto God to whom alone it is due I have in the former part of this Section shew'd the reasonableness of it and therefore all I shall add by way of Conclusion shall be this That this is the â—eadiest way to find success in our Undertakings By this shall we be more famous than our Neighbours round about â—s This will most advantage both Paâ—ient and Physician and cause God to continue such his Mercies toward us Whilst on the contrary by arrogating the â—ole praise to our selves we rob God of â—he honour due unto him and our selves of the reward of our good Action Therefore let us all unanimously from our hearts â—ay Non nobis Domine non nobis sed â—omini too sit gloria Not unto us not â—nto us but unto God be the praise both â—ow and for evermore Amen The Physicians Prayer O Thou great Creator both of Heaven and Earth and of all things contained therein Thou art the Fountain of all Goodness Mercy and Benediction who by my Education and other Effects of thy Providence hath call'd me to this Profession of Physick that by my industry therein I may in my small proportion be instrumental for the bringing of some good and benefit both to my self and others I humbly begg thy grace to guide me in my intention and in the transaction of my Affairs that I may be diligent studious and faithful and grant me thy Favour that these my Endeavours may be accepted as a part of my necessary Duty and grant me thy Blessing to assist and prosper me in all my Studies and Vndertakings And seeing O Lord I am a Man not God to heal be thou graciously pleased to let thy Wisdom go before me to direct my Judgment for thy good of thy Servant who desires my Assistance Let thy blessing accompany what I shall direct giving unto all things a due and kindly Operation that so a prosperous and happy success come after it And I pray thee O Lord give me and all my Patients who by thy blessing have received benefit by my hands hearts truly thankful unto thee for thy Mercies and Grace to ascribe as is most due all the Praise Honour and Glory unto thy holy Name And grant me O Lord a quiet and cheerful Submission unto thy all-wise Providence when ever it shall please thee to deny me the Blessing of Success Let thy holy Spirit be ever present with me to direct me in all my Vndertakings that I may manage my Affairs with Prudence Honesty and most Christian Sincerity that so my Profession may be sanctifi'd by my Religion and all my Actions by thy Blessing that when I have done that portion of Work thou hast allotted â—ne and improved that Talent thou hast intrusted unto me and served the Common-wealth in my Capacity I may receive the mighty price of my high Calling which I most earnestly beg may be in the portion and inheritance of my ever blessed Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Amen Those who by reason of the multitude of Patients may not find leisure for the using of the aforesaid or any other set Form of Prayer at the time of their Address to them may yet do it every Morning before they leave their Closet and only use this or the like short Ejaculation at the time when they are to treat with their Patient or to direct for him O Lord the Giver of Health and all good things let thy Wisdom I beseech thee iâ—struct my Judgment in order to the Health and Recovery of thy Sick Servant who now next to thee commits him or her self to my care and succeed my Directions with thy Benediction for Jesus Christ his sake Amen When you enter into the Sick Persons Chamber Ejaculate thus Peace O Lord and Health be unto this Sick Person through Jesus Christ Raise him or her up again O Lord that we may reward thee with Praises and Thanksgivings Amen Finis Partis Prioris The Christian PHYSICIAN The Second PART By H. A. M. D. Non magna loquimur sed vivimus Quanto plus melius scis tanto gravius inde judicaberis nisi sanctius vixeris Gerson De Imitatione Christi LONDON Printed by T. James for William Leach at the Crown in Corn-hill 1683. TO THE Right Honourable the Lady LAETITIA ISABELLA Countess of RADNOR MADAM THis following small Treatise comes to beg your Honours shelter and acceptance which if it be ever safe I am very certain it must be with your Ladyship who without flattery are so generally known to be the Patroness and Protectrix of all that is Pious and Vertuous that I can never in the least doubt of it till even Vertue it self comes to want a Patronage I dare not nay indeed I cannot tell the World how much you deserve that Title it being a Task too difficult far for my undertakings for who can paint the Heavens besides I am so well acquainted with your Ladyships Temper that I know your Noble Mind loves the substance only not the outward shew and delights more in being Vertuous than in appearing or being known to be so which makes me decline those praises which really and deservedly your Vertues call for I cannot in the least think that your Honour stands in need of any of those following Helps and Directions your whole life being indeed nothing else but a Map or Transcript of Piety and had I consulted your Ladyship I know they would have been much more compleat however at least I hope it may
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
if there be any sin upon Examination found besides the common Frailties of humane Nature in which your Conscience must not be partial commit it to your Diary and when you summ up all on your Fast-day you may have a particular Paper Book for that purpose and proceed after this method Jan. I fasted and found my self guilty of unclean and unchast thoughts and with delight and approbation of my will Of some frothy and corrupt Communication and of a propensity to unclean Actions Upon Examination of my self I find that drinking of Wine or strong Liquors using too plentiful Feeding Softness and Delicacy and suffering my thoughts to rove and wander hath been the chiefest cause that hath drawn on this Sin Upon which I intend God assisting me thus to regulate my self for the future 1 First I will labour to keep my body under by a low spare Diet avoiding drinking much Wine or Strong Drinks by spare sleeping and using hard postures in my Prayers 2 I will keep a strict Watch over my Thoughts and not permit any that are sinful or unclean to enter within me much less give them entertainment but as soon as they offer themselves to my fancy I will labour to divert them by holy and heavenly Meditations and Ejaculations 3 I will avoid all light and vain Company frothy Discourse idle Talk and the like 4 I will pray often unto God for a clean Heart and purity of Spirit for Temperance and Diligence Likewise found my self guilty of mis-spending my time in vain and idle Thoughts Discourse Company Keeping Recreations c. which I purpose by God's grace thus to avoid 1 First I will consider every morning what I am to do that day what time my Business or my Studies exact from me and so draw out as it were a platform of the whole days business allowing my self so much time for this thing and so much for the other that I may have no time to spend idly 2 I will be often thinking how precious my time is that I shall shortly give a strict account for it and that for ought I know time this day may expire in eternity or at least may be no more as to me God hath taught me the great value of it by his strait-handedness in the distribution of it insomuch that he gives me not two minutes together but when he gives me one he takes away the other 3 I will fill up the chasms and intervals of my business with holy Meditations and take all opportunities to bless and praise Almighty God and to excite others to do the same Lastly I will watch over my own heart â—nd withdraw my thoughts when I perceive them ramble That so in the whole series and connexion of them I may be careful to prevent what is idle and impertinent and may use my self to think only of such things of which if a Man upon a sodain should ask me What it is I am thinking I may freely answer with that Royal tho Pagan Philosopher this and that Antonin Medit. p. 55. Found my self also Guilty of much deadness dulness and wandering Thoughts in my Devotions Exaamining my self I found the cause to be want of keeping my self always in an habitual temper of seriousness and piety want of due praemeditation before I come to pray and not keeping that watch over my own heart in prayer as I ought Upon which I resolved by God's assistance 1 First To endeavour to abstract my self from multiplicity of business and cares in the World and by frequent returns of my Soul to God to keep my self in an habitual frame and temper of piety continually 2 I will always before my Devotions prepare my self with such Meditations as these That that God before whom I am now going to appear is a God of infinite Majesty and Glory That nothing but what is hearty and from the ground of the soul is accepted by him That it is the fervent prayer only that is effectuaal and prevaileth with him How great need I have of those things that I come to ask and that for ought I know this may be the last opportunity I may have to put up any petition unto God 3 I will be sure to keep a strict watch over my heart in prayer and if I find my thoughts stragling I will presently chide my self and recollect them with greater fervency to cross the Devil's design therein 4 If all my care cannot yet prevent I will implore God's mercy and pardon after and continue to pray for the Spirit of Supplication and Devotion until I have obtained it Lastly Found my self guilty of some â—incture of Hypocrisie directing my Words and Christian Actions to the end of praise and esteem of Men to be thought Religious c. which I purpose â—o avoid 1 By considering the hainousness of â—his Sin how detestable it is to God â—nd odious to Man 2 If I embrace this praise of Men â—his is like to be all the reward I shall have for all my strict and holy Walking â—erily saith our Saviour of the Scribes â—nd Pharisees who did all their holy â—uties for ostentation and to be seen of Men they have their reward and may expect none from God in another World 3 Let me take care of harbouring any thoughts of my own Excellencies in respect of Grace c. or of ascribing any praise and glory to my self which is due only to God and say Not unto me not unto me but unto God give the glory Thus I have given you a taste of the manner of keeping your Narrative and the examples of it in some Sins which you may your self enlarge as there is occasion The use of this Narrative or Catalogue of Sins is obvious to every one especially good Christians who alone oâ— else such as desire to be so I suppose give themselves the trouble of perusing this Manual I have given some Account of it before and shall therefore now but briefly touch on it The great use of it is That on days of Fasting and Humiliation especially before the Sacrament you may read them over with a serious consideration examining your own Conscience strictly with all the heightning circumstances which may make them seem more odious in thy sight and raise in thee a deeper Sorrow Contrition and Repentance for them also to work in thee serious Resolutions against them for the time to come and that not only in general but particular every sin and consider what it was that induced thee to the commission of this or that sin and resolve to avoid the occasions of it for the future and also what it is that may be most useful to thee towards the attainment of this or that Grace which thou either wantest or is but faint and weak in thee And as it will be fit for thee to keep by thee a Catalogue of thy Sins so I judge it will be no less profitable also to preserve a Catalogue of any extrordinary Mercies that God
hath vouchsafed to thee in the whole course of thy Life whether Spiritual or Temporal And here seeing Gods Mercies are like himself infinite it will be impossible for me to set down any definite number of them and therefore I shall leave it to every particular person to make his own Collection and Observation But certainly the Spiritual Advantages will be very great to intermix the remembrance of Gods Mercies with the remembrance of his own Sins especially at such a time of Humiliation it will conduce much to the augmenting of his sorrow and contrition for sin for when the pious Soul shall thus reason with himself Lord I have daily provoked thee to displeasure by my sinful and wicked Life though thou hast followed me day by day with thy Mercies I have crucified my Blessed Saviour afresh and put him to an open shame though he thought it not too much to suffer such great things and at last to die for me to rescue me from everlasting Damnation I have grieved thy holy Spirit by my frequent Oppositions of his blessed Motions who would have led me to Repentance and hath often courted and invited me to it and when I have run wilfully into Sin O what earnest solicitations hath he made unto me to forbear Thus and thus O Lord hast thou done for me but yet what unworthy returns have I made for all this love of thine O my Soul canst thou think of this without remorse Canst thou forbear condemning thy self and justifying God And to say Thou O Lord art Righteous but I am Vile and Wicked thy ways are upright and equal but mine very crooked and unequal thou hast not dealt with me after my Sins nor rewarded me according to my Iniquities This was the Method that God himself took with David to work him to a true Compunction of Spirit after he had been guilty of Adultery and Murder 2 Sam. 12.7 8. where you have God reckoning up the Mercies he had confer'd on David I anointed thee King over Israel and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul and I gave thee thy Masters House and thy Masters Wives into thy Bosome and gave thee the House of Israel and of Judah and if that had been too little I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things which in the 13. v. made him with sorrow of heart confess that he had sinned So in Deut. 32.6 Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee hath not he made thee and established thee Do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Directions for Saturday THings of great moment are never so well performed as when there hath some preparation gone before to usher them in Hence it is that we read John 19.31 of the preparation of the Passover which was the day before it was to be celebrated and Mark 15.42 of the preparation of the Sabbath Moses taught the People over Night to remember the Sabbath Exodus 16.23 and our Saviour himself sends Peter and John before-hand to prepare the Passover Luke 22.8 Here is a memorandum annex'd to this Commandment which is not to any other as if God had said Remember before-hand to keep holy the Sabbath day A Man must not think he can step from his Shop-board or his Plough or his Recreations into the Church and perform a Sacrifice well pleasing to God Alass our hearts are so corrupt and our memories so tenacious of the vanities and things of this World that it is no easie matter to give them a dismission and I fear when we have done our utmost even our best preparations are very mank and imperfect and certainly I cannot easily be induced to be lieve that he designs to sanctifie the Sabbath who without some manifest and necessary hindrance doth not make some preparation for it before it comes You may therefore in order to it make use of this following Method The Forenoon and till Three in the Afternoon which if I mistake not was the beginning of the preparation of the Sabbath among the Jews you may spend as you do other days only it may be your care so prudnetly to dispose of your common Affairs that they may be about that time at an end The remaining part of the day and till you betake your self â—o rest which should be earlier than on â—â—her days that you and your Family may rise the earlier the next Morning â—ou cannot do better than spend in priâ—ate Prayer for Devotion Sincerity â—aith Thankfulness and other Graces which are fit for the Actions of the following day or that you find your self â—o stand in need of or in publick Prayâ—rs in the Church if there be any as 〈◊〉 is great pity there should not in reading the Scripture or some other good Book in Meditation and the like holy Exercises In the close of your Evening Devotions desire God to fit and prepare you for the great business of the ensuing day that he will banish all vain and and worldly Thoughts Desires and Cares that he will fill thy Soul with Affections suitable to thy Duty that so lying down in his fear and being awak'ned to the Comforts of the succeeding day thy Soul may be affected with the Majesty of it and thy Mouth filled with his praise that he will abstract thy thoughts from all the Vanities and Concerns of this World and sublime them to a higher degree of Purity that so beginning his day in his fear thou may'st wholly spend it in his Service and end it in his favour to the Glory of his great Name the discharge of thy Duty the comfort of thy Soul here and everlasting Happiness hereafter in and through Jesus Christ Having thus prepared thy self thou may'st not fear to want the Assistance of Gods Spirit in the Duties of the following day which though thou art not so strictly able to perform as God requires yet thou mayst do it so as he will be pleased to accept in and through Jesus Christ Directions for the Lords Day AS soon as you are awaked in the Morning lift up your Soul to God by some Devout Ejaculations or short Prayer and say This is the day which the Lord hath made I will be glad and rejoyce in it Psal 118.24 Grant That as Christ was raised up from the dead by the Glory of the Father even so I also may walk in newness of Life Rom. 6.4 Because thou livest I shall live also Joh. 14.19 Thanks be to God who hath not appointed us to Wrath but to obtain Salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live with him 1 Thess 5. â— 10. Knowing that he which raised up â—he Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus 2 Cor. 4.14 and shall present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Jude 24. Glory be to God on high on Earth peace good will towards Men Luk. 2.14 Thou art my God and I will
blessed Remove from me all Distractions by worldly Thoughts enlighten my Judgment quicken my Invention rectifie my Will and increase my Affection to heavenly Things that my Heart may be more enlarged towards thee and my Devotion so enkindled that I may find my Corruptions abated and my Graces thriven and my Life every way bettered by this holy Exercise Grant this O Lord for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Next consider seriously with your self what the thing is whereof you meditate and endeavour rightly to understand it in its definition then proceed to the division and explication of it from thence if it be an Attribute of God proceed to the Admiration and Love of God for such his infinite Perfections and if it be such as is imitable stedfastly resolve to seek to attain it in part which thou canst not in degrees if it be a Vertue thou art meditating of represent it to thy Soul in the most amiable dress by comparing it with the contrary deformities of Vice If a Vice uncover its nakedness and shew all its ugliness and evil consequences freely confess thy former Follies resolve against it and beg Gods Assistance against future Backslidings If it be Mercies or Providences thou art meditating of be sure to mention all the Circumstances of them and to raise thy Soul to the highest pitch of gratitude for them And in all these remember that if the Sacrifice wants a Heart it will not be accepted by God never therefore leave considering and meditating until thou hast ingaged thy Heart and Affections in the Work Throughout the whole time of thy Meditation be frequent in Soliloquies and Ejaculations and at length conclude all with Thanksgiving and recommending thy self to God It will be impossible for me and I think for any other to prescribe an exact method for proceeding in this Duty because of the different matter and various subjects of Meditation Every pious Soul after some constancy in it will know best how to adapt it to his own greatest profit However take in good part Reader those following Exemplifications The Thanksgiving after Meditation O Blessed God the fountain of all Mercies I give thee most humble and hearty Thanks for this present Expression of thy love and kindness for the Assistances of thy holy Spirit and inward Comforts which I have now received by â—his holy Exercise O that Men would praise the Lord for his goodness and declare the wonders â—hat he doth for the Children of Men for he satisfieth the empty Soul and filleth the hungry Soul with goodness Grant me O Lord an unweariedness in well-doing and let it be the delight and joy of my Soul to do thy will and let thy comforts always encourage and refresh my Soul Pardon O Lord all my sins pity all my Infirmities especially those of my present performances and receive me into thy gracious protection both now and ever through Jesus Christ Amen Divine Meditations Concerning Gods Omnipresence BY the Omnipresence or Ubiquity of God is meant Gods being present in every place and at all times Gods most glorious presence is in the highest Heavens where he is encircled with Myriads of Angels and beautifi'd Spirits who continually behold and admire his Majesty and Glory yet he is not here Circum Scriptivè or as confined only to that place for then he were not God but he is here also on the lowest Earth and we daily discover him in his Providences Nay he is in Hell too and that the Devil and Damned discover by their Torments his Center is every where and his Circumference no where Though no place can contain him yet none can exclude him for he fills Heaven and Earth â—rem 23.24 Whither shall I flee from â—y presence saith David if I ascend 〈◊〉 into Heaven thou art there if I â—ake my Bed in Hell behold thou art â—ere also Psalm 139.7 8. No place no time can bound his preâ—â—nce The most wild and untrodden â—aces of the Desart the solitary Caves â—nd Recesses of the Earth the thickest â—nd more than Cimmerian darkness of â—e Night are no shelter from thy All-â—eing Eye the darkness is no darkness â—ith thee yea the day and night to â—â—ee are both alike Psalm 139.12 God is present in the Church beholdâ—â—g our Order and Behaviour there He 〈◊〉 present in the Closet when the door 〈◊〉 closest shut to inspect our seriousâ—ess and devotion there He is present â—t our Tables and at our Merry Meetâ—ngs at our Feasts and at our Fasts â—e is about our Beds and about our â—aths he takes particular notice of all â—ur Actions and weighs all our words â—n a ballance Nay thoughts secret â—houghts are not hid from him but he â—nows them long before we do or can Our flesh alas is too pervious to hinder â—im from entring into the secret recesses â—f our hearts 1. This then should teach thee O my Soul to revere and adore the God of such infinite Perfections and firmly to believe what thou canst not comprehend We know a humane Body the perfection of the whole Creation cannot be in two places at one and the same time yet blessed God I am assured by Faith and by the constant dispensation of thy Providences in all places that thou art Omnipresent at the same time That there is not any Creature that is not manifest in thy sight Heb. 4.13 but all things are open and naked unto the Eyes of thee with whom we have to do for in thee we live and move and have our being Acts. 7.28 2. Thou may'st learn hence O my Soul to have continually an awful sense of the Divine Majesty to tremble at the apprehensions of his presence Jereuâ— 5.22 and to behave thy self always as in his sight not to dare to commit any even the most minute sin in secret because God sees and is present who will be both thy Witness and thy Judge How shall I do this Wickedness saith Joseph and sin against God Genesis 39.9 Though no Eye saw him yet he was conscious that God was a Spectator and therefore he dares not offend in his presence Do thou therefore good God throughly convince my Soul of this great Truth that I can never abscond my self from thy presence that thy Eye is watchful over all my Actions that thy Ear is ever open to hear all my words and that thou discernest the most secret of my thoughts that so looking upon thee as a Witness of my whole Conversation I may always keep a Conscience void of offence towards thee and towards all Men. 3. Be careful O my Soul because thou art in the immediate presence of God to be sincere towards him in all thy Religious Duties as well private as publick and approve thy self to thy Father who seeth in secret Matth. 6.6 4. This will be a comfort to thee O my Soul in all the Afflictions in all the Troubles thou can'st meet withal here in this World Psal 91.15 Gen. 17.1 God is present with
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
certainly if we are dutiful Children we shall not suffer the remembrance of them to be buried in ungrateful silence but as the Heart will be filled with the sense so will the mouth with the acknowledgment of his Mercies Who can express the noble Acts of the Lord or shew forth all his praise Psal 106.2 Oh how great is the Sum of them If we tell them they are more in number than the Sand Psal 139.17 18. Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his Holy Name Praise the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits 3. And is God so merciful Then this O my Soul should teach thee humility and to have low thoughts of thy self If thou wert not miserable thou hadst no need of Mercy If thou wert righteous 't were but justice to receive good from the hands of God not mercy Every particular blessing I enjoy is the fruit and effect of the mercy of God and ought to each me a Lesson of Humility Many Stripes many Judgments indeed have I deserved but I must confess with holy Jacob That I am not worthy of the least of all his Mercies Gen. 32.10 4. Is God a God of such infinite Mercies This then should teach thee O my Soul in all thy difficulties and distresses in all thy wants and necessities to have recourse unto him to rest and depend upon him The Angel of the Lord saith holy David tarrieth round about them that fear him Psal 34.7 and delivereth them And Psal 34.22 The Lord delivereth the Souls of his Saints and all that put their trust in him shall not be destitute And as in temporal dangers so in temporal wants we must cast all our care upon him for he careth for us 1 Pet. 5.7 They that fear the Lordlack nothing Psal 34.9 and v. the 10. They that seek the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good God is a God all-sufficient and able to help me in my greatest necessities He is a God rich in Mercy and will not suffer me to want therefore I will cast my burden upon him I will put my trust in him 5. Is God so Merciful This should teach me to fear him This may perhaps seem strange What shall I fear him because of his Mercifulness I have great reason to trust him indeed and to love him but shall I fear him for it Yes certainly we ought to fear him even for his Mercy There is forgiveness with thee saith David therefore thou may'st be feared Psal 130.4 and 67. ult God shall bless us and all the ends of the Earth shall fear him Though he forgives though he blesses though he shews us mercy yet we must fear him Yea I must needs say that of all Gods Attributes Mercy is the dreadfullest for where-ever his Mercy lights and is neglected or returns empty without answering Gods Designs he will certainly recompense his abused Mercy with double Severity Laesa patientia furor fit 6. Is God thus Merciful This should teach us to imitate his Mercy by being merciful to our poor necessitous Brethren Let us imitate it in its universality it is over all his works Who is there under the Sun that hath not tasted of it in its reality He giveth liberally and upbraideth not It is far from God to do any thing seemingly 't is not enough to profess Compassion and to say as those in St. James ch 2.16 Depart in peace be ye warmed be ye filled and yet give nothing to cloath or to feed them But thou shall do according to the Precept in Deuteronomy ch 15.10 Thou shalt surely give him and thy heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him And to encourage thee take Gods own promise annex'd to it Because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy Works and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto Thus we must imitate God in being merciful unto all and in being really merciful All our acts of mercy to our poor Brethren Christ takes as done to him Matth. 25.40 In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my Brethren ye have done it unto me The miseries of my Brethren are my own miseries and therfore your mercies to them are in a sense mercies to me Lastly Is God thus merciful This should teach thee O my Soul to be continually praising him for his Mercies Praise is a Duty incumbent on all the Sons of Men because that all have tasted of his goodness and his mercy Give the Lord saith David the honour due unto his Name Psal 29.2 Shewing that it is not an arbritrary or voluntary act but a just debt which we owe to God God not only supplieth but even daily loadeth us with his benefits as the Psalmist observes and as he expects no other so we can make no other retribution unto him but our Praises and Thanksgivings O let us never then defraud him of that so easie Tribute but let our Hearts be continually filled with the sense and our Mouths with the acknowledgment of his Mercies We confess O Lord that we are not worthy of the least of all thy Mercies and therefore the less we deserve them the more thou deservest our Praises O let us not by our ingratitude provoke thee to discontinue thy Mercies or to shut up thy tender Mercies in displeasure and so teach us to value them by making us feel the want of them Alelujah Of the certainty of Death and Judgment Hebrew 9.27 And as it it appointed unto Men once to die but after this the Judgment GOD at first Created Man in a state of Innocency and appointed him Laws to observe and gave him withal a power to keep them and to the keeping of which he annexed the continuation of a happy life and immunity from death and lest his credulous Nature might be too easily imposed upon to his own and his posterities ruin lest the ties of Love and promise of a Reward were not strong enough to bind him to his Duty and Allegiance God was pleased to hedg in his way with a denunciation of threatnings and judgments in case he should any way disobey those Laws set and tells him Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof transgressest my commands for I have told thee positively thou shalt not eat of it thou shalt surely die but Man degenerate Man soon cast off his primitive Innocence violates those Laws and thereby renders himself and all his posterity obnoxious to that Judgment of Death before threatned And now God ratifies his former denunciation establishes it by a perpetual Decree That unto dust he shall return Gen. 3.19 So that now we see whence Death had its first beginning Rom. 5.12 It is but the product and birth of Sin Sin having once conceived never prove abortive but brings forth Death James 1.15 It is now appointed unto Men once to die and as certain as the Decree of God is
him the Torments of others and others his yet withal of so violent a burning that should it glow on Mountains of Steel it would melt them like Snow Suppose thou shouldest be confined to lie but one Night grievously afflicted with a raging Fit of the Stone Strangury Collick Gout Toeth-ach or the like though thou had'st a soft Bed to lie upon Friends and Companions about thee and all things necessary that thou couldest desire but ease from thy pains how long would'st thou count the minutes and blame the Clock for its slow progression What will it be then for thee to suffer the torment of the hottest Flames And that not for a Night only but for Myriads of Ages and when that circle is gone through there is yet no point or end 'T is Labor actus in orbem a continual Revolution Believe it This is no Poetical Phantastical Styx or Acheron but a real Hell Ixion's Wheel was a place of Rest compared with this Wheel of Justice The Task of Sisyphus or Danaus's Daughter but a sport compared with this Torture And besides these external Torments of the Body the Soul the more sensible part drinks most deeply of this Cup of God's fury All the Furies of Hell afflict his Conscience Thought calls to Fear Fear to Horrour Horrour to Despair Despair to Torment Torment to Extremity all to Eternity The damned Soul hath no Soul now capable of comfort and tho his Eyes distil like Fountains and his Prayers and Cries were loud enough to silence the dismal Shreeks of all his miserable Companions yet God is now inexorable and speaks to them in this Language You refused to hear me when I have called yea when I have so often wooed and intreated you I have waited to be gracious and stretched out my hand all the day long and you have not regarded I will not now hear your Cry I will laugh at your Calamity and mock at your Fear this shall be your portion for ever This is the Damned's Poena Sensus their positive punishment There is also Poena Damni to be considered their privative punishment and this the Contemplation of the Blessedness of the Righteous will much help them too when they shall too late consider that such joys as the Righteous are now partakers of might have been their lot and portion if they had obeyed the Laws and Commands of God as the others did The consideration of this is that Worm of Conscience that never dies that cruel Vulture that continually gnaws upon the Liver of this Tityus and cannot be shaken off Haeret latori laethalis arundo I could speak much more to aggravate the misery of the Damned and represent the Torments of Hell out par nulla figura Gehennae Reflections upon Hell and the Yorments of it Is Hell such a direful Place And are the Torments of it so acute so inexpressible so remediless so eternal Then this should teach thee O my Soul 1. First to avoid Sin which was the Founder of it and which if persevered â—n will certainly bring thee to that dismal Place those dire Torments from which there is no Redemption Did sinners seriously consider of the evil consequences of Sin and had they â—ut one glympse of those Torments they are to suffer in Hell to all Eternity how would it charm their Spirits appale their Faces and strike fear and astonishment to their Hearts for who can think of the Divine Wrath without trembling Or Who can dwell with Everlasting Burnings O poor secure sinners what will ye now do Where will you hide your selves Or what shall cover you Mountains and Rocks are gone the Earth and Heavens that were are passed away the devouring Fire hath consumed all except your selves who must be the Fuel for ever There is no remedy for you but Repentance that plank after Shipwrack that can rescue you from this Vengeance Think O think of this ye that now forget God lest he pluck you away and there be none to deliver you 2. Is Hell such a direful place c. Then this should teach thee to mind those things that are above The way of Life is above to the Wise saith Solomon that he may depart from Hell beneath The way to depart from Hell which is the lowest is to mind those things which are highest which are above 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to seek or be wise for those things that are above This is the truest Wisdom the greatest piece of Understanding 'T is not enough to cease to do evil but we must also learn to do well Non progredi est regredi If we lie still we shall never come to our Journeys end There is no standing idle or loitering in the School of Vertue As we must abstain from the appearance of Evil so we must follow after Holiness without which no Man shall see God so shall we be free'd from the fears of this dreadful place And when Christ who is our life shall appear we shall also appear with him in Glory Coloss 3.4 3. Is Hell such a direful place And are the Torments of it so insupportable so endless Then this should teach me to pity instruct and pray for those that are posting thither We see Dives even in Hell pities his poor Brethren and would could he have found a Messenger have sent them an account of the Torments he felt that they might escape their coming into that place And although this Province be chiefly the Ministers yet private Persons as place and fit opportunity occurs may also instruct and reprove the unfruitful works of Darkness or if that doth not take place we may at least pity them mourn in secret for them and pray for their Conversion and though they perhaps may not reap the benefit yet we may God accepts our Charity and will reward our Prayers they shall return into our own bosom Psal 35.13 4. Is Hell such a direful place And have I any assurance that I shall escape it This then should raise my thankfulness to God for this his great and distinguishing Mercy towards me that he hath called me from under the power of Darkness into his marvellous Light This should cause me to be continually magnifying his great and glorious Name for so unspeakable so inestimable a Mercy that whereas others lie wallowing in the puddle of their Sins heaping up Wrath against the day of Wrath and hastning to their eternal ruin he hath been graciously pleased to snatch me as a Fire-brand out of the Fire and hath given me some hopes and assurance that I shall never come into this Place of Torment Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name Praise the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits who saveth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindness And now being delivered out of the hands of these my spiritual Enemies I may serve God without fear in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of
Apple of thine Eye hide me under the shadow of thy Wings O keep my Soul and deliver me let me not be disappointed for I put my trust in thee Comfort in Troubles THe Lord is my Light and my Salvation whom then shall I fear He is the strength of my Life of whom shall I be afraid When my Father and Mother forsake me the Lord will take me up Many are the troubles of the Righteous but the Lord delivereth them out of them all But thou O Lord art a shield for me my Glory and the lifter up of my Head I have set the Lord always before me He is at my right hand therefore I shall not be moved My defence is of God which saveth the Upright in Heart At what time I am afraid I will put my trust in thee In God have I put my trust I will not be afraid what Man can do unto me The Righteous cry and the Lord heareth them and delivereth them out of all their troubles In God is my Salvation and my Glory the Rock of my Strength and my refuge is in God Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me Hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God Thanksgiving for deliverance from Troubles BLessed be the Lord God for he hath heard the Voice of my Supplication With my Song will I praise him O Lord my God I cried unto thee and thou hast healed me I will praise thee O Lord my God with my whole heart and I will glorifie thy Name for evermore for great is thy Mercy towards me and thou hast delivered my Soul from the lowest Hell The Snares of Death compassed me round about and the pains of Hell got hold upon me I found trouble and heaviness and I called upon the Name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my Soul Gracious is the Lord and Righteous yea our God is Merciful I was in misery and he helped me Sing unto the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me sing praises at the remembrance of his Holiness Blessed be God which hath not cast out my Prayer nor turned his Mercy from me What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. I will offer to thee the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving and praise thy Name for ever and ever Going to the Church or House of God I Will wash my hands in Innocency and so will I compass thine Altar O Lord. It is good for me to draw near unto God even unto God in his Sanctuary How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts My Soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of my God When shall I come and appear before him As the Hart panteth after the Water brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God Immediately before entring into Church I Will enter into thy Gates with Thanksgiving and into thy Courts with Praise I will Worship in thy holy Temple and will praise thy Name I will wait for thy loving kindness O God in the mid'st of thy Temple In Church if thou happen to be there before Service begins BUt as for me I will come into thy House in the multitude of thy Mercies and in thy Fear will I Worship towards thine Holy Temple Lord I have loved the Habitation of thy House and the place where thine honour dwelleth One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I might dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple Thy way O God is in the Sanctuary Who is so great a God as our God I will abide in thy Tabernacle for ever I will trust in the Covert of thy Wings Blessed are they that dwell in thy House They will be alway praising thee A day in thy Courts is better than a thousand I had rather be a Door-keeper in the House of my God than to dwell in the Tents of Wickedness God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of his Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are round about him Thy Testimonies are very sure Holiness becometh thine House O Lord for ever This is my rest for ever Here will I dwell for I have a delight therein O let my Soul be satisfied as with Marrow and Fatness when my Mouth praiseth thee with joyful Lips Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning c. Returning from the Church O What shall I render unto thee O Lord for all thy benefits towards me I will receive the Cup of Salvation and will call upon the Name of the Lord. Worthy art thou O Lord to receive Power and Riches and Wisdom and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing Wherefore Blessing Honour Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever The Law of thy Mouth is dearer unto me than thousands of Gold and Silver I have had as great delight in thy Testimonies as in all manner of Riches I have thought of thy loving kindness O God in the midst of thy Temple O let my heart be sound in thy Statutes that I be not ashamed Hold thou up my goings in thy paths that my foot-steps slip not Order thou my Steps in thy Word so shall I not be disappointed of my hope Thy Word is a Light unto my Feet and a Lanthorn unto my Paths O lead me in thy Truth and Teach me for thou art the God of my Salvation on thee do I wait all the day In the time of Sickness or approach of Death I. O Lord Correct me not in thine Anger neither Chasten me in thy heavy displeasure For thine Arrows stick fast on me and thy hand presseth me sore Mine Eye is consumed because of Grief There is no Health in my Flesh because of thy displeasures neither is there any rest in my Bones by reason of my Sin My Soul also is sore vexed but thou O Lord how long Return O Lord deliver my Soul O save me for thy Mercies sake For in Death no Man remembreth thee and who will give thee thanks in the Pit What profit is there in my Blood if I go down into the Pit Shall the dust praise thee Shall it give thanks unto thee or declare thy Truth The living the living shall praise thee even as I do this day O Let my Soul live and it shall praise thee Have Mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me for my Bones are vexed Cast me not away in the time of Age Forsake me not when my Strength faileth me Hide not thou thy Face from me for I am in Trouble make haste O Lord to deliver me Hear me O God and have
So assist us continually with thy grace that we may be able to repel all the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil Teach us to deny all Vngodliness and every worldly Lust and to live more Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World that so having our Fruits unto holiness here we may have our ends Everlasting Life And grant O Lord we may not only cease to do evil but we may also learn to do well that we may have respect unto all thy Commandments and serve thee by a sincere uniform impartial Obedience all the days of our lives giving all diligence to add unto our Faith Vertue to Vertue Temperance to Temperance Chastity to Chastity Humility to Humility Meekness to Meekness Brotherly kindness Charity Preseverance and every Christian Grace That we may at length arrive to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ to be such as thou wouldest have us to be holy in all manner of conversation even as thou our God art Holy Prepare us for all Conditions that thou shalt see fit to call us unto here in this life and give us hearts truly thankful submissive and contented in all thy disposals Give us a sanctified use of all thy Creatures and such a portion of those Temporals as may best secure our eternal concerns Mind us of Death and Judgment That we dwell in Houses of Clay whose Foundation is in the dust that when a few days are past we shall go the way whence we shall not return and that it will not be long before we shall stand at thy just Tribunal and be callâ—d to give an account of all our Actions in the Flesh whether they be good or evil Give us Grace therefore all the days of our appointed time to wait until our change shall come That we may be continually trimming our Lamps and waiting for the coming of the Bridegroom that at whatsoever hour he calls for us we may be ready to enter in and be admitted to sit down at the Eternal Supper of the Lamb. Neither desire we a blessing for our selves alone but for the whole race of Mankind Let the knowledg of the Lord cover the Earth as the Waters cover the Sea Let the people praise thee O God yea let all the people praise thee More especially bless we beseech thee the Congregation of Christs Church however dispersed over the face of the whole Earth Have a particular regard to that Church and Nation in which we live Bless the principal Member of it our gracious Soveraign Lord the King the Queen and all the Royal Family Bless all that wait at thine Altar by what Names or Titles dignified or distinguished Grant that they may speak as the Oracles and live as the Messengers of God Bless all to whom thou hast committed the Sword of Justice let them not bear it in vain but so use it as to be a terror to evil doers and a praise to them that do well Bless all the Commonalty of this Land every one of us in our several places and relations and grant that we may all live in the true Faith and Fear of thee our God in humble obedience to the King and in brotherly Love and Charity one towards another Bind up the broken hearted Give liberty to the Captives and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound Comfort all that mourn in Zion give unto them Beauty for Ashes the Oyl of Joy for Mourning and the Garment of praise for the Spirit of Heaviness And as we pray unto thee so we desire likewise to laud and praise thee for all thy Mercies Spiritual and Temporal towards us for thy protection of us this Night for all the Mercies of the Week past to our Souls and Bodies More especially we beseech thee accept our praises for the great Mercies of this day for all the wonderful works of thy Creation and for the providential care and provision made for every one of them That thou hast appointed us certain seasons and opportunities to Worship and Adore thee even for our own good But above all we acknowledg thy inestimable benefits bestowed upon us in Jesus Christ We praise thee for his immaculate Conception and Incarnation his holy Life and bitter Death for his glorious Resurrection upon this day for the Mission of his blessed Spirit and continual Intercession for us at thy right hand for all the means of Grace and the hopes of Glory We praise thee for the glorious Company of the Apostles for the goodly Fellowship of the Prophets for the Noble Army of Martyrs and for all other thy Saints and Servants departed this life in thy Faith and Fear beseeching thee to give us grace so to follow their good Examples that we together with them may be partakers of a glorious Resurrection unto life everlasting And now O Lord seeing this is thy day a day which thou hast sanctified and set apart for thy Service be pleased to give us Grace wholly to devote it unto thy glory Make us more watchful over all â—ur thoughts words and actions than on other days and so assist us with thy holy Spirit that we may perform all those Duties thou requirest of us in such manner as they may be well pleasing and acceptable in thy sight Fit and prepare us for thy House of Prâ—yer and for the discharge of those great and weighty Duties which thou there expectest from us purifie bur hearts from all sin and inflame them with a Spiritual Zeal and Affection that we may enter into thy Gates with Thanksgiving and into thy Courts with Praise Give us Grace to come before thee with reverence and godly fear Make us servent in our Devotions answerable to our needs and necessities Give us hearing Ears understanding Hearts retentive Memories particular Application of it to our selves and holy Resolutions of practising it in our Lives and Conversations that we may return satisfied with the fulness of thy House and praise thee more and more Open thou the Mouths of thy Ministers every where this day O be present with the Assemblies of thy Saints Speaâ— unto thy Servants the Ministers that they may speak unto thy people and deliver unto every one such Doctrine as may be suitable and seasonable to the several Conditions of their Auditors That the most obdure sinner may be convinced and converted the most weak in faith may be strengthned the most dâ—jeâ—cted in spirit may be comforted And grant that all who speak and all that hear this day may add some Glory unto thy Name and receive some benefit and comfort to their own precious and immortal Souls Finally thou O Lord who knowest the several wants and necessities of all thy Servants O that thou wouldest be graciously pleased to put a word into the mouth of thy Minister which shall dispense thy holy Oracles unto us this day which may particularly respect our Condition whether it be for Comfort or Terror Reprehension or Exhortation
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
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