withstand not thy tender of that Peace which is a Pearl of such great Price Verily Verily my Lord and my God now I may and ought and will laud and address thee tho' it be with Trembling and Confusion For as Dread belongs unto Creatures and Sinners so doth Confidence belong unto the Immaculate the Eternal and only Begotten Son of God CLASS II. Expressions of Praise both by way of Recital and Address 1. GLory therefore be to God Condescension to his Creatures Grace and Mercy Peace and Purgation Redemption and Forgiveness to me a Sinner May the Good God who pardoneth Iniquity Transgression and Sin accept the Incense of a lowly Heart 2. Great is the Lord and marvellous worthy to be prais'd there there are no bounds of his Greatness 3. He is Wonderful in Counsel Mighty in Working Glorious in Holiness Fearful in Praises He dwells in inaccessible Light The Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him His Kingdom is an Everlasting Kingdom His Dominion lasteth longer than Ages Ten thousand times ten thousand and Thousands of thousands of Glorious Spirits are the awful Retinue of the Lord God 4. The Heavens declare the Glory of God the Firmament shews his Handy-work One Day tells another and one Night certiâ—â—es another 5. Thou Lord in the beginning didst lay the Corner-stone of the Earth when the Morning-Stars sang together and all the Sons of God shouted for Joy All the Beasts of the Forest are thine and so are the Cattel on a thousand Hills 6. Fearfully and Wonderfully hast thou made Man and O that my Soul did ponder it well Thine Eyes did see my Substance when I was yet imperfect and in thy Everlasting Book were all my Members written Day after Day were they a fashioning To this Day are they preserv'd by thy hand 7. Every Morning thy Loving Kindness is renew'd I laid me down and slept and rose again for the Lord sustain'd me O how dear are thy Counsels unto me O God O how great is the summ of them * Here particular Mercies may be inserted 8. How should I count them They are more in number than I can conceive Whenever I awake they are present with me Have I not for this reason remembred thee on my Bed and thought upon thee when I was waking Now do I sing and always will sing of thy Mercies betimes in the Morning even unto thee O my strength for thou art my Refuge and my mercifuâ— God CLASS IV. The Dedicatory THis Day I dedicate my self Spirit Soul and Body to thy Spirit Honour and Service and do resign all my Care and Concerns to the Direction and Influence of thy Providence and am dispos'd chearfully to embrace all the Dispensations of thy Fatherly Goodness Thus will I by thy Grace and Assistance throughout my whole Life wait upon thee in Holiness that I may at last behold thy Power and Glory everlasting 2. I hate and abhor all my past evil ways and from the depth of my Soul do renounce mine own Wickedness * Here you may confess your Constitution Sin or other Sins O that I may obtain Victory over my whole Body of Sin and live Then shall Jesus be my Jesus indeed and say Soul Be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven thee and at the Great Day declare before Angels and Saints and Devils and the Desperate Thy monstrous iniquities are blotted out They shall not be thy ruine Thou shalt live for I dy'd for the penitent 3. Hence 't is O Lord that my Soul hangs upon thee To this purpose with extreme Thirst of Soul I seek thy Strength and thy Face O therefore do thou who delight'st not in the Desolation but divine Resurrection of Humane Spirits chear and replenish me with the Light of thy Countenance for without thee we must needs be desolate CLASS V. Acts of Daily Petition for God's Protection and Blessing LORD I have dedicated my Judgment to thee O shew me the way that I should walk in I lift up my Soul unto thee Lord sanctifie it I have devoted my Spirit Lord separate the Light from the Darkness thereof and refine it with the fiery Baptism of the Holy Ghost that thy Will may be the Magnet of mine Lord I beseech thee set a Watch over my Heart and Lips that my Words and Meditations may please thee 2. O that all my Actions and Intentions and Discourses may be begun and govern'd and ended in thy Fear so shall the Lord prosper my Handy-work so shall my Studies thrive under his Blessing and all my Resolutions be establish'd O that the Disposals of my Heavenly Father be they grateful or ungrateful to Flesh and Blood may find their Ends answer'd by my Demeanor under and use of them 3. Arm me I beseech thee with the Armour of God that no presumptuous Sin may ever again get the Dominion over me Array my Soul with a competent Conformity of Mind to the Image of thy Son that I may grow in Grace and heavenly Experience that so this and every remaining Day of my short stay here may be reflected on with less Sorrow and more spiritual Joy in the Lord than the foregoing O may thy Loving Spirit lead me in the ways of Evangelical Righteousness so shall the Land of Righteousness be mine Inheritance and the God of Righteousness my Portion for ever CLASS VI. A Catholick Conclusion LOrd I beseech thee of thine infinite Compassion over-look my numerous Infirmities accept of this imperfect Sacrifice and of the following Expression of my Delight in the Joys of the Church Triumphant and of my Commiseration of all the Perils Straits and Necessities of thy Israel Militant here on Earth in the powerful Name and Words of thine only Son and Man's only Saviour JESUS CHRIST Our Father c. Noon-Office OF VIGILANCE AND CHARITY CLASS I. Vigilance excited by Expressions of a sense of Man's and the World's Vanity 1. VAnity of Vanities all is Vanity and Vexation of Spirit 2. God made Man upright little lower than the Angels and plac'd all sublunary Things under him But Man hath sought out many foolish Inventions and lets some Creature or other lord it over his Heart tho' they were all put under his feet 3. For the Lord look'd down from Heaven on the Children of Men to see if there were any seeking after God But oh how are they gone out of the way Destruction and Vnhappiness is in their ways The way to Reconciliation and Glory they neither see nor seek 4. Nay the humble Soul and his Care for Eternity is had in derision by them numerous are those Wretches which combine with the disorderly Tendencies of Birth and the Princes of Darkness to pluck him from his God CLASS II. Expressions of Trust in God and Holy Resolution 1. BUt my Soul shall not run any more after Idols neither shall their Scoffs make me draw back for I will seek the Kingdom of God and Christ and the Righteousness thereof 2. Seek seek I say O
A Rational Method OF Daily RELIGION Consisting of Four New Offices of Ordinary Devotion AND A Practical Directory Concerning the Reasonableness and Vse of them By a Divine of the Church of England LONDON Printed for Percivall Gilbourne at the George in Chancery-Lane near Fleet-street 1697. TO THE READER CHRISTIAN READER THE DIRECTORY discharging the part both of Preface and Commentary the only favour I have now to desire of thee is to peruse the whole or none at all since both parts of the Book have a necessary dependance one upon the other I have ventured to publish this small part of the whole Work if I do not flatter my self foâ— swaying Reasons by it self foâ— a Trial of the World's receptioâ— of the Design and sooner than â— once intended in obedience to â— particular Motion of Divine Providence Whilst I was composing it my great Master's Honour was alâ— along in my Eye and it has been and still is my own earnest Request to God that his Spiriâ— might breath kindly on my Attempt and I hope too it has been the Request of many others who if their visible Demeanour be the Transcript of their Hearts can't but reasonably be supposed to have Interest at the Court of Heaven Nevertheless I am no stranger to the Byass of the Age or the Magick of old plausible popular Titles and admired Names or the Moral Necessity of the co-operation of free Agents with even the immediate good Motions of God's Spirit before they can attain their End much more with external succours that are tendred by sinful Creatures in order to make God's Blessing on a work of this Nature truly compleat by its proving thoroughly effectual with those who use it And therefore though the honest measures I have taken in this Vndertaking encourages me to hope for success with Souls yet at the same time I have took care to be prepared aforehand for a defeat My best though weak endeavour is my part Success and Disappointment Honour and Dishonour are of God's disposal and either of them in this World should be chearfully submitted to by a Christian The truth of it is some Assaults must be expected from the Grand Adversary of Mankind whatever be the Event of this Assay But that God whom I serve and trust in is both mighty and good and will not suffer a poor Christian that flies to him for Succour to be the Caitiff either of Vanity or Despondence or his good intention to miss of its Aim with respect to himself if he does not neglect other Branches of Duty and Perseveres in a Course of entire Fidelity to Christ unto the End remembring that the proper Rewards of a Christian are not those of this State but such as will abundantly recompence the chearfull patience of a short Life If in some places the stubbornness of the Subject or haste in the Composure of the expressive parts of the Directory for to deal justly by the matter that has been well studied has occasioned me to be tedious and rough in my Sentences I now desire thee to take first a rough View of the whole Chapter you are reading and always not to read the Parentheses if they be so noted by these Marks till you have read to a full Period By this means upon a second reading over the Chapter the most illiterate Reader may understand it and so digest it the better so also if a hard word occur that 's taken out of another Language because more expressive than any in ours the Connection if a Man be attent will explain it The parts unfinished are I. Large penitential Offices of solemn Repentance framed according to St. Paul's Apostolical Model of the several Gradations of Repentance II. Large Prose Eucharistical Offices in Honour to the several Attributes of God and for the most signal Works and Providences of God with others suited to the most remarkable Feasts of the Church III. Variety of occasional Offices for Sabbaths New-Tears-Birth-Baptism-Ordination-Wedding Anniversary Fast-Days and Days of Mourning for the Dead with Prayers proper to be used at Visitations of the Sick and the like with an ejaculatory Office IV. A large gratulatory Office with Triumphs of Faith Hope and Charity by way of Anticipation of the Beatifick Vision and Everlasting Jubilee as also large intercessive Offices adapted to most possible Relations and Stations of a Christian in this Life V. A large Deetical Office of Vigilance Deprecations and Petitions for Graces VI. A large Office of Abstraction adapted to the different and inmost Self-Consciousnesses of Men in this State with Glances on Death the separate State the future Judgment and the two Eternal States VII An Office of Sacramental Devotions os which there has been great Numbers and such as under the Titles of Weekly and Monthly and such like stinted formal Preparations have betrayed many to a profanation of it and filled the Age with unworthy confused Notions of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper VIII Large Offices of sociaâ— Devotion fitted for occasion of two or more Persons conjoynâ— Exercise of social Repentance for sins committed together as also for the Exercise of social Gratitude for the same Mercy as also for Families Religious Societies or Fraternities and the like To each of which are to be added suitable Directories by way of Appendix with suitable Discourses as shall be found most proper prefixed before each concerning solemn Repentance solitary or social Birth Regeneration Solitude Divine Gratitude Gratulation Fraternal Confession Heaven the separate State Vows Scope Contingencies God Angels Heaven Devils Eternity Hell Self-Penetration Charity Poverty of Spirit Family-Religion Hope Religious Societies Heavenly Aspiration and the like Which will be done if God permit the furtherance of thy Prayers is humbly desired Reader Farewel THE Morning Office OF GRATITUDE CLASS I. Expressions of Holy Dread and Filial Confidence intermix'd GReat and Glorious Sovereign of Heaven and Earth with the Gratitude of a Creature and the Shame of a Sinner I own thy Works to be full of Wonder and Love tho' my ways have been ful of Vanity and Perversness 2. But tho' I cannot offer the Tribute of a Cherub nor pay the Gratitude of Paradise to my great Creator yet since so vast is thy Mercy that thou senâ—est thy Son to take holâ— of fall'n Man and in his Name Creatures uncreatur'd by Apostacy may find access to the Throne of Grace and tremendous Brightnessâ— and fo5 seeking be recreatur'd by his Grace and Spirit Be not O Lord I beseech thee incens'd if sinful Dust and Ashes dare in the Name of the Mighty Jesus to bow before 〈◊〉 most High God 3. 〈…〉 nd Judge of An 〈…〉 d I blush to present the Homage of a Worm much more the Praise of a Rebel But tho' I blush to present it yet I dare not withhold it I am drawn to thee by the irresistible violence of that Love and that Blood which has pav'd a new and living way to God for all who
Grace that I have not to my Knowledge boldly provok'd thee in any respect this day for to thy Grace alone is this Honour due I know nothing of my self yet am I not hereby justify'd 'T is thy Sentence must make or undo me for ever O God thou art greater than our Hearts and knowest all things if therefore my State is still dangerous if any pestilential Habit still cleaves to my Soul if any Mortal Act or Word or Thought hath escap'd my Memory in my Examination enlighten me I beseech thee and suggest it to my remembrance that I may mingle my Tears with thy Mercy and Christ his Blood before I dare to slumber O suffer me not to lean on a delusive Peace But if it be otherwise praised be thy Goodness as for all thy Mercies so especially for this Gift of Innocence Keep me from being high-minded on this or any other account and give me true Sobriety of Mind that I may not through Giddiness and future Neglects fall after all from Favour 3. Glory be to thy Grace and the Merits of Christ that those many latent Deficiencies from thy Law which cleave even to the sanctified in this state will not shut me out of thy Kingdom may by degrees be lessen'd more and more here and will be wholly remov'd hereafter O cleanse me from all my secret Faults be they blotted out by the Blood of thy Son and grant that by great Advances in Grace an entrance may be vouchsaf'd me into the glorious Kingdom of God 4. With this comfortable Faith I rely this Night on thy Providence for convenient Repose and Defence both of Mind and Body In the Name of Christ I beseech thee do thou accept this imperfect Sacrifice of Prayer and Praise in his comprehensive Form I also crave pardon for the Wandrings and Imperfections thereof and do testifie my Charity to thy Creation Our Father c. THE Midnight Office OF ABSTRACTION 1. O My Soul now thou art secret unto Men but thou art not so unto God nor for all that thou knowest unto many good and bad Angels who often behold thee as well as thy Creator when thou neither seest nor thinkest of them Now therefore that thy Eyes are bound by the Darkness of the Night let thy Mind also be turn'd inwards by the profound silence of thy internal Powers that the Darkness of external Sense may encrease the Vigour of my intellectual Sight 2. Commune now with thine own Spirit O search and see whether it be fit for Communion with God which may be easily known if thou know'st whether Light or Darkness be the predominant Principle therein Call to remembrance thy Sins call to remembrance the Mercies of God dive deep into thy self and then say if thou canst that there is not something in the centre of thy Frame which is not perishable like the Efforts of thy Blood Do not be like the captive Multitude of Sense who thro' neglect of Abstraction are a secret to themselves Turn thy Nature over and over in thy Thoughts and especially view the better part thereof and observe wherein thou hast defac'd or improv'd it 3. Think 'till thou art thoroughly convinc'd and when thou art so do thou frequently consider that thou carry'st Immortality in Embrio always within thee 'T is true the Soul rather believes than sees whilst 't is thus imprison'd in the Womb. But when its Mortal Part is ripe for the Grave which may be long before even the Autumn of Man's life 't will make its entrance upon the immortal Stage 4. Think therefore of thy great Change in time before thou art forc'd to launch into the Ocean of Eternity lest the unexpected and unprepar'd-for sight of the invisible World surprize thee with another-guess Dread than that which the Faithful do find then Remember that the State of Man here on Earth is like the old Probationary State of Fallen Angels before they degenerated into Devils and like the State which all the Impenitent who are gone before thee once enjoy'd a State of Time and Opportunity a State of Work and Preparation for that State which is unalterable But the State of Saints and Fiends the State of Loyal and Apostate Angels the State of Angels and Men who have been acquitted and condemn'd before the last Tribunal is a State of exact Judgment Reward and Eternity 5. Then be thy Recompence Glory or Vengeance it will never expire there will be no escape from the one or loss of the other it will indeed have a beginning but its end will never be found Since therefore Eternity will find and keep thee such as Time leaves thee and Eternity is inestimable how canst thou value Time at too high a Rate Let the Time past suffice thee to have serv'd Pride Envy and Concupiscence Now be thou entirely a Servant of Christ and a Subject of Divine Zeal and Charity that an ample Prospect of Heaven may ennoble and enlarge thee 6. Make the Agonies of the Tormented in Hell and the Joys of the Bless'd above familiar to the Mind by Meditation that it may supplant the inchanting intimacy which sense will otherwise find in thy Soul as it does mostly in the Souls of the MANY Fancy thy Spirit to be taking leave of this Cottage of Flesh for this Custom tends greatly to the purgation of the Heart and the weaning of thy Affections from all its darling Idols It makes bare the Vanity of the World stabs the Love of an Earthly Life to the Heart and cherishes divine Love in the Soul Awake therefore O my Soul strive to be cloath'd with new Strength and to regain Paradise Meditate and abstract thy self whilst Sense is tame and quiet and does not hinder the orderly Peace of the Mind check every wanton Sally of Imagination be-aw'd with a sense of the Divine Omnipresence prostrate thy Thoughts of thy self and consider and say Great was the Rebellion and the Overthrow of the Apostate Inhabitants of Heaven Great was and is their Envy against us and the Fall of all Mankind in Adam Great is the Mercy of our affronted God and the Redemption that is tender'd by the Lord Jesus Great is our Blindness and Obstinacy deep and strong are our ill Habits mighty indeed are our Ghostly Enemies Mightier and more are the Angels that are for us wonderful is the Courtesie powerful are the strivings of the supreme Spirit with Man Sharp is the Edge of Conscience even sharper than a Two edged Sword and so great is the Peace of a good Man that it alone might satisfie and every one but himself is a stranger to his Joy Amazingly great is the change of Death so terrible also is the Day of the Lord and the Universal Judgment of Angels and Men. Who can dwell in Everlasting Burnings Are we stronger than God Who can conceive the Pleasures of Heaven What Mortal hath ever feasted upon God 7. And cannot all this provoke that aspiring Principle within me which was made