and thy Spirit my guide in all that I do Possess I beseech thee and ravish my mind continually with thy Love and let my delight always be to be embraced in the Arms of thy protection Be thou O holy God light unto mine eyes musick to mine ears sweetness to my tast and a full contentment to my heart Be thou my Sunshine in the day my food at the table my repose in the night my Cloathing in nakedness and my succour in all necessities O Lord Jesus I give thee my body my Soul my substance my fame my friends my liberty and my life Dispose of me and all that is mine as it seemeth best to Thee and to the glory of thy blessed Name I am not now mine but thine therefore claim me as thy right and love me as thy Child and keep me as thy charge and defend me against those that would deal injuriously with me My Lord my God I beseech thee to give me patience in troubles humility in comforts constancy in temptation and Victory over all my ghostly enemies Grant me sorrow for my Sins thankfulness for thy Benefits fear of thy Judgements love of thy Mercies and mindfulness of thy Presence for evermore Make me observant of my Superiours courteous to my Inferiours friendly to my Equals loving to my Friends and charitable to my Enemies Make me ready to pleasure all and loth to offend any Give me Chastness in my Affections modesty in my countenance gravity in my behaviour deliberation in my speech Holiness in my thoughts and Righteousness in all my ways Let thy Mercy through Christ cleanse me from the guilt of my transgressions and let thy Grace bring forth in me the fruits of Everlasting Life Lord let me be obedient without arguing humble without feigning patient without grudging pure without corruption merry without lightness sad without mistrust sober without dulness true without doubleness fearing Thee without desperation and trusting in Thee without presumption Let me be joyfull for nothing but that which pleaseth Thee nor sorrowfull for any thing but that which doth displease Thee Let my labour be my delight which is for Thee and let all rest weary me which is not in Thee Give me an awaking Spirit and a diligent Soul that I may seek to know thy Will and when I know it truly may perform it faithfully to the honour and glory of thy ever Blessed Name for these and for all other needfull Mercies which thou O God wouldst have me to pray or to praise Thee I continue to say as Christ our Lord hath taught us Our Father which art c. The Blessing LEt thy Peace O God which passeth all understanding let the Blessing of the holy undivided Trinity the Father Son and Holy Ghost let the vertue of Christs blessed Cross and Passion be with me and remain with me and mine now and at the hour of Death and to eternall Ages Amen Amen They that have more Leasure may oftner use the foregoing devotions alone Morning or Evening or at any time of the Day when they best can Such also may make use of this following Morning Prayer for a Family on the Week-days as many as can well be spared being present A Family-Prayer for the Morning on Work-days O Most holy and ever blessed Lord God we thine unworthy Servants do here acknowledge that as we were born in sin so we have lived in iniquity and broken thy righteous Laws in thought word and deed following too much the desires of our own will and not caring as we ought to be governed by thy Holy Word and Spirit but O gracious Father we beseech thee for the merits of thy Dear Son to forgive us all our sins and not to inflict upon us those Punishments which are due unto us for them And do thou we pray Thee sanctifie us throughout in Body Soul and Spirit and lead us in the ways of Truth and Holiness and make us in every respect such as thou wouldest have us to be And here O Lord from the bottom of our hearts we praise thy Name for all thy Blessings bestowed upon us concerning this or a better Life Particularly we praise Thee for the Mercies of the last Night and this Morning that thou hast preserved us from such dangers as might have fallen upon any of us and for our Refreshment by moderate rest and sleep Oh that this Day we may be kept from the evil of Sin and so if it may be thy Will from the evil of Punishment Enable us to watch over our Thoughts that good Meditations only may enter into our minds and Holy desires and purposes into our Hearts Help us to set a watch before our Mouths and to keep the door of our Lips that we offend not with our Tongues Help us also to watch over all our Actions that we may do hurt to none but all the good we can to all as we would have others deal with us That in all we do thy Word may be our Rule thy Spirit our Guide our Saviour our pattern and thy Glory our end That we may be wise and modest in our Carriage temperate and sober in our Diet diligent and chearfull in our Business that we may abide with Thee in our particular Places and Callings by a conscientious performance of the Duties thereof that we may undertake nothing upon which we may not desire thy Blessing and wherein we may not expect thy Direction and Assistance That we may be crucified to the World and the World unto us by the Cross of Christ that we may be content with such things as we have and not use any unlawfull means for our own relief knowing Thou hast promised never to leave us nor forsake us That we may so pass through the things of this Life that finally we loose not Everlasting Life and Happiness in the enjoyment of thy Self And all we beg upon the account of Christ in whose Name we continue to pray unto Thee saying Our Father c. But because the busie Countrey Life usually on the Week-Days calls and disperses most in Families early in the Morning to their several Works and Imployments it is very needfull especially when Morning Family-Prayers cannot be had conveniently that each one grown to years of Understanding before they go out of their Chambers or before they begin their Work should kneel down by themselves and in short beg Gods Blessing and Presence with them the following Day which they may do by the Collect for the Morning It is set down gotten by Heart saying after it the page the 6. the Lords-Prayer understandingly devoutly and deliberately Or this PRevent us O Lord in all our Doings by thy most gracious Favour and further us with thy continual Help that in all our works begun continued and ended in Thee we may glorifie thy holy Name and finally by thy mercy obtain Everlasting Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Our Father which art in Heaven c. Or in the
us think we have done nothing in Hearing Reading Praying Receiving Singing of Psalms Confering Meditating till in all we have glorified Thee our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier till our Souls be brought something nearer unto Heaven unto thy Self And all we beg upon the account of Christ saying further as he hath taught us Our Father c. A Family Prayer for the Evening on the Lords-Day OEternal God and most Gracious Father we thine unworthy servants do here cast down our selves at the Footstool of thy Grace acknowledging that we were conceived in sin and have actually in thought word and deed transgressed thy Holy and Righteous Precepts so that if thou shouldest look upon us as in our selves we could not expect any thing but thy Wrath and our own Condemnation But O holy Father for Jesus Christ thy dear Sons sake for the Merits of his Obedience and Bloodshed we beseech Thee to have Mercy upon us pardoning to us all our sins and freeing us from the Shame and Confusion which is due unto us for them And we pray Thee inspire thy Holy Spirit into our Hearts that by his Illumination and effectual Working we may have the inward sight and feeling of our sins and natural corruptions and not through Custom be blinded or hardened in them That we may more and more loath them and be heartily grieved for them endeavouring by the use of all good means to overcome and to get out of them Oh let us feel the Power of Christs death killing sin in our mortal Bodies and the vertue of his Resurrection raising up our Souls unto Newness of Life that living in thy Fear unto thy Glory we may die in thy Favour and in thine Appointed time attain unto the Blessed Resurrection of the Just unto Eternal Life In the mean while O Lord increase our Faith in the sweet promises of the Gospel and our Repentance from dead works the assurance of our hope and our love unto thy self and thy children especially those whom we shall see to stand in need of our help and comfort that so by the fruits of Piety and a Righteous Life we may be assured that thy holy Spirit doth dwell in us and that we are thy Children by Grace and Adoption And grant us Good Father the continuance of Health Peace Maintenance and all other outward things so far forth as thy Divine Wisdome shall think meet and necessary for us And we beseech thee O Lord to be mercifull likewise to thy whole Church and particularly to these Kingdoms wherein we live vouchsafing to us those Mercies we stand in need of and turning from us those Judgements which our sins may cry for Preserve the Kings Majesty bless all the Royal Family bless our Magistrates and Ministers this place those that are near unto us by Kindred or Neighbourhood be graciously present with all our Christian Brethren that suffer sickness or any other affliction or misery grant them patience to bear thy Cross and Deliverance when and which way it shall seem best unto Thee And O Lord let us not forget our last End and those accounts which then we must render unto Thee In Health and Prosperity make us mindfull of Sickness and the evil Day that is behind that these things may not overtake us as a snare but that we may in good measure like wise Virgins be found prepared for the Coming of Christ to call us by Death unto Judgement And here O Lord we do from our very Souls render unto Thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy Blessings bestowed upon us concerning this Life and that which is to come We praise Thee especially for Christ the Fountain and Foundation of all thy Mercies we ever yet received or hope hereafter to receive from Thee In him we praise Thee for the Mercies thou hast this day bestowed upon us or given us occasion to remember whether concerning the Creation of the World or the Redemption of Mankind We praise thee for thy holy Word and Sacraments and seasons of Grace yet vouchsafed unto us We praise Thee that by thy good Providence we have been preserved and provided for to this very moment intreating Thee likewise to continue thy Mercifull Protection over us this night And O Lord we beseech Thee let those saving Truths which have been delivered unto us sink down into our Hearts and spring up in our Conversations Let us keep up such holy Purposes and heavenly Affections as may have been wrought in any of us whilst attending upon Thee Let our lives be in some measure answerable to the means we enjoy Let the fruit of this Day appear in us the Week following and all the days of our Lives following Henceforth let our resolution of pleasing Thee and doing good in our Generation be more confirmed let the felicities of Heaven be more esteemed let our desires of Earthly things be more abated let the Breathings of our Souls after a fuller enjoyment of thy Self be more enlarged Let our sins those of our holy things be pardodoned our persons and performances accepted and our Souls eternally saved And al upon the alone account of Jesus Christ it whose prevailing Name we continue to pray unto Thee saying Our Father c. As for those who are furnished with Bibles and the Book of Common Prayer I shall direct them if they desire it how to use part of the Morning and Evening Service according to the Liturgy by themselves or with their Families But because many Pious Divines are of opinion that the Reverence due to the Book of Common Prayer is best preserved by imploying it only in the Publick Divine Service or in Private where there is one in Holy Orders to officiate And because we should always strive to be present at the Publick Service of the Church on any Holy Day especially on the Lords-Day and such Festivals as are in Remembrance of our Saviour Christ You have to the former here added one Prayer more which you may use on any such Festival in Remembrance of our Blessed Saviour that is to say On the Days of his Incarnation Birth Circumcision Epiphanie Presenting in the Temple Passion Resurrection Ascension and Mission of the Holy Ghost A Prayer upon any of the foresaid Festivals in Remembrance of our Blessed Lord and Saviour O Most glorious God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of lights from whom cometh every good and perfect Gift it is our bounden Duty and our great Priviledge constantly to acknowledge Thee with joy and exaltation of Spirit in remembrance of thy infinite Bounty to us and to all the World Every day tells us how good Thou art and every one of thy Creatures calls upon us to magnifie love and serve Thee who hast made so many of them to serve us But this Day gives us occasion to remember thy more special and extraordinary kindness to us the Children of Men which calls for our highest Praises to be joyned with those of the
me c. S. Mat. 26. 41. Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation Jer. 10. 25. Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen that have not known thee and upon the Families that call not on thy Name S. Mat. 6. 6. But thou when thou prayest enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father who seeth in secret shall reward thee openly 1 Cor. 11. 26 27 28. For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lords death till he come Wherefore whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup unworthily shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. But let a Man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. S. Luke 22. 19 20. And he took Bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave unto them saying this is my Body which is given for you this do in remembrance of me Likewise also the Cup after Supper saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you We may sometime begin our Closet Prayers admiring with S. Augustine Gods glorious Perfections WHAT art thou O my God what art thou I beseech thee but the Lord my God for who is Lord besides our Lord or who is God besides our God O thou Supreme most powerfull most mercifull most just most secret most present most beautifull most incomprehensible most constant and yet changing all things immutable never new and never old and yet renewing all things ever in Action yet ever at rest heaping up yet needing nothing creating upholding filling protecting nourishing and perfecting all things Thou lovest and yet thou art not transported thou art angry yet never art unquiet thou art jealous yet void of fear thou dost repent yet art thou free from sorrow Thou requirest profit at our hands yet who hath any thing but of thy Gift Thou payest debts when thou owest nothing Thou forgivest debts and yet thou loosest nothing And what shall I say O my God my life my joy my holy dear delight or what can any Man say when he speaketh of Thee and wo be to them that speak not of Thee but are silent in thy Praise for even they who speak most of Thee may be accounted to be but dumb Have mercy upon me O Lord that I may speak unto thee and praise thy Name Amen A Prayer for all Conditions of Men. Note that one alone may say We and Our and Us as usually in the Lords Prayer because of the Communion of Saints O God the Creator and Preserver of all Mankind we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of Men that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them thy Saving Health unto all Nations More especially we pray for the good estate of the Catholick Church that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of Truth and hold the Faith in unity of Spirit in the bond of Peace and in Righteousness of life And we also commend unto thy Fatherly Goodness all those who are any ways afflicted or distressed in Mind Body or Estate that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them according to their severall necessities giving them Patience under their Sufferings and an happy Issue out of all their Afflictions and this we beg for Jesus Christ his sake Amen A Prayer for the King and Kingdom ANd that in one Blessing we may all of us be blest I beseech thee O thou who art the Maker and Saviour of all Kings and Nations of the earth to bless our dread Soveraign Lord King CHARLES with the richest Blessings of thy Grace Strengthen him with the faith of Abraham endue him with the mildness of Moses arm him with the magnanimity of Joshua exalt him with the humility of David assist him with the counsel of Hushai beautifie him with the wisdom of Solomon and replenish him with the Goodness and Holiness of them all that so he may be a powerfull Protector of his People a religious Defender of thy sacred Faith a bountifull comforter of thy Holy Church a glorious Triumpher over all his enemies a gracious Governour of all his Subjects and a happy Father of children to rule this Nation by Succession in all ages O let his Reign be prosperous and his Days many let Peace and Plenty Love and Piety Justice and Truth and all Christian vertues flourish in his time Let his People serve him with honour and obedience and let him so love and serve Thee here on Earth that he may hereafter everlastingly reign with Thee in Heaven through Jesus Christ our Lord. Here may be added the Prayers or Thanks-givings in the Book of Common Prayer upon their severall Occasions Sometimes also the Creed may be repeated with that pithy Ejaculation said before it Lord I believe help my unbelief And the Ten Commandments with that short Prayer after them Lord have mercy upon us and write all these thy Laws in our Hearts we beseech thee Here also may be said the Morning or Evening Collect respectively on our own and the behalf of those that belong to us O Lord our Heavenly Father Almighty and Everlasting God who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this Day defend us in the same with thy Mighty Power and grant that this Day we fall into no sin neither run into any kind of danger but that all our doings may be ordered by thy Governance to do alwaies that which is righteous in thy sight through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Lighten our darkness we beseech thee O Lord and by thy great Mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this Night for the love of thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ Amen A general Thanksgiving O Most gracious God I give thee humble and hearty Thanks for all thy Goodness and Loving kindness to me and to all men I bless thee for my Creation Preservation and all the Blessings of this life but above all for thine inestimable love in the Redemption of the World by our Lord Jesus Christ for the means of Grace and for the hope of Glory And I beseech thee give me that due sense of all thy Mercies that my heart may be unfeignedly thankfull and that I may set 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 through Jesus Christ my Lord to whom with Thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory world without end Amen A devout Prayer which may be used at any time by one alone GRant me O gracious Lord in what lawfull undertaking soever a pure intention of Heart and a stedfast regard of thy Glory let Christ be my pattern thy Word my rule
of offending Thee and more solicitous to please Thee then ever we have yet been being more wisely zealous and active for thy Glory and more reverent in the use of all things that relate unto Thee That thou wouldest give us an universal Good Will towards others in the World that we may love our Neighbours as our Selves and love even our Enemies for thy sake and be more carefull that we do hurt unto none but deal justly and mercifully towards all as we would that they should do unto us That thou wouldest help us to perform more and better then ever those Duties which we owe unto our selves that we may live yet more in the exercise of Meekness of Humility of Temperance and Contentedness of Mind Thus O Lord that thou wouldest help us to serve Thee all our days in the Uptightness of our Hearts improving all opportunities of doing and receiving Good preparing for our great Change from time to Eternity and in every respect by a constant watchfulness over all our Thoughts Words and Actions so behaving our selves as those that know and stedfastly believe that we have Thee an everliving God to serve that we have precious and Immortal Souls to save that we have endless Woes to avoid and Everlasting Happiness to seek after And O God with us we beseech Thee likewise to bless all those that desire or stand in need of our Prayers and to communicate of thy Grace and Mercy according to their and our severall wants and necessities Oh do Thou enlarge the Church and Kingdom of Christ weaken and destroy the Power of Sin and Antichrist be favourable in particular to these Nations wherein we live vouchsafing to us those Mercies we stand in need of and turning from us those Judgements which our sins may cry for Bless our Magistrates and Ministers bless those that are near unto us by the bonds of Nature with all such as suffer sickness or any other affliction or misery Bless this Place and grant that real Godliness Saving Knowledge Peace and Truth may flourish here more and more Accept of Praise for all thy Mercies hitherto vouchsafed unto us Continue we pray Thee thy mercifull Protection over us this night keep us from sin and the dangers that a Night may bring forth let us be refreshed and raised the next Day more able and willing to serve Thee in the Duties of it These and all other needfull Mercies we humbly beg for the sake of Christ continuing further to pray unto Thee as he himself hath taught us saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. Concerning the Lords-Day LEt it always be remembred before it comes to prepare for it and when it is come to keep it Holy It hath been honoured 1 by God the Father forming thereupon the Elements of the World 2 by God the Son rising from the Dead and appearing several times after his Resurrection 3 by God the Holy Ghost descending with his miraculous Gifts and Graces upon the Apostles and Others 4 by the Christian Church making it the time of her Solemn Assemblies Let us not therefore profane any part of it but be now as carefull for the Welfare of our Souls as we are upon other days for our bodily Sustenance Excepting such time as is for works of absolute Necessity which cannot be done the Day before or the Day following let us with Chearfulness spend it wholly in hearing the Word of God read and taught in private Devotion and publick Prayers which are both for the Morning and After-noon in acknowledgment of our offences to God and amendment of the same in reconciling our selves charitably to our Neighbours where displeasure hath been in often Receiving the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ in Visiting of the Poor and Sick and using all good and sober Conversation Thus we shall please the Will of God and conscientiously obey our Civil and Ecclesiastical Governours who strictly enjoyn the same by their Power derived from God Thus we shall have a more deep and lasting sense of God and Religion imprest upon our Hearts and so live more holily the Week following Besides prudent and good Men have observed their outward worldly Affairs most prospered that Week which they began with a diligent and religious Observation of the Lords-Day But However that is most certainly if we duly sanctifie this Day of Rest here we shall celebrate an Everlasting Rest and Sabbath hereafter If now we sincerely and willingly joyn with the Congregations of Gods People to worship him as we ought to do we shall in due time joyn with the Blessed Company of Saints and Angels above to sing his Praises for evermore Psal 118. 24. This is the Day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it V. 20. This is the Gate of the Lord the Righteous shall enter into it Psal 122. 1. I was glad when they said unto me Let us go into the House of the Lord. Revel 1. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lords-Day Acts 20. 7. And upon the First Day of the Week when the Disciples came together to break Bread Paul preached unto them 1 Cor. 16. 2. Upon the First Day of the Week let every one of you lay by him in Store as God hath prospered him A Morning Prayer for the Lords-Day which may be used by more together or by one alone for the reason mentioned page 4 PRaised be thy holy Name O God for all thy favours and benefits bestowed upon us from time to time concerning this or a better Life Blessed be thy Goodness for the Mercies of the last Night and this Morning that thou hast brought us to the beginning of another Christian Sabbath Oh let not our former unfruitfulness hinder thy present Blessing and Assistance in what we have to do but do thou we pray Thee in Christ Jesus pardon and mend us both at once And help us now so to remember and esteem this thy Day as to lay aside all secular businesses and diversions and to apply our selves to all those private and publick Duties which concern the Sanctification thereof not doint after our own ways nor finding our own Pleasures nor speaking our own words but consecrating our own selves and services to thy more especial Worship spending the whole Day in works of Religion Necessity and Mercy Be graciously present with all those Assemblies of thy Saints which do on this Day meet together for thy Worship and Service More especially be pleased to direct and assist the Minister to whose charge we belong that he may speak to the Consciences and Conditions of this People And do thou remove from us all irreverence distraction dulness prejudice and unbelief in hearing of thy Word that having the same accompanied by the Power of thy Spirit it may be effectual for the further enlightning of our Minds the quickening of our Affections the bettering of our Hearts and the amendment of our Lives And let
thee Thirdly Set thy self as in the Presence of God with awfull and reverent thoughts of thy crucified Lord. If the blessed Apostle S. Peter seeing but a glimpse of Christs Almighty Power thought himself unworthy to stand in the same Boat with him how unworthy art thou to sit with Christ at the same Table where thou mayest behold so much of his infinite Grace and Mercy displayed Yet if thou comest humbly in Faith Repentance and Charity abhorring thy sins past and purposing unfeignedly to amend thy life henceforth let not thy former sins affright thee for they shall never be laid to thy Charge and this Sacrament shall seal to thy Soul that all thy sins are fully pardoned and clean washed away by the Blood of Christ For this Sacrament was not ordained for them who are perfect but to help penitent sinners towards Perfection Christ came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance And he saith That the whole need not the Physician but they that are sick Bathe thou therefore thy Soul in this fountain of Christs Blood and doubtless according to the Promise Zech. 13. 1. Thou shalt be healed of all thy sins and uncleannesses Not sinners but they who are unwilling to repent of their sins are debarred this Holy Ordinance Fourthly When the Minister begins to read the sentences of Scripture before the Offertory let them be considered by thee to stirr up thy Charity to the Poor Let Gods bounty to thee in Spirituals provoke thy Mercy to others in Temporals Hoping to be refreshed with the saving benefits of Christs Death be willing to thy Power to refresh the bowels of his poor Members What we do to them we do to Christ and who would not thus relieve Christ who made himself Poor to make us Rich in the best things And now the Sacrament being begun to be administred apply thy self with diligent Attention and fervent Devotion to go along with the Minister in all Actions Rites Prayers Confessions Readings Exhortations or Thanksgivings which are used in and about the Holy Sacrament When therefore thou seest the Minister putting apart Bread and Wine on the Lords Table and consecrating them by Prayers and rehearsal of the words of Christs Institution to be an holy Sacrament of the blessed Body and Blood of Christ then meditate how God the Father of his meer love to Mankind did set apart and seal his only begotten Son to be the All-sufficient means and only Mediator to redeem us from sin and to reconcile us to Himself and to bring us to Glory When thou seest him break the Bread meditate how Jesus Christ was put to death as to his humane Nature and his blessed Body wounded and pierced and both Soul and Body as we may say broken asunder for our sins and withall call to mind the hainousness of them and the greatness of Gods hatred against them seeing his Justice could not be satisfied but by such a Sacrifice When he is drawing towards Thee with the consecrated Bread and offering it unto thee then meditate that Christ himself cometh unto thee and both offereth and giveth indeed unto thy Faith Himself and all the merits of his Death and Passion to feed thy Soul unto Eternal life The bread of the Lord is given by the Minister but the Bread which is the Lord is given by Christ himself Ejaculations and Meditations which we may use while the Minister is giving the Bread and Wine to others 1. O Holy Jesus I behold thee stretched upon the Cross with thy arms spread ready to embrace and receive all Mankind into thy Bosom 2. I see the Symbols the Holy Bread and the blessed Cup but I also think of thy Authority ordaining these Rites of thy voice blessing these Symbols of thy Mercy reaching out my pardon thy Holy Spirit sanctifying my Spirit thy blessed Self making intercession for me at the eternall Altar in Heaven 3. Thy infinite Arms of Mercy are reached unto us and our Arm of Faith reacheth unto thee blessed be Jesus who will be joyned unto Servants 4. I am helped by these outward signs blessed Saviour to remember thy Body and thy Blood but by these I do not feel thy Wounds My Lord had the smart but we the ease his were the Sufferings but ours the Mercy and after he had paid the Price we got the Purchase Oh that my heart therefore by love and desire might reach out after him and by joy and delight ever rest in Him 5. I desire to know nothing but Jesus and him crucified O let the power of thy Cross prevail against all the powers of Darkness Let the Peace of thy Cross give me Peace with God and in my own Conscience Let the Victory of thy Cross mortifie all my evil and corrupt affections Let the Triumph of thy Cross lead me on to a state of Holiness And let the Wisdom of thy Cross make me wise unto Salvation 6. Thou wilt not dwell in a polluted House make my Soul clean and do thou consecrate it into a Temple O theu great Bishop of our Souls by the indwelling of thy holy Spirit and let the Members of Christ never become the instruments of Unrighteousness 7. O God my God assist me now and ever greatly and graciously Grant that I may not receive Bread onely nor Wine onely for man cannot live by that but that I may eat Christ not by Papal Transubstantiation but by Sacramental Participation 8. I am nothing I have nothing I desire nothing but Jesus my Saviour make haste O Lord behold my heart is ready thou hast opened my heart to receive Thee into the seat of Love Come Lord Jesus come quickly As thou eatest the Bread thankfully praise God for the saving benefits of Christs Death And further think with thy self As verily as I now cat this Bread so verily was Christs Body broken for the sins of the World and if I sincerely believe in Him as I now desire to do unfeignedly devoting my self unto him relying upon Gods Mercy in and through him being willing to be guided by his Word and sanctified by his Spirit so verily are my sins pardoned for the merits of his precious Death Here before the Cup be brought to thee thou mayest use one or more of the foregoing Ejaculations Thou mayest also have time to bless God for the Death of Christ to meditate upon his Sufferings to admire the greatness of his Love in dying for thee resolving to take the Cup of Salvation and to pledge his love with love to renew thy Covenants with God to reinforce thy purposes of better Obedience to beg of God strength to performe such Duties as thou hast formerly neglected against such sins and temptations as have too easily prevailed against thee to pray also for all Patience under such troubles and afflictions as may befall thee before another Sacrament Day come about Having received the Cup at the Ministers hand in the instant of Drinking and as soon after it as may
be meditate on Christs Hanging and Bleeding upon the Cross giving him hearly thanks for his love in Dying for us And having poured the Sacramental Wine into thy stomach say with thy self As verily as I have received this Wine so certainly Christs Blood was shed for the sins of the World and if I sincerely believe in him as I now desire to do unfeignedly devoting my self unto Him relying upon Gods Mercies and his Merits and being willing to be guided by his Laws and sanctified by his Spirit and resolving to continue in his Love and Service to the end so certainly are my sins forgiven by the vertue of his Obedience and Bloodshed And now having received the Sacrament of Christs blessed Body and Blood out of a conscientious respect to his Command with a desire thankfully to remember his precious Death consider that he who hath given thee his Son will with him give thee all things else so far as will be for thy true Good Therefore now thou mayest here further represent unto God through Christ all thy needs and the needs of thy Relations signifie to him the condition of thy Soul complain of thy infirmities Pray for help against the enemies of thy Salvation tell him of thy griefs represent thy fears thy hopes and thy Desires look up to God to make the Blood of Christ unto thee a quickening comforting strengthening justifying sanctifying Blood And as thou feelest the Sacramental Wine which thou hast drunk warming thy cold stomach so endeavour to feel the Holy Ghost cherishing thy Soul with the joyfull assurance of thy being reconciled to God and accepted unto eternal Life Furthermore because it is said 1 Cor. 16. 17. The Cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ the Bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ For we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all partakers of that one Bread It must be remembred by thee that though all the faithfull are many yet they are all but one Mystical Body whereof Christ is Head And therefore thou must love every Christian especially those Receiving with thee as thy self and a member of that Body When the Minister hath given the Bread and Wine to all the Communicants be ready to joyn with him again in the remaining Prayers and Praises And after you have given Thanks and finished your private and publick Devotions go home but do not presently forget what you have been doing in this solemn Ordinance They that as soon as the Office is performed part with Christ and carry their mind away presently to worldly Interests or to sensual Merriments these may be suspected to be too indifferent as to the things of God They have as one says brought their Lord into the house and themselves slip out at the back-door Otherwise doth the Spouse entertain her beloved Lord. Cant. 3. 4. I found him whom my soul loveth I held him and would not let him go Spend therefore the remaining part of the Day partly in the entertainment of thy Lord with acts of love and delight with thanks and praise unto Him for his Favours partly in after-examination in reflecting upon thy Behaviour when thou wert before the Lord and partly in strengthening of thy purposes and confirming thy Resolutions of better Obedience that so there may be some fruit seen of this day in many other days that follow till the Solemnity shall return again Remember thy promises renewed unto God bind thee to watch against sin and unto Holiness all thy life as much as upon the Sacrament Day Moses coming from the Mount where he had been conversing with God his face did shine Exod. 34. 30. When thou goest from the Table where thou hast had sweet Communion with thy God the face of thy conversation must shine so with holiness that others may take notice of it It is said of the High Priest and Elders that observing the language and carriage of the Apostles Peter and John they marvelled and took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus Acts 4. 13. So thy words should be so gracious and thy works so exemplary after a Sacrament that all those who behold thee may take knowledge that thou hast been with Jesus that at his Table thou didst sup with Christ and Christ with thee A Prayer after the Sacrament BLess the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his Holy Name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his Benefits Who forgiveth all thine iniquities and satisfieth thy Soul with good things Who redeemeth thy life from Destruction who crowneth thee with loving Kindness and tender Mercies O mercifull Lord I humbly thank thee for Christ the Fountain and Foundation of all thy Mercies vouchsafed unto me from day to day O gracious Redeemer I yield thee all possible Thanks that thou hast this day refreshed my Soul with the Sacrament of thy precious Body and Blood Seeing O God that thou hast so loved me as to give thy Son and that thou O Saviour hast so loved me as to give thy self to die for me help me I pray thee to pledge thy Love with love henceforth hating and forbearing what thou forbiddest loving and practising what thou commandest Oh that my prevailing love to Thee may quench and kill in me all inordinate love of the World and the Vanities thereof Oh that walking in the strength of that Heavenly Food which I have now received I may overcome the difficulties of this Life and perform better the Duties of my Place and Calling and withstand more constantly the temptations which I am most liable unto O God seeing thou hast not withholden thy only Son how shalt thou not with him as I humbly desire freely give all needfull Blessings to me and all that I am especially bound to pray for And whereas I have this day renewed my Covenant with thee and my purposes of better Obedience strengthen me I beseech thee that I may pay the Vows which I have made and do as I have purposed Oh that whatever is in me vicious and contrary to thy Holy Will may by vertue of this Sacrament be rooted out of me so that my Heart may become thereby a fit habitation for thy Spirit Let it be to me a seal of the Pardon of my sins the confirmation of my Faith the provision of my Pilgrimage and the joy of my Soul let it be my peace and support in the time of Affliction and my comfort and strength in the day of my Dissolution Let me hereafter walk more evenly and closely with Thee in the performance of my Duty with a contented Mind whatever trials or troubles befal me before another Sacrament come about Grant that I may still hunger and thirst after this Bread of Life and Cup of Salvation and that I may with a pure mind and chaste affection receive it often so as to grow in Grace