and torments of the Damned in the life to come Miserable wretch that I am that ever I should transgress that Law of Thine O God which is so Just and Holy and good and perfect and so condescending to my infirmitiâ—s and in keeping of which there are so great so Unconceivable Rewards O that with Mary Magdalene I could weep much and love much having so much to be forgiven O Gracious Lord look on me as Thou didst on Peter and let Thy Compassionote look so pierce my heart that I may weep bitterly for my sins O Lord God Break this hard heart for Thou only canst do it and melt it into tears of Contrition Miserable wretch that I am that I should sin so much and yet grieve so little Wo is me Miserable wretch wo is me that ever 〈◊〉 should offend so Indulgent so Liberal so tender a Father Wo is me that ever I should repay the infinite love and the intolerable Sufferings of my Saviour for me with Nothing but those sins which occasioned those very sufferings Wo is me that ever I should grieve the Holy Spirit by rejecting so many of His good Motions from whom only I derive Grace and Consolation O Lord God every slight worldly trouble is apt to draw plenty of tears from mine eyes but when I should weep for my sins which are the greatest calamities that can possibly befal me either my eyes are dry or my tears too few to bewail so many Provocations O Blessed Spirit instil true penitent sorrow into my soul Make my Head Waters and my Eyes Fountains of tears Or do Thou supply the want of them with sighs and groans Unutterable But alas I know all the tears I can possibly shed can never wash away the least of my sins 'T is Thy blood only Lord that can do it O Blessed Saviour how can I ever sufficiently lament the guilt of my sins which was so great that nothing but Thy own inestimable bloud could expiate O Heavenly Father in the defect of my own tears I offer Thee the bloud of Thy own well-beloved Son for His sake Have mercy upon me Amen Amen Resolution O Lord God with shame I confess that Other Lords besides Thee have hitherto had dominion over me I have been in the Snare of the Devil and have been led captive by Him and Sin hath reigned in my Mortal body and I have obeyed it in the lusts thereof But henceforth I resolve to serve none but Thee and from this very moment I utterly forsake all my sins and turn to Thee O my God I do from my heart Renew my Baptismal Vow which alas I have hitherto so often violated I do for ever Renounce the Devil and all His works and all His temptations I do for ever Renounce all the vanities of this wicked World which may pervert me from Thy Service and all the sinful lusts of the flesh O my God I do stedfastly believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith and I will keep Thy Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of my life All this am I bound to do and believe and by Thy help so I will and I heartily thank Thee O Heavenly Father who hast called me to this state of salvation through Jesus Christ my Saviour and I humbly pray Thee for His sake to give me grace that I may continue in the same to my lives end Oblation Blessed be Thy Name O Lord God who hast set before me life and death and hast bid me chuse life Behold Lord I do with all my heart chuse life I chuse Thee O my God for Thou art my life Save Lord and Hear me O King of Heayen and accept my Sacrifice even the Sacrifice of my whole heart which I now give Thee O my God I offer Thee my Senses and passions and all my faculties I offer Thee all my desires All my designs all my studies all my endeavours all the Remainder of my life All that I have or am I offer up all entirely to Thy service Lord sanctifie me wholly that my whole Spirit Soul and Body may become Thy Temple O do Thou dwell in me and be Thou my God and I will be Thy Servant Amen Amen Acts of Charity O Lord God I do from henceforth Resolve to love my Neighbour as my self and to love him not in word only but in deed and in truth I do from my heart forgive all men their trespasses Do Thou Lord forgive them also Lord bless them that Hate me and do Good to them that have any way despitefully used me O Repay them Good for Evil O my God bless all those that I have any way wronged Have mercy on All those to whose sins I have been any way accessory and give them all grace to forgive me Amen Amen Petition for Pardoâ— O Thou Father of Mercies and God of all Consolation be merciful to me a miserable sinner Lord Remember all Thy Gracious calls of sinners to Repentance All Thy Protestations that Thou delightest not in the death of him that dies and that Thou wouldst have all to be saved Lord Remember all the exceeding great and pretious promises which Thou hast made to Penitent sinners Lord Remember that Thy mercy is over all Thy works that in mercy Thou delightest and that all the Holy Angels seeing Thee well pleased in the exercise of that Mercy Rejoice at the Conversion of a Sinner that the greater my sins are the more will that Mercy be magnified in my forgiveness Lord Remember that Thou didst so love the world as to give Thy only beloved Son a Ransome for it O Heavenly Father Thou that sparedst not Thy only Son but deliveredst Him up for us wilt thou not with Him also freely give us All things and if all things wilt Thou not also give us the pardon of our sins O my God I firmly believe Thou wilt on that ransome my Saviour hath paid for me and on all Thy gracious promises of pardon which for his sake Thou hast made to me I wholly rely Here only is the sure and stedfast anchor of my soul to which my Faith and Hope shall for ever adhere All this Lord do I plead to implore Thy forgiveness Behold Lord though my failings are many yet to the utmost of my power I have confest and bewailed and forsaken my transgressions Behold Lord I come at Thy Call and I come weary and heavy laden with the burthen of my sins Be it unto me according to Thy Word O Thou that art faithful and just forgive me my sins and cleanse me from all Unrighteousness Lord do Thou in no wise cast me from Thee but Heal my Backslidings and love me freely Ease me of my Burthen that I may find rest in Thee and say unto my Soul Be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee O Heavenly Father for thine own Infinite Mercies sake for Thy truth
him before you say your prayers Again Consider what particular blessing or deliverance God has vouchsafed you the day past that you may give thanks for it and then say as follows Evening Prayer LEt my prayer O Lord be set forth in Thy sight as Incense and the lifting up of my hands be as an Evening Sacrifice Holy holy holy Lord God I miserable sinner humbly acknowledge that I have offended Thee this day in thought word and deed Particularly by Here mention any sin you have been guilty of But I fly into the Arms of Thy fatherly compassion Lord for Thy Mercies sake forgive me cleanse me from my wickedness and strengthen my weakness that I may overcome all the temptations which daily surround me and continue constant in my Obedience Accept of my Humblest Praise and Thanksgiving O Lord for all the goodness Thou hast this day shewed me for all the Helps of preventing or restraining grace Thou hast vouchsafed me for whatever I have done this day which is in any measure acceptable to Thee for whatever progress I have made in my Study for Thy Preservation of me from all the miseries and dangers which frail Mortality is every moment exposed to Particularly for Here name any particular blessing or deliverance God has sent you Praise the Lord O my Soul who saveth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with Mercy and Loving-kindness O Heavenly Father to Thy Almighty Protection I recommend my self and all my Relations and all that belong to this Colledge O Thou that never slumbrest nor sleepest watch over us to preserve us from sin and danger Lord let it be Thy good pleasure to refresh me this night with such seasonable rest that I may rise the next morning more fit for Thy service O pardon my failings and hear my prayers for the sake of my blessed Saviour in whose Holy words I sum up all my wants Our Father which art in heaven c. Ejaculations at going to Bed LOrd as I now go to my Bed I must one day go to my Grave O make me wise to consider my latter End I will lay me down in peace and take my rest for 't is Thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety Directions for Midnight IF you chance to wake in the Night or cannot sleep Beware Phil. of Idle and Unclean thoughts which will then be apt to crowd into your mind and therefore to arm your self against them I advise you to learn the 130 and the 139 Psalms by heart or treasure up some Ejaculations in your mind which will be excellent matter for your thoughts to feed on For instance Ejaculaions for the Night THou Lord hast granted Thy loving kindness in the day time and in the night season will I sing of Thee and make my Prayer to the God of my Life O Lord the Holy Angels are now before Thy Throne in Heaven they never rest day or night from Thy Praises and with them do I now sing Hallelujah Salvation and Honour and Glory and Power be unto our God for ever and ever Amen Amen Lord I know Thou wilt one day call me to give an account of my Stewardship but when Thou wilt come I know not whether at Even or at Midnight or at Cock-crowing or in the Morning O do Thou give me grace to Watch and to Pray always that at Thy coming Thou mayest say to me Well done good and faithful Servant Enter into the Joy of thy Master Amen Blessed Lord Amen But have a care Phil. you fix not your mind too much neither strive to repeat too many devout expressions for fear of hindring your sleep and of indisposing your self for the duties of the day following Directions for the Lords Day A Good Christian Philotheus that takes care to spend every day well will take more then ordinary care to sanctifie the Lords day it being the proper imployment of that day to attend Gods Worship and to provide for our Souls and therefore 't is fit you should add some Petitions to your Morning and Evening Prayer Relating to the solemn duties of the Day such as these are which follow Before Church time O My God I humbly beseech Thee to prepare my Soul to Worship Thee this day acceptably with Reverence and Godly fear Fill me with that faith which works by love Purifie my heart from all vain or worldly or sinful thoughts fix my affections on things above all the day long and O Lord give me grace to receive Thy Word which I shall hear this day into an honâ—st and good heart and to bring forth fâ—uit with Patieâ—ce Hear me O God for the sake of Jesus my Saviour Amen Amen When you come into the Church or Chappel not only on the Lords day but on any other day use this short preparatory Prayer at your first kneeling down In the Church O Lord I humbly beg Thy Holy Spirit to help my Infirmities at this time and to dispose my heart to devotion that my Prayers and Praises may be acceptable in Thy sight through Jesus Christ my Saviour Amen After Church time GLory be to Thee O Lord God Almighty Glory be to Thee who hast permitted me to appear before Thee this day and to tread Thy Courts Lord pardon all my failings in Thy Service this day past the wandrings and coldness and indevotion of my Prayers For the sake of my blessed Saviour have mercy upon me Lord make me a doer of Thy Word and not a hearer only lest I deceive my own soul. When you are called to Repetition at Night remember Phil. to make some amends for your negligent Hearing at the Church and treasure up in your memory some little portion of those Instructions you have heard to direct your Practice Directions for receiving the Holy Eucharist THe Receiving of the blessed Sacrament good Phil. is the most divine and solemn act of all our Religion and it ought to be the zealous endeavour of every true Christian by Gods assistance to prepare his Soul with the most serious and most devout dispositions he possibly can to approach the Holy Altar you are therefore to consider what you are to do before Receiving what in the time os Receiving and what after Receiving Before Receiving The duties you are to perform before Receiving are all comprehended in that one Rule which St. Paul gives us Let a man examine Himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup which are in a manner Commented on by the Church in the Exhortation before the Sacrament which I advise you to read over in your Common Prayer Book To put this Rule in practice 't is your best way Phil. â—t some convenient time to withdraw your self into your Chamber or into the Chappel and there to begin to commune with your own heart and to call your â—ins to remembrance but first pray heartily to God for His grace to assist you â—rayer before Examination
How Unutterable is Thy Mercy and Thy Love past finding out O All ye Holy Angels Behold and Wonder Wretched Man hath sinned against God and God himself has suffered the Sinners Punishment Was there ever any sorrow like that which my Lord and my God endured for me Was there any Love like to that Love my Lord and my God has shewed to me Help me then O ye Blessed Host of Heaven to celebrate that Unknown Sorrow that Wonderful Love which you your selves so much Admire Help me to praise my Crucified Saviour O my Gracious Lord my heart is now full of the sense of Thy Love and what have I to return to Thee but Love again 'T is all I have to offer Thee Accept it O merciful Lord imperfect as it is and Do Thou daily heighten my sense of Thy Love to me that I may dayly heighten my Love to Thee O Thou Infinite Lover of Souls with all my Heart I Love I Praise I Adore Thy Love to me but alaâ— I can never do it enough O do Thou at last Gracious Lord translate me to Thy Kingdom of Glory that there I may Love Thee to the Utmost Capacity of a Creature and Praise Thee to all Eternity Amen Lord Jesus Amen Amen What benefits we receive by it I Adore Thee O Blessed Jesu my Lord and my God when I consider the Benefits which through Thy Mercy we receive by the Holy Sacrament Glory be to Thee O Lord who there makest Thy own Body and Bloud to become our spiritual food to strengthen and refresh our Souls Glory be to Thee O Lord who by this Heavenly food dost mystically Unite us to Thy self for Nothing becomes One with our Bodies more then the bodily food we eat which turns into our very substance and Nothing makes us become One with Thee more then when Thou vouchsafest to become the very food of our souls Glory be to Thee O Lord who by this Immortal food dost nourish our souls to live the life of Grace here and doest raise us up to life everlasting hereafter Lord do Thou evermore give me this bread Amen Amen Motives of Receiving O Blessed Saviour what more powerful Motives can I have to perswade me to Communicate then Thy Command and the Admirable effects of the Holy Sacrament But alas my corrupt Nature is apt to suggest to me low and base inducements to this duty such as are fear of my Superiours displeasure if I abstain or shame of not appearing as devout as my Equals or the meer Custome of the Place or of the Season But Lord I do from my heart Renounce all these and the like Carnal Considerations and I come to Thy Altar to â—enew my Baptismal Covenant with Thee of which Thy Sacrament is a Seal I come to Testifie my sense of Thy Love O Heavenly Father in So loving the World as to give up Thy only Son to die for me I come to testifie my Faith in Thee and my Love toward Thee O Bleâ—ied Saviour and thankfully to Commemorate Thy Wonderful Love in dying for me I come Lord to testifie my stedfastness in the Communion of Thy Church and my Charity to all the World I come to Thy table O Lord out of the sense I have of the want of that Spiritual food to which Thou there invitest me Alas Alas I am soon apt to grow weary of well-doing a few prayers every little duty is apt to tire me Every slight temptation is apt to overcome me and I know there is â—o food can strengthen my Soul but Thy Body No Cordial can revive my drooping Obedience but Thy Bloud and 'T is Thy most blessed Body and Bloud I hunger and thirst after O Gracious Lord Grant that I and all that communicate with me may feel its saving efficacy O Feed O Refresh O Nourish our Souls with it to life everlasting and that for Thy own Infinite Mercy sake which moved Thee to offer up Thy Body and Bloud for us Amen Amen Prayer for Preparation Blessed Lord Jesus I even tremble when I consider that He that eateth and drinketh Unworthily is Guilty of Thy Body and Bloud and eateth and drinketh damnation to his own Soul and this severe Sentence on Unworthy Communicants makes me afraid to come to Thy Altar But when I consider that Thy Sentence is as Severe against those who being invited refuse to Come for Thou hast said they shall not taste of Thy Supper and Unless we eat Thy flesh and drink Thy bloud we have no life in us I am then afraid to Keep away But Bleâ—ied be Thy Mercy O Lord for in this streight my Soul is in Thou art my Guide Thou by giving me this opportunity of Receiving Invitest me to Thy table Thou callest me to seek Thy face and my heart replies Thy face Lord will I seek If Thou Lord should be extream to mark what is done amiss Alas alas I am then Unfit not only to Communicate but to say even my daily prayers I Know Lord that if I should stay till I am Worthy to come I should then never come and therefore though I am Unworthy of so Unspeakable a mercy yet I come to beg Thy Grace to make me Worthy or at least Such as Thou wilt accept O Blessed Jesus do Thou so open my eye of faith to discern Thy Body and Bloud in the Holy Sacrament Do Thou so Dispose my Soul at this time to Communicate that I may feel all the happy effects of Thy own Divine Inâ—titution that my Soul may receive such lasting impressions of Thy Goodness and be so Ravisht with the Love of Thee and with the Incomparable Delights of Thy Service and with such an early fore-taste of Heaven that all the pleasures of sin which in my growing years may tempt me may appear to me tasteless and Unwelcome O Heavenly Father Cloath me with the Wedding Garment even the Graces of my Blessed Saviour for then am I sure to be a Welcome guest to Thy Table when I shall come thither in the likeness of Thy only well-beloved Son in whom Thou art always well-pleased O Heavenly Father Fill me with a lively faith profound humility filial obedience enflamed affections and Universal Charity O raise in my Soul all those Heavenly transports of Zeal and Devotion of Love and desire of Joy and delight of Praise and thanksgiving which become the Remembrance of a Crucified Saviour which become one Redeemed by the Bloud of God and that for His sake only that Redeemed me in whose Holy Words I sum up all the Graces and Blessings I stand in Need of Our â—ather which art in heaven c. This Prayer Phil. is proper for you to add to your Morning Prayer the day on which you are to Receive Directions in time of Receiving IN time of Receiving Good Phil. Labour all you can to keep your heart affected with the Publick Prayers and to fill up all the vacant minutes with Holy Ejaculations such as
blessed words Our Father c. Remember good Phil. that when you have received the Holy Sacrament your Greatest Work is then but beginning which is to observe all the promises you have made to God of future Obedience and therefore 't is good for you to read over now and then and to renew your Resolutions and to examine your self How you have kept them that you may preserve in your soul a serious sense of your duty and a conscientious care to perform it A Form of General Thanksgiving WOrthy art Thou O Lord of heaven and earth to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast created all things and for Thy pleasure they are and were created Thou hast made heaven the Heaven of Heavens with all their Host the earth and all things that are therein Thou preservest them all and the Host of Heaven praiseth Thee Glory be to Thee O Lord God Almighty for creating man after Thine own image and making so great variety of Creatures to minister to His use Glory be to Thee who givest us life and breath and all things who givest us fruitful seasons and fillest our hearts with food and gladness Glory be to Thee O Lord God for all Thy many blessings and deliverances for all Thy forbearance and long-suffering to this sinful Nation Glory be to Thee O Lord who hast made me also share in those publick mercies and for that light of the Gospel Thou vouchsafest us of which the greatest part of the world is totally ignorant Glory be to Thee O Heavenly Father for my being and preservation strength and health understanding and memory friends and benefactors and for all my Abilities of mind and of body Glory be to Thee O heavenly Father for my competent livelyhood for my education in this Colledge for all my known or Unobserved deliverances and for the guard Thy holy Angels keep over me But above all Glory be to Thee for giving Thy only Son to die for my sins and for all the spiritual blessings he has purchast for me for my Baptism and all the opportunities Thou givest me of serving Thee or of receiving the holy Eucharist for whatever sin I have escapt for whatever good I have done or thought for all my helps of grace and hopes of Heaven Glory be to Thee Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise His Holy Name Glory be to Thee O Lord Jesus for Thy inexpressible Love to Lost man Glory be to Thee O Lord for Condescending to take our frail Nature on Thee Glory be to Thee for all Thy Heavenly Doctrine to Instruct us Thy great Miracles to Convince us and Thy unblamable Example to Guide us Glory be to Thee O Blessed Jesus for Thy Agony and bloudy sweat for all the torments and anguish of thy bitter passion Glory be to Thee O Blessed Jesus for Thy Glorious Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven and Intercession for us at the right hand of Thy Father O Gracious Lord Thou that hast done so much for me How can I ever sufficiently Praise and Love Thee Praise the Lord Jesus O my Soul and all that is within me Praise His Holy Name Glory be to Thee O Blessed Spirit Glory be to Thee for all the Miraculous Gifts and Graces Thou didst bestow on the Apostles to fit them to Convert the World and for Inspiring the Sacred Pen-men of Holy Scripture Glory be to Thee for Instilling Holy Thoughts into my soul for all the Ghostly strength and support and comfort and illumination we receive from Thee for all Thy Preventing and restraining and Sanctifying Grace Glory be to Thee Blessed Spirit let me never more by my sins grieve Thee who art the Author of life and Joy to me Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me Praise His Holy Name Here Phil. if you recite this Thanksgiving on any great Festival or Saints day you may add Particularly O Lord am I bound to Praise Thee for the great blessing we this day Commemorate Here mention it For instance the Nativity of our Blessed Saviour or the likâ— Or for the Saint whose memory we this day celebrate Here you may name him and add Praise the Lord therefore O my Soul and all that is within me Praise His Holy Name Blessing and Honour and Thanksgiving and Praise more than I can Utter more than I can Conceive be unto Thee O most Adorable Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost by all Angels All Men All Creatures for ever and ever Amen Amen A Form of General Intercession HOly Holy Holy Lord God Almighty I miserable sinner humbly acknowledge that I am altogether Unworthy to pray for my self but since Thou hast Commanded us to make prayers and intercessions for all men in obedience to Thy Command and in Confidence of Thy Unlimited Goodness I commend to Thy Mercy and Divine Providence the Wants and Necessities of all Mankind Lord let it be Thy good pleasure to restore to Thy Church Catholick Primitive peace and purity and to preserve it against the Gates of Hell Particularly O Lord God I implore Thy Mercy for this sinful Nation for the iniquity of the land is exceeding Great Alas alas we are Unthankful for Thy blessings incorrigible under Thy Judgments and unprofitable under all the means of Grace and what can we expect from Thee but to drink deep of the Cup of Thy Wrath And Wretch that I am my sins have increased the heap of the Publick Impieties and made their Cry the louder to Heaven for vengeance But O Lord God in the midst of Judgment Remember Mercy Turn Thou us Lord and so shall we be turned O be favourable to Thy people and give us all Grace to Turn to Thee in Fasting Weeping and Mourning To put a period to our provocations and do Thou put a period to our Punishments O Lord God out of the Multitude of Thy Mercies give us grace to fear Thee and to keep Thy Commandments always that it may be well with us and Thou mayest Rejoice over us to do us good Amen Amen O let it be Thy good pleasure to bless us all from the highest to the lowest in our several stations To defend the Church of England from all the Asâ—aults of Schism or Heresie or Sacriledge and to bless all Bishops Priests and Deacons with Apostolicol graces exemplary lives and sound doctrin O let it be Thy good pleasure to save and defend our Sovereign Lord King Charles from all His Enemies grant him a long and happy reign over us and endue him with all those gifts and graces which may make him a terrour to evil works and a great promoter of Thy Glory Bless Him and all His Royal relations with a great measure of all temporal good things and with eternal Glory in the world to come Lord let it be Thy good pleasure to grant To the Privy Council Wisdom from above To all Magistrates Integrity and Zeal for Religion To
that your heart is little affected with it and that you fall very much short of the Rules here laid down and therefore are ready to Conclude that all you have done is in vain and displeasing to God Be not disheartned at this Phil. 't is a good sign to be so much grieved for your failings in your duty 't is an argument of a filial tenderness and desire to serve God better that your spirit is willing though your flesh is weak and if you still continue your endeavours and prayers pâ—tiently relying on Gods infinite goodness and on his gracious promises of Hearing you He will assuredly Hear you in His good time Know good Phil. that this is the case of thousands as well as of your self the very best of Christians sigh under the pervcrsness and impotence of their corrupt nature and even the Just man falls seven times a day through sins of Ignorance or Infirmity or sudden surreption or inadvertency or the like though it is true he riseth again by an Habitual repentance and therefore be not discouraged but dayly beg pardon for your daily failings To ease you in such indispositions or when you are also streightned in time or diverted by any Unavoidable avocations I advise you to shorten your prayers and for the longer Morning and Evening prayer say the shorter and as for the other parts of Devotion throughout this whole Manual they are cut into so many breaks and divisions on purpose that you may lengthen or shorten your prayers as may best comply with your Occasions and Infirmities Onely let me warn you seriously that under colour of Indulging your infirmities you dò not indulge your sloth Be not then afflicted good Phil. if you cannot come up exactly to the Rules here given you Believe me it was never imagined you would it was onely hoped that you would endeavour it and know that it is a great errour of many devout souls to think all they do signifies nothing because they fall short of the Rules laid down in their Books of Devotion little considering that 't is Sincerity God requires of us and not perfection for if there be a willing mind in us it is accepted according to that which a man hath and not according to that a man hath not so that your Infirmities ought to humble but not to discourage you For instance Suppose you should not be able after all your endeavours and prayers to shed any or but few tears for your sins Be not too much cast down at it for to be troubled for want of tears is one sign of godly sorrow and 't is certain though tears are very desirable yet they are not always signs of true Repentance for Hypocrites may shed them and there may be true godly sorrow without them and perhaps God will at last give them to you when his wisdom sees your Heart in a fit temper for them Whensoever then you are troubled with an afflicting sense of your infirmities and for your many failings I advise you to say this Prayer following and to rest satisfied that He that died for you will both hear and accept and succour you A Prayer against Failings O Thou Compassionate Saviour of sinful man look down from Heaven and have mercy upon me wretched sinner O save me O help me for without Thee I can do Nothing as I ought Miserable man that I am my very Prayers and Repentance are accompanied with so many failings that I am sometimes afraid that Thou Lord wilt not hear such Prayers nor regard such Repentance But O Blessed Saviour my Lord and my God 't is Thy promise not to discourage the least measure of grace Thou wilt not quench the smoaking Flax or break the bruised Reed 'T is Thy practice Lord to comply with the weakness of Thy servants Thou arâ— the good Shepherd who carriest the tender Lambs in Thy very bosome and gently leadest those that be with young Nay Lord 'T is Thy very Nature so to do for Thou Thy self hast felt humane infirmities and canst not but commiserate those that sigh under them Why art thou then so heavy O my Soul and why art thou so disquieted within me O put thy trust in thy Saviour who is the help of my Countenance and my God! O gracious Lord do Thou Pity me and Accept my weak and imperfect performances and supply by Thy boundless mercy all the defects in my duty and if it be Thy pleasure I should serve Thee better O Lord God increase Thy succours of Grace and I shall then increase my obedience O Thou lover of Souls for the sake of that infinite Compassion of Tâ—ine which moved Thee to die for me Hear me and Help me Amen Lord Jesus Amen Amen Directions in time of Sicknâ—ss FAr be it from you good Phil. to Counterfeit your self sick at any time to avoid the School or the like Lest God send you sickness indeed to punish your Idleness and dissimulation But if it please God to visit you with a real disease let it be your first care to make your peace with Heaven for God by taking you off from your usual Studies does give you a Call to Repentance and the exâ—mination of your self in the beginning of your sickness is as seasonable and necessary as before your Communicating besides if your sickness prove dangerous you will then I doubt not desire to Communicate so that to fit you both for the Holy Sacrament and for Heaven examination and Repentance ought to be first in your thoughts Beware Phil. of deferring this duty because you are young and think you may have time enough to repent Hereafter for you see that persons younger then your self die and you are not sure to out-live this distemper and if you should put it off till your sickness grows more on you it may perhaps take away your senses or if it does not be sure it will much more indispose you to Prayer and Recollection In the beginning then of your sickness begin your Repentance and say over this following Prayer and do not only say but practise it A Prayer in the beginning of Sickness O Heavenly Father who in Thy wisdom knowest what is best for me Glory be to Thee Lord if it seem good in Thy sight divert this distemper from me which I now feel seizing on me that I may imploy my health to Thy Glory and Praise Thy Name But if Thou art pleased it should grow on me I willingly submit to Thy affâ—icting hand for Thou art wont to chastise those whom Thou dost love and I am sure Thou wilt lay no more on me then Thou wilt enable me to bear I know O my God Thou sendest this sickness on me for my Good even to Humble and reform me O grant that it may work that saving effect in me Lord crâ—ate in me a true Penitent sorrow for all my sins past A stedfast Faith in Thee and sincere resolutions of amendment for the
all these particulars together with all that you are to know and believe concerning the Blessed Sacrament are contained in these following Meditations which I advise you to read over devoutly at several times till you are in some measure affected with them Meditations on the Holy Eucharist On the ouâ—ward Elements I Adore Thee O Blessed Jesus My Lord and my God when I consider what that Sacrament is to which Thou now invitest me and of what parts it consists Of an Outward and visible sign and of an Inward and spiritual Grace For Thou Lord who knowest our Infirmities and how little able we are to conceive things heavenly and spiritual In pity to our dark and feeble apprehensions hast Ordained Outward and Obvious and Visible signs to represent to our minds Thy grace which is Inward and Invisible Thou hast ordained bread and wine which is our Corporal food to picture out to our Faith the food of our Souls On the Inward Part or Thing signified I know O my God that I must look through the Outward Elements and fix my faith on that which they signifie and which is the Inward and Invisible Grace even Thy own blessed Body and Bloud which is verily and indeed taken and received of the faithful in the Lords Supper But tell me O Thou whom my Soul loveth How canst Thou give us Thy flesh to Eat Lord Thou hast told me that Thy words they are Spirit and they are life and are therefore not Carnally to be understood Lord I believe Help Thou my Un-Unbelief I believe Thy body and blood to be as really present in the Holy Sacrament as Thy Divine Power can make it though the manner of Thy Mysterious presence I cannot comprehend Lord I believe that the Bread that we break and the Cup that we drink are not bare signs only but the real Communication of Thy Body and Thy Bloud and pledges to assure me of it and I verily believe that if with due preparation I come to Thy Altar as certainly as I receive the Outward Signs so certainly shall I receive the thing signified even Thy most Blessed Body and Bloud to receive which inestimable Blessing O merciful Lord do Thou fit and prepare me Amen Amen Who Instituted it I Adore Thee O Blessed Jesus my Lord and my God when I consider that this Holy Sacrament was Thy own Institution For it was Thou Lord who in the night Tâ—ou wast betrayed didst take Bread and after that the Cup and didst bless them and give them to Thy Disciples O blessed Saviour let Thy Divinity thus stampt on it strike into my Soul an Holy Awe and Reverence in approaching it O Create in me Heavenly dispositions to celebrate so Heavenly an Institution Amen Amen For what end I Adore Thee O Blessed Jesus My Lord and my God when I consider for what end Thou didst institute the Holy Sacrament implied in Thy own Command Do this in Remembrance of Me. But what need This Command O Gracious Lord is it possible for me ever to forget Thee my Saviour who hast done so great things for me Alas alas my own sad experience tells me it is wo is me every temptation every vanity is apt to make me forget Thee though Thy own Dying words bid me remember Thee But O Blessed Lord for Thy infinite Mercies sake Pardon all my stupid forgetfulness and ingratitude hitherto and do Thou now Create in me such a thankful and lively Remembrance of Thy Dying for me that may excite me to give up my self entirely to Thee as Thou didst give up Thy self on the Cross for me Amen Amen A Thanksgiving for Christs Sufferings O Thou my crucified Saviour Glory be to Thee for causing Thy sufferings to be registred in the Gospel There I have read and Remember the Wonders and Triumphs of Thy Almighty Love for which I will always Adore and Praise Thee I Remember O Gracious Lord How Thou who thoughtst it no robbery to be equal with God wast made in the Fashion of frail man of the vilest and most contemptible of men for Thou tookest on Thee the form of a very Servant I Remember how many reproaches and contradictions and blasphemies and persecutions Thou didst endure from a wicked and perverse generation and all this to save us sinfulmen O Lord Jesus was ever sorrow like unto Thy sorrow Worthy art Thou O Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Riches and Wisdom and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing I Remember O gracious Lord How Thou didst indure a most bitter Agony and didst sweat great drops of blood falling to the ground How Thou who art God above all Blessed for ever wast treacherously betrayed and apprehended and bound as a Malefactor How Thou wast set at nought by Herod and his men of war and forsaken of all Thy Disciples and denied by Peter and all this to save us sinful men O Lord Jesus was ever sorrow c. I Remember How Thou O God of Truth wast accused by false witnesses How Thou whom all the Angels adore wast blindfoldâ—d and buffeted and â—ocke and spit upon and stript naked and scourged and all this that we might be healed by Thy stripes and to save us sinful men O Lord Jesus was ever any sorrow c. I Remember Lord How Thou that art the great Judge of Heaven and Earth wast Thy self dragged to the Judgment-Seat and condemned How Thou O King of Heaven wast crowned with thorns and opprest with the weight of Thy own Cross and all this to save us sinful men O Lord Jesus was ever any sorrow c. I Remember O blessed Saviour How Thou who art the Lord of Glory and the sole Author of life wast put to a most ignominious death How Thy hands and Thy feet were nailed to a Cross How Thou wast Crucified between two Thieves and numbrâ—d with the Transgressors How Thou hadst a potion given Thee to imbitter Thy very last gasp and all this to save us sinful men O Lord Jesus was ever any sorrow c. I Remember O Gracious Lord How when Thou wert hanging on the very Cross Thou wast scoffed at and reviled How infinitely then Thou wert afflicted and bruised for our transgressions when the Iniquities of us all were laid on Thy shoulders How Thou didst then express an anguish greater then all the tortures of Thy Crucifixion when Thou didft cry out My God my God why hast Thou forsaken Me and how Thou didst at last give up the Ghost and die Thy self that we might live O Lord Jesus was ever any sorrow c. I Unfeignedly believe O Gracious Lord that Thou didst suffer all this for sinful men and in particular for me when we were all Thy utter enemies and had nothing in us to move Thee to pity us but our extream misery Nothing to move Thee to save us but our great Unworthiness and Thy greater Mercy O the depth of the Riches of Thy Love Blessed Lord