soever with his bone full of marrow might yet dare to live unprepared for death presuming still upon further time and space for Repentance and amendment Lord make me ever mindful of my latter end that I may so live in thy fear as to dye in thy favour and a well grounded hope to live with thee for ever 'T is to little purpose to remember my death except I remember also the sins of my by-past life both the sins of my youth and of my riper age mine ignorances my negligences my manifold omissions of my duty towards God towards my neighbour towards my self and these to bewail with the tears of godly sorrow that my polluted Soul being washed I may through Faith in the blood of my Redeemer chearfully commend the same into his merciful hands and say Into thy hands I commend my Spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of Truth Every change in my frail constitution every little pain and ache in my corruptible flesh all distempers diseases are as so many memorials of my mortality but the older I grow the nearer still is the approach of my dissolution by the hand of death Heb. 8. ult for that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away The Prayers LOok graciously upon me O Lord I beseech thee in the time of my approaching dissolution and the more the outward man decayeth strengthen me so much the more continually by thy Grace and Holy Spirit in the inner man give me unfeigned repentance for all the errors of my life past and a stedfast Faith in thy Son Jesus that my sins may be done away by thy mercy and my pardon sealed in Heaven before I go hence and be no more seen II. IN the midst of life we be in death of whom may we seek for succour but of thee O Lord who for our sins art justy displeased Yet O Lord God most holy O Lord most mighty O holy and most merciful Saviour deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death Thou knowest Lord the secrets of our hearts shut not up thy merciful ears to our Prayers but spare us O Lord most holy O God most mighty O holy and most merciful Saviour thou most worthy Judge eternal suffer us not at our last hour for any pains of death to fall from thee III. IN my last hour O Lord I humbly beg thy protection from the busie suggestions and direful insultings of my grand enemies the Devil and his Angels Oh let not then my Faith fail or my Hope wither or my Charity wax cold with the waining flesh But when all my joynts shall tremble by the batteries of death mine eyes be darkned and my tongue falter then O then let my heart be enlarged towards my God waiting upon thee longing for thee and incessantly praying shew me thy mercy O Lord and grant me thy Salvation The XXXIX Psalm Verses 1. I Said I will take heed to my wayes that I offend not in my tongue The meditation of death makes every wise man careful of all his wayes and more especially to avoid the offences of the tongue 2. I will keep my mouth as 't were with a bridle while the ungodly is in my sight The tongue is an unruly evil and must be tam'd as a wild horse with a bridle when provok'd by captious contentious and quarrelsome persons 3. I held my tongue and spake nothing I kept silence yea even from good words but it was pain and grief unto me Reproaches are best answered with a discreet silence so was our Lord as a Lamb dumb before the Shearers 4. My heart was hot within and while I was thus musing the fire kindled d To abstain from good words is sometimes necessary for the avoiding of an evil construction but such silence is grievous to the pious Soul which burns with the fire of divine love and zeal to God's glory The zeal of thine house bath even eaten me and at the last I spake with my tongue Though it be often inconvenient to speak before wicked men yet 't is alway necessary to speak unto God by Prayer 5. Lord let me know mine end and the number of my daies that I may be certified how long I have to live 'T is a blessing we ought alway to pray for to be feelingly sensible of the shortness of our life 6. Behold thou hast made my dayes as 't were a span long and mine age is nothing in respect of thee and verily every man living is altogether vanity The life of man if compar'd with God's everlasting being is rather to be called a death than a life a vanity not a verity of being 7. For man walketh in a vain shadow he disquieteth himself in vain he heapeth up riches and cannot tell who shall gather them The hearts of men are darkned with the shadows of happiness whilst they vainly care for worldly wealth which is as transitory and uncertain as the life it self 8. And now Lord what is my hope truly my hope is even in thee 'T is not in riches nor in all the world affords but in God alone that all hope of true happiness is attainable 9. Deliver me from all mine offences and make me not a rebuke to the foolish Our sins deprive us of all true weh-grounded hopes in God and make us lyable to the scorn even of foolish men 10. I became dumb and opened not my mouth for it was thy doing We must with a patient silence suffer the reproaches of others because occasioned by our offences and because sent from God for our amendment 11. Take thy plague away from me I am even consumed by the means of thy heavy hand And confess withal that we deserve to be consumed by the just judgments of God 12. When thou with rebukes dost chasten man for sin thou makest his beauty to consume away as 't were a moth fretting a garment every man therefore is but vanity Whose lightest chastisements do easily deface the beauty and decay the strength of this corruptible body 13. Hear my prayer O Lord and with thine ears consider my calling hold not thy peace at my tears Therefore the devout Soul is poured forth in Prayers with tears of godly sorrow for her offences from whence all the miseries of this life do flow 14. For I am a stranger with thee and a sojourner as all my fathers were The earth is a strange land to the Immortal Soul whose native home is heaven where she was framed by the hands of the Almighty after his own Image 15. O spare me a little that I may recover my strength before I go hence and be no more seen Which Image being defaced by her sins she humbly begs with tears time and space by Repentance Faith and new obedience to recover her native strength and beauty before she leave her tabernacle of flesh Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer SInce my
call upon thee even to all that call upon thee faithfully depending upon thee alone for help and safety verse 6 Give ear Lord to my prayer not slightly hearing the sound of my words but ponder the voice of my humble desires the intense desires of my humbled soul I humbly desire to be considered verse 7 In the time of my trouble and that 's the whole time of my pilgrimage here upon earth I will call upon thee for protection and deliverance whereof I will never despair for thou hearest me if my prayer be pure and humble and therefore will I call upon thee as long as I live verse 8 Among the gods that be either falsly so called or be so called by participation of divine power as the Angels in Heaven and Kings of the earth there is none like unto thee O Lord either for power or wisdom there is none that can do as thou dost thy works do far exceed the power of any created beings to do the like and therefore in fulness of time verse 9 All Nations whom thou hast made shall no longer make gods unto themselves but shall come and worship thee O Lord the maker of all men and of all things and being admitted members of thy holy Catholick Church shall glorifie thy Name both with heart and voice and by the good works of their obedience to the Gospel of Christ verse 10 For thou art great which all thy works declare and dost wondrous things not to be apprehended but admired and 't is therefore in all the parts of the world confessed that thou art God alone all others being either falsly or feignedly called gods And that I may accordingly worship thee aright verse 11 Teach me thy way O Lord that I neither mistake the right way nor stumble and fall therein but stedfastly and constantly walk in thy truth and this way and this truth is my blessed Redeemer who by his doctrine and example doings and sufferings life and death is the way that leads to life eternal O knit my heart unto thee by the indissoluble bonds of a true Faith firm Hope fervent Charity that I may fear thy name so as that I neither dare to sin against thee nor too much presume upon thy favour and grace verse 12 I will thank thee O Lord my God as from whom both my whole self and all the little good that is mine does proceed with all my heart as being hereunto excited by the fear and love of thy Name and I will praise thy name for evermore And there is very great reason I should do so verse 13 For great is thy mercy toward me not only manifested in all the good things I do enjoy but in my deliverance from manifold evils and especially from the greatest of evils for thou hast delivered my soul from the nethermost hell in the broad way that leads thereunto I have a long time walked and 't is of thy great mercy that I have not long since been hurled headlong to that dismal place of torments And still I have great cause to complain verse 14 O God the proud are risen against me proud Lucifer and his infernal fiends and the congregation of naughty men have sought after my soul the wicked of the world conspire with the Devil and his Angels by their sinful suggestions to subvert the innocence of my soul to have her portion with them in the nethermost hell verse 15 But thou O Lord art full of compassion especially to all them who chuse rather to suffer than to do what is offensive to thy Majesty and mercy in pardoning the offences of the truly penitent long-suffering not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance plenteous in goodness abounding in thy blessings and truth both in performing thy promises of mercy to the penitent and in rendring to every man according to his works verse 16 O turn thee then unto me who by my sins have justly provoked thee to turn away thy face from me and have mercy upon me a miserable sinner and that I may no more offend thee give thy strength unto thy servant even ghostly strength and fortitude manfully to resist the Devil and all his numerous troops of sensual and worldly lusts in all whose assaults vouchsafe to help the son of thine handmaid that I may overcome all their temptations unto evil and carefully keep my vow and promise made when I was first admitted to be a Son of thy handmaid the Church verse 17 Shew some token upon me for good let some sign of thy favour towards me appear that they who hate me my ghostly enemies may see it and be ashamed when they shall behold all their conspiracies and assaults against my soul defeated by the assistance of thy divine grace because thou Lord hast holpen me and comforted me thy help to overcome when I am tempted unto sin is a great comfort to my soul for I have hereupon a good ground of hope that thou wilt deliver my soul from the nethermost hell and that being raised up from the gates of death I may shew all thy praises within the ports of the daughter of Sion saying Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The LXXXVIII Psalm PARAPHRASED verse 1 O Lord God of my salvation my corporal and spiritual temporal and eternal Salvation is from thee and therefore I have cryed day and night at all times and seasons and in all conditions prosperous and adverse before thee as unto whom alone the inmost intimate desires of my soul are naked and open O let my prayer enter into thy presence be received and accepted by thee incline thine ear unto my calling so graciously hear as to grant my humble requests verse 2 My soul is full of trouble which being the consequent of sin is the forerunner of death and my life draweth nigh unto hell which openeth wide her mouth to swallow down such polluted Souls verse 3 I am counted as one of them that go down to the pit lookt upon as a dead man and a cast-away and I have been even as a man that hath no strength which is derived from the Lord of life to escape the snares and terrors of death verse 4 Free among the dead not likely to be freed from my troubles but by death which puts an end to all the miseries of this sinful life like unto them that are wounded by the fiery darts of the devil and lye in the grave of corrupt conversation which leads to the grave of death the wages of sin and whosoever thus lye there are out of remembrance both forgotten by the righteous and also are cut away from thy hand repulst from amongst those blessed sheep which shall be rankt on thy right hand in the day of Judgment verse 5 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit I confess I have so far incur'd thy wrathful displeasure as to be laid in the nethermost hell
subdued to the spirit rejoyce in the living God there 's no joy like the joy of his presence who giveth life and a heart to pant and breath after the joys of life eternal verse 3 The sparrow hath found her a house and the swallow a nest where to lay her young even thy Altars And O that my Soul could mount as doth the Sparrow upon her wings with inflamed affections after the pleasures of thy house and that my flesh might be instrumental to my Soul in bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit to be sacrific'd upon the Altar of Praise and Thanksgiving unto thee O Lord of hosts my King and my God whom alone I desire to adore worship and obey verse 4 Blessed are they here in hope hereafter in fruition who dwell in thy house of Grace below of Glory above They will alwayes be praising thee 'T is our principal errand to the house of God upon earth and shall be our only employment in his house of Heaven always to praise the Lord. But we of thy house and family here below like the young birds near thine Altar are unfledged and empent in the nest of this corruptible body which weigheth down the Soul so that mount to Heavenward we cannot without the divine assistance therefore verse 5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee who derives strength of Grace from thee to praise and glorifie thee and this not only with their mouths but in whose heart are thy ways cordially resolving and uprightly walking in the wayes of thy service and of their own salvation verse 6 Who going through the vale of misery in their pilgrimage through the miseries of this sinful life below use it for a Well even the deep fountain of a broken heart from whence the Pools are filled with water the eyes flow with tears of that godly sorrow which worketh Repentance unto Salvation not to be repented verse 7 They will go from strength to strength from one degree of grace to another adding to Faith Vertue to Vertue Knowledge to Knowledge Temperance to Temperance Patience to Patience Godliness to Godliness Brotherly kindness and to Brotherly kindness Charity 2 Pet. 1.5 Vnto the God of gods appeareth every one of them in Sion each person thus qualified shall appear in the presence of the supreme Majesty of Heaven which being the felicity whereunto I am created and earnestly long for I therefore humbly beg verse 8 O Lord God of hosts hear my prayer thou art the Donor of all those powerful Graces which mount up our Souls to Heaven and the Lord of all those hosts of Heaven amongst whom my Soul longeth to be enroll'd Hearken O God of Jacob assist me in all my wrestlings with my ghostly enemies that I may prevail and obtain thy blessing which is to be call'd Israel Seeing God the felicity of Heaven verse 9 Behold O God our Defender against all the crafts and assaults of the Devil the world and the flesh Look upon the face of thine anointed our blessed Redeemer sitting on thy right hand and interceeding for us and may the sacred beams of his celestial light shine in our hearts and appear in the holiness and righteousness of our lives that going from strength to strength we may appear before the Lord in Sion verse 10 For one day in thy Courts amongst the Quires of Heaven where the day is but one as knowing no morrow day is better than a thousand of the fliting transitory dayes of this mortal life verse 11 I had rather be a door-keeper lye at the threshold submit to the lowest condition in the house of my God the place where his Honor dwelleth who is the God of my worship and joy than to dwell in the tents of ungodliness be conversant amongst the ungodly of this world in the most splendid condition with all the delights of the sons of men for 't is not all the pomp and glory all the pleasures and treasures of this life can give any solid satisfaction to the vast desires of my immortal Soul verse 12 For the Lord is a light and defence a light for direction in the way of peace and a defence for perfection against all whomsoever or whatsoever might disturb the innocence and peace of my Soul He will give grace and worship Grace to serve him truly here and Worship or Glory to crown our services hereafter and no good thing will he withhold from them that lead as godly life who truly love and fear God and wait for his promises in the obedience of his precepts shall enjoy all that is truly good or conducible to their eternal happiness in heaven And therefore verse 13 O Lord God of hosts blessed is the man that putteth his trust in thee not roving in his hopes and desires after the exterior empty transitory consolations of the creature but among the sundry and manifold changes of the world hath his heart surely fixed there where true joyes are to be found which is alone in the presence of the God of Heaven where all do rejoyce together and sing for ever Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. AS an Earnest of this everlasting joy and felicity One thing have I desired of the Lord which I will require Ps 27.4 even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the fair beauty of the Lord and to visit his Temple A MEDITATION Upon the VOW in BAPTISM Out of S. Chrysostome de Martyribus SERM. II. REmember the Covenant Attend the Condition Acknowledge the Warfare The Covenant thou hast made with God the Condition whereby thou wast received into this Covenant the Warfare unto which thou art hereby engaged The Covenant is to be a member of Christ a child of God and an heir of Heaven or the Covenant of Grace and Salvation the Condition is to renounce the Devil and all his works the pomps the Warfare thou hast undertaken is manfully to fight under the banner of Christ against these ghostly enemies to this end thy Christian name is enroll'd amongst the musters of the Church Militant wherein thou hast promised to continue Christs faithful servant and souldier unto thy lifes end Thou art too delicate a Christian to dream of a Victory without fighting for it of a Conquest without exercise of armes of a Triumph without tryal of strength Phil. 3.14 The price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus is not to be obtained but by contest with and mastery over all our ghostly adversaries Rev. 2.7 17 26. ch 3.5 To him that overcometh only is the promise made Rowse up then thy self thou secure and slothful Christian stir up the Grace of God within thee and which was communicated unto thee when first by holy Baptism thou wast enlisted a Christian soldier under the Captain of our Salvation draw not back thy foot from the combate but take courage and
THE THIRD PART OF THE PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN Consisting of Meditations and Psalms illustrated with Notes or Paraphrased relating to the Hours of Prayer the ordinary Actions of Day and Night and several Dispositions of Men. By R. SHERLOCK D. D. Rector of Winwick Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous Judgments Psal 119.164 LONDON Printed by R. Flesher for R. Royston Bookseller to His most Sacred Majesty at the Angel in Amen-corner MDCLXXV THE PREFACE OF Continuing in Prayer and frequent Meditation and the Design of this Second Part. THAT holy Catholick Church which is one of the XII Articles of the holy Christian Faith is partly Triumphant in Heaven and partly Militant on Earth both make but one Spouse of Christ and therefore the true Members of both are alike minded and alike employed in reference to the worship of the common Lord of both They who are true Members of Christs Church below are conform to the glorious Saints in Heaven above a Exod. 25.40 Act. 7.44 Heb. 6.11 They do the will of God on earth as 't is done in heaven b Mat. 6.11 and that 's undoubtedly the way to Heaven we cannot possibly lose our way thither whilst we follow their steps who are thither gone before us Those Triumphant Saints in Heaven rest not day nor night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty c Isa 6.3 Rev. 4.8 Whereunto conforms the man after God's own heart saying O Lord God of my Salvation I have cryed day and night before thee d Ps 88.1 Our Lord commends it as a Duty incumbent that men ought always to pray e Luk. 18.1 And by his Apostle commands it positively Pray without ceasing f 1 Thesl 5.13 Giving thanks always g Eph. 5.20 Praying alway with all Prayer and Supplication h Eph. 6.18 But these Examples and Commands are not so to be understood as if we should do nothing else but pray S. Aug. l. de haer Theod. Eccles hist l. 4. c. 10. which was an old Heresie of the Messalians and Euchites long since condemned by the Church of Christ as being a thing impossible to pray without ceasing in the bare literal sense because this corruptible body presseth down the Soul and corporal necessities do call for supply Neither yet That we should make long Prayers which is the new Error and great mistake of these Times The which though generally the most used and best liked as being set off with the paint of seeming zeal and pretense of the Spirit yet the unlawfulness of such long Prayers will appear if we will without prejudice and partiality consider that 1. They are forbidden by our Lord saying When you pray use not vain repetitions Matth. 6.7 in which words our Lord means not the same Prayers repeated as is falsly objected against the Prayers of the Church for thus our Lord prayed himself Matth. 26.39 44. Where his Prayer was short and three times repeated And therefore undoubtedly by vain repetitions in Praying is understood multitude of words and variety of expressions to the same purpose or rather to no purpose since our desires both may and ought to be expressed in few words and pertinent according to the Pattern our Lord hath given us And that 't is the meaning of our Lord when he saith After this manner pray ye that our Prayers should be generally formed to the length of his Prayer prescribed will appear 1. From the Context if seriously weighed and rightly understood wherein is manifest that the manner of Praying by such a short Form is commanded in opposition to the heathenish use of much speaking in Prayer 2. From the parallel Text in the Margin Eccles 5.2 Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few 3. From the Prayers of Christs Church which are in all Liturgies of the Christian World for the most part of the same length and surely the general practice of the Church is the best interpreter of holy Scripture 4. Such are generally also all the Prayers of the holy Spirit of God which stand upon record in holy Writ viz. the Book of Psalms with many more we meet with none that are of such a continued length as are in use amongst us but they are all divided by distinct Verses into so many several shorter Prayers Long Prayers are forbidden by our Lord because such is the custom of the Heathen Matt. 6.7 as the Heathen do who mind more the Oratory and Language Tone and Pronunciation than the Humility and Devotion of the Soul in Prayer and 't is much misbecoming Christians to worship the true God as the Heathen do their false and feigned Deities And Because they imply a false Notion of the Majesty of Heaven and a misbelief of his divine perfections as if he were asleep and must be awakened or did not understand our wants and desires or being otherwise imployed he could not intend our petitions except in multitude of words exprest and loud talking for audience So prayed the Priests of Baal 1 King 18.27 and so saith our Lord of all Heathen people That they think they shall be heard for their much speaking which is directly contrary to the true Faith of a Christian who believeth and acknowledgeth the Omniscience and Omnipresence of God as it follows in the 8. vers Your heavenly Father knoweth what things you stand in need of before you ask which divine Truth is implicitly denied by loud and long Prayers Long Prayers are not only forbidden by our Lord Matt. 6.5 cap. 23.14 Mark 12.40 Luk 20.47 Joh. 12.43 as the custom of the Heathen but also frequently reproved by him as the practice of Hypocrites who love to stand praying in the Synagogues and in the corners of the Streets that they may be seen of men that they may be taken notice of for godly men desiring rather to seem than really to be religious loving the praise of men more than the praise of God To pray continually then is neither to be understood of doing nothing else but pray nor yet of using long Prayers the one being prohibited by our Lord and the other condemned by his Church but in this and the like expressions is commanded The intense Devotion of the Soul in prayer So our Lord expounds his own Cammand that men ought always to pray viz. that they faint not a Luk. 18.1 to wit for want of that holy fervour and devout Zeal which is the Life and Soul of an effectual Prayer and this same celestial fire of holy zeal in Prayer spends not it self in multitude of words and much babling of the lips but is expressed in sighs and groans which cannot be uttered b Rom. 8.26 which are tru◠〈◊〉 breathings of the holy Spirit of God in Prayer who dwells not upon the Tongue but in the
I have acknowledged my wayes and thou heardest me O teach me thy Statutes After confession of sin and prayer for pardon new obedience is required 3. Make me to understand the way of thy Commandments and so shall I talk of thy wondrous works To talk of Religion without a right Understanding is but vain babling 4. My soul melteth away for very heaviness Comfort thou me according to thy Word Godly sorrow is the inlet to divine Consolation 5. Take from me the way of lying and cause thou me to make much of thy Law Errors in judgment must be corrected and abandoned that we may obey God sincerely and cordially 6. I have chosen the way of truth and thy judgments have I laid before me What the Word of God doth judge to be true or false is to be ever chose or refused 7. I have stuck unto thy testimonies O Lord confound me not Stedfastly to cleave unto what God hath testified to be the way of truth and holiness is a sure way to avoid confusion 8. I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou hast set my heart at liberty While the heart is enfettered with sensual or worldly lusts we can neith run nor walk in the ways of God's Commandments we ought Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer O Raise up my Soul blesse Lord out of the dust and rubbish of earthly desires quicken my dulness in thy service comfort me in all my sadnesses dispel all those mists of Ignorance and Error which cloud my Understanding enlarge my heart from the bondage of Sin and Satan and out of the fetters of all Temptations unto evil and so strengthen me to run in the ways which thou hast Commanded that I may obtain what thou hast promised through Jesus Christ Our Father which art in c. CHAP. II. Of Meditations for the Third Hour of Prayer or Nine a Clock in the Morning THis is called The holy hour in the Decrees of the Church and generally the hour of publick Assemblies in the Worship of God and not without very great reason For 1. Matth. 27.20 'T was at this hour my blessed Redeemer underwent the bitter sentence of death whilest Barabbas a Thief a Rebel and a Murderer was acquitted And I vile wretch am as guilty as Barabbas in many respects and justly obnoxious to the dreadful sentence of condemnation to death eternal but by the infinite Merits and Mysteries of thy Condemnation Good Lord deliver me 2. Matth. 27.26 'T was at this hour of the day my blessed Redeemer exposed his tender breasts and delicate back and shoulders to be rased rent and torn with forked whips by cruel blood-thirsty souldiers until his innocent Body was all over gore blood And my sins deserve the scourges and mine offences the rod of the Almighties just indignation but blessed Lord I humbly beg that I may so wash my polluted soul with the penitent tears of holy compunction through Faith in the blood of my Saviour and so chastise and keep under that body of sin which is and too much reigneth in my Members Eccles 39.28 that being delivered from the guilt and tyranny of sin in this life I may escape those fiery whips and scourgings of the spirits of vengeance which are the portion of the disobedient and impenitent in the other life 3. Act. 2.15 'T was at this hour of the day the Holy Ghost descended upon the holy Apostles and Disciples of Christ and by his celestial influences replenished them with extraordinary Gifts and Graces for the propagation of his holy Gospel and the plantation of his Church through the World And Vouchsafe holy God vouchsafe unto me also thy unworthy servant the guidance of the same spirit by whose Illumination and Sanctification I may both perceive and know what things I ought to do and also may have Grace faithfully to perform the same through Jesus Christ And the Earth was without form and void Gen. 1.2 darkness was upon the face of the deep And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the Waters Such was thy condition O my Soul in thy state of Nature without form or comeliness the image of God wherein thy beauty consists was defac'd by original corruption void both of Grace and Truth an Abyss of darkness and in the shadow of death till the all-quickning Spirit of God moving upon the hallowed waters of Baptism caused the light to appear But still the dregs of thy natural corruption remain and the darkness of ignorance ever hovers upon the face of the Deep But where the Spirit of God is there is liberty both rightly to understand and acceptably to perform his Will COme Holy Ghost eternal God Proceeding from above Both from the Father and the Son The God of Peace and Love Visit my Mind and into me Thy heavenly Grace inspire That in all Truth and Godliness I may have the desire Kindle my heart with fervent love To serve God day and night Strength and stablish all my weakness So feeble and so frail That neither flesh the world nor devil Against me do prevail And grant O Lord that thou being My Leader and my Guide I may eschew the snares of sin And from thee never slide ALmighty God unto whom all hearts are open all desires known and from whom no secrets are hid cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy holy Spirit that we may perfectly love thee and worthily magnifie thy holy Name through Jesus Christ Glory be to God on high on earth peace This Hymn is prescribed to be used in the Morning by the Apostolical Constit l. 7. c. 47. and at the Third Hour of the Morning because then the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles and replenished them with glory exultation and joy Dur. Rat. l. 4. c. 13. good will towards men We praise Thee we bless Thee we worship Thee we glorifie Thee we give thanks to Thee for thy great Glory heavenly King God the Father Almighty O Lord the only begotten Son Jesus Christ O Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father that takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon us Thou that takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon us Thou that takest away the sins of the world receive our prayers Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father have mercy upon us For Thou only art Holy Thou only art the Lord Thou only O Christ with the Holy Ghost art most High in the Glory of God the Father Amen PSALMS for the Third Hour Legem pone Psal 119. Part. 5. Horâ tertiâ Psalmus Legem pone dicitur quia tunc lex nova data est Apostolis Dur. Rat. l. 5. c. 6. Verses 1. TEach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end The Understanding must first be enlightned that the Affections of the Heart
ungodly for they regard not thy Statutes These endeavours for the health of the Soul are not regarded by such persons as have not God in their thoughts and desires 4. Great is thy mercy O Lord quicken me as thou art wont But the righteous are frequently sensible of God's mercy in quickning them unto their duty And 5. Many there are that trouble me and persecute me yet do I not swerve from thy Testimonies Even in the greatest and most troublesome temptations of their numerous adversaries continue firm and upright in their innocence and obedience 6. It grieveth me when I see the transgressors because they keep not thy Law And are grieved also to see others in the time of temptation to fall away 7. Consider O Lord how I love thy Commandments O quicken me according to thy loving kindness And this their love of obedience unto God moves him the more to quicke and increase their zeal therein 8. Thy Word is true from everlasting all the judgments of thy righteousness endure for evermore All the acts both of Gods mercy and judgment are according to the equitie of his precepts most righteous and immutable Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer COnsider O Lord how adverse to my holy resolves are the continual temptations of my ghostly enemies and withal remember the love I have to thy Law and zeal to thine Honour and deliver me from the one and quicken me in the other that I neither swerve from thy Testimonies or be dull and dead-hearted in my obedience thereunto Give me a heart to lament both my own and the transgressions of others that I may escape that bitter weeping and wailing of the nether hell from the which good Lord deliver me through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ The One and Twentieth Part. Verses 1. Princes have persecuted me without a cause but my heart standeth in awe of thy Word Stand in awe and sin not whatever persecutions may arise from any of the powers either of earth or hell 2. I am as glad of thy Word as one that findeth great spoyls The spoils of our ghostly enemies are taken through delight in God's Word 3. As for lies I hate and abhor them but thy Law do I love The love of the Truth and hatred of all falshood whether in opinion or conversation are the inseparable qualifications of a righteous Soul 4. Seven times a day do I praise Thee because of thy righteous judgment The righteousness of God's Laws and of all his judgments according thereunto excite the devout Soul to praise him continually 5. Great is the peace they have who love thy Law and they are not offended at it The fruit of Righteousness is Peace which cannot be disturbed by whatever may befal for Truth and Righteousness sake 6. Lord I have looked for thy saving health and done after thy Commandments He hopes for salvation in vain who lives not in obedience of Gods most holy Laws 7. My Soul hath kept thy Testimonies and loved them exceedingly 'T is zealous affections to do whatever God Commands which product a sincere and constant obedience thereunto 8. I have kept thy Commandments and thy Testimonies for all my ways are before Thee Both holy affections and holy actions do flow from the serious consideration of Gods omnipresence Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer MOst blessed Lord before whom are all the ways of men let this consideration make me sincere and upright both in all the affections of my heart and the actions of my life standing more in awe of sinning against Thee than to incur the greatest of troubles from all the Princes and Powers of darkness And grant unto thy servant that peace which is the fruit of righteousness even peace and saving health through Jesus Christ The Two and Twentieth Part. Verses 1. Let my complaint come before Thee O Lord give me understanding according to thy Word A right understanding of what God commands and promises in his Word is continually to be beg'd by Prayer 2. Let my supplication come before Thee deliver me according to thy Word As also to be delivered from all ignorance and error whether in opinion or conversation 3. My lips shall speak of thy praise when thou hast taught me thy Statutes As the praises of God do best become the obedient and wise so they misbeseem the lips of sinners 4. Yea my tongue shall sing of thy Word for all thy Commandments are righteous The equity of Gods Law is the exultation of all holy men and the constant burden of divine Songs 5. Let thine hand help me for I have chosen thy Commandments To obey God's Will by the assistance of his Grace is the choice of every wise man 6. I have longed for thy saving health O Lord and in thy Law is my delight He that loves his Souls health and longs for it will also love and delight in the Commandments of God as the way thereunto 7. O let my Soul live and it shall praise Thee and thy judgments shall help me God is praised by the life of grace and obedience and such shall be supported by his righteous judgments 8. I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost O seek thy servant for I do not forget thy Commandments Though the best men do sometimes err from the sacred paths of God's Commandments yet they are not withal unmindful of that obedience they owe thereunto The Prayer BLessed Jesu who camest into the world to seek and save that which was lost vouchsafe to seek and save me too often wandring like a lost sheep in the by and too much beaten paths of vanity and iniquity Bring me home into thy fold who art the great shepherd and Bishop of our Souls that being saved with the remnant of the true Israelites I may sing thy Praises with the celestial quire of holy Angels and Saints for ever saying Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. Our Father which art in heaven c. CHAP. V. Of Meditations for the Evening THe light of Nature dictates an Evening and a Morning Sacrifice due unto God not only Jews and Christians but Heathens and Turks all men of all perswasions observe it The holy Patriarch Isaac applied himself to holy Meditations in the Evening a Gen. 24.63 At this time prayed holy David also b Ps 55.18 141 2. And so did the Son of David our blessed Lord himself c Luk. 6.12 And he commands us to do so also both by precept d Mar. 13.35 and by that Parable of the labourers sent out into the vineyard by the Lord thereof as at other times so at the last hour of the day and these were as well paid as the former Despair not then O my Soul of the forgiveness of thy sin if thou dost truly repent though it be in
which from thy Wounds and Stripes and Bonds does flow Ps 25.14 Pluck my feet out of the net of every temptation to finfulness and error Ps 119.48 and let my hand be continually lift up unto thy Commandments to do them that I be not lyable to be bound by any of the spirits of vengeance in the fiery chains of the nether Hell where is weeping and wailing MEDITAT VI. Of the Laments of Hell THere shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Mat. 25.30 They shall deservedly weep in Hell whose eyes upon earth have been full of Adultery 2 Pet. 2.14 lasciviousness and greediness of the creature whose eyes have been set upon their covetousness Pro. 30.13 and their eye-lids lifted up with scorn and contempt of others who have been guilty of any of these or of any other sinful pollutions and have not wept and bewailed the same with the tears of Repentance Wo unto you that laugh now in your sinful pleasures Luc. 6.25 for ye shall mourn and weep either here or hereafter And 't is sad and sottish to put off this necessity of weeping to the other world where the tears of sorrow and sad Repentance shall avail nothing And this is all the water that Hell affords Luc. 16.24 not a drop to cool the tongue tormented in those scorching flames only those driesly tears which the violence of her torments do extort which being salt and brinish and spent in vain shall the more increase the bitterness and augment the miseries of the condemned sinner O that now my head were waters Jer 9.1 and mine eyes a fountain of tears by weeping here to prevent the weeping in Hell hereafter now to bewail my sins that I sorrow not when 't is too late where weeping and wailing shall not asswage but augment my sorrows Lament O sinner and gnash thy teeth through a holy indignation to be so foolish and mad as for a little sinful pleasure or dirty delight to run the hazard of being obnoxious to never ending pains and sorrows Blessed are they that mourn Mat. 5.4 both for their own sins and for the sins of others through the fear of Hell and desire of Heaven for they shall be comforted their fears prevented their desires obtained A broken and a contrite heart Ps 51.17 O God thou wilt not despise A heart broken with godly sorrow for sin and venting it self in tears with Prayers Humiliations and Confessions mixt with Faith in the blood of my dear Redeemer Thus Lord thus I humbly beg to be delivered from thy wrath and from the deplorable wailings of a sad eternity Amen MEDITAT VII Of the perpetuity of Hell Torments THe Perpetuity of Hell torments is in the thought thereof a Torment unspeakable for in every instant of the Sufferings of the damned they suffer all the torments of those infinite thousands of years to come the continuance whereof is not measured by Time but by the bottomless abyss of eternity and the immutability of divine justice and what is time to eternity Behold as a drop of water is to the sea Eccl. 18.10 and a gravel stone in comparison of the sand so are a thousand years to the dayes of etcrnity In this life fear hath torment but torment hath no fear but hope rather of release and delivery but in Hell the damned both fear what they suffer and also suffer what they fear even the everlasting duration of their sufferings They that are cast into the Lake of fire and brimstone shall be tormented day and night for ever Rev. 20.10 and ever Are not they then without understanding that work wickedness Ps 14.4 who being endued with Reason and capable of counsel who knowing the shortness of this life and the uncertainty of the same and withal believing the everlasting duration of the life to come do nevertheless bend all their thoughts and endeavours upon what concerns this present remporary Being even to the great hazard of being obnoxious to the Pains and Inrments of a sad eternity such madness in the hearts of men can never be throughly bewail'd even with tears of blood Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come Mat. 3.7 That there is a wrath to come every Christian believes and 't is a fierce wrath and a terrible even indignation and wrath Rom. 2.8 9. tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil and hath not repented him of the evil and of the iniquity he hath done Of the coming of this wrath also frequent warning is given both by the works and by the word of God by the Ministers of his Church but who takes warning given who regards the power of this wrath very few regard it though the less it be regarded the more fierce it will be for even thereafter as a man feareth so is thy displeasure Ps 90.11 Fear thou the Lord Pro. 3.7 O my Soul fear the Lord and depart from evil Thou Ps 76.7 O Lord thou alone art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight when thou art angry The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life Pro. 14.27 to depart from the gates of death Fear not them that can kill the body Mat. 10.28 but are not able to kill the Soul but fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Heb. 12.28 For our God is a consuming fire 29. The LXXXVI Psalm PARAPHRASED verse 1 BOw down thine ear to him who now bowes down his heart and bear me O Lord confessing for I am poor extremely wanting of the graces of thy Spirit which should make me rich towards God I have little or no treasures laid up in Hearen and therefore I am in misery lyable to the eternal miseries of Hell But verse 2 Preserve thou my soul from that dismal place of torments for I am heby separate and devoted to thy service though a poor unprofitable servant and upon this account I make bold to call thee my God whom I worship and serve and humbly beseech thee to save thy servant who putteth his trust in thee for the riches of grace and salvation wherein verse 3 Be merciful unto me O Lord who art rich in mercy for I will call dayly upon thee that it may please thee in great mercy to deliver me from that misery whereunto my poorness in grace but abounding sins make me obnoxious verse 4 Comfort the soul of thy servant that the sorrows of death overwhelm me not For unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul being hereunto encouraged by thy grace and goodness verse 5 For thou Lord art good even the inexhaustible fountain of goodness and gracious propitiously inclined to hear the supplications of thy people and of great mercy against the greatness of iniquity unto all them that