conveyances of sense are the thickest to the unspeakable torment of thine innocent body The sorrows and sufferings of thy Soul were far greater The sufferings of his Soul being like melting wax molten in the fiery furnace of God's wrath for the sins of the world till the fulness of thy sufferings being accomplished thou commendedst thy spirit into the hands of God All this Sorrow and Suffering Grief and Torment of thine I believe verily was for me and for my sins there being nothing in thee the spotless Son of a spotless Virgin to grieve or sorrow or suffer for O sweetest Saviour save and deliver me from all my sins whether of knowledge or ignorance of wilfulness or negligence of omission or commission of thought desire word or deed confessed or not confessed before thee wash them all away in thy precious bloud shed for me nail them to thy Cross which were the cause of thy Crucifixion hide them in thy wounds who wast wounded for my transgressions and write those wounds of thine in my heart not with ink but with the bloud which was shed forme that in and by those characters of bloud I may reade and learn to die unto sin and live onely unto thee who diedst for me cleaving stedfastly unto thee whose whole self wast so fast nailed to the Cross for me By thy Cross and Passion both in Soul and Body cleanse me from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit crucifie this corruptible flesh of mine with all the inordinate affections and unruly lusts thereof that being conformed to thy Death I may be partaker of thy Resurrection that suffering with thee here I may reign with thee hereafter where thou livest THE SECOND PART OF THE PRACTICAL Christian Being Considerations Meditations and Prayers in order to the worthy Receiving the HOLY COMMUNION of the Body and Bloud of CHRIST The Second Edition revised and augmented Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Luk. 12.43 LONDON Printed for R. Royston 1677. A TABLE of the Chapters CHAP. I. Of the two general Christian Duties required in order to the Holy Communion of the Body and Bloud of Christ CHAP. II. Meditations and Praiers preparatory to the Holy Communion the Week before CHAP. III. Meditations and Praiers for the Friday especially before the Communion CHAP. IV. Saint Augustine 's Recommendation of the Passion of Christ unto God the Father CHAP. V. Saint Ambrose 's Commemâ—ration of our Saviour's Passion CHAP. VI. Saint Gregory 's Praiers upon the Passion of Christ CHAP. VII The Form of Praier used by our Lord upon the Cross viz. the XXII Psalm paraphrased CHAP. VIII Meditations and Praiers preparatory to the Blessed Sacrament on saturday-Saturday-night or sunday-Sunday-morning before CHAP. IX Meditations upon your going to Church with some short Directions for your demeanour in the House and in the Service of God CHAP. X. Meditations and Praiers at the Blessed Sacrament CHAP. XI Psalms of praise and thanksgiving after the Holy Communion THE PRACTICAL Christian PART II. CHAP. I. Of the two general Christian Duties required in order to the Holy Communion of the Body and Bloud of CHRIST 1. THE Blessed Eucharist or Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is of all the Mysteries of godliness the most comprehensive and applicatory to the Soul 's eternall Happiness 'T is amongst all Christian Duties of highest dignity and greatest concern 'T is both the Food and the Medicine the Life and the Health the Strength and Defence the Peace Joy and Delight of the truly Religious Soul 'T is the most effectual means of the nearest Union and Communion with Christ in this life attainable 'T is expresly so called the Communion of the Body of Christ and the Communion of the Bloud of Christ a 1 Cor. 10.16 which Doctrine we are taught as one of the Principles of our Religion The Body and Bloud of Christ is verily and indeed taken and received of the faithfull in the Lord's Supper b Church Catech. 2. In the right and reverent Administration with the devout and worthy Participation of this Sacramental Body of Christ we are incorporated into his holy Mystical Body So saith our Lord himself He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him c Joh. 6.56 And such is also the Doctrine of the Church of Christ If with a true penitent heart and lively faith we receive the Holy Sacrament we spiritually eat the flesh of Christ and drink his bloud we dwell in Christ and Christ in us we be one with Christ and Christ with us we obtain remission of our Sins and all other the Benfits of his Passion d Comm. office 3. Hence then it follows that whoever owns the name of a Christian and understands aright what it is to be truly so and not in vain so called must acknowledge these two general Duties to be incumbent upon him 1. Not to neglect any opportunity of Receiving this Blessed Sacrament 2. To use all possible means with his utmost endeavours to receive the same worthily I. As to the First whoso slights or neglects to come being invited to the Holy Communion either 1. He rightly understands not the Holy Religion he professeth or 2. His Religion is no other but a bare Profession something that perhaps employs his Tongue and strikes upon his Ears to hear and talk about it but never entred the deep of his Heart truly to believe and practise it * Matt. 15.8 There be too many such persons God wot that talk much of Religion yea many that talk loudly of Communion with Christ and are seemingly zealous in the external performance of several Christian Duties especially in the frequency of long and loud Praiers but if the many wild extravagancies of such performances did not lay them open yet their general neglect of this Sacrament which is the life and quintessence of all Christian offices and the infallible witness of true Christianity discovers the hypocrisy of such seeming Zelots that with the old Pharisees they draw nigh unto God with their mouth and honour him with their lips but their heart is not whole with him neither are they stedfast in his covenant f Isa 29.13 Psal 78.36 37. Which is farther evident in that 3. Such persons make no conscience of Sin which is the transgression of the Law of Christ He commands saying Take eat Drink ye all of this Doe this in remembrance of me Shew forth the Lord's death till he come Come unto me all ye that are weary Ho every one that thirsteth come g Matt. 26.27 28. Luk. 22.19 1 Cor. 11.24 25 26. Matt. 11.28 Isa 55.1 Not to come to that Blessed Sacrament being invited is to disobey all these and several more positive commands of God which being also frequently read heard preached and pressed upon the consciences of men by their consciencious Ministers and yet still slighted and disobeyed will undoubtedly incur if not prevented
shalt make his Soul an offering for Sin he shall see his seed k Isa 53.10 even the fruits of his Passion devout Believers who shall serve him or keep his holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of their life they shall be counted unto the Lord for a generation being regenerated by Water and the Holy Ghost in Baptism whereby they are made Members of Christ Children of God and Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven 32. They shall come being admitted into the glorious Communion of his blessed Saints and the Heavens both above and below both the Church Triumphant and Militant shall declare his righteousness His Mercies promised and performed in the Redemption of the world shall be proclaimed to all succeeding generations to a people that shall be born new born in and through all the Ages of the Church whom the Lord hath made his own peculiar people whose mouths are filled with his praise for ever saying Glory be to God the Father As it was in the beginning In the Greek Liturgy the people pray in the words of the Thief upon the Cross Lord remember us in thy Kingdom The Priest answers God be mindful of every one of us in his Kingdom both now and always for ever and ever Amen In the Mozarabick Liturgy I. By the wood of a Tree was Adam banished out of Paradise and from the Tree of wood the Cross the Thief that was crucified with our Lord ascended into Paradise The one by eating the forbidden Fruit transgrest the Law of his Maker the other confessed Christ in his Crucifixion to be the Lord of Heaven saying Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom II. Grant unto us O Lord the Repentance of the Thief upon the Cross and grant that we may with the like Faith call upon thee our Lord of great and much mercy saying Lord remember us in thy Kingdom III. Lord thou hast made us in the image of thine ineffable Glory which we have much defaced by the black marks of our many Falls have mercy upon the work of thine hands sanctify us of thy great goodness and restore us to our much-desired Country the celestial Paradise Lord remember us in thy Kingdom CHAP. VIII Meditations and Praiers preparatory to the Blessed Sacrament on saturday-Saturday-night or sunday-Sunday-morning before I. THOU art now invited O my Soul to such a Banquet as Heaven and Earth affords not the like 'T is the precious Body and Bloud of thy dear Redeemer which he first gave to be the price of thy Redemption and now gives again to be thy food and nourishment Teach me O Lord by thy Holy Spirit Out of St. Ambrose to understand and believe and ever to conceive and speak of those great and wonderful Mysteries and this day to receive the same with that Faith and Esteem Humility and Contrition holy Desires and Resolutions Reverence and Devotion as may please thee and conduce to my Soul's Salvation Empty my heart of all vain idle wandring Thoughts and of all filthy and unfruitfull Lusts Take from me this Heart of stone and give me an heart of flesh a soft and melting heart to fear thee love thee honour thee delight in thee and so to follow thee that I may be for ever happy in the enjoyment of thee II. O Holy crucified Jesus Out of St. Aug. Man ca. 11. I humbly beg by that sacred effusion of thy most precious Blead give unto thy Servant the effusion of Tears with compunction of spirit when I approach thine Altar to partake of that celestial Sacrament worthy of all Reverence and the most inflamed Devotion which thou O Lord God didst institute and command to be received in commemoration of thine infinite Love in dying for us and for the reparations of our manifold infirmities and daily failings Grant me Blessed Lord Out of T. Aquin. not onely to receive that Sacrament in the outward Elements but in the virtue and power thereof not Bread and Wine alone but the Body and Bloud of my Jesus to the Remission of all my Sins and to all other the Benefits of his Death and Passion for me III. The whole need not a Physician Out of T. Aquin. but they that are sick And such am I a diseased sin-sick Soul and as sick I now go to my Physician as a Sinner to the Redeemer of fallen Man as miserable to the Father of Mercy as unclean to the fountain of Purity as poor and needy to the Lord of all Bounty as blind and ignorant to the Brightness and splendour of Spirits as infirm and weak to the Strength of Israel And oh that it may please thee to enlighten my Darkness to heal all my Infirmities to inrich my Poverty to strengthen my Weakness to wash away all my Uncleanness and by the Communion of thy precious Body and Bloud to cleanse me from all Filthiness both of flesh and spirit that I may perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. IV. Thou didst offer up thy self Out of Tho. a Kempis Blessed Jesus even thy whole self upon the Altar of the Cross a Sacrifice for my Sins no Member of thy Body not tormented no Power of thy Soul not sacrificed no Drop of thy Bloud not shed for me a miserable Sinner 'T is therefore most just and meet and my bounden Duty that I should offer up my self my whole self to thee and to thy service for I am not mine own being bought with a price and such a price as transcends the value of all that the whole Heavens and Earth afford beside Whatever I offer unto thee O Lord though it be all that I do enjoy in the world with my Praiers for all it will not be accepted without the offering of my self for 't is not mine but me not all that is without me but all that is within me thou requirest as the price of thy self to be enjoyed Receive me O Lord in the devout Participation of thy most holy Body and Bloud whereunto I am now invited Guard me O Lord with the pious custody and strong defence of thy holy Angels invisibly present and assistent in the transaction of those tremend Mysteries of Godliness and Salvation that the enemies of all that is holy and good may be thence driven back with shame and confusion In all the holy Actions of that sacred celestial Service make me sensible of the sweetness of thy presence with me that I may taste and see how gracious the Lord is a Psal 34.8 be satisfied with the plenteousness of thy house and drink of thy pleasures as out of a river For with thee is the Well of life and in thy light shall we see light b Psal 36.8 9. O send out thy light and thy truth that they may lead me and bring me to thy holy hill and to thy dwelling and that I may goe unto the Altar of God even the God of my joy and gladness and upon the
THE PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN Divided into FOUR PARTS I. The Practice of Self-examination and a Form of Confession fitted thereunto the Lord's Praier and Penitential Psalms paraphrased with Meditations and Praiers to be made partakers of Christ's Merits II. Directions Meditations and Praiers in order to the worthy Receiving of the Holy Communion of the Body and Bloud of Christ III. Meditations with Psalms for the Hours of Praier the ordinary Actions of Day and Night with other Religious Considerations and Concerns IV. Meditations with Psalms upon the Four 〈◊〉 things 1. Death 2. Judgment 3. Hell 4. Heaâ—â—â— The Third and Fourth Parts make the Second Volume formerly called the Second Part. By R. SHERLOCK D. D. Rector of Winwick Omne tempus in quo de Deo non cogitas hoc te computa perdidisse LONDON Printed by E. Flesher for R. Royston Bookseller to His most Sacred Majesty at the Angel in Amen-corner MDCLXXVII To the Parishioners of Winwick in Lancashire Good People THE Cure of your Souls being by 〈◊〉 Divine Providence incumbent upon Me very unfit to undergoe so great a Chaâ— especially considering the Liberty which 〈◊〉 men do now assume in the way of Religion In the discharge of my Duty though 〈◊〉 not say I have been so prudent and diâ—â—gent as the high and holy nature of my Funâ—â—â—â— requires yet you know I have not omitteâ— frequently to put you in mind which is on principal part of my Office of the whoâ— Will of God in the carefull observancâ— whereof the Health of your Souls consisteth The Contents of God's revealed Will being delivered and disporsed through thâ— whole Body of Holy Scriptures are collected and summed up into general Heads by the Church of Christ in her Catechism thâ— which though by a strange Fanatick humouâ— it be slighted and even derided yet contains all things both of Faith and Fact necessary to Salvation being rightly clearly â—nd fully understood Did you therefore rightly understand â—nd seriously consider wherein your Soul's Health and Edification chiefly consists you â—ould be better pleased with the frequency â—f Catechizing and be more versed in those â—ssentials of Religion then in the hearing 〈◊〉 many Sermons which are of less concernâ—â—â— have not spared my Pains in Preaching â—or my Purse in the maintenance of others â— assist me herein But by long experience it is evident that Sermons what through â—he Variety severall Modes and Methods on â—he one hand and what through the great abuse thereof on the other have not that â—nfluence upon the minds of men as becometh â—ound Doctrine but have too much sway with men of itching ears who heap to â—hemselves Teachers after their own â—usts who upon Pretence of going on to â—erfection goe off the Foundation wax â—ain in their imaginations and their fooâ—â—sh hearts are darkned whilst they conceit â—hemselves enlightned And therefore for your more ready easy and constant instruction I have committed to writing and made publick the Summary of Christian Doctrine in the Church-Catechism paraphrased And because Doctrine without Practice is but a Body of Religion without a Soul to quicken it I have here added a Summary of Christian Practice in the insuing Rules of Self-examination which will equally discover unto you your Sins and Miscarriages past and serve for a Guide to direct you in the future ordering of all the Actions of your lives in the ways of Godliness In both which Summaries I have endeavoured to be both brief and plain delivering onely what I conceive generally necessary to Salvation and expressing the same in the most easy way to be understood as knowing that multitude of words various acute and quaint affected expressions especially in the Essentials of Religion though they may more please do not so much profit nay they do really rather distract then instruct the minds of most For it is not the rattling of the Leaves but the Fruits of the Tree of knowledge that feed the Soul to life eternall The Praiers prescribed upon any the insuing considerations are not by way of one long continued Oration without intermission but divided into severall shorter Praiers and this because 1. The heat of holy Zeal is hereby better maintained and kept flaming in the Soul whilst the ending of one Praier and beginning another adds new fervour to the Soul's Devotion 2. Long Praiers do tire the spirits clog the memory distract the mind and damp that celestiall fervour which is the life of all holy and acceptable Praiers 3. Such are all those Praiers which are truly the Praiers of God's Holy Spirit and stand upon record in Holy Writ they are all divided and cut short into so many distinct Verses as into so many several shorter Praiers 4. Thus Christ has commanded us to pray Matt. 6.7 8 9. And according to this patern the Praiers of Christ's Church even for the length thereof are generally framed My primary intention in the insuing Discourse was chiefly to direct you for the worthy Receiving of the Holy Communion of the Body and Bloud of Christ whereunto a through Self-examination is absolutely necessary And being desired to inlarge my Meditations upon that Blessed Sacrament I have therefore now divided the former Edition into Two Parts the First of Self-examination and the Second of the Holy Communion Wherein I must necessarily tell you that since the Danger of unworthy Receiving is equivalent with the Benefit of the worthy it therefore concerns every one of you that hath any sense and sincere care of his Soul's health as strictly to examine himself before he eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup as he believes he shall be examined before the great Tribunal of Heaven and accordingly to purge and purify his Soul by Confession Contrition and all the sacred Acts and Offices of true Repentance the practice whereof is in the following Leaves delivered Of the other Two Parts of the Practical Christian mentioned in the general Title-page you will have a farther account in the Preface thereunto I shall not farther enlarge this Epistle more then to pray that God may be pleased to assist you by his Divine grace carefully to observe such useful Instructions as be herein given you not vainly jangling and talking of Religion but according to the Covenant you have made with your God to keep his holy Will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the days of your life remembring who it is that has said it If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments Matt. 19.17 And that you may observe the one as the way to the other is and shall be the constant Praier of Your respective Pastour Ric. Sherlock A TABLE of the Chapters CHAP. I. Of the great necessity of Self-examination CHAP. II. The Rule of Self-examination by the Vow in Baptism CHAP. III. The Rule of Self-examination by the Creed or by the Second part of the Vow in Baptism To believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith CHAP. IV. The Rule of
infinite 4. For there is mercy with thee to forgive the sins of the penitent and to raise up them that are faln therefore shalt thou be feared or worshipped with reverence and godly fear thy mercy engaging and sweetly working upon our hearts to fear thy Name 5. I look for the Lord even for his saving mercy my soul doth wait for him to heal her soars and satisfie her longing desires with the oil and wine of mercy and consolation in his word is my trust for therein he hath promised to pardon the penitent to heal the broken-hearted And I doubt not but he will be as good as his word and therefore 6. My soul fleeth unto the Lord upon the spiritual wings of ardent desires strong hopes fervent prayers before the morning-watch very early in the morning of the day or in the morning of my life the time of my youth I say before the morning-watch or more carnestly then such who are appointed watch-men for the night do wait for the morning to be discharged from their watch and have liberty to repose themselves 7. O Israel Ye that are of the number of God's people members of his Church if you be wise trust not in your selves nor in others but trust in the Lord who never faileth to help them that put their trust in him and be doing good for with the Lord there is mercy There is there was and ever will be mercy with him to justifie sinners that truly repent and believe in him for his mercy endureth for ever and with him there is plenteous redemption His precious bloud whereby we are redeemed is plentifully sufficient to satisfie for our sins and not for ours onely but for the sins of the whole world 8. And he shall redeem Israel No doubt but he will more especially above all others redeem his own inheritance from all his sins Be they never so many mortal and venial if truly repented through Faith in the bloud of Christ they shall be pardoned And therefore we have great reason to give Glory to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. Psalm CXLIII Verse 1. HEar my prayer O Lord for the obtaining of what is good and consider my desire for the avoiding of what is evil hearken unto me in both respects for thy truth of thy promises made to hear the prayers of the humble and for thy righteousness sake in performing all such promises to those who trust not in their own but in thy righteousness condemning themselves that they may be absolved by thee 2. And enter not into judgment without any intermixture of mercy with thy servant O Lord I dare not say thy son but confess with the Prodigal that I have sinned against Heaven but reject me not from among the number of thy servants for in thy sight who art a God of purer eyes then to behold iniquity shall no man living in this frail mortal flesh be justified by his own merits but by the mercy of God through the merits of Christ 3. For the enemy the Devil hath persecuted my soul and doth incessantly undermine its innocence by his temptations and snares he hath smitten my life down to the ground so that my Soul grovels in the dust of earthly desires he hath laid me in the darkness involv'd in the night of secular lusts as the men that have been long dead in their trespasses and sins having no sense or feeling of their desperate condition 4. Therefore is my spirit vexed within me My Conscience within me being defiled and my Soul which would aspire to Heaven-ward depressed with the weight of her sins and the corruption of her flesh is a great corrosive and vexation of my spirit and my heart within me is desolate destitute of all consolation 5. Yet do I remember the time past wherein thy people have been exercised and tried both by adversity and prosperity both by temptations and deliverances and for my consolation and strengthning my hopes of deliverance I muse upon all thy works wherein I observe as thy great power and wisedom so thy mercy allaying the rigour of thy justice yea I enâ—â—ise my self in the works of thy hands wherein I find thy mercy to be over thy works and that I though an unprofitable work of thy hands may obtain mercy also 6. I stretch forth my hands unto thee both praying with my lips and working with my hands to obtain may petitions and my soul pours forth her self in the expansion of my hands which being in her self dry and barren of consolation gaspeth unto thee the fountain of living waters and well-spring of Divine graces even as a thirsty land gapeth to be fill'd and satisfied with rain from Heaven 7. Hear me O Lord watering my thirsty Soul with the celestial dew of thy Divine grace and that soon delay not to satisfie the thirst of my soul which is great for my spirit waxeth faint hath lost its wonted fersour of devotion being oppressed with the burthen of her sins and destitute of the sweet refreshments and influences of thy Holy Spirit hide not thy face from me as one turns away his face from his enemie or one with whom he is justly offended lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit If thou look not in mercy upon me I shall be in the same condition with them that are involved in the pit both of sin and of death 8. O let me hear be made sensible of thy loving kindness betimes in the morning early and betimes in this life and after the night of this life is ended in the morning of that day which never shall have end for in thee is my trust not in my self nor in any help of man for it is but vain and so will prove my trust in thee also except I obey thy will and walk in thy ways the which that I may do I humbly beg shew thou me the way of thy laws and the paths of thy Commandments wherein I should walk as leading to my native home of Heaven where my immortal Soul was first framed by the hands of the Almighty for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul which being made after thine Image aspires to become perfect in the beatifical vision and fruition of thy sacred Majesty In which way being soar let and hindred it implores thy assistence saying 9. Deliver me from mine enemies O God both visible and invisible ghostly and bodily adversaries for I flee unto thee when assaulted by them to hide me under the covert of thy protection from all the storms of temptations which daily arise in the tumultuous sea of this life 10. Teach me who am naturally blind and careless of my duty to doe the thing that pleaseth thee not onely to know but to doe thy will not to follow mine own pleasure but what is pleasing and acceptable unto thee for thou art my God who hast created and redeemed me and that I may be
with the Minister and the Congregation in publick Praiers and Praises of God in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs in Confessions Thanksgivings and Benedictions as wherein chiefly the service of God consists Behold now praise the Lord all ye servants of the Lord ye that by night stand in the house of the Lord even in the Courts of the house of our God Lift up your hands in the Sanctuary and praise the Lord b Psal 134.1 2. As for me I will worship towards thy holy Temple and praise thy name c Psal 138.2 Thirdly as to your Carriage and Demeanour in the House of God you are commanded Keep thy foot when thou goest unto the house of God d Eccles. 5.1 enjoyning thee 1. to beware of all light unseemly indecent and irreverent carriage and to shew Humility and Devotion in all the Gestures of thy Outward man bowing down thy self and kneeling before the Lord thy Maker * Psal 95.6 before him who made both thy Body and Soul and joyned them together that they might be joyned in his Service So worshipped the people of God the whole congregation bowed themselves with their faces to the ground f 2 Chron. 7.3 And so all good people resolve to doe We will goe into his tabernacle and fall low on our knees before his footstool g Psal 132.7 2. The foot of the Inward man must also and chiefly be kept upright in the House of God Thy Affections are the feet or motions of thy Soul these must be kept free from all secular Cares pure from all sensuall Lusts clean from all wanton wicked Inclinations yea from all Thoughts of any worldly concerns For ye cannot serve God and Mammon h Matt. 6.24 In the High-priest's forehead was engraven in a plate of gold Holiness to the Lord i Exod. 28.36 and every ordinary Priest was commanded to wash before he entred into the Sanctuary k Exod. 30.19 20. intimating that exact Purity and Holiness which is required of all both Priests and people when we approach the presence of the Lord in his holy Temple So saith the holy man of God Holiness becometh thy house O Lord for ever l Psal 93.5 and he resolves accordingly I will wash my hands in innocency and so will I goe to thine Altar m Psal 26.6 Be not slothfull and negligent averse and careless backward and tardy in coming to the Church for many and mischievous are the Consequents of coming late For 1. you rob your self of the opportunity of your private Praiers for a Blessing upon the publick 2. You lose the benefit of the publick Confession and Absolution which are of high esteem and value to all who are wisely Religious And 3. to deprive your self wittingly and willingly of any part of God's publick Worship is both a sin and a loss of so great an account as cannot easily be exprest or will be ordinarily believed Against such sinfull sloth and neglect endeavour to have imprinted in your heart the love of God's House and of his Service there performed Say with the man after God's own heart Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth o Psal 26.8 I was glad when they said unto me We will goe unto the house of the Lord p Psal 122.1 Our feet stand in thy gates O Jerusalem q Verse 2. 1. When you come to the Church-door Consider that you are now upon entrance into the Presence-chamber of the Great King of the world whose Throne of glory is in Heaven above but his Throne of grace in his Temple here below Say then within your self Surely the Lord is in this place How dreadful is this place this is none other but the House of God this is the Gate of heaven r Gen. ◠16 17. O how amiable are thy dwellings thou Lord of hosts My soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh rejoyce in the living God Yea the sparrow hath found her an house and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young even thine Altars O Lord of hosts my King and my God Blessed are they who dwell in thy House they will be always praising thee †Psal 84.1 2 3 4. And most happy were I could I both esteem it and make it my greatest joy and constant labour of love to praise the Lord in his Temple 2. When you are entred and View the Baptisterion or Font Give hearty thanks unto God for your Christendom that by holy Baptism he hath called you to the state of Grace and Salvation through Jesus Christ and humbly beseech God to give you his grace to continue in the same to your life's end by the religious observance of that Vow which was so solemnly taken in your name the which you must now perform that you forfeit not the great privileges rewards and honours of being a Member of Christ a Child of God and an Heir of the Kingdom of Heaven 3. When you view the Pulpit Remember how many good Lessons you have received thence the which not being carefully practised will rise up in judgment against you in the great Day of your Triall Resolve therefore for the future to be a Doer of the Word and not a Hearer onely deceiving your own self 4. When you look up towards the Altar say What reward shall I give unto the Lord for all the benefits he hath done unto me I will receive the Cup of salvation offer the sacrifice of Thanksgiving for my Redemption and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord in the sight of all his people in the courts of the Lord's house even in the midst of thee O Jerusalem Praise the Lord t Psal 116.12 13 14 18 19. Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning 5. When you come to your Seat kneeling down pray I. Praier Let thy merciful ears O Lord be open to the praiers of thy humble servants and grant that what we ask faithfully we may obtain effectually through Jesus Christ II. Prayer O God forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts and more especially be assistent to us in all the holy actions of this day through Jesus Christ III. Prayer And since by reason of our Sins we are unworthy to offer up any Sacrifice to so pure a Majesty grant mercifull Lord both to me and to all thy faithfull people pardon and peace that being cleansed from all our Sins we may serve thee with a quiet mind through Jesus Christ Directions relating to some parts of the publick Worship AS soon as the Minister begins with the publick Worship all your private Meditations and Praiers must be waved and your mind applied to attend diligently and to joyn devoutly in
Self-examination by the Decalogue or by the Third part of the Vow in Baptism To keep God's Holy Will and Commandments c. CHAP. V. The Examination of Religious actions CHAP. VI. The Examination of Repentance CHAP. VII Considerations with Directions in the Confession of Sin CHAP. VIII A Form of Confession of Sin fitted to the Rules of Self-examination whereunto every one may adde or substract as he finds himself guilty or not guilty CHAP. IX An ancient Form of Confession extant Biblioth Patrum CHAP. X. The Lord's Praier paraphrased CHAP. XI The Seven Penitential Psalms paraphrased CHAP. XII Meditations and Praiers to be partakers of the Merits of what our Blessed Redeemer hath done and suffered for us Pag. 195. l. 26. for Christ's number read this number p. 200. l. 27. for his read this THE PRACTICAL Christian PART I. CHAP. I. Of the great necessity of SELF-EXAMINATION 1. WHosoever believes as a Christian his Soul to be immortall being either entitled to everlasting Joy through Faith and Obedience to the Gospell of Christ or liable to eternall Woe through Disobedience and Misbelief a Joh. 5.28 29. must be very stupid and sottish if he do not frequently examine himself b Psal 4.4 2 Cor. 13.5 Gal. 6.4 whether he may reasonably conclude â—he is in the state of Grace and Salvation or of Sin and of Death the wages whereof c Rom. 6.23 2. That every man should know himself is such a fundamentall principle of true wisedom that wise men of old affirmed Nosce teipsum to be a command immediately derived to the sons of men by a voice from Hea ven as being absolutely necessary to the right guidance of all the actions of humane life upon earth 3. The reasonable Soul were it not debauched by the sensuall appetite and distracted by the hurry of exorbitant desires could not but often remember her self examine and call to mind the Authour and End of her Being the immortality and dignity of her nature what is her errand into this world and how she shall subsist in the world to come what is her chiefest Good and wherein her perfection and felicity consists which cannot be to eat and drink and sleep purchase lands build houses satisfy the lusts of the flesh swell with pride of life She would consider that she is stampt after the Image of God and her Happiness consists in the knowledge love and enjoyment of the Divine Majesty and in the imitation and representation according to her modell of the Perfections of the Godhead But alas vain man being in honour hath no understanding considers not the honour of his being after the Image of his Maker but receives his Divine immortall Soul in vain whilst he follows the sway of his sensuall irrationall appetite and is compared to the beasts that perish d Psal 49.12 4. And well it were for all such inconsiderate and imprudent persons if their Souls were as perishing and mortall as those which animate the beasts of the field But â—o their eternall sorrow 't is far otherwise for there is an account to be given by every man of his immortal Soul and of the Image of God stamped thereupon viz. how this blessed Image hath been either defaced or kept undefiled how it hath been obscured or how shined how deformed or how beautified through all the actions of each man's life For God will bring every work into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evill * Eccles. 12.14 Rom. 2.16 and 14.10 2 Cor. 5.10 5. Upon every man's Examination both in his particular and in the generall Judgment depends his everlasting well-being or undoing for ever each man's condition then shall be unchangeable whether it be of glory or misery They that have done good shall go into everlasting life and they that have done evill into everlasting fire f Matth. 25.46 6. Since this great Triall then shall be upon life and death eternall 't wil be wisely done to try beforehand Such is the advice of the wise Siracides Before judgment examine thy self and in the day of visitation thou shalt find mercy g Ecclus. 18.20 To examine accuse judge and condemn thy self in this life may through the merits of Christ acquit thee in the life to come So saith the Apostle If we would judge our selves we should not be judged h 1 Cor. 11.31 7. Now then sinfull man delay not to pass judgment upon thy self remember that the Great Judge himself hath said it I will reprove thee and set before thee the things that thou hast done i Psal 50.21 Be wise then and prevent this sad and dismall reproof by setting in order before thy self all the Sins of thy life And to this Triall of thy self these following particulars do necessarily concur 1. A Tribunall must be erected and this is not to be without thee but within thee even in thine own heart k 1 Joh. 3.20 21. 2. The Judge to sit upon this Seat of judicature must be thy Reason guided by the Law of the most High wherein beware of a misunderstanding and wresting of the letter of the Law to pass any unjust and partiall sentence upon thy self for that may undoe thee for ever l 2 Pet. 3.16 3. The Witnesses to be produc'd against thee are the Conscience bearing witness and the thoughts the mean while accusing or excusing one another and thus shall it be also in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Christ Jesus m Rom. 2.15 16. 4. The Executioners that stand ready to seize the Criminall are Fear and terrour and an horrible dread overwhelming the Soul n Phil. 2.12 Psal 55.5 These do ever attend 5. Self-condemnation which is an unfeigned and sad acknowledgment to have incurred the dismall Sentence of condemnation to death eternall To prevent which 6. Execution must be done and the bloud of the guilty Soul must be shed 'T is not to be believ'd or hoped that a black diseased Soul should recover its health and beauty after the Image of God except she bleed plentifully bleed in the tears of Compunction and godly sorrow bleed in the Confession of her Sins with an abhorrence of them for the filthiness guilt and danger contracted by them so as for the future to renounce and abjure them for ever 8. Thus to examine judge and condemn thy self is the same Christian duty which is called Repentance without the practice whereof our Lord positively affirms that we are all undone for ever saying Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish o Luk. 13.3 5. And he saith the same words again at the same time and in the same Text recorded 1. to enforce the great necessity of Repentance against all carnall careless self-conceited and seduced persons 2. to manifest his great goodness who would not have any to perish but that all should come to Repentance p 2 Pet. 3.9 9.
and throughly transacted except your Prayers be joyned with Fasting That great day of expiation commanded by God for the putting away of Sin was a Fasting-day and for this corporall mortification Lev. 16.29 30. Isa 58 3 5. Joel 2.12 Matt. 17.21 Luk. 2.37 as well as for the spiritual compunction 't was called a day wherein to afflict the Soul The many admonitions and examples of Fasting both in the Old and New Testament and its frequent conjunction with Praier may sufficiently convince us of the necessity of this Duty when we implore the pardon of our Sins as also of other acts of Mortification for the taming and subduing of the flesh 1 Cor. 9.27 Gal. 5.17 which hath so shamefully rebelled against the spirit as in the through Confession of Sins is acknowledged 13. That you may be both humbled for your Sins and yet not despair of mercy and forgiveness meditate upon the bitter Sorrows and Sufferings of our Blessed Redeemer Behold him with the eye of Faith and devout Meditation expanded on the Cross as on a Tormenting-rack see him naked and racked and wounded and bleeding for thy Sins no part of his Body untormented no power of his Soul unsacrific'd no drop of his Bloud unshed for thine offences His tender Skin and delicate Flesh was torn and rent and razed by cruell lashes with forked whips his Head crowned with thorns the curse of the earth his Sinews crackt his Veins burst his Joynts disparted and all his Bones started aside whilst in the midst of these torments he offered up his Soul a Sacrifice for thy Sins And 't is this precious Bloud thus shed and applied to thy heart if any thing will mollify its hardness and melt thee into tears of Compunction for thy Sins the cause of thy Saviour's Sufferings into tears of Compassion with thy Redeemer in his Passion for thee into tears of Devotion in the dedication of thy whole self unto the service of his Majesty who gave himself wholly to redeem and save thee And because Meditations upon this subject are of all others most effectuall to excite Compunction and Devotion in the heart and to obtain mercy I have therefore annexed some short Meditations on the severall Mysteries of our Redemption and our Saviour's Passion wherein every one may enlarge himself as his Devotion shall suggest 14. In the Confession of your Sins as in every of your set solemn constant Praiers unto God 't will be very imprudent and too presumptuous to trust to your own extempore expressions and boldly say onely what at present comes into your mind for this is to be as one of them that tempt the Lord. Ecclus. 18.23 Eccles. 5.1 2. And by such rash inconsiderate addresses you offer to the All-wise God the sacrifice of fools There 's no Malefactour that petitions his Judge for the pardon of his crime but will pen his Petition and study to doe it in such words as are pertinent and not superfluous that he offend not by any tedious prolix or unnecessary expressions And we cannot surely be less considerate and carefull when we petition the Great Judge of the world for the pardon of our Sins which would otherwise sink our Souls to eternall honour For the right performance therefore of a Duty of so high concernment Dan. 9.4 c. Hos 14.2 3. Baruc. 1.15 c. Luke 15.18 21. we have many Forms of Confession upon record in the Book of God and other books of practicall Devotion both ancient and modern But because such generalls reach not punctually to the particulars of Self-examination proposed I have hereunto added for the greater ease of the Reader a Form of Confession whereunto every man may adde or diminish as his Conscience tells him he is guilty or not guilty also as he finds himself more or less guilty remembring to enlarge upon every general head of Confession the enumeration of all such particular Sins as relate thereunto And because there be few devout orthodox good Christians but are affected with what is ancient and primitive more then with the modes of new and modern Devotion I have therefore added one Form of Confession out of the Bibliotheca Patrum for its antiquity and the generall extent thereof 15. After the Confession of your Sins the most effectuall Praiers you can use for the Pardon of them are next to the Lord's Praier the Penitentiall Psalmes the praying whereof with understanding and devotion is truly and indeed to pray by the Holy Spirit of God Eph. 5.18 19. for such are undeniably the dictates of God's Holy Spirit I have therefore added the said Psalms with the Lord's Praier paraphrased that in the devout use thereof you may pray by the Spirit 1 Cor. 14.15 and pray with understanding also CHAP. VIII A Form of Confession of Sin fitted to the Rules of Self-examination whereunto every one may adde or substract as he finds himself guilty or not guilty In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen BUT I am unworthy O Lord to take thy Holy Name in my mouth ashamed to lift up mine eyes to Heaven for I have sinned against Heaven and before thee in that I have daily broken my Vow and Promise made unto the God of Heaven Sins against the Baptismal Vow in general To renounce the Devil and all his works I am unworthy to be called thy Son having obeyed the suggestions and done the works of the Devil and I do therefore justly deserve as a child of the Devil to have my portion with him and his Angels for with those Apostate spirits I have not kept to my first estate of Regeneration in Baptism but have transgressed all the particulars of that Covenant which I made with my God therein God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have suffered my foolish heart to be deceived with the Pomps and Vanities of this transitory life The Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and have been more enamour'd with the empty gaudy flattering felicities of this present World then with those never-fading joys and unspeakable glories of the World to come God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner The Pride of life hath ensnared me more to affect the praise of men then the praise of God and the Lust of the eyes hath bewitched me to prefer the love and service of Mammon before the love and fear and service of my Maker God be mercifull to me a sinner I have more readily obeyed the sinful lusts of the flesh And all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh then the godly motions of the Spirit and carnal Concupiscence hath reigned in my heart and prevailed in the actions of my life against the dictates both of right Reason and holy Religion Have mercy upon me O God after thy great goodness and according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences through Jesus Christ Amen I have not been so careful as
throughly sanctified let thy loving Spirit the Spirit of love and verity lead me forth in the straight direct way that leads into the land of righteousness That 's the promised Land the celestial Canaan where alone is perfect everlasting righteousness in the blissful presence of the God of righteousness 11. Quicken me O Lord who am dull and dead-hearted and faint in the way towards the land of the living for thy name's sake which I invoke and adore and for thy righteousness sake not for mine which is little and good for little bring my soul out of trouble delivering me from whatever disturbs the peace of my Soul and hinders her progress in the way to Heaven 12. And of thy goodness slay mine enemies Mortifie in me all unruly lusts and passions that rebell against Reason and Religion and destroy all them that vex my soul by exciting and fomenting the flesh against the spirit the sensual against her rational faculties that the whole may be obedient unto thee for I am thy servant Created Redeemed not to serve my own lusts and exorbitant passions but to be Sanctified or devoted wholly to serve thee in holiness and righteousness before thee all the days of my life And so shall my Soul praise thee with joyfull lips and say Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning I. O most just and merciful God who being by Sin offended art by true Repentance appeased be propitious to the Prayers of thy faithful people and in great mercy turn away from us those scourges of thy wrath which our sins have justly deserved through Jesus Christ our Lord. II. Remember not Lord our offences nor the offences of our fore-fathers neither take thou vengeance of our sins but spare us good Lord spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious bloud and be not angry with us for ever III. O God whose nature and property it is ever to have mercy and to forgive receive our humble Petitions and though we be tied and bound with the chain of our sins yet let the pitifulness of thy great mercy loose us for the honour of Jesus Christ our Mediatour and Advocate Amen CHAP. XII Meditations and Prayers to be partakers of the Merits of what our Blessed Redeemer hath done and suffered for us O Most Holy and ever-Blessed Jesus The Incarnation of the Son of God who vouchsafedst for the redemption of mankind to be made Man by the blessed merits of thy mysterious Incarnation grant me to become one Spirit with thee who becamest one flesh with me Thou Blessed Lord Nativity wert miraculously born of a pure immaculate Virgin by the power of the Holy Ghost overshadowing her grant me by the same power of the most High to possess a pure virgin Soul in a pure and chast body and to be fruitful in all good works Holy Jesus Circumcision who vouchsafedst to be circumcised the eighth day and made obedient to the Law for man grant unto me I humbly beg the true circumcision of the Spirit that my heart and all my members may be mortified from all carnal and worldly lusts and whatever hinders my regular obedience to thy most holy Laws By the merits and mysteries of thy Baptism in the river Jordan Baptism wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sins whereby I have unhallowed those sacred and saving waters of my Baptism and perjuriously broken my Vow and Promise made therein Holy Jesus Fasting who didst fast forty days and forty nights forgive me the manifold acts of Gluttony and Drunkenness Riot and Excess whereof I have been guilty and by the virtue and power of thy miraculous Fast grant me the mastery over my rebellious appetite to live soberly that I may also live righteously and godly in this present world Holy Jesus Temptation who being fasting wast tempted of the Devil and overcamest him grant me by the influences of thy Blessed Spirit so devoutly to intend the holy duties of Fasting and Prayer that by the power of thy victory over the Devil I may have strength and power to triumph over the Devil the world and the flesh and to continue thy faithful servant and souldier to my life's end Holy Jesus Doctrine and Example who being inaugurated in thy Prophetical office by Baptism and confirmed by the vanquishment of the Devil wentest about preaching the Gospel doing good healing all manner of sickness and all manner of diseases amongst the people being by thy doctrine and example the Way and the Truth that leads unto Life grant me to believe aright all thy Revelations to obey all thy Commands to walk in thy steps and so to follow thee the Light of the world that I walk not in darkness but may have the light of life Holy Jesus He is conspir'd against and betrayed who didst condescend to have thy precious life conspired against by the Jews and to be betrayed and sold by one of thine own Disciples for a vile price deliver me from the conspiracies of all mine enemies ghostly and bodily and specially from the treachery and corruption of mine own deceitful heart and from the rebellion of my flesh which for vile things and of no value daily betray my Soul into the hands and under the power and bondage of Sin and Satan the great enemies of my life in Grace and Glory Holy Jesus His Agonie in the Garden who didst begin thy last and bitter passion in a Garden where thy innocent Soul was sorrowful even unto death sanctifie I beseech thee all my natural infirmities and passions comfort me in all my troubles and disquietudes of mind and make me sensible with godly sorrow of that heavy wrath and curse for Sin which thou sufferedst and I deserved Holy Jesus Bloudy swear who didst prostrate thy self upon the cold earth sweating drops of bloud under the pressure of our sins and out of a sad apprehension of thy ensuing sufferings offering up strong â—â—ies with tears unto him that is able to save O that my heart might inwardly bleed tears of compassion and of compunction and vent it self by such fervent and effectuall prayers with tears of devotion as to be heard in Heaven and healed of all my sinfull infirmities Holy Jesus Submission to the will of God who with all sweetness of patience and submission didst give up thy self wholly to the will of thy Heavenly Father endue me with the same spirit of lowliness and meckness patience and contentedness in all conditions submitting to the good will of my God both in prosperity and adversity health and sickness life and death Holy Jesus Apprehension who didst yield thy self to be apprehended when thou mightest escape and to be bound as a Malefactour being clearer then an Angel of light O let not my Soul be feised by any infernal Fiends to eternal horrour in the other world But out of the sangs and clutches of all the
which being plainly fully and yet very briefly taught in our Church-Catechism to be therefore ignorant of these things which every Child is bound to learn and say is another Species of an unworthy Communicant 3. He discerns not this Sacramental Body of the Lord who prepares not himself to receive the same with all reverence and godly fear t Heb. 12.28 with hands washed in innocency v Psal 26.6 and into a pure and clean heart x Isa 1.16 Psal 24.4 into a Soul cleansed from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit y 2 Cor. 7.1 and perfumed as was our Lord's crucified Body with the sweet odours of Humility and Compunction of Love and Devotion of Obedience and Charity And hereunto all the parts and kinds of true Repentance do necessarily concur for there can be no cleanness of hands no purity of heart if the naturally stiff and proud heart be not first humbled and its stifness broken with godly sorrow for sin and its filthiness washed off with the devout tears of true Penitence through Faith in the bloud of Christ And he that receives Christ's Holy Body and Bloud into his Soul not first emptied of all his Sins by holy Faith and all the sacred offices of true Repentance doth with Judas betray his Master into the hands of his enemies even those very enemies which crucified him for those were our Sins And therefore 't is said of such unworthy Receivers that they are guilty of the Body and Bloud of Christ To avoid such a horrid Sin 1 Cor. 11.27 and Damnation following the same v. 29. betwixt both Verses 't is commanded v. 28. Let a man examine himself and so let him eat Self-examination as 't is in the former Leaves prescribed to be practised is the first and the greatest Duty and requires the most of spiritual labour care and industry of all that is required to the worthy Receiving of the Holy Communion And this because 't is not onely necessary in it self but necessarily conducing to the sincere performance of all the other Religious Duties commanded Our Repentance in all its parts our Humiliation and godly Sorrow for sin our holy Purposes and Resolves of amendment our Faith our Hope our Charity must be examined that they be sincere and without hypocrisy And therefore it is that this Duty is commanded by the Apostle as if it were alone sufficient when sincerely performed to make us acceptable Guests at the Lord's Table saying Let a man examine himself and so let him eat And indeed this so great so necessary a Duty is as greatly extolled and withall pretended unto by most men especially such as talk much of their Religion but practise little 'T is generally the pretence and the plea of such who cry up Self-examination to cry down the Sacerdotal power and function to withdraw themselves from under the guidance and examination of their respective Pastours whose Instructions being not received or observed but so far forth as to every man seemeth good in his own eyes is the great reason why this grand Duty is so generally neglected or negligently performed The which is manifest 1. From the numerous company of those who make no conscience of coming to the Holy Communion when invited 'T is not possible that men otherwise prudent as to their worldly concerns should yet be so sottish so retchless so stupidly careless of their eternal health and happiness did they ever seriously examine and consider the state and condition of their Souls But whilst they know not themselves in their spiritual wants weakness and wickedness how can they have any desire much lesse a delight to come to the fountain of mercy truth and holiness z Wisedom 2 21 22. Matt. 5.6 'T is the reason 2. Why many persons having received the Sacrament but feeling no virtue no efficacy no power of grace no consolation flowing from these celestral Mysteries of Salvation have therefore afterwards slighted and neglected the same For whilst their ignorances and errours whether in opinion or practice for want of due Examination appeared not unto them that Sun of Righteousness shined not into their hearts who appears not but through the windows and the openings of broken hearts and displayed consciences a Wised 5.6 And besides such is the corrupt nature of all finfulness and vice that if the leaven thereof be not narrowly searched out and abandoned it will sour the Bread of life and make it without any tast of sweetness to the Soul b 1 Cor. 5.7 8. 'T is the reason 3. Why many persons have by the receiving of that Blessed Sacrament been more hardened in their sins and in the errours of their ways For errours in judgment and offences in conversation which are the soars and diseases of the Soul being not searched to the bottom and salved by Repentance and the acknowledgement of the Truth c 2 Tim. 2.25 do change the spiritual food and nourishment of the Soul into the poison thereof whereby what was ordained unto life is found unto death d Rom. 7.10 CHAP. II. Meditations and Praiers preparatory to the Holy Communion the Week before THE truly sincere good Christian whose Faith is not in Fancy or Opinion or Presumption or consisting in word and tongue alone but in deed and in truth who desires truly to serve God and to honour and obey him with his whole heart and through his whole life every such qualified Christian will as soon as he hath notice given by his Pastour of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to be administred seriously apply himself to the great work of fitting preparing and ordering his Soul for the joyfull and devout entertainment of his Blessed Redeemer thereinto In order to such a Blessed work 't will be very usefull and advantageous the whole Week foregoing to adde to your daily Praiers and Meditations these or the like following Collects with the Psalms ensuing I. Almighty God our heavenly Father who of thy tender mercy didst give thine onely Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the Cross for our Redemption and hast commanded us to continue a perpetual memory of that his precious Death untill his comiong again Hear me O mercifull Father I most humbly beseech thee and grant that I may with that right Understandingâ— true Faith sincere Repentance deep Humility and fervent Charity receive the Sacrament of my dear Saviour's Death accoridng to his institution and command that I may be made partaker of all the benefits of his Passion to the justification sanctification and eternal Salvation of my Soul through the same Jesus Christ II. I will not presume to approach thine Altar O Lord trusting in mine own Righteousness but in thy manifold and great Mercies I am not worthy to gather up the crums that fall from thy Table for I am an unclean creature to whom the Childrens bread belongs not having too often returned to my old Sins as the dog to his vomit But
whither Blessed Lord whither should a defiled Soul go to be cleansed but unto that Fountain which is opened in the house of Israel for sin and for uncleanness In this inexhaustible Fountain of Divine grace my sinfull Soul longs to be washed and through the effusion of the precious Bloud of my Redeemer to be purified and my whole self for the future to be sincerely devoted to serve thee in holiness and righteousness before thee all the days of my life Amen III. Assist me Blessed Lord in the Triall and impartial Examination of my heart and of all the actions of my life in the full Confession of all my Sins with the tears of true Penitence and godly Sorrow for them in my Praiers for mercy and pardon of them and for grace to be sanctified against them O hear in Heaven and be mercifull unto me forgive me my Sins and heal my Soul through the merits and mediation of my dearest Saviour Jesus Christ Amen A short preparatory Meditation to the Sacrament out of S. Ambrose O with what great contrition of heart with what a floud of tears with what reverence fear and trembling with what purity of mind and chastity of body is that Divine celestial Mystery to be celebrated where thy Flesh O Lord is truly received and thy Bloud is truly drunk where things most high and low Divine and humane are mysteriously intermingled where the Angels of Heaven are invisibly present beholding and assisting in the celebration and where thou O Lord art inconceivably present both as the Priest and the Sacrifice O who can worthily either administer or receive such grand tremend celestial Mysteries except Thou the Omnipotent God make him worthy of thy Grace Even so come Lord Jesus The XXIII Psalm paraphrased Verse 1. THE Lord who hath created redeemed and sanctified me is my Shepherd to feed guide and defend me from the ravening of my ghostly foes therefore I can lack nothing that is needfull or convenient either for Soul or body 2. He shall feed me in a green pasture My Soul doth he feed with the verdant refreshing Indoctrinations of his Holy Word and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort Such are the influences of the Holy Ghost the Comforter and such are the Sacraments of his Church which as waters do quench the fire of Concupiscence wash off the pollution of Sin cleanse the heart from all vain and impure thoughts and desires satisfy the spiritual thirst of the Soul and feed the same to life eternal and these be Comforts both great and glorious 3. He shall convert my soul from the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and from the sinfull Lusts of the Flesh and bring me forth into the paths of righteousness to keep God's holy Will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the days of my life and this he will doe for his Name 's sake that his Name which is great wonderfull and holy may be glorified in me and by me 4. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death be conversant amidst continual Temptations and Tribulations which are the miseries of mortality and the shadows of death in this valley of tears I will fear none evill neither the evil of Sin nor Death the wages of Sin for thou art with me dwelling in my heart by Faith in this mortal life that after the shadow of death is vanished I may dwell with thee by Vision in life immortal Aug. thy rod and thy staff comfort me thy rod to correct me thy staff to support me thy rod to punish me when I doe evill thy staff to sustain me in my sufferings for my Sins Both are great comforts to the devout Soul as being signs of Adoption and Grace purchased by the mystical Rod and Staff of my Saviour's Sufferings on the wood of his Cross This was the rod of the Lord's indignation for our Sins and the rod wherewithall our Lord beat the Devil out of his strong holds this was the staff also or stay of fallen Man the merits whereof I humbly beg to be applied to my Soul in the Sacrament of his Passion For 5. Thou shalt prepare a table before me The Table of the Lord is spred before all true Believers where is prepared the Bread of Heaven the food of Angels the Body and Bloud of Christ for the strengthning and refreshing of my Soul against them that trouble me and these are chiefly home-bred Enemies even all those sinful Lusts of the flesh which war against the Soul But that I may be prepared for the conflict with them thou hast anointed my head with oil The Unction of the Holy one are the Graces of the Holy Spirit which from Christ the Head do flow down upon his Members in the devout use of his Sacraments and my cup shall be full That Cup of blessing which is the Communion of the Bloud of Christ is full of grace and heavenly benediction And this in all humility I call my cup because I am invited nay commanded to take and drink thereof And if I receive it worthily I may then rejoycing say The Lord himself is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup and as it follows 6. Thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life 'T was thy loving-kindness and mercy preventing me whereby I was called unto the state of Grace and Salvation and I believe and humbly pray that thy Grace may also follow me to continue in the same to my life's end and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever This is the end and the perfection of all the Lord's Blessings upon me He is therefore my Shepherd and doth feed and guide me protect and defend me correct and support me and with his precious Body and Bloud doth nourish me in his house of praier here below that I may hereafter dwell in his house of praise above and with his holy Angels and Saints for ever sing Glory be to God the Father As it was in the beginning Other Psalms seasonable for Meditation and relating to this Divine subject in several Verses are the XLII XLIII LXXXI LXXXIV Psalms the which I have not paraphrased or explained that this Volume might not swell into too great a bulk CHAP. III. Meditations and Praiers for the Friday especially before the Communion 1. AMongst all the days of the Week Friday is the most seasonable and fittest for the performance of those Religious Duties the which though never out of season are yet then most practical when commanded as necessary Preparatives for the worthy receiving of the Sacrament viz. the grand Duty of Self-examination of Confession of sins with Contrition Humiliation and Fasting as also for Meditations and Praiers upon the Passion of our Lord since it was upon this day of the week he was crucified and died for our Sins 2. 'T is upon this account that our Church enjoyns this day to be observed through the whole
year as a day of Fasting and Abstinence and it was ever observed as such since our Lord died upon the Friday through all the Ages of the Church untill these last and worst of days wherein the evil spirit of contradiction against the Religious practices of Christ's Church doth so rage as amongst many others to cry down all Times and Days devoted to the Service of God except what they call the Sabbath-day the which under the Gospel is neither properly so called nor rightly observed by such as truly understand not the IV. Commandment but misinterpret the sound meaning of the Spirit by the killing Letter of the Law 3. All orthodox and understanding good Christians in stead of a Jewish Sabbath observe as festival and holy the Christian Sunday because the Sun of Righteousness arose upon that day from death to life and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel in which respect 't is frequently in Holy Scripture called the Lord's day 4. And there is the like reason for the observance of Friday as fasting in commemoration of Christ's Passion as there is for Sunday as festival in commemoration of his Resurrection Nor is this obscurely but plainly enough commanded by our Lord himself But the days will come when the Bridegroom shall be taken away from them and then shall they fast in those days a Luk. 5.35 These words are both 1. a positive command to all the Disciples of Christ they shall fast and also 2. the days whereon they shall fast are prescribed in those days whereon the Bridegroom was taken away from them which are the Fridays of the year whereon our Lord the Bridegroom and Head of his Church was taken off by a bitter death upon the Cross It is therefore but meet and just that all true Members of this Head should fast and pray and be humbled for their Sins on that day especially whereon the Son of God so sadly suffered and sorrowed for the Sins of the world Friday Meditations I. Part of LXIX Psalm paraphrased Verse 13. LORD I make my praier unto thee in an acceptable time Now is the acceptable time now is the day of Salvation even the day whereon for us men and for our Salvation the Blessed Son of God was crucified unto death 14. Hear me O God in the multitude of thy mercies against the multitude of my Sins which require a multitude of mercies to pardon them even in the truth of thy Salvation which on this day was so dearly purchased with the precious Bloud of the Son of God as a Lamb without spot 15. Take me out of the mire of all my sinfull pollutions and of all exorbitant lusts both secular and sensual that I sink not under the weight and pressure of them O let mâ— be delivered from them that hate me meaning chiefly the Devil and his angels and all the enemies of my Soul and out of the deep waters the rising waves of my unruly Passions and the waters of Trouble and Affliction which issue thence 16. Let not the water-floud of iniquity which overflows the face of the earth drown me with the rest of evill-doers neither let the deep swallow me up the deep abyss of Death the wages of Sin and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me so as that I arise not out of the gulph of Sin and Death to the life of Grace and Glory 17. Hear me O Lord for thy loâ—â—â— kindness is comfortable T is the 〈◊〉 and fountain life and soul of 〈◊〉 consolation at all times and in 〈◊〉 conditions both prosperous and adverse turn thee unto me not for any worth that is in me to attract thy loving-kindness but according to the multitude of thy mercies which are ever manifested to all them who truly turn unto thee 18. Hide not thy face from thy servant as angry and displeased for the alienations of my heart from thee and negligence in thy service for I am in trouble troubled for my Sins and frequent back-slidings and the sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit a broken and contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise O haste thee and hear me For if thou make as though thou hearest not I shall be like them that goe down into the pit 19. Draw nigh unto my Soal and save it who for the Salvation of my Soul didst this day humble thy self unto death even the cursed death of the Cross by the Merits and efficacy of which Cross and Passion O deliver me from all mine offences because of mine enemies that they triumph not in my confusion II. Meditations out of the Prophet Isaiah Chap. LIII Verse 4. SVrely he hath born our griefs and carried our serrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed 6. All we like sheep have gone astray and God hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all In the Sufferings of thy Saviour O my Soul thou maiest see as in a glass thine own Deformities and Sins The Great Lord over all Blessed for ever to be reproached reviled scorned contemned and numbred amongst the transgressours discovers thy false and uncharitable Judging Censuring Condemning Evil-speaking Lying and Slandering Railing and Reviling of others The blessed Face of Jesus besmeared with Spittle doth remember thee of all thy unclean Lusts and of all the filthy Communication that has proceeded out of thy mouth His blessed Mouth embittered with Gall and Vinegar doth mind thee of thy Effeminacy and Luxury Drunkenness and Gluttony and his Whipping of thy Stubbornness and Disobedience to the Laws of Heaven The King of Glory to wear a Crown of Thorns and for his Robes of Majesty onely a little Linen to cover his nakedness declares the iniquity of thy Pride and Vain-glory the folly of Gay cloathing and all thy vain and foolish affectation of the Pomps and Vanities of this sinfull World That Crown of Thorns beaten into his Temples with a Reed and much rage discovers the offensive nature of immoderate Cares of the world with the sharp and piercing Vexations issuing thence which eat up the Consolation of the heart and all true sincere Devotion of the spirit O sweetest Jesu let all my Sins be done away through thy Sufferings which did both represent and satisfy for them Let thy Wounds be a Salve for my Sin-wounded Soul and by thy Stripes let her be healed of all her Distempers Let thy Bonds discharge that Bond of malediction and woe wherein my Sins have enwrapt my Soul and let my Obligation to punishment be cancelled by thy Cross Let thy Pains deliver me from the Pains of Hell and thy Labours procure my Rest with the Saints in Heaven Let thy Sorrows purchase the Joys and thy Griefs the Pleasures of thy right hand Let thy Captivity be my Redemption thy Humiliation my Exaltation
every part and passage of Divine Service considering that this is the great End of your coming to Church and your business there is to serve the Lord with your Christian brethren in publick 1. Therefore when the Minister exhorts you out of the Word of God to confess and acknowledge your sins and wickedness harden not your heart but with all possible humility both of Body and Soul say after the Minister in the Confession of sin and to this and to every Praier or other act of Divine Worship where 't is prescribed neglect not to say Amen for that is as it were the seal to confirm to your Soul the Benefits thereof And the Hebrews have a saying that Whosoever says Amen with all his might opens the doors of Paradise 2. After the Confession when the Minister comes to the words of Absolution bow down your head and say softly in your heart Lord let this pardon pronounced by thy Minister fall upon my Soul and seal thereunto the forgiveness of all my sins 3. The Psalms and Hymns are to be answered verse for verse with the Minister that so all may joyn and bear a part in the Service of God for in his Temple doth every man speak of his honour v Psal 29.9 And 〈◊〉 although you cannot reade yet your heart may joyn with them that do reade and your mouth also may shew forth the praise of God by saying after every Psalm Glory be to the Father and to or else if it fall in course As it was in the beginning is now Adding always Amen to express how affectionately you desire the glory of God 4. Be not silent nor ashamed publickly and audibly to make confession of the holy Christian Faith when you are thereunto called by the Minister For this is a Duty you owe both to God and Man it is an act of God's Worship and a declaration that you hold the same Faith with all true Christians And therefore 't is required of you not onely with the heart to believe unto righteousness but that with the mouth also Confession be made unto salvation x Rom. 10.10 And when the Confession of Faith is publickly pronounced do not you sit or loll as if it concerned you not but stand up with the rest of the Congregation to signify and declare that you will stand to this Faith and earnestly contend for it as being the same which was once given to or by the Saints the holy Apostles 5. Be not so cold and careless in giving honour to God as not to bow at the name of Jesus for 't is a Duty positively commanded and universally practised by the Church and people of God in all Ages And therefore give no ear to those deceivable Criticisms corrupt Glosses and false Inferences which are too frequently but profanely urged to make void the commandment of God in the omission of this Religious practice If you hear any such allegations out of the Pulpit detest them the rather that any act of Religious worship should be spoken against in the place where whatever tends to the honour of God should be magnified and advanced 6. That you may not be tired with the length of the Divine Service consider 1. the great variety of its severall parts as consisting of Praiers and Praises Confessions Thanksgivings Invitations Lessons Admonitions all of which are with most admirable prudence and Religious wisedom so ordered and contrived to follow each other that so the ending of one and beginning of another may renew and re-enquicken your Devotion chearfully to joyn in all Remember 2. whose service it is you are a-doing and continue therein from the beginning to the end that you may reap the benefit of the whole Office both of the Absolution in the beginning and of the Blessing in the end and of the Amen's throughout CHAP. X. Meditations and Praiers at the Blessed Sacrament When you goe up to communicate COme unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will refresh you a Matt. 11.28 Thus calleth my Saviour upon Sinners whereunto my heart answereth I come Blessed Jesus in all humility and deeply sensible of my Sins I now come unto thee to be eased of the burthen of them and to be refreshed with the sense of thy Mercy and the truth of thy Salvation My heart hath talked of thee and of thy gracious command Seek ye my face Thy face Lord do I now seek O hide not thou thy face from me b Psal 27.8 9. under the clouds of my Sins neither let the thick clouds of my transgressions hinder the light of thy countenance from shining upon thy servant When you kneel down before the Altar Thou art worthy O Lord to receive blessing and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created c Rev. 4.11 Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisedom and strength and honour and glory and blessing d Rev. 5.12 Out of S. Chrysost Liturgy But I am unworthy his praise should come within my polluted lips and much more unworthy his precious Body and Bloud should be received into my Soul and unclean mouth But since he disdained not to be born in a Stable and to be laid in a Manger amongst Beasts * Luk. 2.7 since he vouchsafed to enter into the house of a Leper f Matt. 26.6 and of a Publican g Luk. 5.29 and to admit the kisses of an unclean Sinner such as I am washing his delicate Feet with her penitent Tears h Luk. 7.38 O vouchsafe most benign Jesus to receive me also reject me not though a Sinner yet thy Servant though unclean yet penitent and now humbling my self under thy most mighty hand That it may please thee to remit to release to pardon all my Sins whether of knowledge or ignorance whether by thought word or deed committed that with a pure and clean Soul I may receive thy most precious Body and Bloud Prayers out of several other Liturgies that the devout Reader may have the more choice and fix upon the use of such as he feels most enquickening his Devotion Out of S. James's Liturgy I. O Lord God the Bread of Heaven and Life of the World I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am not worthy to partake of thy most holy Mysteries yet vouchsafe mercifull Lord to make me worthy by thy grace that I may not receive thy Holy Body and Bloud to my condemnation but unto the remission of my Sins and everlasting life Amen II. I beseech thee O Lord Out of the R. B. that I may so worthily receive those sacred Mysteries of Salvation as to have Christ dwelling in my heart and that it may become the Temple of the Holy Ghost III. In the spirit of Humility and with a contrite heart receive me O Lord and may the Sacrifice which this day I offer up unto thee be