heartily zealous for and extremely tender of our Welfare with the Censer of his own Merits in his Hand to stop the Plague and apply sovereign and saving Remedies to our wounded and languishing Spirits He prays most affectionatly and incessantly for the Pardon of our Sins for the pity and care of our Infirmities Rom. 8.33 34. 1 Joh. 2.1 Heb. 4.14 15 16. for the relief of all our Necessities for the defence of our Persons for victory over Temptations for the Sanctification of our whole Nature for our nearer Union with him and the Father Joh. 14.16 Joh. 17.1 2 9 15 17 20 24. even in this World and for our future Glorification with him in Heaven and that eternally And this is our great Comfort and Happiness that if we be good Christians his Prayers will be successful for us and he will be no less concern'd for his Votaries now then formerly for the Shepherd of Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep Ps 121.4 but is the same merciful Intercessor for his Servants yesterday this day and for ever And as he prays effectually for us So 2 He is graciously pleas'd to offer up all our Prayers and holy Performances to God the Father for us And presents our Prayers to him Tota congregatio Societasque sanctorum offertur Deo per sacerdotem magnum Aug. de Civit. Dei Lib. 10. and Intercedes powerfully for their Reward and Acceptance All our spiritual Sacrifices as Confessions Petitions Thanksgivings Intercessions voluntary Restraints Self-resignations all our seasonable Words and Actions our pious Thoughts and Inclinations our virtuous and gracious Dispositions our Passions and Sufferings are continually offer'd up with all Earnestness and Importunity for their Acceptance by our compassionate faithful High-priest at the Throne of God's heavenly Grace And to encourage us herein tho' we sometimes fail in our Duties to God or Man and are drawn into Sin unawares by Infirmity or Surprize yet he pities and prays for our Pardon 1 Joh. 2.1 2. and if we be humble and penitent his redundant Merits will atone for the Pardon of our manifold Defects And indeed if we consider the many Slips and Infirmities we are daily guilty of and the great Neglects even in our best Performances we 've need of such a High-priest to intercede continually to the Father for us But here we must remarque That Christ prayeth not for the World not for those who are wilfully disobedient impenitent Joh. 17.9 Rev. 6.10 1 Ioh. 5.6 or who live in an habitual Course of Sin and Wickedness But does rather deprecate the Father against those wretched Enemies of his Church and Religion And as this may be a Terrour to the wicked and dissolute so it may be the greatest Incouragement imaginable to the conscientious and upright Christian It must therefore nearly concern us to be very prudent and circumspect in all our Duties both to God and Man lest by our Disobedience and Unbelief we lose our Propriety and Interest in those merciful Intercessions and omnipotent Prayers whereby if we be faithful obedient 't is impossible we should miscarry 3 By his meritorious Intercession if we comply with the recited Conditions he procures us a free Access by the Spirit unto the Father that we may present our Petitions our Selves for all things we stand in need of if we ask them in his Name For 't is by Christ only Ioh. 16 2â— 24 26 26 Rev. 8.3 that we come with Boldness to the Throne of Grace and have Admission into the holiest of all And if our devout and earnest Prayers be sprinkled with his Bloud and perfum'd by the Grace of his Merits and Intercession we need not doubt of their Reward and Acceptance with the Father for the sake of his dear Son Wherefore all our Prayers Thanksgivings c. must be concluded according to the Church's Prescription which is grounded upon Apostolical Practice in his Name To whom be ascrib'd all Honour and Glory now and for ever Now as Christ our most merciful High-priest doth powerfully and effectually intercede for us for the Acceptance of our Services and disposes us by his Grace to pray successfully for our Selves So 2dly He blesseth us Ps 84.11 He does sanctifie and Bless us both in our Souls and Bodies with the Abundance of his Grace and Glory For he blesseth us in our many temporal and spiritual Deliverances from the Temptations and Tyranny of Devils and wicked Men. He blesseth us in turning away every one of us from our Iniquities Acts 3.26 in sanctifying our whole Nature by the lively Influence and Operation of his holy Spirit and by the wonderful Effusions of his exciting preventing and restraining Grace whereby he keeps us back from Sin and makes us holy here as before that we may be happy for ever 'T is very observable since our blessed Saviour's Exaltation that his true and faithful Converts are far more expert in the Knowledge of Divine Mysteries more religious and circumspect in their Words and Actions more seraphic and affectionate in their Devotions And those very Slips and Indiscretions they are guilty of do seldom escape without some Regret and Reluctancy and are therefore doubtless consistent with the Sincerity of their regenerate State And that he will bless us immeasurably after this Life is most certain and evident from holy Scripture But we cannot yet comprehend the Degrees of that Blessedness and therefore 't is rather our Duty to Hope and wait for it with Patience then by a wanton Curiosity to pry too eagerly into that boundless and inconceivable Mystery 1 John 3.2 1 Cor. 2.9 Hitherto of the Intercessory Part of our Saviour's Melchisedekian Office which he is now transacting in Heaven for us Let us now apply this Point in two or three Instances And 1 We have not an absolute Title to the Privileges of our Saviour's Mediation in Heaven for us The Application of this Point for all the Promises of the Gospel as we 've noted at large in this Treatise are Conditional If we believe we shall be saved if we die with him we shall also live with him 2 Tim. 2.11 12 13. if we suffer with him we shall also reign with him c. And so on the contrary if we deny him he will also deny us c. Therefore we are oblig'd by the Laws of that New Covenant which Christ's now mediating in Heaven for us to believe repent pray read and meditate on the holy Scriptures hear God's Word receive the holy Sacraments and endeavour to be sincere in all Duties both to God and Man And that general Term of Godliness whereby we are rendred capable of the Blessings of this and a future Life does eminently comprehend all these nor have we any real Title to the Benefits of Christ's Mediatorship in Heaven but by our sincere Endeavour to observe and comply with these tolerable and easie Conditions Besides there can be no
Preservation of the King 's most excellent Majesty James the Second c. and all the Royal Family bless the whole Clergy but him especially whom thou hast appointed to watch over us in this Parish together with all the Nobility Gentry and Commonalty of this Realm that they may all become active Instruments for the Advancement of thy Glory the Safety and Preservation of the King's Person Honour and Interest and for the Comfort and Benefit of all his truly loyal peaceable obedient Subjects Visit we pray thee with thy Grace and Blessing all our Relations Friends and Benefactors forgive the Injuries committed against thee and us by all our Enemies Comfort and Support all distressed Persons with the stedfast Belief of sure Confidence in and a patient Submission to thy divine Will and Wisdom in all Straits and Sufferings whatsoever And now O Lord we return thee most humble and hearty Thanks for all those temporal and spiritual Blessings which make the time of our short abode in this Life more easie and comfortable to us But let our Souls for ever love adore admire and praise thee for thine infinite Goodness Bounty in sending thine own Son from the highest Region of Bliss to take our Nature upon him Who submitting to all the Indignities of a sorrowful Life and the Injuries and Tortures of a painful and accursed Death has not only deliver'd us from the dreadful and damning Effects of our Sin and Disobedience but puts us thereby into an undoubted Capacity of being sayed appointing the Use of such Means and affording us those most powerful Assistances whereby we may live comfortably here and be happy for ever We praise thee more particularly for the Safety and Refreshment of the Night past and since thy Providence has bless'd us with the Light of another Day keep our Souls and Bodies we beseech thee pure and undefiled and enable us to imploy it and the whole residue of our Lives to thy Glory and the real and mutual Benefit of of our selves and others So that after the few Dayes and Nights we have to pass in this World we may be happily translated from the short and troublesome Enjoyments thereof to the ravishing and immutable Pleasures of a future and better Life Grant these our most humble Suplications and what thou seest further needful and convenient for us we sincerely beg at thy hands for the Merits of Jesus Christ the righteous in whose holy Name and Words we pray unto thee Our Father c. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ c. An Evening Prayer for Families O Lord the Almighty Creator of the World and the merciful Redeemer of Mankind who seest our down lyings and uprisings and to whom the Darkness and Light are both alike Thou art a God of Infinite Purity and Holiness nor can any thing be added to thy admirable Perfections and essential Glory by us or any of thy Creatures for thou reprovest thy Angels of Folly and the Heavens are impure before thee much more might the sense of our wretched Estate and Condition make us justly asham'd and afraid to offer unto thee any Sacrifice yet in great Mercy to our Souls thou hearest Prayer and thy Power and Goodness are every where manifest in the visible Administrations of thy Providence We beseech thee therefore to accept of this Evening Oblation of our Souls and Bodies which we desire with all Humility to present a holy living and acceptable Sacrifice unto thee thro' Jesus Christ We do confess O Lord and in great bitterness of Spirit lament and bewail our detestable Impiety Unworthiness and hardness of Heart in that we have wilfully trampled upon thy Sovereign Power and Authority by violating and transgressing thy just and reasonable Commands rejecting all the bountiful Tenders of thy Grace and Mercy and obstinately despising the Riches of thy Forbearance and long suffering Patience which should lead us to Repentance But thou hast graciously spar'd us hitherto when we deserved Punishment and in the midst of Judgement thinkest upon Mercy Wherefore O Lord thy Mercy is our Sanctuary and unto thee do we flie for Succour Let the sense of our Vileness possess us with an holy Indignation against our Selves and give us Grace to look back upon the Offences of our former Lives with that horrour and regret hatred and detestation that neither our vile Lusts the illusions of Satan nor the alluring Enticements of this vain and transitory World may prevail with us to neglect the great Concernments of Eternity And for the perfecting of our present and future Happiness we beseech thee O heavenly Father to be gracious and merciful unto us in the forgivenness of all our Sins Pardon the vanity and impurity of our Thoughts the sinfulness of our prophane idle and impertinent Words and the Impurity injustice and Impiety of all our Actions Purge our whole Nature from the Stain and Pollution of the Old-man not only from grosser presumptuous Sins but even from our private Slips and more secret Corruptions Sanctifie us throughly by thy holy Spirit and we shall be clean wash us in thy Sons Bloud and we shall be whiter than Snow Bless all our Endeavours of Reformation and let the redundant Satisfaction of our meritorious Advocate and Intercessor prevail for our Release and Rescue for thy Grace and Acceptance Fix our thoughts our hopes and desires on Heaven and heavenly Things Make us watchful over our Ways and enrich our Understandings and our Wills with the love of Goodness and Knowledge of thy Truth Mortifie and subdue all our lustful Appetites and Passions by the Operation and Prevalence of thy Grace that we may submit our Selves entirely to the gracious and safe Conduct of rectified Reason and Religion And to this end we beseech thee strengthen our Faith confirm our Hope and give us a daily increase of Charity that we may serve thee sincerely fervently and constantly in Righteousness and true Holiness all the days of our Life Enable us to increase still more more and persevere in all the Instances of Piety Virtue that by adding Strength to Strength and one degree of Grace unto another we may have acomfortable Well-being in this Life and in the World to come Life everlasting We implore thy Mercies also for the Peace and Happiness of all Mankind Bless thy Church universal but more especially that part of it to which we stand so nearly related in these divided Kingdoms of great Brittain and Ireland Remember not O Lord our crying Sins nor the Iniquities of our Forefathers whereby these Nations have been involv'd in Bloud and Ruine and do still cry aloud against us for Vengeance But out of the Bowels of thy tenderest Mercy and for the sake of our Compassionate Redeemer let thy heavy Wrath and Judgements be turned away from us Bless our gracious Soveraign and all the Royal Family endue him with the Spirit of Wisdom and sound Judgement in thy Fear and make him successful in
us How should these Considerations then affect our Souls with a deep Compunction and a hearty Contrition for our by-past Offences And how should we hate and aband on even the very Appearances of all Sin and Wickedness for the future More especially if we consider that If God did so signalize the severe Rensentments of his Wrath in the Punishment of his own most dearly beloved Son what then shall be the Doom of the impenitent and contumacious Offender What dreadful Impressions should this great Exemplar of God's Justice and Vengeance make upon our Lives How should we study and endeavour to mortifie our Flesh â— Pet. 4.1 2. and crucifie our Lusts which have been the immediate Causes of all those barbarous Cruelties and merciless Persecutions which he suffer'd How should we renounce all the superficial and extravagant Fooleries of this World according to the Example of Christ and his Followers Col. 3.3 5. Rom. 6.5 6. And indeed unless we thus crucifie the old Man and become conformable to Christ in trampling upon all the sinful Delights of this vain and transitory Life we have no real Title to the Blessings and Priviledges of this great Propitiation For if we Sin wilfully under the Gospel we crucifie the Son of God afresh Heb. 6.6 and react that dreadful Tragedy which we lately heard of This would be to despise and reject all his charitable and merciful Endeavours for our Peace and Welfare and if we continue in any one wilful Act of Sin and Disobedience unrepented of 't will render all his bitter Sufferings for our sakes not only vain and fruitless but destructive and pernicious Let us therefore flie from all Sin as the most deadly Contagion and when by a thro' Mortification of our Lusts and Appetites we have made our Peace with God we should dread the Danger Shame and Scandal of returning with the Dog to the Vomit or with the Sow that is washed 2 Pet. 2.22 to her wallowing in the Mire 4 We are strictly oblig'd by the Laws of Gratitude Interest and Duty to conform our Lives so far as we are able to the Doctrine and Pattern of Christ And our Respect and Reverence to the eternal Son of God our faithful High-priest should be attested with a sincere Obedience to all his holy Institutions He submitted to his Fathers Will in bearing the heavy Yoke Phil. 2.8 and drinking the bitter Cup for our Sakes How should we then study to imitate his holy and innocent Life alwayes looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith c. Heb. 12.2 For our pious Conformity hereto will not only recommend us to the Regard and Admiration of future Ages but will effectually dispose and qualifie us for all the blessed Priviledges and Advantages of his Grace and Glory In a word the Life and Death of Christ are an Inforcement and Recommendation of Patience Mat. 11. Math. 5.10 and Perseverance in well doing and suffering for his sake to the Glory of God and the Interest of Religion We should devote our selves therefore intirely to his Service and become most active Instruments in the promoting of his Glory and then 't will be impossible that we should fail of the Comfort and Benefit of our holy and vertuous Endeavours 5 And lastly Christ's infinite Love to us in all those Instances which I have mention'd should be a powerful Motive and Argument to perswade us to be kind and charitable to Others 1 Joh. 4.11 Did the eternal Son of God set such an infinite value on our Souls as to lay down his Life for them How then should we love those lively Images of his for whom he has paid so dear a Ransom and do always bear the Signature and visible Characters of his Grace and Favour Has he done and suffer'd so many things for us and cannot we prevail with our selves Rom. 15.1 Eph. 5.2 1 Joh. 3.16 to dispense with a petty Neglect bear some small Injuries from and Infirmities in our Brethren for his sake who has pardon'd us a Debt of more than ten thousand Talents Let all these things be duely consider'd and applyed that we may behold our Lord by the Eye of Faith standing upon the Cross not only as a resolute Sufferer but a glorious Conqueror to the infinite and unspeakable Joy and Comfort of our Souls in this and their infinite eternal Happiness in another World I have done with the first Part of our Saviour's Priestly Office namely the Satisfaction which he made and the Ransom which he has paid for the Purchase of our Redemption here on Earth which brings me to the 2d Branch of it viz. his meritorious Intercession for us in Heaven Christ our High-priest intercedes for us in Heaven Jesus Christ our most merciful Lord and Saviour is now entred into the Heavens where he is executing and administring his Melchisedekian Office for the Interest and Benefit of his Church and People here on Earth most especially in these two remarkable Instances 1 By interceding for us 2 In Blessing of us And 1st Christ our faithful High-priest For the supply of all our Wants Intercedes powerfully with the Father for the supply of all our temporal and spiritual Wants that we may live comfortaby here and be glorified with him eternally hereafter And to this End he is now presenting the Merits of his Bloud and Obedience to his Father's Acceptance representing all the Wounds Marks of his Sufferings and pleading 'em in full Satisfaction For the pardon of our Sins Heb. 12.24 1 Pet. 1.2 for all the Sins and Offences which his Votaries have committed The Bloud of Christ supplicates in Heaven for Mercy and Compassion for us And the sprinkling of it now is as necessary for the Sanctification of Believers as the shedding it upon the Cross was for the Salvation of them For altho' one Drop of it might be sufficient to save ten thousand Worlds yet it becomes efficacious only to those on whom 't is sprinkled This is that precious Bloud which speaks better things to us then that of Abel and it has such a rinsing and cleansing Property in it For sanctisying Grace as to purifie the Souls and Bodies of those who truly believe and apply it from all the Contagion Filthiness both of the Flesh and of the Spirit This only can render our Persons and Performances Sacrifices and Services acceptable to God So that when he beholds the Wounds and Sufferings of Christ he will think nothing too dear for us More particularly That our Hearts may be truly affected with a real Sense of the Comforts and Benefits of his meritorious and powerful Intercession 't will be of necessary and important Use to consider these following Instances of it For 1 He offers up his own Prayers to God the Father for us He offers up his own Prayers to the Father for us and stands like Aaron being truly sensible of our Wants