my vain cogitations and head-strong desires and order thou I beseech thee my words and rectifie all my actions O Lord as thou hast of thy bounty raised up my Body from sleep so stir up my drowzy Soul from the sleep of sin and carnal security Let my Body be ever assistant to my Soul in all good actions in this life that they may both be partakers of life everlasting Thou O Lord hast promised to those which shall faithfully ask all things necessary for this life give me I beseech thee if it seem good unto thee such a competent estate as shall be expedient to support my life in a civil modest and religious manner Give unto me that which shall be convenient but especially O Lord a heart and mind contented with whatsoever thou shalt be pleased to allot unto me Grant O Lord that in thy Name I may cast forth my Net into the Sea of this World and diligently carefully and with an upright Conscience follow that vocation in which thou hast placed me that by thine aid and assistance I may prosper and have good success in all my affairs Bless O Lord the Kings Majesty govern his heart in thy fear and guide his understanding to do those things which shall be acceptable to thee and profitable to his Kingdomes Give him loving and loyal Subjects and suppress his open and secret Enemies And together with him bless his Queen and Royal Issue make her as the fruitful Vine on the House-top Bless all the State Ecclesiastical and Civil from the highest to the lowest Comfort the comfortless and helpless Bring all Travellers to their own beings in safety and direct all upon the Seas to their safe Ports Shew the light of thy Truth to those which wander out of the right way Give to all sinnen true and hearty repentance strengthen those which have begun well and give thy assisting grace that they may persevere in goodness To all my Friends Kindred and Enemies and to those which pray for me give all thy good blessings Keep us all from all evil and make us to continue in thy Service to our lives end and after the course of this miserable life ended bring us to thine everlasting Kingdom through Iesus Christ our Lord. Or thus ALmighty and everlasting GOD I praise and bless thee from the bottom of my heart that of thy infinite goodness thou hast preserved me this night past and hast with the impregnable defence of thy Providence defended me from the power and malice of the Devil and kept me both in Soul and Body from all his devices and snares and raised me from sleep the image of death and not left me to be stifled in the darkness of my sins but hast given me a longer space to repent me of them I humbly intreat thee that thou wouldst not withdraw thy hand of Protection from me but take me into thy Tuition Watch over me with the eyes of thy mercy and direct me in the way of thy Commandements Endue me with those graces of thy Holy Spirit whereby I may pass this day and the rest of my life to the praise and glory of thy Name the benefit of my Neighbour and the salvation of my sinful Soul Keep me O Lord from all sin bridle and mortifie my flesh that I offend not nor fall into any transgressions which may provoke thy wrath against me Direct my Soul and Body my words and actions according to the rule of thy Will. Divert my heart from fastning too much upon transitory pleasures and convert it to the delight of eternal joyes And because I am not worthy O Lord that thou shouldst hear me poor wretched sinner for any worth in me behold I set before the merits of thy only Son who is the propitiation for our sins look upon him and for his Righteousness pardon the offences of me thy servant and grant to me those things by thy mercy which by the strict Rule of thy justice are not due to me Defend me O Lord from all mine Enemies Arm me with thy Spiritual Weapons put on me the Cloathing of Wisdom and Strength the Brestplate of Righteousness the Helmet of Salvation the Shield of Faith and the Sword of the Spirit that in this earthly Pilgrimage I may manfully oppose the Enemies of my Soul the Concupiscence of the Flesh the Tentations of the World and Malice of the Devil that so having finished valiently the course of this Terrestial Warfare I may hereafter praise thee in thy Celestial Kingdom And thou O Lord who givest food to every living Creature and feedest the young Ravens which call upon thee be merciful unto me in the supply of those necessaries which I daily want Preserve me in health give me food and raiment and sufficient to maintain me in that course of life to which it hath pleased thee to call me that having sufficient in all things I may abound in good work And grant that I may lead a quiet life in all godly conversation That having and using thy blessings worthily I may pass this life with joy and comfort till it please thee to call me to a better Give thy blessings to the Kings Majesty the Queen the Royal Issue and the whole Estate of this Kingdom and grant that we may all bend our thoughts and studies to please thee that at the last by the merits and intercession of Iesus Christ we may be received to thy Heavenly Kingdom Amen Or thus O Almighty Lord God which day after day dost minister to sinful man infinite occasions whereby we may be stirred up to praise thy holy Name and art most plentiful in pitty and favourable to those which with pure hearts and unfeigned faith call upon thee behold me thy poor unworthy servant with the eyes of compassion that at this time am bold to offer up unto thee a Morning Sacrifice of praise and thanks for all thy blessings and amongst the rest for that thou hast vouchsafed after a sufficient and quiet sleep to raise me safe from my bed again which favour thou hast not afforded to many others who in far greater measure have deserved it than my self for which mercy of thine I am not able through my insufficiency and weakness to give unto thee due praise and thanksgiving I pray thee therefore in thy dear Sons Name in whom thou art well pleased to accept these poor and weak thanks and for his sake also to be further aiding and assisting unto me this day following in whatsoever I shall take in hand For thou knowest O Lord how feeble mans nature is insomuch that if he trust to his own strength of necessity he must fall into many miseries errors and dangers Have mercy therefore upon mine infirmities and be propitions and helping to me that by thy illumination I may discern and perceive good from evil and by thy leading and direction may follow the one and avoid the other Lord
and having set thine Offences before thee confess them to him and in the bitterness of thy Soul repent thee be sorry for them and crave pardon for them and desire his grace that thou offend no more in the like 3. Pray to God to continue his care ever thee the night following and to defend thee from all perils and dangers So that going to thy rest with these good action and thoughts thou shalt do like to those which rake up Fire in the Embers over night that they may the more readily find it in the Morning In the Night VVHen thou awakest in the Night call upon God likewise for the Night was not made wholly for sleep praise him contemplate and meditate upon his works Sometimes weep for thy sins according to the practice of DAVID For as the nightly dew refresheth and tempereth the Earth so do our nightly tears asswage our Concupiscences And sometimes rejoyce in the Lord according to that of the Psalmist for the great benefits thou hast received from him By these means keeping thy self to one holy Exercise or other thou shalt be sure to avoid the Devils Tentations whose chief time of setting upon us fitteth best with his works which are usually stiled The works of darkness Evening Prayer The Lord hath granted his loving kindness in the ` Day therefore in the Night will I sing of him and make my Prayer to the God of my life O Lord God Father everlasting I yield thee most humble and hearty thanks that thou hast not only averted thy punishments from me which my grievous sins have deserved but instead thereof hast preserved me from all dangers and supplyed me with all necessaries of this life O Lord I confess that I have so highly offended thee this day that all the punishments which may be inflicted upon vile and miserable sinners are due to me I confess O Lord that I have offended thy Majesty in And not only these do I acknowledge but all the rest which I have committed from my infancy to this present hour wittingly or ignorantly in thought word or deed against Thee my Neighbour and my Self O Lord I confess my weakness I do not that which I should and would do but that which I should not and am unwilling to do I do Not regarding or fearing thy incomprehensible Glory venerable Presence terrible Power exquisite Iustice nor thy Goodness unspeakable for which if thou shouldest enter into judgement what would become of me But O Lord for as much as thou art a Father of mercies and dost not desire the death of a sinner if he return unto thee by unfeigned repentance I most humbly in the Name and Mediation of our blessed Saviour Christ Iesus crave pardon for them Lord I repent help my impenitency and hear my request Be merciful to me a sinner and pardon all my offences whereof thou O Lord knowest me to be guilty And I beseech thee O Lord for the time to come to mollifie my heart water it with the dew of thy Heavenly Grace that I may not alwayes bring forth thornes and weeds fit for nothing but the fire Convert me O Lord and I shall be converted open my eyes direct my heart and wayes Draw me after thee and being converted suffer me not to return again with the Dog to his vomit And forasmuch O Lord as thou hast appointed the Night to refresh our bodies I humbly pray thee to defend me as well sleeping as waking from the snares of the Devil O Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit which thou hast redeemed by thy precious death and passion Suffer it not to sleep in sin and in it lye languishing unto death and so be buried in the grave of thy judgements but watch over it I beseech thee and defend it under the shadow of thy wings Let me not be oppressed with unnecessary sleep but raise me in due time to thy Service and Praise Thou knowest O Lord that of my self I have no strength waking much less when I sleep I humbly therefore pray thee to defend my Soul Body Goods and all things which thou hast bestowed upon me this Night from all evil and damage and so dispose of me that I be not troubled with any terrours terrified with any vain phantasies weakned by any sickness or impoverished with any casualties or crosses Keep me O Lord from all evil dreams and unclean thoughts and compass me with a wall of thy mercies that the Tempter approach not to my Bed so that being preserved by thy protection and refreshed with comfortable rest I may arise and offer unto thee my daily bounden duty and service even praise and thanks to thy most holy Name Or thus O Blessed Lord Iesus Christ to whose inexhaustible bounty we owe all honour and praise I give thee all possible thanks that thou hast vouchsafed to keep me this day from all evil so that none of thy fearful judgements to which I was justly lyable have fallen upon me but of thy unspeakable mercy thou hast preserved me from them and hast also liberally and with a bountiful hand supplyed me with the necessaries of this life notwithstanding my great and manifold sins committed against thee O Lord I confess that I have wasted the time which thou hast given me for repentance altogether idlely vainly and unprofitably not so much as considering or taking notice that this day might have been the last of my life but have added and heaped up sin upon sin in thy All-seeing sight as if I had stood in no fear of thee at all daily renewing as much as in me lay thy torments and passions for which I have deserved that the Earth should open unto me and Hell devour me which that it is not come to pass I ascribe with all thankful acknowledgement to thy infinite mercy and goodness O Lord I acknowledge that it is of thy goodness alone that I am thus preserved from all thy judgements seeing that many calamities have befallen divers others who have less deserved them than my self That some have therefore perished by water some by fire some by sword others by sudden and violent death and that I live That some have been taken blind some lame some distracted in their senses That others have sustained much damage in their worldly estate and I have escaped and not been punished in any of these kinds To what shall I ascribe and attribute the cause surely to thy mercy alone for which I cannot give unto thee sufficient thanks But O sweet Saviour as thy mercy exceedeth so do our necessities increase thou canst not want matter for thy mercy to work upon by reason of our inabilities to help our selves Wherefore I further pray thee that this night following may be also safe and prosperous unto me that by a sweet sleep and comfortable refreshing I may be fitted when I awake to serve thee with a thankful
us to pray that we continue and increase in it 4. It puts us in mind of our vow in Baptism to believe in the Trinity Lord I believe Help thou my unbelief In God the Father Wherein I consider First His personal Relation to his natural Son and gracious affection to us in him That in Christ we are all his Sons by grace and adoption As many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God The Spirit beareth witness with out spirit that we are the Sons of God No more a Servant but a Son Having predestinated us unto the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ. Almighty Secondly His Saving Power That as he is a Father willing to do us good so he is Omnipatent and able to do us good Even to your old age I am he c. I will bear I will carry and deliver you I am the Lord and none else He is Lord over all Upholding all things Almighty Able to subdue all things unto himself Maker of Heaven and Earth Thirdly His Providence in disposing preserving and governing all things 1. By the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made He laid the Foundations of the Earth Thou Lord which hast made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is I form the Light and create the Darkness He layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters The Spirit of the Lord hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life 2. He provideth for the Raven his food c. Thou Lord shalt save both Man and Beast They shall be satisfied with the plenteousness c. Over Sparrows He careth for us In him we live move and have our being 3. He ordereth the world according to equity He judgeth the folk righteously and governeth the Nations upon the earth Thy providence O Father governeth all things He ordereth all things sweetly In Jesus A Saviour He shall save his people from their sins He that beleeveth not in him is condemned Neither is there Salvation in any other By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Christ. Annointed With the Oyl of gladness above his fellows The Lord hath annointed me His onely Son Of God the Father The only begotten of the Father His only begotten Son Our Lord. In right of 1 Creation 2 Redemption 1. By whom he made the World By him were all things created 2. In whom we have redemption Redeemed with his precious Blood Bought with a price Conceived by the Holy Ghost Without the help of Man to help the uncleanness of our conception She was found with Child of the Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee Angelo nunciante Spiritu adveniente mox verbum in utero mox intraverbum Caro. Upon the Annuntiation or message of an Angel and the Overshadowing of the Holy Ghost the word presently entred into the VVomb and with the word the flesh Born of the Virgin Mary Made the Sonne of Man that we might be the Sonnes of God To purge the uncleanness of our birth He did not abhor the Virgins womb A Virgin shall conceive She shall bring forth a Son And she brought forth her first born Son c. The word was made flesh And when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman c. S. Bernard saith That God in the assumption of our nature made three mixtures so wonderfull without comparison that never the like were or should be to the end of the world God and Man a Mother and a Virgin Faith and Mans heart Suffered under Pontius Pilate Those things which we should have suffered That we might not suffer them He powred out his soul unto death c. He bare our sins in his own body on the tree He once suffered for sins Was Crucified To take away the Curse of the Law Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us as it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree He humbled himself and became obedient to death even the death of the Cross. Dead To take away the sharpness and bondage of death To satisfie Gods justice for us The wages of sin is death That he by the grace of God should taste death for every one That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil And deliver them who through the fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage O Death where is thy sting Buried To take away the corruption of the grave that we might be assured of his death All agree that he was buried in a Sepulcher They took him from a Tree and laid him in a Sepulcher Descended into Hell Whither we ought to have gone that we might not go thither at all Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell Non immerito creditur It is not without cause that we believe saith Saint Augustine upon this Article And Christ according to his Soul was in Hell the Scripture is plain for it being foretold by the Prophet David and evidently expounded by the Apostles Application of that Text Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell And he concludeth peremptorily with this Question Quis ergo nisi infidelis negaverit fuisse apud inferos Christum Who therefore but an Infidel will deny that Christ was in Hell The third day he rose again from the dead That he might raise with him our nature being the first fruits of them which sleep He is risen He is not here Christ being raised from the dead c. And was raised again for our justification By the Trinity 1. By the Father Acts 2. 24. 3. 15. 4. 10. 5. 30. 10. 40. Ephes. â— 20. 1 Pet. 1. 21. 2. By the Son Joh. 10. 17 18. Rom. 14. 3. By the Spirit Rom. 8. 11. 1 Pet. 3. 18. He ascended into Heaven To prepare us a place whereto we had no right To assure us that our flesh is gone before To send us the Holy Spirit He was received up into Heaven He was parted from them and carried up to Heaven We have a High Priest that is Passed into the Heavens He that descended is the same which ascended far above all Heavens I go to prepare a place for you Having boldness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Iesus And hath raised us up together and made us sit in Heavenly places together I will pray the Father and he shall give you another
living What man is he that liveth and shall not see death As well the Wise man as the Fool. All things that are of the Earth shall turn to Earth again Thou art dust saith God to Adam and in him to all Mankind and to dust shalt return It is the Ordinance of the Lord over all flesh But though it be certain in it self yet in respect of the time and manner it is uncertain For which cause our Saviour gave his Disciples counsel to be prepared for it Watch for ye know not the day nor hour Be prepared for the Son of Man will come at an hour when ye think not like a thief in the night The time of our departure is uncertain whether it shall happen in our infancy child-hood youth or age All men live not while they are old all men dye not while they are young And many times Death cometh unexpectedly suddenly in our greatest security Dies aderit cum vives manè vesperi autem non vives There will come a day when thou shalt be alive in the morning and dead before night God hath hid from us the certainty of our end lest we should promise to our selves any thing for the future And as the time so the manner is uncertain Some dye in their beds Others perish by fire sword water c. We have but one way to enter into this world divers to depart from it 3. In it self it is also terrible Omnium terribilium terribilissimum Mors. Of all terrible things Death is most dreadful Our Saviour Christ began to be heavy c. But to mankind in divers respects it is terrible All occasioned by the Devils malice Either he bringeth the parties dying 1. Into despair and fear for Gods Judgements 2. Into security for their own Merits 3. Into impatience by anguish of their sickness 4. Into infidelity by causing a mistrust in Gods mercies 5. Into worldy cogitations about leaving and disposing of their worldly estate Or 6. Vain hope to recover their former health Dura mente abesse mors longè creditur etiam dum sentitur To a heart that is hardned Death is thought to be farthest off even when it is felt to approach The Devil is come down to you which hath great wrath knowing that he hath but a short time Thus much for the temporal death the continual remembrance whereof is so necessary as nothing more Nemo memoriam mortis habens potest peccare He that thinketh continually that he must dye doth not easily sin 2. But to speak more properly Death in it self were not terrible nor evil but a passage from this life to a better a rest from our labours were it not for the Accompt which is to be given of our life past and the Iudgement which dependeth on it and followeth it For to fall into the hands of the living God in the worst sense that is to hear his heavy sentence pronounced against our sins is a fearful thing The thought of this made the holy man Iob himself to cry O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave that thou wouldest keep me secret until thy wrath be past The terror of it is so great that if we seriously consider it Our flesh would scarce cleave to our bones Quoties diem illum confidero tolo corpore contremisco sive enim comedo sive bibo sive aliquid aliud facio semper videtur mihi tuba illa terribilis insonare in auribus surgite mortui venite ad judicium As often as I seriously consider of the day of death I tremble all my body over for whether I eat or drink or whatsoever else I do me-thinks that terrible Trump sounds in mine ears Arise ye dead and come to judgement Gods judgements are fearful as they are sometimes executed in this world Our first Parents for their sin were expelled Paradise Deprived of Original Righteousness Made lyable to Condemnation and became Children of wrath Subject to divers miseries and labours He spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to Hell c. How did he sweep away as it were the Sons of Men from the face of the Earth by the Deluge How did he destroy Sodom and Gomorrah Did not the Egyptians miserably perish in the Red Sea What Vengeance did he take on the Israelites for worshipping the Golden Calf and for murmuring against Moses The Scriptures are plentiful in this kind But yet these judgements are not to be paralleled with those after Death In respect of God Omnipotent Highly Offended Justly Punishing Iust Highly Offended Justly Punishing Wise Highly Offended Justly Punishing Good Highly Offended Justly Punishing In respect of Man Weak Offending his Creator Suffering just Punishment Sinful Offending his Creator Suffering just Punishment Wretched Offending his Creator Suffering just Punishment In respect of the Sentence it self which inflicts a punishment sensible for the pain and misery felt and prejudicious for the glory lost 1. He being Omnipotent will be able to execute his vengeance on his Enemies neither shall any deliver them from him He is mighty in strength who hath resisted him and prospered He is exalted by his power no Law-giver like him In making Laws just and holy In exacting the due execution of them In power to punish the breakers of them Fear ye not me will ye not tremble at my presence Fear him who is able to destroy both body and soul. If he whet his glittering sword and his hand take hold on judgement Who is able to abide it Though we be delivered from the judgement of Man yet we cannot escape the hand of the Almighty His Courts are so high so transcendent and his Iudgements so definitive that no appeal lyeth from them We must rest upon his doom and go no further 2. Being Iust he will punish the Breakers of his Commandements For though he be merciful in abundant measure to pardon the iniquities of penitent transgressors yet he is just also to punish the wickedness of obstinate Malefactors Multus ad ignoscendum multus ad ulcìscendum As he is plentiful in pardon and forgiveness so is he as plentiful in revenge He hateth sinners and will repay vengeance to the ungodly He neither perverteth Iudgement nor subverteth Iustice. Nullum bonum irreâ—â—u eratum nullum malum impunium Quanquam Sera tamen certa Numiuis vindicta Lento gradu ad vindictam sui divira proceditira tarditatem supplicii gravitate compensat Nemo impunè malus There shall no good act go unrewarded nor any evil unpunished For though God be slow yet he is sure in his revenge God ballanceth his slow proceeding in anger with the grievousness of his punishment We know that a Bow the farther drawn shoots farthest And this we must hold for a firm Maxime and Conclusion that Nemo impunè malus There shall no wicked
will unhear them God will not hear their cry when trouble cometh upon them If I encline my heart unto wickedness the Lord will not hear me They shall cry but he heareth not He that turneth his ear from hearing the Law even his prayer shall be abominable Your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear Thou hast covered thy self with a cloud that our prayers should not pass through Though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice yet will I not hear them And therefore the hope of the wicked in Gods Mercy is vain seeing he refuseth to hear them Their hope is but like the dust blown away with the wind Or a thin froth driven away with a storm Or a smoke dispersed with a tempest Or a guest that tarrieth but a day Because the wicked live in bondage in slavery to sin For sin is a Tyrant tyrannizeth over his followers He that committeth sin is a servant to sin To the Instigators of it The World The Flesh. The Devil And the flesh serveth the two other by sensuality Appetitus Sensitivus By which the wicked as the Apostle saith are sold under sin as slaves in a Fair. And this made Solomon infatuated with his Concubines It infatuates the Adulterer with his Adultery The Covetous with his Riches The Ambitious with his Honour The Voluptuous with his Pleasures It made Amnon commit Incest And this cometh by privation of Grace which should bridle their Affections and by letting loose their Appetites which are like Devouring Beasts like Blood-Suckers like The Pit unsatiable Because they are in continual trouble like the raging Sea that cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt There is no peace to them 1. Their passions are concupiscible and Irascible If the first cannot obtain what it would the other is troubled And by these two the whole man is disquieted From whence are warrs and contentions amongst you are they not hence even of your own concupiscences which fight in your members for ye lust and have not 2. No peace in their Consciences Conscientia Improborum improbis ipsis adversatur The Conscience of the wicked is even an adversary to the wicked himself An evil Conscience makes men fear shadows where no fear is Mala Conscientia terret vel audadissimum An evil Conscience is terrible even to the boldest and hardest man The witked flee where none pursueth The sound of fear is in his ears Timor Divina dispensatione malos comitatur They have five thornes pricking them 1. The enormity of their sin 2. The offence done to others crying like Abels blood 3. The infamy which followeth sin 4. The offence to God 5. The fear of punishment Tell me not saith a Father of a wicked man which fareth deliciously is apparelled costly is wealthy in substance but discover his Conscience and there thou shalt find fears tempests and troubles arraigning and executing himself when none but God and his own Conscience know his own deeds Who hath resisted God and hath peace Thou O Lord saith another hast so appointed that the disordered soul should be his own tormentor What greater punishment saith third than the wound of Conscience which is more to be shunned that death or banishment A Man may avoid all things saith a fourth but his own heart from himself he cannot slee wheresoever he goeth the guilt of Conscience followeth His Conscience is ever in pain 3. No peace in this world In regard of the terror of Conscience as is said Of the infamy they receive by it Of the fear of the pains deserved Of the loss of temporal blessings 4. They are without aid or comfort from God Afflictions find them unarmed unprovided to withstand them They have no footing to stay them no hand to help them nor no Pilot to guide them But they are swallowed in the Sea of tribulations So that while the good rejoyce they mourn While they walk dry these are drowned And while they praise God these blaspheme By the same fire of tribulation the gold the just is tryed and the stubble the wicked is consumed The Red Sea drowned the AEgyptians and saved the Israelites Lastly The end of the wicked is miserable Their miseries do but begin in this world And in their death they are Heirs to Serpents Beasts and Worms They perish as if they had never been Horrible is the end of the wicked Evil in loss of the world their delight Worse in the separation of body and soul. Worst in the Iudgement of both Evil in the pains of the body in the fears of the mind in the afflictions for loss of temporal things in the afflictions for want of internal grace in the horror of the grave in the remembrance of sin committed in the fear to render an account in the terror in conscience in the terror for the sentence in the grief for loss of time of repentance and evil in the grief for ill-spending it When they look back they consider a short life ill spent When forward a long time to suffer for it They grieve for losing the joy of eternity for mispending that time they had to get it for changing such unspeakable joyes for such transitory pleasures Their worm never dyeth but gnaweth and vexeth for ever Dost thou desire then never to be sad Live well for a secure Conscience passeth over sorrow lightly and a good life hath joy ever attending it To sum up all Consider the Motives which perswade us to his Service in doing that which is good 1. Whereby we have peace with God our Selves our Consciences 2. The Comforts in the Holy Ghost who assisteth the good with faith to adhere to Gods promises With Hope to expect the reward Love to GOD. Obedience to his precepts Humility in their actions Patience in tribulation 3. Gods readiness to hear their Prayers 4. Their comfortable end Then the facility profit and pleasure to do well By a love to goodness and hate to the world Because it is Transitory Because it is Miserable Because it is Sinful Because it is Deceitful Et servite Domino in laetitia Draw near to him with a pure heart in assurance of Faith our hearts being pure from an evil Conscience And consider the Reasons why we should detest sin 1. For Gods hate to the wicked 2. For Gods rejecting their Prayers 3. The bondage of the ungodly 4. Their troubles in the passions of the mind their consciences in this world without comfort from GOD. 5. Their miserable end Et Servite Domino in Timore Walk after God and fear him That thou mayest go boldly to the Throne of Grace Find mercy and receive help in time of need A general Exhortation to Prayer OF all the parts of Gods service Prayer justly challengeth the first place For in as much as the best of Gods children are subject to
God and our Neighbour Humility of body and soul Perseverance Fervency of Spirit our souls and bodies attending to what we pray for and in due Time and Place praying aright both for temporal and spiritual blessings we shall no doubt by the mercy of God through the mediation intercession and merits of Iesus Christ obtain in his good time all things which shall be needful and expedient for us Prayer divided into parts DEvotions and Prayers are either publick or private 1. Private prayers are whereby every particular Man prayeth to God for those things which he wanteth In which kind of devotion we ought at all times to exercise our selves because at all times we stand in need of Gods particular assistance and therefore we are tyed or limited herein neither to time nor place for whether it be in the night or morning mid-day or evening at home or abroad in the City or Country in our beds or at our work if we call upon him faithfully he will hear us 2. Publick Prayers are whereby the whole Congregation meet in a place Dedicated to Gods honour as well to praise his Name as to pray for those things which shall be needful For although Christians ought to pray privately yet ought they not in the mean time to neglect the publick worship and service of God in the Church For from the beginning it was held and observed as a duty required and therefore before the erection and dedication of Temples and Churches the Patriarchs and holymen erected Altars in certain places where at set times of the day they might offer Sacrifices and publick Prayer to God In the second of Ioel you shall find a set and prescribed Form of Prayer for the Minister to use together with the place and the Congregation that were to assist In the New Testament also our Saviour Christ himself to encourage this holy duty of publick Prayer hath promised his presence amongst those that shall be assembled and gathered together after this manner Therefore whosoever shall neglect these publick Assemblies sheweth and discovereth thereby how little he regardeth Christs company or presence These Prayers are also distinguished into these parts 1. Invocation 2. Confession 3. Thanksgiving Invocation consisteth of 1. Petitions for the good of our own Souls in Spiritual things Bodies in Temporal things 2. Intercessions either in praying for the good of others or against the evil of others 3. Deprecations against evils Spiritual Temporal Confession is threesold 1. Of our Faith 2. Of the Glory of God 3. Of our own Sins Thanksgiving is either 1. For deliverance from evil 2. For benefits received To these may be added Imprecation either 1. Against the enemies of God incorrigible and irreconcileable 2. Against the enemies of our Souls incorrigible and irreconcileable So that these Rules be observed 1. That it be not used for private hate or revenge 2. That we rejoyce not in any mans Destruction 3. That we aim at their Correction The use of the Lords Prayer BEcause that our Saviour Christ hath taught us how to pray and hath put the very words as it were into our mouths which we should use in praying I think it necessary to begin with the same which he hath left unto us 1. In respect of the Excellency of the Author of it who was no less than God 2. In respect of the Perfection of the work it self the Prayer for it comprehendeth in it Petitions for all things which we stand in need of 3. In respect of the Efficacy of this Prayer in working for it cannot choose but prevail and work much with God for none knew the mind and disposition of God better than he which composed it which was God And let it not lose any part of the due praise which belongeth to it in regard of the compendiousness or shortness of it for it deserveth the more honour because though it be short yet it is also copious and plentiful in matter and therefore the more absolute and perfect It is not therefore without cause that the Antients have given so many excellent Attributes to it As the Abridgement of the Gospel and our Faith The Interpretation of our Desires and Hopes The very Bond of Charity And an inexhaustible Treasury Yet let not any Man think that our Saviour prescribed us this Prayer as that we should use no other but be tyed to the very words contained in it but this we must conceive that he made it to bridle our desires that though we make our Petitions and frame them according to our several necessities yet to keep us in compass that we exceed not the limits nor vary from the extent and bounds of this Prayer The Use of it is twofold 1. That we might be instructed by it what is necessary in general to require of God and not without need seeing we being naturally blind in spiritual things know not what is fit to ask and many times we crave those things as Zebedees Children did which are unworthy both of God and our selves and might prove hurtful also to us if they should be granted And therefore under certain general heads he hath bounded the desires of the flesh and taught us after what manner and rule we should square all our Petitions For whatsoever we shall desire against the directions therein contained dis-a-greeth from the will of God and therefore is neither good holy nor profitable 2. That we may be able thereby to conceive frame and make all our Prayers according to our several necessities and after that Petition which sitteth us as our occasions shall alter The Lords Prayer Analysed A Father not a Lord. One being a name of love The other of dignity A Father not a Iudge One being a name of Goodness Comfortable O 〈◊〉 sub quo nomini desperandum The â—â—her of Power Terrible Who is able to resist his Power It is too proud a salutation For how much are we By Nature Dust and Ashes By Sin Bond-slaves to Satan So much are we below him Who then durst be so bold as to call the Father but that Christ did command it For exceeding great is thy Majesty And exceeding great is our Poverty He is exalted above the Heavens and his glory is above all the Earth He humbleth himself when he beholdeth the things in Heaven And we are but worms and leaves driven to and fro with the wind A wind that passeth away and commeth not again Yet we are bold to call thee Father for we come not of our selves thy Son Christ hath taught us the form Take notice of the words they are thy Sons 1. Father of all Creatures In their Creation Preservation Governing 2. Of Mankind which he formed after his own Image Other Creatures are but as a shadow to Man For he endued him with understanding And the Creatures not so To him he gave precepts to order his life To the Creatures only by blind
give it thou wilt give it in time place and measure whereas if we take it we shall observe none of these rules but take it to the destruction of our own souls and bodies The Petitions run along still with the rule of Charity For when we say give us we speak not thus To me and my family This word us is more general as well to our Brethren the Sons of the same Father who want Bread as to me and my family That is This day of our life This time We are not to petition for an Age being but of a day and a particle of a day For being uncertain of our dayes why should we beg bread for uncertain times For we are not assured of life for an age a year or a day Our life is but a day and a day is the resemblance of our life Yet Providence is not hereby forbidden or that none should lay up with Ioseph or the Ant But he that provides not before-hand is more foolish than an Ant nay worse than an Infidel We must gather up the fragments and the things we gather provide and lay up must be justly gotten We must not put our confidence in them and we must bestow aud use them well Give us O Lord Bread convenient and meet to serve us to day and to morrow also This is all the fruit to take away sin This Petition tacitely implies an acknowledgement that we are sinners And indeed we are all sinners If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us And therefore it is most expedient to ask forgiveness For although God by his Omniscience is not ignorant of our sins yet it shews well in us to ask forgiveness for them This benefit accrues by confessing them that God is prone to absolve us If we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive them And this detriment befalls if we continue in them without attonement that they make a separation between God and us Our iniquities have separated between us our God and our sins have hid his face from us that he will not hear us We have great need to beg forgiveness for them for Our iniquities have withholden good things from us And why God hath set our sins as a cloud that our prayers for good things might not pass through And we know saith Saint Iohn that God heareth not sinners that are not reconciled to him by confession As long as our sins stand up against us and are not remitted we cannot hope to receive any good at Gods hands Therefore O Lord not only give but forgive also both the guilt and punishment of them And in this thy Mercy is manifested that thou givest to those who after they have received must ask forgiveness Give unto us who are thine enemies and when thou hast given forgive us also Forgive us for we confess we need forgiveness And we have thy promises and practice of remission to those which confess their sins 1. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but whosoever confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy And it shall be when he shall be guilty in any one of these things that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing c. And the Priest shall make an attonement c. If they shall confess the iniquity of their Fathers with their trespasses which they have trespassed against me c. Then will I remember my Covenant c. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins 2. Thy practice is seen in divers examples Of David by his own confession I said I will confess my sins unto the Lord and so thou forgavest the wickedness of my sin By the mouth of Nathan David said unto Nathan I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David The Lord also hath put away thy sin Of the Prodigal Son Of the Publican Of Mary Magdalen and divers others Yet thou hast not dealt so with the Angels that fell Their sins are not will not be forgiven Ours may in thy good pleasure We are unworthy Let us not be unthankful They be Debts which we owe and pay not but detain against the will of the Owner We are Debtors to thy Commandements being thy Creatures and created to the keeping of them As often then as we omit and have undone those things which thou commandest us to do and commit those things which thou forbiddest we detain a Debt and become Debtors or Trespassers We see then that all men are sinners and debtors That there are sins which deprive us not from the Sonship of God That there is place and time for remission after Baptism Now of our sins some are committed Ignorantly others Of knowledge Unwillinlgy others Willingly and greedily Before our calling others Being called Against God others Against our Neighbours and our selves In heart others In word and deed By our selves alone others With others either as authors or provokers Of Commission others Of Omission Secretly others Of which our heart reproveth us And in all these is the root of bitterness Forgive them O Lord retain not the offence exact not the puunishment due for them Be reconciled to us by laying aside thy just displeasure by receiving us to thy favour and grace Connive at them while they are doing Bring them not into question call them not into examination nor us to account for them being done And the hand writing that is against us Tear it Hang it upon thy Sons Cross. Cast it behind thee Drown it in the Sea And as the morning Cloud make it to vanish away and come to nothing Forgive them because he that taught us thus to pray our Surety hath paid and discharged these Debts Not only my trespasses but the offences of my brethren There is in this Petition a brotherly Charity also and as Christ transferred our sins upon himself so charity takes our brothers sins to us and makes us pray for them And it is but Iustice also to pray for the sins of others in regard many offences are committed by them by our perswasion or example Not only my trespasses but the offences of mine enemies As thou forgivest us so forgive our enemies also And this is the highest pitch of charity Forgive and it shall be forgiven to you was thy Sons promise Blessed be thy name for propounding so easie a condition to us To forgive a mite and be forgiven a talent Oh happy exchange to receive gold for dross a pearl for stubble Oh happy necessity imposed on us thus to pray For a malevolent mind can neither be lifted to God nor quietly and peaceably conversant with men And while he makes us like himself by this condition that is slow to wrath and ready to forgive
merits and cast nor those from thy favour and grace whom by Nature thou of thy goodness hast vouchsafed to make thy Brethren Who livest and reignest with the Father and Holy Spirit now and for ever Amen Petitions for Spiritual Graces OH that my wayes were directed to keep thy Statutes O LORD Blessed is the man whom thou teachest out of thy Law Open mine eyes that I may see the wonderous things of thy Law Teach me to do thy will for thou and my GOD let thy good Spirit lead me into the Land of Righteousness Give me Grace O LORD To know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing To abstain from fleshly lusts which fight against the Soul To keep in mind alwayes Thou the World passeth away and the desire thereof And that the benefit which a Man getteth by the World is nothing but Destruction Truly to say I have remembred thy everlasting Iudgements and my Son receiveth comfort thereby O thou that givest Grace to the humble give me Grace to be humble Give me a good heart which hearing thy Word may keep it and bring forth fruit with patience O Lord Let me find Grace in this eyes Let me find a place and time of Repentance Let me not receive thy Grace in vain Let me not fail or fall from it But let me continue in it And let me grow in it To the end of my dayes Give me O Lord the works of Repentance Carefulness Give me O Lord the works of Repentance Defence or clearing my self Give me O Lord the works of Repentance Indignation Give me O Lord the works of Repentance Fear Give me O Lord the works of Repentance Vehement Desire Give me O Lord the works of Repentance Zeal Give me O Lord the works of Repentance Revenge Give me Grace to think upon and do Whatsoever things are True Give me Grace to think upon and do Venerable Give me Grace to think upon and do Honest Give me Grace to think upon and do Iust Give me Grace to think upon and do Pure Give me Grace to think upon and do Lovely Give me Grace to think upon and do Of Good Report Give unto me O LORD Humility of Heart Give unto me O LORD Charity to my neighbour Give unto me O LORD Patience of Mind Give unto me O LORD Temperance of Life Give unto me O LORD Chastity of Body Give unto me O LORD Contentedness of Mind Give unto me O LORD Alacrity of Spirit Give unto me good Lord Perfect knowledge of my Sins Give unto me good Lord Hearty sorrow for them Give unto me good Lord Perfect hatred against them Give unto me good Lord Fervent love to all Goodness Give unto me good Lord True obedience to thy Will Give me Grace O Lord to adde To Faith Vertue Give me Grace O Lord to adde To Vertue Knowledge Give me Grace O Lord to adde To Knowledge Temperance Give me Grace O Lord to adde To Temperance Patience Give me Grace O Lord to adde To Patience Godliness Give me Grace O Lord to adde To Godliness Brotherly Kindness Give me Grace O Lord to adde To Brotherly Kindness Charity Give unto me O Lord The Fruits of the Spirit Love Give unto me O Lord The Fruits of the Spirit Ioy Give unto me O Lord The Fruits of the Spirit Peace Give unto me O Lord The Fruits of the Spirit Long Suffering Give unto me O Lord The Fruits of the Spirit Gentleness Give unto me O Lord The Fruits of the Spirit Goodness Give unto me O Lord The Fruits of the Spirit Faith Give unto me O Lord The Fruits of the Spririt Meckness Give unto me O Lord The Fruits of the Spirit Temperance Give unto me good Lord Contempt of the World Give unto me good Lord Hatred of Sin Give unto me good Lord Loathing of the flesh Give unto me good Lord Desire of Heaven Give unto me ô Lord A right Faith to live well Give unto me ô Lord A sure Hope to persevere well Give unto me ô Lord A perfect Humility to obey well Give unto me ô Lord A true Charity never to be divided from thee Give me grace O Lord to be content with that which is necessary To despise that wich is superflous Grant O Lord That I may so live that I repent not to have lived That I may so live that no man may know I have lived amiss That I may so live that I may alwayes live That dying I may live and living I may dye and say with a chearful Spirit Lord now leitest thou thy servant depart in peace I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. Amen Prayers for Spiritual Graces O Blessed Lord Jesus Christ who art my only Tutor and Instructer and from whom I have learned whatsoever I know I beseech thee that thou wouldst further teach me those things whereof I am ignorant and which are necessary for my Salvation that thou wouldst keep me in things which I have already learned and rectifie me in those matters wherein as a man I erre Strengthen me and make me firm wherein soever I waver and am doubtful and keep me from that which is erronious and hurtful Above all things O Saviour strengthen my Faith and give me grace daily to prosit in the knowledge and understanding of thy Holy Word and so govern all my actions by thy Holy Spirit that my life may be answerable to my knowledge and that I may shew the fruits of whatsoever I have learned by my good and religious conversation Give me a firm and assured hope in thee and thy gracious promises that in all my troubles and necessities I may be evermore confident in thy mercy Be unto me a strong Tower of defence against mine Enemies that whether the World allure me the Devil assail me or the Flesh rebel I may fly unto thee for refuge And although thou presently put not forth thy hand to help me but defer thy comfort according to thy good pleasure yet keep me from doubting or despairing of thy aid because thy promises are sure Give me a fervent Love and perfect Charity to my Neighbour that I may be as kind to him and as careful of him as of one who is a Member with me of the same Body whereof thou O sweet Saviour art the Head Let my love to him be sincere and unfeigned which may charitably relieve him in his wants patiently bear with his infirmities and willingly forgive him all his trespasses against me Create in me I beseech thee a pure mild peaceable and humble heart which may think harm to no man nor recompense evil for evil but good for injuries Cleanse me from all unclean and earthly desires and lift up my heart to thee and Heavenly things and so write thy Laws in it that I may wholly bend my self to keep them and please thee persevering in the same to my
lives end Give me O Lord true compunction of heart and so water it with the dew of thy Heavenly Grace that I may in the bitterness of my Soul with abundance of tears sighs and groans bewail and lament all my hainous and grievous transgressions against thee Give me grace O Lord that I may not boast in any merits or works of mine own or have any confidence in them but let me glory in this alone that I am a Member of that Body of thine which was crucified for me and did sufficiently satisfie for all the Sins of the World If thou O Lord look or expect any merits from me behold I tender unto thee thine own merits the merits of thy Death and Passion which thou hast vouchsafed to make me partaker of by vertue whereof alone I dare boldly appear before thy Tribunal These merits I set between my sins and thy Iustice and otherwise or in any other manner I dare not I will not contend with thee O sweet Iesu I desire thee to offer them to the Father as a propitiatory Sacrifice for all my great and grievous Offences that when my Soul shall depart from this Body it may by the same be freed and delivered from all the judgements and punishments which are due unto it for sin and be carried to that blessed place where there is no sorrow but endless felicity where thou together with the Father and the blessed Spirit livest and reignest for ever Before Prayer O Almighty and everliving GOD Heavenly Father to whom it is manifestly known how inconstant and wandring the minds of men are in any good actions and how easily we suffer our selves to be carried away from the contemplation of thee by diversity of distractions and unseasonable thoughts which take hold of us in the time of our Devotions and Prayers unto thee who also by thine only begotten Son Christ Iesus didst prescribe unto his Disciples a Form of Prayer to be offered up to thee and hast derived the same from them to us Behold me most wretched sinner wholly depraved and corrupt intreating thee by the same Son that for his sake thou wouldst infuse thy Holy Spirit into me which may adopt me into the number of thine Elect that it may teach me how I ought to pray according to thy Holy Will that it may allay all troublesome and wandring thoughts in me while I offer up my prayers and praises unto thee Suffer me not to serve thee with my lips and be absent in heart from thee but create a right Spirit within me that I being sensible of all thy graces and comforts may with joyful and holy zeal perform my duty to thee that so my prayers and desires may appear before thee and in thy Sons Name I may effectually be heard and my petitions may be granted to the glory and honour of thy most holy Name and the endless comfort of mine own Soul through the same our only Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. Before a Sermon O Most loving SAVIOUR I most humbly intreat thee that thou wouldst be pleased at this time to enlighten my understanding and to open my inward ears with the grace of thy Holy Spirit that I may hear that sacred Word with an humble heart and rejoyce in it in the obedience of the Spirit That I may be fully instructed thereby how to do good and avoid evil and bring forth the fruit thereof in my life and conversation That thy Honour and Glory may be thereby increased the Devil and all other the Enemies of my Soul may be vanquished my Soul may be saved and at the last I may appear with boldness before thy Tribunal and receive the reward of a good and faithful servant even his Masters joy everlasting blessedness and that by thy merits only O blessed Saviour Petitions for Temporal Blessings in which we are to desire of God THat he would be pleased to continue unto us The blessing of a good King just and religious To give unto us Magistrates and Iustices upright and careful to see good Laws duly executed Teachers to direct us in the Truth That he would bless us with Length and Goodness of Dayes Health of Body Contentedness of Mind Competency of Estate Food and Rayment Conveniency of Dwelling Wholesomeness of Air. Fruitfulness of Cartel Fruitfulness of Soyl. That he would make us happy In Wedlock In Children In Faithful Friends In Peaceable loving Neighbours In Honest Servants In Skilful Physicians That he would preserve our Goods Good Name Our Senses and Understanding That he would protect us From Trouble From Enemies From Dangers From Losses From Sicknesses That he would give Peace To all Nations Peace To our Land Peace In our private Dwellings Rules to be observed in the Morning WHen thou awakest in the Morning shut and close up the entrance to thy heart from all unclean prophane and evil thoughts and let the consideration of God and goodness enter in When thou art risen and art ready retire thy self to thy Closet or other private place and offer to God the first fruits of the Day and in praying to him and praising him remember 1. To give him Thanks for thy quiet rest received for delivering thee from all dangers ghostly and bodily and for all other his benefits to thee 2. Offer unto him thy self and all things that thou dost possess and desire him to dispose of thee and them according to his good pleasure 3. Crave his Grace to guide thee and to strengthen thee from and against all Tentations that so thou mayest do nothing the day following contrary to his will 4. And Lastly Beg of him according to the Rules before prescribed all things needful for the Soul and Body To which purpose pray as followeth Morning Prayer I Thank thee O Heavenly Father Lord of Heaven and Earth for all thy Blessings which I underservedly have received from thee that thou gavest a being from honest Parents and in that part of the World where thy Son Christ Iesus is purely professed that thou didst endue me with Reason and Understanding and didst also give me perfect Members and Senses that thou hast preserved me ever since my birth vouchsafed me health and liberty and a competency of means to maintain me and those whom thou hast placed under me That thou hast Elected me in thy Love Redeemed me by thy Son Sanctified me by thy Spirit and kept me this night past from all perils of Body and Soul and given me a sweet and comfortable rest O Lord I commend into thy hands my Soul and Body thoughts words and actions and humbly beseech thee that thou wouldst guide and order them all to thy honour and glory and my endless and eternal happiness Enlighten my mind that the darkness and cloudy mists of mine offences being dispelled I may walk before thee in my vocation without offence as in the day clean unspotted and unblameable Give unto me thy Holy Spirit which may bridle
chearful heart And because O Lord that this life hath not one certain hour I beseech thee to Enlighten mine eyes that I sleep not in death and grant that after I have rested quietly I may by thy grace and mercy arise to serve thee in singleness of heart Lighten O Saviour my darkness and mercifully keep me from all dangers of this night Save me waking and keep me sleeping that I may watch in thee and rest in peace There is nothing that more resembleth our Life than the Day nor the Grave than our Beds O Lord therefore when I am laid down and by sleep made unable to help my self being like unto a dead man defend me then by thy power from the crafts and assaults of the Enemy that he do me no harm so that though my Body sleep my Soul may watch unto thee and contemplate of the life to come And grant that having passed the night quietly I may arise as well from the sleep of sin as from my natural sleep and with all alacrity pass the day following in thy service and in the end of my pilgrimage by thy merits receive the Crown which thou hast promised to those that love thee in that day which no night shall follow and in that Heavenly Kingdom where thou reignest together with the Father and the blessed Spirit world without end Evening Prayer LEt my prayer O Lord be set forth in thy sight as the Incense and let the lifting up of my hands be an Evening Sacrifice In the Evening Morning and at Noon-day will I pray and that instantly and thou Lord shalt hear my prayer Blessed be thou O Lord Who hast preserved me from the Arrow that flyeth by day and from the Sickness that destroyeth in the noon-day Who hast not cut off my life like a Weaver nor made an end of me O Lord I confess that as my dayes have increased so hath my sin multiplied The just man falleth seven times a day But I miserable sinner seventy times seven times But I return to thee O Lord and repent Let not the Sun go down in thy wrath O Lord whatsoever good I have done this day I acknowledge that thou hast wrought it in me and desire thee graciously to accept of me for it as thy Instrument only O Lord whatsoever evil I have committed this day I confess it to be the work of mine own hands and heartily pray thee to pardon it O Lord which givest the sleep of health to them that love and causest those that fear thee to sleep confidently Lighten mine eyes that I sleep not in death Keep me from the terrours of the night aud from the works of darkness Lord though I sleep yet let my heart watch to thee and when I wake let me be present before thee let my thoughts ascend to thee Grant that I may alwayes remember that the night is no night with thee and that darkness and light are to thee alike Grant that I may alwayes meditate upon the long and last sleep the sleep of Death the Bed of my Grave and the Covering of Worms and Dust. Let my sleep be a cessation from sin and let me not in my sleep do or think any thing that may offend thee or defile my self And grant that after the sleep shall depart from mine eyes I may remember thee search my reines and try my heart O Lord I commend my self and all that of thy bounty is mine to thee In thee I put all my trust and confidence Thou seest in what dangers we are what snares the Devil layeth for us I humbly therefore pray thee to defend me from him And grant me so to order and end my life that I may sleep in peace and take my rest with thee for the merits of Iesus Christ c. I will lay me down in peace and take my rest for it is thou Lord only that makest me dwell in safety Evening Prayer for a Family O Almighty and everlasting God who hast appointed all times and seasons to succeed in their due course and hast ordained the day for the works of the day and bodily labour and the night to take our quiet rest refreshing by whose providence and mercy we have been preserved this day from all dangers have been furnished with all things necessary for this life we humbly pray and beseech thee that now in this time of night and darkness wherein we poor and miserable sinners stand in most need of thy help and aid thou wouldst be pleased to keep us from all dangers spiritual and temporal O Lord we confess that we have not deserved the least of thy favours nay if thou shouldst with strict eye examine our actions how we have spent this day and the rest of our dayes past we should not be able to stand in thy sight much less beg any further blessings of thee For notwithstanding thy manifold and daily favours we have in all things been rebellious and repugnant to thy blessed Will and obedient and conformable to the command of our Enemies the Flesh the World and the Devil Insomuch as we have lost our liberties and are become servants and slaves unto them For we have wholly given ourselves to serve the pleasures of the Flesh in Concupiscences and other carnal Acts We have hearkned too much to the delights of the World in covetous desiring that which is not our own in abusing the Creatures thereof which were created for our necessary use and not for our wanton and insatiable desires And we are become the servants of Satan in not opposing and resisting his unclean and wicked Tentations Our sins are infinite and our iniquities are numberless so that we cannot nor are any way able to recount them unto thee We have fled from thee seeking us neglected thee loving us stopped our ears to thee speaking to us turned our backs to thee reaching thy hand to us forgotten thee doing good to us and despised thee correcting us Yet O Lord we humbly intreat thee to shew thy accustomed mercy to us poor and miserable sinners who in grief and anguish of soul confess these our offences and earnestly and bitterly bewail them Look upon us with the eyes of compassion not for any thing in us but for the love and respect which thou bearest to thy Son CHRIST JESUS in whom we verily believe that thou art fully reconciled unto us Take away our sins and the punishment due unto us for them Let thy wrath be turned from us and destroy us not together with our manifold transgressions Lord thou seest our wickedness and withall how and in whose name we crave thy mercy Turn thee O Lord from thine anger which thou mightest justly pour upon us and be gracious unto us according to thy wonted goodness who abhorrest nothing which thou hast made Create also we beseech thee in us new hearts hearts fit to serve thee and write
thy Law in them with the finger of thy Holy Spirit that all our desires and actions may be conformable to thy blessed Will And now again O Lord we desire thy Majesty to take our Souls and Bodies into thy protection this night following Suffer us not to sleep in sin but watch over us and defend us under the shaddow of thy wings Let not our sleep be excessive or immoderate but raise us again in due time that after a quiet and moderate sleep we may arise to serve and praise thee joyfully begin and perfect our works justly labour in our vocations truly and seek thy Kingdom earnestly that at the last by thee with thee and in thee we may come unto the same Kingdom by the merits of our Saviour JESUS CHRIST in whose Name and Prayer we are bold to call further upon thee saying Our Father c. Prayers upon the Life and Death of our Saviour Iesus Christ. O Sweet SAVIOUR Who for the love of Mankind didst vouchsafe to descend from thy Royal Throne from the bosom of thy Father into this vale of misery and to take on thee the form of a sinner even humane flesh in the sanctified womb of the most chast and pure Virgin and be born without impeachment to her Virginity Be pleased of thy great clemency to make my heart thy habitation adorn it to that end with all Spiritual Graces and be daily born in me by renewing in my Soul a fervent love to thee and Be merciful to me O Blessed Lord Who being God Almighty didst not disdain at thy Birth to be wrapped in swadling clouts and to be laid in a Manger Grant that I may be ever in thy fight a little Infant in Humility and Lowliness of Spirit take from me all ambitious Thoughts and Be merciful to me O Gracious Lord Who at thy Birth wouldst be received into this World with the joyful Hymns of blessed Angels and be found to the great delight and admiration of poor Shepheards Give thy Grace unto me thy poor unworthy servant continually to persevere in thy praises to seek thee with the Shepheards affection by seeking to find thee and finding thee alwayes to retain and enjoy thee and Be merciful to me O Sweet Jesu Who wert pleased upon the eight day to be circumcised and in that most tender age of thine didst begin to shed thy blood meerly for the love of me and mankind Cut off I intreat thee all superfluities from my Soul and take from me all evil thoughts words and works and Be merciful to me O Blessed Christ Who to the unspeakable comfort of me and all thine Elect wouldst be called by the saving Name of Iesus Grant that the memory of this Name may ever cause a reverend respect in me toward thee and that by it I may be preserved all my life and at the hour of death and Be merciful to me O Loving Lord God Who wouldst be found in the Wise men which sought thee with Faith and Devotion and who having found thee fell before thee with Oblations of Gold Frankincense and Myrrhe Be pleased I beseech thee that I may find thee in Spirit and worship thee in Spirit and Truth Offering unto thee the Gold of bright shining Charity the Incense of pure Devotion and the Myrrhe of perfect Mortification and Be merciful to me O Blessed Saviour Who to leave Mankind an example of Obedience and Humility wouldst become subject to the Law and be brought to the Temple and there have offered for thee the Oblations of the Poor and not the rich Give me the Grace of Obedience to subject my self willingly to my Governours Suffer not the least thought of pride to reign in me but quench in me all haughtiness of Spirit with inordinate love and conceit of my self and Be merciful to me O Gracious Lord Who whilst thou wert yet young and tender wert contentted to suffer persecution and flee with thy blessed Mother into AEgypt Grant me such ability by thy grace whereby I may not only suffer persecution and affliction when it shall please thee but also persecute and punish all wickedness within my self before it grow too strong for me and Be merciful to me O Blessed Jesu Who being sought for by thy blessed Mother three dayes wouldst be found of her in the Temple Suffer me never to be severed from thee give me such a devotion toward thee that I may never be weary in serving thee nor satisfied with praising thee either in Church or private Closet and Be merciful to me O Loving Lord Who wouldst enter the River Jordan and there be Baptized by thy Fore-runner John the Baptist Be pleased that I may be purified in this life by thy merits and thereby washed from all my sins and Be merciful to me O Gracious Saviour who didst continue fasting and praying forty dayes and nights together in the Desert and after divers Tentations didst overcome Satan Grant that I may chastise my flesh and exercise my self in Fasting Watching Prayer and other Spiritual Excercises and subdue all evil Affections which rebel against the Spirit and Be merciful to me O Blessed Redeemer Who for my sake didst subject thy self to many Sorrows and Necessities to Heat Cold Hunger Thirst Weariness Sweat Iourneys Persecutions and Tribulations Strengthen me with the aid of thy Holy Spirit that I may willingly bear all Adversities as coming from thy hand and Be merciful to me O Blessed Lord Who while thou wert upon Earth didst vouchsafe to comfort the Sons of Men and heal their Infirmities Replenish my heart with all pious Affection that I may account the miseries of others as mine own and supply their necessities in whatsoever I may according to my ability and Be merciful to me O Gracious Lord Who for thy love to Mankind didst eudure infinite Miseries Injuries Calumnies Blasphemies and Revilings even of those to whom thou hast done much good Create in me a heart pure and innocent which may forgive mine Enemies and love them rendring good for evil whereby I may shew my self a true follower of thy perfect Charity and Patience and Be merciful to me O Merciful Saviour Who to abrogate the Ceremonial Law didst eat the Paschal Lamb with thy Disciples and giving them an example of Humility upon thy knees didst wash their feet Grant that this example may take deep impression in me give me perfect Humility true Obedience and fervent Love whereby I may love thee sincerely and all others unseignedly and Be merciful to me O Blessed Lord Who of thy great love didst institute the blessed Sacrament of thy Body and Blood whereby thou mightest continue with us to the end of the World Stir up in me an earnest desire and longing after this holy Sacrament and grant that I may ever receive it with a chast love deep affection and a pure heart and Be merciful to me O Loving Lord Who when thou wert to leave this World didst comfort thy Disciples and with
Comforter If I go not away the Comforter will not come to you but if I depart I will send him to you He sitteth at the right hand of the Father Instantly to intercede for us to shew himself head of the Church And sate at the right hand of the Father Seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of the Father Who is at the right hand of God He ever liveth to make intercession for them to appear in the presence of God for us Where I am there you may be also CHRIST is Head of the Church He set him at his own right hand far above all principalities and powers He shall come to judge both the quick and dead To receive us with power glory even to the consummation of all things I will come near to you in judgement Behold the Lord cometh c. The Father hath committed all judgement to the Son Ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of Heaven He hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained The dead shall arise first c. In the Holy Ghost I consider An hypostatical power sanctifying from above quickning to immortality working powerfully and invisibly in us By the illumination of knowledge Infusion of grace Regenerating us Reprehending things evil in us Teaching us the truth Joh. 14. 26. 1 Cor. 2. 13. With-holding us from doing evil Encouraging us to do good striving for our good Comforting us in our necessities Adopting us Helping our infirmities Sealing to us our inheritance Assuring us our inheritance The Holy Catholique Church Which is the mystical Body of the Head Christ Iesus composed of all people of the World which are called by the Spirit to the belief of Divine Truth and Holiness of Conversation Holy By imitation of Christs Righteousness Sanctification of the Holy Ghost Of all these Members of his Body there is a reciprocal participation to the Communion of Saints In the union of the Church with Christ. In the participation of his benefits Forgiveness of sins For the present To the hope of The Resurrection of the Body To be united with the Soul And Life Everlasting hereafter And that after this life there shall be a life wherein the Church shall be glorified and God by the members thereof praised for ever Of which I believe my self to be one Lord I believe Help the defects of my Faith 1. That I may love thee as a Father Reverence thee as Almighty Commend my self to thee as to a Faithful Creator 2. That I may be mindful to give thanks to Thy only Son As to the Purger of our Nature in his Conception and Birth As to our Deliverer In his Passion Cross and Death As to the Triumpher over Hell In his Descension Over Death In his Resurrection As to our Fore-rnner In his Ascension As to our Advocate In his Session As to the Establisher of our Faith In his Second Coming That he may be fashioned in me That I may be made conformable to him In Works To his Conception In Faith To his Nativity In Humility That for his Passions 1. I may sympathize with him as with one that suffered for me and be ready to suffer of him and for him when it shall be his good pleasure 2. I may have an Antipathy with Sin as being the cause of his Sufferings and be Revenged of Sin in my self Crucifie Sin in my self Morsifie Sin in my self Bury Sin in my self 3. I may conform my self 1. To his Descension into Hell By often descending thither in meditation 2. To his Resurrection By rising to newness of life 3. To his Ascension By savouring and seeking those things which are above and nearer to my Salvation 4. To his Iudgement By judging my self lest I be condemned with the world That when I am cold in Prayer and want any Spiritual Grace or Comfort I may remember thy Session and Intercession And when I am fervent in any evil Affection or Concupiscence I may not forget thy fearful and terrible Iudgement-Seat and the sound of the last Trump That for thy only Son Christs sake I may also receive thy Uiction even thy Saving Grace the unspeakable Gift of the Holy Ghost and never extinguish grieve resist or reproach it That so I may be called into thy Catholick Church where I may be partaker of the Persons Actions Prayers and Examples of Saints To the assured belief of Remission of Sins To the hope of Resurrection and Translation to Life Everlasting Lord increase my Faith as a grain of mustard-seed Not Dead Temporary or Hypocritical But pure and unfeigned most holy lively and working by charity Confession of Faith O Almighty and Eternal Lord God I poor unworthy and wretched sinner am bold to renew that Covenant of Faith which in my Baptism I made unto thee I believe and confess that all those things which thy most beloved Son Christ Iesus did suffered and taught while he was conversant in the Flesh here upon the Earth are most true and certain I profess that I believe all the Articles of the Apostles Creed and the Holy Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ which is preached through all the World To this Faith I bind my self and purpose Gods grace assisting me never to depart from it and acknowledge that without believing thus I cannot be saved I am heartily glad O Heavenly Father even in my Soul and give thee all possible thanks that into this Faith I was baptized and doe most humbly pray thee O Lord that this Faith may not fail me during this life nor at the hour of death And if I shall at any time hereafter either by the temptation of the Devil imperfection of my senses pain of any disease weakness or any other means speak any thing in any other manner than shall be agreeable to this Faith I renounce all such words as none of mine and desire thee O Lord to forgive them and pray all those which shall hear them if any such shall be to account them as none of mine This I protest thy Grace aiding me To thee be all honour and praise from this time forth forevermore Amen Confession of Gods Glory and Praise FOR his Great and wonderfull works Of Creation Preservation Governance For his Goodness The excellency of his Glory His Highness His Eternity His Omnipotence His Omnipresence His Omniscience The height of his Wisdom His Truth His Exquisite Iustice. His Great Mercy His Plentifull Mercy His Wonderfull Mercy His Everlasting Mercy For his Promise of the
commanded as a Law by God to Adam in Paradise by prohibiting the Tree And if he had fasted from that Tree we had not needed to have fasted we are sick by sin let us be healed by repentance but repentance without fasting is in vain So he The Flesh had need to be kept under the Soul like a servant left it rebell and to be held in with this bit for let but the reins loose and the flesh will run headlong to perdition Prayer is good with fasting c. And God saith Turn unto me with fasting The Prayer and Alms of Cornelius ascended to Heaven Wilt thou have thy Prayers fly to Heaven make it two wings Fasting and Alms. We are to give alms saith he in this regard that we may be heard when we deprecate Gods anger for our sins past By Mercy and Truth iniquity is purged Who so stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor he also shall cry himself and shall not be heard Give alms of such things as you have and all things shall be clean to you Break off thine iniquities by shewing mercy on the poor saith Daniel to Nebuchadnezzer Lastly The most powerful act of Repentance is godly sorrow accompanied with groans sighs and tears They are the blood of a wounded soul. They ascend unto the nostrils of God as the Odour of a sweet smelling Sacrifice God suffereth them not to be spent in vain but gathereth them David every nighe in thought of his offences washed his bed and watered his couch with them God promiseth that if we come weeping he will lead us in mercy And therefore commandeth it as a chief demonstration of our hearty Repentance Saint Peter after his denial of Christ wept bitterly but said nothing We find that he wept not what he said He made choice to repent rather with tears and no words than with words and no tears Recte flevit tacuit quia quod defleri solet non solet excusari Mary Magdalen wept but said nothing yet Christ said to her thy sins are forgiven thee Ezechias wept sore The Lord said I have heard thy prayers and seen thy tears and added fifteen years to his life Lachrymae tacitae quodammodo preces sunt veniam non postulant merentur Sufficit auribus Domini imber oculorum fletus citius audit quam voces Let the wicked therefore forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord. To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts If we will not hear this voice of his Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand He will stop his ears to us when we cry Lord open unto us though we cry with tears as Esau did for his Fathers blessing who found no way of changing his Fathers mind though he sought it with tears carefully when it was too late For though tears prevail in their due time and happy is he that can shed them Yet when the door is shut God will say to the impenitent sinner as he said to the foolish Virgins I know ye not The Duty of Repentance THis duty of Repentance consisteth of two parts 1. Mortification of the old Man which is the first degree of Regeneration 2. Quickning of the new which is the second 1. Mortification is an act of the Holy Spirit in us who doth by little and little quench and abate in our souls and bodies the natural strength of our corruption which was crept into us partly Originally by Adams fall which is that we mean by the Old man and partly that Sin which we have actually increased by our own frailty It consisteth 1. In our acknowledgement of Sin 2. In our Contrition and Sorrow Both which are set down in one Verse of the Psalmist 1. Our acknowledgement is either 1. Inward 2. Outward 1. Inward acknowledgement is when we feel the burden of our sins pressing us down our Consciences accusing us and our thoughts testifying against us 2. Outward is when we make Confession of them by speech or other outward actions And this Confession of sin is a publication or manifestation of our unworthiness and guilt whereby we testifie and bewail that we have sinned against God and have withall a setled resolution and purpose to offend him no more Confession is either Publick Private Publick Confession is when upon the Lords Day or other dayes appointed for Gods Worship we in the open Congregation together or after the Minister do confesse our sins to God Private is either 1. To God in our Closets or other private places as Ps. 32. 5. 38. 9. 18. 41. 4. 51. 2 Sam. 24. 10. Dan. 9. 2. To men Jam. 5. 16. 2. Contrition is a sorrow and grief of the Conscience and mourning of the Soul because we have offended God having also joyned with it a displeasure against our selves and a true humiliation both of souls and bodies as Iam. 4. 9. Esa. 66. 2. Eze. 36. 1. 41. 10. Ion. 3. 8. 2 Kings 22. 19. Matt. 5. 4. 2 Cor. 7. 9 10 11. Quickning of the new man is when we returning to God live spiritually and have a desire for the time to come to please Him this is also called a Conversion to God And this we do 1. By avoiding evil 2. Following that which is good Both comprehended in Psa. 34.14 Esa. 1. 16 17. The Benefits we receive by Repentance are The deferring of Gods punishments due for sin The mitigation of his displeasure The averting of his judgements The escaping of eternal death The prolonging of our prosperity The attaining of eternal life Confession of Sins VVHo will give water to my head or tears to mins eyes that I may day and night bewail my sins and ingratitude against thee O God my Creator Many things there are which terrifie mens Consciences and bring them to the true sense of their sins but nothing is so available thereunto as the contemplation of the greatness of thy goodness and the multitude of thy benefits That therefore O Lord my poor wretched soul may the better see and consider in what state it stands I will recount thy manifold blessings and the number of my sins that thereby also I may more clearly understand who thou art and what I am how gracious a God thou hast been to me and how rebellious a sinner I have been to thee There was a time O Lord as thy Divine Majesty best knoweth when I was not and thou tookest me out of the dust of the Earth and gavest me a being creating in me a Soul after thine own similitude and made it capable of thy glory Thou didst create my body with all the members and senses thereof and my soul with all the powers and faculties thereof And as thou didst create me so thou didst preserve me
Father and Holy Spirit world without end Amen Meditations and Prayers after th Sacrament Received IF all the Creatures in the world should offer themselves together with me to praise thee O Lord yet is it certain that we could not give thee sufficient thanks for the least of thy mercies and if together we cannot sufficiently praise thee for the least how much less can I alone perform so great a duty for such inestimable blessings as I have at this time received for vouchsafing to visit me comfort me and honour me with acceptance and admittance to thy blessed Table If Elizabeth the Mother of Iohn Baptist upon the Virgin Maries entrance to her house said Whence is it that the Mother of my Lord should come to me What shall I say whom the Lord himself hath visited and united to him by his blessed Sacrament being a vessel and receptacle of all impurity who hath so often offended despited and neglected him King David wondred why God should so esteem of or visit man but I wonder much more why he should be made man for man abide with him suffer death for him and give himself to him for spiritual food Solomon after he had built a Temple to God reasoned thus But will God dwell indeed on the Earth Behold the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee how much loss this House that I have builded May not I much more marvel that God will not disdain to come and abide in this my poor and wretched Soul What greater benefit of grace what greater argument of his love is there can there be shewed to me Oh my Soul if thou wouldest but throughly conceive the happiness that cometh to thee by this holy Sacrament then consider and well weigh what benefits it bringeth with it By it the Sons of Men are made the Sons of God and all that is earthly or carnal in us is mortified that the Deity may live and abide with us What therefore O my Lord shall I do What thanks shall I render to thee With what fervency shall I love thee For if thou so mighty a Lord hast vouchsafed to love me poor wretched creature how should it be but that I should return love again to thee And how shall I express my love better than in forbearing those things which thou dost abhorr and following those things which thou dost command Give O Lord to this end thy concomitant grace to me whereby I may return a reciprocal love to thee and love those things which are acceptable and avoid those things which are to thee unpleasing Give me a heart which may love thee with so true faithful and constant affection as that nothing under the Sun may separate me from the love of thee Let me not follow the love of the World or delight in the vanities of it any longer but give me power to kill and quench all other love and desires and to love thee only desire thee only and only think of thee and thy Commandements that all my affections and thoughts may be fixed on thee that in all tentations and adversities I may have recourse to thee only and receive all comfort from thee alone who livest and reignest one God world without end Amen Another I Humbly thank thee O sweet Saviour Jesus Christ that thou hast so plentifully refreshed my drie and fainting Soul with the holy Sacrament of thy precious Body and Blood I earnestly intreat thee further that whatsoever is in me vicious or contrary to thy blessed will may by vertue of this blessed Sacrament be rooted out of me that my Soul may become a fit habitation for thy holy Spirit Let it be to me the absolution of my sins the confirmation of my faith and encrease of all thy graces in me the viands of this my peregrination and pilgrimage the only delight of my soul peace and joy in tribulation health and strength in affliction and tentation Let it be a light and guide to my actions and my only comfort in the day of my dissolution Let the Palate of my Soul be so changed thereby that it may relish nothing besides thee Grant also that I may hunger and thirst after this bread of life and cup of salvation and that I may with a pure mind and chast affection receive it often that thereby my soul and body may be preserved to life everlasting to thee be all praise power and dominion ascribed now and for ever Or thus I Yield thee all possible thanks O merciful Lord that of thy own meer goodness and without any merit of mine thou hast so plentifully at this time satisfied me with the extraordinary food of my Soul thy blessed Body and Blood O Lord I heartily repent me of my sins past and am heartily sorry when I consider how unprofitably and wickedly I have spent my life hitherto I desire O Lord to amend what is amiss in me be thou ayding I beseech thee to me that I may not only duly bewail and lament for that which is past but take heed to my wayes for the time to come And to this end O Lord do thou strengthen me with thy spiritual ayd for without thy help and the direction of the Holy Spirit I shall not be able to do any good thing or perform that which is pleasing to thee Grant O Lord that I may hereafter faithfully follow and serve thee who hast at this time so lovingly vouchsafed to come to me And because through my infirmity I cannot follow thee as I would be pleased to assist me with thy power aud draw me after thee Let my Soul be so strengthned by vertue of this Sacrament that it may esteem nothing pleasing or delightful in comparison of thee that it may lust after no transitory thing nor be disquieted with any worldly cross but by thy assisting grace I may overcome all the difficulties of this life and bless thee in the life to come Or thus O Blessed Lord Iesus who of thy unspeakable Love hast condescended to my infirmity and vouchsafed in these mysteries to come unto me and hast made me partaker of thy blessed Body and Blood I humbly intreat thee of thy infinite goodness not to look back upon my sinful life past and to give me grace to obey thy Commandements hereafter and not to return to those former sins as a Dog to his vomit Grant that this most holy Sacrament may be to me life and salvation and not turn to my greater punishment and condemnation Grant that it may cleanse my Soul from sin past and strengthen me against all tentations to come Grant that it may be so wholesome and nourishing to me that I may walk in the strength thereof all the dayes of my life and at last be brought by thy merits to that place of Glory where thou dost reign together with the Father and the Blessed Spirit forever Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his Holy
creature that thou hast created me and given to me a body the workmanship and excellency whereof when I behold and well consider I find so many several benefits received as I have members veins joynts sinews and nerves all which discover and manifest the wisdom and power of the Maker of them The benefit of which several parts none can so well know as they which want any of them or are grieved with the infirmity or weakness of them I therefore bless thee that thou hast not created me blind lame deaf or dumb evil-shaped or weak in my senses but hast given me a sound and right mind in a healthful body I further praise thy Name O Lord for that thou hast infused a soul into this my body a work so glorious and transcendent that if I were not altogether stupid and void of all judgement I would not by my actions account so basely of it as I seem to do nor defile it with such impure contemptible and unclean works as I daily commit I thank thee O Lord that I was not born amongst Infidels and amongst those who do not truly call upon thy Name but in that part of the world where thy Gospel is truly preached and thy Sacraments duly administred I thank thee also for thy gracious preservation of me from my birth to this present hour I confess O Lord that it is of thy mercy and goodness that I am thus preserved for if thou shouldest but withdraw thine hand of preservation from me it could not be but that in the twinkling of an eye I should miserably perish and return to nothing I thank thee that thou hast of thy providence appointed all thy Creatures for my sustenance and service some for health and some for delight Grant O Lord that I may use them to those ends for which thou hast created them and that by them I may be moved truly to meditate on thy goodness and seriously praise thee for them I further thank thee O Father that when as by our first Parents fall all mankind was in the state of damnation it pleased thee not to deal with us as thou didst with Lucifer whom thou utterly expelledst thy presence but to send thy only Son from thy bosom into this world that by his bitter death we might be restored to our former estate I acknowledge O Lord that I owe much unto thee for my Creation but much more for my Redemption For what would it have profited me nay what misery should I not have suffered to have been born and afterward to be condemned for ever I thank thee O Lord that thou hast also vouchsafed to call me out of the depth of darkness and shadow of death wherein I lay by the admirable light of thy justifying grace to the true knowledge and love of thee It is not the least of thy benefits O Lord it sheweth not the least part of thy power that thou hast called me from so vile an estate whereinto I had cast my self after Baptism and in the same had continued many years rebelliously to the estate of Salvation For it must needs be acknowledged that thy mercy is great in pardoning sinners their offences but withall it cannot be denied but that thy power is greater in making sinners righteous and just Great was the benefit of my Creation but by that act I was not only made the Son of man but greater is the benefit of Iustification for thereby in Christ I am made the Son of God Great is the benefit of Redemption and indeed the greatest of all others but without Vocation and Iustification it had availed me nothing Great is the benefit which ariseth by the expectation of Glory and no less is this of Iustification for it is a work of no less power to make a just man of a sinner than to make a just man happy and blessed for as much as the difference between sin and grace is more than between Grace and Glory I acknowledge therefore O Lord that the benefits which arise by these heavenly gifts and graces are so great that my tongue faileth and my heart wanteth ability wherewith sufficiently to praise thee for them I praise thee also O Lord for thy blessed Sacraments for that of Baptism whereby I was cleansed from the guilt of original sins and regenerated and adopted into the number of thy Children and for the other of the blessed body and blood of our Saviour Iesus Christ the Sacrament of Grace Unity Charity and Remission of sins the food of our Souls in this Pilgrimage and the Conduit through which all graces are conveyed to our fainting Souls Lastly I thank thee for thy preservation of me in thy Grace by which I am restrained from returning to the mire with the washed Sow and to the vomit with the Dog and by which I am strengthned to doe something acceptable and pleasing unto thee I confess O Lord that whatsoever good I have done is wrought in me by thee and whatsoever tentation or evil I escape is meerly by thy providence O Lord continue and keep me still in this grace that I may so use all thy blessings and so keep them in mind that they may stir up in me a more ardent desire to magnifie thy blessed Name and a greater care of ordering my wayes hereafter that I may no more grieve thy troubled Spirit who with thee and thy blessed Son our only Saviour liveth and reigneth one God world without end Another ALL praise honour and glory be given to thee O Lord God Father Almighty for all thy inestimable benefits bestowed upon me and all mankind whether private or publick general or particular spiritual or temporal Who is able to reckon up or declare the several kinds or parts of them for creating the world beautifying enriching and making it fruitful for the use of man for giving unto us souls and bodies and adorning them with infinite faculties and gifts and which exceeds the rest of thy blessings for delivering us from the power and servitude of sin and the Devil for forbearing and expecting our repentance so loug preserving us from all dangers and furnishing us with all things necessary for this life What praise shall we render to thee O sweet Iesus for all that thou hast done and suffered for us VVee praise and bless thee for thy Incarnation and Birth for all the labours pains sorrows wounds and disgraces together with the vile and ignominious death which thou didst suffer to reconcile us to thy Fathers favour from which our sins had justly excluded us for which thy great love to the Sons of men blessed be thy holy Name O holy and blessed Spirit who in the beginning of time didst move upon the face of the waters at our Saviours Baptism in the shape of a Dove and on the Apostles in the shape of fiery tongues we praise and worship thee for enlightning our understandings for fitting and making us apt to conceive the
thy power and rule both in Heaven and Earth Thou shewest mercy on whom thou wilt art pitiful to whom thou pleasest and wouldst not the death of a sinner neither delightest in the destruction of any O God rich in mercy who out of thy extraordinary love to Mankind even when we were thine Enemies didst send thine only Son into the world that every one that believed on him might not perish but have life everlasting Have mercy upon me have mercy upon me according to thy mercy and according to the multitude of thy mercies do away my offenses Holy Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son I have turned from thee and have broken all thy Commandements I have not walked aright but have gone after mine own lusts choosing those wayes which thou hast forbidden me to tread in Neither O Lord have I feared thine anger but have been in all things disobedient unto thee and have hardned my heart against thee I have hated instruction and cast thy sayings behind me Truth hath found no place in me and my hands have been the workers of much wickedness I have spoken vainly idlely and wickedly I have brought forth deceit and meditated the way of untruth I have provoked thy wrath against me by accustoming my self to do the work of the flesh and rejecting the good motions of the Spirit Woe unto me rebellious wretch that I have committed these wicked acts against thee so loving so good so gracious a God to the utter destruction of my soul without thy mercy in Christ Iesus In remembrance and confidence whereof O Lord I come to thee and humbly intreat thee that thou wouldest not reject a contrite humble miserable and repentant sinner who at this time earnestly invocateth thy Name Return a little O Lord and be intreated for my manifold sins do not unto me according to the multitude of them neither reward me according to my transgressions Let my humble Prayers sighs and groans come into thy presence and according to thy promises receive me again into thy favour For O Father I am one of those whom thy only Son redeemed with his most precious blood O Lord my soul doth loath my life by reason of my manifold sins and I humble my self under thy mighty hand because I know that in thine anger thou shewest mercy and in time of trouble thou dost forgive offences And behold O Lord that I confess my sins beseeching thee for thy goodness to do unto me according to thy wonted mercy I am confounded and ashamed to lift up mine eyes unto thee because my sins have prevented my prayers and have ascended up to thee before them Against thee O Lord have I sinned and done much evil in thy sight Yet wherefore should I dye in my sins seeing it is not thy pleasure that any sinner should dye but turn unto thee and live For thou art good and gracious and savest those who are altogether unworthy out of the abundance of thy mercy in Christ Iesus the Righteous For although thine anger against sinners is unsufferable and who may abide it Yet thy mercy towards offenders is unsearchable and who can find out the depth thereof or describe it Our Fathers in their troubles cryed unto thee and thou didst deliver them they put their trust in thee and were not confounded And though they by their offences have justly provoked thine anger yet upon their humiliation thou didst remember thy Covenant and ease them of their afflictions O Lord be merciful also unto me for I am miserable and wretched Heal my soul for I have sinned against thee My soul is very much disquieted within me How long Lord will it be ere thou look upon me and deliver it Lighten mine eyes for I have too long slept in death and my sins have too long had dominion over me Return O Lord at the last and be gracious unto me O deliver my soul and have mercy upon me And all my bones shall say Lord who is like unto thee To thee be all Honour Praise and Glory World without end Another O Lord Iesus Christ the only Physician of sick souls who in the fulness of God came into this World not to call the just but sinners to Repentance Behold me the most wretched of all sinners who with as much humility as I am able in the confidence of thy great goodness cast my self before the foot-stool of thy Majesty confessing my great and grievous offences And if the Publican in the Gospel durst not lift up his eyes to heaven but stood a far off and smote his brest saying Lord be merciful to me a sinner what shall I doe whose sins surpass the greatest sinners offences For all my inward and outward parts are wholly depraved and nothing that is good remaineth in me And when I look into the book of my conscience I find that I have abominably polluted the garment of innocency which I received at my Baptism I have put all my strength to offend thee with all the members I have For my feet have been swift to evil and flow to good mine eyes open to vanity and shut to that which is truly amiable My hands stretched to covetousness and closed from the works of mercy mine ears ready to hear evil and stopped to the good motions of the Spirit and my soul the noblest part in me which hath eyes to contemplate the glory of thy Majesty I have turned away from the consideration of thy Excellency to the vain and transitory things of this life I have given liberty to whatsoever mine eyes have desired and have not resisted the unclean passions of my heart so that the whole course of my life hath been a continual warfare against the. How often have I returned as a dog to the vomit and as a sow washed to the myre I am that Fool which hath said in his heart there is no God For I have lived so dissolutely that I have made plain demonstration by my behaviour That I believed thou either wert not at all or else couldst do nothing at all Thou O Lord hast often called me and I have neglected thy voice Thou hast expected me and I have abused thy patience Thou hast given me the treasure of a long time to repent and I have consumed it wastefully Thou hast stricken me and I have not been sensible of thy hand Thou hast afflicted me and I have made no use of thy correction Thou didst sweat to make me clean and I still remain in my pollution I am hardned as well with thy punishments as with thy blessings being rebellious to the one and unthankful for the other And what shall I further say but that my heart soul thoughts and body are all impure and defiled and that of all sinners I am the chief unworthy Earth
should any longer sustain me or that I should expect any thing from thee but thy severest Iudgement For if thou sparedst not Lucifer and his Angels for one only sin Pride but didst cast them from Heaven to be reserved for everlasting chains of darknesse unto the Iudgement of the great Day what can I hope or look for that have offended thee not in one offence alone but in all kind of transgressions For my sins are in number numberless insomuch that I hate my self for my madness that from so noble a liberty I am fallen into so base a servitude and find my self overwhelmed with the horrible dread of thy fearful Iudgements Yet when I behold and consider that infinite mercy of thine which surpasseth all the rest of thy works I am a little refreshed and my Soul is a little comforted and revived For as by the examination of the hainousness of my sins and the strictness of thy Iustice I did almost despair So considering and weighing the testimonies of thy Servants left upon record for the comfort of poor distressed souls I am somewhat again cheared and raised up For besides those places of consolation and many more I find by divers Parables and Similitudes of thine own how ready and propense thou art to receive and pardon the Penitent As by the lost Penny the lost Sheep and by the Prodigal Son whose Image I find in my self and whose life mine doth fully parallel Wherefore O Lord I humbly intreat thee to restore me thy lost Son to thy favour and withall to give me the true sense and knowledge of the innocency I have lost I do not desire that thou shouldest deal so kindly with me as that Father did with his Son but I shall be happy and glad if thou wilt entertain me as one of the meanest of thy hired servants My hope and confidence is that thou wilt pitty me because thou art the fountain of pitty and compassion Behold me therefore with the eyes of pitty look on me and ease me who come unto thee laden with the heavy burden of my sins pardon them and save me for thy infinite mercy and remember not my sins but thine own sufferings think not on me as a proud and rebellious Malefactor but as an humble and penitent Convert Look on me with those eyes of compassion wherewith thou didst sometime behold Mary Magdalen Peter and the good Thief Give me true knowledge of my sins with the first true contrition with the second and receive me with the third into thy Heavenly Paradise Let thy obedience satisfie for my rebellions thy innocency for my guilt thy humility for my arrogancy thy fasting for my intemperance and thy justice for my iniquity Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me whole and restore me to thy former grace Purifie purge and cleanse me from mine offences and open mine eyes that I may clearly see mine own pollution and make me to grieve that I have not grieved for my sins as I ought to have done And as thou hast by thy long-suffering hitherto expected my repentance so of thy infinite mercy and goodness pardon me repenting and grant me grace that I may be afraid to offend thee hereafter Hear me O sweet Saviour make intercession for me to the Father with whom and the Holy Spirit thou dost live and reign coequal and coeternal Lord God world without end Amen Confession of Sins I confess O Lord That I was shaped in wickedness and in sin my Mother conceived me That I was brought forth in uncleanness That I am a root of bitterness A wild vine of Sodom A branch of the wild olive The child of wrath A vessel of dishonour and perdition That my heart is rebellious like a starting bow That my throat is an open sepulcher venting all folly That I am of polluted lips That my tongue talketh nothing but vanity That mine eyes are evil prone to lust That mine ears are uncircumcised and like to the deaf Adder That I have a forhead of brass and a neck of iron That my hands are slow to good That my feet are swift to evil I have sinned against thee O Lord and in thy sight not fearing thy Majesty My Sins are In quantity Large and of a great size Of long continuance From my Mothers breasts Deep Heavy Like a burden Like lead Stretching to Heaven with their cry Many in number Like the Stars More than the hairs of my head The sands of the Sea Oftentimes reiterated As a Fountain casting out water Till they became as a habit As red as scarlet and crimson I am sold under sin Till they become natural to me Like the AEthiopians skin The Leopards spots In quality The worst of sins Strong like cords and cart-ropes Gaining nothing thereby For a handful of barley a little bread Committing sin with greediness Sin upon sin With impudence Not being ashamed Knowing it to be sin Giving offence thereby Unthankfully Like the Dog to the vomit Like the Sow to the mire Therefore O Lord because thou art just and thy judgements true I reap the fruit of my foolishness For what fruit have I in those things whereof I am ashamed My dayes are consumed in vanity and my years in the bitternesse of my soul. And now there is no health in my flesh because of thy displeasure neither is there any rest in my bones by reason of my sin My heart trembleth also with remembrance of thy Iudgements I feel bitterness above the bitterness of death in that I have forsaken thee O God and that thou hast forsaken me Woe unto me rebellious Wretch for thus doing See and consider O Lord how vile I am become for my Soul abhorreth to live I have roared for the disquietness of my heart And what shall I now say or wherein shall I open my mouth What shall I answer seeing I have done these things Miserable man that I am who shall deliver me out of this body of death When I have not what I can further say or do this only remaineth this is my last refuge that I direct mine eyes to thee Out of the deep have I called to thee O Lord Lord hear my voice If thou Lord shouldest be extream to mark what is done amiss O Lord who may abide it Enter not into judgement with thy Servant O Lord for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Wherefore O Lord I appeal from Thee to Thee From Thee a just Iudge To Thee a merciful Father From the Throne of thy Iustice To the Seat of thy Mercy O Lord be pleased to admit of this appeal If thou do not I perish And O Lord carest thou not that I perish