mark learn and inwardly digest them that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ Amen O Lord Jesu Christ who at thy first Coming didst send thy Messenger to prepare thy Way before thee grant that the Ministers and Stewards of thy Mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way by turning the hearts of the disobedience to the wisdom of the just that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable People in thy sight who livest and reignest with the Father and the holy Spirit ever one God world with out end Amen PRevent us O Lord in all our doings with thy most gracious favour and further us with thy continual help that in all our works begun continued and ended in thee we may glorifie thy holy Name and finally by thy mercy obtain everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ God of Patriarks and Prophets God of Apostles and Martyrs God of Virgins and of all Believers I beseech thee have mercy on us thou who didst send thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ to redeem us thy Son born of the Virgin Mary by the operation of the Holy Ghost by the Annunciation of the Angel deliver us from eternal death I beseech thee O Lord have compassion on thy Servant judge me not according to my works for I have been disobedient to thy Commandments but thou who lovest Repentance have mercy on me who before thy face make confession of all my sins and for the love of thy holy Name wipe away all my offences Make me to abide in thy holy Catholick Church with an undefiled Faith and pure Heart with a firm devotion and continual love of thee and perseverance in good works to my lives end Deliver me from the eternal pains and everlasting torments which thou hast prepared for the wicked Grant this for our good and blessed Saviours sake by whom and in whom be ascribed to thee all Honour Power and Glory for ever and ever Amen O Almighty and most merciful Father we most humbly beseech thee that we may keep this Day according to the commandment of thee and thy holy Church Give me O Lord true contrition of all the sins I have committed against thee and my neighbour by thought word or deed or by omission of good works which I ought to have done And I most humbly beseech thee most sweet Jesus not to consider the multitude of my sins but remember thy infinite mercy grant me grace to spend this week following without offending thee and for thy death and Passion sake give to all sinners knowledge and grace to be penitent in this world and particularly we intreat thee have mercy on all those for whom thy holy Church commands we should this day pray that with her we may be made partakers of the infinite merits of thy sacred Passion Amen The Litany O God the Father Creator of the world Have mercy on us O God the Son Redeemer of Mankind Have mercy on us O God the Holy Ghost Perfecter of the Elect. Have mercy on us O Sacred Trinity three Persons and one God Have mercy on us Behold we were Conceived in sin and in Iniquity our Mothers brought us forth Have mercy on us As we have grown in years we have multiplied the number of our offences and every day thy goodness adds to our lives our wickednesse increases the heap of our transgressions Have mercy on us The Law of our body makes War against the Law of our mind and brings us into subjection to Sin that the good which we would we do not and the evil which we would not that we do have mercy on us We have sinned in the vain thought and unlawful desires of our hearts in the idle talk and perverse words of our mouths in the wicked works and fruitlesse course of our lives have mercy on us We have sinned against thee by our Ingratitude for thy Blessings and impatience of thy Chastisements by preferring our selves and the satisfaction of our own inordinate desires before Thee and the observance of thy holy Comandments have mercy on us We have sinned against others in not doing to them as we would they should do to us and against our own Souls in pursuing more eagerly the things of this life than those that belong to our eternal felicity have mercy on us We have sinned in delaying our Repentance and breaking the solemn promises of amending our lives in exposing our selves to the danger of temptation and often omitting the opportunities of thy Service and even our best endeavours are full of imperfections have mercy on us We have sinned in not profiting with the talents of Grace and Nature which thy bounty has committed to our improvment but idly spent that precious time and unthankfully neglected those gracious means which thy goodnesse allows us for the work of our Salvation have mercy on us Have mercy on us most merciful Father and according to the multitude of thy tender Compassions pardon the multitude of our grievous offences Remember what our substance is that we are but as the grass of the field or a vapour that passeth away and returns not again Remember what thou art Infinitely glorious in thy Self and Infinitely good to the least of thy Creatures Remember thy gracious Promises in Jesus Christ and for the Merits of his sacred Passion from all our sins O Lord deliver us From the Evils of this present world from War Pestilence and Famine from all disastrous mischances in our Bodies Minds or Estates from suddain Death and all other thy heavy Judgments O Lord deliver us From the Evils of the world to come from the dreadful Sentence of condemnation and the chains of everlasting darkness from the Worm that dies not and the Fire that shall never be quenched O Lord deliver us From the evil of Sin which is the onely cause of all Misery from the temptations to which by nature or custom we are most exposed from ignorance of thy Will and neglect to perform what we know to be our duty O Lord deliver us From Pride Covetousnesse and Luxury from Envy Gluttony and Anger from a slothful Coldnesse in what concerns our Salvation and from those enormous sins that cry to Heaven for Vengeance O Lord deliver us From Slander rash Judgment and Flattery from self-love vain-glory and hypocrisie from stubbornness and irreverence towards those that are above us from disdain and oppression of such as are below us from the great guilt of inducing other to sin and from the unhappinesse of being perverted by them our selves O Lord deliver us From Error Schism and Heresie from denying thee before men for worldly respects from new and factious interpretation of thy Word and from proudly preferring our private Conceits before the Judgment of
Sighs of them that mourn attend to the Prayers which we pour out before thee in our distresse and tribulation and clemently hear them that whatever the malice of Man or subtilty of Satan can work against us may by the wisdom of thy Piety be dasht and brought to nothing so as being hurt by no Adversities but delivered from all Affliction and sorrow we may joyfully yield thanks to thee in thy Church Forgive O Lord our sins and bestow on us thy mercy look down upon our low and sad condition pity our many miserys and break asunder the bonds that lie heavy on us and in all our necessities graciously hear thy Suppliants through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth one God world without end Amen Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy on us Lord have mercy upon us Lord Jesu hear our Prayers Lord Jesus receive our Petitions Our Father c. ALmighty God the Fountain of all Wisdom who knowest our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking we beseech thee to have Compassion upon our Infirmities and those things which for our unworthinesse we dare not and for our blindnesse we cannot ask vouchsafe to give us for the Worthiness of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the felloship of the Holy Ghost be with us all evermore Amen I Shall not undertake to trouble you with the particular Opinions concerning the keeping of this day holy since some are of one Opinion and some of another and many Learned Treatises being thereupon already written to which when you shall by the good pleasure of God attain to a more mature judgment I shall refer you but rather advise you to sollow the Order of holy Church therein and withal to assure you of my own Experience and observations of that day which have been that when ever I have been so unhappy either by the perswasions of others or my own evil Inclinations to undertake or meddle with any Affairs of the World upon that day any more than of necessity they have alwayes had a very ill Successe and a most unhappy Conclusion therefore since it is the Command of God and holy Church that this day should be kept holy I would advise you not to be singular in neglecting your duty upon that holy day which the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the great God of all the holy Saints and Angels in Heaven who keep a holy and perpetual Sabboth grant you may perform with all holy devotions and pious works Amen DEVOTIONS for Friday FRiday being the Day of the Week upon which our blessed Lord and Saviour by most cruel hands was Crucified for the Redemption of the whole World hath by the Christian Church in all times been observed as a day of Fasting yet some Countrys have herein made some difference As first not to fast upon Friday within the twelve dayes of Christmas and Easter week Secondly others not to fast upon any Friday that happeneth to fall upon any holy-day observed by the Command of the Church Thirdly others not to fast upon any Friday between Easter and Ascension from that saying of our Saviour Mat. 9. 15. Can the Children of the Bride Chamber mourn as long as the Bridegroom is with them But you may use your discretion herein having a special regard to the Order of your holy Mother the Church of England who commands all Fridays in the year to be observed as Fasts except christmasse-Christmasse-day when it shall happen to fall upon a Friday Fasting dayes ought to be dayes of Repentance and abstinence from sin as well as from meat and drink And being dayes of Repentance you shall do well that day to recite the seven Penitential Psalms which are these the 6. the 32. the 38. the 51. the 102. the 130. and the 143. dividing them in your Devotions as you shall be hereby directed First when you prepare your self for your duty of Fasting standing before the place where you intend your devotion which may be so early as this Office may be ended by you before the Church Morning Service begin and say The sixth Psalm 1. O Lord rebuke me not in thine indignation neither chasten me in thy displeasure 2. Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed 3. My Soul is also sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou punish me 4. Turn thee O Lord and deliver my Soul O save me for thy mercies sake 5. For in death no man remembreth thee and who will give thee thanks in the Pit 6. I am weary of my groning every night wash I my Bed and water my Couch with my tears 7. My beâ—uty is gone for very trouble and worn away because of all mine enemies 8. Away from me all ye that work vanity for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping 9. The Lord hath heard my petition the Lord will receive my Prayer 10. All mine enemies shall be confounded and sore vexed they shall be turned back and put to shame suddenly Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The 32. Psalm 1. BLessed is he whose unrighteousnesse is forgiven and whose sin is covered 2. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth no sin and in whose Spirit their is no guile 3. For while I held my tongue my bones consumed away through my daily complaining 4. For thy hand is heavy upon me day and night and my moisture is like the drought in Summer 5. I will knowledge my sin unto thee and mine unrighteousnesse have I not hid 6. I said I will confesse my sins unto the Lord and so thou forgavest the wickednesse of my sin 7. For this shall every one that is godly make his Prayer unto thee in a time when thou mayst be found but in the great water-floods they shall not come nigh him 8. Thou art a place to hide me in thou shalt preserve me from trouble thou shalt compasse me about with songs of deliverance 9. I will inform thee and teach thee in the way wherein thou shalt go and I will guid thee with mine eye 10. Be ye not like to Horse and Mule which have no understanding whose mouths must be holden with bit and bridle lest they fall upon thee 11. Great plagues remain for the ungodly but who so putteth his trust in the Lord mercy embraceth him on every side 12. Be glad O ye Righteous and rejoyce in the Lord and be joyful all ye that are true of heart Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. Then say By the sign of the holy Crosse O Lord deliver me Then kneeling devoutly upon your knees say In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity now
would be pleased to Command his holy Angels to take charge of you and to preserve you both in Body and Soul from all evil visible and invisible I rest Your most affectionate and Loving Father T. W. From the Prison at the Castle in Glocester 9 Novembris 1668. For my Worthy Friend Mr. Nathaniel Gwinn Master of the Free-School at Cyrencester these humbly present Most worthy Sir IT is said That if it had not been for Aristotle Alexander had not been Alexander although the Simile may not well hold yet truly what my poor Children have attained unto They and my Self must be very ungrateful if we do not acknowledge it to come from you And therefore Sir I do with all the Offerings of a free heart in all humility return you my humble and hearty thanks for your unheard of Civilities to my poor Sons hoping that your Indulgence to them will not be forgotten when ever it shall please God they may be Capacitated to return those thanks that are due for Obligations of so large a magnitude I must now beg you to contract another trouble upon your self viz. That you would he pleased to peruse the following Meditations and as you shall approve of them â—o give encouragement unto those â—hey are designed for to use them Thus beseeching your Prayers to â—he God of all Recompences for me a poor Prisoner in this Goal I remain Reverend Sir Your most obliged and faithful Servant T. W. From the Castle in Glocester 9 die Novembris 1668. Devout MEDITATIONS For the Morning for every Day in the Week When you awake in the Morning say O Saviour of the World who by thy Crosse and precious Blood hast redeemed us save us and help us we humbly beseech thee O Lord. And afterwards before you stir out of your Bed because the first thoughts ought to be offered to Almighty God say O Lord open thou our lips And our mouth shall shew forth thy praise O Lord deal not with us after our sins Neither reward us after our iniquities Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us OUr Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy kingdom come Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver uâ— from evil For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen GLory be to God on high Anâ— in Earth peace good will to wards Men. We praise thee we blesâ— thee we worship thee we glorifâ—â— thee we give thanks to thee for thy great Glory O Lord God heavenly King God the Father Almighty O Lord the only begotten Son Jesu Christ O Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father that takest away the Sins of the World have mercy upon us thou that takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon us thou that takest away the sins of the world receive our Prayers thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father have mercy upon us For thou only art Holy thou onely art the Lord thou onely O Christ with the Holy Ghost art most high in the glory of God the Father Amen And when you arise out of your Bed make a reverent bow with your body and say Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen When you are putting on your Apparel let your thoughts be truly towards God and of his most bountiful goodness towards you at all times and say O Sweet Jesu that the shame of my sinful Soul may not be seen cloath it with the robes of thy Justice and cover it with the Ornaments of all manner of grace and vertues Amen And before you stir out of your Chamber prepare your thoughts for Prayer repairing to some convenient place of the Room and with great reverence bow your body and say the eighth Psalm following O Lord our Governour how excellent is thy Name in all the world thou that hast set thy glory above the Heavens Out of the mouth of very Babes and Sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies that thou mightest still the Enemy and the Avenger For I will consider the Heavens even the works of thy Fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained What is Man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of Man that thou visitest him Thou madest him lower than the Angels to crown him with glory and worship Thou makest him to have dominion of the works of thy hands and thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet all Sheep and Oxen yea and the Beasts of the field The Fouls of the Air and Fishes of the Sea and whatsoever walketh through the paths of the Seas O Lord our Governour how excellent is thy Name in all the world Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Then kneeling down upon your knees with your heart and hands lift up to Almighty God say In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity now and for ever Amen O Lord save the King And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee OUr Father which art in heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen O Everlasting God who hast ordained and constituted the services of Angels and Men in a wonderful order mercifully grant that as thy holy Angels alway do thee service in Heaven so by thy appointment they may succour and defend us on Earth through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen ALmighty and everlasting God who hatest nothing that thou hast made and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent Create and make in us new and Contrite hearts that we worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchednesse may obtain of thee the God of all Mercy perfect remission and forgiveness through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen ALmighty God who seest that we have no power of our selves to help our selves keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen O Almighty God whose dwelling is in the highest Heavens and yet vouchsafest to regard the lowest Creature upon
thy Church O Lord deliver us In the first motions to sin and the renewed assaults of any temptation in the time of our tryal when thou seeemest to withdraw from us thy Grace in health and prosperity in sicknesse and adversity in the hour of Death and in the day of Judgment O Lord deliver us Deliver us O Lord and in all our Necessities when we call on thee in the Name of thy beloved Son and for the Merits of our onely Saviour Jesus Christ who sits at thy right hand to make Intercession for us sinners We beseeh thee hear us That it would please thee to govern and defend thy Catholick Church to blesse and preserve all Ecclesiastical Persons in unity of truth and holinesse of life We beseech thee hear us That it would please thee to endue all Christian Princes and Magistrates with the Spirit of Justice Piety and Wisdom and all Subjects with a true reverence of their Superiours and chearful obedience to their just Commands that all the World may live in the beauty of Order and the blessings of Peace We beseech thee hear us That it would please thee to reduce into the union of thy Church all those whom Malice Passion or Interest have divided from thy Faith And with a more particular tendernesse to Compassionate all simple and Unlearned People who by mis-instruction are seduced into Error and by unhappy Education settled in a prejudice against thy Truth VVe beseech thee hear us That it would please thee to convert all Jews Turks and Infidells to thy holy Faith and all dissolute Christians to a vertuous life That none of those whom thou hast made may perish but all the Nations of the Earth adore thee here and be happy with thee hereafter VVe beseech thee hear us That it would please thee to have compassion on the Miseries of humane life and especially on the Afflictions of such as suffer for a good Conscience Let thy pitty lighten their burdens and thy grace strengthen their weaknesse that every sad dejected Soul may praise thee either for releasement from their pressures or enablement to bear their crosses VVe beseech thee hear us That it would please thee to enlarge our hearts with true Charity one towards another to Feed the Hungry and Cloth the Naked to visit the Sick and Comfort the distressed to forgive our Enemies and pray for our Persecutors and in all occasions to do good to every one according to our Capacities VVe beseech thee hear us That it would please thee to open thy full hand and mercifully bestow on us the necessaries of this life with grace so to use all thy temporal Blessings that we rest not in the Convenience or Pleasure derived from any Creature but apply them as Instruments to cultivate our minds and prepare us for thee and thy eternal joys VVe beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchasafe us the grace to know thee that we may fear and hope in thee as absolute Master of Punishment and Reward that we may serve and worship thee as Soveraign Lord of Life and Death that we may love and praise thee as a most Indulgent Father and bountiful Benefactor VVe beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchsafe us the grace to know our Selves that remembring we are but dust and ashes subject to a thousand infirmities temptations and miseries we may humble our proud thoughts and sincerely acknowledge our own unworthinesse yet being created after thy Image and capable of eternal happiness we may aspire to Heaven and value our Souls above all the transitory enjoyments of the earth VVe beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchsafe us the grace frequently to examine and clearly to see the state of our Consciences humbly to confess and earnestly to repent us of our sins carefully to avoid all occasions of relapse and diligently practise those Vertues which most avail to the Cure of our Infirmities We beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchsafe us the grace to keep a strict watch over our Senses lest they solicite our hearts to sin to remember continually thy presence with us wheresoever we are especially in the offering up our Prayers with a reverend gesture of our Bodies and devout attention of our Minds We beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchsafe us the grace to attend with diligence the employment of our Callings yet every day to set apart some time for thee and our Souls to live in peace and Charity with all the world freely forgiving their injuries to us and readily satisfying our trespasses against them VVe beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchsafe us the grace to remember alwaies the end of our Creation and the vanity of this world the shortnesse of our lives and the incertainty of our deaths the misery of such as die in their sins and the unspeakable joyes of those who with their last breath give up their Souls into the hands of thy Angels We beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchsafe us the grace to live and dy in the Faith and Communion of thy Catholick Church to enjoy the benefit of thy holy Sacraments and participate in the Prayers and good works of all thy Servants throughout the world We beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchsafe us the grace in the last hour of our lives willingly to render our Bodies to the Earth from whence they came and joyfully return our Souls to thee that gave them that in the blissful vision of thy Glory we may for ever adore thy Majesty and in the happy Company of thy Saints and Angels for ever sing praises to thy Name We beseech thee to hear us Son of God We beseech thee hear us O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Spare us O Lord. O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Hear us O Lord. O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Have mercy on us O Lord hear our prayers And let our Supplications come to thee MOst gracious God the Fountain of all Mercy and Blessing who desirest not the death of a Sinner nor despisest the tears of the penitent favourably receive this free Confession of our sins and efficaciously move our hearts to a true Contrition for all our offerces that being pardoned the evils we are presumed to do we may be delivered from the evils we deserve to suffer and obtaining of thy Bounty the Graces petitioned in our Prayers we may bestow the short remainder of our dayes in a more perfect denial of our own corrupt Inclinations and more constant tendance to thy glorious Promises through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth one God world without end Amen The Blessing of God Almighty Father Son and Holy Ghost descend upon us and remain in our hearts for ever Amen A Prayer in Tribulation O God who despisest not the tears of the Contrite nor contemnest the
a most perfect Example and finally thou didst consent upon that tree to die and by thy Death to Redeem us I humbly beseech thee for the incomparable patience thou shewedst in the whole course of thy Life and then especially when thy malicious Enemies so raged against thee when they mocked thee and spit upon thy Face when they hood-winked thine eyes and with their most impure hands buffeted thy Cheeks when they cruelly scourged thee fast bound to a Pillar when they did thrust upon thy sacred Head a Crown of Thornes and prest their sharp points into thy Temples when with Iron Nails they pierced thy blessed Hands stretched along upon the Cross when thy blessed Side was transfixt with a Spear when in thy great thirst and extreme Agony they offered thee a spunge full of vinegar and gall when with thy Head inclined down thou saidst It is Consummate when thou didst commend thy Spirit into the hands of God the Father and in the end gavest up thy last breath for the Redemption of Mankind For all these Pains and Passions O most gracious Lord Jesus Christ I poor and miserable sinner humbly beseech thy infinite Majesty not to forsake me nor suffer me to be Condemned in thy terrible Judgment but let thy dolorous Passion so help me that I may be brought to everlasting felicity let thy holy Angels alwayes be in my Company and specially at the hour of my death that they may protect defend and keep me so that the cruel â—nfernal Enemy may never have any power over me Amen O Jesu who for the Redemption of the World patiently enduredst so many Injuries Calamities and Afflictions and even Death it self We humbly beseech thee by all thy Sufferings and by the effusion of thy precious Blood deliver us from the dangers of this Life from the pains of Hell and from suddain and everlasting death Amen O Holy Jesus who for our sakes didst suffer Incomparable anguish and pains Commensurate to thy love and our miseries which were infinite that thou mightest purchase for us Blessings upon Earth and an Inheritance in Heaven dispose us by love thankfulnesse humility and obedience to receive all the benefit of thy Passion granting unto us and thy whole Church remission of all our sins integrity of mind health of body competent maintainance peace in our dayes a temperate air fruitfulnesse of the Earth unity and integrity of Faith extirpation of Heresies reconcilement of Schismes destruction of all wicked Counsels intended against us and bind the hands of Rapine and Sacriledge that they may not destroy the Vintage and root up the Vine it self Multiply thy Blessings upon us sweetest Jesus increase in us true Religion sincere and actual Devotion in our Prayers patience in troubles and whatsoever is necessary to our Souls health or conducing to thy glory Amen O Holy and eternal Jesus who didst for our sakes Fast forty dayes and forty nights and hast left to us thy Example and thy prediction that in the dayes of thy absence from us we thy Servants and Children of thy Bride-Chamber should Fast teach us to do this act of discipline so that it may become an Act of Religion Let us never be like Esau valuing a Dish of meat above a Blessing but let us deny our appetites of Meat and Drink and accustome our selves to the yoke and substract the fuel of our lusts and the incentives of all our unworthy desires that our bodies being free from the intemperances of nutriment and our Spirits from the load and pressure of Appetite we may have no desires but of thee that our outward Man daily decaying by the violence of time and mortified by the abatements of its too free and unnecessary support it may by degrees resign to the intire dominion of the Soul and may passe from vanity to piety from weakness to ghostly strength from darknesse and mixtures of impurity to great transparencies and charity in the society of a beautiful Soul reigning with thee in the glories of eternity O holy and eternal Iesu Amen O God the Authour of peace and lover of Charity give to our Enemies peace and true Charity grant them remission of all their sins and deliver us from all their deceipts through our Lord Iesus Christ Amen O Almighty everlasting God the eternal Salvation of them that believe hear us for thy Sick-Servants for whom we humbly crave the help of thy mercy that health being restored to them they may yield thanksgiving to thee in thy Church through our Lord Iesus Christ Amen O Almighty everlasting God the Consolation of the sorrowful and the strength of those that travel let the Prayers of all that call upon thee out of any tribulation distress or calamity whatsoever come to thy ears that they may rejoyce to find thy mercies present with them in their necessities through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen TUrn thou us O good Lord and so shall wee be turned be favourable O Lord be favourable to thy People who turn to thee in weeping fasting and praying For thou art a merciful God full of compassion long-suffering and of great pity Thou sparest when we deserve punishment and in thy wrath thinkest upon Mercy Spare thy People good Lord spare them and let not thine Heritage be brought to confusion Hear us O Lord for thy merty is great and after the multitude of thy mercies look upon us through the Merits and mediation of thy blessed Son Iesus Christ our Lord Amen O Lord hear our Prayers And let our Cry come unto thee O God whose nature and property is ever to have mercy and to forgive receive our humble Petitions and grant that the tender mercy of thy piety may mildly absolve us whom the chain of sin doth bind through thy sweet Son Iesus Christ our Lord Amen The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us all evermore Amen Then devoutly rise from your knees and say The 143. Psalm 1. HEar my Prayer O Lord and consider my desire hearken unto me for thy truth and righteousness sake 2. And enter not into judgment with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified 3. For the enemy hath persecuted my Soul he hath smitten my life down to the ground he hath laid me in the darknesse as the men that have been long dead 4. Therefore is my Spirit vexed within me and my heart within me is desolate 5. Yet do I remember the time past I muse upon all thy works yea I exercise my self in the works of thy hands 6. I stretch forth my hands unto thee my Soul gaspeth unto thee as a thirsty land 7 Hear me O Lord and that soon for my Spirit waxeth faint hide not thy face from me lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit 8. O let me hear thy loving kindnesse betimes in the morning for in thee is my trust shew thou me the way
very perfect accompt and Experiment of the sad and Hellish effectâ— of their Schismatical Pragmatical and most diabolical opinions so directly opposite to the doctrine of the Prince of Peace that they can never march under his Banner without a sad and serious Repentance Therefore beware the Jesuite with one hand and them with the other for if the Jesuite seize you by one hand or the Presbyterian by the other you shall be then certainly led either into Rebellion or Apostacy or into both for indeed they seldom go asunder From which good Lord deliver you and all good people Amen WHen ever you hear the Bell toll for the publique Prayers of the Church presently take into your thoughts the great goodnesse of God in Redemption of the World by his blessed Son and your own unworthinesse occasioned by your evil Custom of sin and with this Meditation repair to the Church But if it should happen that you are in such a place that you cannot go to the Church as my unhappinesse is at this present and I pray God deliver you from the like then if opportunity will give you leave upon your knees beseech God that you may pertake of the benefit of the Prayers of the Church When you are come to the Church and entring within the Gates thereof make a reverend bow towards the East end and say GLory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen When Prayers are beginning make a reverent bow and be very ready in all the Responsals of the Church Liturgy If it shall so happen that you may hear a Sermon and not the Service of the Church or the Church Service and not a Sermon rather make choice to hear the Service of the Church than a Sermon although if your occasions will permit you neglect not the other When you are in the Church where you meet with God and his holy Angels never behave your selves irreverently but attend your duty there with all reverent postures as your head being uncovered and not sitting at any part of the Divine Service considering the businesse you have there is either to hear God speak to you by his Priest or you speaking to God in your Prayers As we ought to take all opportunities of serving of God so I would advise you when ever you come to any place where you never were before privately to your self at your entrance desire God to bless your coming thither and say OUr Father which art in Heaven c. And if you come to any place where you have been before then privately to your self desire of God pardon for the sins you have committed and praise his holy Name for all his Mercies you have received since you were last there and say OUr Father which art in Heaven c. When ever you come to any Town or other place about any businesse where you may hear the publick Prayers of the Church so order your affairs as to do that before you go about your other businesse that God may give a greater blessing to your endeavours and the better success in what you came about When any poor person shall beg of you meditate with your self what a great blessing God hath bestowed upon you that you are not the person begging of him and what you can spare freely but privately give Remember to hold your peace in such things as appertain not to you use no extravagant speeches or gestures at any time but especially in open or publick Assemblies but in all things observe a grave modesty and discretion In all things desire and prefer that which may most redound to the greater service of God as to comfort the afflicted to reconcile the discentious to visit the Imprisoned and relieve the poor Observe the learned and pious Dr. Taylor in his History of the Life and Death of the holy Jesus in his Discourse of Prayer saith he That Prayer in publick or private in the Communion or Society of Saints or in our Closets these prayers have lesse temptation or vanity than others have more advantage of Charity example fervour and energy In publick Offices we avoid singularity in the private we avoid hypocrisie those are of more edification these of greater retirednesse and silence of spirits those serve the needs of all the world in the first Intention and our own by consequence these serve our needs first and the publick only by a secondary intention these have more pleasure they more duty these are the best instruments of Repentance where our confessions may be more particular and our shame lesse scandalous the other are better for Eucharist and Instrustion for edification of the Church and glorification of God The Postures of our Bodies in Prayer had as great variety as the severiâ—ies and Civilities of several Nations came to The Jews most commonly prayed standing so did the Pharisees and the Publicans in the Temple so did the Primitive Christians in all their greater Feastivals and Intervals of Jubilee In their Pennances they kneeled the Monks in Cassia sate when they sung the Psalter and in every Country whatsoever by the Custom of the Nation was a Symbole of Reverence and humility of silence and attention of gravity and modesty that posture they translâ—ted to their prayers but in all Nations bowing the Head that is a laying down our glory at the feet of God was the manner of Worshippers And this was alwayes the more humble and the lower as their devotion was higher and was very often expressed by prostration or laying flat upon the ground And this all Nations did and all Religions Our deportment ought to be grave decent humble apt for adoration apt to edifie and when we address our selves to Prayer not instantly leap into the Office as the Judges of the Areopage into their Sentence without preface or preparatory affections but considering in what presence we speak and to what purposes let us behave our selves with reverential fear And when we have done not rise from the ground as if we vaulted or were glad we had done but as we begin with desires of assistance so end with desires of pardon and acceptance concluding our longer Offices with a shorter mental prayer of a more private reflexion and reference designing to mend what we have done amisse or to give thanks and proceed if we did well and according to our powers In private Prayer it is permitted to every man to speak his prayers or onely to think them which is a speaking to God Vocal or Mental prayer is all one to God but in order to us they have their several advantages the Sacrifice of the heart and the Calves of the lips make up a Holocaust to God but words are the arrest of the desires and keep the Spirit fixt and in lesse permissions to wander from fancy to fancy and mental Prayer is apt to make the greater fervour if