World and as nearly united to God as either He hereby designs and invites me to be or as I have need of For as much as I am assur'd that He cannot deny me any Assistance of his Holy Spirit which I beg through the Merits of his only begotten Son my Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. Amen II. Next after this Protestation made and Resolution declar'd as in the presence of God and of the whole Court of Heaven that it may become Effectual in thy Life thou art to keep every Branch of it in thy Mind and to secure the same in thine Heart by fervent and faithful Prayer For this purpose after I have directed thee how to form in thy Spirit a General Abhorrence of Sin and to express thy Acknowledgments to God for his wonderful Goodness I will teach thee on all occasions according as thy needs shall direct to call down the Divine Assistance to enable thee in the performance of every part But before all things it 's necessary that thou beg it of thy Heavenly Father that there may be imprinted on thee a just Detestation and Abhorrence of all manner of Sin the fruitful Mother of thy Misery To which end say ALmighty God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ grant I beseech thee that I may have that due sense as well of Thine infinite Purity and Happiness as of mine own Deformity and Misery that I may abhor my self in dust and ashes before Thee and while I eat my Bread in the Sweat of my brow may never forget to detest and fly that Monster which has laid this Yoak on my shoulders that I may confess to Thee my strange Vileness and Folly and feeling thus in part the bitter Effect of Sin may not only detest and confess but be also ever ready to satisfy any Condition that will release me from its accursed slavery for the Love and thro' the Merits of Him who submitted himself to bear so large a share that mine might be no more even thy most glorious and most adorable Son my only Redeemer and Mediator Iesus Christ. Then in the deepest Humility of thy Soul address thy self to the most Merciful God in the following or like Form of Thanksgiving ALmighty God Father of all Mercies I thine unworthy servant do give Thee most humble and hearty thanks for thy great goodness and loving kindness towards me in that thou didst not only send Thy only begotten Son to deliver me from the Bondage of Sin and Death and so restore me to the Influences of thy Favour which are Light and Ioy everlasting by suffering together with me what I had brought upon my self but didst also make the Burthen for me so easy and the Chastisement so light as I can wish it in Prudence neither easier nor lighter But especially I bless thee O heavenly Father for that thou wert pleas'd even to turn this remaining Effect of Sin thro' the Efficacious Mediation of this same dearly beloved Son into a most powerful Remedy against it that it may be to me if I please the proper Instrument of my Happiness thro' the same Iesus Christ to whom with Thee and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory world without end Amen Now in nothing more fitly canst thou shew thy Abhorrence of Sin or Thankfulness than by carefully watching thy Soul and on all occasions as thou either find'st thy self inwardly mov'd to some particular Exercise or assaulted by any Temtation strengthening thy self by Supplication to thy Heavenly Father for such Graces as thou standest most in need of who when thou askest Bread will not refuse it thee or give thee a Stone in its stead Wherefore Ask and it shall be given Seek and thou shalt find PRAYERS For Resolution MOST gracious God who of thine infinite Goodness wast pleas'd both to make my Burthen so light and even to condescend to accept this if born according to Thine Appointment as a Qualification for that Heavenly Rest and those boundless Joys which Thou hast prepared for such as love and seek thee I humbly beseech Thee so to assist me with Thy Grace that I may be able in such wise to bear and undergo the same with entire conformity to thy most blessed Will and all thy righteous Designs herein that I fail not after having felt the weight of Sin for a while of being remov'd thither where Death and Sin have no power that so I may enjoy the pleasures of Thy presence for evermore thro' the alone Merits of thy well-beloved Son Iesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen For Obedience O Almighty God to whom all things both in heaven and Earth ow entire Obedience grant I beseech thee that I constantly considering how Thou hast appointed Labour for Man may thereby at all times be put in mind of the great evil of Disobedience to thy righteous Law and learn to submit my self sincerely to its Guidance and study to obey all thy Commands thro' Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen For Humility MOst Glorious aud Eternal God who resistest the proud and art pleas'd to dwell with the humble Spirit and who hast for this end appointed Bodily Labour for me that my proud Heart may be tam'd and humbled by it so as to be fit to receive the light and gladsom Influence of Thy Countenance do thou powerfully convince me of mine own wretchedness and folly that I may no longer nourish or covet any high opinion of my self but above all things seek that most excellent grace of Humility which is the Fountain of all Blessing Grant this O Lord for his sake who humbled himself not only to the meanest of Services but even to the Death of the Cross Iesus Christ. Amen For Industry MOst Wise and Righteous God who hast ordain'd that Man should be born to Labour never let me I pray thee resist that design of Thine but so hedge me in all the time of my Pilgrimage and press me forward that I may never give my self up to Easiness and Idleness of life but maâ— so employ my time as not to fall under the sentence of the Slothful and the Unprofitable Servant Hear O Lord and assist me for the sake of Iesus Christ. For Temperance BLessed God who art graciously pleas'd to give me this daily Warning to withdraw my Mind from the pleasures of the Body assist me I beseech thee with thy Holy Spirit that I may ever listen to His merciful Counsels and make such use of the weight that surrounds me that the Flesh being thereby subdued to the Spirit I may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness and true Holiness to the honour and glory of thy holy Name thro' Iesus Christ. For Charity GRacious Lord who hast in thy Wisdom ordained Labour whereby to succour the needs of our frail Nature grant that I may by Diligence and Industry ever study to be useful not to my self alone but likewise to others and to attain that most excellent Gift of Charity the very Root and
those of thy Friends and Relations that are not able to work themselves or who cannot sufficiently provide for their Necessities But if thou dost this in the first place for thy own or for their sake be not so miserably deceiv'd as to think thy self a Christian without this Charity a dead Corps is altogether as much a Man as thou art a Christian. Believe me this Selfish Love is the very Root and Principle of Hell Within thee and only so far as thou mortifiest and killest this canst thou be said to have any Life with respect to God or to enjoy any share of the Divine Image and Life which is the sole Root and Principle of Everlasting Ioy. Think my dear Friend what manner of Charity it is which I thus commend to thee as the Office of thy Labour and as what will most certainly be requir'd at thy hands § V. Fifthly As Man who in his Primitive State of Innocence was not only exempted from all Need but also freed from every Violence and Grief so that it was not possible for any thing without him to discompose or disorder him in the least or to bring to him but never so litle sorrow or pain became thro' Sin not only a Poor and Indigent but also an Afflicted and Calamitous Creature expos'd to the rude Attaques of every thing Without him the most wise and Merciful God was graciously pleas'd to appoint a Rule for his Rebellious Child whereby he might be taught by suffering in some small measure the sad effects of his Crime to remember the State whence he is fall'n to reflect on the most ugly loathsomness of Sin to consider and put to heart its woful and dire attendance and so leaving the husks and the draff of impure Swine to return to Him whom he had otherwise forgotten who will not fail to embrace and entertain with the most Affectionate Expressions of his Love This Son that was dead and is alive again that was lost and is found Luk. c. XV. v. 32. Consider this End of thy Labour and be wise Consider betimes There is not a Maxim that I can find of greater Truth or more worthy of the most serious consideration of every one than this That All things faln into a corruptible state are to be restored and perfected by suffering Think and think again on this for 't is a Truth as of great Evidence so of great Extent 't is that in which even the most profound Philosophers and the most learned Divines may lose themselves And yet this is that which thou mayest easily reach and I hope thou dost render familiar to thy self Canst thou complain that God has plac'd thee in the School of Patience many righteous Souls have rejoiced for this same Be of good courage I say never repine at a little hardship but rather thank thy good God for taking such a Method to cure thee and draw thee to Himself As well may a Body that has all its Limbs disjointed or broken into splinters be set aright again and be made as sound as at first without pain or one that groans under the most heavy and tormenting pangs of the most cruel Distemper or has his senses numm'd or his Faculties doz'd in a cold and clammy sleep be restored to his perfect Strength and Health without bearing or feeling any thing as a Soul that is put into disorder and as it were disjointed thro' Folly or sick and diseas'd thro' Sin be restored to its perfect soundness that refuses to endure any Pain in a change which is so much more considerable Nothing is more reasonable just and necessary than to bear with a bitter Potion without taking which it's impossible to be ever cured But dost thou think this a distastful Virtue to suffer in Patience if thou dost thou thy self hast made it so it receives only Bitterness from Sin but Life and Beauty from God Which must be acknowledg'd by all to be very extraordinary and lovely So much indeed as in this one syllable Bear is contain'd no less than one half of the noblest Philosophy that ever enrich'd Mankind and I am much mistaken if it make a less figure in the Religion of a Suffering Saviour § VI. Sixthly Had Man who thro' Sin was become an Afflicted and Calamitous Creature and was therefore by God instructed in the Lesson of Patience which he was directed to learn from hard Labour and from the Curse on the Earth been hereby exposed to such Pains only as did necessarily spring from the Disorder of the World perhaps it would have been no such hard matter to a strong Constitution to have born them But to ly open to all the Injuries and hard usages of those of our kind who are as bad or worse than our selves this seems to be a task of far greater difficulty and yet of no less necessity Wherefore the most wise and just God instituted and commanded the Exercise of Bodily Labour for this farther end that the Passions being not pamper'd by Luxury or Ease Man might be able by such a painful subduing them not to take any notice of those many Causes of Anger and Distast that continually offer themselves but wholly to surrender himself to the Righteous Iudge of the World makeing his Breast a Sanctuary of Peace while both his Body and his Mind are so employ'd for him that he has not while to be disturb'd or concern'd with the Disorders or Follies of other people There are not lacking Examples of more than a few who to learn this Excellent Virtue have chosen to submit themselves to servile Offices and base Emploiments from which by their Estates they have been exemted Is this which was in them a Condescension in thee a Necessity Consider whether it be not easier for thee than for them and whether thou hast not a greater Obligation by such a Mastery over thy self to obtain that blessed Meekness of Spirit which will make thee to triumph over all the Injuries and Indignities that is in the power of Man to offer prepare for thee perpetual Victories fit thee for the Temple of the Holy Ghost and make thee able to enjoy notwithstanding all Disturbances the Blessings of the Heaven above and of the Earth beneath Whereas the Passionate and Rageful are utterly uncapable of enjoying either but Blessed are the Meek for they shall inherit the Earth and pass from this Inheritance to a better into which our ever Blessed Fore-runner is thro' Meekness and Long-suffering arriv'd and Set down at the right hand of God giving us an Example that we might follow his Steps and find Rest unto our Souls Matth. XI 29 § VII The proud heart of Man is naturally carry'd to murmur and repine if it meet with any Uneasiness hankers after Greatness and Ease greedily seeks for Riches and envies them in another all which being Dispositions directly contrary to that Serenity and Sobriety of Mind which is absolutely necessary to make it capable of any real
Bond of Peace and of all vertuous Acts. Grant this O Heavenly Father for thine only Son Iesus Christ's sake Amen For Patience LEt thy merciful Ears O Lord be open to my Petitions and thy Grace ever ready to support me that I duly considering how poor and naked and miserable Sin has made me may learn stedfastly to shun all unrighteousness and patiently to undergo as much of its evil as thou in thy Wisdom hast appointed for me that following the Example of thy Son my only Saviour I may also with him be made partaker of his Resurrection thro' the same Iesus Christ. Amen For Meekness BLess me O my God with such a meek and humble Spirit as I may never be unman'd by any Passion or trouble may neither be exalted by the Praise nor depress'd by the Contemt and scorn nor hurried into any unseemly behaviour by the Injuries or Affronts of the World but may comply with every Event in my Emploiment and submit my self wholly to thy righteous Judgment being never angry at any thing but my own Sins and and grieving for the Sins of others which I humbly beseech thee not to lay to their charge for the sake of Iesus Christ my most blessed Lord and Saviour Amen For Contentment O Lord most high the Maker both of the Rich and the Poor look down graciously I beseech thee upon me thy poor Servant and of thy great mercy drive out of me all Murmuring Ambition Covetousness and Envy That I duly acknowledging thy Sovereign Power over me and thy Wisdom and Justice in the disposal of this World according to divers Ranks and Degrees may sincerely submit my self to the State wherein thou hast been pleas'd to place me below many others and utterly resign my self up to thy Providence and Guidance And if good Lord I have at any time murmur'd or repin'd at my Condition or coveted and envied that of those above me of thy great Goodness pardon me and make me so much the more watchful for the time to come thro' Iesus Christ. Amen For Devotion GIve me gracious Lord such a Contemt of every thing below that I may never in the least set my Heart on Riches or Honour but always labour to lay up my treasure in Heaven and seek for that Crown which thou art ready to give to as many as earnestly strive for it And to this end I humbly beseech thee to enliven this drossy and earthly Heart that it may never be so detain'd by the things beneath but that it may freely mount towards Thee constantly fly to thy Throne for succour and assistance that I may not be found more diligent to provide Food and Raiment for this Body than to feed and clothe my Soul with thy Grace which I fully trust thou wilt give me if I shrink not from taking a little pains for this so noble a Pearl thro' the Merits of Iesus Christ thy Son my only Advocate and Redeemer Amen III. That thou may'st the better preserve a constant sense of God in thy daily Emploiment and of that continual Worship and Homage which thou art oblig'd to pay him thereby I advise thee dear Christian to accustom thy self to lift up thy Soul to God which may be done without any hindrance at all to Business by some Verses out of the Psalms in which thou findest the greatest Relish or by some such short Prayers and Divine Breathings which I have here gather'd for thy use on several Occasions God grant they may raise and keep in thy Heart such pious Dispositions GODLY BREATHINGS I. When the Soul feels it self opprest with Bodily Labour or Calamity I Come unto thee weary and heavy laden Blessed Iesu do thou refresh me with thy Mercies O give me thy Rest. Help me O God my Saviour and for the glory of thy Name deliver me Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me for I am sore vexed Shall the needy alway be forgotten O Lord or the expectation of the poor perish for evermore Arise O Lord God and lift up thine hand forget not the poor Thou Dear Iesu art the helper of the afflicted and the friendless And unto thee therefore doth the poor commit himself Thou hearest the desire of the poor thou preparest his heart and thine ear hearkens thereto II. When the Soul feels an inward Rest and Satisfaction for Blessings receiv'd THou hast not despis'd O Lord nor abhorr'd the low estate of the poor neither hast thou hid thy face from me but when I call'd unto thee didst hear me from thy holy Hill Thou Lord regardest the lowliness of thy Servant wherefore my Soul shall magnify thee for ever My help cometh from the Lord who made both Heaven and Earth who puts down the Mighty from their Seat and exalts the Humble and Meek My praise shall be of thee O my God in the great Congregation my Vows will I perform for this thy mighty condescension in the sight of them that fear thee III. At the Beginning of any Business or Work THe Lord Iesus Christ be with my Spirit Soul and Body Lord prosper thou the Works of my hands O prosper thou my Handy-work In the Name of God Amen Let this and every thing O Lord be to thy glory IV. At going forth ORder my steps O Lord in thy Word and let not any Iniquity have dominion over me this day Give thine Angels charge over me to keep me in all my ways but especially from all Deceit Envy and Impatience Blessed Iesu hold thou up my Goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not V. On all Occasions LOrd I am nothing I have nothing and desire nothing but Thee Lord have mercy upon me Christ have mercy upon me Lord have mercy upon me As for me I am poor and needy but the Lord careth for me Thou art my Helper and Redeemer make no long tarrying O my Lord. VI. At Meals HOw Blessed are they that fear the Lord and walk in his ways For thou shalt eat the Labour of thine hands O well is it with thee and happy shalt thou be O tast and see how good the Lord is filling my heart with food and gladness VII At the sight of a Rich Miser MAn walks in a vain shadow and disquiets himself in vain he heaps up Riches and can't tell who shall gather them And now Lord what is my hope truly my hope is even in Thee sweet Iesus O grant that I may lay up Treasures for my self in Heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt nor thieves break through and steal O let me never labour to treasure up Wrath against the day of Wrath or to bid my Soul Here take its Rest. So teach me good Lord to number my days that I may apply my heart unto Wisdom Amen VIII For Grace LOrd lift up the Light of thy countenance upon me for I am a poor and needy creature not able to do any thing good without Thee Lord incline my heart
unto thy Testimonies and not unto Covetousness O knit my heart to thee which is somwhat tam'd I hope under the weight and punishment of its Sin that I may ever fear thy Name and walk in thy Truth O give me good Lord the Comfort of thy Help and establish me with thy free Spirit for the sake of Iesus my Redeemer IV. It is most agreable that more particularly every Morning and Night there be an appointed and set Recommending of our Labour and Rest to God's gracious Guidance and Protection This may be in the manner following IN THE MORNING THe Blessing of God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and of his Holy Spirit be with me this day and evermore Keep Protect and Prosper me in my Calling to his Glory Amen I thank thee O Merciful Father for thy Protection the Night past and all other Benefits Spiritual and Bodily I now recommend my self both Soul and Body and whatever thou hast appointed me to do for the Maintenance of either in my Emploiment and Labour Be thou the Beginning the Middle and the End of all my Undertakings And be pleas'd so to sanctify I beseech thee the Necessities of my corrupt Nature to thy Service that every thing may turn to the honour of thy Name and I fail not finally of obtaining thy Benefits To this end let thy Holy Spirit guide me in the beginning and thoro-out that I may by the Help of this thy outward Establishment continually recal my Mind into inward Acts of pure and undefiled Religion quietly do my own Business bear my Burden with joy and labour in my particular State and Emploiment as I ought and as becomes thy most obedient Servant be just in all my Dealings harmless in my Conversation meek and patient under cross events be perfectly contented with what I have well pleas'd with the prosperity of other Men and heartily desirous of the good of all the World that every one in their several Stations may truly and godlily serve thee thro' our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. AT NIGHT After Examination of the foregoing Day ALL Glory be to thee most merciful Father for that thou hast stood by me and preserv'd me this day in my Emploiment from all the Evils and Mischiefs which might have befall'n me I give thee most humble and hearty Thanks as for all thy Blessings so especially if I have in any measure serv'd Thee this Day in my Calling I am heartily sorry for whatever I have therein offended thee my good Lord I humbly fly to Thee for Succour and Forgiveness and I fully and stedfastly purpose by the Assistance of thy Grace to take such care for to Morrow and the future if thou wilt allow me any longer time who have made no better use of this that I never fall into the same snare more or if I am so unhappy presently to recover my self in which firm Resolution and entire Resignation I commit my Soul Spirit and Body this Night and ever to thy most wise Disposal Defend me from all works and dangers of Darkness possess me sleeping and waking let thy good Angel stay with me that in thy power and strength I may rest safely and my wearied Limbs being refresh'd with moderate Repose may be inabled to perform the Duties of the Day following as I wish and as I ought thro' the Love and Merits of Iesus my Saviour Amen V. Lastly I advise thee to bear in thy Mind some few short Sentences which will be a sure Comfort and Support to thee whatever falls out if thou canst apply them to thy heart And for this purpose Hear what comfortable Words the Holy Psalmist saith to the Poor that truly turn to the Lord. The Lions do lack and suffer hunger but they who seek the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good Psal. xxxiv 10 O cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall nourish thee Psal. liv 23 Hear also what our Saviour Christ saith Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you Mat. vi 33 Thus dear Christian Friend I have sought to serve thee to the Glory of God and to thine own everlasting Good that so after a little pain and trouble in this Life underwent for the sake of God with respect to all his righteous Ends and in imitation of thy Saviour thou may'st at length enter into the Rest from thy Labours thy Works following thee to give thee admittance into the company of those Blessed and Noble Spirits who are gone before in the same way many or most of whom were the very scorn and off-scouring of the World and are rais'd to a Crown which fadeth not but stands fast for ever from quite as mean if not meaner a condition than thine which Iesus the Righteous Judge will not fail to give to thee if thou seek but in good earnest according to the said Methods to prepare thy self Only be of good courage and faint not Thank God for every good thing and thy self for every evil one If by this thou hast reap'd any Benefit give all the thanks to God and forget not him I pray thee in thy Prayers who is the Instrument of conveying this charitable Assistance to thee and who will abundantly rejoice if it can but in any wise promote those Ends for which it is design'd FINIS ADVERTISEMENT THo' this Discourse might properly have gone along with Another of like Nature it was thought fit to be Publish'd Separately for the Sake of those for whose Use it is Compos'd Which the Reader is desir'd to consider if he meet with in it some few Expressions that relate to this Other being A Practical Discourse of the Labour of the Mind grounded in like manner with This on Gen. iii. 19 But which descends to the Particular kinds of that Labour which would not only have swell'd This to an excessive bulk but also not have been agreeable to the Design which was barely to hint some Reflexions on the Constitution of this Labour in General in the World