may further my Salvation Keep me O Lord in my old age forsake me not when I am gray-headed And whensoever it shall please thee to cast me upon my sick bed grant that I may take my sickness patiently and at the last gasp let not either sin or Satan take such hold upon me that I depart this life with cryings and screechings and words of despair but that believing thy word and yielding to thine ordinance my last hour may be my best hour and I may say with the Psalmist Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth Pardon O Lord my misspending the time my unprofitableness my unthankfulness for thy goodness Supply what is wanting in me through the fire of compunction make me at all hours to seem a living sacrifice in thy sight Continue towards me thy love and make me to love thee again Without thee alas I die but when I think on thee I revive again To thee therefore be ascribed all honour and glory world without end Our Father c. A Prayer before the receiving of the Sacrament O Most gracious and merciful Lord God thou hast called all those that are weary and heavy laden with their sins to come unto thee and hast promised to ease and refresh them thou hast invited all those that hunger and thirst after thy Kingdom and the righteousness thereof to come to thy Table to tast of thy supper and hast promised that thou wilt satisfy them in assurance therefore of these promises I come to thee blessed Lord Jesus beseeching thee to ease me to refresh me to satisfy me with thy mercy for my Soul hungers and thirsts after thee and thy Salvation I confess and acknowledge that my daily sins have made me unworthy of my daily Bread much more of this Manna this Bread of Life that came down from Heaven I confess O Lord I am not prepared according to the preparation of thy sanctuary yet for as much as this day I have set my Heart to seek to thee thou O God be merciful unto me and though I cannot bring with me a clean Heart for who can say his Heart is clean yet behold O Lord I bring with me a contrite Heart and a broken Spirit despise not O God this Sacrifice As for the sins that I have committed against thee binde them up in one bundle and cast them into the bottomless Sea of thy mercy bury them in thy Wounds and wash them away in the blood of that immaculate Lamb Christ Jesus and for the time to come sprinkle my conscience with the same blood that being cleansed from dead works I may serve thee the Living God in righteousness and true holiness all the days of my life That so this blessed Sacrament may be a means to quiet my conscience to increase my Faith to inflame my Charity to amend my life to save my Soul and to assure me that I am of the number of those blessed ones who shall eat at thy Table and be called to the Marriage-supper of the Lamb. Grant this O Lord for Jesus Christ his sake in whose Name and words I conclude these my imperfect prayers saying as he himself hath taught me Our Father c. A Prayer after the receiving of the Sacrament O Most gracious God from whose bountie every good and perfect gist is derived I and all that is within me praise and magnify thy holy Name for all thy mercies and favours which from time to time thou hast bestowed upon me But especially I thank thee for Jesus Christ thy Son the fountain and foundation of all blessings and benefits that thou hast sent him into the World to take our nature upon him and to die for us and that thou hast fed me who am unworthy of the least of thy favours with the precious merits of his death and passion Blessed Lord God thou hast been pleased this day to set thy Seal to the Pardon and forgiveness of all my sins Oh let me not lose it again by unthankfulness or relapsing into my old sins from which thou hast purged me lest my last end be worse than my beginning But if hereafter I shall be tempted by the Devil allured by the World or provoked by my own flesh then set before mine eyes by the remembrance of thy Spirit how dear the expiation of my sins cost my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ even the effusion of his most precious and holy blood that in the contemplation of his death and application of his most bitter passion I may die daily unto sin and so may shew forth the Lords death till he come and bring his reward with him I may receive the Crown of Righteousness which he hath purchased and prepared for all those that love and expect the day of his appearing with the precious price of his incorruptible blood And whereas I have this day renewed my covenant with thee my God in vows and purposes of better obedience assist me by thy grace and strengthen me by thy power that I may pay the Vows which I have made unto thee and that by vertue of thy heavenly nourishment I may grow up in grace and godliness till at last I come to be a perfect man in Christ Jesus Preserve and maintain always this thine Ordinance that it may be a note and a badge of my publick profession and give unto all of us that have been partakers of thy body and blood one heart and one mind in the unity of Spirit for the worthy and reverend receiving of the same whensoever we shall come to thy holy Table again And for this thy mercy towards me do I yield unto thee all praise and glory and power and might and majesty through Jesus Christ our Lord in whose most blessed Name and words I further pray Our Father c. Another Prayer before the Sacrament DEpart from me Luk. 5.8 for I am a sinful man O Lord. I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof For the house of my Soul which thou hast made a fit Temple for thy holy Spirit to inhabit in I have defaced and defiled with all manner of pollutions and abominations It is become a den of ravenous Beasts and a cage of unclean Birds and every corner so crowded with filthiness that thou wilt not find where to lay thy head Luk. 9.58 But thou O Lord which despisest not a penitent sinner but hast promised to dwell with the humble and contrite Spirit I beseech thee cast me not away from thy presence but cast out all profaneness and uncleanness out of my Heart and remove every thing that may offend the pure Eyes of thy glory and the holiness of thy presence and then O Lord vouchsafe to come and enter in and dwell there and abide with me for ever Behold O Lord I am before thee in my sins Zach. 3.1 clothed with filthy garments and Satan standing at my right hand accusing
dejections of spirit keep me from charging thee foolishly Bestow upon me a chearful spirit by an humble hope in thee and by referring my self wholly to thee Endue me with such wisdom and uprightness that I may neither neglect my duty nor suspect thy gracious acceptance of me Give me an hearty zeal to do the best that I am able and a setled perswasion that thou requirest no more of me Defend me O my gracious God from dishonouring thee and my Religion by distrusting thy goodness and calling thy loving kindness in question towards those that are sincerely bent to please thee Remove all troublesome imaginations from me and give me a clear understanding of thee and of my self or when I am in darkness and confusion of thoughts grant me so much light and judgment as not to conclude my self forsaken by thee but to reflect upon thy long-continued favours to me and many deliverances of me that so I may resolve still to hope in thee to bear my present trouble patiently and to resign my will absolutely to thy good pleasure And good Lord enable me to look beyond these clouds to that blessed state whither my Saviour is gone in which there is no darkness at all and in an humble hope of coming to the same place where he is to content my self with any condition whilst I am here so far remote from that Region of light and glorie Hear me most loving and merciful Father I most humbly beseech thee Pity my great dulness and deadness of heart Strengthen my weak and feeble endeavours support my fainting spirit and cause it humbly to hope in thee for ever Confirm and establish every good thought desire and purpose which thou hast wrought in me perfect that which thou hast begun make me to grow in wisdom faith love and willing obedience conduct me hereafter so evenly and steadily so peaceably and quietly so cheerfully and sincerely in thy ways that I may Glorifie thee whilst I live by encouraging others to accompany me in thy service and when I come to die may resign my Soul unto thee with an undisturbed mind and in an holy hope also of a joyful resurrection of the body at the great day of the Lord Jesus to whom be glory and dominion for ever Amen The Prayer for a Woman with Child MOst merciful and gracious God who wilt not turn away thine ear from those that call upon thee in sincerity and truth look down with an Eye of pity and compassion upon thy unworthy Servant I must confess my sins are very great and so is my danger which is at hand my pains to come will be grievous and my life is now most uncertain Assure me I beseech thee of the forgiveness of all my sins mitigate my fear and sorrows strengthen me with the comforts of thy Spirit confirm me in the faith of my Saviour and bless all good means appointed for my comfort that in due time I may be a joyful Mother and see the fruit of my Body safe sound and perfect without blemish or deformitie O Lord I know not how soon my travel will steal on me when I must fight that battle of Life and Death one drop of thy mercy hath soveraign power to cure all the Wounds of those sorrows shed therefore O holy Father that drop of grace upon me in that minute when I am to encounter with so stern an adversary strengthen me with patience bless me that I perish not bless the work of my Midwife let not the Child yet unborn the Babe in my womb be punished for mine offences but give it growth give it flourishing and form and when the time is come that thou wilt call it out of this close House of flesh where it now inhabiteth to dwell in the open World sanctifie thy Creature make it by Baptism a member of thy Church a Lamb of thy flock and direct it in the ways of Godliness to its lives end And all through Jesus Christ our Lord in whose blessed words I continue to pray Our Father c. A Thanksgiving by the Woman after safe deliverance to be used when she is able MY Soul doth magnify the Lord and my Spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour He hath given me my Hearts desire and not denied me the request of my lips Children are his heritage and the fruit of the Womb is his reward Glory be to thee O Lord God eternal who hast now delivered me from the great pains and peril of Child-birth who hast taken away my reproach and made me an instrument to increase thy Kingdom It is in thy power to strike death into my Womb but thou hast given me a double life all mine anguishes thou hast sweetned with gladness Continue thy mercies and favours to me thy servant put strength into my bloud bloud into my Veins and courage into mine Heart that my lips may render thee deserved thanks Thou that art the Father of love and life look upon this mine Infant which thou hast given me preserve it in health quicken it with grace crown it with long life that it may grow up to be a servant in thy houshold Send the Father of it and me much comfort by it that it may be a staff to our old age Bless it with store of friends in this World and be thou the chief friend to it for evermore and for the better growth in godliness feed it with the Milk of thy Word defend it from all dangers and all enemies Bodily and Ghostly And whereas it is written that the great red Dragon stood before the Woman which was ready to be delivered that he might devour her Child when she had brought it forth so guard me and regard this my birth that Satan rule not nor reign within us but deliver us still out of his Jaws as a Bird out of the Snare of the Fowler Let thy blessing O Lord be upon me and my Children strongly to help keep and defend us from this time forth for evermore Amen A Prayer to be used by one that is sick O Eternal and most merciful Father look down I beseech thee upon thy poor servant who is punished and afflicted in Body with the smart of my pain and sickness and who is also troubled with the fear of thy heavy displeasure for my many sins and iniquities wherewith I have provoked thy holy Majesty in the time of my health I confess that of very faithfulness and goodness to me thou hast laid this scourge upon me to the end that by the stripes of my flesh my Spirit might be healed and saved in the day of the Lord Jesus I valued not the benefit of health as I should have done and therefore thou hast made me sensible of it by the want of it in prosperitie I remembred not the afflictions of my Brethren and therefore thou hast afflicted me like unto them I was in a kind of Spiritual lethargy till thou didst awake me with the stroke of thy
have ascertained our selves of the truth and lawfulness of it this the very Poet could dictate Nec Deus intersit nisi dign us vindice nodus Inciderit It were to be wished that the Hectors of this age would learn of the very Heathens more reverence and that those men that pretend to good breeding would be so civil even sometimes for the companies sake as to forbear those Oaths that tender ears cannot hear without offence In the last place the Divine Love if scattered in our Hearts will excite us to worship God after the method himself hath prescribed It will direct us to the rule of Piety where we shall finde every thing that relates to our immediate intercourse with God in Divine Ordinances and Worship exactly ordered I confess the Heathen world as they were confused in their notions of a Deity and almost quite ignorant of the eternal reward so were they superstitious in their Worship and sometimes ignorantly erected Altars to an unknown God Their Worship was attended with a great deal of external pomp was very grateful to their external senses but it reached not the Heart But the Christian rule instructs us to worship God in Spirit and prescribes the best method of devotion It requires that We worship and bow before the Lord our maker with all possible humility and reverence that we possess our Hearts with the greatness and glory of that Majesty we adore that we be intent in our devotion and not suffer sâ—â—nlar concerns to intrude and interrupt us that we act faith upon him and believe that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him and that we approach the throne of grace in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ If Devotion were not a duty yet methinks the advantages thereof should invite us to the performance But since God has coupled our duty and interest together how amazing is it to think we should so neglect it How many attractives are there to approach his presence who dwells in light unaccessible Have we not a multitude of sins to confess many wants we would fain have suppli'd How many temptations does every place present How numerous are the dangers and accidents to which we lie open and should not all these excite us to render homage to that omnipotent power which alone can guard us from inconveniences But besides our dangers we are freed from the mercies and favours he daily confers upon us the fresh communications of his bounty every morning nay minute require at least a return of praise and a grateful acknowledgment But yet alass in spight of all these inducements how is Devotion contemned by some and neglected by most But I dare not enlarge now on the particular Branches of Holiness nor insist in the recommendation of every particular duty lest I seem to digress from my proper subject I shall therefore proceed to the other two Branches of Holiness namely those duties that respect ourselves and others As to the first we are by the perfect rule of Holiness instructed to live soberly to be moderate in all things and to shun every kinde of excess as equally hurtful to Soul and Body it forbids complacency in those lusts that war against both restrains all irregular and impetuous inclinations retrenches all inordinate desires the first motions to forbidden objects and in a word enjoyns all those vertues which respect either our Bodies or Souls For those that respect our Bodies how straitly is chastity commanded For this is the will of God even your sanctification that ye should abstain from fornication 1 Thes 4.3 We are urged with the most affectionate earnestness to abstain from the very first motions to forbidden objects from the polluted glances and wanton lascivious speeches that are windows at which uncleanness enters and that by such invincible and cogent arguments as might prove effectual with men who but consider what they do Lust being a Vice mischievous to the body Prov. 7.26 hurtful to the Soul Prov. 6.32 casting an everlasting stain upon a mans good Name Prov. 6.33 undoing his Substance Prov. 6.26 Job 31.12 and that which finally excludes from the Kingdom of Heaven where nothing that pollutes can enter 2 Cor. 6.9 Rev. 21.27 'T is indeed no wonder though the Religion of the Gentiles which contained a prodigious mixture of vanity and impiety gratified the inclinations of uncleanness for if we consult their writings we shall observe that the most abominable vice wanted not a Deity to patronize it amongst them which upon the matter was an establishing iniquity by Law and an argument more sufficient to encourage than to correct vice And although the Writings of some Philosophers have been more refined yet the Lives even of such were full of the foulest actions Nay the rules which the best Masters of Morality amongst them prescribed never reached to the purifying of the Heart I confess that man that shall take notice and who having eves in his head can avoid this when men proclaim their sin like Sodom of the prodigious uncleanness this prophane age has arrived at shall be strongly tempted to suspect the purity of the Christian Rule if he make no farther enquiry than to the practices of most that are called Christians We may indeed very aptly write to the professors of this age as the great Apostle did to the Church of Corinth It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you and such fornication as is not so much as named amongst the Gentiles 1 Cor. 5.1 And I am a little afraid if the Church should strictly observe that charge that the Apostle gives there and excommunicate all such wicked persons that our Church should not need to brag much of the number of Christians 'T is indeed matter of great sadness to consider how much the Christian Religion has suffered upon the account of the scandalous practices of Titular Christians and I make no doubt but this age has been at more pains than any that precedes it to increase the scandal but sure 't is but a silly artifice to challenge the exactness of the Rule and with Celsus impudently alleadge that the Christian Religion encourageth men to the practice of immorality and vice since of all Religions the Christian onely can produce the strictest Laws against all filthiness of flesh and spirit 'T is a Doctrine as the blessed Apostle tells us according to godliness and lays undispensible obligations upon its followers both to think upon and to do whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are of good report and suchlike things which being general include all particulars and yet it doth not onely prescribe general rules but descendeth to the commanding of all particular vertues and the equal prohibition of particular vices Next to Chastity we might discourse largely of the commendation of Moderation in eating and drinking and shew that the excess of both is condemned as being mean and ignoble that it is the true cause of many
how careless how negligent and foolish do ye prove If I had not been held forth as the most desirable copy as a pattern most accommodate to your state your case had been more tolerable but since you can pretend no rational excuse for your rejecting of me Behold ye despisers wonder and perish I confess our blessed Prince performed many extraordinary and miraculous actions which could have no other author but one invested with omnipotency and although we cannot are not required to set Christ as our president in these as likewise in many other special actions he performed as his fasting forty days c. yet even these we are called to admire and must in so far imitate as they were expressions of his great charity and kindness to men and of his trust and dependancy upon his Heavenly Father But as for those moral actions he performed we are extreamly culpable if we do not make him our pattern if we walk not as he walked And it is sure the most unaccountable thing that can be to profess our selves to be his Disciples and to despise the lessons he hath copied out to us The whole life of Christ being one continued lecture of Holiness presents to our view a large field to discourse upon but my intended brevity will not allow me to mention all those particular actions and vertues of his which we ought to imitate I shall therefore contract my discourse to those more remarkable instances wherein we should industriously endeavour to imitate the holy Jesus in his spirit and actions and sure there cannot be a more powerful motive to form us to holiness than his most excellent life which is a pattern absolutely perfect and designed as a fair copy after which we should write In the first place our blessed Leader for so he is called Isa 55.4 hath by his precept as well as his practice enjoyned us to learn meekness and humility of him Mat. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart Throughout the whole course of his life he did evidence a spirit full of calmness and quietness If we trace his foorsteps from the Cradle to the Cross we shall not fined him either by his words or actions discovering the least expression of wrath or revenge but the most admirable disposition of gentleness and meekness even then when his insulting Enemies endeavoured to cast upon him the most ignominious affronts We read Numb 12.3 of Moses his great meekness but how was he once and again transported with passion but never did our meek Jesus by the most insufferable abuses he received ever discover a discomposed spirit Isa 53.7 He was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb so he openeth not his mouth He did indeed frequently meet with extraordinary provocations to anger but yet how sweet were his reproofs when the Samaritans refused to receive him Luke 9.53 he did not treat them with contumelious speeches nor revenge himself upon them although he could have done it with ease but being desired by his exasperated Disciples to call for fire from Heaven to consume them he rebuked their revengeful motion with The Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them It would be too prolix a business to instance the several examples of his Gentleness and Meekness only let us view the last scene of his life where we shall behold lively instances to confirm this When he did finde his three Disciples whom he had commanded to watch sleeping he did not upbraid them for their negligence but gently asks them What could not ye watch with me one hour and when he was treacherously accoasted by his own Disciple who became leader to a great multitude who came out with Swords and Staves to apprehend him with what astonishing mildness did he entertain this Traytor who had the impudence to betray him with a kiss Friend wherefore art thou come Mat. 26.50 or as another of the Evangelists expresseth it Judas betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss This was all the hard language he treated him with And after he was apprehended with what horrid contumelies and affronts did his barbarous Enemies entertain him they did spit in his face and buffet him the highest affronts imaginable they stripped him of his ordinary cloaths and put upon him a fools robe and a Crown of Thorns and being thus disguised they expose him to the mockery and contempt of the Spectators Notwithstanding of all which he opened not his mouth but with a most sedate and serene temper he received all these abuses as the Apostle Peter expresseth it 1 Pet. 2.23 When he was reviled he reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously Meekness I confess is so noble a vertue accompanied with so many admirable and charming advantages that it needs as one would think but few words to recommend it to men but no argument is like to prevail more with generous mindes than the example of so excellent and perfect a Pattern Sure I am it is the most unaccountable thing imaginable for the Disciples of so meek a Master to be of a disposition and temper quite opposite to his But as his meekness so is his humility also recommended to our imitation As he was of a meek so also of a lowly spirit His first appearance upon earth was but mean and despicable he was born as the Scripture informs us in a low estate more fit for the meanest of his Disciples than for so great a Prince He was not brought forth in some stately Palace nor born in a Chamber curiously deckt but in a vile Stable where the bruit beasts had their residence Nay after he had discovered himself by his Illustrious works to be a great Prophet the true Messiah who enlightneth every one that cometh into the world yet how humbly did he walk his Companions he did chuse were but mean Fishermen his Occupation and Employment was no ways honourable and his Revenues were but small as he himself did testifie The foxes have holes and the birds of the air nests but the Son of man hath not where he may lay his head Although his descent and extraction was incomparably great yet he rather endeavoured to conceal than to brag of it and so humble was he that he chose rather to attribute the praise of his admired works to his Father than take the honour of them to himself Joh. 8.28 I do nothing of my self but as my Father hath taught me I speak these things He was not ambitious of Rule and Government but modestly refused to be a Ruler and Judge Nay when the multitude thought to make him a King he shunned their society by an invisible removal it being quite contrary to his designe in coming into the world as he tells us Matth. 20.28 he came not
to be ministred unto but to minister And to correct the insolent pride and ambition of his followers how did he stoop to wash his Disciples feet a most admirable evidence of his lowliness of spirit And now since our great Lord and Master did so wonderfully debase himself to the form of a Servant since in all his actions he did manifest that he was meek and lowly how prodigiously incongruous is it for those who profess themselves to be his Disciples to be proud and lofty I confess Humility is a grace well becoming our state as creatures we are but dependent beings having life and motion and all those endowments we are proud of from the Father of spirits from whom every good giâ—â— cometh The fresh communications of his love we constantly participate of are freely bestowed which he may therefore when he thinks fit with an equal freedom and ease remove without being guilty of injuring us Humility is that peculiar grace that qualifies and fits us to receive the divine aid and assistance as the Apostle St. James tells us he gives grace to the humble Upon which account we may with the Wise man well conclude Better is it to be of an humble spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud Prov. 16.19 I doubt not but every considering man will finde his own Reason suggest a sufficient store of arguments to confute the imperious assaults of Pride and Ambition but methinks none can more powerfully prevail with ingenuous spirits than the consideration of Christ's humility with this how effectually may he repel every temptation to pride by saying Was my Master lowly of spirit and does it become me to be proud Thirdly Christ is also set forth as our Pattern in his sufferings If when ye do well saith the Apostle and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God for even hitherto were ye called for Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps c. 1 Pet. 2.20 21. c. Heb. 12.1 2. His patience under his sufferings was very admirable for although he was flouted and contemned by his unworthy creatures was exposed to the base outrages of scandalous sinners was made a spectacle set at nought spit upon and smitten by unworthy worms whom with a word he could have easily dashed into nothing in a word though he endured all that malice could invent suffered the worst of temporal evils and became obedient to the cursed death of the cross yet notwithstanding how patiently did he endure the contradiction of sinners how entirely did he submit to his Fathers Will Although he was extreamly sensible of the weight of his sufferings yet he did not in the least evidence any revengeful mind in the midst of his extream tortures but sweetly recommended his soul into his Fathers hands And now can any motive more effectually convince us to suffer patiently But God knows how much we set at nought this president fain would we enjoy a continual prosperity a life of ease without the least mixture or allay of trouble When we meet with any thing that imbitters our condition like the murmuring Israelites we fret and repine and our spirits begin to boil with rage and discontent we cannot endure to have our pleasures impaired but Jonah-like we are discontented and ready to say we do well to be angry we aggravate the most minute trouble with imagined circumstances and are ready to say Come behold and see if there be any affliction like mine And although we are assured that our repinings cannot remove or lighten our burthen cannot give us the least ease or relief yet we never rest till those puddled streams be stirred up Our grumblings are almost inseparable concomitants of our sufferings and if our Father smite us we begin to accuse his love and tenderness notwithstanding he hath instructed us that whom he loveth he chasteneth If we meet with reproaches our revenge is on the wing the least affront kindles this unsanctified fire No arguments can tame our Fury no president proves effectual to form our Souls to true patience If we drink of the waters of Marah we complain of their bitterness like foolish Children think we are hardly dealt with And although impatience enflames rather than allays the distemper though it augments the degrees of our trouble and disenables us to bear the stroke of Adversity yet we will not be perswaded to a calm and quiet submission to the Divine Will Though impatience exasperates the pain yet we think we do well to be angry If we meet with injuries our appetite of revenge is stirred up flesh and bloud we say cannot endure such affronts we imagine it stains our Reputation and Honour in the world and is degenerous and servile Thus do we sew Fig-leaves to cover our nakedness but the all-seeing God knows that all these repinings are arrows directed against his Providence otherwise we should with the Royal Psalmist say I will not open my mouth for thou didst it To this impregnable Fortress he had his recourse when causlesly cursed and reviled by Shimei it was this that silenced old Eli It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good he durst not quarrel at the message but quietly he submits There is a secret Providence which doth over-rule the most terrible accidents and is not accountable to humane Reason All those calamities and sufferings we undergo are ordered by infinite Counsel and in repining at such dispensations we indirectly blame Almighty Goodness and Wisdome Is it fit and congruous that God should take measures from men in his Oeconomy of the World is it reasonable that the whole course of things should be put out of order to satisfie every private mans humor can there be any greater madness than to prescribe rules of Government to infinite Wisdom Why then are we dissatisfied with our adverse state why do we repine and complain If we did indeed compare our Mercies with our Sufferings our Receipts with our Merits or our Condition with that of some others we could not but be convinced of our folly but we still pore upon the sore all our thoughts are taken up and in exercise about our affliction if we would deal rationally let us view the sufferings of our blessed Redeemer and see if we dare make a contrary conclusion to that of the Apostle 1 Pet. 4.1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh let us arm our selves likewise with the same mind He suffered patiently and calmly for us and it is but reasonable that Servants imitate their Master and suffer the disasters they meet with with the same mind that he did that being thus made conform to our head we may be also partakers with him of his joy 'T is indeed an unchild-like behaviour to quarrel at the dispensations of our Heavenly Father Alas all we merit by our sins is stripes and chastisements and it is
our selves to be of all men the most ungrate and justly liable to the severest punishment ever inflicted upon the greatest criminal It would be too prolix to enumerate the several instances wherein Christ is set forth as our Pattern sure I am he hath by his example taught us the exercise of all vertues and I may say as himself said in another case If we know these things happy are we if we do them To sum up this Section it will not be amiss to obviate an Objection which is indeed but very trivial although it be too commonly urged the Objection is How is it possible for men to conform to Christ and be holy as he is holy Ans I have already told that it is not expected that we should imitate our blessed Redeemer in all and every of those actions he performed but in all those moral duties which he hath enjoyned by his righteous precepts and encouraged us by his example to perform these we must by no means neglect and to manifest the possibility of doing these we may satisfie our selves by viewing the pious and devout lives of primitive Christians It is a great mistake to think we are commanded to a rigorous and strict conversation which cannot be attained the faithful in former ages have run the same race that is set before us they have fully enough cleared the possibility of our duty Wherefore seeing we also as the Apostle argues are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us Heb. 12.1 For shame let us rather imitate the excellent holiness of primitive Christians than the impure practices of those who are strangers from the sacred Covenant O the perfect love and imitable kindness of the first professors of the Gospel what purity what integrity and innocence appeared in their lives how ravishing and splendent were their vertues and graces their Patience in suffering their Courage and Magnanimity in death their Temperance and Moderation their Charity and Compassion their Equality and Justice and their Contempt of this World and all earthly concerns for the sake and honour of their Master These were the vertues they were adorned with which made the Heathen world who hated the Doctrine they professed yet esteem and reverence them Bonus vir Cajus Sejus nisi Christianus SECT 2. Holiness the condition of future Happiness The desire of Happiness is so natural to all that partake of humane nature that it can no more be separate from it than heat can be from fire 'T is true the mistakes concerning happiness are as numerous as dangerous every one in this corrupt state is apt to frame a happiness which best suits his inclinations but yet there is no man so devoid of reason who doth not desire to be happy although indeed there be but a few who make use of the right means to attain to true felicity Daily experience puts it beyond doubt that a carnal and fictitious felicity is by the unwise sons of men pursued with the most indefatigable pains and industry possible Now how strange to amazement is it to think that men should be so sedulous in hunting after a fancied felicity and yet so negligent so careless and unconcerned about a real happiness which is both satisfying and lasting But not to digress that which I am now to urge is since happiness is that which excites men to perform any thing chearfully in order to the attaining of it how mightily should the expectation of a future felicity induce them to the practice of Holiness for betwixt the two our blessed Saviour has made an inseparable connexion Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in spirit for they shall see God and indeed it is the height of folly and madness for impure wretches to expect they shall be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints of light for as the Apostle tells us There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth Rev. 21.27 Holiness is the established condition of happiness Heb. 12.14 Without holiness no man shall see God Hence is it that all the promises concerning our future felicity are onely made to those men who purifie themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit and the great design of them is to encourage us to Holiness upon which account St. Paul draws a very pressing inference 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises of which he spake in the foregoing Chapter let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God There is nothing more certain than that onely holy souls are in a capacity of participating of that future felicity and these may without the least charge of presumption claim an interest in it But for those vitious wretches who are wholly polluted who have devoted themselves to commit sin with greediness and take pleasure in doing evil how utterly incapable are they if they continue such to dwell in his presence who is not a God that taketh pleasure in wickedness And now seeing there is such an inseparable connexion between Happiness and Holiness it cannot be amiss if we take a short view of the excellency of this coelestial felicity that it may more plainly appear what a notable encouragement and motive it is to holiness There be two things that forcibly recommend the excellency of that future state of bliss First A perfect freedom and immunity from all evils And Secondly a perpetual enjoyment of the chief good First it is a blessedness wholly exempt from evils whether of sense or loss 't is a happiness attended with no inconveniencies nor dismal circumstances as the happiest state here is we now walk in the midst of perplexing doubts and fears temptations increase our inquietudes and dangers our continual fears our complaints are by far more numerous than our joys nay what is our whole life but a scene where sorrow and fears act their parts Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of evil But our future blessedness quite excludes all those evils there is nothing admitted to imbitter that pleasant state Rev. 21.4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away The holy soul shall then no more complain of any dolorous hours the heavenly Jerusalem is a place unacquainted with every thing that is uneasie and troublesome And yet this is but the least part of the Saints felicity for as they shall enjoy a perfect freedom from evil so shall they also be advanced to the fullest fruition of that God where all the streams of goodness do finally empty themselves Blessed are the pure in spirit for they shall see God Matth. 5.8 They shall see him not as now through a Glass
lost his pristine purity and subjugated himself to the cruel tyranny and dominion of sin in this deplorable state being utterly unable to help himself our blessed Lord redeemed us from our captivity by offering up himself a ransom to satisfie divine Justice and all this that we might walk in newness of life And now what ingratitude is it to despise so much love Sure If he that despised Moses law died without mercy of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the Bloud of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing Heb. 10.28 29. He must certainly be of a very base and disingenous spirit who takes pleasure in sin when he considers how dearly Christ paid for it Hath he been at so much pains undergone such dismal sufferings to purchase our peace and will we notwithstanding frustrate his designe how strange to astonishment is this that men should prefer captivity to freedom Alas is it not enough that our blessed Master was so barbarously and despitefully used by the Jews and Roman Souldiers but must we be also Actors in the Tragedy and by our sins crucifie him again Did he not die that we might live and shall we spend our life in offering despite unto him Strange that so much madness should lodg in the breasts of any into whom God hath breathed the breath of life I might here also adde that it is a contemning and offering of the greatest despite to the Holy Spirit to despise Holiness for upon this account is the third person of the blessed Trinity called the Holy Ghost because his peculiar office is to enable us to perform holy actions now if we continue in our rebellion if we reject the offers of grace and the internal motions of the Spirit to Holiness we do hereby become guilty of quenching the Spirit of God and offering despite unto him which is so horrid a piece of villany that Heaven threatens it with the severest torments SECT 5. Holiness the most proper and effectual means for attaining length of days Of all outward and temporal blessings length of days hath justly the precedency since without this all others can afford little or no comfort The possession and enjoyment of other mercies can bestow no satisfaction to men lying on their beds of languishing nay there is no comfort be it never so great but men would willingly quit with to acquire this Now since this is above all things so universally desired it cannot but very much enhance the value of Holiness to demonstrate that there is nothing so proper nor more effectual to procure length of days than this In order to my proving of this I shall first make it plain from Scripture that length of days is due to holy men by vertue of the many true and faithful promises and secondly I shall appeal to common experience to determine the case First there is nothing more evidently asserted in Scripture than that Holiness hath the promise of length of days annexed to it Prov. 3.1 2. My son forget not my law but let thine heart keep my commandments for length of days and long life shall they adde unto thee This encouraging motive is pressed very effectually by Moses in his exhortation to obedience Deut. 4.40 Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes and his commandments which I command thee this day that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee and that thou maist prolong thy days upon the earth Upon this account we also finde that there are many promises of this nature to obedient Children Exod. 20.12 Honour thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee And as Righteousness tendeth to life as the Wise man observes so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death Prov. 11.19 There is nothing more evident from Scripture than that sin hath a natural tendency to shorten mens lives nay the great God who is serious in his threatnings hath assured us it is so upon which account we may well conclude with the Wise man Prov. 10.27 The years of the wicked shall be shortned The whole tenour of the Scripture abounds with many such promises and threatnings and the thing is so plain that I need not stand to transcribe many texts But besides Scripture this truth is also plainly attested by common experience for if we examine who are the men who for ordinary are most obnoxious to diseases and live shortest we shall finde it true enough that the vitious are the men who live not out half their days Prov. 23.29 30. Who hath woe who hath sorrow who hath wounds without cause they that tarry long at the wine c. Holiness is repugnant and inconsistent with excess which naturally puts a period to the lives of men It forbids all manner of vice which leads down to the chambers of death and keeps men within due bounds in their eating and drinking Before mankind had corrupted themselves by their notorious and impudent vitiousness we read of their great length of days but the increase of sin multiplied diseases which hurry men to untimely deaths I deny not but the great Lord and Master of the Universe may for holy and wise ends known unto himself cut short the lives of the righteous yet surely if we consult either Experience or Reason we shall finde it certain beyond doubt that vertuous men enjoy for ordinary far the longest lives Some good men may be naturally of a brittle constitution yet how strangely has their life been protracted by their moderation and sobriety and how many strong men have had their days shortened by their intemperance and excess Indeed he that considers this well shall finde that Holiness is the most effectual means to promote long life both upon a moral and natural account Upon a moral account long life is the reward which the divine promises do secure to such men and on the contrary wickedness is threatned with shortness of days Upon a natural account the fire doth not more naturally produce heat than Holiness does procure health and length of days and there is nothing more evident than that the most of vices have a physical efficacy in the shortning of humane life That this is the necessary product and genuine effect of intemperance and lasciviousness needs no other argument to prove it but the daily examples of multitudes whom those sins have hurried to their graves And truly there is not any vice which does not like fire in mens bosoms torture and consume them and so disorders and discomposes them that they even neglect the necessary means of their health See Period of Humane life pag. 111 124 Edit 2. SECT 6. Holiness that which makes men honourable vice rendering men mean and ignoble Honour is an ornament so noble and venerable that he is but very sottish if not quite bruitish who doth not
pleasures he might otherwise freely enough delight in O how does it molest and torment him Nocte diéque suum gestare in pectore testem to have an inward principle of Fear haunting the sinner in his most retired enjoyment of pleasures which cannot be silenced by his utmost endeavours This this is it that torments him with anguish and confusion that allays the imaginary pleasure of the most charming Lust and in the midst of laughter makes his heart heavy which fully verifies the truth of what I said that the enjoyment of all other blessings can never free a man from torment nor a whit profit him that is destitute of Holiness Fourthly Holiness is the most incomparable blessing and frees the Soul from the worst of evils What David said of Goliahs Sword I may more safely say of Holiness There is none like it nothing in the world so apt to remove those disasters and turmoiling fears that inwardly work upon and damp the minds of men with severe checks and lashes as Holiness which being diametrically opposite to sin which is the worst of evils must therefore by a necessary consequence be the best of blessings Now seeing contraries placed near to other are the more discernable I shall therefore take a short view of the evil and malignity of sin that hereby the beauty and excellency of Holiness may appear the brighter and have the greater force to conquer our affections To express the evil and malignity of sin Scripture represents it by the most ugly and abominable things by the most dangerous and terrible Diseases Nay the great Apostle seems to want language and comparisons too to express the evil of it when he calls it exceedingly evil as if he had said it infinitely transcends all other evils the malignity of which no Pen can fully delineate and describe either in its nature or consequences In its Nature the Scripture-character of it is it is an enmity against God a transgression and voluntary violation of his most holy and righteous Law a disobedience of his Authority and a wicked contempt of all the divine Attributes 't is the woful stain and blemish of our Natures the disease of our Souls and the reproach of our Reason The consequences of sin are fearful and fatal So bad a cause can never fail to produce the worst effects for besides all the temporal calamities and mischiefs that befal Mankinde those unspeakable miseries and extream torments that accompany men to the other world are also the dreadful and sad effects of sin I have already shewed that every vice is naturally attended with some particular punishment but that indeed which is most terrible which should mightily amaze and startle the sinner are the dreadful miseries of another world Alas how dismal is the condition of those men who have lost the divine Image and consequently his love and favour and are liable to his fury and wrath who are possess'd with a legion of impure lusts which lead them captive and hurry them headlong to perdition where they must have their everlasting abode with impure spirits and devouring flames How impossible is it to give a just List and Catalogue of the sad and dreadful consequences of sin or fully describe the evil and malignity of it But yet this imperfect glance may in part satisfie and inform us that a holy and vertuous life which excludes all those mischiefs and inconveniencies which both in this and the next life attend sin is the best of blessings and frees us from the worst of evils Fifthly Holiness is the best evidence of our being in favour with God and of our adoption to Gods Family How sedulous and inquisitive are many good Christians to understand their spiritual state and condition that they may know into which of the two regions of the other world they shall be stated after death This is certainly a matter of the greatest consequence and deserves every mans most serious consideration a mistake here being so exceedingly dangerous like a wound in the vital parts it proves mortal and incurable if continued in Now the most infallible mark and character of our being in favour with God and that which comprehends all others is that which the beloved Apostle sets down 1 Joh. 3.7 8 9 10. Little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous And every one that doth righteousness is born of God Chap. 2.29 He that committeth sin is of the Devil Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devil Whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God Let men pretend what they will if they be destitute of righteousness they are of their Father the Devil and can claim no interest in God as their Father seeing it is purity of Spirit that gives us a title to be the Children of the most high 2 Cor. 6.17 18. Be ye separate and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty The whole tenour of the Scripture abounds with so many such instances that I shall supersede a tedious citation of texts This then being so infallible and certain a character methinks every rational man may quickly come to the knowledge of his spiritual estate A bad man may certainly enough know whether he breaks the divine Laws and goes in a continued course of sin and a good man may sufficiently know whether he obeys the divine Laws and is sincere in his actions These are things so plain and undeniable that all doubts of this kinde are ridiculous Now 't is no difficulty to draw these plain inferences I break the divine Laws therefore I am not of God or I obey them therefore I am a Child of God And thus every considering man who impartially considers and exactly examines his life and actions may be fully enough ascertained whether he be a Childe of God or not Alas how useless and dangerous is it to ascend unto Heaven to search the secret and eternal Decrees of God which belong not to us to pry into that we may know whether our Names be written in the Book of Life or not He that doth righteousness needs not fear any latent Decree concerning his reprobation and it is the vainest thing imaginable for impenitent and obstinate sinners to dream that God hath from eternity elected them to life The pure nature of God is so perfectly opposite to sin that it is quite impossible there can be any agreement betwixt him and sinners no more than there can be betwixt light and darkness The Psalmist acquaints us That he is not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness And the Apostle hath told us That the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men But yet the righteous Lord loveth the righteous These are the men whom he esteems his Children to
Psalmists Example Psal 119.59 I thought on my ways I doubt not but they should also imitate the course he did take I made haste and delayed not to keep thy commandments But men consider not what they are doing and so no wonder though they perish no wonder that they prefer darkness to light and despise Holiness as a thing of no value Let us therefore humbly and heartily invoke the Father of Lights to open the Eyes of men whom the God of this world hath blinded that they may flee from the wrath to come by cleansing themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Holy Devotions OR A COLLECTION OF PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS Fitted to the main uses of a Christian Life PHILIP 4.6 Be careful for nothing but in every thing by Prayer and Supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God London Printed for Rob. Sollers at the Kings Arms and Bible in St. Pauls Church-yard 1683. HOLY DEVOTIONS OR A Collection of Prayers A Prayer for Families on the Lords day in the Morning O Most holy and eternally blessed The heavens and the heaven of heavens is thine the earth also with all that therein is Thou art everywhere and canst not be excluded from any place but art present to the greatest secrets of our Souls and seest the closest and most retired thoughts of our Hearts Thou knowest very well with what designs and Affections we now bow our selves before thee and canst not be deceived by any words that we are able to speak in thy praise whilst our Hearts are far from thy fear and love Behold O Lord our Hearts are full with desires to be possessed with a mighty reverend sense of thee and all the benefits thou hast bestowed on us and be lifted up to Heaven in Love to thee and Joy in thee whilst we bless and praise thee and speak good of thy Name We here remember with all humility and thankfulness that thou art our Creator and acknowledge thy care and providence over thy antient People in blessing and Sanctifying a day wherein thou thy self restedst from thy works that they might cease from all other employments and admire thy wonderful works extol thy Power bless thy Goodness and be astonished at thy Wisdom in making preserving adorning and governing this excellent frame of the World The Heavens declare thy glory O God and the Firmament sheweth thy handy-work The Sun the Moon and all the Host of Heaven proclaim the greatness and splendour of thy Majesty The whole Earth is full of thy rich goodness so is the great and wide Sea wherein are things moving innumerable both small and great living Creatures There is nothing but what speaks of thee and above all the Children of men whom thou hast wonderfully made curiously wrought and impressed with thy own Image that they might understand thee and love thee in all and above all things The variety the order the stedfastness of all thy works in this great World abundantly utter thy adorable perfections But thou O Lord by thy goodness in giving thy Son for us and then raising him up from the Dead and setting him at thy right hand hast given us new matter of wonder and praise and consecrated a better rest and holy day of rejoycing wherein we should behold the glories of another World and have before our Eyes the happiness thou intendest for us there together with all the excellent means which lead unto it Thou givest us occasion not onely to reflect upon all the good things thou hast provided for our bodies which we can never acknowledge enough the very Health and Ease of one day deserving the thankfulness of many but we must also remember that we are thy redeemed ones and that thou hast done great things for our Souls in thy Son Jesus who is entred into the Heavens for us and gone to prepare a resting place for all those that follow him This exceeding riches of thy grace infinitely surpasses all our acknowledgments since all the praises we are able to render thee are less than is due for thy temporal blessings To this Love we owe the knowledge of thee the true and onely God our freedom from Idolatry and a vain Conversation the true principles of Holy living the benefit of repentance the promise of a pardon the assistance of thy Holy Spirit the ministry of thy Angels the hope of immortal Life and the pledges our Lord hath left us of his endless love To this we owe thy forbearance in the days of our ignorance thy unwearied patience towards us in a continued Rebellion and thy earnest intreaties of us when we were passionately bent upon our own destruction Thou hast sent us in much love many Holy Instructors and Guides to blessedness we have had the benefit of sundry Pious Sermons good Examples holy Admonitions and serious Councels of the Power of the Holy Ghost and divers restraints of Fear and Shame and Love and thou still pursuest us with thy merciful kindness and beseechest us to attend to thy gracious invitations and receive thy blessings and make thee our choice and be Eternally happy in thy divine favor and likeness What shall we render to the Lord for all his benefits towards us O help us to manifest our real and unfeigned desires to make some worthy returns to thee by our careful improvement of the Holy opportunity which thou this day puttest into our hands O that our mindes may be more enlightened to understand the Truth as it is in Jesus that our wills may be more stedfastly resolved to cleave unto it that our Affections may be excited to a stronger and more ardent Love to thee and a greater delight in thee and all the powers of our Souls disposed to serve thee at all other times more cheerfully and readily in all the Duties of Piety Soberness Righteousness and Mercy So that every day may become an Holy rest to the Lord by ceasing to do Evil and constantly doing well that we may Glorifie thee throughout our whole life in all our actions shewing forth thy praise who hast called us out of Darkness into thy marvellous Light And enlighten good Lord the whole World with the beams of thy Glorious Gospel and dispose the Hearts of all Christian People among whom the Son of righteousness hath shone so long to walk as Children of the Light that so they may offer unto thee this day most acceptable Sacrifices for themselves and for all mankind and be fitted and prepared by serving thee in Righteousness and true Holiness here to shine for ever in his Heavenly Kingdom with Christ Jesus our Saviour by whom thou hast given us good hope in thee that thou will hear our Prayers and do for us above all that we can ask or think which we humbly beg in those Holy words which he hath taught us saying Our Father c. Another for the Lords-day at Night O Most blessed for
evermore the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort How precious are thy promises to us-wards how great is the sum of them Thou renewest thy favours continually and art still pouring upon us innumerable benefits of which this is not the least that thou givest us leave to come into thy Presence to call thee Father and to make known our requests to thee by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving We accept O Lord with all thankfulness this thy great Grace and Loving kindness to us and are here again prostrate before thee this Evening to acknowledge thy goodness in making us such excellent Creatures capable to know thee and acknowledge thee and love thee and by being made like thee to be Eternally happy with thee Blessed be thy Name that we are now alive and that we have lived so long in health and strength and peace and plenty of all good things whereas our Eyes might have been consumed with grief our Bones sore vexed and we might have mingled our Drink with continual weeping We are bound unto thee for the free use of our understandings for the good inclinations we find in our will for any devout affections which are stirring in our Hearts for all the advantages we have had by our educations good company and holy Examples and more especially for the Illuminations of the Holy Ghost by thy blessed Gospel the breathings of it frequently into our Spirits the importunities thou hast used to draw us to thee and the great and precious promises whereby thy love in Christ Jesus constrains us to resign our selves entirely to the Obedience of thy Precepts We ought likwise to admire and praise thee for thy Goodness to all thy Creatures who live daily upon thy bountious allowance The eyes of all wait on thee and thou givest them their Food in due season thou diffusest thy blessings in several Streams to every one of them according to their needs That thou givest them they gather thou openest thy hand they are filled with good We give thee the Glory of thy plentiful provision thou hast made for them and more particularly admire thy great liberality to the Children of men under whose Feet thou hast put in subjection all Sheep and Oxen yea and the Beasts of the field the Fowl of the Air and the Fish of the Sea and whatsoever passeth through the Paths of the Waters O Lord we praise thee for thy Goodness to those who praise thee not themselves Be thou adored and acknowledged in thy bounty which bestows so many blessings unasked and unsought and continues them notwithstanding abundance of provocations and most high Offences that they have given to thy merciful kindness And let thy Goodness to thy Church be never forgotten by us which thou hast in all Ages Protected and defended in a marvelous manner propagating the Gospel of our Saviour confounding its opposers and spreading it by the power of the Holy Ghost over the face of the Earth We thank thee for thy singular favor to these Countries wherein we live to whom these glad tydings of Salvation have reached and who have long enjoyed a more glorious light than many other places and been delivered from the Darkness of Popish superstition and from sundry attempts that have been made to bereave us of this Happiness and are again setled after many Confusions in a peaceable enjoyment of thy true Religion which thou hast also continued to us though we have not brought forth Fruit worthy of the Gospel of thy Grace O that all thy undeserved Goodness may have this effect upon us to make us heartily love thee and devoutly worship thee and zealously obey thee and stedfastly trust and hope in thee for ever That by a careful improvement of the knowledge of thee our God and our Lord Jesus Christ by whom thou hast given us all things that pertain unto life and goodness we may still enjoy this inestimable treasure and all thy love to us may at last be finished in those eternal Joys which he hath promised to the Faithful And as we have been taught exhorted and encouraged this day out of thy holy word and have likewise publickly acknowledged our obligations to thee and made profession of Love and Gratitude and Durifulness to thy Divine Majesty So help us all the Week following openly to testifie the Truth and Honesty of our Hearts in all this by a blameless conversation in all Humility Meekness Temperance Righteousness Charity and Peace with all them that call on the Lord out of a pure Heart Bless our Soveraign the defender of the Faith we profess and all imploy'd under him in their several Offices that they may be Instruments of continuing to us these Holy opportunities with all other good things that may make these Kingdoms happy O that all our friends may be thine and if we have any Enemies Father forgive them comfort and support the Sick the Needy and all other distressed persons with an immoveable belief of thy wise and good Providence to which give them Grace patiently and obediently to resign themselves And when all our senses this Night shall be bound up with sleep be thou O Lord our keeper and after the refreshment of that repose and this Holy rest from our Labours raise us in the Morning to return unto them with cheerful minds and ready wills Praising still and Magnifying thy multiplied Mercies to us in Christ Jesus by whom we present our selves and petitions to thee saying farther as he hath taught us Our Father c. A Prayer for a Family on any Morning O Most holy most glorious and eternal Lord God we thy poor and unworthy Servants in all humility of Soul and Body and unfeigned acknowledgements of our duty prostrate our selves before the throne of thy Mercy praising magnifying thy Fatherly goodness for the abundance of thy blessings and for the multitude of thy Mercies heaped upon us beseeching thee for Christ his sake to be merciful to all our sins committed against thy Divine Majestie upon the consideration of which we confess we are not worthy to appear in thy presence much less to ask a blessing at thy hands for by reason of our corrupt Nature in us derived from our first Parents our inclinations have been prone to commit all manner of sin and wickedness against thy Goodness Thy Laws and Precepts we have broken both in thought word and deed out of our hearts proceed evil and wicked imaginations which defile the soul and body Yet O Lord thou art our Creator thou hast sent thy dear Son Jesus Christ to die for us and thy Holy Spirit to sanctifie us and many are the benefits and blessings which thou hast bestowed upon us and which by thy goodness we enjoy both of soul and body and therefore by the Testimony of our own Consciences we stand convicted and the thoughts of our great sins and transgressions do much astonish us What shall we say therefore or wherein shall we open
our mouths who shall deliver us from the misery due unto us for our transgression nothing can be expected in this life but misery and confusion and in the world to come eternal condemnation But yet O Lord in obedience to thy command and in confident assurance of thy endless and unspeakable mercy promised in Jesus Christ to all sinners which come unto thee with sorrow in our hearts shame in our faces and in all humility of spirit And we would appeal from thee a just Judge to thee a merciful Father from the Throne of thy Justice to the Seat of thy Mercy beseeching thee O Lord to have mercy upon us and to turn away thy face from all our sins and to blot out all our transgressions for the onely meritorious Death and Passion of Jesus Christ who so abundantly shed his Blood on the Cross to take away the sin of the world and be pleased now to reform our affections transform us out of sin into the glorious liberty of thy own Children to live in newness of Life in a holy conversation and continual obedience to thy divine Majesty And now we further intreat thee O Lord for a blessing upon the Church universal more especially we beseech thee to continue the peace and prosperity of these Churches wherein we live and every member thereof and in a more especial manner bless with the chiefest of thy blessings our King Queen Duke and the rest of the Royal Family bless our Counsellours Ministers and Magistrates bless our Friends Kindred and Acquaintance bless the whole Church every afflicted member of it accept of our morning-sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for all themercis and favours comforts and deliverances which from time to time thou hast afforded and continued to us We thank thee for thy last mercy in preserving us from the dangers of this night past for refreshing our bodies with seasonable rest and bringing us safe to the beginning of this day Lord what is man that thou art so mindful of him and the Son of man that thou shouldst thus visit and remember him Give us grace O Lord to remember thee and to be mindful of thy mercies that we may praise thee for all the truth and faithfulness which thou shewest to us in the land of the living that as thou hast brought us to the comforts of this day so thou mayst go along with us in the same to enable us for the Duties of those callings wherein we are placed and to deliver us from those dangers to which we are exposed even for Jesus Christ his sake in whose most blessed name and words we conclude these our weak and imperfect prayers saying as he himself hath taught us in his holy Gospel Our Father c. A Prayer for a Family at Night MOst glorious and everlasting Lord God which inhabitest eternitie and dwellest in that light which no mortal Eye can attain unto the God in whom we live and move and have our being we thine unworthy Servants do here in all lowliness and humility present our Persons and Prayers before thy Divine Majesty confessing and acknowledging that we were conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquitie and as if that had been but a small matter we have heaped up our Actual transgressions as the sand upon the Sea-shore and as the Stars in the Firmament for number we have broken thy Commandments we have prophaned thy Sabbaths we have dishonour'd thy Name we have abused thy Creatures we have neglected the day of our Visitation and turned thy Grace into wantonness whereby we have most justly provoked thy wrath and everlasting displeasure we have wounded our own consciences weakned our assurance of Salvation and grieved thy good Spirit which sealeth us up unto the day of our Redemption And now O Lord if thou shouldst deal with us after our deservings thou mighest pour upon us the deluge of thy wrath and fury to sweep us out of the Land of the living into that place of torment prepared for the Devil and his Angels But thou hast revealed thy self to the Sons of men to be the Lord the Lord merciful and gracious long-suffering and of great goodness who pardons sins and passest by the transgressions of thy People this is thy Name for ever and thy Memorial throughout all Generations We beseech therefore for Jesus Christ his sake to be merciful unto us in the free pardon and forgiveness of all our sins that we have ever committed against thee Accept of his obedience for our disobedience of his righteousness for our unrighteousness of his sufferings for all our sins wash them away in his blood nail them to his Cross hide them in his Wounds and bury them in his Grave that they may never rise up for our confusion here or for our condemnation hereafter O Lord be unto us a Father of mercy and a God of consolation speak peace unto our Souls and consciences and say unto us that thou art the God of our Salvation And give us Grace for the time to come to dye daily unto sin by vertue of thy Sons death and to rise up to newness of life by the power of his resurrection Wean our Hearts and take off our Affections from the things of this world which endure but for a season and raise them up unto those things which are at thy right hand for evermore Enlighten the darkness of our understanding subdue the stubbornness of our wills rectify the disorder of our affections and bring into obedience whatsoever exalteth it self against thy will that at last we may become such as thou would'st have us to be Continue and enlarge thy blessings upon the Church and Land wherein we live upon the Person and Government of our King bless all the Royal family together with his Majesties Councels the Nobilitie Magistracy Clergy and Gentry of the Land Be merciful to all those who are afflicted with any cross or calamitie all our relations and aquaintance and all others whom we are bound to pray for O Lord accept our thanksgivings this Evening for all the mercies and favors which thou hast afforded for our Souls or Bodies for this Life or a better more especially that thou hast preserved us and our Family this day in health and happiness Now holy Father seeing the Night is upon us and we are ready to take our rest in thy hands we commit our Souls and Bodies and all that we have beseeching thee who art the keeper of Israel that neither sleepest nor slumberest to take care of us for if thou protect us not Satan will devour us yea we shall sleep a perpetual sleep and never arise up to praise thee we pray thee therefore to be good to us this night defend us from danger refresh us with comfortable rest and raise us up to glorifie thee in the duties of the day following that thou mayst still be our God and we may be thy People Hear us and gratiously answer us in these our
me and bringing my transgressions into remembrance before thee with loud clamours for justice against me O Lord I acknowledge and confess my self guilty and that I have deserved the utmost of thy wrath and indignation But O Lord I appeal from thy seat of judgment to thy throne of Grace and Mercy humbly beseeching thee to rebuke and repel the malitious accuser of thy servants and hearken to the intercession of our advocate in thine own bosome for his sake have mercy upon me and pardon my offences and blot out the hand-Writing that is against me and put away all mine iniquities and drown them in the depth of the Sea Wash me throughly from all my pollutions in that Fountain which thou hast opened for Judah and Jerusalem to purifie in and then cloth me with that white robe of thy Son's righteousness the Wedding-garment requisite at this feast and admit me to thy Table which thou hast prepared for thy Children And grant O Lord that when I have tasted of these thy Heavenly dainties I may no more return like the Dog to his vomit or the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire but I may keep my self unspotted from the World and walk before thee in all puritie and holiness And now O Lord thou invitest and exhortest me to come to thy holy Table O my God I know mine own unworthiness yet in the multitude of thy mercies I will humbly approach to thine Altar beseeching thee to behold me not with a severe but a gracious eye Thou knowest the earnest desire of my Soul be thou pleased to pass by the weakness of the flesh and accept the willingness of the Spirit and grant that I may now receive this holy Sacrament to the honour and glory of thy Name and the good and comfort and Salvation of my own Soul The Good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God 2 Chron. 30.18 19. the Lord God of his Fathers though he be not purified according to the purification of the Sanctuary Amen After the Sacrament LOrd what is man that thou art mindful of him Psal 144.3 or the son of man that thou visitest him What is thy servant 2 Sam. 9.8 that thou shouldest look upon such a dead Dog as I The Dogs eat of the crums that fall from their Masters Table Mat. 15.27 but thou hast fed me with the bread of thy Children and given me to drink of thine own cup. Thou hast fed me in a green Pasture Psal 23.2 and leadest me forth beside the waters of comfort O taste and see how gracious the Lord is Psal 34.8 blessed is the man that trusteth in him What reward shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me Psal 116.12 Lord I offer up unto thee my self my soul and body Psal 84.4 and all that I am and have beseeching thee graciously to receive me for thy servant to dwell in thy House and praise thy Name for evermore Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory Revel 4.11 and Honour and Power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Thou art worthy to take the Book and to open the seals thereof Revel 5.9 for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to our God out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne Rev. 7.10 12. and to the Lamb. Amen Blessing and Glory and Wisdom and Thanksgiving and Honour and Power and Might be unto God for ever and ever Amen An Admonition after Receiving ANd now you have thus solemnly devoted and consecrated your self to God and his Service beware that you do not fall back and return to your former course of sin 2 Pet. 2.22 like the dog to his own vomit or as the Serpent which casts up his Poyson when he goes to drink and when he hath quenched his thirst returns and sucks it up again And thus some are content to leave their sins at the Church-door but with an intent to take them up again when they come out But God will not be so mocked And know this that if you have well and worthily performed this Duty to day yet if you do not persevere in Piety as you have promised and begun not onely your former sins but even the Piety of this day shall one day rise up in Judgment against you But a diligent watching and wariness over your ways after this will be the best preparation against the next time A Prayer for one that is troubled in mind O Lord the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort I acknowledge and adore thy eternal Power and Wisdom and Goodness I render thee my most hearty thanks for all the benefits thou hast bestowed on me from my first coming into the world until this time Many O Lord my God are the wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us-ward they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee if I would declare and speak of them they are more than can be numbered Above all I bless thee for that great demonstration of thy Love and Good-will to Mankind by Christ Jesus whom thou hast sent into the world to save sinners and for bringing me to the clear knowledge of him and unfeigned affection to thy holy Will declared to us in his blessed Gospel O God thou hast taught me from my youth up and hitherto been marvellously gracious to me Hide not I beseech thee thy face now from me and put not thy Servant away in displeasure Thou hast been my help leave me not neither forsake me O God of my Salvation But for Jesus Christ his sake I humbly intreat thee to pardon and pass by all my neglects of thee and unthankfulness to thee and offences against thee And as I here sincerely devote and dedicate my whole self soul and body to thy service so help me O my God and further me in the performance of my duty by the grace of thy holy Spirit To thee all hearts are open and from thee no secrets are hid deal with me according to the earnest desire and full purpose of my soul to conform my self in all things to thy holy Will Settle in me an immoveable faith in thy infinite Mercies a constant love and chearful affection to my duty and a readiness of heart to obey thee and to submit to thy wise appointments in every condition The whole Earth is full of thy Mercies That I may rejoyce and be glad all my days compose my broken and disturbed thoughts quiet my troubled and disordered spirit and appease all the ragings and tumults there by a sweet sense of thy most tender mercies which have been ever of old and endure continually Banish from me all causeless fears and jealousies deliver me from all unprofitable sadness and
requests and what else thou knowest needful and expedient for us and that for Jesus Christ his sake in whose most blessed Name and words we conclude these our imperfect prayers saying as he himself hath taught us Our Father c. A Morning-prayer for a private person O Lord my God merciful and loving to all thy servants pitiful and patient to me thy child gracious and favourable to all those that meekly come unto thee I dare not with the proud Pharisee justifie my self or say I have not sinned I dare not press into thy presence with hope or confidence through mine own merits to be saved but with the poor Publican laying my Soul upon the work of Repentance and with an unfeigned sorrow casting my self down at the footstool of thy Majesty I cry and say O Lord be merciful to me a sinner O my God the horn of my Salvation and my refuge my stony Rock and my defence in whom onely I trust and to whom alone I flee for succour miserable wretch that I am how have I provoked thee I have done evil in thy fight I have stirred up thine anger I have deserved thy displeasure I have sinned I have offended yet thou bearest with me One deep calleth to another the depth of misery to the depth of mercy I feel O Lord but it is thy Spirit that giveth me this feeling that mine Understanding is darkned Conscience seared Memory decayed Will bewitched Heart hardned Affections disordered Conversation corrupted my thoughts desires best actions are abominable in thy sight Mine eyes cannot see thee in thy Creatures mine ears cannot hear thee in thy Word my mouth cannot praise thee in thy Works my hands and feet cannot serve thee in my Calling destruction and calamity are in all my ways and the way of peace I have not known Unto whom now shall I come for comfort unto whom now shall I sue for succour but to thee O Lord whom I will look up to as unto the Brazen Serpent If I repent thou sparest if I return thou embracest yet beside all this though I defer thou waitest Thou teachest the ignorant thou comfortest the pensive thou liftest up from destruction after a fall thou givest to him that asketh thou reclaimest him which wandereth thou invitest him that resisteth thou lookest for him that sleepeth and him thou embracest which returneth Now O Lord what to answer for my disobedience I am ignorant for what am I not subject to by reason of my sins I cannot hide my self from thy presence I could not abide it if thou shouldst enter into Judgment O Father of mercies and God of all comfort pierce my flesh with thy fear so that by fearing I may escape such things as thou dost threaten and restore to me the Joy of thy Salvation that by loving I may taste the felicity which thou hast promised Put thou into my remembrance O Lord the things I should conceive of thee teach me by what words I may call upon thee instruct me with what good works I may please thee Cover thou mine head in the day of battle Let me not be of that number which for a time believe but when temptation cometh go back Grant me I beseech thee the gifts of regeneration to become thy child of Faith to believe thy promise of obedience to do thy will of prayer to seek thy presence of comfort to endure thy trials and of strength to continue thy servant to my life's end Open my blind eyes to see the sins I am most given to give me grace to sigh and groan under the burthen of them and give me spiritual understanding to discern and judge betwixt good and evil Thou hast been good unto me O Lord many ways in my creation redemption vocation sanctification in preserving me all the days of my life hitherunto and in opening thy hand continually and filling my mouth with good things Thou hast preserved me from all dangers of this night past and brought me safe to the beginning of this day whereas thou mightest have made my bed my grave thou mightest have turned my sleep into death unto me but thou lendest me a longer and a larger time to repent Lord increase my zeal further my repentance make me sincerely to imbrace thy mercies I will take the Cup of Salvation and call upon thy Name Receive O Lord this early sacrifice both of my soul and body I offer them up into thy hands to be disposed at thy pleasure and with them unfeigned sighs for offending thee Go on with thy favours towards me thy humble servant go along by me and with me all this day and all the days of my life that I may not step into the path of sin but that thy Law may be my delight all the day long Thou O Lord Christ art risen from the dead Let the power of thy resurrection make me rise unto newness of life And that which is impossible to flesh and bloud make it possible by the virtue of thy blood And so in thy Name I shut up my imperfect prayers both for my self and others in that manner and form of prayer which thou hast taught me Our Father c. An Evening-prayer for a private person O Lord my God who aboundest in all good things and art a liberal bestower of the dainties of heavenly safety I praise and glorifie thee for thy love and bounty towards me this day past having bestowed upon me all things necessary for the day with-holding nothing from me that might be beneficial to me The night now stealeth upon me like a thief and I am nearer to old age than I was in the morning though not nearer to goodness I know not whether thou wilt this night make my bed in the dark and the hour of my visitation be this present evening A wake me then out of that slumber of sin remove from me that sloth that hath all this while hindred thy Grace Forgive me my sins which are more infinite than the stars and more heavy than if mountains lay upon my bosome but thy mercy and the merits of my Redeemer do I trust in in his Name do I sue for a pardon Let my mind O Lord flie from the parching heat of worldly cares under the shadow of thy wings that being hid in temperate coldness it may joyfully sing and say I will lay me down and also sleep in peace Let my memory sleep O Lord my God let it sleep from all evil Suffer not unclean thoughts this night to pollute my body and soul but keep my cogitations chast Let not the Sun go down upon my wrath but if any man this day have done me wrong grant that I may freely and heartily forgive him as I desire at thy hands to be forgiven Keep me from the adversary who sleepeth not but seeketh how he may devour me Anoint me O Lord with the Oyl of thy Spirit that of thy fulness I may be filled with Grace even that Grace which