that of possession which makes holy men have mortem in desiderio which others so fear vitam in patientia which others so value 7. Consider all the temporal blessings of holy and orderly living more health of body longer life serenity of mind a pleasure sedate pure and constant but at no time violent itching or discomposing the subject of it and rendring mirth uncapable of continuance or also declining suddenly into pain or anguish A joy not dwelling in the sense and lower felicities of beasts in eating and drinking and marriage these when it useth and rejoyceth in it is as though it used and rejoyced not but in more Angelick and Spiritual complacencies not consisting in having its carnal desires satiated but rather in not having and being freed from such desires which is a content equal to the enjoyment of them Cui Deus haec fecit Supervacua dedit A pleasure more retired and internal of the mind and spirit arising out of several noble considerations of the Soul which have no intercourse with or help from Sense A joy well consisting with and many times very great when the sense is in pain and of sense little or nothing perceived Nay A joying in grief and pains Rom. 5.31 and proportioned to them more joy to counterpoise them as the pains are more And Gaudet minus si minus dolet because the Soul cannot have those special considerations and passions which give it such a goust and delight but from such sufferings So St. Paul's joys still flowed the higher the greater his tribulations were And see a resemblance tho a very faint one of it in Seneca's Philosophy Ep. 18. Summa voluptas saith he in victa tenui Voluptaes autem non illa levis fugax subinde reficienda sed stabilis certa Non enim jucunda res est aqua polenta sed summa voluptas est adidse reduxisse ut c. Quanta enim animi magnitudo c. Digr Of the great blessing of long life 8. The blessings on their Posterity Associates c. for their sakes in all the contraries to those Judgments mentioned before § 3. n. 11. c. which are brought upon others for the sinners sake God not going less in his mercies than in his judgments Digr Of the great efficacy and benefit of the Communion of Saints 9. From doing to others all good and returning no evil much peace and a good name amongst the most or the best of men 1 Pet. 3 13. Matt. 5.5 And again when from contrary manners to and non-compaliance with the world he incurrs the hate and ill report thereof in lieu of the worldly a spiritual peace and divine consolations more abundant So that a good man suffers some trouble from humane and temporal solaces and endeavors to avoid them And every one as he groweth perfecter and deeplier wounded with the divine love and desire of conformity to his Good Lord takes a far greater delight in their contraries in sufferings persecutions injuries retiredness long devotions and hard mortification as being then most replenished with spiritual Consolations after the tasting of which already all the world's delights are become bitter and sowre These therefore he chooseth armeth for impatiently expects arrived to glories in wondring they are no greater which are to save such a sinner so well meriting damnation from such infinite torments to come and which are to gain to so vile a person such infinite joys and honor to come §. 9. 2 The great reward of it for the future 1. The happiness of the Souls of Saints immediately after Death Exemplified in the Soul of the H. Thief accompanying the Soul of our Lord in Paradise the same day he suffered In that of the H. Beggar Lazarus receiving in Abraham's bosome Consolations for his former sufferings in the life-time of Dives his Brethren as the Parable represents it wherein we may presume our Lord would hint to the people no mistaken Notions of the future life Who also elsewhere opposing the Sadduces that denied Spirits argues Abraham to live still at this present because God after his death stiled himself his God Again Exemplified in the Souls of the Martyrs who Rev. 6.9 10 11. 7.9.15 are clothed in white Robes and attending on the Lamb till the residue of the Saints their like sufferings for Christ being fulfilled they should all at once resume from present corruption their bodies glorified The same happiness of separated Souls instanced-in by St. Paul Heb. 12.23 where he numbers standing in the Divine presence amongst Angels the Souls also of just men consummate Therefore our Lord commends his spirit into the hands of his Father and St. Stephen again dying recommends his into the hands of Jesus And St. Peter 1. Ep. 3 4. chap. constitutes the hidden man of the heart or the righteousness of the Soul in that which is not corruptible Lastly this future happy State frequently represented in the joys which holy Souls sometimes receive in this life in the loss of the senses and cessation of the animal-functions and particularly shewed in that rapt of St. Paul into the third Heaven and Paradise and there receiving those unutterable Caresses from whose doubting language whether in or out of the Body I know not may be gathered that if his Soul did not yet it might have visited those places when it was separate from the Body Which Apostle after this short experiment of those other blisses pronounceth it much better to have this earthly tabernacle dissolved so to put on another celestial an house not made with hands a building of God eternal in the Heavens and much better to be absent from the Body so to be present with Christ And St. Peter using much what the same language speaks of deposing his present tabernacle or changing his habitation at his death 2. Ep. 1.14 As also he makes mention of Souls in Prison who were preached-to in the days of Noah 1. Pet. 3.19 2. The happiness of Soul and Body after the day of Judgment where you may entertain your thoughts on such contemplations as these promised in his word who is faithful and true The then renewed youth vigor beauty and agility of the Body The purity of the Soul from all Sin Our glorious Habitation Celestial The most amiable Society of the Saints Our vision and familiar acquaintance and conversation with Angels and Spirits One Holy Spirit and an ardent and mutual love flaming in all Christ our Spouse God our Father All Temples of the Holy Ghost Members of Christ Sons of God The heavenly City and Temple Kings and Preists White Robes Crowns and Palms Harps Songs and Festivals Life Rest and Peace for ever and ever Heu mihi quia incolatus meus prolongatus est Non sunt condignae passiones hujus Saeculi c. Momentaneum hoc leve Tribulationis quod in praesenti est operatur immensum supra modum gloriae pondus in sublimitate 3. The several Degrees of Glory
passion Deliver us O Lord. By thy glorious resurrection and ascension by thy coming to judgment by thy coeternal glory with the Father Deliver us O Lord. We sinners beseech Thee to hear us O Lord. That we may learn of thee who wast meek and humble in heart that we may deny our selves and take up our Cross and follow thee We beseech thee to hear us That we lay not up treasures for our selves on earth but in heaven that we may lose our lives in this world that we may preserve them to eternal life and fear not those that can kill the body only but him that can throw both Body and Soul into hell-fire We sinners beseech c. That we freely and willingly take up thy easy yoke and light burthen that with all diligence we put out to usury our talents we receive from thee and receiving thy word into honest and good hearts may bring forth much fruit with patience We sinners beseech Thee c. That whatsoever we would that men should do unto us we do so unto them that we judge none rashly but love one another and do good to those that hate us We sinners beseech Thee to hear us O Lord. That being uncertain of the hour of death and thy coming to judgment we endeavour to watch and be always ready that we seriously provide to give up the account of our Stewardship We sinners beseech Thee c. That persevering thro thy grace unto the end we may be saved We sinners beseech Thee to hear us O Lord. That asking the Father in thy name we may be worthy to be heard according to thy promise We sinners c. O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Spare us c. Hear us c. Have mercy upon us Every day will we repeat thy perfections O glorious Jesus that every day we may grow in esteem of thee every day will we attentively reckon over thy mercies that every day we may still increase in thy love We sinners beseech Thee to hear us O Lord. All that we have and are we received from thy grace All we desire and hope we expect in thy glory O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplication come unto thee Let us pray ALmighty God and most merciful Saviour the light of this world and glory of the next vouchsafe we beseech thee to illuminate our understandings enflame our Wills and sanctify all the faculties of our Souls that whilst with our lips we recite thy praises we may inwardly with our hearts adore thy person and admire thy goodness and conform our lives to thy holy example till at length by frequent meditation on the bliss thou hast prepared for us hereafter we break off our affections from all irregular adherence to this world and place them intirely on the enjoyment of thee who with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest one God world without end Amen See the other Litany and Commemorations below LITANIES to God the Holy Spirit O God the Father of heaven Have mercy on us O God the Son Redeemer of the world Have mercy on us O God the Holy Ghost Perfecter of the Elect Have mercy on us O Sacred Trinity one God Have mercy on us O Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son who art the intimate love communion and complacency of the Father and the Son Have mercy on us Who art the finger strength and power of God the omnipotent worker of what the Father decrees and the Son the Word of God commands Have mercy on us O Holy Spirit by whose inspiration the holy men of God formerly spake Have mercy on us O Holy Spirit by whose admirable vertue the Incarnation of our Lord was wrought in the Virgins womb and who descendedst in the likeness of a Dove upon our Blessed Saviour Have mercy on us O Blessed Spirit who at Pentecost appearedst resting upon the Disciples in cloven tongues of fire and with whom the Apostles being replenished boldly confessed and preached our Saviour Have mercy on us O Holy Spirit the Promise of the Father and the Son who descendedst to abide with us and in us here on earth in the absence of our Lord until his second coming Have mercy on us O Holy Spirit who having cast out the strong one Satan and possessed his house vouchsafest to inhabit in our persons as the Son of God in our nature and to make us thy Temples Have mercy on us O Holy Spirit who finishest the internal work of our Salvation by our Sanctification as the Son of God did the external by our Redemption Have mercy on us Who descendedst to glorify our Lord to bring to our remembrance testify and confirm all his heavenly doctrine to us Have mercy on us O Holy Spirit the Paraclete abiding with us for ever our Intercessor and Advocate here on earth within us to the Father as the Son now is for us in heaven Have mercy on us O Holy Spirit who art the Seed of God in us by whom we are born again and made new creatures partakers of the Divine nature and Sons of God Have mercy on us O Holy Spirit the earnest and first fruits and pledge of our future inheritance the foretast of the good word and promise of God and of the power of Christ's Kingdome and of the World to come Have mercy on us O Holy Spirit the Spirit of Adoption by whom we cry Abba Father bearing witness to our Spirits that we are the Sons of God and by whom we are sealed to the day of Redemption Have mercy on us O Blessed Spirit the Seed of Immortality in our corruptible bodies by whose vertue and power after sown in dishonour they shall be raised again in glory Have mercy on us O Blessed Spirit who guidest and preservest the Church of God in all truth illuminating its Doctors strengthening its Martyrs and perfecting its Saints Have mercy c. O Holy Spirit the bond of the mystical union between Christ our Head and us his Members and between all the fellow-members making them all of one heart and one soul as being all actuated by one and the same Spirit Have mercy on us O Holy Spirit who enlightenest and leadest us into all truth by whom the Charity of God is poured forth in our hearts who writest the laws of God within us and inclinest our wills not out of servile fear but love and choice to obey his commands Have mercy on us O Holy Spirit who helpest our infirmities we not knowing what to pray for as we ought and makest intercession for us with groans that cannot be uttered Have mercy on us O Holy Spirit who knowest all the hidden things of God and makest intercession according to his will and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth there the mind of the Spirit Have mercy on us O Holy Spirit who revealest the mysteries of Religion the secrets of men's hearts and things to come Have mercy on us
O Holy Spirit the Comforter in all afflictions and sufferings giving ability to bear them internal peace and spiritual joy in them and who art the author of a constant lively hope and confidence in God Have mercy on us O Holy Spirit who distributest and dividest thy gifts and graces variously to every one according to thy good pleasure Have mercy on us The Spirit of wisdome and understanding the Spirit of knowledge and truth the Spirit of counsel and fortitude Have mercy on us The Spirit of sobriety chastity and temperance the Spirit of modesty patience and prayer Have mercy on us The Spirit of humility benignity and meekness the Spirit of compunction sanctification and the fear of God the Spirit of peace and love Have mercy on us O Holy Spirit the discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart and reproving the World of sin of justice and of judgment Have mercy on us Be merciful and spare us O Holy Spirit Be merciful and hear us O Holy Spirit From all temptations and deceits of the Devil from all sin and every evil Spirit Deliver us O Holy Spirit From all filthiness and uncleanness of soul and body from the Spirit of fornication from the Spirit of anger strife contention and envy and all uncharitableness Deliver us O holy Spirit From all presumption and despair from opposing the known truth from hardness of heart and final impenitency Deliver us O holy Spirit By thy eternal procession from the Father and the Son by the miraculous conception of the Son of God by thy operation by thy descent upon our Saviour at his Baptisme and by thy sitting upon his Apostles Deliver us O holy Spirit In the day of Judgment Deliver us O holy Spirit We Sinners beseech Thee to hear us O holy Spirit That thou would'st spare us That thou wouldst keep us from blaspheming thee O Holy Ghost and from doing any contumely to the Spirit of Grace We sinners beseech Thee c. That we may never quench grieve or neglect this Holy Spirit but may prepare our hearts for thy holy inspirations and may diligently hearken to discover and obey thy godly motions which lead us to all perfection We sinners beseech Thee c. That remembring how we are the Temples of the Holy Ghost we may take heed of violating them and that as we live by the Spirit we may walk in the Spirit and fulfil no more the lusts of the flesh but by the Spirit mortify the deeds thereof so that sowing in the Spirit we may of the Spirit reap life eternal We sinners beseech Thee c. That thou wouldst vouchsafe to stir up and cherish in us poverty of Spirit and enkindle in us a hunger and thirst after Justice that we may be peaceable and worthy to be called the Sons of God We sinners beseech Thee c. That thou wouldest infuse into us perfect charity and mercy and that we may constantly and manfully endure persecution for Justice sake We sinners beseech Thee c. That thou would'st vouchasafe us to continue unto the end in faith hope and charity and that we may be careful to keep the unity of the Spirit that is in all thy servants in the bond of peace We sinners beseech Thee c. O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Pour on us the holy Spirit O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Send us the promised Spirit from the Father O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Grant us the Spirit of Peace Our Father which art Heaven c. Create in us clean hearts O God And renew right Spirits in our Bowels Cast us not away from thy face O Lord And take not thy holy Spirit from us Restore unto us the joy of thy Salvation And confirm us with thy principal Spirit The Grace of thy Holy Spirit Enlighten our senses and hearts O Lord hear our Prayers And let our cry come unto thee Let us pray O Holy Ghost the Comforter we commend to thee our souls and bodies the beginning and the end of our lives give us grace to be heartily sorry for our sins for the love of God and to do true penance for them that we may be perfectly purified from them before we depart hence out of this mortal body Of our selves O Lord we are corrupt and blind in our affections and desires if we rely on our own judgments easily seduced into error easily overcome by temptation Wherefore to thee O Holy Spirit we wholly offer and commit the guidance of our Souls defend and keep us thy servants from all evil teach and illuminate our minds strengthen our weak Spirits against inordinate pusillanimity and superfluous scruples of conscience and keep us humble that we fall not into presumption Give us a right faith unmovable hope and perfect charity that we may sweetly delight in thee and every-where fulfil thy will and pleasure who livest and reignest with the Father and Son one God world without end Amen O Eternal God who didst send thy Holy Spirit upon thy Church and didst promise that he should abide with it for ever let the same Spirit lead us to all truth defend us from all sin enrich us with his gifts refresh us with his comforts and rule in our hearts for ever And grant O bountiful Lord the Doner of every good and perfect gift that we may prepare our hearts for his holy inspirations may diligently hearken to clearly discover believe and obey his godly motions may never quench never grieve this Holy Spirit but living in him may by him be sealed to the day of redemption through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord who liveth and reigneth world without end Amen O Blessed Spirit the Almighty Paraclete the communication bond and union of the Father and Son the conduit conveying to us all that we receive from the Father and the Son The dear pledge and token of our absent Lord until his blessed return by whose power all things are enlivened which do truly live and whose delight is to reside and converse in the hearts of the simple which thou vouchsafest to consecrate as Temples to thy self Come gracious Spirit have mercy upon us descend from heaven into our hearts waiting for thy comfort and so fit us for thine own self that through the multitude of thy compassions our meanness may be accepted of thy greatness and our weakness of thy strength Sanctify the temples of our bodies and consecrate them for thy own habitation Make glad with thy presence our Souls that long after thee make ready a mansion fit for thy self adorn thy bride-chamber furnish thy resting place with the variety of thy own gifts and graces drive out from thence whatsoever is old and fading renew in us thy own workman-ship with beauty incorruptible for ever convey into us heavenly light heat and motion that having tasted of the heavenly gift and the powers of the
obtain pardon and forgiveness of all our sins We sinners c. That the receiving thy Body and Blood may not be to us to judgment and condemnation but to life and salvation and that worthily receiving thy Body and Blood we hunger nor thirst any more nor dy eternally We sinners beseech Thee to hear us O Lord. That through the worthy participation of thy Body and Blood thou in us and we in thee may abide for ever and that as many as eat of this Bread may be made one in peace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ We sinners beseech Thee to hear us O Lord. That in innocence we may compass thine Altar O Lord and together with thy unspotted Sacrifice offer up our selves a living holy and acceptable Sacrifice to God We sinners beseech Thee to hear us O Lord. That whom we believe to be in this holy Mystery really present tho veiled under the external elements we may behold at length with open face in everlasting glory We sinners beseech Thee to hear us O Lord. Son of God who takest away the sins of the world Hear us good Lord. O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Have mercy on us He gave us food from heaven Man did eat Angels Bread Our Father which art Heaven c. O Lord hear our Prayers And let our cry come unto thee Let us pray WE adore thee O Lord Jesus with a true and lively faith in the Sacrament of the Altar with thy body and soul thy flesh and blood by the ineffable power of thy wisdome and goodness really present who at thy departure out of this world to the Father left us this Sacrament as a pledge of thy love that by a new and admirable way thou mightst still remain with us whose delight is to be with the Sons of men Cleanse our souls we beseech thee from all our sins and infirmities and feed them with the crums which fall from thy table that we may be filled with the marrow and fatness of thy heavenly blessings Come unto us dear Saviour and heal our sinful souls feed the hungry and refresh the weak Deliver us from all evil make us always adhere to thy commandements and never suffer us to be separated from thee Who livest and reignest one God world without end Amen O God who in this admirable Sacrament hast left us a memorial of thy Passion grant us we beseech thee so worthily to reverence the sacred mysteries of thy Body and Blood that we may daily find in us the fruit of thy Redemption Who livest and reignest in the unity of the Holy Ghost one God world without end Amen WE adore thee O Saviour of our Souls eternal word of the Father true Sacrifice offered for the sins of the whole world O most precious treasure replenished with all delight the resting place of pure and clean hearts O Angelical viand O Celestial bread O Eternal word of the Father which art for us made flesh and yet remainest God in the self same person We confess Thee most undoubtedly true God and Man consecrated in a most miraculous manner on our Altars to be there given to us and offered to thy Father for us Thou art the assured hope and only Salvation of sinners Thou art the Sovereign restorative of those that languish and the inexhaustible treasure of the poor distressed Pilgrims Hallowed be thy name O most sweet Saviour Jesus Christ may all thy Creatures sing forth praises and thanksgivings unto thee for the love wherewith thou tendrest our welfare by descending from heaven and offering up thy pure and innocent Body on the Cross for our Redemption Hallowed be thy name most blessed Jesus that after thy Resurrection and Ascension since thou wast to ascend into heaven there to sit at the right hand of the Father thou vouchsafest to leave us the self same immortal Body as a memorial of thy departure and a pledge of thy infinite love thou bearest us O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world have mercy on us and grant us thy peace refresh our Souls with this spiritual and heavenly food and comfort us continually with thy graces that neither in life nor death we may depart from thee nor be deprived at any time of thy celestial benedictions who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost in all Eternity Amen O Most loving Father who sparedst not thy own Son but deliveredst him to death for us all who if we ask thee Bread will not give us a Stone or for an Egg a Scorpion Behold we offer up unto thee Eternal Father this Lamb thy only Son and the infinite merits of his Sacrifice performed on the Cross and beseech thee to give us this day our daily bread bread for the body and all necessaries for this present life whereby we may be the better enabled to serve thee but especially the bread of our Souls the gifts and graces of thy Holy Spirit and whatsoever is necessary to strengthen them lest we faint in the way that we are walking in toward our heavenly country where we shall be abundantly satisfied with the pleasures of thy heavenly table who livest and reignest with the Son and the Holy Ghost one God for ever and ever Amen O Most bountiful Father who givest us from heaven the corn of thine Elect and bread of Life who hast sowed them on earth and laid them up in the Granary of thy Church for the feeding of thy children Grant us frequently to be refreshed with this bread yea spiritually at least to receive it daily which is so useful for us every day and that we may be sustained by this heavenly Viaticum in this our Pilgrimage that in the strength of that food we may travel on to the Mount of God by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen O Father of Mercies and God of all Consolation who in the abundance of thy infinite Charity hath given us thy only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him may not perish but inherit eternal Life and that our necessities may be relieved out of the immense treasure of his Merits Behold me a wretched Sinner tho called by thy mercy into the Society of your Son now also partaking of his Body and Blood and therefore at this instant embracing him in my Breast and possessing him as my very self and what 's intimately united to me And as such in union of that love wherewith heretofore He gave himself for us on the Altar of the Cross and now communicates himself to us in the Sacrament of the Altar I offer Him to thee with all his merits and virtues to thine everlasting praise and glory that thou may'st be perfectly pleased in him and that we who by no action of our own can by the merits and patronage of thy most beloved Son may be compleatly acceptable to thee I present thee O Holy Father with that entire Charity Religion Humility Meekness
God who publishedst to Zachary the birth and office of St. John Baptist and sent from God to the Blessed Virgin wast the happy Messenger of the Incarnation of the eternal Word of God Pray for us St. Raphael one of the Seven which assist before our Lord the holy conducter of Tobias the restorer of sight and powerful expeller of evil Spirits Pray for us Holy Seraphin who with a burning coal purified the lips of Esaias Pray for us Holy Cherubin who wast set to keep the way of the Tree of Life Pray for us O Holy Angels who in executing judgment on Sodom deliveredst just Lot vexed with their filthy conversation Pray for us Holy Angels who ascended and descended upon Jacob's Ladder Pray for us Holy Angel who deliveredst Jacob from all evil Pray for us O Angel of God who in smiting all the first born of Egypt passedst over the houses of the Israelites who conductedst them into the land of Promise and deliveredst the Law unto Moses Pray for us O Prince of the Host of God who wast sent to aid Joshuah and who destroyedst of the Assyrians warring against God's people an hundred fourscore and five thousand in one night Pray for us Holy Angel who when Daniel was cast into the Lyon's Den shuttedst up their mouths that they might not hurt him Pray for us Holy Angels who joyfully sung Glory to God on high at the Birth of the Saviour of Mankind Pray for us Holy Angels who ministred to our Lord when anhungred in the Wilderness Pray for us Holy Angel who comfortedst our Lord in his Agony Pray for us Holy Angels who first declared the joyful news of our Lord's Resurrection Pray for us O ye Angels of God who brought out of prison and set at large the Apostles and St. Peter and struck with an ignominious death proud Herod not giving Honor to God Pray for us Holy Angels who carried the Soul of Lazarus into Abraham's Bosome Pray for us O Holy Angels who shall come with our Saviour in his Majesty to judgment and at the end of the world shall gather the Elect from the four winds and separate the wicked from amongst the just and gather all scandals out of the Kingdome of Christ Pray for us O all ye Orders of Blessed Spirits Angels and Arch-Angels Vertues and Thrones Dominions Principalities and Powers Cherubin and Seraphin Pray for us O Christ who art placed above all Principalities and Powers and Thrones and Dominions and every name that is named not only in this world but that to come Have mercy on us From all dangers By thy Holy Angels Deliver us O Lord. From the temptations snares and illusions of the devil By thy Holy Angels Deliver us O Lord. From all filthy and unclean cogitations and suggestions By thy Holy Angels Deliver us O Lord. From all filthy and unclean cogitations and suggestions By thy Holy Angels Deliver us O Lord. From the counsels and malice of wicked men and all evil company By thy Holy Angels Deliver us O Lord. From sudden and unprovided death By thy Holy Angels Deliver us O Lord. We sinners beseech Thee to hear us O Lord. That thou wouldst spare us and give thy Holy Angels charge over us to keep us in all our ways We sinners c. That thou wouldst direct and govern thy Church and grant to all Christian Societies unity peace and concord by the Ministration of thy Holy Angels We sinners c. That thou wilt be pleased at the hour of death to guard us with the defence and protection of thy Holy Angels We sinners beseech Thee to hear us O Lord. That thou wilt be pleased to transport our Souls when they depart out of our bodies into the heavenly mansions by their ministry We sinners beseech thee to hear us That thou wouldst grant eternal rest to all the faithful departed in the blessed Society of thy Holy Angels We sinners beseech Thee to hear us O Lord. O Lamb of God that takest away c. Our Father which art Heaven c. A Hymn PRaise our Lord from the Heavens praise our Lord from the heights Praise our Lord all ye his Angels praise him all his Hosts Bless our Lord all ye Angels of his powerful in strength doing his will fulfilling his word O all ye Powers of our Lord bless ye our Lord ye ministring Spirits that do his will Bless our Lord O my Soul and forget not all his Benefits Who hath delivered thy life from destruction who crowneth thee with mercy and tender compassion For he hath given his holy Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways They shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot against a stone Thou shalt tread upon the Lyon and Adder the young Lion and Dragon shalt thou trample under feet He shall send his Angels round about them that fear him and deliver them Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Before the Angels will I sing praise unto thee I will adore towards thy holy Temple and praise thy Name O Lord. O Lord hear our Prayers And let our cry come unto Thee Let us pray O Eternal God who in thy wonderful providence hast made the Angels ministring Spirits and sendest them in mission for the good of thine Elect behold with pity the temptations and dangers to which the frailty of our nature is perpetually exposed and give thy holy Angels charge to bear us in their hands and cover us under the shadow of their wings that being guided thro the desert of this life by their safe conduct we may enter at last into the land of Promise and rejoyce for ever in their blessed Society thro Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen O Almighty and everlasting God who madest us thy unworthy Servants after thy own Image and hast deputed thy holy Angels for our Keepers Grant unto thy Servants that by their defence and custody we happily pass thro all dangers of Body and Soul and after this life ended attain to everlasting joys together with them thro Jesus Christ Amen WE beseech you O Angelical Spirits our faithful Guardians and Keepers direct and guide us by the divine Bounty committed to your care and protection this day and for ever in the way of peace prosperity and safety defend us likewise from every evil spirit and dangerous temptation until we arrive to the blessed Vision in our heavenly Country and there together with you and all the Saints praise the common Saviour of us all for ever and ever Amen O Holy Michael the Arch-angel Prince of the Host of Heaven who standest always for the help of the people of God who foughtest with the great Dragon that old Serpent and threwest him out of Heaven and valiantly defendest the Church of God so that the gates of Hell cannot prevail against it We beg of thee from the
all sins past as present and always before him whilst to the sinner himself many are never known many once known quite forgotten Again He as being the person wronged by sin who is always a higher valuer of the offence than is the party offending justly aggravating it from the supreme dignity of his person his infinite love and numberless benefactions to the Sinner his former long patience toward Him his exceeding holiness and purity so opposite to its filthiness c. See Gen. 6.6 Where 't is said That man's sin grieved him at his heart and it repented our Lord that ever he had made him on the earth And again Mar. 3.5 That our most meek Lord Jesus was so provoked by it That he looked round about on them with anger being grieved for the hardness of their hearts But especially the hainousness of sins may be learnt from the many experienced stupendious Judgments upon them at which man is much troubled how to make them bear any just proportion to his Faults Which dreadful revenges upon Sin you may consider 1. In the faln Angels for one sin exiled from heaven and held in chains of darkness near upon ever since the Creation of the world besides what is to come made also for ever uncapable of any means of Reconciliation 2. In Adam for one sin ejected out of his most pleasant Habitation apparrel'd with the covering of Beasts condemned to eat his Bread in labour and sorrow and penance for near a 1000 years and then to return to Putrefaction and a curse laid on all his Posterity and on the ground they lived on for his sake 3. In the drowning at one time for their lusts and oppressions of all the men in the world except Eight persons their children and infants and all other living creatures for their sake 4. In the storm of Fire and Brimstone rained upon the five Cities for their Lusts and those pleasant Plains turned to a dead Lake till this day and yet these Cities to undergo a new Damnation at the day of Judgment as if they had as yet suffered nothing See Mat. 11.22 Where our Lord aggravating the punishment of Bethsaida saith it shall be then more intolerable than that of Sodome 5. In the severe punishments of David though otherwise a most holy person the sad story of which you may read in the 13.15 and 24. Chapters of 2. Sam. Concerning all which forenamed punishments this is a sufficient evidence that the sins deserved them because he who is Justice it self and from whom man learns the true notions of it inflicted them 6. Lastly In the precious Sacrifice of the only Son of God required by his Father for the Expiation of Sin This of the present temporal punishments But then consider also 2ly The future punishment for all sin here unrepented of and unforsaken before death in the world to come 27. 1 Immediately after death Of the Soul Exemplified in the deceased rich man tormented in fire whilst his brethren yet living in their jollity here on earth Luk. 16.24 And in the Beast and false Prophet their being cast into the Lake of fire before the Invasion of Gog and Magog and before Satan's being shut up there See Rev. 19 20. Comp. 20.8.10 Which also appears from our Lord 's declaring that a temporal death kills the Body but not the Soul Matt. 10.28 And St. Pet. 1. Ep. 3 4. adviseth the adorning of the hidden man of the heart because this not corruptible And Ibid. ver 19. makes mention of Spirits in Prison viz. the spirits of such persons as were preached-to in the days of Noah And if the Souls of the Righteous be then presently in Paradise Luk. 23.43 and with Christ their Lord and partake of God's mercy and glory the Souls of the Wicked must be then presently imprisoned and remain with the Devil their Master feel the lashes of God's Justice and begin their never ending misery and ignominy Whilst the Body descends into the Grave the poor Soul by the strength of Angels being forced downward into a far lower Dungeon an infernum inferius in the most innermost bowels of the earth from whence it shall never return again nor see light save at the last day that which flasheth from the face of the angry Judge when it is brought to his Bar to receive its last doom doubled torments and to make it much more sensible of them forc'd to take along with it its loathed Mate the Body into the same profound pit Who then can tell the agony of such person now come to the end of his days when scorched with Feavers he desires to dye and by death can remove only into a bed of fire when he cannot endure his present pains and hath no change save to far greater these he cannot suffer and the other if ceasing to suffer these he can no way avoid nor knows he what way to turn himself in this Labyrinth of Despairs These sufferings of the Soul having been by some endured already above 5000 years and those of the rich glutton in flames if this not made wholly a Parable suffered now above sixteen Centuries though he lived here not one 28. 2 After Dooms-day Of Soul and Body Where also weigh well the terrible description of these punishments mentioned in his Word who cannot lye The Body raised in dishonour A Carcass deformed stinking Chains binding hand and foot Prison depth of the Earth Dungeon Bottomless Pit A Fire and Brimstone-Lake Immobility Suffocation Worm or Serpent gnawing Fire devouring Thirst never refreshed Body never consumed Sense never stupified Weeping wailing gnashing the teeth Society of wicked men and Devils ugly stinking All hating cursing one another hating cursing God cast into a land of Oblivion Psal 88.12 None to comfort none to bemoan The ancient Compassion of Saints and Angels and God now turned into Hate and Derision No Mediator no Redeemer The Soul always in an Agony and sick to death restless hopeless despairing wounded to the heart with the sense of lost happiness as well as present misery And all her sufferings eternal eternal Eternal these pains God in his upright Justice not being so indulgent as to grant to that his wretched Creature the relief of an Annihilation And these pains unremitting the rich man sparingly begging of the beggar that before wanted his relief but only one drop of water falling from the dipped tip of his finger Luk. 16.24 and it would not be granted him The greatness of God's vengeance then answering the greatness of his person and of his patience when yet for the present so much hating sin which Patience abused at last turns to Fury and no wrath comparable to the wrath of the Lamb. See Rev. 6.6 Rom. 2.5 And from the magnitude of this wrath and punishment is chiefly learnt the magnitude of sin and what a Monster that must be that deserves such Torments for ever and ever from him that cannot do the least Injustice Digr Of the Degrees
expression relates 1. Cor. 7.34 The Virgin careth that she may be holy both in Body and in Spirit And for this reason it seems to be that we find abstinence from the acts of if I may so call it lawful Lust advised for the better performance of holy Duties or in times of Humiliation c. even to those who are in the State of Marriage as doubtless conjugal Chastity also hath many degrees in it and in some men is far more pure than in others and the permissions of Matrimonial Priviledges are very easily transgressed See Exod. 19.15 before the descent of the Lord upon Mount Sinai the people commanded three days sanctification and not coming at their wives 1. Sam. 21.4 Women kept from the young men for about three days and the vessels of the young men holy i.e. from their wives See Zechar. 7.3 in times of more earnest Addresses to God this separation from Carnality continued Neither is this only Old-Testament-Ceremonial-Holiness But see 1. Cor. 7.5 a place parallel to these Defraud ye not one another except it be with consent for a time that you may give your selves to Fasting and Prayer where it may be noted that as Fasting hath no good correspondence with the acts of the conjugal bed sine Cerere c. so these acts also are as prejudicial to Fasting and its Companions And suitable to these Scriptures were the Decrees of the ancient Church Diebus orationis jejuniorum preparationis ad Eucharistiam a conjuge abstinendum And this because carnal pleasures are some way or other always enemies to Spiritual Exercises either proceeding to excess and so rendring us faulty or too much either heightning or also debilitating our temper and so making us undisposed or dividing and diverting some portion of that love and of those intentions to things inferior which are always all incomparably best spent upon and consecrated to God the supreme Good Again we find that after one Marriage the abstaining from a second is both commended see Luk. 2.36 and to some persons to wit those entertained in the pious or holy services of God or of the Church enjoined As appears in the Widows of the Church 1. Tim. 5.9 of whom it is there required That such Widow have been the wife of one man Which words being capable of several senses either that she have not had two husbands at once or not two successively again not two successively either by a Divorce from the former or upon the Death of the former Seeing that no Woman might have two Husbands at one time nor any Woman at all was allowed remarrying upon Divorce See 1. Cor. 7.11 It follows that the Apostles Widow must be understood to be such as had not had a second Husband after the first dead For this Injunction seems to have something singular in it the same caution being given no where to any but only to Church-Officers and Servants And the Apostle seems here rather to require something of extraordinary example and goodness above others in such as were thus to be devoted to the Churches Service and maintained by her Charity than only to caution that they should not be of the most wicked among Christians Which is further confirmed by St. Paul's displeasure against against those Church Widows that re-married ver 11. And if this Interpretation be admitted for the Widows so ought it to be upon the like expression a Husband of one Wife for the Bishops of the Church 1. Tim. 3.2 And for the Deacons 1. Tim. 3.12 2. Consider the great advantages spiritual and secular of a single life and forbearance of Marriage to those who can live continently for Prayer and Fasting and all other service of God without distraction and so for gaining the Kingdome of Heaven Matt. 19.12 For works of Charity to our Neighbour For avoiding Covetousness worldly Cares and Impediments and this in all not only in afflicted times For enjoying our Liberty 1. Cor. 7.4 which when we can have it we are rather to use it 1. Cor. 7.21 See for these 1. Cor. 7. Ver. 5. That you may give your selves to Fasting and Prayer vers 28. Such the married shall have trouble in the flesh I spare you vers 35. I would have you without carefulness He that is unmarried careth for the things of the Lord how he may please the Lord But he that is married careth for the things of the World how he may please his Wife and is divided as the Vulgar hath it The Virgin careth for the things of the Lord that she may be Holy both in Body and Spirit but She that is married careth for the things of the World how she may please her Husband Vers 35. This I speak for your own profit That you may attend upon the Lord without distraction Vers 38. Who giveth her not in Marriage doth better See Matt. 19.12 There be who have made themselves Eunuches for the Kingdome of Heaven's sake He who is able to receive it let him receive it See Luk. 14.20 1. Tim. 5.4 5 6.11.12 3. Consider its higher reward in the next life For tho Celibacy as it occasions other fruits of Righteousness hath no preeminence before this in Wedlock if a married condition also produceth the same Yet as in it self it is a stronger resistance of the lustings of the Flesh and a greater subduer of that natural Concupiscence which all have less or more whose importunities it heroically repelleth whilst the married only lawfully satisfies them thus it seems worthy of and so to have promised to it an higher Reward and Crown in the world to come and is one of the most eminent of all the Vertues as not moderating but subduing the most violent of Passions And those who grant in the Kingdome of Heaven several degrees of Glory proportioned to those here of Sanctity must give the highest to Virgins because if supposed only equal with the rest in all other Graces they are granted in one to be Superior 4. Consider I say not the actual possession always but the attainableness of this Grace of Continency by all using the means i e. much Prayer and Meditation Temperance constant Business remoteness from Temptations c. Proijce te in Illum Deum non se subtrahet ut cadas said St. Aust to himself about leaving his Incontinency Confes 8. l. 11. c. Where by the Grace of Continency I mean not a power of being freed from all Concupiscence and from the first motions of Lust for so none at all have this power but for a power to suppress these first motions and quench these lesser sparks before they break out into a flame i. e. either into 1 Fornication therefore 1. Cor. 7. ver 2. Marriage is opposed to Fornication as it is Ver. 9. to burning or into 2 Vncleanness which Uncleanness distinct from Fornication is no small Guilt but every where marcheth along with it as its fellow in the Catalogue of those Sins that exclude us from
eschewing evil follows the Third Viz. The positive Sanctity that God our Creator requireth of and in us consisting in the Practice of all Holy Duties and Christian Virtues Of these First In diligently doing all good we can Secondly In patiently suffering all evil together with the means to procure and preserve these Virtues For the former The practising all Holy Duties and doing Good The Duties required of a Christian are threefold 1. Towards your self Duties Moral 2. Towards your Neighbour Civil 3. Towards God Religious Living 1. Soberly 2. Righteously 3. Holily The three grand Duties mentioned in our Lord's Sermon 1. Fasting Matt. 6.16 2. Alms 6.1 3. Prayer 6.5 In the prosecution of which so far as the former Counsels are subservient to the promoting of them I shall refer you to them and forbear here a repetition §. 38. 1. To your Self 1. Then The Duties I have chosen more specially to recommend to you concerning your self and which may prepare you for the Duty you are charged with to your Neighbour and Service you owe unto God For the third depends on the second He that loveth not his Brother how can he love God 1. Jo. 4.20 And the second again depends on the first whilst your Neighbour is to be loved only as your self Matt. 22.39 are these 1. The purity and sanctification of Body By §. 39. 1. Temperance and Sobriety in Food in Apparel Lodging modest Deportment c. For the better attaining of some perfection in which Virtue I must refer you to review the former Counsels concerning diet sleep recreation sensual pleasures the avoiding usual and former occasions of sinning in § 17.20.21.22.26 Digr 1. Of the great influence the several treatment of the Body hath upon the Soul and all its actions Therefore much care to be spent upon a right government of It by him who aspires to any Holiness or Virtue Digr 2. Of the Vices opposite §. 40. n. 1. 2. Chastity where I remit you to what hath been said before of the Gift of Continency § 17. n. 4. Digr 1. Of its Contraries Adultery Fornication Self-pollution and Vncleanness unlawful and unnatural Lusts §. 40. n. 2. Of which it may be observed That with no other Passion men are so strongly assaulted as with lusts and sensual loves Therefore Hos 4.11 It is said to take away the heart No Passion that so much increaseth the desire of it the more we descend to a particular cogitation and discussion of it So that it is not to be conquered by wrestling with it but by running away from it None that in its acts so captivates and incarnates the Soul and restrains its liberty of reasoning or thinking of any thing else Therefore God in pitty to man hath provided him a lawful remedy thereof by Marriage But yet still left him under under great restraints confining him to one single person and most severely prohibiting the satiating thereof in any other way either with any other person or by himself And such sins great varieties of which are left in man's power we find above most other faults exceedingly aggravated both for the great offence they give to God's own Holiness and Purity and for the great dishonour and defilement they bring to the bodies of such persons whom he first created after his own Image and since hath made Members of the Body of Christ and Temples of the Holy Ghost and from the beginning hath cast a natural shame and modesty upon him as to the committing of these more than of any other Crimes And such carnal sins we also find beyond almost any other pursued with most severe judgments For all which I must recommend these Texts and Passages of Holy Scripture to your serious meditation §. 40. n. 3. 1. That amongst the works of the Flesh these sins of Vncleanness are usually set in the Front See Gal. 5.19 The works of the flesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Lasciviousness c. Again Col. 3.5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth that is Fornication Vncleanness inordinate Affection evil Concupiscence c. After which in the second place Vers 8. follow Anger wrath malice evil speaking or blaspemy Again 1. Cor. 6.9 Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind c shall inherit the kingdome of God Rom. 1.29 Being filled with all unrighteousness Fornication See the like 1. Cor. 5.10 11. 1. Pet. 4.3 2. Pet. 2.10 Still you see these sins as the greatest darlings of the flesh lead the whole band And these sins of Lust are they with which the Gentiles every where stand principally charged before the Light of the Gospel shone amongst them See Rom. 1.25 26 27. 1. Thess 4 5. Eph. 4.19 and which are ordinarily linked together with that of Idolatry See 1. Cor. 5.10 11. 6 9. Rev. 22.15 being a usual companion of their Idol-feasts or with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether this be taken for the coveting of persons as some understand it or of riches which is said to be Idolatry too Eph. 5.3.5 Col. 3.5 These two Harlots and Money being the two great Idols in this lower world the one or the other of which steal away mens hearts §. 40. n. 4. 2. That in these Scriptures See 1. Thess 4.3.7 8. And 1. Cor. 6. from the 13. verse to the end These Vices of Carnal Lusts are aggravated as peculiarly opposite to a certain Holiness which ought to be in the Body as well as in the Soul of all those who profess themselves Members of Christ or Members of that chast Virgin as the Apostle calls her 2. Cor. 11.2 his Spouse the Church whom he bought and purchased to himself with his own blood and life and whom he cherisheth as the same flesh and bone Eph. 5.29 30. c. and as the same Spirit 1. Cor. 6.17 with himself and for whom now is our Body as well as the Soul and the Lord for it 1. Cor. 6.13 Therefore is this Holiness of the Body both conjugal and virginal as well as of the Spirit often mentioned by the Apostle 1. Thess 4.4 This is the Will of God saith he your Sanctisication that ye should abstain from Fornication that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel i. e. his Body See 1. Sam. 21.5 in sanctification and honour not in Lusts of Concupiscence For ver 8. God hath called us not to Vncleanness but unto Holiness And 1. Cor. 6.20 compared with Eph. 5.29 c. to the end Ye are bought with a price to be the Spouse of our Lord therefore glorify God in your Body and in your Spirit which are God's his Members now not yours according to 1. Cor. 7.4 The wife hath not power of her own Body No more then hath Christ's Wife or Spouse but the husband Ibid. vers 34. The Virgin saith he careth for the things of the Lord how she may please him that she
may be holy both in Body and Spirit which is a transcendent Holiness of the Body beyond the Conjugal And 2. Cor. 7.1 after the Apostle had spoken of their being God's Temples in the 6th Chapter Wherefore saith he let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the Flesh and of the Spirit so perfecting Holiness And more expresly Flee Fornication saith he 1. Cor. 6.18 Why For every other sin that a man doth is without the Body i. e. without any proper infamy to the Body or giving the power and honour thereof to another besides our Lord Christ but he that committeth Fornication sinneth against his own Body i. e. in degrading it to so base an alliance as to become the same with that vile creature with which it sinneth Therefore Eph. 5.3 4. the Apostle also peculiarly concerning this sin or any filthy discourse tending to it giveth charge that it should not be once named among such as will go for Saints But Fornication saith he and all Vncleanness or Coveteousness let it not be once named among you as becometh Saints Nor filthiness or foolish talking which are not convenient or which greatly mis-become such as you see the same phrase Rom. 1.28 And as God cast a special shame upon man in the committing of this Sin so in receiving him again after his fall into a new covenant of his Grace made with Abraham the Father of the faithful he caused the Seal thereof to be set particularly on those parts in a circumcision of them which were the instruments of Lust. In Rom. 1.26 c. We find God to abandon those who had otherwise much displeased him in their following Idols c whenas God hath left such manifest testimonies in all his creatures of himself were to the greatest disgrace and dishonour of humane nature that could be called there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in Apocal. 22.15 The Practisers of one Species thereof as if it did utterly depose us from our man-hood are called by the name of Dogs which see also in Deut. 23.18 and Phil. 3.2 for the Gnosticks stood guilty of such impurities And Job 36.14 This is pronounced as a Curse upon a Hypocrite that Vita eorum is inter effeminatos §. 40. n. 5. 3. The wrath also of God towards those Sins above others appears every where in these holy Writings most evident by whose revenge we may most rightly measure the greatness of these faults by many made so natural and excusable In 1. Thess 4.6 the Apostle warns the Thessalonians to abstain from the Fornication of the Gentiles Because the Lord saith he is the avenger of all such And Heb. 13.4 Marriage is honourable and the Bed undefiled But Whore-mongers and Adulterers God will judge And in detestation of such unlawful Lusts the Lord appointed Deut. 23.2 That a Bastard should not enter into the Congregation of the Lord until his tenth Generation And for these sins it was that God in the sacred Story inflicted those fearful Judgments to which none other can be compared For these that he drowned the world and washed away its pollution with the Flood Gen. 6.1 2. For these that he rained flaming Brimstone on Sodome and Gomorrah and purified their Land with Fire For these that all those mighty Nations were destroyed out of Canaan and their Land given to the Children of Israel See Levit. Chap. 18. Where after great variety of these sins rehearsed it follows Vers 27. For all these abominations for this name God gives to these Sins for their loathsomness have the men of the Land done that were before you and the Land is defiled and therefore in the Verse following this defiled Land is said to have spued out the inhabitants thereof For such Sin that Twenty three Thousand of the Children of Israel also fell in one day at Baal-peor before they entred Canaan See 1. Cor. 10.8 For such Sin that all the Tribe of Benjamin was cut off except only Six hundred men Judg. 20. I need not mention the Wars and Slaughter that followed upon David's Adultery and the ten Tribes rent from Solomon as a Judgment upon his being seduced to the Toleration of Idolatry by his Lusts and unlawful Marriages This is enough to shew that these Sins tho seeming most excusable and natural to Man are most abominable and loathsome to God especially since the new Contract that is made between Us and our Lord and since our Bodies are become the Temples of the Holy Ghost Which Temples 1. Cor. 3.17 saith the Apostle Whoso defileth him will God destroy §. 41. 3. Humility 2. The Purity and Sanctification of the Soul By 3. Humility 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Mortification of your Reason opposite to all self-conceit of your own perfections and especially that of your Holiness and Mortifications pride hypocrisy ambition envy wrath contentions of Argument disobedience to Superiors curiosity of Science Schism Heresy and what other Vices proceed from high-mindedness §. 42. Of its Opposites 1. Rational Pride of Wit and Judgment 2. Spiritual Pride of Purity and Holiness 3. Anger against Vice aggravating of other mens faults when as Charity covereth them 1. Pet. 4.8 and beareth and hopeth all things 1. Cor. 13.7 and considereth her self lest she also be so tempted Gal. 6.1 4. Anger against Error and contending vehemently to convince those that oppose us for truth when as the wrath of man c. Jam. 1.20 And the wisdome from above is gentle c. Jam. 3.17 And the man of God should not strive 2. Tim. 2.24 And God only in his good time may reveal and convince but ordinarily we cannot Phil. 3.15 2. Tim. 2.25 To prevent which anger not easily engaging your self in every discourse nor engaged contradicting Him with whom you contest in every thing that he saith amiss but only for a very necessary Truth nor seeking any way to exasperate his Spirit or to provoke him to speak something against his conscience or to disparage and shame him §. 43. The means to attain and preserve such Humility and avoid such Pride 1. Often comparing yours with the recorded lives of former Saints or of some persons living who are very eminent in holiness but carefully avoiding any comparison with others inferior 2. Often considering 1 the great imperfection of your holy duties 2 and the good in such imperfection proceeding totally from God we being rather moved than moving as to it 3. Never judging your self by the good opinion others have of you to whom we naturally hide our weaknesses and faults shew our perfections and vertues 4. Often meditating on any singular deformities or infirmities in your body or imbecility of any faculty of your soul fancy memory elocution of any great sins or disgraces of yours past or present or considering what a one you use to be in the times of desolation and the withdrawings of God's Spirit 5. Often comparing your sins with theirs who without like mercy shewed or means for their salvation offered
more easily repair to and content himself with the second 5. In the prosecution of your designs assuredly lawful where there is no special interest of Piety going on chearfully in two cases especially 1. Where you find any strong inclinations of your will and a way much facilitated and as it were offering it self unto you For that our heart and way is thus prepared we have reason to presume in things lawful is from God 2. Where you find though against your inclination a course that is as it were necessitated to you Suppose from the power others have over you or from the indigence of your fortunes For our wills may also take counsel of the flesh and the necessity we find thwarting our desires we have reason to presume is from the ordination of God 6. Being as ready to desist especially in two cases 1. Where a thing being suggested by others yet no necessity presseth you and after having also recommended it in your Prayers there remains an aversion of your will to it 2. When there being no aversion of your will yet your desires find in the prosecution much impediment and also difficulty For this or no way Revelations being extraordinary God declares his pleasure unto you i. e. either in averting internally your will or in externally opposing your endeavors 7. Practising content and indifferency and submitting to God's appointments in any little displeasures that happen to you Not thinking any small thing below the exercise of this virtue for by this often imploying of your quietness of mind upon quotidian inconveniences it will grow stronger for greater occasions 8. Fortifying your self against discontent more especially in the beginning and newness of a misfortune or change of your condition Time and a little accustomance to a new tho worse state of life being a certain cure of all inquietude Chiefly endeavouring to acquire this indifferency also for short and long life the thing wherein we use to be the least resigned A conformity to the Divine Will being a much more acceptable Sacrifice to God where more difficulty and reluctance of Nature Which indifferency is more easily acquired by frequent cogitations and discourses of Death and converse with the sick rendring it less terrible to us being a thing more strange and surprizing because all avoid the fore-thinking of it 9. In the discontents also melancholies sadness aridities barrenness morosities disgusts desolations of the soul which in the with-drawings and absence of the Spirit the Comforter will sometimes happen to the best of men happen I say from some greater deprivation of present secular contents from the length of their sufferings and the remoteness of their reward or release but most commonly from an indisposition of the body when the Spirits after much industry are spent and grow heavy and dull or when some cold humors more abound from whence these dejections are observed to be more frequently towards the Evening these desolations being a more special time of temptations from the Evil Spirit First Not resolving or executing any thing and refusing your own counsel till such a fit be past Well considering the Cause and so neglecting and not heeding your present thoughts calling to mind former consolation and that your mind was not long since and e're long will be again of another complexion Forcing your self to pray St. James's his Advice c. 5.13 though you can little mind it Exercising some act of praise and loving God in expressions opposite to your present thinkings as Cant. 1.3 2.16 Rom. 8.35.37 the 23d 25th or some other Psalm recited Meditating on the joys to come On our Saviour and the Saints persevering in God's Service in the greatest wants of all worldly contents and joying in these wants because of a so much greater reward to come Singing some spiritual Hymn or Sonnet which singing will excite your spirits Taking up and reading the Scripture or some pious Book Repeating the Beatitudes Matt. 5. together with the woes Luk. 6. Imploying the mind about any other thing save minding it self or that which it is then doing as in some external occupations or honest recreations any way refreshing and heating your Spirits Melancholy being of a cold and dry temper Only taking heed of not turning aside to remedy it to any intemperance or other unlawful sensual delight Emptying the Soul of some parts of its sadness by communicating it to a spiritual friend who also may infuse into you some of his Comforts After such remedies used the evil not expelled patiently as always entertaining it for God's and your sins sake and making of it to contemplate your own natural we akness §. 61. Digr Of the viciousness and malignancy of Envy and that no good man is liable to this passion for he that envies another's temporal good is not yet himself weaned from the world Or spiritual doth not truly love God and the advancement every way of his glory For such will say with Moses Numb 11.29 Would God c. §. 62. 2. To your Neighbour II. Duties to our Neighbour 1. All Duties to our Neighbour more carefully to be performed amongst them to the Godly and the Members of our Saviour First JUSTICE 1. In doing no Wrong 1. Not defrauding Mark 10.19 Not detracting and defaming c. Not flattering c. 2. Such things done making restitution satisfaction c. 3. Asking forgiveness of and suing for peace to the injur'd §. 63. 2. In doing all Right 1. To those who are set over you whether Ecclesiastical or the Civil or your Domestick Governors as Parents or Masters dutiful obedience in all things Col. 3.20.22 as unto the Lord Jesus believing most certainly that it is he that governs and commands you by them Eph. 5.22 6 7. without resisting Rom. 13.2 Especially to Parents to our Spiritual Fathers our Pastors and to our Spiritual Mother the Church See p. 2. To those you are set over especially to your Family and in it as well to Servants as Children careful government provision c. as being to them in the place of the Lord Deut. 1.77 2. Chron. 19.6 Rom. 13.4 with all gravity 1. Tim. 3 4. but without rigor c. See Gentleness recommended to Superiors Levit. 25.43 Eph. 6.4.9 Col. 3.21 Sparing in Commands but diligently exacting obedience So Princes to make Laws sparingly rigidly to execute them 3. To all that you deal with honest negotiation §. 64. 1. In this 1 Not speaking an untruth 2 Not speaking a truth to deceive 3 Not concealing a truth to deceive 4 Not taking advantage of the necessities or ignorance the richness or conveniences of the Contractor 5 And to the poor shewing some indulgence Using veracity and Christian Simplicity avoiding in all things dissimulation and Hypocrisy using fidelity in not telling tales especially in not betraying secrets Ecclesiasticus 27.21.24 En la boca del discreto lo publico es secreto 2. Keeping religiously all covenants and not altered according to after accidents §. 65. Digr 1.
3.24 David 2. Sam. 12.16 Jeremy Ch. 7.16 St. Paul 2. Cor. 12.8 Our Saviour himself Matt. 26.39 And therefore St. John limits God's grants to things asked first according to his will 1. John 5.14 Which will also our Saviour interposeth Matt. 26.42 and the Spirit also hath a regard to Rom. 8.27 But the longer God denies you in any thing that after well examined seems to you necessary the more do you humble and reform your self and continue to ask him 6. Signs that God doth or will hear us Great confifidence in making our Prayer Great quiet and consolation of mind and courage to attempt a thing Or strong hope to receive it rising in us upon and after prayer 7. The ordinary conditions that Prayer may be effectual §. 85. The ordinary conditions that it may be effectual A strong faith and Confidence in God c. 1. Faith and Confidence not only that God can Mat. 9.2 but will perform our request will if there be no defect on our part and the request be for our good but this our good considered together with the greater advancement of God's glory which thing since we cannot certainly know neither may our perswasion of receiving our petitions be absolute else our perswasion will sometimes be false See 2. Cor. 12.8 9. Where the Apostle not destitute of this faith yet received a Denial See 2. Sam. 12.16.22 Matt. 26.39 And such confidence we should have especially where humane hopes fail and we have nothing else besides God whereon to rely See 2. Chron. 16.8 Matt. 9.22.28 Mark 11 24. 9.23 Act. 14.9 3 4. Matt. 15.28 19.26 13.58.14.30 31. 21.21 Mark 6.5 9.23 1. Tim. 2.8 This faith being required and rewarded by God because it is a great giving of glory to him both to his power as we believing him able and to his goodness merciful and to his truth and promises faithful 2. Much patience importunity and perseverance in our devotions the continuing of Prayer still rendring the Soul more and more capable of what it petitions for and constant dependance on God and waiting for an answer Ps 27.7.14 and in using means and prayer reliance on prayer not the means 8. Concerning the grounds of Confidence §. 86. 1. In respect of the Person prayed to God 1. The believing His particular providence over all affairs and continual agency in sustaining them The alike easiness and faisibility of all things unto him and the granting of our requests no more trouble or difficulty to him than the denial His extraordinary working many times contrary to the course of natural causes and inclinations of free Agents for the sake of men's Prayers §. 87. Digr 1. Of miracles not ceased tho from the decay of holiness in general and particularly of great mortification and frequent devotions they are much rarer than formerly And since a strong faith and confidence in God's power and goodness is required on our parts to the doing of them in some places the opinion that they are ceased which is opposite to such a faith is a great cause that they are ceased Digr 2. And these done all by Jesus Christ And usually by the instrumency of his Saints or Angels which Angels if there were not a particular providence upon the Saints prayers and necessities controling sometimes the common course of Nature and some things executed here by these other agents different from it why are they said to be ministring Spirits sent forth for to minister to the heirs of Salvation Heb. 1.14 Digr 3. Of a special Faith with respect to the effect ordinarily required to render us capable of receiving any miraculous or supernatural effect perhaps that faith viz. for receiving miraculous favours named 1. Cor. 12.9 the faith of doing miracles being set down verse 10. which faith though it seems to be a more extraordinary gift of the spirit yet as all other gifts 1. Cor. 12.31 14.1 it is to be requested and to be pursued and fortified with our endeavors the concurrence of which in a manner we know not God requires to his graces See Mark 11.24 Matt. 21 22. 1. Tim. 6.8 c. else the exhortations unto it were vain the reprehensions for the defect thereof causeless Digr 4. Of the Faith of one in respect of these miraculous effects very beneficial to another as of Parents for their Children or one Relation for another See Matt. 8.8 13. Jo. 4.50 Mark 2.4 5. Matt. 15.28 Jam. 5.15 those who are to receive such favour at least non ponentibus obicem by strong acts of unbelief §. 88. 2. In respect of the Person praying 1. His living an holy and sanctified life God not hearing the Prayers of Sinners Quae spes est nisi de aliqua conscientiae bonitate Sinners i. e. such as remain still unreformed and do not as yet address themselves to the works of repentance Especially his abounding in works of mercy God chiefly to such returning all mercy 2. In his praying exercising a great humility and this perhaps expressed by some mortification See this done by Kings 2. Sam 7.16 1. King 21.27 2. King 6.30 19.1 and sense of his own unworthiness of any of God's favours casting himself wholly upon his bounty and the many promises made of hearkning especially to the poor in spirit See Dan. 9.18.7 8 9. Jam. 4.6 com 5. Esay 66.2 comp 3. Psal 34.17.18 51.7 Esay 57.15 Gen. 18.27 Judg. 6.39 Prov. 28.14 3. His diligently calling to mind God's former mercies to him or to others like him for the strengthning of his faith and hope according to which God many times worketh Rom. 5.4 Psal 116.1 2. 2. Cor. 1.10 Luk. 22.35 Psal 78.4.2.43 4. His expecting all things only through the merits of Jesus Christ and asking them in his name §. 89. II. The Benefit of the exercise of Prayer upon our selves 1. Making us blush not to joyn afterwards our endeavors with professed unfeigned and fervent desires Excellently preparing and softning the Soul for the receiving any grace Nay by a powerful excitement of the Holy Spirit in us which also formes our Prayers working such spiritual graces in Us in the thinking and contemplation of them and it self planting those holy inclinations in the Soul whilst it passionately sues for them Every fervent Prayer to God being also a strong exhortation to our selves and all earnest petitioning that we may being at the same time a consideration that we ought to do such things and at once both working and begging So that he that can bring himself heartily to pray for any spiritual grace hath begun to possess it Digr 1. Of the indefatigable practice of this duty by our Lord and by his Saints who well perceived the rich fruits thereof Digr 2. Of strengthning and rendring more prevalent with God in matters of greater concernment our Prayers by adding to them Vows and Alms-deeds and corporal Mortisications PART IV. Counsels and Directions concerning Prayer Meditation and other Exercises serving for advancement of Piety and
such Petitioner and to mind him of his Heavenly Majesty and that so he may give the following doxologies to him as to the most High Hallowed be thy name thy Kingdome come c. Or if you conceive of God as of something without you and at a distance Imagining that you see him then specially when you are in Prayer looking down from heaven and casting his eye upon you As the Sun whilst it shines upon the whole Hemisphere yet seems to every place therein to shine only upon it Again imagining that you see our glorious Saviour there where he now sits graciously beholding you from thence for so he doth as he beheld Stephen to encourage him or Paul to convert him Or that you see him by or before you in some of those postures others beheld and conversed with him in the time of his life here on Earth 11. 1 This imagination of God's presence which is to be strengthned by custome and the often not acknowledging only but seriously thinking and meditating on it and inciting your self continually to remember it will much increase your reverence toward Him and hinder the wandring of your thoughts will strengthen your faith and confidence that he seeth and taketh notice of all your desires and that your Prayers are still heard and considered by him and from this his intimacy and inhabitation will make your discourse more free and particular in the communicating of all your insirmities wants desires purposes resolutions c. unto him and also more frequent and oftner with him will more comfort your solitude or afflictions will much more move your affections apprehending so near a Majesty as also his visible presence would much more than this Lastly will help much to recollect and retire your faculties from external objects which suffer more evagation when they speak to him who is every where and therefore within us as abroad or a far off Il recordarmi che ho compania dentro di me è di Gran Giovamento said a great Saint Cam. di Perf. 29. c. And such meditation is recommended as a most advantageous way to attain perfection See more of this below n. 15. 11. 2 To strengthen this Meditation in you the more which is of so great consequence often meditating on Psal 139. Prov. 15.3.11 Job 26.6 Psal 23.4 Rev. 3.20 Gal. 2.20 Heb. 11.27 2. Cor. 13.3 Jo. 14.21.23 Act. 17.27 28. §. 95. Recollection of Mind and Senses in Prayer 12. In your prayers diligently opposing and with much resolution striving against any distractions and extravagations of your mind and thoughts which by custome will become obedient and fixed for this will render your prayers as more effectual and beneficial so more grateful sweet and easy unto you the time of them being more tedious as the mind is less united Psal 86.11 13. Suspending in time of Prayer as much as may be all action of the exterior faculties and retiring the Soul and Spirits as it were from all parts to the center of your heart there to transact your affairs with your Maker In which motions of the heart to produce a greater fervour some have used the retention or suspension to some degree of respiration a thing usually happening in sighing weeping and any great passion of mind Such recollection of Spirits because vis unita fortior will much heighten and enflame devout affections in you and these again much advance your spiritual proficiency This at first somewhat difficult but facilitated by custome 14. Beneficial for such recollection of our faculties are solitude and silence the night Hence night-devotions so much commended shutting out light or the eyes or at least fixing them because the presentment of their objects provokes the action of the senses especially those of the eyes which have their object always before them and enjoyed at any distance §. 96. Heightning and enlargment of the Affections 15. Much using and indulging your affections in Prayer rather than the fancy and the operations of Love rather than the discourse of reason and performing this holy exercise in the heart more than in the brain The intense acts of both which cannot be exercised at once and it being with these holy as with other passions the higher they grow in us the less use there is of reasoning and they wholly follow their own impetus Again the chief profit of the Soul lying not so much in thinking of God as in loving him extreamly nor in advancing of Arguments as in fervour of Spirit and in the attendance and waiting and hearkning elevations adherence embracings aspirings languishings expectings of the Soul after God As our Saviour in the Garden used not many words but much passion It is much better when God offers it for the Soul on this fashion to be carried toward God rather than to guide her self and to suffer than to work out her devotions nec tam ex se operari quam suavem Dei operationem pati auscultare magis quam loqui §. 97. Upon which to enlarge my self a little more this being the chief matter of that which they call mystical Theology you must know that some persons of more pure conversation and more frequent exercise in Prayer have observed in themselves at certain times in their Prayer especially when long continued or after much practised some more strong and vigorous influences and operations of God's spirit upon the soul and a sense of his extraordinary presence wherein the Soul is more passive and quiescent as it were and the Holy Spirit more acting in her The effect of which divine visits thereof ordinarily is a much clearer discovery of the beauty goodness greatness and excellency of her well-beloved and so a much greater increase of the ardency of her love towards him and further alienation from all other wordly things In which visits all the care the Soul takes is no way to hinder or by any divertisement to disturb or lose so delightful an entertainment For howbeit it is from God yet it is not most what so irresistable but that one may possibly tho with some difficulty turn away himself from such intrancement to some other thing and sometimes to men eminently holy is this divine Energy so violent and unsupportable to nature from which great lassitudes and weakness of the Body for many days do often follow that they are forced to decline and moderate it and divert from it This will not seem strange to any one who hath been versed in the lives of Saints among whose experiences may be found a great accord in this matter §. 98. Now tho these extraordinary transactions in the Soul and supernatural touches of God's Spirit are not acquirable at all by our industry so as to be sure to possess them nor no man can have them when or detain them how long he pleaseth by any art or means Yet it is observed by those who have received them that ordinarily God conferrs them not save after some pains taken by and
dispositions produced in our selves for the reception of them he acting conformably to our exercises and pre-inclinations thereto And so it hath pleased God that many others their disciples having as it were learned from them so experienced this Art and been encouraged to undertake the predisposing assiduity of mental prayer have also arrived to the same perfections and heavenly visits and entertainments Jo. 14.23 so extreamly beneficial in the future course of their lives Now this pre-disposition is observed chiefly to be effected by operating in our selves which yet no doubt is not done without the aid of God's Spirit tho this imperceptible as near as we can something like them §. 99. And this is done chiefly by these three First By a firm and accustomed apprehension of God's or our Saviour's presence with before or within us or our presence with or before Him recommended before § 94. and below § 114. Secondly By a recollection of our selves and a suspension mentioned above § 95. and silencing as much as we can of all actions of our exterior senses agitations of the fancy discourse of the understanding and in general all work of the brain by an abstraction as much as we can from all things besides God not so much by a contest with them thought-on as by a forgetfulness of them or shutting them out of our thoughts that so by not using any of our Spirits in the service of our cognoscitive faculties we may give more place and afford more strength to the Action of the will and affections Now we may know that the hinderance of those introduceth a more intense Act in these because we find any vehement exercise of the will and affections naturally to stop and intercept the discourse of the Intellect Therefore in the height of her passions which seems to be a far more intimate faculty of the Soul than is the understanding we find reason to have no power or admittance nor access to the Soul As it is in intense anger love sorrow c. Affecting much and thinking much have a kind of opposition nor can the heart and brain be hot at once And it is true in divine as other loves Nemini contingit simul amare sapere I mean for the actual exercise of the brain and of prudential notions Yet note that the suspension of those faculties or acts is not so meant here as to render you wholly idle or asleep as it were in case the affections be not much moved in Prayer but that you ought still to use the help of the intellect for the raising and closer applying and fanning continually of your affections in short and unlaborious ejaculations such as that of St Francis Deus meus omnia My God my Saviour c. Psal 18.1 2. Psal 144.1 2. in considering God's presence and comforting your self in him and it entring into familiar colloquies with him making requests to him using a thousand acts of humility and vilifyings and annihilations of your self before him so keeping your amative faculties still in motion by a many not forced industries provided only that all those more laborious and difficult and tedious exercises of the brain be here excluded §. 100. Thirdly In this silence of the other cognoscitive faculties this is done by a strong and vigorous exercise of the will and the affectionate and amative powers by making a total introversion into the most intimate part of our Soul or Heart to enjoy God there and directing as it were all our thoughts and retiring our Spirits thither-ward and there practising the love suspirings c. above-mentioned See Eph. 3.17 18. 1. Jo. 4.16 And here it is observed that howbeit at the first neither this suspension of discourse and abstractions from by-thoughts nor the uniting of our affections to God are obtainable without some pain and difficulty yet after some practice and accustoming thereto such a habit and facility therein is acquired That the former viz. our busy thoughts and discourse will need no great charming but upon our beck be silent and all such advertisements depart from us the later likewise the affections need little or no exciting but an ardent love having been once accustomed to it transports us towards the embraces of God even in the beginnings also of our Prayers or also upon any light mention of God or heavenly things Only whilst many from this painfulness at first wherein the Soul is hardly kept from extravagancy and restrained from her liberty of thinking are disheartned from a patient perseverance in such practice therefore it is conceived that so few reap the happy fruit thereof And these three 1 The strong apprehension of God's intimate presence to us 2 The silencing of the discursive And 3 enlarging of the affectionate and amative faculties towards God our Sovereign our only good are the whole content as I conceive of that they call mystical Theology for as much as concerns our own work tho in the expressions hereof Authors much vary §. 101. I will recommend to you the reading on this subject of the fourth eighth and thirteenth Chapters of St. Teresa's Life And the 25 26.28 and 29. Chap of her Way of Perfection who was a head Scholar in this School of Prayer and saw frequent experience of the effect of these directions when well observed having taught many others this heavenly art who also by practising the same lessons failed not to attain it Howbeit were these practises as to such extraordinary communications of God's Spirit profitless yet can they not in themselves be any way not very commendable unless to love God or neglect the world extraordinarily be a fault §. 102. Concerning the apprehension of God's more intimate presence and recollection of the Soul from all other objects you may find this Holy Mother Way of Perfection cap. 28. instructing and encouraging her spiritual daughters on this manner She Commenting there on the Lord's Prayer Now weigh well this which your Master saith Which art in Heaven Think ye that it little concerns you to know what thing Heaven is and where ye are to seek for your most Holy Father I tell you then that for wandring Intellects it much imports them not only to believe this Article but to procure to understand it by experience For it is one of those things which strongly binds up the understanding and causeth the Soul's recollection of it self You already know That God is in every place and 't is clear also where the King is there is his Court In summe that where God is there Heaven also is and all Glory this without doubt may easily be believed by you Consider what St. Austine said That he went into many places seeking for God and that he came at length to find him within himself Neither needs the Soul any wings to fly with to seek him out but only to put her self into a posture of solitude and retiredness and to behold him within her self and not to leave so great
this life were not the least worthy of 2. Cor. 14.17 There to possess all Riches Without fear of Moth or rust or thief Matt. 6.19 Having in Heaven an induring substance Heb. 10.34 Receiving for all our former Losses an hundred fold Matt. 19.29 To enjoy all Honour To be made Kings Coheirs of God's heavenly Kingdome with his only Son Possessed of an exceeding eternal weight of glory 2. Cor. 4.17 Shining as the brightness of the Firmament as the Stars Dan. 12.3 as the Sun Matt. 13.43 having Crowns Palms Thrones Rev. 7.9 sitting with Christ in his Throne Rev. 3.21 Judging the Nations Angels 1. Cor. 6.3 ruling over the Nations Rev. 2.26 27. Made like unto the Son of God our B. Saviour 1. Jo. 3.6 To enjoy all Pleasures Arrayed in fine linnen clean and white Rev. 19.8 prepared as a bride adorned for her husband Rev. 21.2 And there married unto the Lamb Rev. 19.7 The ravished spouse shall cry out I have found him whom my Soul loveth I will hold him and will not let him go Cant. 3.4 Blessed are they who are called to the marriage Supper of the Lamb Apoc. 19.9 Blessed be those Servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching Verily I say unto you that he shall gird himself and make them sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them Luk. 12.37 They shall come from the East and from the West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven Matt. 8.11 I will drink no more of this fruit of the Vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my fathers Kingdome Matt. 26.29 On either side of the River was the tree of life which had twelve manner of fruits and yielded her fruit every month c. Let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Apoc. 22.2 17. Entring into the never-ending joy of our Lord Matt. 25.23 In whose presence is fulness of joy and at whose right hand pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 Whether St. Paul was caught up and there heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter and of such a one saith he may I glory 2. Cor. 12.1 c. Where their Soul is to be satisfied with marrow and fatness that their month is still praising with joyful lips Psal 63.5 Where they are so ravished with his beauty and holiness that for ever they are doing nothing but gazing in his face Matt. 18.10 Rev. 22.4 and celebrating it and crying holy holy holy Rev. 4.8 Hallelujah Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne and to the Lamb. Great and marvelous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Amen Blessing and glory and wisdome and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be unto our God for ever and ever Amen Rev. 4.11 7.10.12 15.3 19.6 Happy are the men happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and that hear thy wisdome 1. King 10.8.1 Thou hast ravished mine heart thou hast ravished mine heart Tell my Beloved that I am sick of Love One thing have I desired of the Lord that I will seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord c. Psal 27.4 How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts My Soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God Blessed are they that dwell in thy house and are still praising thee Psal 84.1 2.4 Lastly filled with all the fulness of God Eph. 3.19 For Christ ascended into Heaven that so he might fill all things Eph. 4.10 Made all one with Christ and with God As thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one Jo. 17.21.23 That God may be all in all 1. Cor. 15.28 Next view the City where this Society of Saints live A City of most firm Foundations not to be shaken whose builder and maker is God himself Heb. 11.10 12.28 8.2.5 In a better country the heavens Heb. 11.16 And those made anew for the purpose Rev. 21.1 Allusively described and painted to our imaginations by the most glorious and perfect things that here fall under the knowledge of sense Rev. 21 and 22. Chapters The City made in fashion of a Cube the most stable figure Rev. 21.16 The streets of it pure Gold as it were transparent Chrystal Rev. 21.21.11 4.6 The Foundations garnished with all manner of precious stones See Rev. 4.3 Jasper Saphire Emerald c. ver 19. The walls of Jasper clear as Chrystal c. ver 18.11 these stones too having the glory of God ver 11. shining upon them The 12. Gates 12. Pearls Every several Gate of one Pearl These always standing open because never night freely to receive all nations ver 24 25. And at the 12 Gates 12 Angels to guard them that nothing abominable or defiling enter in there at But only those that are written in the Lambs Book of Life Rev. 21.27 1. Within it a pure river of water of life proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb Rev. 22.1 In the Piazza of the City Paradise watered with its streams ver 2. and in it the tree of life exposed always bearing fruit and ever flourishing with an unfading leaf having the cure of all evils in the leaves the yieldance of all delicacies in the fruits and variety of these for every month See ver 2. 2. The Glory of God and of the lamb not resident in one part of the Temple as formerly but the Temple thereof Rev. 21 22. And the glory of them likewise the Sun thereof ver 23. For what other light can transcend that of the glorified Saints who themselves shine as the Sun All things there Holy Nothing that defileth entring into it nothing wicked or abominable Rev. 21.8 27. No more Curse or Malediction there Rev. 22.3 And when you have viewed the City then look into it and view once more the inhabitants thereof All Sons of Nobles Kings with Crowns Triumphant with Palms Cloathed all in white bright radiating Robes and shining as the Sun Wonder at their endless inviolable Concord A City at unity in it self More united than Friends being all Brethren Then Brethren being Fellow-members all of one and the same Body And more united yet than Members In as much as the Spirit of God by which they are joyned hath a more excellent power and vertue in compacting the Members of Christ then the Soul hath in those of the Body By which union it is that all the honour glory inheritance in the
Heavens which to all of them is but one is all of it unto every one of them Then behold because the more pleasure ariseth from the variety of the Object not all these Stars of an equal magnitude but after that nothing seems addible to the splendor of the first yet continual ascendent degrees in this sphere of glory and other yet higher lights far transcending the former in their lustre yet so as the glory of the highest is also challenged and owned by the lowest as all being but the same Body without all schisme or knowledge of envy no more than the foot doth the higher place or offices of the hand or the eye Behold then here a rising Throne 1. Of an innumerable company of the common People of Saints yet all glorious in Majesty Advanced above them caeteris paribus the Quire of pure Virgins that have remained holy in Body as well as Spirit 1. Cor. 7.34 See 1. Cor. 6.13 Rev. 14.4.1 Above these higher yet Holy Confessors Above them the White Army of Martyrs Yet higher the Society of the Luk. 13.28 Holy Prophets Matt. 10.41 Evangelists Patriarchs Apostles Luk. 22.28 with their Seats round about the throne of God Rev. 44. Higher yet the Blessed Virgin Mother of God and the most highly favoured amongst all Creatures Luk. 28.30 Then see the domestick attendance of the Almighty Beside his Throne Rev. 5.11 that winged Host of heavenly Ministers all distinguished in a wonderful Order Angels Arch-Angels Powers Dominions Thrones Cherubims Seraphims And the seven Spirits of God the seven Lamps of Fire burning always before the throne always standing in his presence Zach. 4.10 Rev. 4 5. 5 6. Luk. 1.19 Dan. 10.13 Rev. 1.4 8.2 Lo yet higher in the midst of the Throne of the Almighty Rev. 5 6. above all the family of Heaven and Earth sitting on the right hand of the Majesty in the highest far above every name that is named not only in this world but in the world to come Eph. 1.21 Upon whose Vesture is written King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.16 at whose name the knees of all things bow c. Phil. 2.10 Angels and Authorities and Powers being made subject unto him 1. Pet. 3.22 to whom it was an honour to see him and who had a great desire to look into the mystery of his Redemption being God manifested in the flesh in whom the manifold wisdome of God before hidden was made known unto them by the Church And lastly who gave them a nearer and more honourable relation unto the Divinity being now gathered together with us into one Body under him their Head 1 Pet. 1.12 1. Tim. 3.16 Eph. 3.10 Col. 1.20 2.10 Behold this Person I say not an Angel but a Man Jesus our Glorious Redeemer making us now equal to those perfect Spirits our flesh nature image above them Him glorious and admired by all his Saints in that day 2. Thess 1.10 Described Dan. 10.6 Rev. 1.13 14. Rev. 4.8 Shining as fine mettal burning in a Furnace his countenance as the Sun shining in his strength Blessed are they of whom in that day of his Glory he will not be ashamed And lastly see the employment and action of this heavenly Quire mixed of Men and Angels but under the presidence of a man 'T is perpetual musick and singing new Hymns of Victory and Triumph Rev. 5.8 9. 14.3 15.3 Every day a Sabbath and they in it resting from all labour and celebrating Divine Service Never ceasing all this long day of Eternity for there is no night Apoc. 21.15 22.5 from their Doxologies holy holy holy c. They rest not day and night saying c. Apoc. 4.8 for what can they do that are always ravished with joy but always praise the Author thereof falling down and worshipping Rev. 5.14 and casting down their Crowns before the Almighty with a Dignus es c. in admiration of his wisdome and thankfulness for this their happiness Rev. 4.11 Ravished with the sight of their God and burning with an equal love one toward another O how shall we sing the Lords song in a strange land Psal 137.4 O si vidisses sanctorum in coelo coronas perpetuas c. Scribe lege canta geme tace ora sustine contraria Digna est his omnibus majoribus praeliis vita aeterna Kempis 3. l. 47. c. §. 172. V. HEADS for the Meditation on the BENEFITS of Almighty God to YOU and to all MANKIND V. Psal 40 5. Many O Lord c. They cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee 1. First consider the greatness of his person his infinite majesty glory beauty power wisdome mighty works helping your thoughts with some description or vision of him in the Old or New Testament This consideration of his greatness with a little reflection on your vileness Psal 8. 3 4. 144.3 4. 113 5 6 7. 1. Chron. 16 17. will make much for aggrandizing of any favours from him such a one to such a one as you 2. Consider his Benefits His Creating you so perfect in Body and Soul In his own image and likeness The noblest but one of all his other Creatures 3. Creating all other Creatures for your use and in them abundant sufficiency for all your needs Even the Angels more excellent than you for your guard Heb. 1.14 and protection 4. Preserving you thus created in your being Act. 17.28 5 Giving you 1 many particular deliverances and preservations temporal from many evils happening to others as diseases poverty many casual and quotidian dangers c. Here calling diligently to mind any misery lying upon any of your acquaintance and remembring that your sins have also perhaps more deserved it thanking God that you are preserved from it 6. 2 Many particular blessings temporal denied to many others as health riches honour long life c. he having provided all necessaries for you and doing good to you all the while that you have done nothing but offended him even perhaps as long as those Psal 95.10 7. 3 Deliverances and preservations spiritual from the Devil and his evil Angels day and night seeking your destruction and that by the continual defence of the Good From many great temptations Preserving you in your right wits Keeping you from despair 8. 4 Blessings Spiritual such as follow Memorandum in these four last That you exact of your memory a very particular account Reviewing very narrowly your life past passing orderly through your childhood youth from the time of your first remembrance and confessing unto him §. 173. 1. Giving you laws wherein he only commanded you things exceeding beneficial and forbad you things exceedingly hurtful to your publick and private good Laws not grievous but an easy yoke and a light burthen 1. Jo. 5.3 Matt. 11.30 to those that are exercised therein Teaching you in all things out of his infinite wisdome what you should do and what you should refrain and giving you within you a vigilant and tender Conscience to accuse
Governour and the Holy Ghost ever illuminating and sanctifying the members thereof With which Church was always established the same Covenant of Grace in Christ the same Sacraments for the substance the same way of Salvation under the same precepts through the like obedience and sufferings upon the same promises and threats of the same rewards and punishments See Heb. 11. Hence ever since the fall we find in the sacred Story as one Generation the Children of Works and born after the flesh as Cain Lamech Cam Canaan Aegypt Babylon c. so another the Children of Faith first Abel Martyr then Seth Father of the whole Race Enos Enoch Noah Shem Abraham to whom the Gospel was more fully preached and the Covenant of Faith published 430 years before the promulgation of the Law c. See all these things prosecuted at large in the forementioned Discourse §. 185. The Love and Power of the Father and the Son VII HEADS for Meditation on the several Offices and Benefits to MANKIND of the HOLY-GHOST The Holy-Ghost the Eternal Spirit of God The intimate Communion and Love of the Father and the Son the Finger of God the Strength and Power of the Father as the Son is the Wisdome of the Father the omnipotent worker of all that which the Father decrees and which the Son the word of the Father commands §. 186. The Spirit of Promise The Holy-Ghost the Holy Spirit of Promise who as the Son was a long time the Promise of the Father to this lower world so after the exhibition of our Saviour this Holy Spirit was a further promise unto it both of the Father and of the Son and at last upon the departure of the Son came down from heaven to abide and dwell with us here on earth in our Lord's absence until his second coming who as the Son was sent by the Father into the world to glorify the Father and to teach men what he had received and heard from the Father so the Holy Spirit descended to glorify the Son and to teach and bring to our remembrance to confirm and bear witness here on earth to all things that were taught and heard and received from the Son who was here pleased not only to be cohabitant with us but an inhabitant within us and vouchsafed to lodge in our persons as the Son did before to dwell in our nature making these our Bodies now the Temples of the Holy-Ghost By whom also both the Father and the Son do dwell with us and in us who put the last hand unto the great affair of our Salvation finishing the internal work thereof upon us in our Sanctification as our Saviour did before the external for us in our Redemption §. 187. The Spirit of Regeneration The Holy Ghost the Spirit of Regeneration who by his unspeakable power doth work the strange work of our second Nativity who is the seed of God by whom we are new Creatures by whom we are begotten and born again born of God and made partakers of the Divine Nature and Sons of God who is the heavenly principle derived into us from the second Adam Lord from Heaven conveying into our Soul Holiness and into our Body Immortality and Life as the flesh we received from the first Adam conveyed unto us sin and death Who being the same Spirit in us that also is in Christ is the bond of that mystical union between Jesus the Head and us the members and between us and all other fellow-members making all Christians but one and the same Body of the same temper of the same inclinations of one heart and one mind amongst our selves and with the head as being all actuated and moved by one and the same Spirit §. 188. The Spirit of Illumination The Holy-Ghost conveying its gracious Influences and Effects both into our Souls and into our Bodies Into our Souls both in our Vnderstanding and Memory and in our Will and Affections In our Vnderstanding and Memory The Spirit of Illumination who being the Spirit of God and knowing all the deep things of God as a man's Spirit doth the things of a man when as we by Adam's fall do remain miserably blinded and darkned in our Vnderstanding doth reveal unto us all the supernatural mysteries of our Redemption and Salvation and produceth in us a lively faith and credence of things not seen who beareth witness within us to all the doctrine of Christ to the truth of the Gospel and to all the promises and threats thereof by whom it is that we call Jesus Lord who is the Spirit of Truth to guide us into all Truth by whose unction we know all things beneficial to us and are every one taught of God from whom those who are his more diligent and worthy servants receive manifold revelations visions illuminations both in things of spiritual and temporal concernment both for their own edification and the edification of others knowledge of the mysteries of Religion and of the deeper sence of the word of God knowledge of things to come of the secrets of the heart of things done in absence and at the remotest distance The word of Wisdome and Counsel the gift of Eloquence and powerful perswasion Wisdome in Offices and Governments The Holy Spirit distributing unto men these several Gifts as seemeth good unto him and fit for the work wherein he imploys them And all our science being much perfecter and directed to nobler ends when this conferred by the Holy Spirit §. 189. The Spirit of Love Toward God The Holy Ghost in our Will and Affections the Spirit of Love Of Love first toward God and also towards our Neighbour Towards God who doth inflame us with an impatient love of God and things Divine who according to the promise under the Gospel writeth all God's laws in our heart and inclineth our will to obey his Commandments no more out of constraint and fear but out of choice and affection who dictateth to us all our acceptable prayers to and acceptable praises of God and leadeth the greater proficients in God's service into a perfect contemplation of and union with him Elevating them with rapts and extasies and consuming the Soul with the flames of Divine Love §. 190. Towards our Brethren The Holy-Ghost the Spirit of love to our Neighbour Who doth enflame us with a most ardent love towards our Brethren whose blessed fruits are love peace long-suffering gentleness goodness meekness by whom the Saints are rendred kind not envying not vaunting themselves above others not seeking their own not easily provoked thinking no evil bearing all things believing all things hoping all things enduring all things Who teacheth us to keep our Saviour's new Commandment of Love and bestoweth on us this most excellent gift of Charity §. 191. The Spirit of Corporal Parity and Mortification The Holy-Ghost conferring its gracious effects and influences as on the Soul so on the Body In it The Spirit of Mortification and Chastity Who continually warreth against
judge the living and the dead Give rest to the Souls of the Faithful departed O Lamb of God at whose presence the earth shall be moved and the heavens melt away Give rest to the Souls of the Faithful departed O Lamb of God in whose blessed book of Life their names are written Give eternal rest to the Souls of the Faithful departed The Antiphon DEliver us O Lord and all thy Faithful in that day of terror when the Sun and Moon shall be darkned and the Stars fall down from heaven in that day of calamity and amazement when heaven it self shall shake and the Pillars of the earth be moved and the glorious Majesty of Jesus come with innumerable Angels to judge the world by fire Deliver us O Lord in that dreadful day And place us with thy blessed at thy right hand for ever O Lord hear our Prayers And let our Supplications come to thee ALmighty God with whom do live the Spirits of the perfect and in whose holy custody are deposited the Souls of all those that depart hence in an inferior degree of thy grace who being by their imperfect Charity rendred unworthy thy presence are detained in a state of grief and from thy beatifical sight as we bless thee for the Saints already admitted to thy glory so we humbly offer our Prayers for thy afflicted servants who continually wait and sigh after the day of their deliverance Pardon their sins supply their unpreparedness and wipe away the tears from their eyes that they may see thee and in thy glorious light eternally rejoyce Thro Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen O Eternal God who besides the general precepts of Charity hast commanded a particular respect to parents kindred and benefactors grant we beseech thee that as they were the instruments by which thy providence bestowed on us our birth education and innumerable other benefits so our Prayers may be a means to obtain for them a speedy delivery from any privation of bliss which they may suffer for their sins and a free admittance to thy infinite joys Thro Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen MOst wise and merciful Lord who hast ordained this life as a passage to the future confining our Conversion to the time of our Pilgrimage here and reserving for hereafter the state of punishment and reward vouchsafe us thy grace who are yet alive and still have opportunity of reconcilement to thee so to watch over all our actions and correct every least deviation from the true way to Heaven that we be neither surprised with our sins uncancelled nor our duties imperfect but when our Bodies go down into the grave our Souls may ascend to thee and dwell for ever in the mansions of eternal felicity Thro Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen The LITANY of Christian Virtues O God the Father of Heaven Have mercy on us O God the Son Redeemer of the world Have c. O God the Holy Ghost Have mercy on us O Sacred Trinity one God Have mercy on us O Lord just and good and a rewarder of all those that seek thee diligently Have mercy on us Who createdst our first Parents in innocency and holiness after thine own image and gavest a testimony to the offerings of just Abel Have mercy on us Who savedst in the Ark from the Flood Noah a Preacher of Justice and deliveredst from the Fire just Lot vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked Have mercy on us Who gavedst the Promise to Abraham found faithful after many trials Have mercy on us Who deliveredst Jacob endued with a wonderful patience and confidence in adversities from all evils and gavest a joyful end to thy servant Job that pattern of patience Have mercy on us Who rewardest the singular modesty and chastity of Joseph with the rule over Aegypt Have mercy on us Who choosest Moses the meekest man upon earth to be Ruler over thy people and electedst Joshuah notable for valour and constancy to lead thy people into the land of Promise Have mercy on us Who gavest the Priesthood to the Sons of Levi for their great courage in vindicating thine honor and deliveredst from all dangers the Prophet Elias for his incomparable Zeal for thy true worship against the false Prophets and at length took'st him up into heaven Have mercy on us Who set'st Samuel Judge over thy people a lover of Justice and free from bribes And liftedst up David a man after thy own heart in the faithful service of thee to be King of Israel Have mercy on us Who replenishedst Solomon humbly begging Wisdome of thee both with it and many other Graces And adornedst Daniel and his Companions being singularly temperate and sober with wisdome and beauty Have mercy c. Who chosest the Blessed Virgin Mary adorned with singular chastity humility obedience and all other Virtues to be the Mother of thy Son Have mercy on us Who sentest John Baptist a fore-runner of thy Son a Preacher of penance and of great austerities and abstinence Have mercy on us Who sentest JESUS Christ thy only begotten Son into the world the pattern of all Holiness that we should follow his example Have mercy on us Who hast chosen us in him before the foundations of the world that we also should be holy and unblameable in thy sight Have mercy on us Who hast predestinated us that we should be made conformable to the image of thy Son and hast created us in him to good works which thou hast ordained that we should walk in them Have mercy on us Who hast redeemed us from our vain conversation by the precious blood of Christ and hast regenerated us by thy word unto a lively hope of an eternal inheritance Have mercy on us O Jesu who knewest no sin neither was guile found in thy mouth but appearedst to take away the sins of the world Have mercy on us JESUS who barest our sins in thy body on the Cross that we being dead unto sin may live unto Justice and Holiness Have mercy on us Who hast delivered us out of darkness into light from the power of Satan into thy Kingdome and hast bestowed upon us the remission of sins and an inheritance amongst thy Saints Have mercy on us Who promisedst thy Disciples that forsook all for thee twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel who committedst unto St. Peter notably confessing and loving thee the feeding of thy sheep Have mercy on us Who vouchsafest to St. John notable for chastity the singular priviledge of thy love Have mercy on us Who sendedst thy holy Spirit whereby divine Charity is spread abroad in our hearts Have mercy on us Be merciful and spare us O Lord. Be merciful and grant unto us O Lord The virtue of humility and patience spiritual poverty and meekness longanimity and obedience to those that are set over us Grant unto us O Lord A quiet mind and contented with our present condition true peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Grant us c.
with Grace seasoned with Salt that we may know how to answer every man and our discourse such as may some-way edify and minister Grace to the hearers that this busy member being defiled with no filthy or vain communication here may be the more hallowed in the world to come to sing Hallelujahs Doxologies and Thanksgivings for ever and ever to the Blessed Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost Amen A DOXOLOGY to the Blessed Trinity GLory be to the Father of mercies the Father of Men and Angels the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Glory be to the most holy and eternal Son of God the blessed Saviour and Redeemer of the world the Advocate of Sinners the Prince of Peace the Head of the Church and the mighty Deliverer of all them that call upon him Glory be to the holy and eternal Spirit of God that searcheth all things even the depths and hidden things of God the Holy Ghost the Advocate the Comforter the sanctifying and life-giving Spirit All glory and thanks all honour and power all love and obedience be to the blessed and individual Trinity one God Eternal It is most just and right to praise and to glorify to worship and adore to give thanks and to magnify thee the great Maker of all Creatures visible and invisible the Treasure of all good temporal and eternal the Fountain of all life mortal and immortal the Lord and God of all things in heaven and earth the great Father of thy servants the great Master of thy children The Heavens and the Heaven of Heavens and every Power therein the Sun and the Moon and all the Stars of the Sky the Sea and the Earth the heights above all the depths below Jerusalem which is from above the Congregation celestial the Church of the first born written in the heavens the Spirits of the Prophets and just men made perfect the Souls of Apostles and all holy Martyrs Angels and Archangels Thrones and Dominions Principalities and Powers the Spirits of Understanding and the Spirits of Love with never ceasing Hymns and perpetual Anthems cry out night and day and let the humble voice of thy servants also be heard amongst them saying Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts heaven and earth are full of thy glory The Heavens declare thy glory the Earth confesseth thy providence the Sea manifests thy power and every Spirit and every understanding Creature celebrates thy greatness for ever and ever Especially thy miserable creature Man is bound to praise thee because thou mad'st him according to thy own Image because thou gav'st him the riches and the rest of Paradise and when he fell and broke thy easy Commandment thou didst not despise his folly nor leave him in his Sin but didst chastise him with thy Rod and restrain him by thy law and instruct him by thy Prophets and at last by the coming of the second person God the Son into the world did'st renew and repair this thy broken Image for which praised be the Lord God Almighty good and gracious dreadful and venerable holy and merciful to the works of thy hands Hosannah blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord Hosannah in the highest for ever and ever Amen A DOXOLOGY concerning the Ways of God's Providence § 1 O The depth of thy Knowledge and Wisdome O God! how unsearchable are thy Judgments and thy Ways past finding out O Lord how great are thy works how deep are thy thoughts Who can utter thy mighty Acts O Lord Who can shew forth all thy Praise Even from the Creation thy Power delighteth to manifest it self in high and difficult matters and thou walkest contrary to the wisedome of men Thy whole work is to do wonders and by these thou being invisible in person declarest thy presence on the earth Thou bringest light out of darkness good out of evil and strength out of weakness Content and satiety out of poverty and glory and honour out of humility True wisdome and knowledge out of holy simplicity and self-disesteem the greatest consolations and joys out of adversities and sufferings Thou makest thy foolishness to be wiser then men and thy weaknes stronger then men By the foolish things of this world thou confoundest the wise and by the weak things of the world thou confoundest things that are mighty By the base and despised and things that are not thou bringest to nought things that are On the contrary thou bringest scorn and contempt out of the highest of pride ambition and glory covetousnes and unsatiableness out of plenty and abundance Extreme folly out of secular wisdome and cunning and sudden want out of ill gotten wealth Distraction out of the fulfilling our desires and sighing and mourning out of secular joys and pleasures Thou delightest to take the wily in their own craftiness and to deceive the deceivers To make his own net that he hath hid to catch himself and himself to fall into the same destruction he hath prepared for others Thou lovest to judge men by their own self-condemnation and to make the guilty pronounce sentence upon himself To punish men by their faults and to make their own way and not thy power to overthrow them Out of deep security and confidence thou bringest adversity and trouble and death when men think most enjoying life When they say Peace behold a sudden destruction and in the midst of War behold a sudden Peace Thou shewest strength with thy arm O Lord and scatterest the proud man in the imaginations of his heart Thou puttest down the mighty from their seat and dost exalt the humble and meek Thou fillest the hungry with good things and the rich thou sendest empty away Thou makest him who disperseth his goods to the poor to abound in wealth and those who heap them up to suffer penury The Race is not to the swift nor the Battle to the strong nor Bread to the wise nor Favour to the skilful nor Riches to the Understanding but as thou distributest them O Lord to those who depend on thee § 2 The way by which thou appointest man to be happy is that which humane reason judgeth contrary to it Here repeat the Preface and which seemeth to render him most unhappy By his abondoning all things he comes to possess all things and by his desire of nothing he attains to want nothing By his being careful for nothing but the serving of thee he becomes provided of all things by thee and in his flying from the world the good things thereof follow him To cross and forsake his own will he finds the way to true tranquility of mind and to forsake his own reason with dependance on thee the way to true wisdome To be careless of and to lay down his life for thy sake the surest way to save it whilst others by seeking to preserve do lose it By his humility he attaineth to honour and in voluntary poverty he findeth content He taketh pleasure in infirmities in necessities in
speaking any thing tending directly or indirectly to your own praise in earnest or in jest for greater matters or for trifles and such things as are by you thought contemptible For many times there lies herein a feather of vain glory tho not discerned by us and many times to others it appears and gives offence Not doing this I say unless when some extraordinary good may come thereby and then delivering the matter spoken with much moderation apology and humility acknowledging the true author of it and qualifiing it with relating your faults always immediately repelling any praise given you by others God being only to be praised so long as he is the Author of all Good So generally speaking little of your self in any kind of your business of your sufferings c. savouring of self-love and tedious to others But upon any good occasion given despising vilifying condemning your self especially when commended from which thing you will find much benefit and were it worth any thing or might you seek for it more reputation and a great deal more esteem with those that hear you 13. Not vindicating or justifying your self when receiving from your company some slight defamations and affronts nor excusing your self when blamed and that as you think unjustly because self-love may blind you not to see a true fault or if it doth not yet some other way you deserve more blame than that laid on you to which for mortification sake you may apply it always remembering the most admirable silence of our Lord in the questioning of his most innocent life This practice will incourage your friends the more to mind you of your faults And God undertakes our Justification when innocent much more effectually than we can do it when we for humility peace and good Example desist from it 14. Speaking of particular persons as little as may be a thing seldome done without some wrong to them It being more pleasant to speak of other men's faults than virtues because by the one we seem to our selves advanced by the other depressed Whether it be to friend or foe talk not of other men's lives saith a wise man But rather when there is occasion to speak of any vice speak what you have to say of it in general and without application to persons or else in the first person I or We speaking evil of no man absent though a truth though a truth well known Excusing any as much as you can when evil spoken of from their ignorance good intentions strong temptations or the like Always signifying an unwillingness to hear them ill spoken of which may perhaps discourage and rectify the Relator men usually forbearing to speak what they think doth not please or at least may preserve your own innocence Making no comparisons between persons for seldome is the one of them praised but that the other is depressed Especially speaking always reverently of holy things and persons and generally of all persons in authority being our publick Parents and Benefactors for whom we are obliged particularly to pray 1. Tim. 2.2 and who to us are in the place of God Taking heed of censuring their actions which being publick are more talked of and so we here to stand more upon our guard and the true circumstances of them by inferiors many times little understood and as being the actions of persons above us apt to be maligned and envyed and mis-related Remembering the terribledoom of those in 2. Pet. 10.11 and Jude 8 9. who are not afraid to speak evil of Majesty and Dignities when as God's Officers and Ministers the Angels themselves for all their higher place forbear to do it 15. As much as you can abstaining from secular discourse and guiding or diverting it to or at least mixing it with something of Piety of Spiritual matters which matters most concern all persons whatever of God's honor and praise in some or other of his Attributes his wisdome mercy justice providence omnipotency to several of which every action in the world that we can talk of hath some near relation Knowing that the glorifying God on this manner is one of the chiefest ends of God's Creation of us and Ordination of them Remembring the Apostle's Exhortation Let such speech proceed out of your mouth as is good to the edifying of Faith that it may minister Grace to the Hearers and contristate not the Holy Spirit of God that continually inspires such good motions into you Eph. 4.29 30. by talking secular impertinencies And again Let the Word of Christ dwell in you abundantly in all wisdome teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord and whatsoever ye do in word or work do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by him Col. 3.16 17. And Non stultiloquium aut scurrâ—litas quae ad rem non pertinet sed magis gratiarum actio Domine totus mundus plenus est Te nescimus loqui de Te vel ad Te. Recommendation of Silence 16. Lastly in much company so far as it may consist with your duty and charity accustoming your self to Silence not caring to be accounted therefore stupid or ignorant melancholick or unsociable by which Silence we escape many sins of the tongue and keep more calm our passions and an entire peace within our selves as being free from others contradictions pax animi silâ—ntium Tace paulisper tumultus animi cito pertranseunt whereby we better examine the cogitations and fancies that are continually springing within us before they pass the gate of our lips and judge many fit to be suppressed and stifled in the conception whereby we better hearken to the internal whispers and motions of God's Spirit and uningaged can better discern the value of others discourse Lastly holding our peace furnisheth the Soul with good thoughts and is the way not to want that which may be said profitably and to purpose 17. In Silence not suffering your mind to lye idle or to dwell too much in your ear where the discourse of others is not pertinent For he that will be dumb must also be deaf or to wander whither it listeth to other matters no less vain than those you avoid but keeping it at work and putting your self in another and better company I mean conversing in your heart with God who is still with us when we turn unto him and goes not from us at all but as we recede from him Reciting in your mind some Psalms or other ready devotions which will presently stop the course of your passion or your ears from your Companion 's impertinencies To which purpose are those Scripture-Exhortations of praying continually with perseverance always in all things giving thanks rejoycing always i. e. in the Lord singing and making Melody in our hearts to the Lord not quenching the Spirit 1. Thes 5.16 17 18 19. Phil. 4.4 Eph. 6.18 Col. 4.2 Eph. 5.20
acquiring Christian perfection §. 90. 1. Concerning Prayer Concerning Preparatives to Prayer 1. BEfore your appearing before God in Prayer clearing your self as God hath commanded so far as it is in your power from your sins towards your Neighbour and quitting all his toward you In satisfaction either already performed to him or seriously promised to God where injuring and in forgiveness presented likewise then to God where injured Matt. 5.23 24. 1. Tim. 2.8 Mark 11.25 Jam. 3.9 10. 2. Performing your devotions either when fasting or very temperate and at some reasonable distance from your meals and sometimes also preparing your self son them by some acts of mortification Nothing is so opposite to devotion and the Spirit as intemperance strong drink and excess in diet See Eph. 5.18 Act. 10.30 Matt. 17.21 Luk. 1.15 Psal 35.13 Dan. 10.1 2. 12. Act. 13.2 3. 3. 1 Not coming to them with your mind and thoughts already tired out and spent in other business which accordingly must needs be less serviceable to you in this your greatest duty and some little time before them if you can deserting other employments 'T is beneficial before you go to Prayer to read something pious or if you please to read some Prayer before praying so to retire your mind from secular thoughts and dispose it to Divine 3. 2 When you go to Prayer with an hour-glass measuring your time and taking some Book of Devotion or Saints life with which you use to be much affected to lye by you and for this also chusing a place of Prayer convenient for light and reading and when sterilities and dulness or much distraction of thoughts assault you reading so long till something affect you This hath been the practice of many great Saints And he who useth this stome will go much more chearfully to this spiritual exercise and spend longer time in it having these Arms about him to repel the ordinary disturbers of it 4. In the morning performing your Devotions first whilst the mind is clear and not engaged in other thoughts 5. In the Evening last when the mind hath for that day taken her leave of all other business and that so your time of Prayer also may not be limited by them 6. Since for every day you perform and renew them applying your Prayers Confessions Petitions c. more chiefly to the occurrences of the present day as that of our Lord Give us this day c. which will make your Requests as being for things near at hand more affectionate and your endeavours that day in the seconding of your Prayers and rendring them not frustrate more vigilant and earnest 7. Using all humble reverence of the Body Corporal Reverence in Prayer c where opportunity yet not confining your self for all the time of Prayer to any one posture thereof after it begins to be painful or tedious whilst you retain the same humility and devotion in all nor omitting the substance of the Duty of Prayer for being hindered perchance of such circumstances Freely expressing also and venting the holy passions of your mind and of the Spirit by the exterior indications and effects thereof As by sighing groaning weeping c. §. 91. Digr 1. Of the great impression the behaviour of the Body makes upon the Soul And that the devotion is much increased by the body's humiliation and the more if this sometimes varied Digr 2. Of the several postures and deportments of the body used by holy men in the time of Prayer As Standing up Prostration and falling on the face and lying on the ground Contemplating the heavens therefore going up to the house top to pray Lifting up casting down the eyes Lifting up spreading forth the hands Smiting of the breast Bowing down of the head Bowing baring the knee kissing the ground Covering the Body with sackcloth or raggs Sighing groaning weeping §. 92. Guard of the Eyes 8. In all places and business where you would enjoy a greater recollection of your mind and thoughts but especially in the service and meditations of God publick or private keeping a strict guard over your eyes which having liberty to wander the mind is filled with many fancies and very difficulty fixed Custodia Oculorum Custodia Cordis §. 93. Exciting of a suitable Passion 9. Striving before hand to excite in your self a passion suting to the particular act of your devotion As great sadness in confession of sin Great humility and lowliness and self-abjection in petitioning Chearfulness and joy in thanking and praising The passion of love in oblation and resignation c. Compassion in Intercession And observe that our intention much helpeth the production of such passion by the lively presentation of such an object to our mind as viz. Death Corruption Hell Heaven Light Glory Musick c. usually excites it the affections being thus subject to the understanding and the will as well as in other respects these faculties are to them Praying before to God to give you such a passion whereby you may be helped to do such a duty Not entertaining at the same time of prayer a contrary passion though it be very pious for so neither can it be so well prosecuted §. 94. Imagination of God's presence 10. In the time of Prayer Imagining God or our Saviour not a far off but present by or within Ps 16.8 you so speaking and discoursing with him hearkning to and attending upon him as one that is present in the innermost part of your soul and heart as indeed if our eyes were but opened as were those of Elisha and his Servant we should see him in all things and in our selves and all things and our selves also in him for these are both one compassing us round as the air or the light doth and again throughly penetrating all things and us as the light doth the air or the fire the glowing iron Omnia implendo continens continendo implens Austin and see our selves again moving in him as fishes or spunges in the Ocean or Atoms in a Sun-beam See Acts 17.27 28 For if the whole earth be but as a small point to the Sun how much less are we to God! But above all creatures more specially we should see him dwelling in the hearts of the faithful therefore called his Temple See 2. Cor. 6.16 1. Cor. 6.17.19 or see them dwelling in him for where things are perfectly united these two expressions are the same and promiscuously used See 1. Jo. 4.13 6.56 Rom. 8.10 comp 2. Cor. 5.17 1. Cor. 1.30 comp 2. Cor. 5.21 See him there speaking to the Soul and visiting it with frequent inspirations the signs of his presence and the interior language wherein God speaks to us and therefore is there to be attentively hearkened to by us Luk. 17.21 Jo. 16.32 8.29 Heb. 11.27 1. Jo. 14.13 4.16 As for those words in the Lords Prayer which art in Heaven they are not mentioned to direct the petitioner to him as a far off but to magnify to
a Guest but with great humility bespeak him as a Father recount to him her calamities and beg of him the remedy thereof acknowledging she is unworthy to be his daughter Treat ye with him as with a Father with a Brother with a Lord and with a Spouse sometimes in one manner sometimes in another for he will teach you what you must do to please him Observe that it concerns you much to understand this truth that God abides within you and that there we may abide with him This way of praying although it be vocally with much more speed recollects the understanding and is a way of Prayer that brings with it many good things being stiled of Recollection This she supposeth to be in our power by our endeavours to attain to Because the Soul in it recollects all her faculties and enters within her self with her God and there her Divine Master comes to instruct and teach her in a much briefer manner than 't is in other ways and to bestow upon her the Prayer of rest This is the lowest sort of Prayer which she calls super-natural and not in our power to acquire Because thus retired she may here with her self meditate on the passion and here represent the Son as Crucified and offer him to the Father and not weary the understanding in going forth to seek him on Mount Calvary or in the Garden or at the Pillar Those who in this manner can lock in themselves in this little Heaven of our Soul where abides he that created both the Heaven and the Earth and shall inure themselves not to behold nor stay where the exterior senses distract them let them believe that they walk in an excellent way and that they shall not fail at last to arrive to drink water from the fountain In this recollection the Soul retires the exercise of its faculties from these exterior things and in such a manner abhors them that tho unawares she shuts the bodily eyes not to behold them that so those of the Soul may see so much better Accordingly who walks by this way almost always in Prayer keeps his eyes shut and it is an admirable custome for many things because it is as it were a forcing ones self not to observe these things below This shutting the eyes happens only in the beginnings of such recollections for afterwards its needless since then we must use more force upon our selves to open them The Soul at such a time seems to fortify her self at the bodies charge i. e. in withdrawing from it its Spirits and leave it all alone and much enfeebled and thence to draw provisions and maintainance against it And although this power of retiring the faculties in the beginning is not perceived because it is not much for in this recollection there are degrees of more and less yet if it be once brought into a custome although at the first it causes some trouble because the body replies and disputes the business not perceiving that it destroys it self in not yielding to and suffering such a conquest if I say this for some days be used and we force our selves to it the gain thereof will be manifest and we shall afterward perceive that in the beginning of Prayer the Bees will presently repair to their Hive and enter there-into to make Honey and that without any diligence or trouble of ours because so it hath pleased God that by that former time of forcing our selves the Soul and the Will hath merited to be endowed with such a command as that in only intimating to them and no more that she would withdraw them the faculties obey her and retire unto her And although after a while they return to go forth again yet much is gained that thus they have been retired because they now go abroad only as slaves and subjects nor do that mischief in it as formerly and when the Will again recalls them they come with more readiness till after many of these Re-entrances of the Soul into it self it at length please the Lord that they should fix there altogether in a contemplation more perfect §. 103. And this which I have said although it appear obscure yet who will put it in practice shall easily understand it c. And since it so much concerns us not to go on in our Devotions slowly let us discourse a little how we may inure our selves to so good a way of proceeding in them Let us therefore make account that within us there stands a Palace of most rich workmanship its Edifice consisting all of Gold and precious Stones in fine every way such as is suting to so great a Lord and that you are in part the cause that this Edifice is such as indeed it is for there is no Fabrick at all of so great beauty as a Soul pure and replenished with vertues which by how much greater they are so much greater is the lustre of those precious Stones and that in this Palace lodgeth that great King who is pleased to make himself your guest and that he is there seated in a Throne of the greatest value which is your Heart This will seem at the first to you but a thing impertinent that I should make such a fiction to make you understand it yet it may help much you especially c. Again Chapter 29th She proceeds thus on the same subject The Soul 's entring within her self into this Paradice together with her God and locking the door after her against all things which are in the world Ye may know that it is not at all a thing super-natural but that it depends on our Will and that we are able to do it with that help of God without which we are able to do nothing at all not so much as to have of our selves one only good thought For this is not a silence of the faculties but a shutting them up within themselves §. 104. Many ways we go on in acquiring it both by dis-busying our selves from all other things that we may interiourly thus joyn our selves unto God and in business also by retiring sometimes into our selves tho it be but for a moment This remembring my self that I have such a companion within me is of great help and that which I only aim at is that we procure to stand with him whom we are speaking to without turning our backs upon him for no other thing than turning our backs seems it to me to stand in discourse with God and be thinking on many vanities All the damage comes from not understanding that most truly he stands near us and not a far off from us But how far is he from us if we go to seek him in Heaven The Lord teach this to those of you who do not know it I confess for my self that I never knew what it was to pray with any affection until the Lord taught me this way And I have always found so much benefit of this Custome and manner of recollection within
such Prayer for it is a thing too painful and toilsome By this means of using a Book I began to recollect these powers of my Soul and as it were with such enticements alluring on my Soul I proceeded in my Prayer And oftentimes but opening the Book I needed no more and sometimes I read little other times much according to the favour that our Lord pleased to do me Thus she with great assiduity in Prayer and it seems not without using much pains and diligence and suffering of some aridities at the first in recollecting her faculties and shutting out by-thoughts and removing their occasions attained afterward to so high and frequent unions of her Soul with God and to such a perfection in this holy art of Prayer as to become a most famous Pattern therein to all ensuing Generations You may find also an eminent proficiency and the like experiences therein of the Holy Father Balthasar Alvarez sometimes Confessor to St. Tereza as is storied in the 13 14 15.40 41. Chapters of his Life And the reason why there are so few of those who possess great purity of Conscience and Conversation that attain to the like divine favours and supernatural effects of Prayer seems to be the not using the same frequency of Prayer and the like couragious diligence and resolute patience in encountring all difficulties therein at the beginning See her Life Cap. 8. as this great St. Teresa and some others have done §. 110. When any thing in Prayer extraordinarily affects you staying and spending so much more of the time alotted for your devotions upon it causing your reason to observe and the set method of your Prayers to yield to if I may so say the lusts of the Spirit which if at all other times it causeth all good motions in us certainly operates them more especially in Prayer See Rom. 8.26 and doubtless hence will arise as more content so more profit to the Soul Here then the longer you fix in any one point of Prayer the brieflier running over the rest §. 111. 17. There are two acts of Prayer Meditation and Contemplation One the discoursive part thereof performed more by the Vnderstanding and used more in the beginning of Prayer the other the more enjoying and passionative part performed chiefly by the will and happening more in the end of Prayer at least to those not much practised Of these the second ordinarily is produced by the first the working of the brain by degrees kindling passions in the heart and long meditation of God and his perfections c enflaming our affections towards him and the Holy Spirit operateth in both in one by illumination and in the other by love but more chiefly in the second Sometimes the vehement inclinations of the will by a more immediate power of grace preceding the acts of the Vnderstanding and forcing it to follow them but more commonly the intellect by reasoning exciting the will and the passions You therefore here are to use the fore-named acts of the Soul interchangeably only the first yielding to the second as it grows to any strength but then when the second languisheth it is to be excited again by the first for we are neither to think we pray best when we think of nothing at all nor when we are most full of loquacity For the brain being wholly idle the affections go out for want of fuel nor is there any operation of the passions without some using at the same time of the imagination And again the affections not operating the speculations of the intellect are fruitless and comfortless But if at the first also the understanding happen to be dull sluggish and unoperative as is usual to new beginners and to the same persons at some times much more than at others you are to excite both it and the affections by reading some select book of devotion taken with you to Prayer till you find your self able without its help to proceed Teresa in the 4th Chapter of her Life reports of her self that for eighteen years she never durst betake her self to mental Prayer without a Book in her hand that she might still repair to reading in case of any distraction from impertinent thoughts or aridity and barrenness of Soul §. 112. Digr 1. Of the great effects which the affections thus enflamed in Prayer with the love of God c work in the Soul and the influence they have afterward upon its actions causing in it a greater vilifying of the world and abhorrence of all sin and displeasing God and of tepidity in his service and raising a love to mortifications and sufferings freeing it from melancholy for the absence of some worldly conveniences or delights and making it valiant against all impediments of Piety and against the flesh and vigorous to all good works and amongst other effects much illuminating the understanding Digr 2. That tho by Prayer we may dispose our selves tho this disposing also is from God in some manner for those spiritual graces and influences supernatural which some Saints of God enjoy in some extatical raptures and unions with God and that to him that hath is given yet that these are supernatural always and for their efficiency clearly independent on our art or endeavours and that God only gives them when and where he pleaseth tho mostwhat he pleaseth to give them upon our much endeavours for them §. 113. Imaginary place of address 18. Ordering and fashioning in your thoughts and this without much curiosity or trouble to your fancy an imagined place of your addresses to God or our Saviour and a several manner of his presence and appearance to you such as may make most impression upon you and may suit best with the subject of your present meditations and devotions whether it be Confession or Thanksgiving or Petition or Doxology c. Which composition of place will make you more sensible what you are who and what He to whom you speak and breed high degrees of humility love resignation shame compassion and tenderness according to the business you then negotiate with him As representing to your self God in his Majesty according to the visions of Ezechiel c. 1. Esai c. 6. Dan. c. 7. St. John Apoc. c. 4. c. Our Saviour in his gentleness and familiarity and readiness to help according to some of those postures you read in the Gospel Or in his Glory according to Rev. 1. or 19. Chapters §. 114. In confessing of and beging mercy and pardon for your sins imagining your self appearing as a poor prisoner in shackles haled before him sitting in Judgment Or as the prodigal Son returning with shame before his Father Or as one full of Vlcers and Sores before a Physitian that can certainly cure him Or as one taken prisoner and kept in chains by his enemy and begging his freedome from his own Prince passing-by in triumph Or presenting your self to him as if you lay on your death-bed Or as when you were in
to devotion wherein a rest and vacancy as it were of the understanding the will and affections add a new fervour to our former conceptions and never vain but when done without a renewed devotion which devotion being any way enlarged by some other considerations the former words still become a new Prayer The power whereof consists not in much speaking but in much beseeching and in the importunity of our desires and sighs not our loquacity See Daniel's Prayer Dan. 9.4 §. 125. Importunity in Prayer 39. Not desisting in our requests not presently answered by God but continuing them with all fervency importunity tears c. never fainting according to our Saviours command Luk. 18.1 5. Luk. 11.1.8 9. which argues that God heareth not always at first but expects we should trouble him Even as a Neighbor when doors shut in bed at midnight See Psal 44.23 but this chiefly in things spiritual or temporal in order to the other the usefulness of them being first impartially weighed where we cannot err in the goodness of the thing we desire 40. As for other temporal things since we ought not to be for them very solicitous but to all indifferent since we many times set on by some undiscovered lust do ask of this our Father things hurtful stones for bread serpents and poison for meat since in these things we ought always to use great modesty in leaving them to his wisdome and in silently relying on his care having a promise for necessaries none for plenty always observing rather a great moderation and indifferency in your requests Saying with St. Austine Te faciente quod vis da mihi libenter sequi Which request for such things when our importunity receives also of him it is many times more out of pitty to our infirmities than charity to our needs or advancement of our perfection See Matt. 6 7 8. spoken especially of soliciting for earthly things which are shut up in a few words ver 11. §. 126. Liberty of expression in Prayer 41. Using liberty of words and unconfined and unprescribed expressions These 1. More hindring any evagation of thoughts and procuring more intention of the mind to the business in hand Where note that prayers said by heart because with some difficulty remembred keep the mind more attentive than prayers read Again Prayers extempore or new conceived matter or expressions more than set forms repeated by heart except very much advertency or also some repetition or meditation of them be used because in those forms swimming lightly in the memory the fancy unengaged yet seldome idle is left at liberty for other imployments and the mind ordinarily less mindeth its former especially after its often repetition of them than its new conceptions 2. Being more obedient to the operations and impressions of the holy spirit which especially directeth us in Prayer and to the spiritual inclinations of our passions which are sometimes more sorrowful and fitter for acts of contrition sometimes more lightsome and fitter for thanksgiving and praise Now to both these are set forms an extream restraint to the great loss of the Soul 3. Being more pliable to our present condition and necessities continually varying to which one set form can no way suit 4. Lastly giving us much more content and delight in our Prayers and making us more willingly to frequent this duty where more liberty is allowed to our affections §. 127. Ways of enlarging 42. At least after your set form ended enlarging your Prayers with some unprescribed devotions till custome hath made them more easy though he that is truly sensible of his own vileness and defects of God's greatness and goodness and so thirsts after him and loves much needs not fear but to pray well this consisting not in much saying but in much supplicating and God in nothing so much as in Prayer accepting the will for the whole deed 43. Guiding your self by some heads first well ordered and multiplied as you see fit for the more sub-heads you have the more easy it is to continue in Prayer assuming the next still into your thoughts as your devotions happen to be exhausted in the former As for Example If you practice 1. Praise and in this I giving glory to God 1 in his attributes 2 in his works and blessings to mankind in general 3 For his benefits to you in particular and in both these first for spiritual then temporal 2 Prayer And in this first 1. Confession of sins In evening prayer joyning examination of conscience for the sins of the day past and more particular confession of the sins thereof Then 2. Petition 1 for his forgiveness of sins past 2 for your reformation and his preservation and preventing of you from those and all other for the future particularizing in your ordinary sins 1. Against God 2. Your self 3. Your neighbor that is your opposite facts to the several particular duties to each of those Some chief ones of which I have set down before and hinted to you in this Book Saying Lord hereafter deliver me from Gluttony c. Detraction c. Distrust of thy providence c. 3 for his averting evils due to them 4. For his bestowing gifts necessary Spiritual temporal Making your petitions also for these spiritual and temporal gifts particular according to the distinct considerations of your duty 1. To God 2. To your self 3. To your Neighbor and to these your neighbors either to your Superiors and your Parents or your brethren for which duties if you have no better Catalogue you may run over those above mentioned in this Book saying Hereafter grant me Temperance c. Charity to my neighbor to suffer long and to be kind c. 1. Cor. 13.4 5 6 7. love of the Lord my God with all my heart c. Matt. 22.37 c. 3. Oblation considering wherein we may further serve God and Resolutions 4 Intercession For Church State Persons of particular relation But here note that it is not amiss at first to have a set form composed very particular and distinct according to these heads and their subdivisions then this form perfectly committed to memory Then at last to practice varying from it in expression and enlargement of your conceits yet with a retiring still as need is and as your extravagancy is exhausted to the matter thereof or if you use not this practice you may follow the several parts of Prayer set down before c. only changing the order first taking in hand the fourth then second then first third fifth sixth Sometimes dwelling longer on one sometimes on another as your Meditations abound and then passing over the rest more briefly Or you may run over those Subjects of Meditation following p. First all those begetting humility then those producing love 44. Yet not being too careful to keep a strict Method when you have any fervour of Spirit but freely intermingling petition and praises thanksgiving and confession c as we see it is in the Psalms
is the Blood of this Covenant See Exod. 24. ch Heb. 8.7 c. Heb. 10.29 12.24 comp Luk. 22.20 This Holy Ceremony being a Sacrament a Seal an Obsignation of the pardoning all former offences between the parties that were at difference and of our reconciliation with God and admittance to the hopes and lawful enjoynments of all his Blessings spiritual corporal temporal eternal Rom. 4.11 Matt. 26.28 §. 151. 4. Eucharistical 4. Being the Christians Eucharistical Sacrifice answering the Jews peace or thank-offering 1. By which Rite we commemorating Christ through whom all blessings descend to us Eph. 2.18 3.12.21 Jo. 14.13 Eph. 3 4.6 Col. 3.17 Rom. 1.8 Heb. 13.15 unto the father do bless and give him thanks for all persons and things c. 2. Then by eating and partaking of which as the Jews and also Idolaters by eating of theirs therefore the eating of the Heathens Sacrifices was always most strictly forbid the Israelites Exod. 34.15 Numb 25.2 Psal 106.18 Ezech. 18.6 we are admitted as it were to the table of our God to eat of his bread Lev. 11.6 3.11 and to amity communion fellowship with him 1. Cor. 10.14 to 22. 3. By partaking and eating of which Sacrifice being the Body and Blood of Christ we are admitted also to communion with the Son and mystically incorporated into him who is the second Adam from Heaven 1. Cor. 15. made members of his body flesh of his flesh c. and this not in a metaphor but in a great mystery Eph. 5.32 And then from being partakers of the Body become also partakers of the Spirit of Christ 1. Cor. 6.17 and see the Spirit specially conferred in the Eucharist 1. Cor. 12 13. and by it eternal life conveyed to us c. Jo. 6.58 comp 63. by which relation he becomes now obliged to nourish and cherish us c Eph. 5.30 and from partaking of the nature and spirit of this second Adam the heir of all things Heb. 1.2 Col. 1.16 become now Sons of God also as he Heirs of Eternal life as he c. as by the first Adam we were of eternal death See 1. Cor. 12 13. Eph. 4.24.5.29 c. 1. Cor. 6.19.15.17.19 Jo. 17.21.23 4.14.6.56 57. comp 1. Cor. 10.17 18 24. 4. By eating and partaking of which one bread we also become one bread amongst our selves 1. Cor. 10.17 and have Communion with all the Saints of God and partake both of the glory and benefit and service in their prayers charity sufferings c. of all the rest of the members of Christ's Body and of all the family of God as well that in heaven as that upon earth Eph. 3.15 Heb. 12.23 Col. 7.20 Eph. 2.19 Phil. 3.20 §. 152. The Christians Passover 5. Being the Christians Passover answering to and at the same time instituted instead of the Israelites Paschal Lamb the Christians breaking bread and cup of blessing or thanksgiving for these two are all one 1. Cor. 10.16 being like theirs then at that solemnity we giving thanks also at the celebration of it as they then for that in Aegypt for our everlasting redemption by the sprinkling upon us of the blood of the Lamb of God from Satan and the destroying Angel 1. Cor. 5.7 §. 153. Our duty of homage for the use of God's Creatures 6. The Christians Oblation of bread and wine and anciently other fruits or as now alms of money instead of them presented now upon God's table tho this charity far more punctually and plentifully observed in the primitive times being answerable to those customes under the law of bringing to the Lord at the Passover the first fruits Levit. 23.10.14.16 By which Oblation we acknowledging him the Lord and Doner of all good things and praising him for all the good works of the Creation do sanctify for the future the use of his Creatures do procure the continuance and increase of them to us See Deut. 16.19 1. Cor. 10.16 and all this only through Jesus Christ By whom being the natural Heir of all things Heb. 1.2 we now begin to have a new right our former being lost in Adam's fall to the Creatures before unclean unto us and defiled also with sin 1. Tim. 4.3 Rom. 14.14 Tit. 1.15 Psal 8.7 Luk. 11.41 but now sanctified through God's Word Prayer Thanksgiving and giving Alms of them done especially now at the Eucharist whilst to the unclean all things remain still unclean 1. Cor. 7.14 But then besides all those former benefits of the Creation these Symbols are at this time more specially set forth for a thankful remembrance unto God for the precious death of Christ and all other benefits of our Redemption 1. Cor. 3.21 comp 23. §. 154. The Symbol of our Resurrection and Immortality 7. Being the Christians Viaticum answering to the fruit of the Tree of life in Paradise and to the Manna and Rock-water in the Wilderness which were types of it 1. Cor. 10.2 3 4. 12 13. The particular nourishment instituted since our ejection out of Paradise for the prèserving of the Body and Soul unto everlasting life and for a particular pledge and assurance of our Resurrection Hence by Conc. Nicen. called Symbola Resurrectionis and hence that form used generally in the Church Custodiat animam tuam in vitam aeternam See Jo. 6.32.35.40 c. For the Son the second Adam that is a quickning Spirit 1. Cor. 15.45 hath life in himself Jo. 5.26 and therefore he that eateth him also liveth by him Jo. 6.57 §. 155. The Symbol of our Christianity 8. Being instituted for a perpetually sensible Anniversary or Memorial unto us of our Saviour's passion and donation then of himself for and also to us so to confirm our faith and hope in him and love to him and our belief of our being all united together in and amongst our selves thereby to take away all differences and encrease our love one to another As likewise for a perpetual publick external mark of the Christian profession to distinguish them from all other sects and false religions 9. Finally to summe up what is said Being the chief means worthily received of obtaining remission of sins increase of the Spirit any particular spiritual or temporal blessing or deliverances for our selves or for others All these being to be obtained only through Christ Jo. 11.46 who is in the Eucharist offered as our own to God the Father by us this given i. e. to the Father for you Luk. 22.19 And again who is in the Eucharist by the Father and by himself given to us with all the privileges that belong unto him for with him are freely given us all things else Rom. 8.29 According to the which the primitive times observed a powerful efficacy in the Sacrament for working many wonderful mercies and deliverances to God's servants Again as impetratory for mercies so this Cup of Blessing 1. Cor. 10.16 which the Priest blesseth This Cup of Salvation Psal 116.12.13.17 being the most special thanksgiving most acceptable and well pleasing
unto God for any mercies received c. God being pleased with nothing that we can render unto him but only in his Son so often iterated Matt. 3.17 17.5 12.18 and in what is offered unto him by and through and upon the Sacrifice of the Lamb of God through whom be all praise and thanks to God for ever Heb. 13.12.15 Levit. 3.5 Col. 3.17 §. 156. The danger and loss inneglecting the use of these Holy Mysteries Digr I. Of the great danger and loss of infinite benefits by neglecting the use of these holy Mysteries Numb 9.13 Act. 20.27 Which being the Holy Sacrament and instrument of the most intimate union between Christ and the Soul many times the devout Soul is replenished with an extraordinary sence and ravishing delight of this union at the time of the using them Digr Recommendation of frequentation 2. Using the help and seeking the benefit of this holy mystery upon any special occasion and with relation to some particular end As for remission of your sin for obtaining a remedy of some infirmity deliverance out of some affliction for receiving some grace and benefit for a thanksgiving for some benefit received for the helping your neighbour in some necessity for the increasing the Spirit and the love of God in you 1. Cor. 12 13. 3. Seting apart an hour or some good space of time immediately after your Communion to abide with and entertain our Lord in Prayer now entred in Person into your house and present to the Soul in so extraordinary a manner Using the acts of Mary Magdalen in lamenting your self to him and kissing his feet and attentively hearkning what then he shall say to you For this seems the least duty and observance you can pay to so divine a Guest to stay with him in your devotions and shut out all other thoughts and business for so small a season 4. Often examining your self concerning the fruits which only can be wanting by your default of your having so many times received it §. 157. The danger of using them unworthily Digr 2. Of the great danger of using them without due preparation 2. Chron. 30.20 Exod. 12.3.6 Jo. 15.5 1. Cor. 11.28 29. 1. Sam. 11.4 Matt. 22.12 Digr That the conditions and preparations required to make us partakers of the benefit of Christ's death and passion are also required to make us partakers of the benefit of this Sacrament Thus much of our diligent practising all Christian Duties whether towards God our Neighbor or our Selves Or doing good and what Actions are required of us §. 158. Of the Four Sufferings Now in the last place concerning our passive duty and suffering Evils 1. Exercising Christian Patience 1. Sanctifying with our willingness and concurrence with God's pleasure all those sufferings and judgments for our sins which we undergo upon necessity Levit. 26.41 As being all sent by God much greater than these deserved by us effective instruments and inducements to God's pardoning our former offences and averting his eternal wrath from us All redounding if it be not our fault to our further benefit and to God's greater Glory in and by us Heb. 12.11 Lastly in all ability being given us to endure according to the intenseness of the sufferings Dum auget Dolorem auget patientiam Offering them up unto God to be accepted through the more perfect sufferings of Christ This was Job's patience so much celebrated 2. Since God useth out of Evil to bring some greater good especially for those who fear and serve him when any cross and afflictive Accident happens to you considering presently what greater good may possibly come to you from it which thing will set your heart much at rest and facilitate your due correspondence with the Divine good pleasure As also the imagining that God sends every cross whoever is the instrument thereof on purpose to try your patience and behaviour in receiving it will suddenly change your anger against such instrument into thanksgiving and the practice of this virtue For indeed Crosses are great favours if well-husbanded 3. Not complaining nor bemoaning your self of them This being a lesser degree of impatience 4. Patiently undergoing any natural infirmities or defects and the shame that accompanies them according to which being not in our power God and his Angels whose praise only we ought to look after make no estimate of us but according to our virtues which by their growing out of infirmity become so much more praise-worthy Meanwhile our defects being the best preservers of humility 5. Patiently undergoing and not disquieting your self for any shame coming from some otherwise harmless deficiencies or also avoidable faults As some ignorances fooleries and incivilities undiscreet words or actions Separating as it were the shame from the defect and whilst you implore God's pardon and endeavour to redress and to prevent for the future the one accepting and thanking God and pardoning your self for the other Contrary to the custome of men who are angry at themselves only in respect of the shame not the fault or no less for the shame where they are not all faulty But know that all such anger and impatience proceeds from some degree of pride Digr Of all mens some or other infirmities which may make us more contented with our own 6. Chiefly arming your self with patience against such Crosses which no honor accompanies but shame and infamy and that with good men for honorable calamity any one can endure as disgraces contempts c either for your natural infirmities or also misdeserts Whoever hath perfectly quitted the solicitude of worldly reputation hath took away the sting of the most of mishaps 7. Not too solicitously avoiding and striving to remove afflictions incumbent both for the former considerations Numb 12.14 and also because that many times by humane wisdome avoiding one tolerable by God's judgment we fall into another worse 8. Advices concerning Sickness the most common and ordinarily the greatest and the last of all evils that happen to men §. 159. 1. For your behaviour before sickness in preparing for it Often premeditating of it which makes all Evils easier and not surprizing Often making your will and disposing of your temporals in which special care to be taken of dedicating some particular proportion thereof for the poor and setting in order your affairs in your intention at least as if you were then warned like Aaron or Moses or Hezekiah to leave the world And doing these not only That being in perfect health and use of faculties you may better perform this great duty of your stewardship in disposing more wisely of your Master's Goods for which disposal you must be called to account or That you may be eased of such a trouble in your sickness when most unfit for it and then may be wholly vacant for spiritual affairs But also undertaking it as an exercise most beneficial for quenching worldly cares Quantulumcunque ut relicturus satis habet minding you of your being a stranger here as
you may be so much the more so also hereafter for the present pre-electing sufferings even wheren no more power of doing good to others by them than without them §. 162. Digr 1. Of the Example of our Saviour and of his Saints suffering the greatest torments with all patience joy desire Digr 2. Of the many sufferings for Christianity to which the very best conditions of life are daily exposed and invited by God 2. Tim. 3.12 and that as well from enemies within the rebelling flesh as without the reproaches of the Godly the wicked world Digr 3. That the more absence of afflictions is the sign of a weaker and more pusillanimous Christian As God gives his servants strength to bear what evils he lays upon them so ordinarily laying these upon them in some proportion to the strength which he foresees in them to bear For to them that have is given till they have abundance 7. To increase your patience in and desire of sufferings §. 163. Using frequent premeditation of and making a pre-occupated acquaintance with them Quod alii patiendo leve sapiens cogitando facit 8. Often reading the sufferings of Martyrs and comparing your own with the greater calamities of some others and some of those also of the weaker Sex tender delicate Ladies flourishing in nobility youth beauty Or chiefly of your blessed Saviour and meditating often of his passion §. 164. 9. Considering That these evils serve very much for advancing 1. God's Glory in your service of him when you seem to serve him for nought nay to embrace misery that you may serve him 2. God's power and wisdome shewed most in rescuing and delivering and wonderfully out of Evil extracting unexpected good 3. The true Good of the Sufferer Rom. 8.28 §. 165. 1. In that the times of sufferances are far more innocent in respect of vice than those of prosperity And the state of sickness and infirmity than the state of health Optimi sumus cum infirmi Quem enim infirmum aut avaritia aut libido solicitat non amoribus servit non appetit honores Invidet nemini neminem despicit sermonibus malignis non attendit c. Pliny 7. l. 26. Ep. Incusare deos aut homines ejus est qui vivere velit Tacit. 2. Are far more fruitful in production of virtues best teaching you self-knowledge and humility Knowledge of the world and contempt thereof Inviting you most powerfully to the love of another world best teaching prayer and fervent devotions Tunc Deos tunc hominem esse se meminit Are the best ablutions and refinings of us from former sins and whether voluntary or necessitated the most effectual motives through the sufferings of Jesus Christ to God of pardoning them and preventing his eternal Judgments upon them Deus non bis vindicat in id ipsum 3. Are the proper season for the greater joys and consolations of the Spirit The truest enterchanges of love for we love one the more for whom we suffer as well as e converso and Dearnesses between God and the Soul even his intimatest Communications of himself unto her Ps 91.15 The greatest assurances of Salvations c are received and perceived in the times of sufferings God not usually accumulating his upon any other secular joys therefore it was a great priviledge of the disciples of our Lord by extraordinary sufferings to be admitted to partake all these See Act. 16.25 4.8 5.41 2. Cor. 4.11.16 4. Nay the very retirements from you and temporary desertions of all the consolations of the Spirit give you an occasion of so much higher reward Dum a Deo derelictus seipsum quis patienter exuit atque ita Deo propter Deum caret §. 166. 10. That the Saints Glory in the next world is proportionably greater as greater here every ones sufferings And contrarily less as here more secular content 11. Lastly That for the substance of the evil and affliction it self It hath nothing in it so terrible as apprehended that long sufferings cannot be great And great sufferings not long Great pains being either interquiescent Omnis dolor magnus interquiescit or nature by them in a short time dissolved §. 167. I. HEADS for Meditation of SINS Use some of the Meditations set down p. 187. § 114. and § 141. For discovery of your sins use some of those ways prescribed before § 77. p. 155. Then for the measuring their true guilt some of those Considerations such as most move you set down p. 1 2 c. To which add this consideration That many dying without repentance and out of God's Grace in their youth or at that age when you also were if you are not still impenitent now suffer and so must world without end Hell torments for much lesser sins than you have committed Lastly for exercising your affections and resolutions Imagine with your self what one remitted hither out of those torments from which the merciful God preserving you is all one as if he had released you had that poor wretch a new time allowed him here to make his peace would do And then do you so seriously and anxiously go about your thanksgiving for God's long suffering equivalent to a release your penances your reformation of life I say as such a frighted Soul would do O that thou may'st know in this thy day for then they shall be hid c. §. 168. II. HEADS for Meditation of SICKNESS DEATH JUDGMENT Consider 1. First the great benefit and powerful operation of this Meditation especially being urged by our Saviour and the other Scriptures as a chief motive to vigilancy and diligence in well doing For which consider those places Luk. 21.34 16.9 Matt. 24.42 c. 2.13 Mark 13.35 Deut. 32.29 Eccl. 11.9 7.2 3 4. Ps 90.12 41. 1.4 39.4 Lam. 1.9 1. Being very beneficial for weakning pride and ambition worldly cares and designs and generally all sin and inordinacy of affections Eccl. 2.21.18 19. 1. Cor. 7.29 30 31. Ecclesiasticus 7.36 Facile contemnit omnia qui cogitat se esse moriturum semper Nihil sic revocat a peccato quam frequens mortis meditatio Mors quae in malis habentur ob oculos tibi quotidie versentur sic nihil unquam humile cogitabis i. e. to do unworthy things for worldly ends nec impensè cupies quicquam Epictetus 2. Being useful for taking away the fear terrour and astonishment thereof when it come which we are sure one day must come which are much lessened by often premeditation forewarned forearm'd Ab assuetis non fit passio 2. After this imagine your self lying on your death-bed taking your leave for ever of this world and all things dear to you therein even of your own Body for a long time And 2ly Going to the place where God's justice shall assign you the day of his mercy to you being then expired and his patience and long suffering ended and our Saviour also then ceasing for you his intercessions 1. 3. Then in order to the
restored unto them Men now being translated from their former stock and becoming his seed by the derivation upon them first repenting and believing of this nature i. e. the spirit which by little and little produceth in all such the perfect image of this their second Father This spirit first working that image in the Soul in all Graces planted there like to his Secondly in the Body hereafter in all corporal glory and perfection like to his when they also like him shall be the sons of God Heirs c. He for this effect instituting two Sacraments the one of Remission and dying to our former life of sin as we were Children of the former Adam and then of our beginning to be born again and shaped after the image of the new Adam The other of our nourishment in a new life to righteousness and of our union to the second Adam §. 181. The several Relations mentioned in Scripture of our Saviour Christ to us as second Adam 1. Father Children 2. Husband Wife 3. Head Members 4. Root Branches 5. Foundation Building 6 Elder and Younger Brethren in respect of God now our common-Father In which respect our Saviour is called also the first-born the first fruits Hence all things done by him accounted to be done by us received by him to be received by us done and given to him to be given and done to us And so things done to us to be done to him So we now dead to sin Rom. 6.1 to the law Rom. 7.4 Col. 2.20 to the world i. e. the affections thereof Gal. 6.14 now risen Col. 3.1 now ascended and sitting in heavenly places Eph. 2.6 Sons of God Heirs Gal. 3.27 Matt. 25.40.45 §. 182. 7. The Holy God not admitting in his service the approach of common sinners 7. High-Priest and Intercessor but only of some chosen and consecrated person for them and in their stead and Aaron's Order who were themselves also sinners being therefore unless typically useless and unserviceable Jesus Christ was the true Priest after the perfectest Order Melchizedechical i. e. Regal and Eternal This Priest after he was first made like us in our nature that he might officiate for his brethren and in the infirmities thereof that he might be more compassionate in his Office First offering the Sacrifice a sin-offering Secondly after the entring into the true and heavenly Sanctum Sanctorum carrying in thither the sacrifice and there now sprinkling the blood thereof before the Lord and making Intercession for the sins of the people Intercession both in presenting his own prayers to the Father for us and also in presenting our prayers and oblations to the Father and in procuring our admission to present them to the Father at the Throne of Grace our selves only this always to be done in his name Thirdly By this his intercession procuring us the descent of the Holy Ghost from the Father Jo. 16.7 14.16 and all blessings spiritual and temporal which blessings himself also from the Father confers upon us as having a Priest-hood Royal in respect of which Regality as he is like Aaron a Priest so like Moses and Joshuah the Captain of God's people going before them into the celestial Canaan and their fore-runner into the place of rest Fourthly Substituting others in this office in his own necessary absence here on earth both to present here as he in heaven the same sacrifice and to make intercessions for the people Till in the consummation of all things he returning again out of the heavenly sanctuary Heb. 9.28 shall give the compleat blessing even eternal salvation unto the people when also all his brethren like him shall be made Kings and Priests and serve God for ever in his most holy Temple §. 183. 8. The son of God always the Lord and King by whom before his Incarnation God the Father created 8 King and afterward sustained and governed the whole world and more especially the Church from the beginning But man being also partly at his first Creation possessed of a dominion and partly upon his obedience through many temptations being promised yet a higher advancement and losing by his sudden dis-obedience both what he had and what he had hopes of This eternal King in pity to man and zeal to the reparing of his Fathers Glory descended from his throne divested of all his Glory and Majesty and became man of the meanest fashion and by his obedience and sufferings the way prescribed to attain it regained this Kingdome in his humane nature and so by him shall as many of Adam's Posterity as truly follow the Example he hath shewed them In which Enterprize for a reward of his great humiliation the man Christ Jesus is now advanced above all principality and power hath absolute dominion given him over all Angels good evil Men good evil over souls and bodies the living and the dead over all the Creatures and is to be the last Judge of all men brought back again into life to stand before his dreadful Tribunal Of Angels the bad and also the good for the increasing at that time of their glory for their good service to man correspondent to the increasing at that time of the torments of the evil for their mischievous endeavours against God's Creatures the great Arbitour of bliss and torments and at that time the maker of a new world Meanwhile exercising this his absolute dominion and power by certain degrees not all at once according to his infinite wisdome 1. Both in subduing his enemies where he first destroys the first Beast 2. Then the second Beast or image of the first Beast revived together with the false Prophet or Anti-Christ that is joyned with him Rev. 19.20 3. Then Satan Rev. 20.10 4. Last of all Death it self Rev. 20.14 1. Cor. 15.26 2. And in the enlarging of his dominions which he extendeth 1. To the Jew and to them in part only 2. Then to the Gentile 3. Then upon their fulness come in Rom. 11.25 to the Jews in their whole Body and so at last perfectly reigning in his members here on earth i. e. for the outward profession of the Gospel in the full harvest both of Jew and Gentile all Kingdomes or States opposing the Gospel being quite subdued After which the number of God's Elect being accomplished and just punishments and rewards at the general resurrection distributed he shall resign his Kingdome to the Father when both himself as Man and all the rest of the Sons of God shall be fully perfected by God becoming all in all 1. Cor. 15.23 §. 184. 9. Consider Lastly All these Benefits of our blessed Saviour common to all Generations the one looking forward the other backward upon them ever since the fall i. e. since the time they first needed a Saviour From which time God hath ever had a peculiar Church separate from the rest of the world Of which Church the Son of God was in all times the more special Protector Patron and
the flesh and delighteth in the severest afflicting and subduing thereof especially taketh pleasure in its Purity and Chastity and eminently opposeth all uncleanness and those risings of Concupiscence which sin first discovered in our first Parents Who also continually warreth against this world opposing the vain shews of this present life with the representation to the eye of Faith of the Glories of that to come Who also fighteth against Satan and being stronger than he hath cast him out and possessed his house from whose gracious descent upon our Saviour's ascension this evil Spirit hath suffered a great restraint of his former delusions by his Oracles being silenced and Idolatry destroyed §. 192. The Internal Intercessor and Advocate The Holy-Ghost the Paraclete our Intercessor and Advocate here on earth within us to the Father and as the Son is in heaven with God Who helpeth our Infirmities not knowing what we ought to pray for and maketh intercession within us for us with groans that cannot be uttered Who maketh intercessions according to the will of God because he knoweth the deep things of God and God that searcheth the heart knoweth the secret mind of this Spirit Who crieth in our hearts Abba Father and teacheth us to pray by which Spirit all our Prayers must be offered as they are offered through the Son that we may find any access unto the Father Who abiding here on earth with us is the effectual Reconciler and maker of our peace for any sins which we commit whether against the Father or the Son But when we sin against him also and make him depart from us we are desolate since there is no person any more left that can acceptably sue or make request for our pardon without this Spirit §. 193. The Internal Comforter The Holy-Ghost the Comforter whose Divine presence rendreth all sufferings not only supportable but pleasant that which is contrary to the flesh being so much the more grateful to the Spirit who graciously doth afford in all mortifications and sufferings sufficient ability internal peace and spiritual joy who freeing us from the former spirit of fear is the author of a lively constant hope and confidence in God whereby we always rejoyce in and long and wait for that blessed day of our Consummation and the appearance of our Saviour that so we may enter into the joy of our Lord. §. 194. The Spirit of Obsignation and Vnction The Holy-Ghost the Spirit of Vnction and Obsignation an Vnction and a nointing from the holy one whereby we are consecrated unto God as the Lord Jesus was and made Kings and Priests hereafter to reign under Him and to serve Him in his heavenly Temple who is the Seal of God upon us that we are already his adopted Sons and shall be Heirs of all his rich Promises in their due season who is the Earnest of his Covenant made with us and first fruits of the plentiful Harvest to come by whom we have now a foretast of those heavenly Gifts and of the good word and promise of God and of the power of Christ's Kingdome and of the world to come §. 195. The Spirit of Miracles and wonderful Works The Holy-Ghost the Spirit of Power and Might of all miraculous and wonderful Works over all the Creatures and over all the Works of Nature which at first he made Spiritual and Corporal over Satan and all his instruments expelling them and confining them at pleasure over all infirmities and diseases Who only doth great wonders upon the earth above and contrary to the course of Nature healeth the sick enlighteneth the blind strengthneth the lame restoreth the withered multiplyeth food raiseth the dead freeth the possessed cureth the wounded Soul and broken Spirit sanctifieth perverse inclinations to testify to men the power and presence of God amongst them §. 196. The Internal Seed of Immortality The Holy Ghost the Seed of Immortality in our corruptible Bodies and a fountain in us springing up unto eternal life By whose virtue and efficacy It being here sown in shame will hereafter spring up glorious weak shall come up in power natural shall come up spiritual and angelical Who dwelling in this our flesh will never forsake it until as it did raise the Body of Christ our Head from the Dead so it shall have raised up the Body of us his Members and until these Bodies also by the virtue of this Spirit shall ascend like unto his and be caught up in the Clouds to meet him Until this our vile Body shall be made like unto his glorious Body and until as we now bear the image of the earthly Adam so we shall bear the image of the heavenly into which we shall be changed by the Spirit of the Lord from Glory to Glory till with the Angels and Saints the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs we be all made one in God and God all in all To whom be given all Glory unto all Eternity Amen FINIS LITANIES The LITANY to the Sacred Trinity O God the Father of Heaven Have mercy on us O God the Son Redeemer of the World Have c. O God the Holy-Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son Have mercy on us O Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity three Persons and one God Have mercy on us Holy Holy Holy Lord God Omnipotent which art which wast and art to come Have mercy on us Who manifested'st thy Name I am that I am to Moses whom the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain and the whole Earth is filled with thy Majesty Have mercy on us Everlasting King Immortal Invisible who inhabitest that Light unto which no man can approach great in counsel and mighty in work and of whose wisdome there is no end Have mercy on us Who only dost great things and unsearchable marvellous things without number who workest all things according to the purpose of thy will and madest all things for thy self Have mercy on us One God and Father of us all who art above all and thro all and in us all from whom by whom and in whom are all things in whom we live and have our Being Have mercy on us Who hast disposed all things in number weight and measure who madest heaven and earth and all things therein who createdst the earth by thy power and the universe by thy wisdome Have mercy on us The Lord forming light and creating darkness making peace and creating evil in whose hands is the life of every living thing and the breath of all flesh Have c. The Lord that searchest the heart and triest the reins who quicknest the dead and callest those things that are not as if they were whose eyes are brighter than the Sun beholding all the ways of men Have mercy on us On whom the eyes of all wait and thou givest their meat in due season who openest thy hand and fillest with thy blessing every living thing Have mercy on us Who executest judgment for the oppressed who givest food to the hungry
bottome of our hearts to assist us in this our difficult and dangerous Combat which we weak and infirm creatures are to wage with the same enemy that we may manfully resist and happily overcome him thro Jesus our Lord. Amen The LITANY of all Saints O God the Father of Heaven Have mercy on us O God the Son Redeemer of the World Have c. O God the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son Have mercy on us O Sacred Trinity one God Have mercy on us Holy Mary chosen to be the Mother of God blessed among Women who art called Blessed to all Generations Pray for us O all ye holy Angels who always stand in the presence of God ready to praise and obey him and to minister for the good of men Pray for us O all ye holy Patriarchs and Prophets friends of God and lovers of Justice who with ardent desires and sighings expected the coming of the Messias and prefigured it by several Types and Prophecies Pray for us St. John Baptist the Fore-runner of the Messias and grand Exemplar of Penance Pray for us St. Joseph Husband to the Mother of God and Foster-Father of Christ Pray for us O all ye holy Apostles Evangelists and Disciples of our Lord who left all to follow him and abode with him in all temptations who were witnesses of all his actions and admitted to all his secrets Pray for us Who spread over all the earth the sound of the Gospel who were sent forth as Lambs in the midst of Wolves and being infirm and ignorant and base according to the flesh confounded the power and wisdome of the world Pray for us Who endued with power from above and strengthened by the Holy Ghost boldly professed Christ and shed your blood for him Pray for us Who rejoyced in that you were counted worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Jesus and who shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Pray for us St. Peter Prince of the Apostles who lovedst our Saviour more than the rest and to whom our Lord at his departure committed the feeding of his Sheep Pray for us St. Paul a chosen vessel Doctor of the Gentiles who labouredst more than them all Pray for us St. N. whose holy Memory and Festival we this day commemorate Pray for us St. John the Disciple beloved above the rest to whom our Saviour at his death commended his Mother who didst vindicate the Divinity of Christ and to whom were revealed things to come even to the end of the world Pray for us O all ye holy Martyrs who living godly in this world suffered Persecution and rejoyced in the Cross of our Lord who hated your own Souls in this world and preserved them to eternal life who suffered reproached and whippings bonds and imprisonments were stoned cut in peices and sundry ways tried Pray for us Who came out of great Tribulation and washed your garments in the blood of the Lamb and serve in his Temple day and night Pray for us Who neither thirst nor hunger any more neither doth any heat light upon you who follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth who leadeth you to the fountains of living water and hath wiped all tears from your eyes Pray for us St. Stephen the first Martyr of Christ whom full of the Holy Ghost thine enemies could not resist who prayedst for thy Persecutors Pray for us All holy Popes Bishops Priests Doctors and Confessors who being Souldiers for God did not intangle your selves with things of this world who were set over the Church of God by his Spirit Pray for us Who bore the heat and burthen of the day in the Vineyard of our Lord who watched over your flocks as those that were to give an account for their Souls who enlightened many in righteousness and now shine as lights in the Firmament and as stars in all Eternity Pray for us All holy Monks and Hermites who taking up your Cross followed Christ who not thinking that you had comprehended pressed on to that which was before you who bore chearfully the light burthen and easy yoke of our Lord Pray for us Who made your selves Eunuchs for the Kingdome of God who chastised your bodies and brought them into subjection who being dead to the world led a hidden life with Christ in God and who having put your hands to the Plow looked not back Pray for us All holy Virgins who imitating here the Purity of Angels now rejoyce in the perpetual enjoyment of your heavenly Bridegroom Pray for us All holy Virgins and Widows who with a constant purpose of Continency and Chastity offered up your bodies a living Sacrifice to God and now celebrate perpetual Nuptials with the Bridegroom Pray for us All holy Saints of God who strove to enter in at the strait gate which leadeth to life and took the Kingdome of Heaven by violence Pray for us Who thro many Tribulations and Persecutions have entred into the kingdome of heaven who first sought the Kingdome of God and its Justice who counted all things loss that ye might gain Christ Pray for us Who used this world as tho you used it not who being poor in Spirit merited the possession of the Kingdome of heaven who being meek and patient under injuries possess now the land of the living who hungred and thirsted after righteousness and are now satisfied with the pleasures of heaven who shewing mercy to your Neighbours have obtained abundant mercy who being clean in heart do see God Pray for us Who loving peace rejoyce now in the name and inheritance of the Sons of God who loved your enemies and did good to those that hated you who could do all things thro him that strengthened you Pray for us Who continued unto the end and therefore were saved who were inebriated with the plenty of God's house and satisfied with the torrent of his pleasure who dwell in the house of God and praise him for ever and ever who being secure of your own Salvation with abundant charity are solicitous for ours Pray for us JESU King of the Patriarchs and Light of the Prophets Master of the Apostles and Fortitude of the Martyrs The Sanctity of the Confessors and Purity of Virgins Pray for us Be merciful and spare us O Lord. Be merciful and hear us O Lord. From all evil Deliver us O Lord. By all thy Saints and Elect people Deliver us O Lord. By thy faithful servants who continually stand in thy presence by thy dearly beloved and friends who reign with thee in heaven Deliver us O Lord. By the holiness and intercession of all thine Elect by the death of thy Saints precious in thy sight Deliver us O Lord. We sinners beseech Thee to hear us O Lord. That thou wouldst make us partakers of the fellowship with all those that fear thee and keep thy commandments that we together with thy Saints may strive to enter in at the strait gate that beholding the conversation of
just judgments We sinners c. That we may chastise our bodies and bring them into subjection and that we may no more live after the flesh but by the spirit mortify the deeds thereof We sinners c. That we may voluntarily forbear the pleasures and customes of this life to the end that we may give our selves without interruption to the painful exercises of penance We sinners beseech Thee to hear us That we may bewail our sins in sackcloth and ashes and humble our Souls before thee in watchings and prayers weeping and mourning night-exercises and solitude We sinners beseech Thee to hear us That taking revenge on our selves we may break off our sins by fastings and abstain from things grateful and pleasant to our senses We sinners beseech Thee c. That we may readily expose our selves to contempt and disgrace from men thereby to take revenge upon our pride and wickedness against thee We sinners c. That to the glory of thy name and shame and confusion of our own faces we may confess our sins to the Ministers thou hast appointed that we may more easily obtain pardon from thee We sinners beseech Thee to hear us That we may freely confess to our neighbours the wrong we have done them and humbly beg pardon of them restore what we have wrongfully taken or withheld from them and make reparation for any losses thereby to escape thy just revenge upon us We sinners c. That we may freely forgive others trespasses against us or any satisfactions due from them to us whereby we may have hope that thou wilt forgive ours against thee We sinners beseech Thee to hear us That we may break off our sins by alms and our transgressions by shewing mercy to the poor that we feed the hungry cloath the naked visit the sick forgive our enemies and shew mercy to all whereby we may the more easily obtain mercy from thee We sinners c. That putting on the whole armour of God we may hereafter be able to stand against all the wiles of the Devil We sinners beseech Thee to hear us That we may bring forth fruits worthy of Penance in due season and that we may work out our Salvation with fear and trembling We sinners beseech Thee to hear us That thou wouldst be pleased to afflict and purge us here and spare us eternally hereafter We sinners c. That going with confidence unto the throne of Grace we may obtain mercy and find it in an acceptable time We sinners beseech Thee to hear us O Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the world Spare us good Lord. O Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the world Hear us good Lord. O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Have mercy upon us O Christ hear us _____ O Christ hearken to us Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy on us Lord have mercy on us Our Father c. A Psalm O Lord deal not with us according to our sins Nor reward us according to our iniquities O Lord remember not our former transgressions Let thy mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low Help us O Lord our Saviour And for the glory of thy Name deliver us and be merciful to our transgressions Cleanse us O Lord from our secret sins And keep us from other mens sins Remember not our offences O Lord nor the offences of our Fore-fathers Neither take thou vengeance on our sins Deliver not our Souls to the devouring Beast And forget not the Souls of thy poor servants for ever O Lord turn away thy face from our sins And blot out all our iniquities Restore unto us the joy of thy Salvation And establish us with thy principal Spirit O Lord hear our Prayers And let our cry come unto thee O Benigne c. Or This. O Lord correct us not in thine anger neither chastise us in thy fury We acknowledge our iniquities against our selves unto thee O Lord that thou may'st forgive the hainousness of our sins O Lord all our desire is before thee and our sighing is not hid from thee Have mercy-upon us O Lord according to thy great mercy And according to the multitude of thy mercies blot out all our transgressions Thou shalt arise O Lord and have mercy upon us for it is time to have mercy upon us yea the time is come If thou shouldst be extreme to mark what is done amiss O Lord who can stand Enter not into judgment with thy servants O Lord for in thy sight shall no flesh living be justified O Benigne c. Let us pray A Collect. MOst gracious God the Fountain of all mercy and blessing who desirest not the death of a sinner nor despisest the tears of the penitent favourably receive this our confession and effectually move our hearts to a true contrition that being pardoned the evils we have presumed to do we may be delivered from the evils we deserve to suffer and assisted by thy grace may bestow the short remainder of our days in a more perfect denial of our corrupt inclinations and more constant attendance to thy glorious promises thro our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who with Thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth one God world without end Amen A Collect. O Benigne Lord pour we beseech thee thy grace into our hearts that we restraining our sins by voluntary chastisements may rather be afflicted with some temporal sufferings than deputed to eternal punishments thro Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen LITANIES for the Sick and those that are Dying O God the Father of heaven Have mercy on us O God the Son Redeemer of the world Have c. O God the Holy Ghost Have mercy on us O Sacred Trinity one God Have mercy on us O Father of Mercies and God of all Consolation who comfortest us in all our tribulations who sufferest us not to be tempted above that which we are able to bear but with the temptation givest strength that we may be able to sustain Have mercy on us Who chastisest and scourgest those whom thou lovest who judgest and correctest us with weaknesses and sickness and death it self that we may not be condemned with the world Have mercy on us Who breathedst into man newly made after thy own Image the breath of life Have mercy on us Who madest not death nor delightest in the destruction of the living who plantedst in the midst of Paradise the Tree of life against the death of the body Have c. Who after our first Parents had contracted the guilt of death opposedst the seed of the Woman against the malice of the Serpent Have mercy upon us Who createdst Herbs growing out of the earth and innumerable other remedies for the use and necessity of man Have mercy on us Who turnest man to destruction and sayest Return ye children of men who woundest and healest strikest and bindest up with thy hand killest and makest alive
much secrecy knowing that God and his Angels see you and thus you shall seldome do amiss for according to the praise we look after God's or Men's either not the same Actions will be done by us or not after the same manner 2. Upon some Good done by you suddainly diverting any thought of receiving praise from men for it least such a thought if long dwelt on stain the Purity of your good Deeds and this Praise be your empty reward thereof and you lose your reward with God consider Matt. 6.2.5.16 Faciunt ut honorificentur ab hominibus Amen dico vobis receperunt mercedem suam Luk. 14.12 Hindring it also as not indeed due to you but to God and only by their error it is if by men given to you and if your good works are to be seen of men Matt. 5.16 yet it is that they may glorify not you on earth but your Father in Heaven Again what Praise is brought to you against your Will immediately transmitting it entire to God with a Non nobis Domine sed nomini tuo For it is certain what you do any way Good all the good thereof is not from You but from God and so the praise thereof to be transferred without your retaining it at all to the right owner the rest that is yours are only the infirmities and defects joined with it and for these you ought to blush and not desire praise but pardon of God the only Author of all Good and very free and communicative of it yet in return of Praise for it stands much upon his Right and usually suffers his Rivals that rob him of it afterward to fall shamefully See Act. 12.23 3. Silently suffering causeless Infamy and meekly accepting and offering it to God as a deserved punishment for other faults especially practising thus where Malice seems unsatisfiable and more contention only likely to arise from a defence and where a just vindication bears shew of too much self-esteem Considering our Lord's behaviour to the admiration of the Judge at his Arraignment for Seditions Treason Blasphemy Matt. 26.63 27.12.14 Who saith St. Peter 1. Pet. 2.23 when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously And the Apostles 1. Cor. 4.12 Being defamed we intreat being reviled we bless being persecuted we suffer it knowing that God sooner undertakes for those the Justification of their Innocence who for Peace-sake and out of much humility leave it wholly to him and in his good time performs it much more convincingly than themselves could Recommendation of Self Contempt 4. Chearfully entertaining any Contempt Which is a breeder of Humility in the same manner as Honor is of Pride And which contempt of secular Reputation and also of secular Contempt out of an affection to things divine that are usually much disparaged by the world keeps men steddy in Goodness and cutts off most of the Sins of Discourse much of which Discourse is directed to vain Glory and Applause to be attained only in bad things from corrupt judgments or is spent in justifying our selves against Contradictors all which our love of Contempt avoids as also it cutts off all discord hate and envy arising from emulation for Precedency and Honor when every one striving to be uppermost and quarrelling with those that obstruct it he that can be content to be below is always at rest and enjoys himself Joyfully also entertaining the being evil-entreated and evil-spoken of so it be not for evil which causlesly and patiently received with perseverance in that goodness for which you so suffer hath an exceeding reward hereafter for a small loss sustained here In such a case happy are yee saith St. Peter 1. Pet. 4.13 Count it all joy saith St. James Jam. 1.2 Jubilate exultate saith our Lord Luk. 6.23 Nor may any think themselves to stand obliged from that Text 1. Thes 5.22 To avoid all appearance of evil when to any Person good things appear evil Or obliged from that Text Col. 4.8 To do whatsoever things are of good report when the report of good is not such as it ought nor things of good report such things as are good But we are to avoid all appearance of evil when the things appearing evil are such as we may forbear i.e. are among things indifferent and we are to do all things of good report i.e. good report among the good §. 17. n. 1. 3. Of lawful sensual Pleasures 1. Forbearing sensual though lawful Pleasures 2. Avoiding at the first as much as may be any knowledge and experience of or skill in them for by this is cutt off the longing after them Digr How hardly such Pleasures can consist with Piety 3. Especially chusing rather if you can live continently a single life than Marriage To which the more to excite and encourage you §. 17. n. 2. 1. Consider The greater dignity of this than of a conjugal life For as Vncleanness is more especially opposite to Holiness than other vices See Rom. 6.19 Thes 4.7 Eph. 5.3 and hath a natural shame and guilt upon it which makes it seek privacy beyond any other Sin whatever See the shame of our first Parents upon the first appearance of Concupiscence Gen. 2.25 comp Gen. 3.10 And as there is a Purity and Holiness of the Body as well as of the Soul See 2. Cor. 7.1 1. Thes 4.4 Jud. 23. comp 8. And 2. Pet. 2.10.14 opposite to this Fornication and Vncleanness and enjoined to be observed in reference to Christ he being now the Husband of the Body and it his Spouse See 1. Cor. 6.20 compared with 13.18 c. So there seems to be a greater degree of this Purity of the Body opposite to Matrimony See 1. Cor. 7.34 and Rev. 14.4 where defilement with women is opposed to Virginity as another defilement with Harlots is opposed to Matrimony Heb. 13.14 The marriage bed is undefiled that is with Sin for this was appointed as for a means of propagation to Adam innocent so for a remedy against Fornication 1. Cor. 7.2 to man fallen and troubled with Concupiscence But the Virgins bed it seems is more undefiled more Angel-like in respect of corporeal Purity undefiled being opposed to an imperfection of Chastity Virginal as well as to the sin of Lust to the act of Concupiscence as well as to prohibited Copulations And therefore hereafter not to marry nor be given in marriage but to be like the Angels of God is reckoned as a thing more honorable for the Body Luk. 20.35 And Concupiscence one cause now of Marriage and which could it be remedied the Apostle would not advise so many to Marriage was not known by Adam when perfect and was a thing when appearing upon his fall which he was ashamed of and sought to hide as his Posterity ever since do those acts even of the lawful bed To a higher degree then of this primogeneal virginal Purity of the Body I suppose that