then in the Cloud of our Flesh now in the Clouds of Heaven then to be judged now to Judg. Note 1. Who shall come He. 2. Whence from Heaven 3. When. No time set it is certain come he shall but most uncertain when Latet ille dies ut observentur omnes 4. What to do To judge 5. Whom The quick and dead Act. 10.38.40 41. Rom. 2.16 2 Tim. 1.8 Jam. 5.9 8. Article I believe in the Holy Ghost This Article is touching the third Person in the sacred Trinity the Author of Man's Sanctification wherein we are to Note 1. The Divinity I believe in which we could not do was he not God 2. His Nature A Spirit an holy spirit 3. His Nature and Office both Holy 1. He is so The highest Holy 2. He makes us so He is Spiritus Sanctus spiritus sanctificans 1 Cor. 1 21 22. 1 Pet. 1.2 9. Article I believe there is an Holy Catholick Church which is a Communion of Saints As the other Articles were touching God and the chief works of God Creation attributed to the Father Redemption attributed to the Son Sanctification attributed to the holy Ghost So this and the following Articles are touching the People of God called a Church or the Lords People Catholick for time and place Apostolick for faith and government Holy and a Communion of Saints because sanctified in Baptism by the holy Spirit and dedicated to the service of God which is an holy service Note 1. There is a Church 2. There is but one 3. It is distinguished from other Societies by these badges or marks 1. Holy 2. Catholick 3. Apostolick 4. A Communion of Saints Ephes 4.15 1 Cor. 10.16 Heb. 10.25 1 John 1.7 Ephes 1.3 4. Ephes 2.21 Colos 1.22 Isay 54.2 Psal 87.4 Act. 1.8 Ephes 2.14 Revel 5.9 10th 11th 12th Article I believe there is a Remission of Sins Resurrection of the Body and a Life Everlasting In these last Articles are contained the priviledges and special immunities of the People of God 1. Touching the Soul Remission 2. Touching the Body Resurrection 3. Touching both Life Everlasting Amen So it is I believe Lord help my unbelief Note here once for all that a very great part of the Service-Book or Common-Prayer may be resolved into this Creed and was the Method of the Common-Prayer warily and considerately observed the Apostles Creed would need no other explication then what the Church in her Liturgick Office hath in one part or other one office or other clearly made out to our hands I am very confident the Service-Book cannot be faulty in any one thing unless it will be confest that this confession of faith according to which most of the Service is composed be faulty also 1. The Te Deum The Athanasian and the Nicene Creeds are but explications of this and the growth of heresies in the Church gave the occasion to those explications that the Members of the Church might be the better secured from the infection of them 2. The Gloria patri c. so often repeated is but a shorter confession of the Trinity which this Creed teacheth us to believe in 3. The Lord have mercy Christ have mercy c. Lord have mercy c. which is the lesser Litany used in all Divine Offices is of the same use and design 4. The greater Litany which begins O God the Father of Heaven c. is as to the first part of it the very same and those passages in it which some scruple at By the mystery of thy holy Incarnation c. is but a pathetical enumeration of all those acts and passages of our Redeemer mention'd in this Creed by which we pray for deliverance and without which our deliverance we pray for could not possibly be obtain'd 5. Many of the Collects Epistles and Gospels for the Dominicals and Festivals may be reduced to this Creed and may serve for a clear explication of it As that for Trinity-Sunday to the whole Creed The Prayer for Rain In time of dearth and Famine with many other Collects to the first Article The last Prayer but one in the Visitation of the Sick to the second Article as also many other Prayers and Collects The Collects for the Annunciation and the Nativity to the third Article The Collect for the Sunday next before Easter and the first Collect for good Friday to the fourth Article The Collect and Epistle for Easter Even The Anthems Collect Epistle and Gospel for Easter Day for Munday and Tuesday in Easter-Week for the first and second Sunday after Easter to the fifth Article The Collect Epistle and Gospel for Ascension-Day and the Collects for the Sunday after Ascension to the sixth Article The Collect for the first Sunday in Advent to the seventh Article The Collects Epistles and Gospels for Whit-Sunday Munday and Tuesday in Whitsun-Week and the second Collect for good Friday to the eighth Article The Collect for the 22th Sunday after Trinity for all the Festivals of the Apostles and Evangelists especially for all Saints to the 9th Article The Confession and Absolution at the beginning of the Service-Book the Absolution and following Collect in the Visitation of the Sick The general confession in the Office for the Communion and the Absolution together with many other Collects and Prayers to the tenth Article The most part of the Office for the Burial of the dead and many other passages in the Service-Book as the Collect for the second Sunday in Advent to the eleventh and twelfth Article Hither all the Festivals touching Christ then Apostles and Evangelists together with the Collects Epistles and Gospels proper Lessons and proper Psalmo may be reduced and may serve not only to explain every Article in the Creed but to imprint it in our memories that it may have the greater influence upon our lives So that I very much wonder that any People can be offended at the Service-Book it being of so admirable contrivance and so singularly useful would People but follow and observe as well as follow the Churches method I could easily reduce the most of it to the Lord's Prayer Apostles Creed and Ten Commandements After the Minister hath rehearsed the Articles of the Faith The sick Person is to return this Answer All this I stedfastly believe That by it the Minister may be assur'd that the sick Person believes as a Christian ought to do and so may proceed to the other part of the Office in that order as the Church directs Rubrick Then shall the Minister examine â— Note It is not enough that the sick Person declare his assent to all the Articles of Faith contained in the Creed but that his faith may appear sound and sincere and be in some sort evidenced to the Minister that so it is by the fruits and effects of it the Minister is to examine him further touching his life and conversation 1. Touching his charity without which a bare profession of faith is nothing worth Fides non
Purification of sin whereby the Blood of the Lamb of God and the death of the Messias was prefigured Levit. 14.6 7. Numb 19.6 So shall I be restored to that blessed estate from which I have so sadly fallen by my sinful miscarriages Vers 8. I am yet in a sad and most wretched condition thy wrath continuing over me sets my soul upon torture my own conscience under thee being my dreadful executioner but O be thou pacified unto me again and that shall be the most joyful news which ever came to any poor tortured suppliants ears when he is taken from the rack his bones set and he restored to ease again Vers 9. Lord pardon my sins return thy wonted favour towards me Vers 10. I have sadly fallen from my wonted purity and sincerity but O Lord by the good work of thy grace upon my heart restore me to it again renew me inwardly and throughly my thoughts as well as actions that I never fall into the least beginning of any such pollutions again Vers 11. It is just with thee to cast me from thy spiritual commerce who have resisted thy spirit it is just with thee to withdraw thy grace to which I have done such despite but O do not thus severely punish me by withdrawing that which I now more than ever stand in need of Vers 12. Without thy gracious aid and assistance I am not able to get out of this broken condition the free assistances of thy Spirit are so necessary to me that without them I cannot indeavour in the least the recovering of that purity from which I am fallen Therefore Lord restore them to me that I may be restored unto thee Vers 13. This thy exceeding mercy to me a sinner so sadly lapsed may be a means to bring wicked livers home to repentance by mine own happy success I shall encourage them to return who have fallen as sadly as any of them can have done and yet have met with mercy and many I doubt not encouraged on by my example by the assistance of thy grace will be brought home to thy service and the practise of the duties of new life Vers 14. The sin of Murder is an horrid and crying sin of a black and deep die deliver me from that so far as my conscience assures me guilty though my own hands have not been polluted with it Blessed Lord from whom all deliverance comes be pleased to deliver me from this and all other foul commissions which will be welcome news to me and make me with greatest exultation of Heart to proclaim abroad thy abundant mercies Vers 15. Thy work of grace towards me shall set my lipps wide open in praysing thee Vers 16. It is not any Hecatombe or most chargeable oblation for sin thou requirest of me for the truth is my sins are such as for which all exteriour performances afford no reconciliation Vers 17. 'T is my sincere humiliation confession and renovation which alone thou admittest and which thou art mercifully pleased to have respect to however I am in this foul condition and to look upon them as the most acceptable oblation These with an honest heart presented unto Thee will be sure to find a favourable and welcome reception Vers 18. Be merciful O Lord not to me only but to all that love and fear thy Name and meet uniformly in the place appointed for thy service Be thou a defence and succour to all such Let them be walled about with thy protection and preserve them from falling into any wilful and presumptuous sins Vers 19. For then shall all our services of Prayers and praises typified by the Legal sacrifices our solemn acts of the most ardent devotion to Thee and most diffusive charity to our brethren be accepted by Thee being upon an humble but cheerful confidence of thy acceptance presented to Thee upon the Altars of our very hearts Vid. Dr. Hammond Glory be to God the Father maker of all the World and to God the Son Redeemer of all Mankind and to God the Holy Ghost Sanctifier of the Church or all the Elect People of God Answer This was the confession of faith taken up from the first beginning of the Christian name and grounded upon Christ's own institution Matth. 28.19 therefore against all Arrians and Antitrinitarians we make confession of the same faith in the ever blessed Trinity and pray for the continuance of it to the Worlds end subjoyning our Amen of confirmation that so it is and of option that so it may continue Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Note These Versicles are of very ancient usage in the Church-Service mention'd in the Clementine Constitutions lib. 8. c. 5. c. 6. Council of Vas c. 5. Ann. Dom. 440. received both in the Eastern and Western Church called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seasonable at all times and therefore it hath a part in all our divine Offices and is set ever or for the most part before the Lord's Prayer as a fit preparative to usher it in Vid. Haman Lestrange Alliance of Divine Offices Pag. 83. Dr. Sparrow's Rational pag. 71 72 73. Our Father which art in Heaven c. Note This Prayer is Tanquam sal omnium divinorum Officiorum Upon which I have here added this Paraphrastical Prayer Preface O Lord God who art great in power rich in mercy whose glory is above the Heavens whose goodness is over all the Earth who art Almighty for in Heaven who art most merciful for our Father in Heaven so able to help us our Father so willing to hear us Lord what art not thou able to do for us who art in Heaven Lord what art not thou willing to do for us who art our Father Here we lie prostrate before Thee upon the Earth yet pressing in our affections towards the Heaven where thou art and presume not for any merit in us but for thy mercies in Christ that thou wilt deny us nothing which may do us good who vouchsafest us this to call Thee Father 1 Petit. Thou art an Holy God and delightest that all thy Worshipers should worship Thee in the beauties of holiness we desire Thee to shed thy Holy Spirit abroad in our hearts that we may perform this our bounden duty and service in an holy manner that we may lift up holy hands with holy hearts to Thee who dwellest in the Heavens Thou who art the sanctifier of all that is made holy make us to be holy as Thou art holy give us holiness in our thoughts words and actions sanctify us inwardly and outwardly in our Souls and Bodies make us holy in our lives that we may be happy at our deaths Let thy Name of Father be hallowed in us and upon us that we may in our lives and conversations walk before Thee in newness of life and as it becometh the Sons of God 2 Petit. To this end we humbly beg of Thee to sanctifie our corrupt nature and to beautifie
they are Persons who must give an account of their proficiency in the Gospel who are under their charge Heb. 13.17 I wish the Ministers were so careful of their People as to go to the Sick when they call or send for them and that the People had so much respect for the Ministers and for themselves too as to send for them upon all occasions when ever they stand in need of any spiritual aids Peace be to this House and to all that dwell in it Note This is clearly grounded upon that of our Saviour When ye come into an House salute it say peace that is all kind of prosperity be to this House Matth. 10.12 13. Luk. 10.5 6. And if there be any pious Person or Son of Peace in the house capable of so great a blessing theâ— the blessing of peace shall rest upon him if not the blessing shall return to the Minister and the party visited shall receive no advantage by the Ministers coming to him upon a design of so much charity Rubrick When he cometh into the sick Mans presence he shall say knéeling down Remember not Lord our iniquities c. Note This short Prayer is warranted from these Texts of Scripture Joel 2.17 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Act. 20.28 Psal 85.3 Answer Spare us good Lord. Note This supposes a company joyned in Prayers with the Minister and to return back Spare us good Lord in answer to the Ministers Spare thy People going before Rubrick Then the Minister shall say Let us Pray Lord have mercy c. Our Father which art in Heaven c. Note I have already often accounted for the frequent use of these in our divine Offices and therefore I shall not now say any thing of them only give me leave to insert this short Paraphrase upon the Lord's Prayer Our Father which art in Heaven O Lord God our Heavenly Father who art the giver of all goodness who art the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ by nature ours by grace and favour who dwellest in Heaven the Throne of thy Majesty the Seat of thy Glory attended by myriads of Angels ready to take Commissions from Thee in order to execute thy will and pleasure Hallowed be thy Name Send down thy grace unto us and to all People that we may glorifie thy great Name as we ought to do Let thy blessed and glorious Name be ever sanctified by us and by all that draw nigh unto Thee may we never profane it in our common talk abuse it by detestable oaths or blasphemies nor vainly make use of it in words or works professing Thee with our Lips and departing from Thee in our Lives Thy Kingdom come May the Scepter of thy Spirit so over-rule our unruly Spirits that we may worship Thee serve Thee and obey Thee as we ought to do Lord remove from us the Kingdom of thy Justice for if Thou shouldst strictly account with us no flesh could be justified bring us into Thy Kingdom of Grace that we may be comforted here and into thy Kingdom of Glory that we may be crowned hereafter Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven So long as we are to live in this Vale of misery let not our own wills but Thy will be done in us and by us in our several stations periods and conditions incline our hearts unto Thee that we may do all thy commands sincerely readily chearfully and in some proportion to what is done by the blessed Saints and glorious Angels in Heaven where there is no opposing disputing or resisting of thy will Give us this Day our daily Bread And that we may go on the more cheerfully in the discharge of our duties not taken off nor interrupted by any anxious thoughts about the things of this life We pray Thee to send us all things needful both for our Souls and Bodies the necessaries of our lives from day to day proportion'd to every Mans being or sustenance Give us the day of our life and the life of our days our daily bread victual for the nourishing of our bodies doctrinal for the reforming of our lives Sacramental for the sanctifying and saving of our Souls And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us We beseech Thee also to be merciful unto us and to forgive us our sins punish not on us those sins wherewith we have offended and provoked Thee to punish us Pardon all our sins of impiety committed against Thee of injustice and uncharitableness committed against our Neighbours of intemperance and uncleanness committed against our selves These and all other sins committed by us against thy Divine Majesty in thought word or deed we pray Thee to pardon and pass by as we forgive all who have any way or at any time trespassed against us in thought word or deed in body goods or Name And lead us not into Temptation And to these blessings of thy Mercy in pardoning what is past add that other of thy providence to preserve us for the time to come Suffer us not through our own corâ—uptions which are very many nor through the Devils malice which is very great to be brought into any temptation or snare or to be intangled in any dangers or difficulties which may not be easily supported by us But deliver us from evil But let it be thy pleasure to save and defend us in all dangers ghostly and bodily to keep us from all sin and wickedness from our ghostly enemy and from everlasting death Deliver us from the blandishments of the flesh the allurements of the World the plausible snares of the Devil From external evils internal evils eternal evils by thy grace from the evil of sin by thy mercy from the evil of punishment Good Lord deliver us For thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen These and all other blessings of thy grace goodness mercy and Majesty we trust Thou wilt bestow upon us of thy mercy and goodness through our Lord Jesus Christ For thine is the Kingdom and we doubt not but that Thou art able to remove from us all those Evils and Judgments which we have prayed to be delivered from For thine is the power Both which we beg at thy hands in order to advance and to set forth thy glory For thine is the glory To Thee therefore Father Son and Holy Ghost Three Persons and One God be ascribed in our Prayers and in our praises all honour glory power praise might majesty and dominion to both Ages the present and the future for the ever of this World which hath an end and the ever of that other World which is without end Amen Lord so be it Minister O Lord save thy Servant c. O Lord look down from Heaven c. Hear us Almighty and most merciful God and Saviour c. Note These Prayers are all prescribed and deliver'd in the very Scripture phrase so full of piety charity and devotion and so sitted to all
people as it holds a real presence of Christ's Body and Blood in the Sacrament saying The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for thee c. The Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which was shed for thee c. So it seems to shut the Door against Transubstantiation in saying Take and eat this in Remembrance c. Drink this in Remembrance c. Noting it to be a Commemoration only of his suffrings in his natural Body upon the Cross however spiritually his Body and Blood are both exhibited and participated in the Sacrament Again our Church is expresly both in her Book of Homilies and in her Articles against Transubstantiation Artic. 28. Indeed the form for administration in the late Directory did rather officiate towards the errour of Transubstantiation then the form in our Common-Prayer-Book 4. To with-hold the Cup of blessing from the People in the Lords Supper is looked upon by some as a very gross Popish errour especially by those who have neither given the Bread nor the Cup to the People for many Years together Now our Common-Prayer-Book expresly injoynes the Minister to give the Communion to the People in both kinds and our Church is urgent in one of her Articles to have it so Artic. 30. Eccles Ang. 5. To restrain the holy Scriptures from the perusal of the People is branded for Popery and that by some who have indulged so great a liberty to the People in this kind that they have abused and wrested the Scriptures to patronize Treason Rebellion Sacriledge and any gross sin whatsoever Now in our Common-Prayer-Book that Scripture which is most for edification is not only ordered to be read in the vulgar tongue but so ordered to be read and so sorted out to all the best advantages that would the People follow the Churches order and method it is not possible they should be so grosly ignorant as they are 6. To have publick Prayers in a Tongue unknown to the common People and to which they cannot understandingly say Amen is condemned for grand Popery by those who yet have devised a way of extemporary Prayer and many times in such language too that it is not possible for People safely to joyn their Amen to those Prayers which they cannot understand But the Common-Prayer sums up all lawful and necessary requests in so plain and pious formes that they may say Amen to and edifie by those Prayers if they will 7. To prohibit Marriage to Men in Holy Orders is voted grand Popery especially by those who have so much invaded the Church-maintenance that there is scarce sufficient left to maintain the Ministers in a single life wheras our Common-prayer-Book in the Office for Matrimony admits all to the holy state of Matrimony that are allowed of by the Word of God and the Church of England expresly declares the marriage of Priests to be lawful Artic. 32. 8. To indulge Marriage to Persons within the degrees prohibited by the Laws of God is accounted another branch of Popery But the Common-prayer-Book in the Matrimonial Office declares against it and so doth the Church Can. 99. 9. To tolerate the liberty of Divorce betwixt Man and Wife for more causes than the cause of Fornication is accounted Popery and yet they did both allow it and practise it who profess themselves to be the only Anti-Papists The Common-prayer now in the Matrimonial Office admits of no such thing and our Church is very cautious in so weighty a matter Can. 105 106 107. 10. To obtrude new Articles of faith upon the People which have no ground in the Word of God is complain'd of for very gross Popery especially by those who have of late years done it thrusting upon the People new Doctrines new Catechisms new Covenants which are in many things contrariant to God's Word and did it with such violence as to refuse them communion who refused to submit to these impositions Whereas our Common Prayer-Book admits of no more Articles of faith than what are contained in the ancient Creeds of the Latin and Greek Church And the Church expresly declares for them Artic. 8. and as expresly declares against any thing enforced as a matter of faith which is contrary to Gods written word Artic. 6. Artic. 20. Artic. 21. 11. The Doctrine concerning Purgatory Pardons worshiping and adoration as well of images as of Reliques and also invocation of Saints is declaimed against as very foul and intolerable Popery by those especially who made of late Years Mens lives more bitter then any Purgatory who drew People off from their subjection and allegiance to their lawful Prince and pardon'd them when they had done who defaced all Images which were only for decency and a civil remembrance with that zeal and fury as if they saw some Religion in them more then ever was intended and who were so far from the invocation of Saints that they ran fouly into the other extreme obliterating all their annual days of observance and instead of allowing them any pious and civil remembrance sordidly reviling them and disgracing so much as in them lay their very memories and names However the Common-prayer-Book and our Church teacheth them no Popery yet both may teach them more civility and moderation As for a Popish purgatory the Common-prayer is against it in the Burial Office holding the spirits of all who depart hence in the Lord to be in joy and felicity in bliss though not in their perfect consummation and bliss As for pardons and indulgencies the Common-prayer takes notice of none but only while Men are alive to beg for pardon and that of God not for the merit of any Saint but for the merits of Christ for most of the Collects conclude Through Jesus Christ our Lord. For worshiping and adoration of Images there is not one syllable in all the Common-prayer tending that way but through all the Offices our worship and adoration is terminated in God as the proper object and offred by Christ as the only Advocate Mediator and Intercessor And for invocation of Saints departed or praying to them there is no thing so irreconcilable to our Common-prayer-Book For through all the Offices of it we acknowledg no Mediator Intercessor or Advocate but Christ only indeed we honor the memorial of some known Scripture Saints by observing set days and propounding their lives as exemplary to us we praise God for their holy living here in this World Articl Eccles Anglic. 22. happy departure hence praying that our lives may be as holy and our deaths as happy but we do not pray unto them If there be any other Tenents which some are pleased to call Popery for all is Popery with some which they have not a châ—ef hand in the establishment if they fear Justifying Popery Free-will Popery Merit Popery Supererrogation Popery Satisfaction Popery or what Popery soever for they must name it I fear I have not given the names aright but if it be Popery
by him and delivered from those dangers which did encompass me I have nothing to do but to serve him in all sincerity and integrity of conversation Vers 8. For he hath rescued my life from death wiped all tears from my eyes restored me from my weakness to a perfect strength and soundness Vers 9. Therefore will I spend the remainder of my days which he shall afford me in this World in his service and at the present make my humble address to the place of God's special presence there to celebrate that mercy which he hath afforded me in so signal a deliverance Vers 10 11. When my calamities were most pressing and my dangers greatest by which I was clearly convinced that the arm of flesh was not to be trusted in for my relief yet I knew there was one sure hold to which I might hopefully and successfully resort the never failing Omnipotent hand of God therfore to that I betook my self entirely and from that I received my deliverance Vers 12 13 14. For this and for all other abundant mercies which God hath so graciously bestowed upon me I am bound up by all obligations to make my most thankful acknowledgment and to do it in the most solemn manner in the presence of the whole Congregation by way of publick Festival blessing and magnifying God's Holy Name who hath preserved my life from so great a danger and kept it as a Jewel of his own Cabinet as being by me humbly deposited with and intrusted to him And this is his gracious way of dealing not with me only but with all who truly rely and depend upon Him For which signal mercy of his I here present my self at this time to pay that gratitude and oblation of praise which if I did not promise in my danger yet am now bound up to perform after my deliverance Vers 16. O most gracious Lord how am I obliged to Thee by all the bonds that any ingagement can lay upon me No Servant bought with a price or born in a Man's house can be more closely bound to him than I am bound to Thee who hast rescued me by so great a deliverance from so great a danger Vers 17 18 19. What remains now but that I should return to Thee the humblest offrings of praise and prayer and spend my whole life as a vow'd oblation to thy service rendring Thee all possible praise in the publick Assembly and in the most solemn manner saying Blessed be the name of the Lord or Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the begining is now and ever shall be World without end Amen Vid. Dr. Hammond Or this Psalm 127. Note This or the former is left to the prudence and discretion of the Minister but the Church in both hath made so good a choice that the Minister in either cannot make an ill one Paraphrase This Psalm was composed by Solomon as a Compendium of his Ecclesiastes wherein is set down the vanity of worldly sollicitude without God's blessing as in all things else so in that of Children the greatest blessing of life Vers 1. There is no way in the World to attain any secular wealth or safety save only from the blessing of God the author and dispenser of all good things The building up of Houses and Families of gathering Riches and begetting Children to inherit them is not to be imputed to Man's sollicitude but is wholly imputable to God's blessing Unless God by his special protection guard a City all the guards of Men can do but little to the securing or preserving of it and unless God build up a Family all the industry of Men will not be successful to it Vers 2. 'T is to little purpose for Men to deny Nature that rest which God hath indulged to her to moil incessantly and to debar themselves the enjoyment of worldly comforts thinking by this means to inrich their Posterity for they who trust and depend upon their own anxious and sollicitous indeavours are generally frustrated and disappointed in their aims and ends whereas they who take God's blessing along with them thrive insensibly and become prosperous though they never loose any sleep in the pursuit of it Vers 3. And for Children that 's a particular blessing of God's from whom all increase comes and he gives them as he pleases and sees good as a present reward to the piety and other virtues of Men. Vers 4. And of all blessings this of a numerous Progeny is the greatest every Child being an addition of strength and safety to the Father Children of Youth are as arrows in the hand of a mighty Man and defend the House from Hostil Invasions as well as Weapons can Vers 5. As the Military Man guards himself with Weapons Arrows and Darts having them in a full quiver all in a readiness and prepared so the Master of a Family is fortified from Hostile Invasions and all other insolencies and molestations by the multitude and strength of his numerous Children who are in a readiness to back and defend him at all turns from injuries of any kind which the open violence or more secret fraud of Men can design against him either in the Field or in any Court of Judicature Vid. Dr. Hammond Therefore for other blessings and for these amongst the rest Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost c. Note Two more excellent Psalms could not have been selected out of the whole Book of Psalms for this Office which though not Penn'd for this particular occasion yet are most admirably fitted to it and most seasonably applied and no Church in the World is more happy for her Verba Opportuna as our Church of England is Then the Priest shall say Let us Pray Note This is like the Prophet David â—s invitatory Psal 95.1 and is frequently used in other Offices of the Service Book especially before the Lord's Prayer to shew what requests we desire more particularly to summe up in that Prayer at that time For this reason is this clause inserted into the Absolution at the begining of Morning Prayer Wherefore let us bâ—seech Him to grant us true repentance and his holy Spirit c. The meaning is that we are incited more particularly to pray for the grace of repentance and the gifts of the Spirit in the Lord's Prayer immediately following which Prayer was undoubtedly indicted by our Saviour for such a purpose or else it is set before these Three Versicles Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us which antiquity called the lesser Litany and were of very early admission into the service of the Church Clemens lib. 8. c. 5. c. 6. And fitly are they placed before â—â—e Lord's Prayer because expedient it is we implore God's mercy before we resort to him in Prayer Durand rational lib. 4. c. 12. It is an address to the blessed Trinity whereby
our debauched souls with thy grace extirpate sin that grace may be implanted break the power of sin in us bruise Satan under our feet and set up the Throne and Scepter of Jesus Christ in our hearts bring down every exalting thought and proud imagination in us to the obedience of Christ translate us out of the kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of thy dear Son Let not Sin nor Satan reign in us but let thy Son reign in us by the Scepter of his Holy Spirit May thy Kingdom of Grace come to us that we may come to thy Kingdom of Glory 3 Petit. And O Lord we desire Thee to cloath our Souls with those Divine affections that we may love the same love choose the same objects and delight in unions and holy conformities with Thee Lord so incline our hearts and affections that we may make thy providence which is the guide of the World the measure of our desires that we may be patient in all accidents and conform to thy will both in doing and in suffering that we may submit to all changes even to persecutions for thy Holy Name Make us to do thy will in the manner of Angelical obedience promptly readily cheerfully and with all our faculties as the Angels in Heaven serve Thee with concord harmony and peace so may we joyntly serve Thee here on Earth with peace and purity and love unfeigned That we may have nothing in us that may displease Thee but that quitting all our own desires and pretensions we may live in all Angelical conformity Make our Souls subject to Thee and our passions to our Souls that thy will may be done by us here on Earth as it is done by the Holy Angels in Heaven 4 Petit. And O Lord we pray Thee to give us all that is necessary for the support of our lives that portion of bread which is Day by Day needful for us we pray Thee for the poor who want it and have it not but as it is deposited in thy hand Let thy mercy O Lord ploughing the Fields of Heaven bring them in their Meat in due season we pray Thee for the rich who have it and yet may stand in need of thy blessing with it From the highest to the lowest we all wait upon Thee that thou would'st be pleased to feed us with food convenient for us We beg but for a Day that we may always have our dependance on Thee to minister to us as we need it 5 Petit. And seeing every sin entertained with a free choice and a full understanding is an obstruction to our Prayers keeping our Prayers from Thee and thy blessings from us as sinful delinquents and penitent Servants we desire Thee to pardon and forgive us all our sins not only our sins of infirmity invasion and sudden surprize which through natural weakness may adhere to most of our best actions but also our sins of a deeper dye our sins of wilfulness and wickedness Pardon O Lord what is past in thy mercy and keep us from such presumptuous sins and all other for the time to come by thy grace And when we ask forgiveness of Thee incline our hearts to discharge the obligation which thy condition of pardon hath laid upon us in forgiving one another May the indearing mercy of Thee our Father lay an engagement upon our Souls not to contrive the least revenge or entertain the least malice against our erring brethren and follow Christians who have in the least been injurious to us we implore thy mercy to forgive our grand trespasses which are talents and we beg thy grace that we may forgive petty injuries done to us which are but pence 6 Petit. And seeing O Lord we are in this World hemm'd about with many dangers and lie exposed to many afflictions as Persons placed in the midst of dangers we make our addresses to Thee the only great and most gracious deliverer humbly beseeching Thee to guard and defend us from all adversities which may happen to the Body and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the Soul Lord suffer us not to be led into temptation but if through frailty and weakness we fall into any gross sin give us the grace of repentance to rise again and work in us such a detestation of sin for the time to come that we may stand the firmer after our fall may the fear of falling with thy supporting grace be for ever after the best tenure of our standing 7 Petit. Deliver us O Lord from the evil of sin by thy grace from the evil of punishment by thy mercy From our selves O Lord deliver us from the allurements of the flesh from the temptations of the World from the suggestions of the Devil From evil men from the Men of this World from all their plots plausible snares terrible threats violent and rude armes may their power only prevail to exercise our patience but not to subvert our faith or destroy our confidence in Thee Shelter us under the covert of thy Wings against all fraud and every violence that no temptation may destroy our hopes weaken our strength alter our state or overthrow our glories this we beg for our selves for thy whole Church hear them we pray Thee for us hear us for them and thy Son Jesus Christ for us all Doxology To whom with Thee and the Holy Spirit be ascribed all honour power and glory for thine One God in Essence distinguished in Personality is the Kingdom Power and Glory now and for ever Amen So it is Lord so be it Minister O Lord save thy Servants c. Note These short Ejaculatory Prayers by way of Response for which the reason is already given in my first essay upon the Service-Book are so grave so clearly Scriptural that they are delivered in the very Scripture phrase so that I look upon it as a very needless task to put my self to any further trouble about the recommending of them to the vulgar I know rational Men are able to give a right judgment upon rational things and to acquiesce and truly for the inferiour sort of People whom I have no small value for they costing Christ as dear as the most Potent in Superiority I advise them to trust the judgment of the Church in the ordering of these external things which are not contrariant to the Word of God and assure them withall that their obedience in such matters is better than Sacrifice or any exteriour act of Religion performed meerly in a customary manner and for fashion-sake as I fear too many are guilty of Minister Let us pray Note The reason for this I have given already it is only when we are turning our selves as it were to any special part of devotion required in any special and distinct Office to be intent upon it and to make it our Hoc age O Lord we beseech thee mercifully c. O most mighty God c. Note These are for the substance Scriptur'd