my head and my Trespass is grown up even unto Heaven All the thoughts and imaginations of my heart have been Evil and only Evil and that continually I have wrought many and great provocations in thy sight especially O Lord c. Here enumerate thy old capital Sins and that in the mosâ— provoking manner They have not been only single but repeated acts of sin for O Lord of this black Cataloguâ— which I have now brought forth before thee how few are there which I have not often times committed nay which are not become even habitual and customary unto me And to this frequency I have added both agreediness and obstinacy in sinning turning into my course as the Horse rusheth into the Battel doing evil with both hands earnestly yea hating to be reformed and casting thy words behind me quenching thy Spirit within me which testified against me to turn me from my evil ways and frustrating all those outward means whether of Judgment or Mercy which thou hast used to draw me to thy self Nay O Lord even my Repentances may be numbred amongst my greatest Sins they have sometimes been feigned and hppocritical always so slight and ineffectual that they have brought forh no Fruit in amendment of Life but I have still return'd with the Dog to his vomit and the Sow to the mire again and have added the breach of many resolutions and vows both at thy Table and in private to all my former Guilts Yea O Lord I desire to confess to my own shame and confusion that since the last time that I humbled my self in thy sight and so solemnly vowed and purposed to forsake every Sin and not to regard any iniquity in my heart I have returned unto the same if not worse Sins than I then came to confess before thee and to beg pardon at thy hands for for my thoughts O Lord have been vain c. Here enumerate the sins My Words have been inconsiderate c. my Actions have been unweighed c. And besides all this O Lord I have still the same proneness to that which is evil aversness and obstinacy towards what is good I have still an impenitent hard heart which is not sufficiently mollified with the sense of my Sins or thy wrath due unto me for them O God! God be merciful to me a Sinner yea I know not how often I have offended O cleanse cleanse thou me from my secret faults Thus thus O Lord am I become out of measure sinful and since I have thus chosen death I am most worthy to take part in it even in the second death the lake of Fire and Brimstone which burneth for evermore This this O Lord is in Justice to be the portion of my Cup to me belongs nothing but shame and confusion of face and that eternally But to thee O Lord God belongeth mercy and forgiveness though I have â—â—belled against thee O remember not my Sins and Offences but according to thy mercy think thou upon me O Lord for thy goodness Thou sentest thy Son to seek and to save that which was lost be hold O Lord I have gone astray like a Sheep that is lost O seek thy servant and bring me back again to the Shepherd and Bishop of my Soul Let thy Spirit work in me a hearty sense and detestation of all my abominations that true contrition of heart which thou hast promised not to despise And then be thou pleased to look upon me in mercy to take away all my iniquity and to receive me graciously into thy favour and for his sake who hath done nothing amiss be thou reconciled to me who have done nothing well Wash away the guilt of all my Sins in his Blood bury them so deep in his grave and hide them in his Wounds that they may never rise up in Judgment against me either here to shame me or hereafter to condemn me and subdue the power of them by his grace and grant O Lord that I may from this hour bid a final adieu to all Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts that I may never once more cast a look toward Sodom or long after the Flesh Pots of Egypt but consecrate my self intirely to thee to serve thee in righteousness and true holiness all the days of my life reckoning my self to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our blessed Lord and Saviour Amen After this go on with your Devotions and pray over the One and fiftieth Psalm HAve mercy upon me O God after thy great goodness according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences Wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sins For I acknowledg my faults and my sin is ever before me Against thee thee only have I sinned and done these Evils in thy sight that thou mightest be justified in thy saying and clear when thou art judged Behold I was shapen in Wickedness and in sin hath my Mother conceived me But lo thou requirest Truth in the inward parts and shalt make me to understand Wisdom secretly Thou shalt purge we with Hysop and I shall be clean thou shalt wash me and I shall be whither than Snow Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Turn thy face from my sins and put out all my misdeeds Make me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me O take away this stony this hard heart of mine and give me a heart of flesh O give me the comfort of thy help again and stablish me with thy free Spirit Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked and sinners shall be converted unto thee Deliver me from blood-guiltiness O God thou that art the God of my health and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousness Thou shalt open my lips O Lord and my mouth shall shew thy praise For thou desirest no Sacrifice else would I give it thee but thou delightest not in burnt Offering The Sacrifice of God is a troubled Spirit a broken and contrite Heart O God shalt thou not despise O be savourable and gracious unto Sion build thou the Walls of Jerusalem Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of Righteousness with the burnt Offerings and Oblations then shall they offer Young Bullocks upon thine Altar 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 Conclude your Penitentials with the following Collects ALmighty and everlasting God who hatest nothing that thou hast made and do'st forgive the sins of all them that are penitent create and make in me a new and contrite heart that I worthily lamenting my sins and acknowledging my wretchedness may obtain of thee the God of all mercy perfect remission and forgiveness through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen O
nothing but what comes from the ground of the Heart is accepted by him and that only the Fervent Prayer is effectual and prevails with him how great need you have of those things you ask and that for ought you know this may be the last time you may have an opportunity of putting up any Petition unto him Then draw near unto God in Faith and in Humility in a sense of his great Majesty and thy own Wretchedness and Misery In the entrance to thy Prayer earnestly desire the Assistance of Gods Holy Spirit and have a care to keep out all vain and wandring thoughts In the close of thy Prayer remember to give God thanks for that gracious opportunity vouchsafed thee for that strength of Body and Assistance of his Holy Spirit which he hath been pleased to afford thee in the performance of thy Duty and desire him for the continuation of the same Mercies to pardon the Frailties and Imperfections of thy Holy Duties and to do more abundantly for thee than thou art able to ask or think c. This being done prepare thy self for thy Bed unless thou art Major Domo Master of a Family and then call thy Family together read unto them or cause them to read a Chapter or two and afterwards Pray with them and be not unmindful to adapt thy Prayers as near as thou canst to their as well as thy own particular wants and necessities which by having an eye over them thou mayst without any great difficulty observe and know As thou art putting off thy Cloaths Meditate that it will not be long before thou put off thy Body also Beg of God therefore by Ejaculation that when this Earthly Tabernacle of thy Body shall be dissolv'd thou mayst have a building with God not made with hands but Eternal in the Heavens and that when thy Body shall lie down in its Bed of Darkness thy Soul may pass into the Regions of Light and dwell with God for ever more through Jesus Christ Amen After thou art in Bed use these or the like short Prayers or Ejaculations I will remember thee in my Bed I will think upon thee in the Night Season At Midnight will I give thanks to â—hee because of thy Righteous Judgments O Lord deliver me from the place works and spirits of Darkness O Let â—e not walk in the Night of Sin lest I â—umble and fall In the midst of Darkâ—ess and the shadow of Death O Lord â—e thou my Light Give thy Holy Angels charge over â—e to keep me in all thy ways and be â—hou O blessed Saviour unto me both 〈◊〉 life and death advantage I will lay me down in Peace and â—ake my rest for thou Lord only makest â—e dwell in fafety Consider and bear me O Lord my â—od Lighten mine Eyes that I sleep â—ot in Death Into thy hands I commend my Spirit â—oul and Body for thou hast redeemed â—â—em O Lord thou God of Truth Glory be to the Father and to the â—on and to the Holy Ghost As it was 〈◊〉 the beginning is now and ever sha◠〈◊〉 c. If any time remains before sleep seizeth on thee you cannot do better than to spend it in Meditation of some portion of that Scripture which you before read If you awake in the Night fill up the Chasms and Intervals with short Prayers Ejaculations or Meditations upon the four last things Death Judgment Heaven and Hell So shalt thou sleep and awake with God Prov. 3.24 yea thy sleep shall be sweet and no dangers of the Night or Spirits of Darkness shall terrifie thee So shalt thou be in a continual epectation of the coming of thy dearest Lord that if he call for thee at Morning or at Evening at Midnight or at Mid-day at the third or fourth Watch thou wilt be found prepared for his coming thou wilt lay thy head down in the dusâ— with joy rest in hope and at length rise to a glorious Immortality which will make an ample Compensation for these thy pains and services Of a Private Fast and Directions for it FAsting in its Definition I take to be nothing else but an abstaining from our lawful Food upon a Religious account which although it be no where in Scripture injoyn'd simply for its own sake yet if we consider the many advantages of it in order to the benefit of our Souls we shall not think the Commands of the Church and the Practice of the Primitive Christians too severe and inimitable The Jews fasted twice every Week sc Tuesdays and Thursdays concerning which is the boast of the Pharisee Luke 18.12 and the Christians have not come behind them and the Sabbath being for good Reasons altered they have observed Wednesdays and Fridays for a Religious Fast which days are taken notice of by Tertullian and called Dies Stationarii But alas we that now live in this profligate and degenerate Age are so far from following the steps of pious Antiquity or the Commands of our Holy Mother the Church that if we set apart a Day for this purpose once in a quarter shall I say before the Sacrament or a year rather we think we have sufficiently deny'd our selves and discharg'd our Duty But certainly did we seriously consider and put a due estimate upon the great Emoluments and Advantages of this Holy exercise we should not be so remiss and negligent in it which I shall in the next place give you a taste of 1. And first of all Fasting is very instrumental to all Acts of Devotion for seeing there is so near an affinity between the Soul and the Body the former using the Organs of the latter for its Operations and for the most part follows the Temperament of it it cannot be when the Body is stuff'd even to Satiety and clog'd with a Load of indigested Humours that the Soul should be so active and vigorous as at other times and mount with those Wings of Devotion with that Zeal and Affection towards Heaven as when it is freed from that Burthen which still presses it down to the Earth And if there were no other reason to be given for it every good Christian's own Experience will sufficiently evince the Truth of the Assertion 2. Fasting is very instrumental in order to our humilation for Sins past and subduing of Lusts for the future Such is the misery of Mankind That whilst we are driven by an indispensable necessity to Eating and Drinking that we may support our frail Beings we also by the same Act cherish and foment our Vices Our Flesh is apt to be too rebellious and we find a Law in our Members constantly warring against the Law of our Minds and leading us Captive at will Now fasting is the Soul's Physick and there is no better way to tame this Monstrous Panther than by substracting that Pabulum which nourishes and feeds it This course Holy David took he wept and chastened himself with Fasting and many of God's Children imitate his Example
of every prayer say an hearty Amen a Custom which our times which pretend to so much zeal hath quite laid aside not following our Saviours example Matth. 6.13 who placed it at the end of his own Prayer nor the commands of the Apostles 1 Corinth 14.16 Be very attentive to the Absolution and when the Minister pronounceth those Words And hath given power and commandment to his Ministers to declare and pronounce to his people being penitent the absolution and remission of their sins He pardoneth c. Do thou thus ejaculate O Lord confirm now I beseech thee this power unto thy Servant Do thou ratifie and establish in Heaven what thy Servant doth now on Earth Amen even Amen Lord Jesus Make your alternate responses with an audible voice and still bear your part in the Doxology Glory be to the Father c. Do not slubber over your Devotions but regard the manner as well as the matter pray with fervency and that for others in any Sickness or Affliction as well as for thy self and as if thou wert in the same condition thou wouldest desire them to do for thee sing and praise God with the Spirit Attend unto the Word of God read and preached with all diligence and carefulness and as unto the Word of God and not of Man Suffer not thy Eyes to rove and wander or any vain thoughts to enter within thee to choke the good Word and to that end fix thy eyes constantly on the Minister and what things are profitable for instruction revolve often in thy mind that thou mayest remember them or if thou be so disposed write down the Sermon Shew respect to the Place and Ordinance by keeping thy head uncovered 〈◊〉 never knew any take Cold in the Church Depart not from God's House without the final Blessing which receive according to the primitive manner upon thy knees and rise not till thou hast made his short prayer BLessed be thy Holy name O Lord for all thy mercies chiefly for this thy gracious opportunity O Lord accept of my weak and imperfect Services pardon their frailties and imperfections Sanctifie unto me all thy Ordinances and continue such thy mercies unto me for Jesus Christ his sake Amen As soon as thou returnest from the Church retire into thy Closet offer up a short prayer of thanksgiving again unto God praising him for his mercies and desiring him to sanctifie unto thee that good Word thou hast heard that it may bring forth Fruit in thee to the amendment of Life that so it may in the end prove to be the Savour of Life unto Life and not of Death unto Death that he will bring again to thy rememberance what profitable Instructions thou hast heard and write them in thy mind and by the power of his Grace dispose thy Soul to a constant obedience of them Then if thou hast omitted to do it before commit to Writing what mos◠practical Lessons thou hast been taught Then receive the good Creatures provided for thee with chearfulness and thankfulness yet keeping a more strict Watc◠over thy self than on other days tha◠thou be not guilty of vain idle an◠worldly discourse Eat moderately 〈◊〉 as not to make thy self dull or drowsie in the remaining Duties of the day but so that thou may'st return unto them with greater cheerfulness and gladness of heart After a little Parenthesis or Breathing betake thy self again to thy Retirement and offer up thy Meridian Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving as well for the Refreshments of thy Body as the Soul and desire God to go with thee again into his House and to be present with thee by the Assistances of his Holy Spirit in the remaining Duties of the day c. Then call thy Family together make each read a Chapter and read thy self unto them out of some good Book or explain those places of Scripture they have read or if thou art not able to do it thy self make use of an Expositor When the time calls thee again to the Church repair there with cheerfulness holy Meditations and Ejaculations behaving thy self there as directed for the Forenoon When thou returnest home again give Thanks meditate on what thou hast heard and consider whether nothing particular to thy condition hath proceeded out of the Ministers mouth which hath been the effect of thy former Prayer if so give God thanks that he hath heard thy Prayer and be sure to make particular Application of it to thy self Spend not the residue of the day as too many loose and profane persons do either in Recreations or Pastimes or which is worse at the Taverns and Ale-houses but either in Reading Medicating holy Conference Visiting the Sick praying either with them or in private for them especially for any who have that day desired the Charity of the Publick Prayers pray also for those Graces thou seest thy self to stand in most need of as Faith Hope Chastity Temperance Patience Charity Preseverance c. After Supper call thy whole Family together examine each person what they have learn'd that day and make them give thee an account Encourage those that have done wcll and reprehend those that have been faulty If they have not been Catechiz'd at the Church Catechize them at home and instruct them in the Principles of Faith and other their Duties Spend an hour or more in repeating the Sermons reading to them out of the Bible or some Practical Author or causing them to read and then conclude with a Psalm Then you may with-draw and suffer your Family to do so too for a little while that both your self and they may have time to meditate on what hath been read or taught Examine now your own Conscience impartially concerning the Sins of Omission and Commission of the day and of the Mercies received both Spiritual and Temporal that so you may beg pardon for the former and render praises for the latter Then offer up your private Evening Devotions which being done prepare your self for publick Prayer in your Family by Meditation not only of the subject Matter of your Petitions but even of the most accomodated Expressions especially if you do not pray by a Form and if you do you may before-hand consider of a convenient place to insert such Petitions as either the extraordinary occasions of the day or the particular necessities of any of your Family require which you should be watchful over to understand Then close the duties of this day with your publick Family Prayers in which you may find a place also to insert a Repetition of some profitable Truths that you have learned from the Minister You may pray against that Vice that hath been condemned or for that Grace which hath been commended and desire God to write his Law in your inward parts and to give you all Grace to practise it in your Lives and Conversations Pray to God also for the pardon of your Frailties and Imperfections in the discharge of your holy Duties
Temptation can come thence or if we could come to it those pleasures now would have no gusts or relish The Flesh cannot tempt us for that is now refined and purifi'd from all Corruptions and vain Desires we are now so confirmed in our State of Happiness that God himself with reverence do I speak it cannot alter or change it to all Eternity Reflections upon Heaven and the Joys thereof AND now O my Soul Is Heaven such a glorious place Are the joys thereof so transcendant so satisfactory and so permanent without any fear of Diminution or Mutation Then this should teach thee to use all possible diligence that thou may'st in the end attain them and think no pain care or trouble too great for their Acquisition This is the Pearl of great price for which if thou sell all to purchase it thou wilt be a great gainer This is the Vnum necessarium the only thing necessary thy all that thou hast to do in this World 2. Is Heaven such a glorious Place and are there such Joys and Priviledges reserved for blessed Souls Then wo is me that I must remain in Meshech and have my habitation among the tents of Kedar I cannot but say with Elias I am weary of my life and with Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace with St. Paul I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is far better than to abide in this Baca of Tears and Wilderness of Fears for there all Tears shall be wiped away from mine Eys I shall cease to sorrow cease to grieve cease to sin If the poor deluded Mahometans can rejoyce at the expectation of a feigned sensual Paradise If a pooâ— Heathen could desire to die Cicero de Somn. Scipion. because he had hopes of conversing after death with such Heroick Spirits as Socrates Aristides Scipio c. â—ow much more should all true Christiâ—ns who have far greater hopes and firm assurance of the enjoyment of a real spiritual Paradise of conversing with Saints and Angels with our blessed Reâ—eemer nay God himself rejoyce to â—hink of that day and cry out with holy David Oh that I had Wings like a Dove for then would I fly away and be â—t rest My Soul is athirst for God yea â—ven for the living God when shall I â—ome to appear before the presence of God For one day in thy Courts is better â—han a thousand I had rather be a Door-keeper in the House of my God than â—o dwell in the Tents of Wickedness Thou art my Helper and my Redeemer O Lord make no long tarrying 3. Is Heaven such a glorious Place And are there such joys and pleasures at Gods right hand Then this discovers unto me the madness and extream folly of the World who put so high a value â—nd estimate upon the pitiful contemptible empty things of this Life as riches â—onours pleasures and the like which we either lose living or leave dying without securing themselves of that Heaven and those Joys which are far above all value and comparison What a deal of toil and trouble do Men take for that Meat which perisheth And neglect that which endureth to everlasting Life How eagerly do Men gape after Riches rise early and late take rest endeavouring by all unlawful as well as lawful means to inlarge their Possessions to add Field to Field and House to House till there be no more place and neglect the true Riches Yet musâ— at last be content with a mouthful oâ— Earth whom many Mannors did noâ— content in life How do Men prefer aâ— little outward pomp and grandeur oâ— a fading title of Honour before the Ornaments of a meek and humble Spirit before the honour of being Gods Children here and of being admitted into his presence to raign with him for ever How do Men greedily hunt after and court the unsatisfactory yea troublesome pleasures of this vain World 〈◊〉 which are but momentany and aspire not to those which are at Gods righâ— hand for evermore O my Soul come not thou into their secret to their Assembly be not thou united 4. Is Heaven such a glorious Place 〈◊〉 Do the joys thereof so far transcend all â—umane Conceptions and Imaginations Then this should teach thee O my Soul â—o be content with whatever coarse Enâ—ertainment thou shalt meet withal in â—hy way thither be it poverty sickâ—ess disgrace disappointment losses â—r the greatest temporal Evil or Calamiâ—y that may befal thee Consider that Heaven will make amends for all O how great is the goodness which thou hast laid â—p for them that fear thee All the Afâ—lictions thou canst meet with here will â—ccompany thee no farther than the Grave and that is but a little way a â—hort time at most but a moment with respect to Eternity Those light Afflictions which are but for a moment work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Those may not retard thy motion neither for commonly they rather acceâ—erate the course they work for us where as too much prosperity slackens â—logs us and works against us makes us apt to set up our rest on this side Jordan and never long for a better for a more heavenly Canaan If we come to a Friends House where we are well accommodated and have all things according to our desire we are inclined to stay longer than at first we designed and are very difficultly drawn thence but if we meet with bad Accommodation and unwelcome Entertainment we care not how soon we are gone and presentâ—y bethink us of our home where we shall have all things at our desire This World is but our passage our way not our home Heaven is our home our abiding our resting place and we can never be well accommodated till we arrive there We have many difficulties to pass through before we come to our Journeys end and then we may sit down and rejoyce Et olim haec meminisse juvabit and then it will be pleasant and delightful to reflect upon our past dangers Here I am in a state of Bondage I shall then enjoy perfect Freedom and Liberty yea the Liberty of the Children of God I cannot here attend one minute to thy service without distraction there I shall be free and find no interruption O bring my Soul out of Prison that I may give thanks unto thy Name and together with Angels and Arch-Angels and all the company of Heaven laud and magnifie thy glorious Name evermore praising thee and saying Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts Heaven and Earth are full of thy Glory Glory be to thee O Lord most high Amen JOB 16.24 When a few years are come then shall I go the way whence I shall not return THere is not a more powerful Argument to reclaim a Sinner from the wickedness of his ways or to incourage a holy man in the prosecution of Piety and Goodness than the frequent Meditation of Death When a wicked