Content In thy Adversity it will add affliction to affliction Superadding to thy outward troubles a misgiving Soul Besides Sin unqualifies thee for any good Duty either to God or Man If thou prayest yet the sense of Sin thou bringest with thee makes thee ungrateful to thy self and how can'st thou expect to be accepted by the Holy God In a good work the Sin thou art guilty of makes the comfort of it Insipid thy Heart tells thee There is sin in the Conscience and this makes thee asham'd to own the good that is in the Action Again will it not be a grief to the good Angels to be present and Spectators of thy Enormities will it not work a loathing and nauseousness in them and cause those chast and pure Spirits who are employ'd for thy preservation to retire themselves And will it not be a most grateful Spectacle to the envious and malignant Spirits and lay thee open to their power and malice who have gotten thee within their Territories unless God in mercy restrain them Consider the heynousness of the least Sin It is against God's Infinite Majesty and the riches of his Bounty in giving his Son for us Also against his Honor and the Love and Loyalty we profess to owe unto him for all his Goodness and Mercy and likewise against our Covenant with him the vileness of which is seen in the fearful Punishments of the Sin of Angels Adam the old World Lot's Wife Saul and so of Moses Vzzah David Josiah and chiefly that inflicted on the Son of God for our Sins Numb 20.24 Deut. 3.26 A Child of God cannot look to carry away the least Sin against Knowledge and Conscience unpunish'd without speedy submission and amendment Live alwaies as in God's presence whose Eye is ever upon thee and who may take thee away on a sudden Gen. 17.1 Job 32.22 2 Cor. 5.15 Remember thy appearance before him and account every day thy last being always prepar'd to give upthy Account Keep continually a fresh remembrance of God's great Goodness especially his chief Mercies Bodily and Spiritual Ordinary and Extraordinary Let thy great Deliverances never depart out of thy Heart say always with Joseph How can I do this and Sin against my good God Gen. 39.9 Neh. 6.11,13 Psal 103.25 116.12.16 Walk ever painfully in thy special Calling and in the Conscionable use of all the meanes of Grace Keep a perpetual memory of the former misery of Sin and Blessings of Righteousness Be resolv'd to chuse rather to endure any misery than to Sin against God as Joseph Daniel and the three Children did Dan. 1.8 Warily resist the first motions to any Sin James 1.5 Lust when it has conceiv'd brings forth Sin Achan tells Joshua by what degrees he came to finish his Sin Josh 7.21 I saw a Babylonish Garment then I coveted it and took it and it is hid in my Tent. Avoid every occasion of Sin as you would do of Infectious Diseases 1 Thes 5.22 Gen. 39.10 1 Thes 5.17 Eph. 6.18 But above all use Fervent Prayer to be kept by these Preservatives Of the Sabbath REmember the Sabbath before it come that thou may'st dispatch all thy own works in six days to attend the better upon the right Sanctification of the Sabbath Meddle not with any Recreation Pastime or Ordinary Work from Saturday night at eight of the Clock till Monday morning Isa 56.2,4,6 58.13.14 Now in thy Evening Devotions allow thy self so large a portion of time as may serve for some preparatory Meditations and Prayers and be not slight and uncertain but constant to thy set times and earnest in this work Now look into thy by-past Life and chiefly to thy walking with God the last Week be sure to set all strait between God and you examine thy self both by the Law and Gospel and see whether there be not some sin or miscarriage that lies unrepented of which may blast thy next day's performances if there be consider of it more particularly in its aggravations and nature reconcile thy self with God by Faith and Repentance and renewing thy Vows of walking more Conscionably after thou hast cleansed thy heart and hands Let thy Prayers be sutable to thy Condition beg fervently forgiveness of thy particular sins confessed and bewail'd together with Grace for the future against them and an increase of all other Graces which thou standest most in need of especially for a quiet setled composed mind that thou may'st attend with all thy Soul upon thy holy concerns and business likewise for inliven'd Affections that thou may'st not be dull and heartless but of a tender and melting Spirit for a pliable and yielding mind that thou may'st hear the Word with and render the obedience of Faith that the Lord would fix thy mind and make it serious inlighten it and open thy heart that thou may'st have a clear and right understanding that the Spirit would set in with the Preaching of the Word and make it effectual for the beating down of thy Corruptions and that it may be the power of God to the salvation of thy soul And lastly for the Minister that the Lord would teach him what he should teach the People and direct and inable him to declare the mind of God and make it manifest that utterance may be given unto him to speak boldly as he ought to speak and that God would Pardon his sins and frailties Earnestly endeavour to tast the sweetness of holy Exercises and to long for the enjoyment of God's Sabbaths that so thou may'st come to make them thy Delight Rise at least three hours before morning Sermon if it will stand with your Health and not hinder your fitness for Spiritual Exercises through drousiness afterwards When thou art up retire into thy Closet and having read two Chapters in the Bible betake thy self to Meditation and Prayer Consider with thy self what an impure Sinner thou art and into what an holy place thou goest to appear before the most Holy God who seeth thy Heart and knoweth all the Sins of thy Life tho' thou may'st have forgotten them and hateth all Impurity and Hypocrisie Now again examine thy self and Confess thy sins unto God earnestly praying for the pardon and forgiveness of them and so reconcile thy self with God in Christ and renew thy Vows to walk more Conscionably and especially pray that thou may'st have Grace to hear God's Word with profit and be inabled to Sanctify his holy Day not forgetting the Minister And after your private Prayer read another Chapter Be present with the first at all Publick Assemblies of the Church with cheerful Reverence and the greatest attention as before the Lord of the whole Earth Both to declare thy Love and Honour and for the good Example of others Be afraid of the least unseemly gesture or of being overtaken by sleep drowsiness or wandring thoughts 1 Cor. 12.12 Acts. 2.46 4.32 Joyn in with the Congregation in every publick Action according to
Rules we are to observe in our Apparel That they be for Health Honesty Comliness that we go rather with the lowest than highest of our Place and Quality That the Fashion be neither Strange Immodest Singular Ridiculous nor we the first in it That neither the making nor wearing savour of Pride Lightness Curiosity Lasciviousness Prodigality Covetousness but such as becomes Holiness Wisdom and Honesty following the Example of those of our own Rank that are most Sober and Discreet Directions for Closet Devotion And first for Reading HAving thus begun the Day that thou mayst walk with God the remainder of it it will be needful first to renew thy peace with God and then keep it To this end as soon as thou art ready if unavoidable necessity hinder not retire to thy Closet and there in a more solemn manner offer thy morning Sacrifice of Prayer and Thanksgiving according to the Command Matth. 6.6 And that these may be the better performed prepare thy self by Reading and Meditation for though these be distinct Exercises yet are they most properly joyned together since they mutually help and assist each other That day is lost whereof some time is not improved in searching Gods Holy Word those Divine Monuments other Books thou mayst turn over out of choice this thou must read out of Duty Luke 16.29 They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them And John 5.39 Search the Scriptures And Deuteronomy 31.11 Thou shalt read this Law before all Israel that they may hear it that they may learn and fear the Lord God and keep and observe all the words of this Law So also the 6. and the 61. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thy Heart and thou shalt rehearse them continually to thy Children and shalt talk of them when thou tarriest in thy House and as thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and risest up Thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand and they shall be as Frontlets between thine Eyes also thou shalt write them upon the Posts of thy House and upon thy Gates First therefore when you read this Word lift up your Heart to God for his Leave and Blessing for the Spirit of Understanding and Wisdome that your Mind may be more inlightned and your Heart more strengthen'd with Grace by it for this Word is Spiritual and contains the hidden things of God in a Mystery in which respect 't is a Sealed Book to those that have not the help of the Holy Spirit Then you read the Word aright indeed when you have the same frame of Heart as the Holy Pen-men had in the Writing of it Read the Word with Hunger and Thirst after Knowledge and growth in Grace and as the means ordained of God for this end Read it with a Reverend and Humble with a tractable and honest Heart trembling at the Judgments against Sinners rejoycing at the Promises made to the Penitent willing and resolving to obey the Commands This is the best help and Art of Memory for exceeding Joys Griefs Hatred and Desires c. do leave the deepest impressions upon us we do not soon forget the Sicknesses and Pains we have gone through and the shortest Wit can remember where he laid his Gold Compare your ways with the Word bring them to the Rule see how they and that agree be thankful for any Conformity humbled and grieved for any Failing fly to Christ to make your Peace and resolve to look better to your ways for the time to come Advise about and resolve upon the means to bring all into practice especially those Duties which are laid before thee in thy present reading Observe the very expressions of Scripture for they are very useful in Prayer and do often carry a secret Emphasis in them that will greatly comfort and affect the Heart that considers them In reading still keep Jesus in thine Eye as the End Scope and Substance of all the Scripture in whom they all are Yea and Amen Meditate on and strive to find out the meaning and mind of God in each particular Scripture and to prevent mistake and wresting of Scripture to your hurt get first a clear knowledge of the Grounds and Principles of Christian Religion and indeavour to frame your Life according to the more easie and known Scriptures Secondly Be much in hearing the Word read in Publick and Interpreted by a Learned and Faithful Minister Let not God's publick Ordinances be either condemned or neglected for the sake of Reading Prayer or any other private Duty This will rather bring a Curse than a Blessing And Lastly as above Cherish an humble and honest Heart resolved to obey when you know God's Will Joh. 7.17 If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God There is not in the World such another Book as this Book of God no Word of like Authority Holiness Wisdom true Eloquence Power and Eternity no Book that aims at Gods Glory and the Salvation of Mans Soul like this It discovers our misery by sin with the perfect Remedy it propounds perfect Happiness to us and affords the Means to attain it 'T is mighty through God to prepare for Grace 't is the immortal Seed to beget us unto Christ the Milk and strong Meat to nourish us up in him and the only Physick to recover the Soul from all Spiritual Diseases By it Christ giveth light to the Blind hearing to the Deaf speech to the Dumb strength to the Weak health to the Sick yea by it he doth cast out Devils and raise Men from the Death of Sin This is that Book alone that contains all the rich Legacies bequeath'd us by our dying Saviour 'T is his last Will and Testament Sealed with his own Blood Heb. 9.15 This is the Magna Charta or Great Statute Book of the Kingdom of Heaven containing in it all the mighty Priviledges and Immunities of Gods Children 'T is the Hammer the Fire the Sword the Plow the Seed the usual Instrument the Holy Ghost makes use of to build up pull down to plant purge and cleanse by it we have an Inheritance among them that believe and are Sanctify'd and Presented to God without spot or wrinkle In short 't is the Perfect Rule of Faith and Manners Let any Man but seriously and impartially consider the Precepts contained in the word of God he shall assuredly find the best Direction in the World for all kind of Moral and Divine Wisdom There are not in all the other Books of Morality together so sound deep certain and evident Instructions of Wisdome yet most strictly joyned with Innocency and Godliness as in this one Book Of Prayer PRayer is a Religious representing of our Will and pouring out our Hearts before God 't is the Souls Pulse and shews the state of the Heart If Spiritual Life be weak in us our Prayers will be so too We do not pray to God that
we may make known our desires to him as if he were not acquainted with them for he understands our Thoughts afar off neither that we may move him to accept and grant our desires for with him there is no Change or Shadow of turning but that we may by our Prayers obtain that of him which we believe he is willing to bestow Prayer being a necessary means both for God's Glory and our good 1 John 5.14 This is our Confidence which we have towards God that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us When therefore thou art about to pray First look into your present State and inquire how all things stand between God and you mark whatsoever occurs between your set times of Prayer the Providences of God or Sleights of Satan what sins you have committed what Graces you want and what Fresh Favours God has bestowed Tune thy Thoughts and Affections wind and Screw them up when thou comest to Duty This is that Zophar advises Job 11.13 to prepare the Heart and then to stretch forth the Hands When you are about to address your self to God in Prayer Fix your thoughts upon some particular Subject to inlarge upon There is no question if you observe your condition well but you have somtimes one errand to God somtimes another whether it be to confess some predominant Sin to beg Pardon of and Power against You may have in your Eye some Grace which you stand in more than ordinary need of and observe your own weakness and defect in Run not out into Generals only for you cannot speak to God of all things at one time but consider the Present Case of thy Soul and what business you have to go to God about at that time in a particular manner enlarge your thoughts on that Subject and follow it home till you feel your heart warm'd and affected Implore and expect the Spirit 's assistance and let thy whole heart be engaged in this work See what thou dost be according to Gods will and have a Warrant from his Word A Command is our Warrant a Promise is our Incouragement and an Example our Tract the Footsteps of the Flock wherein we must walk Improve your Advocate This is the Principal part of all our Religion and especially of Prayer to depend wholly upon the Righteousness and Intercession of Christ Jesus for access to and acceptance with God Be not slight formal and cursory in calling your Sins and Duties Cods Favours and Promises into a bare and Fruitless remembrance if the Heart be not affected with Anger Fear Grief and Shame for Sin with Joy and acknowledgment of being beholden to God for his Favours with Hope and Confidence in him in remembrance of his Promises if it be not gain'd to a new Resolution to Reform what is Faulty and to endeavour after more exactness all your preparation is nothing Nay Sin will gather Strength upon you thereby like idle Sturdy Vagrants who when brought before the Magistrate if he either say little to them or only give them threatning words but never makes them smart for their Offences they grow thereby ten times more insolent lawless Keep up Spiritual Frames out of Worship the Fire was to be kept alive upon the Altar when Sacrifices were not Offer'd from Morning till Night from Night till Morning as well a in the very time of Sacrifice One well advises to be such out of Worship as we would be in it any thing that does unhinge and discompose our Spirits is inconsistent with Religious Services which are to be perform'd with the greatest sedateness and gravity All irregular Passions disturb the Serenity of the Spirit and tho they be allay'd yet they leave the heart some while after like the Sea rolling and swelling after the Storm is ceased Ill company leaves a Tincture upon us in Worship Ephraim hath mixed himself with the People Hosea 7.8 He is a Cake not turned This will make our Hearts and Lives half Dough as well as half Baked These and the like make the Holy Spirit withdraw himself and then the Soul lies like a Wind-bound Vessel that can make no way When the Sun departs from us it carries its Beams along with it then Darkness spreads it self over the Earth and the Beasts of the Forest creep out Be much in Secret Ejaculations to God These are the purest flights of the Soul that have more of Fervor and less of Carnality As frequent sinful Acts strengthen habits of Sin so frequent Religious acts strengthen habits of Grace Excite and exercise particularly a Love to God and a Dependance on him The Soul that loves God when it has to do with him can mind nothing else during such Impression Nourish right apprehensions of God in thy mind Consider thou art drawing nigh to God the most amiable Object the best of Beings worthy of infinite Honour and the highest Affections thou canst give a God that made the World by a Word that upholds the great frame of Heaven and Earth a Majesty above the Conceptions of Angels View him in his Greatness and Goodness that your Heart may have a true value of the Worship of so great a Majesty and count it the most worthy employment to attend upon him A Fear of God will make your Worship serious a Joy in God durable your Affections will be rais'd when you represent him in the most reverential indearing and obliging Circumstances We Honour the Majesty of God when we consider him with due Reverence according to the greatness and perfection of his Works And in this Reverence of his Majesty does Worship chiefly consist Preserve a strong Sence of the Omniscience and Omnipresence of God who Judges thy inward Affections and is as really present with thee as if he were Visible Take heed of inordinate desires after the World it dulls the Word and stifles all Spiritual breathings after God in Duty Be deeply sensible of thy present wants and the supplies thou mayest have in Worship It is pardon thou desirest Apprehend then the blackness of Sin with the aggravations thereof as it respects God be deeply sensible of the want of Pardon and the worth of Mercy indeavour to get your Affections into such a frame as condemned Men would be and as you have seen some dying Men have Consider thou art now at the Throne of Gods Grace but must shortly be at the Bar of his Justice indeavour to stir up the same affections now the same fixedness and earnest Pleading for Mercy which thou mayest suppose forlorn Souls will have at Gods Tribunal If thou couldest apprehend God as an angry and offended Judge or didst see the riches of his Mercy and his glorious out-goings in the Sanctuary the blessed Doles he gives out to those that Spiritually attend upon him both the one and the other would make thee perform thy Duty humbly sincerely earnestly and affectionately waiting upon him with thy whole Soul to have Misery averted and Mercy
some unseemly behavior or other are so troublesom and vexatious that they find themselves rather Tired than Refreshed by company But doubtless these men are under a mistake for what tho' the number of Knaves and Fools of Lew'd and Vain men be greater than the accomplish'd and Virtuous yet ought we therefore to banish our selves the Society of Mankind and not rather to consort our selves with men of Worth and Virtue with such as are Pious and good whereby our minds may be confirm'd and fortifi'd For it is a most certain truth that the judgment we make of our selves is not our own but we borrow it from others and being by divers persons either by Signs or otherwise reproved for the same fault at length we are content to submit our selves to the common Opinion of all men to acknowledge our Imperfections and to frame our selves to do to leave to change to correct according to the Judgment of other Men. Our conversation among men is twofold according to which our behavior must be regulated The one is General Common and Ordinary such as our Affairs do daily lead us into we change from those we know to those we do not without our choice or consent The other is Special Affected and Desired company In both our chief care consists in these two things In the right Goverment of our Tongue and of our Behaviour First then let thy revenues be far greater than thy expence Wise Nature has given us two Ears and but one Tongue that we may hear much and speak little And commonly the weakest in understanding delight to hear themselves speak which gave occasion to the Proverbs that it is one piece of Wisdom for a man to hide his Folly That He knoweth not how to speak that knows not how to be silent For as words well utter'd shew Eloquence and Learning so silence well kept shews Prudence and Gravity A Fools voice is known by the Multitude of his words but he that refraineth his lips is wise Prov. 10.19 Eccl. 5.3 and 10.14 Words well consider'd like Money well employed tend to the profit and advantage both of him that receiveth and him that disburseth And as it is not lawful to Coyn or Pay out false Money so is it as unlawful to invent or speak what may turn to the Prejudice or Reproach of others There are three special seasons wherein a man ought to speak And in all other cases silence is to be prefer'd First when things come in question we understand perfectly well Again when such matters arise we are oblig'd to speak to And in the last place when men have a good opinion of us and in things they will willingly hear and easily give credit to us Heedfully observe those things that beautify and adorn our speech The honourable part of Talk is to give occasion and then to moderate and pass to something else to vary in our Discourse and intermingle speech of the present occasion with Arguments Tales with Reasons asking of Questions with telling of Opinions 't is a dull thing to Tire and Jade any thing too far to be too much in any thing so as to give another occasion of weariness This makes a man cheap to speak pertinently to the thing in hand and agreeably to the Person is better than Eloquence A man must avoid all those things which make his Discourse less delightful to the hearers He must not be so brief as to be obscure nor tire men with superfluous words and tedious Prefaces impertinent Circumstances and Digressions Discourse is the Image of the Thought which it ought to set forth so clearly that it may be seen and as it were touch'd with the Finger We shall find upon reflection that the delight and pleasure we feel and conceive in a Discourse proceeds either from the Images form'd by Words in our Minds or the resemblance between the Words and the Things whose Image they bear So that 't is either the truth that pleaseth us or the conformity betwixt Words and things Yet in speech we may observe some persons have so strange a force and sweetness in the delivery of their Words that altho they be neither proper nor well placed yet do so delight our Ears and Minds with their Harmony that we neither search nor desire any thing farther while other men whose Words are more pure and correct lose their force for want of a pleasing Voice in delivering A man ought therefore to be very exact in measuring the force of his Voice that he offend not other mens Ears by raw and harsh sounds And also careful to fill his Memory with proper Terms So contriving it that the Images of things and their Names be of so strict a Coherence that the Images and Expressions may present themselves together One resembles the Memory to a Printing press A Printer who has nothing but Gothick Characters let the Treatise be never so good can Print it in no other The same may be said of those whose Memories are full of nothing but improper Terms A man's Words ought to be Proper Significant and of efficacy A Gentleman ought not to make payment with Farthings and Liards using such expressions as are base and low and defil'd by the use of the Vulgar People who by turning words from their Original meaning to signifie vile and sordid things have forc'd upon them many and different Images hereby debasing and polluting them It is certain that a Sentence receives its Force and Vigor from the Reputation and Authority of the speaker the Words and Expressions by which it is utter'd and the Action and Air of the Countenance these have their peculiar Charm which strangely influence the minds of men A graceful Majesty of gesture and goverment of Face and Countenance either in Speech or Silence is of great force and effect for it gains a kind of Reputation Esteem and Reverence and where that is almost every thing becometh There is as well Eloquence of Body as of Mind and a man may Cancel the force of his Words by his Countenance But to give a more exact and sure Rule sor the Tongue If thou would'st rightly Govern it begin with the Heart The disorders of the Tongue usually proceed from the Distempers of the Heart Idle words from vanity of thoughts rashness of speech from hastiness of Spirit boasting from pride of heart Out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaketh Beg of God that he would be with thy Mouth as he was with Moses touch thy Tongue as he did Jeremy teach thee at all times what to say and put words into thy Mouth give thee the Tongue of the Learned as he did Isaiah and a door of utterance as he did Paul that he would circumcise and pare off the fore skin of thy Lips all Superfluous Foolish and vain Words that so thy Language may be pure and thy Voice sweet that no sinful idle nor rash words break forth that he would delight to use thy
may'st run through the whole Day In the next place consider your Religious Duties and carriage in them Your Calling and how you have perform'd the Duties belonging to that your Relations and carriage to them As a Husband Wife Parent Child Master Servant Your particular Corruptions and the Sins you are most inclin'd to together with your Temptations and how you have behaved your self in reference to them Your Talents whether you have wasted and mispent or improv'd and employ'd them for the end they were given Your Providences what they have been and how you have and ought to have carry'd your self under them In short whether you have lived by Faith that is have fram'd your Life according to the revealed Will of God the Object of Faith and whether you have been constant to your own Rules Having thus examin'd your self Reform that which you find amiss Rejoice or be griev'd as you find you have done well or ill and renew and confirm your peace with God committing thy Spirit Soul and Body thy Relations Name and Substance to his Tuition by Prayer and Thanksgiving who alone can keep thee in safety By this daily examination of our Selves we gain these two great Advantages First Our Repentance will hereby be more particular not only of clamorous and more crying Sins but multitudes of other particulars every branch and circumstance of every Action every Word Thought and Affection many Sins which otherwise would have been forgot will by this means be brought to remembrance and repented of by us And again when ever Death seizes us we shall have but one day of our whole Life to Account for The Christian Exercise taken out of a Learned Divine TO keep the Heart in ure with God is the highest Task of a Christian Good motions are not frequent but the constancy of good Disposition is rare and hard This work must be continual or else speedeth not If this Field be not Till'd every day it will run out into Thistles The evening is the fittest for this work when retir'd into our Selves we chearfully and constantly both look up to God and into our Hearts as we have to do with both To God in Thanksgiving then in Request It shall be therefore expedient for the Soul duly to recount to it self all the specialities of God's favour A confused thanks savours of carelesness and neither doth affect us nor win acceptance above Bethink your self then of all these External Inferior Earthly Graces and Favours That your Being Breathing Life Motion Reason is from him and that he hath given you a more noble Nature than the rest of the Creatures excellent Faculties of the Mind perfection of Senses soundness of Body competency of Estate seemliness of Condition fitness of Calling preservation from Dangers rescue out of Miseries kindness of Friends carefulness of Education honesty of Reputation liberty of Recreations quietness of Life opportunity of Well-doing protection of Angels Then rise higher to your Spiritual Favours tho here on Earth and strive to raise your Affections with your Thoughts Bless God that you were born in the light of the Gospel for your Profession of the Truth for the Honour of your Vocation for your incorporating into the Church for the priviledge of the Sacraments the free use of the Scriptures the Communion of Saints the benefit of their Prayers the aid of their Counsel the example of their Lives the pleasure of their Conversion for the beginnings of Regeneration any footsteps of Faith Hope Love Zeal Patience Humility Peace Joy for any desire of more Then let your Soul mount highest of all into her Heaven and acknowledge those Celestial Graces of her Election to Glory Redemption from shame and Death of the Intercession of our Saviour of the preparation of her place and there let her stay a while upon the Meditation of her future Joyes This done the way is made for your Requests Sue now to your God as for Grace to answer these Mercies so to see wherein you have not answer'd them From him therefore cast your Eyes down upon your self and as some careful Justice doth a suspected Felon so do you strictly examin your heart of what you have done that Day of what you should have done Inquire whether your thoughts have been sequesterd to God Strangers to the World fix'd on Heaven whether Just Charitable Lowly Pure Christian whether your Senses have been holily guided neither to let in temptations nor to let out Sins whether your Speeches have not been Offensive Vain Rash Indiscreet Unsavory Unedifying whether your Actions have been warrantable expedient comely profitable whether you have perform'd the particular Dutyes of the day in your Awaking Refreshing Calling Company Pleasures then see if you have been negligent in watching your Heart expence of your time exercises of Devotion performance of good Works resistance of temtation good use of Examples and compare your present State with your former look Jealously whether your Soul hath gain'd or lost lost ought of the heat of her Love tenderness of Conscience fear to Offend strength of Virtue gain'd more increase of Grace more assurance of Glory And when you find Alas who cannot but find either Holiness decay'd or Evil done or Good omitted cast down your Eyes strike your Breasts humble your Soul and sigh to him whom you have Offended sue for Pardon as for Life heartily yearningly injoyn your self careful amendment redouble your holy Resolutions strike hands with God in a new Covenant my soul for your safety Rules for the Night THERE 's not a moment of our time our own The Night brings it's Duties as well as the Day This is a proper Season for Meditation and Prayer as appears by the many Instances we have in Scripture Both of David Psal 42.8 The Lord will command his loving kindness in the Day-time and in the Night his Songs shall be with me and my Prayer unto the God of my life Isa 6.9 Cant. 3.1 And of the Church But 't is then especially our Duty when we are under any heavy and sore Affliction in deep Humiliation or in Suits of great Importance which we would solicite with the greatest earnestness and importunity Colos 4.2 1 Pet. 4.7 2 Sam. 12.16 Est 4.3 1 Kings 2.27 Joel 1.13 In such Cases it has been an ancient Custom for the Servants of God to abstain from their ordinary Sleep that so they might watch unto Prayer As to Dreams tho they are not much to be regarded in respect of any guess can be made by them yet we are not utterly to neglect them because we may gain thereby some knowledge of the temperature of our Body our natural dispositions and the Sins to which we are most inclin'd according to that saying The Night shall teach me what I am the Day what I should be Of Sleep IT is as impossible to give a constant and certain Rule for Sleep as to prescribe the measure of Meats and Drinks Tho we may as well
such words as may administer Grace unto the hearers to be sober in Diet wary in Disports moderate in Apparel choice in my Company and ever to practice that continual Fear which has a promise of Blessing especially watching against those Sins I am most inclined to and those Temptations that are most likely to assault me Plant in me Faith without Presumption Love without Dissimulation Fear without Infidelity Zeal without Hypocrisy Knowledge without Pride Purity without Judging Wisdom joyn'd with Simplicity Courage accompany'd with Meekness Cheerfulness with Sobriety and let every Grace be graced with Humility And be thou pleased so to bless all my Studies and Actions that they may tend to thy Glory the good of others and comfort of my own Soul in that day when I shall make my final Accompt unto thee for them O my God keep thy Servant that I do no Evil unto any man this Day and suffer neither the Devil nor his wicked Angels nor any of his evil Members or my malicious Enemies to have any Power to do me any hurt or violence But defend me from the Power Malice and Multitude of them all both in my going out and coming in with the impregnable defence of thy Providence and Guard of thy holy Angels whom thou hast said should to this end pitch their Tents about those that fear thy Name For into thy Hands I do here O Father commend my Soul Body and all that I have to be guided and protected by thee being assured That whatsoever thou takest into thy Custody cannot suffer any harm seeing thou Rulest all things to thine own Glory and the greatest good of thy Children and because thou hast assured me that thus begging I shall receive that I may set forth thy Glory whereunto I do here bind my self And if at any time I shall this day forget thee my God I beseeh thee do thou in mercy remember me and suffer not Sin to swallow me up or grow strong upon me lest I perish And now may it please thee to receive at the hands of me thy unworthy Servant this my Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving for all thy Mercies both for my Being and Well-being for the Means of Grace and Hopes of Glory c. By thee at first I was fearfully and wonderfully made thou did'st cover me in my Mothers Womb and gavest me the shape of a Man when it was free for thee to have equalled me with the basest Creatures Thou hast made me Perfect in shape and not a Monster Sensible and of understanding not a Fool Thou didst preserve me in the Womb nourish'd me when I hung upon the Breasts provided means of Education fitted me for an honest Employment and compassed me with many particular Mercies which others want That I am now alive that Satan has not had his will upon me that I know the way and the means unto a better Life that I have been protected and refreshed the night past when for the Sins of the Day thou mightest justly in the dead of sleep have called for my Soul and that I have daily access unto thy glorious Presence Whence are all these but from the freedom of thy Grace If thou shouldest have given me my desert I should have perished long ago Father I defire to remember with a thankful heart all thy Mercies at any time bestowed upon me or continued to me My Health Peace Liberty Maintenance Credit Fellowship Success in my Affairs Preservation from Dangers delivery from Troubles Recovery out of Sickness Consolation in Afflictions c. But above all for the magnifying thy Mercy to me in the great work of Redemption and Salvation by Jesus Christ for thy Christ thy Spirit thy Word thy Sacraments thy Sabbaths and the Assemblies of thy Saints with all the helps of Example Instruction Admonition and Fatherly Correction by which thou hast indeavour'd to farther me in the way of my Salvation yea tho' my provocations have been so many and so grievous yet thy Compassions fail not but are renew'd every Morning For all those Testimonies of thy Bounty thy Pity thy Patience towards me I do according to my poverty offer up unto thee the Calves of my Lips confessing thy Goodness and the Due Service of my Soul and Body as a Living and reasonable Sacrifice And now O Lord I come unto thee in behalf of thy whole Church and chosen People and of all my Brethren wheresoever they live upon the Face of the whole Earth Defend them from the rage and Tyranny of the Devil the World and Antichrist give thy Gospel a free and a joyful Passage through the World for the Conversion of those that belong unto thy Kingdom Judge Babylon and Redeem Sion in thy appointed time Call the uncalled and perfect the called raise up the Fallen strengthen the Weak heal the Sick relieve the Needy and Distressed release such as are in Restraint comfort them that are Comfortless either in Body or Mind especially such as mourn for Sin Strengthen the Hands and Hearts of them that stand in the just defence of Religion and Right and confound every Adversary and Antichristian Power and Policy Especially be favourable to all such a suffer any Trouble or Persecution for the Testimony of thy Truth and holy Gospel support them under and give them a gracious deliverance out of all their Troubles which way it shall seem best to thy Wisdom for the Glory of thy Name the further inlarging of thy Truth and the increase of their Comfort and Consolation Give me a compassionate fellow feeling of the Miseries others suffer and prepare me for the day of Trial. Bless with all sutable Mercies this particular Church forgive the publick Sins heal the publick Calamities and Diseases Bless thy Servant Charles our Sovereign adorn him with all Princely Graces answerable to his high Estate especially with a Spirit of Government Prosper the work of the Gospel and make thy Word to grow by the labours of those thou hast appointed to the Service of the Church give them Sufficiency Fidelity and Success in thy Business Increase Wisdom in our Counsellors and stir up Magistrates and men in Authority to seek the advancement of thy Glory and good of thy People contain the Subjects in their due obedience to Authority bring to naught all Tumultuous and Rebellious Practices Visit all my Kindred Relations and acquaintances and all that are committed to my charge and whosoever may claim an interest in this Duty at my hands with such Blessings as they need Reward a thousand fold all who have shown any kindness to thy Servant forgive and have mercy upon all my Enemies and let not one of them ever fare the worse for any wrong done unto me Finally both to my self and all that desire to fear thy Name grant all the Blessings of Mercy and Peace in Jesus Christ to whom with thee O Father and the Eternal Spirit be all Honor Obedience and Thanksgiving throughout all Generations Amen Our