yea even for the living God When shall I come and appear before God My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Truly my soul waiteth upon God from him cometh my Salvation He only is my Rock and Salvation my soul wait thou only upon God For my expectation is from him he only is my Rock and my Salvation He is my defence I shall not be moved In God is my Salvation and my Glory the Rock of my strength and my refuge is in God Trust in him at all times pour out your heart before him He is our refuge O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no water is To see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Because thy loving kindness is better than life my lips shall praise thee Thus will I bless thee while I live I will lift up my hands in thy name My Soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips I will praise God in the great Congregations I will enter into thy gates with thanksgiving and into thy Courts with praise Open to me the gates of Righteousness I will go into them and I will praise the Lord. This is the day that the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it Give Israel thine Oracles and fill Zion with thine unspeakable Glory O magnifie the Lord our God and fall down before his footstool for he is holy O worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness O come let us fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker In thy fear do I worship thee in this thy holy Temple desiring to praise thee in the great Congregation before much people Here O Lord in the beauty of Holiness I approach to worship thee among thy Saints in the great Assembly I adore thine infinite Bounty that notwithstanding all my sins thou permittest me to tread thy Courts to attend thy Majesty in thy holy Temple For I have profaned thy Sabbaths Defiled thy Sanctuary Polluted thine holy Ordinances Dishonoured my Profession Been cold in my Prayers Dull in my Praises Careless and censorious in my Hearing Extreamly negligent in my Meditation Miserably distracted in all So that I have deserved a curse rather than a blessing from thee But O merciful Father Tender and compassionate Lord. Jesus my Saviour Most blessed and holy Spirit By thy Grace I return unto my heart and with all my heart I return unto thee Hear O Lord and have mercy upon me Pardon all my sins and let them not hinder the ascending of my prayers and praises unto thee nor the descending of thy mercies and graces now upon me My Soul breaketh for the longing it hath to thy Judgments The Law of thy mouth is dearer unto me than thousands of Gold and Silver Thy Testimonies are my delight and my counsellers O now in the accepted time make them so to thy servant Open thou mine eyes that I may see the wonderful things of thy law Make me to understand the way of thy precepts Order my steps in thy Word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me Teach me thy way O God and I will walk in thy paths O knit my heart fast unto thee that I may fear thy name It is my joy to see these Temples erected in the Land To see all Nations adoring and offering prayers and praises unto thee O that thou wouldst fill my heart with all the love of all the Souls that ever were are or shall be that I might offer it up now unto thee with all the love of Angels and glorified Saints for thou hast shewed more mercy to me than to them For I have offended thee more than all Give me therefore the love and obedience of them all to offer it up now unto thee Amen Devotions in the Church O Most holy God who art glorious in Holiness fearful in praises doing wonders give me great and dreadful apprehensions of thee that all the words of my mouth and thoughts of my heart may now and ever be acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer Bless all thine holy Ordinances at this time and at all times unto me Give me understanding in thy Word both read and preached Grant that it may be so mixt with faith and obedience that it may be the savour of life unto life to me and to every one here before thee and not the savour of death unto death Direct I beseech thee and assist thy Minister that he may rightly divide and utter thy Word that what in his Studies he hath conceived and composed of thy holy Oracles he may now powerfully preach to thy Glory Fill him with the Holy Ghost that he by thy Spirit may minister grace to the Hearers Make him to speak Knowledg and Instruction to the ignorant Comfort to the afflicted Terror to the profane That he may melt the hard hearted and make the proud to tremble at thy Word Lord enable him to correct all my errors to search out and eradicat all all my sins And then and not till then let him speak peace to my Conscience So guide the sword of the Spirit in his hand that it may meet with and smite all our corruptions and bosom sins who are now before thee known or unknown to us but all known to thee discover them all by this thy holy Minister that we may be purged purified and cleansed before thee Endue me and all that are here with wisdom to understand thy Word With serious attention to it With holy veneration of it With love and delight in it With all obedience to it And give us the grace of perfect amendment by it O let thy word drop as heavenly dew upon me and make my barren heart fruitful in the fruits of the same What I beg for my self I beg for all thy people for all my friends in special for all mankind in general and for all thine all the world over humbly beseeching thee to make thine holy Ordinances profitable unto all Amen After Church I Praise and magnifie thy great and Glorious Name that notwithstanding all my sins and great unworthinesses thou hast again admitted me into thy Holy Temple to make my prayers and supplications unto thee and to offer up my Praises in the Songs of Zion to thy great and Glorious Name I humbly thank thee for thy most holy Word read and Preached That Treasury of thy Graces That dispensation of thy Mercies That word of Life and Comfort That Helmet and Shield of Salvation Make it to have mighty operation upon me Let it make a deep impression in me Write it in my heart Record it in my Memory Make it familiar pleasant and present to my understanding The only subject of my Study And the sole object of my Love Let it
daily by it Grant me by the same spirit therefore to have a right Judgment in all things that I may both perceive and know what I have to do and have grace and power to fulfill the same Give me I beseech thee all the gifts and graces of thy holy Spirit Give me the spirit of wisdom to be sober wise and considerate in all things Give me the spirit of understanding to be quick clear and distinctive in my Apprehensions to distinguish between truth and falshood good and evil Give me the spirit of counsel to consult thy holy will and pleasure before I act any thing Make me meekly to receive all good counsel and prudently to give it Give me the spirit of ghostly strength that I may be modestly confident and impregnably couragious in thy service Give me the spirit of knowledg to know all thy revealed will to me and all my bounden duty to thee that so neither thy Law nor my duty thy mercy nor my sin may ever lie undiscerned in my Soul Give me I beseech thee the spirit of piety that I may ever be devoted unto thee And O my Saviour give me above all things thy holy filial fear that I may never more dare to offend thee Deliver me therefore I humbly beseech thee from all rashness inadvertency and inconsideration From a perverse confused unstable Understanding From refusing Counsel or neglecting to give it From ignorance of thy Will and my duty From all confidence of my self or diffidence in thee From all impiety and profaneness From casting off thy holy fear thereby growing bold or careless in offending And now dearest Lord having implored the gifts of thy holy Spirit and deprecated those evils that oppose it I humbly beg of thy divine Majesty the fruits of thy holy Spirit also that by finding those within me I may know thy holy Spirit rules and governs me Give me dear Lord I beseech thee an universal love make me to love thee for thy self my friend in thee and mine enemy for thee Give me joy in thee in thy works in thy ways in thy Laws in thy Saints and Servants in all the friends and blessings which I enjoy Give me O Prince of peace peace with thee my self my friends and enemies Give me patience in all my sufferings mercy to all who offend me or need my mercy Give me meekness in my heart words and behaviour in all to all Give me a true and irreprovable faith Give me modesty in all disputations shamefac'dness amidst all commendations sobriety in the midst of plenty that I never abuse thy bounty And with these give me I beseech thee the four Cardinal Virtues Prudence to govern me Justice to direct me Fortitude to discharge my duty Temperance to be moderate in all things Make me ever mindful Of Death to be prepared for it Of Heaven to desire it Of Judgment to dread it Of Hell to be deliver'd from it O keep me in with bit and bridle when I stick not close unto thee Make me to delight in the Assembly of the faithful to be among them that the holy Spirit which thou didst send upon thine Apostles may descend upon me even me also O my Lord compell I beseech thee my dearest N.N. to come in unto thee Make him to see the felicity of thy chosen Give him a taste and relish of all these Gifts and Graces of thy holy Spirit that he also may be filled with those unspeakable joys which they feel and find who spend their days and hours spirits souls and forces in knowing loving and obeying thee Give me the whole armor of God that I may resist all evil and persist in doing all good O give me the spirit of Grace and Supplication that these and all my other prayers may be acceptable to thee blessed to me and graciously answered for thy mercy sake Amen A Prayer to the Holy Ghost out of St. Augustine O Love of the Divine Power the holy Communication of the Omnipotent Lord and Father and of the most blessed Son come down even now I beseech thee by thy powerful Virtue into my Soul and get into all the corners of my heart and by thy splendor clearly illuminate all the darkness thereof Let thy gracious Visitation and abundant dew make my Soul fruitful in all good works pierce the most retired parts of mine inward man with the keen piercing darts of thy love enflame me with thy holy fires feed me with delicious Viands replenish me with thy Coelestial Graces Give me so to drink of the torrents of thy delights that I may have no taste of vain or sinful pleasures Come O thou comforter of all sorrowful Souls come thou comforter of the weak and strength of the strong come thou supporter of the falling and thou lifter up of the faln come thou cleanser of our sins and curer of our wounds Come thou teacher of the Meek and destroyer of the Proud Come O thou hope of the Poor and reviver of those that faint Come propitious Star of such as sail and haven against Shipwrack Come thou stay and comfort of those that live and thou only hope of all those that die Have mercy upon me have mercy upon me and make me fit for thy self and abide in me for ever And that thou mayst abide with me I do again beg of thee the fear of the Lord because this fear is Beautified by Wisdom Informed by Understanding Directed by Counsel Strengthened by courage Filled with Knowledg And crowned with Piety As this fear advanceth our knowledg so our knowledg brings us to this fear Therefore O thou only spirit of Wisdom give me this knowledg that I may always have this fear Such a fear as may make me wise unto Salvation Give me wisdom to understand thy Word Open mine eyes to see the wondrous things of thy Law Enlighten my Understanding to find out the hidden and glorious treasures thereof Fill me with the love of it With all delight in it Inspire me to meditate humbly of it Make me in every reading or hearing of it to profit by it and in all things to be obedient to it Amen Dearest Lord and most blessed Saviour give me I beseech thee such grace in meditating such divine light in understanding thy sacred sufferings in thy passion for me That by faith I may believe in thee and depend upon thy Merits therein By love feel thy sufferings be crucified to the world and be transformed into thee Make me willing to suffer any thing for thee Enable me to imitate thee in all thy imitable perfections and virtues which thou hast exemplified to me in this thy sacred Passion Give me the vast extensive love which thou didst shew to Almighty God in thy obedience to his Will and satisfaction of his Justice Give me that great Zeal of Souls which thou hadst even to die for their good especially their Coversion as thou didst for their Salvation Give me O Lord I beseech thee thy
to do O give me the Image of thy Soul and let the same mind be in me that was in Christ Jesus both towards thine Eternal Father and towards all thy Creatures Let me despise all the vanities which thou didst contemn that I may enter into thy Joys and live in Communion with thee for ever Amen A Prayer upon the Day of Pentecost O Lord my Light my Life and Confidence my Love and my only Happiness I place my whole hope and trust in thee I now expect from thine infinite Bounty thy Holy Spirit which thou hast promised in thy mercy O send out thy Light and thy Truth unto me Thy Word is Truth thy Spirit is Truth thou O God art the God of Truth Inspire me with thy Truth and make me to know the Truth embrace love live in the Truth believe and speak the Truth serve obey and praise thee in Truth now and for evermore O blessed Jesus all the Treasures and Joys thou gavest us in thy Birth all the Mercies and mysteries of thy Life all the Benefits of thy Death and Passion all the Victories and Joys of thy Resurrection all the Triumphs and places thou givest us in thy Ascension all the advantages of thy Session and Intercession are lockt up and seal'd in this promise of sending the Holy Ghost Till he unlock and open these Treasuries to us till he illuminate us in and fit us for them till he reveal and apply them to us we cannot enjoy them O send thy Spirit then into us and seal all thy Mercies by him upon us now and evermore Amen Confession of Sin out of Bishop Andrews I Confess O Lord that I was shapen in wickedness and in sin hath my Mother conceived me That I was brought forth in uncleanness That I am a root of bitterness A wild Vine of Sodom A branch of the wild Olive A child of wrath a vessel of dishonour My heart is rebellious like a starting bow My throat an open sepulchre venting folly My lips so polluted that my tongue talketh nothing but vanity Mine eyes and my tongue uncircumcised I have a forehead of brass and a neck of iron My hand slow to do good and my feet swift to do evil I have sin'd against thee O Lord and trespassed in thy sight not fearing thy Majesty My sins are in quantity large of long continuance from my Mothers womb deep heavy like a burden like lead reaching to Heaven with their cry Many in number like the Starrs More than the hairs of my head or the sands of the Sea oftentimes reiterated as a fountain casting out waters till they become as a habit as red as scarlet and crimson For I am sold under sin I sin till they become natural to me like the Aethiopian's skin and the Leopards spots In quality sins as strong as cords and cart-ropes gaining nothing therby For a handful of Barley and a little Bread Committing sin with greediness sin upon sin with impudence not being ashamed knowing it to be sin Giving offence thereby unthankfully like the dog to the vomit Like the Sow to the mire Therefore O Lord because thou art just and thy Judgments true I do or may reap the fruit of my foolishness For what fruit have I in those things whereof I am now ashamed My days are consumed in vanity and my years in the bitterness of my Soul and now there is no health in me because of thy displeasure nor any rest by reason of my sin My Heart trembleth also for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy Judgments I feel bitterness beyond the bitterness of death for ever forsaking thee or being forsaken by thee Wo unto me rebellious wretch for so doing by which I become so vile I loath and abhor my self I have roar'd for the very disquietness of my heart And what shall I now say or how shall I open my mouth What shall I answer seeing I have done these things Miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death When I have not what I can farther say or do this only remaineth this is my last refuge that I direct mine eyes unto thee Out of the deep have I cried unto thee O Lord Lord hear my vâ—ice If thou Lord shouldst be extream to mark what is done amiss who may abide it Enter not into Judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Wherefore O Lord I appeal from thee unto thee From thee a just Judg to thee a merciful Father From the Throne of thy Justice to the seat of thy Mercy O Lord be pleased to admit of this appeal if thou do not I perish and carest thou not that I perish who wouldst have all to be saved and none to perish I am thine O save me Despise not the works of thine own hands who hatest nothing that thou hast made I am thy servant the Son of thine handmaid I am called by thy name I am the price of thy Blood O spare thy workmanship spare thy child Thy name the price of thy Son's Blood But I am a sinner and God beareth with sinners be pleased to bear with me and remember of what I am made Remember that I am but dust Frail flesh light wind loose dust and wilt not thou O Lord break a leaf driven to and fro by the wind wilt thou pursue dry stubble Behold O Lord though I have sinned I humble my self before thee Spare the humble and contrite David spared Shimei that railed on him and David was a man after thine own heart therefore do thou spare me Ahab forgave the King of Assyria his offences upon his humiliation Was there ever King of Israel so merciful as thou art Thou therefore whose very nature is to have mercy have mercy upon me spare me and be not angry with thy servant for ever but for the sake of Jesus Christ turn away thy wrath from me and be reconciled to me Accept the sacrifice of a contrite heart and grieved Soul a wounded spirit a troubled conscience pity me and spare me though I have so grievously sin'd against thee It hath ever been thy practice to be merciful They trusted and were not confounded Thy Mercies have been ever of old When I look at the Generations of old I see never any trusted in thee and was confounded and thou never didst despise those that called upon thee Remember thy word unto thy servant in which thou hast caused me to hope Thou hast blessed the man that trusteth in thee my whole trust is in thee let me never be confounded Thy Mercies O Lord are comfortable better than life many plentiful and tender superabundant wonderful and infinite preventing us following us compassing us pardoning iniquity transgression and â—…n Thou art the Father of Mercies Thou sparest when we deserve punishment and in thy wrath thinkâ—… upon mercy Gently correcting in the midst of wrath remembring mercy It being of thy mercy that we
amend my Life Carry me through all Difficulties And assure unto me by a lively faith and obedience an interest in all thy mercies I praise thee for the comforts of this day in this visible Solemnity For the service of thy Ministers For thy gracious provisions both of learning and maintenance for them For the honour they do unto thee and the service they do unto us For the excellencies of thy Laws and the explications of them by their Ministry And for all the promises of thy holy Gospel O blessed Jesus I praise and magnifie thy name for being the Author of my Joys The Captain of our Salvation The Author and Finisher of our faith Go on I beseech thee to bless and prosper these good works begun in me That I may grow from Grace to Grace and from strength to strength till I appear before God in Glory Lord pardon the iniquity that I have been guilty of even in these holy things Let thy good Spirit bring to my remembrance the good things I have heard and enable me to reduce them all to practice Continue this glorious light of the Gospel to us Give a blessing to the labours of all holy learned painful Ministers Provide graciously for them Give great success and comfort to them and make us all thankful for the graces communicated by them Obedient unto thee true faithful sincere servants unto thee Let us not be Christians in word but in deed Let our zeal to thee be constant Our love infinite And our service indefatigable Let our love to thee be known by our love to one another O let this love be without dissimulation Let all the good things we have learnt this day be exprest in our lives and conversations Amen Look upon Sion the City of our Solemnity thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet Habitation a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down not one of the stakes thereof shall be removed neither shal any of the cords thereof be broken But there the Glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad Rivers and Screams wherein shall go no Galleys with Oars c. For the Lord is our Judg the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King He will save us The ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Sion with songs and everlasting Joy upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladness and sighing and sorrow shall flee away DEVOTIONS comprising all our Duties O Lord hear my prayer and let my cry come unto thee I praise thee O Lord for all thy righteous Laws and Commandments I beseech thee give me sincere obedience to them and accept thy Sons obedience for all my transgressions of them I praise thee for thy Creed and for thy holy Gospel I beseech thee give me an understanding and practical faith therein I praise thee for the excellency and fulness of the Lords-Prayer As thou hast given me a rule to pray give me the spirit of prayer to pray by that rule that I may praise thee abundantly for the Lords prayer I praise thee for causing me to be born in a Reformed Church As thou hast graciously placed me in a true Christian Reformed Church give me grace to live according to the Holy Doctrines taught me therein To be a true Reformed Christian in thy true reformed Church And as thou hast commanded me to hear and obey thy Church give me true obedience to her in thee and for thee I praise thee for all the Festivals and Sabbaths of thy Church Give me grace to keep the Holy-days and Festivals appointed with a clear understanding of the Mysteries commemorated in them Give me a sensible feeling of thy mercies in them Unfeigned thankfulness for them Serious meditation and application of them In Union and Communion with thy Saints In imitation of all my Saviours virtues treading in the steps of all thy servants that are gone before us Give me grace also to keep all the Fasting-days appointed with abstinence and penitence with great devotion due Contrition Liberality to the Poor pardon of my Enemies love to all men careful examination of my Conscience and conscionable care to amend my life that for these also I may magnifie thy holy Name I praise thee for all the Order and Decency where-with thou makest the place of thy feet Glorious Make me to observe all the Ecclesiastical Ceremonies and Customs established with understanding and benefit obedience and unity love and conformity without frowardness or contradiction Give me grace to repair to thy Temple as often as I can to delight in thy Worship and to worship thee in the Beauty of Holiness Make me the better for every opportunity thou givest me there Suffer me never to be absent upon any sinful or vain idle or lazy accompt In all my addresses enable me to serve thee acceptably Pray unto thee servently Praise thee heartily Hear thy Word diligently Practise it conscionably O my God I especially praise thee for the benefit of thy holy Sacraments Make me I beseech thee thankfully and reverently frequently and desirously to come to thy Holy Table In memory of thy Passion In thankfulness for thy Mercies For the increase of Virtues and Graces For the extinguishing of all my Vices For the averting of thy Judgments For the obtaining of thy Relief in all my Necessities That I may live more and more in Union and Communion with thee Give thy Gospel and Sacraments free passage among us and let not our sins provoke thee to remove that glorious Light and these saving means of Grace from us Make us mindful of our Vows in Baptism and of our renewed Vows in the Eucharist Give us grace to perform them all Give me grace to serve thee with a true and strong faith a firm hope and perfect love In Fasting Prayers and Alms-deeds For since I have offended thee in Body Soul and Estate I desire to sacrifice all unto thee my Body in Fasting my Soul in Prayer my Estate in Alms. Give me grace I beseech thee To instruct the Ignorant with plainness To correct Offenders with mildness To counsel the Doubtful with prudence To comfort the Afflicted with tenderness To suffer Injuries with patience To forgive Offences heartily To pray for others zealously To my power give me grace to feed the Hungry to refresh the thirsty to cloth the Naked to harbour the Needy to visit and help the Sick to minister to Prisoners and if need be to bury the dead Give me the graces and the blessings of the eight Beatitudes To be poor in Spirit that I may inherit the Kingdom of Heaven To Mourn that I may be comforted To be Meek that I may inherit the Earth So to hunger and thirst after Righteousness that I may be filled To be merciful that I may obtain mercy To be pure in Heart that I may see God To be a Peace-maker that I may be the child of God So to suffer Persecution for Righteousness sake that my reward may be
of the Righteous for all holy and humble men of heart Those Incarnate Cherubims Inflamed Seraphims Strong Powers against Devils Principalities in the midst of contumelies Dominions reigning over all enticements Those Virtues in a miraculous life Those Angels of the Churches and Arch-Angels who by close Communion with thee illuminate and encourage us to serve thee For Ananias Azarias and Misael their courage and miraculous deliverance I praise bless and magnifie thy Name for ever Saying Glory be to the Father c. Thanksgivings for all Persons and Times BLessed art thou O Lord God who sustainest all things by the word of thy Power For by thine Ordinance all things are and do continue Thou givest us Rain and fruitful Seasons and fillest our Hearts with food and gladness With admirable Wisdom didst thou create and dost still govern all things But above all I admire thy Wisdom Power and Goodness shewed unto Man Thou madest him of the mould of the Earth and didst breath into his Nostrils the breath of Life Thou didst honour him and create him after thine own Image giving him a capacious Soul sound Judgment clear Understanding ready Apprehension useful Memory clear Reason a ready and obedient Will so that with these faculties we can by thy Divine aid walk at large in the liberty of our thoughts into all the Regions of Heaven and Earth see thee in all times and before all time in that Eternity wherein thou didst live before Time began to be and in that Eternity also which shall be when Time shall be no more By these powers and faculties of our immortal Souls we can see thee also by thy divine Illumination In all thy works of Grace In thy Government of all Ages And in that most stupendious work of Redemption promised in the beginning and performed in the fulness of time for our Salvation O Lord our God how excellent is thy name in all the World It is thou who givest us well order'd Passions sound Sences Health of Body strength of Limbs and useful Members Thou givest us peace of Mind and tranquillity of Spirit by which only we can happily enjoy thee and all things in thee It is thou alone who givest thine Angels charge over us to keep us from falls fractures of Bones Dislocations Epidemical and noisome Diseases from the hands of the violent and wicked man Having placed Man in Paradise when he fell from thee even then thou didst not despise him but didst open the gate of Life in the promised seed unto him Thou didst write thy Laws in his Heart and instruct him in the service of Sacrifices Strengthen our faith by the Oracles of the Prophets Enliven our Hearts with the Melody of the Psalms Teach us by the Wisdom of the Proverbs Evidently point out the coming of thy Son by Types and Figures And at last recompence all their long waitings and expectations by sending him unto us Who took our nature upon him and sanctified it in his Incarnation Birth and Life Redeemed us by his Death and Passion Quickened us by his Resurrection Exalted us by his Ascension Intercedeth for us in his Session at the right hand of the Father Sent down his holy Spirit for our Illumination Sanctification and hope of Glory O blessed be thy Name for giving this Lord of Life and this Son of thy Love unto us For thy glorious Gospel Evangelizing him For the prospect and benefit of his Life and Death It is thou most holy Father who with thine only Son freely givest us all things By thee Kings reign and Princes decree Justice Thou instructest all our Rulers and teachest our Senators wisdom Thou givest us Pastors after thine own heart to fill us with the knowledg of thee and feed us with true faith and obedience unto thee Thou bringest down our hearts for sin so that we sometimes fall before our enemies and there is none to help us Again upon our Repentance thou raisest us up and breakest our bonds in sunder For it is thou who castest our cords from us Thou dost not leave us in the hardness of our hearts but givest us preventing grace with which if we co-operate O how sweet and heavenly are the glorious effects thereof Then we feel compunction for our sins shame of them hearty indignation against them and our selves for them then the sense of thy Love of thy Mercies and of our moâ—t base and vile ingrateful abuse of thy mercies throws down all the strong holds of sin in us and fortifies us against them Nay sometimes thou dost send thy grace so forcibly upon us that thou dost even compell us to come in unto thee Though thou delightest O thou lover of men to see thy Voluntary goodness shine in our Souls O would we draw nigh unto thee with what infinite joy dost thou draw nigh unto us But thou wilt not always force us because thou desirest a free obedience and lovest to save us in the best of all possible manners The glory of a sinner voluntarily returning being greater than that of Adams Innocence and causing greater joy in Heaven then there is over ninety and nine just persons that need no repentance Blessed magnified highly exalted and honoured be thy Name for putting such a power into our hands of turning unto thee such desires into our Hearts such powerful workings in our Souls that every true penitent is always turning more and more unto thee ever moving to thee and aspiring after thee till by thy grace he be wholly throughly and effectually turned unto thee Finding no true satisfaction but in thee no rest no comfort no peace but in thee Thus by degrees dost thou wean us from the world and wed us unto thee Till at last we are fully accepted pardoned and in Jesus Christ justified and by thy Spirit wholly united unto thee So thirsting for and drinking in thy grace that at last thou givest us full satisfaction in all thy Glories Dearest Lord it is thine own self that workest all our works in us And therefore well mayest thou require all good works from us Thou makest that good ours which first was thine That so in us thy whole goodness might shine For thou alone enablest us to do good and to resist evil Thou teachest us how to abound without abusing thy mercy and how to want without repining at thy justice Thou dost help us to overcome yet crownest us for overcoming O wonder of Mercy miracle of Grace It is thou only dost comfort us in our sorrows support us in our trials and take care of our welfare in all estates Thou givest us Songs in the night of affliction and victory in the day of temptation It is only thou canst qualifie our turbulent tempestuous spirits and give us calmness and serenity therein Who could make our impatient natures contented in the midst of all the storms and tempests of a raging world but only thou It is thou alone dost establish our fickle hearts and fix them fast on
For the Musick of our Songs and Praises For the Harmony and unity of our Versicles and Responsals For our strong loud powerful Cries to importune thy mercy For our soft silent dropping Tears to move thy pity For our Regeneration in Baptism Our Renovation in the Eucharist Our daily growth and comfort in the means of Grace For our comforts and increase of grace in the Seals of Salvation For the Infallibility of thy Holy Word For thy Judgments denounced therein to keep us from sinning For thy saving promises to keep us from despairing For thy Righteous Laws Glorious Attributes wonderful works and all the ways of thy divine Providence making our faith and dependance strong in thee I praise thee for the great delight of the Mosaical part of thy Word shewing us thy Wonders Laws and Ordinances enrich'd with thy second Covenant which was believ'd and depended on by all the Holy Patriarchs I praise thee for the Historical part of thy Word declaring to us thy Wisdom Power and Providence in the Oecumenical Government of thy Church and People both under Judges and Kings making Monarchy to succeed Aristocracy because far exceeding it I praise thee for the History and Patience of Job For the Poetical part of thy Word In the Melody of the Psalms The Instructions of the Proverbs The mirrour of Vanity The transporting Raptures of the Canticles The melting Lamentations for our Sins and thy Judgments I praise thee for the stupendious Prophetical part of thy Word whereby we are filled with wonder at the mysteriousness of thy Prophecies and raised to exultation in seeing their Accomplishments And for all those heights and depths not yet revealed but still obscure is thy Wisdom Power and Majesty to be reverenc'd By which springs of Glory thou hast made all our fresh springs to arise in thee But if in thy Law and Prophets thy Gospel lay concealed how glorious in thy Gospel that brings us a Saviour by whom thy Law is fulfilled and thy Prophecies revealed I praise thee therefore with intense and fervent praises for thy glorious Gospel above all which brings us the tydings of a Saviour sent from Heaven to redeem and restore lost undone and faln man I praise thee exaltedly most holy Father for my dear and blessed Saviour For his Miraculous Incarnation Joyful Birth sharp Circumcision Glorious Epiphany painful and concealed life till his Baptism I praise thee for his Prophetical Office then taken and executed in his Sermons of Salvation excellent precepts gracious Promises Miracles Prophesies and works of mercy For all his hard Labours Travels on foot Watchings Tears Fastings Prayers and humble life of pain and poverty for our example and encouragement therein For his Priestly Office in his Life-giving and all-saving death wherein he sacrificed himself for the Sins of the whole World and even for me as if there had been no other I praise thee for his Kingly Office manifested in his Almighty Resurrection Triumphant Ascension Regal Session at the right hand of God and his Intercession for us For the glorious descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost For the blessed presence residence and assistance of the same spirit upon thy holy Church throughout all Ages For the knowledg of an Incomprehensible Trinity in an undivided Unity thy Name be blessed and praised for evermore I praise thee also for the Glorious Acts of the Holy Apostles For the propagation of thy Church by them For the riches of Wisdom and the sacred Mysteries that lie hid in their Epistles The Humility of their Lives Their courage and patience in suffering Their Charity in forgiving Their powerful declamation against Vice Their practice of Virtue Thy spirit of truth in all And for that Map of the Coelestial Canaan in the all-bright and glorious Revelation thy name be blessed and praised both now and for evermore Amen I praise thee also for the successful Ministry of thy Word in all Ages since For the Learning of the Fathers The Holiness of their Lives Their zealous Devotions For the Tears Watchings and Prayers of all Christians For their patience in suffering and courage manifested in the Primitive Times For thy saving truth shining more or less in all times For the excellent Preaching of thy Word in our times For the co-operation of thy Spirit with it To the awakening of our seared Consciences The melting of our hard Hearts To the dividing between the Soul and Spirit the Heart and Reins For the discovery of our Sins The quickening of our Spirits The fear of thy Judgments The hope of thy Mercies For the Reformation of our Lives I praise thee also for all those who have benefited me by their Writings Sermons Discourses Prayers Books Rebukes and Advices and for all other helps unto Heaven I praise thee for all thy sanctified afflictions to chastise my rebellions For all the unkindness of Friends ingratitude and contempt of enemies Thereby to wean me from the World Scowre me from my rust Refine me from my dregs And unite me closer unto thee For raising me up many comforts and Friends I neither deserved nor thought upon For giving me the grace of Penitence The super-exalted love of a Redeemed and the care and piety of a regenerated person For upholding me from falling For lifting me up when I was down For strengthening me in my weakness For confirming me in goodness For the Conversion of all Sinners For thy patience in waiting for their Conversion For thy pardon of the Penitent For thy Justice on the Obstinate For thy preventing and initiating Grace Thy illuminating and co-operating Grace Thy restraining and restoring Grace Thy renewing assisting and quickning Grace For thy many great strong loud calls by thy Judgments For thy soft melting whispering calls in our Consciences to turn unto thee For alluring us by thy Word read and preached Thy Mercies and thy Judgments Thy Divine Inspirations The stings of our Consciences in sinning The humility and fear of a pardoned person For making Sin bitter unto us The burden intollerable I praise thee for giving us any hunger or thirst after Righteousness For any power thou givest us to do good works and for thy blessing upon those we do For a good and right understanding A ready unloosed Tongue A clear apprehension and a little comprehension of divine things A serviceable Memory An obedient will at any times to thy calls For giving me a great love to thee my friend in thee mine enemy for thee For the comfort and delight thou givest me in my Prayers and Praises For the fidelity of my Friends The love of my Neighbours The good acceptation thou givest me with all kind of persons For the interest thou givest me in the souls of men For any love care or Conscience that is in my servants For giving me a Heart to pardon mine enemies For the gratitude thou dost enable me to pay to my Friends For my compassion of others and theirs on me For giving me grace to leave the
Obedience thy Humility thy Meekness thy Purity and Intention thy Patience thy Wisdom thy Silence thy Contentedness thy Sweetness thy Mildness thy Mercy thy Pity thy Fortitude and Courage thy Constancy and Perseverance thy Righteousness to cover me and all thy Merits to save me Glory be to thee O Lord most High Amen A Prayer for the Sixth Hour O Blessed Jesus I now commemorate thy holy Sufferings for me both in thankfulness to thee for them and for the application of them to my poor Soul as also to offer them up to thy holy Father for the full satisfaction of all my sins O dearest Saviour how wert thou led for me as a Lamb to the slaughter and as a Sheep before the shearer is dumb so thou openedst not thy mouth Thou didst turn thy back to the smiters and thy cheek to the nippers Thou wert mockt and whipt and rent and torn defiled with spittle wounded and scourged harshly and terribly nailed and crucified for me Yet in all thy sufferings thou didst nothing but good to thine enemies and didst pray with loud cries for thy persecutors Have mercy upon me plant in my heart I beseech thee gentleness and patience a meek and long suffering spirit quietness of mind and stability of Soul that I may never more be transported with violent anger or be disordered and discomposed by an offensive peevishness much less ever think of revenge Give me grace dear Lord mildly and rationally lovingly and discreetly to reprehend my Inferiors sweetly and tenderly my Equals and freely to forgive all Give me patience in all injuries and contentedness in all conditions and cross accidents Make me with charity return good for evil Deliver me from an evil tongue and a turbulent mind from an angry spirit and a cross contentious humour Let thy example convert me thy sweetness mollifie me thy gentleness soften me thy sufferings heal me thy blood cleanse me thy death satisfie thy Fathers wrath and save me Fill me with thy Graces that I may imitate thy Virtues and by thy Merits be replenished with thy mercies here and with thy Glories hereafter Amen Blessed Lord thou wert charged with the heavy burden of thy cross O for thy mercy sake discharge me of the heavy burden of my Sins Thou wert led up to Mount Calvary lift me up I beseech thee to the Mount of Heavenly felicity Thou wert nailed betwixt two Thieves be pleased to place me between thy Saints and Angels Thou didst charge Simon of Cyrene with thy Cross make me with him contentedly to take it up and follow thee Let me not by folly make it but with all obedience and chearfulness take it when thou shalt impose it upon me Dearest Lord I see by the light of Faith thy sacred Arms stretch'd and extended upon the Cross for me O by that infinite love of thine that made thee endure all this for me have mercy upon me and save me Receive me now into those arms of mercy and secure my Soul for ever unto thee O thou who at the Sixth hour and only the sixth day didst fasten the Sins of the whole world with thy self upon the Cross cancel I beseech thee the hand-writing of our Sins which is against us and take it quite away from us Let all these sufferings of thine satisfie for what I deserve to suffer and deal not with me after my Sins neither reward me after mine iniquities Let the nails of thy Feet nail my Affections which are the feet of my Soul unto thee Let the nails of thy Hands nail all good works unto mine Let the Meditation of the Thorns wherewith thou wast crowned for me pierce mine Eyes unto Tears and my Heart with sorrow for thy Sufferings and my Sins O let the most precious Blood which issued out of all thy Wounds wash me clean before thee and keep me clean Let me not after such a Bathing ever be polluted more O dearest Saviour who didst hang naked wounded wrackt tenâ—…'d tortur'd and bleeding even to death upon the Cross for me to offer up the only propitiatory Sacrifice by which thy Fathers wrath can be appeased have mercy upon me For in this thy alsufficient satisfaction I place my only hope of Salvation O let me ne're confounded be Since all my Hope is plac'd in thee I come dear Lord I come unto thee O take me into the Comprehensions of thine unalterable and everlasting love for thou hast opened thy Heart as well as thine Arms to receive me As thine Arms of Mercy are stretch'd out for me behold my Heart is by the hand of Faith reached up unto thee O let us be joyn'd together and never divided more By thy Sufferings grant me deliverance By thy Stripes let me be healed By thy Wounds let me be cured By thy Blood let me be saved As thou hast the pain O give me the ease of all thy Sufferings Ease me O Jesus of the burden of my Sins By thy Crown of Thorns pricking and wounding thee adorn my Head with a clear Understanding here and the Crown of Glory hereafter For thou hast paid the price of my Redemption that I may get the purchase of thy Kingdom therefore I adore thine unspeakable goodness I delight I rejoyce and glory in thine infinite Mercies I desire to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified O let the powers of the Cross prevail against all the powers of darkness Let thy patience and love on the Cross reconcile me to all persons and sufferings Let the peace of the Cross reconcile me to thy Eternal Father and bring me peace of Conscience Let thy pains on the Cross mortifie all my evil and corrupt affections Let thy Victory on the Cross give me victory over all my spiritual enemies Let thy Patience satisfie for my Impatience Thy Obedience satisfie for my disobedience Thy Humility for my pride Thy Love for all my uncharitableness Give me such Patience Obedience Humility and Love as may make me live conformable to thee and make thy Merits effectual to me By thy Prayer for thine Enemies do thou mediate and intercede for me By thy care of thy Holy Mother and Saint John take care of thy Church and me By thy Mercy shew'd on the Thief have mercy on me powerfully convert me and all sinners unto thee By thy strong loud cries unto thy Father hear my prayers and let my cry come unto thee By thy thirst after my Salvation give me the benefit of this thy Passion By the Vinegar and Gall given unto thee make bitter every sin unto me By thy finishing all things foretold of thee finish my course of sining against thee By thy Recommendation of thy self into thy Fathers hands receive my Soul into thy Almighty protection here and to thy everlasting Glory hereafter By all thine unknown Sufferings felt by thee but not understood by me have mercy upon me By all thy dolors during the three long hours thou didst hang bleeding on the Cross for me have
are not consumed O how dost thou wait to have mercy upon us with thee is plenteous Redemption And thy mercy and thy pardon extendeth not only to small sins and sinners but those that are great Such as Peter who forswore thee Such as Paul who blasphemed thee To the Thief on the Cross To the Adulteress Mary Magdalen To David and to Manasses Thou biddest those that have plaid the Harlot with many Lovers return unto thee And all those are recapitulated and summed up by thy holy Spirit for comfort and assurance of thy mercy to us also in Jesus Christ In whom thou hast given us great and precious promises and in whom all the promises of God are Yea and Amen Therefore Jesus thou Son of David have mercy upon me And by thy name Jesus be a Saviour to me Lord do not so remember my sins as to forget thine own Name But hear me forgive me intercede for me O reconcile thy Father to me say unto my Soul I am thy Salvation Where sin hath abounded let Grace superabound God hath concluded all under sin that he might have mercy upon all O blessed Lord thy Son my Saviour Christ once suffered for sin the just for the unjust he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance He bids all that labour and are heavy laden come unto him and therefore most holy God blessed Jesus receive me have mercy on me Justifie me freely Sanctifie me effectually Cleanse me thorowly Receive me graciously into the arms of thy protection and unspeakable mercy and secure me from all mine Enemies visible and invisible Deprecations out of Bishop Andrews O Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath Cast me not off for ever Cast me not away from thy presence Hide not thy face from me Forsake me not put me not to shame O turn away reproach Let not mine enemies triumph over me Deliver me not over to their will preserve my life from them Deliver me O Lord from hardness of heart from impenitence From grossness dulness and deadness of spirit From all impudence or over bold confidence From a sear'd conscience and a dull reprobate mind Form the sin unto death the sin against the Holy Ghost From all superfluity of naughtiness The weight of sin the lusts of the eyes and pride of life From all wicked and vain desires hurtful Vain unprofitable foolish and sinful thoughts From desire of vain glory or enduring it From lying lips and a deceitful heart or tongue From hands stretched out to covetousness From feet swift to do evil from eyes or ears Open to vanity or destruction From errors or blindness of judgment inconstancy of mind sinful words and actions envy hatred rancour malice and revenge Good Lord deliver and preserve me for ever Root out of me all prophaneness and superstition pride and indecency Anger and contention swearing cursing Violent passion inordinate affection And cleanse me from all my corruption deceit fraud lying slandering envy and malice Take from me all gluttony and intemperance Give to me the virtue of Abstinence and Temperance Take from me the spirit of uncleanness Give to me the love of chastity Take from me all love and desire to this vain world Give to me the love and desire of Heaven Take from me all perturbation of mind Give to me a contented mind Take from me the heat and violence of anger Give to me the spirit of meekness and true humility Take from me all immoderate care of this life Give to me the constant care of eternal life Give to me all spiritual joy Take from me all sinful joy Take from me all haughtiness of mind Give to me compunction of heart humility Good Lord deliver me In all my prayers hear me In all my thinkings speaking and writings Inspire instruct and direct me In all my infirmities pity and help me Out of all temptations deliver me From all falls fractures of bones Dislocations noisom and grievous diseases Good Lord deliver me From all dangers of Fire and Water From thy wrath and everlasting damnation Good Lord deliver us And let thy grace mercy and blessing be now and evermore upon us Intercessions for all Mankind I Beseech thee O Lord for the Conversion of Turks Jews and Heathens to the Truth For all Christians That they may be strengthened that stand That they may be converted that are in error For the Churches throughout the world That they may be united in Religion For our Church that whatsoever is amiss in it may be amended For the Kings Majesty and his prosperity For all Christian Kingdoms For ours and each part of it That it may flourish in peace For the Clergy that they may teach and live well For wisdom in the Council Integrity in the Judges Strength in our Armies Discretion in the Magistrates Obedience in the People The prosperity and good success of Merchants Husbandmen Artificers and Tradesmen that they may live carefully and honestly in their Vocations For the prosperous education of Youth in our Universities and Schools and other parts of the Kingdom For our Parents Kindred Friends Benefactors and Neighbours For those of whom we have the charge committed to us either in Church Common wealth or Families For our enemies especially those that hate us without cause that God would convert them For those that commend themselves to our prayers and those whose affairs and troubles will not suffer them to pray as they ought For those who are in affliction of body or mind In danger or want in prison or condemned to death For those that excell in qualities of mind in strength of body in abundance of wealth That they exalt not themselves above their Brethren but do good with their gifts and advantages For those which undertake any notable action which may redound To the Glory of God The Peace of the Church The Honour of the Kingdom A Christians Dedication of himself unto God I That am a wretched sinner here personally appearing and prostrate before the presence of the everlasting God having in remembrance the exceeding mercy of his great goodness towards me whom he hath created of nothing preserved sustained and loved when I was most unworthy of any thing whom he hath of his incomprehensible clemency so often invited to repent and whose conversion and amendment he hath so patiently expected as also having in memory that at the day of my Baptism Christning I was so happily and holily vowed and dedicated unto my God to be his child and to live in his continual service grieve that contrary to the profession then made in my name I have often displeased his Glorious Majesty I have so many and sundry ways so execrably and detestably violated my Vows profaned my sacred promises and employed my soul to the service of the world the flesh and the devil that I have thereby despised the graces and contemned the goodness of Gods Divine Majesty and deserved everlasting perdition but now at length recalling my self
with that constancy and unweariedness that was fitting till brought to an end our Refections and Recreations were they used with that sobriety as was meet and broken off with cheerfulness to go fresh to our Masters service again 3. Were all things done in their due and set time or did we fail otherwise than for necessity or charity out of inconstancy in good things or tediousness of our proper business 4. Lastly have we done what we might have done by the means afforded us by the opportunities offer'd us such hints given such impulsions moving such occasions inviting Or have we done contrary have we fail'd in any one kind or more in our duty or manner of doing it by omission not doing what we ought And how often and how deeply and why did we so Then sum up readily what comes to mind in every kind with ordinary intention of mind and without study such hath been our Lords blessings such his provisions for us such his scourges if any such temptations to prove our faithfulness and for return of service thus and thus have we done no better in answer to all his love and care for us All his talents helps means opportunities impulsions restraints upon us and these our rebellions if any gross sin these failings that we know of and for our secret sins who can tell how oft he offendeth and worse than thus we had done had not he upholden us with his hands prevented supported restrained us by his grace Lord I know I have done amiss I have done evil in thy sight thou alone knowest how much how evil Thou seest my Soul wherein thy discharge lies in a peace-offering of Praise a sin-offering of sorrow and contrition for offences committed with a promise of better obedience These make up the Evening Sacrifice and with these prepare to meet thy God A Prayer against Afflictions HEavenly Father seeing thou art willing so to have it let the cup of thy wrath and displeasure pass from us and let the cup of thy blessing be ever amongst us expose us not good Father to those bloody and grievous conflicts with the powers of Hell and darkness which thy Son sustained for us Oh lay no more upon us than thou shalt give us strength and patience through him and for him to undergo and vanquish Make us to triumph as conquerors in this victory over Hell and Satan over all the power of the enemy Amen A Brief Soliloquy by way of Admonition FOrasmuch as the violence of sickness which ordinarily goes before death hinders us often from applying our selves in due manner to God in our last duties suitable to that estate to prevent such hinderances it will be to very good purpose O my Soul to make choice of some solemn time of Retirement every year if not every week or day to do such duties in before-hand which then we should but cannot so well perform An Exercise Preparative to a good Death consisting of several Acts of Piety VIZ. I. Submission to the sentence of Death II. Thanksgiving for all benefits of the life past III. Confession of our Sins IV. A Prayer to die to Sin V. A Petition for the Virtues of the dying Jesus with special recommendation of those of our charge to Gods grace and blessing and of our own spirits into the hand of God I. A Submission to the Sentence of Death O Lord my God in most profound humility of Soul and Body I cast my self at the feet of thy Divine Majesty adoring thee as my Soveraign Judg who hast pronounc'd against me and all sinners in the first man that sinned the sentence of death saying Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return In homage of thy Divine Justice I submit from my Soul to the sentence then pronounced against me acknowledging it most just and due to me both for that and infinite other sins of mine that I have since committed against thee As also in homage of the bloody and shameful death of thy Son Jesus Christ who after that he had suffer'd unspeakable sorrows of his soul in his Agony and bloody sweat offer'd up himself a Sacrifice for mine and the sins of the whole World I resign my self wholly to thy Will touching my death at least I desire so to do for the time and place and manner and all circumstances that all be according to the high pleasure of thy holy Will If thou hast ordained that I die a painful death and even a shameful death or that I should be forsaken and cast off by all humane succours so my God be ever with me I submit If I should be void of reason or sense by the extremity of my disease so as to fall into any idle or even evil words any thing against the Catholick Faith thy house or the purity of the Christian profession I yield my self a living sacrifice to thee to do and to be done with as it shall please thee Only I make this protestation that I abhor from my soul and renounce and hereby revoke all or any such words as may be offensive to Christian ears as none of mine humbly begging this my protestation may be entred in thy Book resolved and ready by thy grace if thou shouldst call me to die for the honour of thy name of the Christian Catholick faith and religion to thy glory and the eternal salvation of my poor soul through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen II. Having accepted the sentence of Death the first thing we are to do is to prepare for an holy Death to be thankful to God for all the benefits of this life GRacious God the fountain of all goodness and all Graces out of the storehouse of whose all-sufficiency Angels and Men and all Creatures have received all the good that is in them that they have and that they can do I bless and adore thy sacred Majesty for all thy goodness to all and especially to me and mine for all thy blessings of my being and well-being from the first hour of my conception to this day from the womb and from the breasts to my riper years to my age of full strength to my gray hairs for all thy blessings in the Ordinances of Nature and Grace and for the hopes of glory for all the Blessings of my Creation Redemption Preservation for all the good things thou hast bestowed upon me and all the evil thou hast saved me from or kept from me bodily or ghostly for the abundant supply of all my necessities of body and soul for all my worldly comforts and ghostly comforts for all thy mercies in forgiving my infinite transgressions for all thy patience in bearing with my follies and for thy long-suffering in my errors and strayings expecting my return and for all thy goodness in receiving thy child thy prodigal Child so graciously for all the gifts of grace for thy holy Spirit and for all the means of Grace and for the good use of it and them For all the good