O then let his patience and all his goodness at last have this happy effect upon us let it lead us to true Repentance and ever hereafter engage us to diligence and constancy in his service Rom. 2. 4. 2 Pet. 3. 9. 2 To which purpose consider again that this was the end for which God sent his Son Jesus into the World even to seek and save us lost and miserable sinners to bring us to Repentance and newness of life that so we might be restored to the love and favour of God which we had lost by sinning against him Our first Parents Adam and Eve were created in a very holy and happy Estate but they fell from it by sinning against God and so came all misery into the World And then did our Heavenly Father take pity on us and sent his own Son out of his bosom to be our Saviour and Redeemer to reform us from our Sins and so to deliver us from misery First he will make us Holy and then we shall be made Happy For as man lost his happiness by disobeying Gods command so he must recover it by becoming obedient to his will in all things To this end hath the Lord Jesus fully revealed Gods will to us when we were in ignorance and darkness He hath given us holy precepts for the rule of our Life And made most rich and precious promises to perswade us to our duty and denounced dreadful threatnings to affright us from Wickedness And when we had deserved the Wrath of God for our sins then did Jesus Christ shed his most precious Blood to make Atonement for us and to obtain our pardon and forgiveness He dyed for our offences and rose again for our justification Rom. 4. 25. And in his Gospel he has given full assurance of Gods good will to mankind that he will be merciful to us and pardon us if we truly repent of our sins and forsake them Thus hath Christ opened a door of hope for us to encourage us to return to God For if there had been no hopes of mercy we should never have been drawn to Repentance but even like the Devils themselves should have remained full of hatred and malice against God utterly despairing of relief from him But whilst the death of Christ does so much engage and encourage us to forsake our sins it gives not the least encouragement to our continuance in them Let us not think that Christ dyed for our sins that we might have liberty to live in them and yet be saved at the last No but he came to save us from our sins not in them He makes us blessed by turning us from our iniquities He dyed to redeem us from a vain and evil Conversation to purify our Hearts and reform our Lives and make us a peculiar People zealous of good works Matt. 1. 21. Act. 3. 26. Tit. 2. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 18. The death of Christ for us vile sinners shews the infinite love of God in finding out this way for our Salvation But then it shews also what an evil thing sin is and how hateful to God since he would not pardon us without the suffering of his own dear Son on our account And therefore if the consideration of all this does not bring us to hate and abhor our sins and to love and serve our God and Saviour we are never like to have any benefit by Christs death All our professions of loving him and believing in him will stand us in no stead without obeying him True saving Faith in Christ is that which works by love both to God and our Neighbour Christ accounts none to be his friends but those that keep his Commandments and to such only will he grant pardon and Salvation Gal. 5. 6. Joh. 15. 14. Heb. 5. 9. 1 Joh. 3. 8. Since then the ever-blessed Jesus the Son of God came down from Heaven became a Man and dyed a most painful death upon the Cross that he might save us from sin and misery shall we not accept of him as our Lord and Saviour who comes to deliver us from the power of the Devil and our own Lusts to make us the Children of God and heirs of Glory which is a thousand times greater deliverance than that of the Israelites from the Aegyptian bondage Will you not be moved by all that Christ has done and suffered for you Shall not his love constrain you to love him and to hate all sin which was the cause of his sufferings Will you tread under foot his most precious Blood and even crucifie him afresh and again put him to open shame Thus in some sort do wicked men use their Saviour whilst they go on in their sins which are so displeasing to him They that lie and cozen for a little gain what do they but with Judas sell away Christ for Money They that live in hatred and malice and do mischief to their Neighbours do in effect run the Spear into Christs side and drive Nails into his hands and feet And they that give themselves to Riot and Drunkenness do even mingle Gall and Vinegar for him to drink They do all that in them lies by their sinful pleasures to put him again into Agonies and Pains But on the other hand it is a delight to our Saviour to see us humbled for our sins and resolved to forsake them He will readily and effectually interceed for us with our heavenly Father who is most willing to receive returning Prodigals There is joy in Heaven when sinners on Earth repent Even this our return to God by true repentance is the best recompence we can make to our Blessed Saviour for all his pains and sufferings When the pleasure of the Lord prospers in his hand by the conversion of sinners he then sees the travel of his Soul and is satisfied Isa. 63. 10 11. And shall we not afford this satisfaction to our Redeemer who hath undergone so much for our sakes and still out of his tender love to our Souls follows us with such earnest invitations to come to him for life and happiness Could we deny him this most reasonable request if we saw him now in person standing before us beseeching us to turn and live And this he now does by his Spirit and by his Ministers But that leads me to the next 3 Consider therefore that this also was the end for which the Holy Ghost is given and all the means of grace afforded even to sanctifie our hearts and make us an holy and obedient People God knows the weakness and corruption of our Natures and therefore in great mercy he affords the assistance of his holy Spirit to enlighten our minds and purifie our hearts to renew and change our natures and guide us in ways of holiness here that so we may be fitted for eternal happiness with the most holy God in the life to come Joh. 3. 3 5. Rom. 8. 9. And for this end were the holy Scriptures written by men assisted
but own that I perswade you to nothing but what is very just and reasonable and every way for your own greatest good And if you are convinced of this then proceed forthwith to this pious Resolution without trifling or delaying The sooner you do it the safer it is and the better for you Do not go on in sin at present on a pretence that you 'l repent hereafter when you are older or when you come to be sick and to die Do not put off the great business of Life to the end of your days when you are not sure of time or strength or of God's assistance or acceptance of you Do not plead the Example of the Thief upon the Cross for this Case was nothing like yours that have long enjoy'd the offers of grace and mercy If now from this present time you will heartily and sincerely return to God you have no reason to despair of his mercies how many or great soever your sins have been but if you still persist in sin presuming upon God's mercy hereafter you have just cause to fear that this bold presumption and horrid abuse of God's grace may end in your eternal ruin and damnation But if you are willing now speedily to enter upon this Resolution and Purpose then let me in a few words farther direct you by what means you may render it firm and lasting and may be best enabled to perform the same 1 And first I would advise you to take the next convenient opportunity to confirm this holy Resolution at the Table of the Lord. There solemnly renew your Baptismal Vow Dedicate and give up your self to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost renouncing the Devil the World and the Flesh and all those wicked ways they would draw you to more especially those sins which you have been formerly most guilty of Henceforth let the Lord Jesus that bought you with his Blood be taken for your only Lord and Master to govern you by his Spirit and by his Laws as ever you desire and hope to be saved by his Death and Resurrection And use frequently to think of this solemn Engagement after you have made it that it may have due force upon you when you are tempted to revolt to any wicked practice Often repeat the same betwixt God and your own Soul and especially renew it by frequent attendance on the Holy Commnnion there seeking for grace and strength from God to walk in his holy ways stedfastly and constantly 2 But that brings me to a second Direction that you should not resolve upon all this in a confidence of your own strength but in the most humble dependance on the grace of God which he is ever willing to bestow on such as seek it earnestly in the way he has appointed by a due attendance on the means of Grace the Word Prayer and Sacraments Wherefore as you have opportunity attend carefully to the reading and hearing of his Word and hide it in your Heart that you may not sin against him And be very much in Prayer to God for his holy Spirit to be given you through his Son Jesus who will powerfully interceed for you and make good his Promises to humble and devout Supplicants Luk. 11. 13. Joh. 16. 23 24. Whenever you are in danger and are assaulted by any temptation to sin or are backward to what is good then especially pray servently for quickning and strengthning Grace and your Prayers shall not be in vain 3 To your Prayers add constant watchfulness over your self at all times and in all places and companies Watch over your thoughts themselves and over your words and actions Satan is ever watching to deceive us and there are many snares and dangers in all our ways and we have corrupt Natures and treacherous Hearts and therefore had need to be very watchful to avoid all occasions of sin as much as possible and to suppress the very first beginnings Think before-hand what Temptations you are like to meet with and fortifie your self against what you cannot shun Do not wilfully run into Danger especially beware of bad Company by which many are drawn back to their former Loosness Be not led away by their Counsel or Examples nor be discouraged by their Jeers and Censures Use often to look back upon your Actions and if you have been drawn into any wilful sin do not make a light matter of it nor yet despair of Pardon if you be truly penitent Wherefore speedily and earnestly betake your self to God by true Repentance begging mercy for Christ's sake and more Grace to strengthen and assist you Renew your Purposes for amendment of Life and set your Watch more strictly for the future 4 To quicken and engage you to this Watchfulness Remember that Almighty God is ever present with you and observes all your ways and takes great delight in your Piety and Holiness but is of purer Eyes than to behold the least iniquity with any pleasure Wherefore always walk as in the presence of this Holy God whether you are alone or in Company 5 Think often how near you stand to another World and what an account you must give to God of all your Deeds done in the Body and so live now as will be most for your comfort at Death and Judgment When the Profits and Pleasures of Sin entice you compare them with the eternal Joys which they will deprive you of and with the eternal Torments they lead to Think whether ever any Man by sinning against God did gain somewhat that 's better than Heaven or that 's worth going to Hell for Let Eternity be very much in your thoughts and the fading Vanities of this World will have little esteem with you Often ponder of those weighty Words of our Blessed Saviour What will it profit a Man to gain the whole World and lose his own Soul Or what shall a Man give in exchange for his Soul Mark 8. 36 37. Lastly In stead of more Directions let me advise you to acquaint your self with your Minister and consult him in the great Concernments of your Soul as Men are wont to do the Lawyer and the Physician in matters that concern their Bodies and Estates Do not think it enough to hear his Sermons in publick but take Advice from him in private and open to him the state and case of your Soul so far as may enable him to give such Directions as are most proper to your Condition This especially you ought to do when you first make entrance upon an Holy Life and do first address your self to the Holy Communion or when you are under any great doubts and trouble of mind and are vexed with sore temptations either of one sort or other or when you are set upon by such that would draw you away from our Church either to Popery or to any other Sect amongst us Then presently betake your self to your Minister And in these or the like Cases take Direction from him and be sure to
follow his wholsom Counsel and desire his Prayers to God for you I know in large Parishes Ministers are not able to have a particular knowledge of every Person but yet all that know the worth of Souls and the price that was paid for them will be ready to give attendance to the meanest of their People that shall apply themselves to them for Advice and Comfort and will be glad of all opportunities to promote the Honour and Interest of their Saviour and the good of precious Souls committed to their Care And thus have I as plainly and as fully as I well could in so little room directed you in that holy way which leads to eternal Glory and have shewn you what great Reason you have to walk in that way and to continue therein to the end As to those who desire larger Directions next to the holy Scriptures which I beseeeh you to read frequently with humility and seriousness especially the New Testament next to them I shall referr you only to that pious and most useful Book The whole Duty of Man And heartily I wish that every poor Family in the Kingdom was furnished with one of those Books together with a Bible and Common Prayer Book which might all be purchased for much less than five Shillings and therefore it 's great pity they should be any where wanting Though alas I know there are many Families of poor People where none of them can read and so Books to them are useless Great Charity therefore it would be for rich Landlords and Gentlemen to see that the Children of their poor Tenants and Neighbours be put out to School and then to bestow at least Bibles upon them that the knowledge of God and Religion may be promoted amongst them which would make greatly for the good and welfare both of Church and State For though Brain-sick Opinions and false Principles may make Men proud and head-strong and troublesome to their Governours yet solid Knowledge and sincere Godliness will make Men humble and meek quiet and peaceable obedient to Magistrates and Ministers full of Charity to their Neighbours and ready to every good Work And I am sure an increase of this truly Religious Temper would be one of the greatest Blessings that can be bestow'd upon this Earth and would settle Kingdoms and Churches Towns and Families in Peace and Concord which almost every where are divided amongst themselves as well as against one another And by such blessed effects of true Religion something of Heaven would be brought down upon Earth and our Souls would be well fitted for Heaven when we are called off from this Earth into those happy Regions above where there is nothing else but Peace and Holiness and Love and Joy And may it please God to bless these plain and short Instructions for the enlightning of any minds with that Wisdom from above which is thus pure and peaceable then shall I obtain my Design and have great cause to be thankful And that the Reader may joyn with me in these Wishes I have annexed hereto a Prayer for Grace to lead an Holy Life And if he will but add diligent endeavours to frequent and servent Prayers neither his Labour nor mine will be in vain through the Grace and Blessing of Almighty God from whom comes every good and perfect Gift to whom be given all Honour and Glory both now and for ever Amen A PRAYER Chiefly for the assistance of God's grace in order to the leading an Holy Life O Most holy and ever blessed Lord God I do humbly cast down my self before thee acknowledging and lamenting my own sinfulness and earnestly begging thy grace and mercy through the Lord Jesus our only Mediatour and Advocate I confess O God I am a vile sinner polluted from the very Womb but since I came to the use of my Reason I have defiled my self with many wilful and hainous transgressions I have sadly neglected thy Service and dishonoured thy Name and have been greatly wanting in those Duties which I owe to thee my God to my Neighbour and to my own Soul and have not lived in such a godly righteous charitable and sober manner as I ought to have done But have often acted contrary to my own Reason and Conscience and to the plain Precepts of thy Word and contrary to my own Promises and Vows for better Obedience O Lord give me a clear sight of my sins and such a deep sense of the evil of my ways that my Heart may be truly humbled and broken in the remembrance thereof And for the Lord Jesus sake who died for Sinners be merciful to me O Father of Mercies pardon all my Iniquities and let them not be remembred against me to my Condemnation either in this World or that to come Nor is it only Pardon that I beg but most earnestly I beseech thee by thy Holy Spirit to sanctifie me both in Body and Soul that being made pure and holy on Heart and Life I may serve thee diligently all my days on Earth and so may enjoy thee for ever in Heaven I am fully convinced that it is both my duty and my happiness to fear and serve thee the great and glorious God who hast made me and redeemed me and hitherto graciously preserved me I acknowledge thy Service to be perfect freedom and all thy Laws to be holy just and good Wherefore I desire utterly to renounce and forsake every evil way and most entirely devote my self to serve and please thee in newness of Life But thou O Lord knowest the weakness and corruption of my Nature and how by evil customs I have made my self more prone to sin more backward to that which is good O do thou throughly change my Nature by thy Grace that I may hate and abhor all wickedness and take delight in the ways of Piety and Holiness Let no unmortified just remain in my Soul but do thou purifie and cleanse me from Pride and Covetousness from Envy and Malice and from all impure and sensual affections and desires and enrich me with all the Graces of thy holy Spirit Give me such a clear knowledge of thy infinite goodness and of all thy glorious perfections that I may ever humbly admire and adore thee and love thee with all my Heart and Soul and cleave to thee as my only portion preferring thy favour before all the enjoyments of this World Help me always firmly to trust in thee and freely to leave all my Affairs to thy wise and gracious Providence absolutely resigning my Will to thy holy Will in all things Make me truly thankful for all thy mercies and patient under afflictions By thy teaching let me learn to be content in all Estates and Conditions And good God suffer me not in the greatest difficulties and dangers to distrust thy mercies or take any unlawful course for my Relief I beg from thee my daily Bread and beseech thee to give me an Heart well satisfied with what thou seest
of Perfections If we believe that Je 〈…〉 Christ is the Son of God and the Redeemer of mankind who died for us and rose again and ascended to Heaven and will thence come to judge the quick and the dead and will grant to all penitent and obedient Believers the forgiveness of their sins and everlasting life but will sentence the wicked to everlasting misery Our belief of this must lead us to true Repentance and amendment of Life and to an humble dependence on the mercies of God and the merits of Christ for Pardon and Salvation And if we believe that it is the Office of the Holy Ghost to sanctifie us and all the elect People of God then ought we to pray to God for his holy Spirit and we must comply with his good motions and submit to his working upon our Souls that he may sanctifie us and make us holy that so we may be living members of Christ's Holy Catholick Church And in this Church are we bound to continue that so in the Communion of Saints we may enjoy the benefit of the Word Sacraments and Prayer by which means the Holy Ghost works Grace in us and encreases the same till it be perfected in eternal Glory to which good Men shall be advanced both in Soul and Body at the Resurrection as their Souls made entrance upon it presently after their death Thus you see how a right Belief leads a Man to holiness of Life And therefore in holy Scripture do we find so much mention made of Faith or of believing in God and in Christ. This in many places is highly extolled and most strictly required of us as the very summ of our Duty insomuch that we are often said to be justified or pardoned on account of our Faith and to be saved by Faith and all this chiefly as I suppose because true Faith produces Obedience and makes a Man become an humble and sincere Disciple of Jesus Christ and so makes us fit for the mercies of God in and through our Blessed Saviour But when faith does not bring forth the fruit of Holiness and good Works it 's of no value with God nor will stand us in any stead as you may see at large in the second Chapter of St. James to name no other places Wherefore you know we are engag'd by our Baptism not only to believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith but also to keep God's Commandments which I am to speak of next Now these Commandments are also plainly contained in the Holy Scriptures and therefore there is still more Reason why you should diligently read and study the same that you may know the Will of God and do it And all that is to be done by us I reckon is contained in the Ten Commandments as they are explained to us and urged upon us both by the Prophets in the Old Testament and by our Saviour and his Apostles in the New Especially in our Saviour's Sermon in the Mount in the fifth sixth and seventh Chapters of St. Matthew And therefore often read over these three Chapters There you will find what manner of persons the Disciples of Jesus ought to be even like their Master of an humble lowly Spirit meek and gentle pure and peaceable merciful and patient and the like Such as these he pronounces blessed in the beginning of that heavenly Sermon and these alone are they whom he will make most blessed with himself for ever But if you would have the summ of your Duty to God and to your Neighbour as required by the Ten Commandments briefly represented take it in the very words of our Church Catechism My duty towards God is to believe in him to fear him to love him with all my heart with all my mind with all my soul and with all my strength to worship him to give him thanks to put my whole trust in him to call upon him to honour his holy Name and his Word and to serve him truly all the days of my life My duty towards my Neighbour is to love him as my self and to do to all men as I would they should do to me To love honour and succour my Father and Mother To honour and obey the King and all that are put in authority under him To submit my self to all my Governours Teachers Spiritual Pâ—stours and Masters To order my self lowly and reverently to all my betters To hurt no body by word or deed To be true and just in all my dealings To bear no malice nor hatred in my heart To keep my hands from picking and stealing my tongue from evil-speaking lying and slandering To keep my body in temperance soberness and chastity Not to covet and desire other mens goods but to learn and labour truly to get my own living and to do my duty in that state of life into which it shall please God to call me Here you have your Duty in a little room which you may easily keep in memory but especially beg of God to write his Laws in your heart that you may freely and chearfully obey them in your Life and Conversation And for your further assistance I shall a little enlarge upon the chief of these Duties especially the love of God and your Neighbour and so conclude with some short and general Directions for the guiding of your steps more readily and constantly in the ways of Holiness all the days of your Life To love God with all our Heart and Soul is the first and great Commandment as our Saviour himself teacheth us Matth. 22. 37 38. This makes us more easily to obey all the rest of his Commands For if we truly love God we shall be very fearful to offend him and very careful to please him in all our ways And then do we truly love God with all our Heart when we love him more than all other things in the World more than Riches Pleasures Honours Friends or any other Enjoyments yea more than our very Lives so that we will part with all rather than lose the favour of God in which we account our happiness chiefly to consist This I take to be the very Essence of Religion and 't is that without which our Saviour tells us we cannot be his Disciples Matth. 10. 37 38. But when once we are got to this blessed temper we shall find it no very hard matter to deny our selves and take up our Cross and follow our Lord and Master both in well-doing and in patient suffering Wherefore let us earnestly beg of God by his holy Spirit to work this love in our Hearts And to our Prayers let us add our own diligent Endeavours and especially let us be much in thinking of all the goodness and loving-kindness of God manifested to us and to all the World Let us consider what he has done for us already both for Soul and Body and what he has promised to do in the Life to come And never let our Hearts be at rest till they
are entirely fixed upon the ever-blessed God as our chiefest good and only satisfying Portion And let us earnestly seek his favour through the Lord Jesus the Mediatour who came into the World on purpose to bring us into a state of Friendship with God that we might love him and be loved of him and live with him for ever in love and joy But alway remember that obedience to God is the only sure evidence of true saving Love He that loves God will hate and abhor sin and wickedness Let the Son pretend what love and honour he will to his Father he does not truly love him except he use all due care to please him And if you do thus sincerely love God as your Father then may you always comfortably trust in him and depend upon him which is another great Duty and brings great peace and quiet to our minds Isa. 26. 3 4. Whilst you live in obedience ro God's commands you have a sure interest in his Promises and may safely rely upon his good Providence for the performance of them Wherefore whatever your wants your dangers or sufferings are do not distrust the Providence of God but wait patiently and do your own duty and be assured God in his good time will succour and relieve you he will direct comfort and strengthen you Let all the experience you have hitherto had of his loving-kindness engage you to trust in him as long as you live And take great care that you never murmur nor repine against God under any affliction whatever when you meet with the heaviest crosses and disappointments or lose your dearest Relations and Friends say with holy Job The Lord gives and the Lord takes away blessed be the Name of the Lord. Beseech God to teach you that excellent Lesson of Contentment in all Estates Phil. 4. 11 12 13. Though you may be low and poor in the World yet consider you have always cause to be thankful but never any reason to complain God knows what condition is best for us and let us leave it to him to chuse what we shall have We that deserve nothing but wrath and misery ought to acknowledg the great goodness of God that we are on this side Hell It is if the Lord's mercies that we are not utterly consumed and that we do enjoy any measure of comfort Think how poor the Lord Jesus was for our sakes who had not where to lay his Head and was ministred to by the substance of others and in the same mean Condition did the holy Apostles live Your low Condition frees you from a great many snares and temptations and from a great many cares and sorrows that rich People meet with If you but truly love God and have a treasure in Heaven you are very rich though you have neither Gold nor Silver Fear not but God will give you and yours Food and Raiment and having that let us be content and thankful Yea let us put the very worst that we should starve to Death for want of Bread which not one of a thousand does in times of Peace and Plenty yet if our Souls be fit for Heaven and carried thither we shall have no cause to complain of the manner of our Death I have heen a little the larger upon this for the sake of poor People who are too apt to be discontent and to murmur at their Condition though alas they commonly bring themselves into it or make it much worse by their own careless and loose lives as was before mention'd And yet before I proceed to the Duty you owe to your Neighbour let me in a few words direct you as to the Worship of God in Prayers and Praises This is a duty most frequently enjoyn'd in Scripture and practised by all good Men and the very Light of Nature may direct us to it We have daily need of God's mercy and do daily taste of it and therefore are we taught to pray continually and in everything to give thanks To God alone must we offer up our Prayers and Praises in the Name of Jesus Christ as he himself teacheth us Matt. 4. 10. Joh. 16. 23. We must not pray to Angels or Saints nor make use of them as our Mediatours for this is the peculiar Office of Christ who died for us and is now interceeding at the right hand of God 1 Tim. 2. 5. Heb. 7. 25. Wherefore we mean sinful Creatures must always come to God in the Name of Christ and for his sake alone hope for the favour of God the pardon of our Sins the acceptance of our Persons and Services and the Salvation of our Souls And our Saviour teacheth us to worship God in a pure and Spiritual manner with our Hearts and Souls because he is a Spirit and searches the hearts of Men Joh 4. 23. Wherefore by no means may we make any Image or Picture of God nor may we give Religious Worship to an Image which is directly contrary to the second Commandment Neither may we frame in our minds any bodily shape or likeness of God when we pray to him but must conceive of him as a most pure and glorious Spirit most powerful and wise and good who fills the whole World with his Presence and is always near to us though not to be seen with bodily Eyes and hears our Prayers and knows our wants and is both able and willing to help us Our Saviour hath commanded us to pray in private when we are alone Matth. 6. 6. And there he taught his Disciples how to pray and hath given us that most excellent Form which we call the Lord's Prayer Our Father which art in Heaven c. which by the way may assure us that Forms of Prayer are very lawful And the Lords Prayer may both serve for a Pattern to direct us in all our Prayers and also is it self most fit to be used and joyned to our other Prayers But it is not proper to use the Belief and the ten Commandments for Prayers as the manner is of poor ignorant People though we ought often to think of them or rehearse them for the quickning of our Faith and the guiding of our Lives Upon all occasions in all our troubles and distresses let us be much in Prayer to God and still seek to him for mercy and comfort who is always nigh to them that call upon him in truth and sincerity Would the poor Man seek as earnestly to God for relief as he does to his rich Neighbour he would find it the surest course to have his wants supplied And let us also frequently be lifting up our Hearts to God in Thanksgiving and Praise for all his mercies and favours which he bestows upon us Thus may even the poorest Man have his mind often employ'd when he is at his Work in the Shop or in the Field or when he is walking in the way or sailing on the Seas which would not hinder but further his Labours and make them more easie and
most convenient for me Give me such a Spirit of Piety and Devotion that I may take great delight in thy Worship and Service both in publick and private Fill me with such love to my Blessed Saviour and with such thankfulness for his love in dying for Sinners that I may go with more delight to the Holy Communion for the good of my Soul than to the richest Feast that is made for my Body Help me O God to shew my love to thy blessed Self by true love and charity to my Neighbours Make me tractable and obedient to my Governours both in Church and State peaceable and gentle toward all Men dealing with them so justly and truly as I my self desire to be dealt with Make me tender and compassionate and ready to do all the good I can to others and let thy Grace enable me freely to forgive those that do evil to me as I my self hope for mercy and forgiveness from thee my God And help me always to live soberly and temperately purely and chastly in Heart and Life and with great meekness and humility in the sense of my own unworthiness and manifold imperfections O Lord grant that my Heart may be fill'd with earnest longings and desires after those Graces which now with my lips I pray for and help me to shew my sincerity by diligent endeavours daily to grow in all Grace and goodness and to perfect Holiness in thy Fear Make me watchful over my self and all my ways that I may carefully avoid all occasions of sin and may check the first motions thereto in my own Heart Keep me always deeply sensible of thy Presence that I may walk humbly with thee my God and approve my self to thee in well-doing Wean my Heart from all things here below and prepare me for my departure hence into a better World Help me always to live in such a religious and holy manner as will be most for my comfort at Death and Judgment Strengthen my Belief of the precious Promises and dreadful Threatnings of the Gospel and let this Belief rule and govern me in my whole Conversation O that I may never be guilty of so much folly and madness as to lose the eternal and unspeakable joys of Heaven and throw my self into the eternal torments of Hell for any of the profits or pleasures of sin that are but for a moment Do thou O Lord by thy holy Spirit ever keep upon my mind such a fresh and lively sense of the reasonableness of Religion and of the mischief and folly of all sin and wickedness that no temptations of Satan no allurements of the World or the Flesh may hinder me from my Duty nor draw me into any known sin but do thou ever strengthen and assist me by thy Grace and guide me by thy Counsel till thou shalt bring me to thy self in Glory Neither do I pray for my self alone but for all Mankind beseeching thee to send the Light of thy Gospel into all the dark Corners of the Earth and grant that they who do enjoy it may walk in all holy obedience thereto Be merciful to these Kingdoms pardon our sins and reform us from them Heal all our divisions continue our mercies and make us truly thankful for them Bless the King's Majesty with the Royal Family and all those that are in authority under him and grant to me and all his Subjects grace to lead quiet and peaceable Lives in all godliness and honesty Bless the Ministers of thy holy Word and Sacraments and make them very diligent and very successful in their Endeavours Help us to bring forth such Fruit from the Blessings we enjoy that thy Gospel and the Ordinances thereof may be continued to us and to the Generations after us Shew mercy to all that are afflicted whether in Soul or Body and preserve those that travel on their lawful Occasions by Land or by Sea Bless all my Friends and Relations particularly all that belong to this Family and help us all to live in the fear and love of thee our God and in peace and charity one with another Let thy blessing and good presence be with me thy unworthy Servant now and at all times at my down-lying and up-rising in my going out and coming in be thou my God and my guide even to the death and my eternal portion when time shall be no more And accept O God of my unfeigned desires to bless and raise thy glorious Name for all thy Mercies and Favours to my self and to all Men. I bless thee for my Reason and Senses my Health and Strength Food and Raiment and all the Comforts of this Life but above all I praise thee for thine inestimable love in the Redemption of the World by our Lord Jesus Christ for all the means of Grace and for the hope of Glory And I beseech thee give me that due sense of all thy Mercies that my Heart may be unfeignedly thankful and that I may shew forth thy praise not only with my lips but in my life by giving up my self to thy service and by walking before thee in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of my Life through Jesus Christ our Lord in whose most holy Name and Words I continue to pray as he hath taught us in his Gospel saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with me now and evermore Amen FINIS