merciful as he is merciful d 1 Pet. 1.15 16. Luke 6.36 For you hope in vain to see God in Heaven and enjoy him except you be God-like * Matt. 5.8 9. 3. Have you so hoped to enjoy the promises of God as to obey his precepts and be fruitful in all good works Hope in the Lord and be doing good f Psal 37.3 your hope is otherwise but a sinful presumption or the hope of the hypocrite that perisheth g Job 8.13 4. Hath not your hope in the mercies of God through the merits of Christ emboldned you to go on in any known sin unrepented of and banished grace out of thy heart IV. To fear God 1. Hath thy fear of God's Judgments equally balanced thy hope in his Mercies revering his justice and the direful threats and examples thereof in his Holy Word so as not to dare to sin against him Fear the Lord and depart from evil h Psal 4.5 Prov. 3.7 Phil 2.12 2. Have you not more feared to sin in the sight of men then in the presence of God more feared to displease man then to incur the displeasure of the Almighty more feared to lose thy credit amongst thy neighbours and companions then to hazard the loss of God's favour nor yet more feared the penalty of humane Laws then the threatnings of the Divine i Prov. 29.25 Isa 51.12 Luk. 12.4 5. 3. Hath thy Fear of God been rather filial viz. a fear to offend so gracious a Father then servile for fear of punishment But because we are commanded to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling k Phil. 2.12 examine whether the filial fear of God prevail in your heart and gather strength over the servile fear till at last it be quite cast out by perfect love l 1 Joh. 4.18 which is the next Duty in this Commandment injoyned V. To love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all c. This Divine Love includes all these graces Matt. 22.37 38 1 Cor. 13.1 2 c. and all the particulars of the duties we owe unto God And because every man pretends to love God how falsely and deceitfully soever he think or say it therefore this Divine affection is to be strictly examined by these following Rules And 1. as thy Hope so thy Love of God is not sincere except thou be in some good measure conformed to his nature pure as he is pure just good gracious as God is so Eph. 5.1 2. Be ye followers of God as dear children and walk in love 2. If the will of God be the rule of thy will and moderatour of all thy affections Ps 97.10 Matt. 5.44 Luk. 14.26 loving what he loves hating what he hates even to the love of thine enemies and hatred of thy friends if in competition with the love of God 3. If the chief end of all your actions be to please God 1 Thess 2.4 Matt. 18.8 Matt. 10.37 more then to please your self or to pleasure any person how great and high how near or dear soever 4. Ps 122.1 Isa 2.3 Ps 27.4 Ps 42.1 2. Ps 71.20 c. Matt. 5.16 1 Pet. 2.12 If it be the joy of your heart to come into the House of the Lord to converse with him in holy prayers publick and private to contemplate his perfections and felicities so as to be inflamed with longing desires and affectionate breathings after him to glorifie him both with heart and voice both with your lips and in your life 5. If you be quick ready active Joh. 14.15 regular and constant in your Obedience to all his Commandments 6. If you long to have a more full enjoyment of God in the world to come Ps 63.1 2. 2 Cor. 4.18 and 5.1 2 3. and do not rather prefer a troublesome temporary abode in this life before the pleasures of God's right hand in the other By these Rules you may examine your self whether you love God in deed and in truth and not in conceit and verbally onely VI. To call upon God and give him Thanks In the habitual practice of the former Graces of the Spirit consists the worship of God in Spirit Joh 4.23 24. and they are all put in practice chiefly by holy Prayers unto God and Praises of him which is therefore the principal part of God's outward worship And Psal 50.23 1. Here examine how frequently you have slighted and omitted to call upon God being hereunto obliged Ps 134 2â— Matt. 6.6 Ps 55.17 Eccl 11.6 both publickly in the congregation and privately in your closet morning and evening at least signified by the morning and evening sacrifice 2. How often hath any slight occasion and pretence made you neglect this indispensable duty of Prayer especially the publick prayers of the Church and have you not been secretly glad when any such occasion hath happened 3. Being come into the House of God have you not neglected to joyn in the prayers and service of God there celebrated and through ignorance and dulness or a sinful shame omitted to lift up your voice in the congregation Eph. 5.19 Ps 106.48 to praise the Lord in hymns and psalms and spiritual songs and audibly to say Amen to the prayers of the Church For 't is not the Minister's duty onely to pray and preach in the Church but in the Temple of the Lord doth every man speak of his honour Psal 29.9 4. Eccles. 5.2 Have you not been too rash with your mouth to utter any thing before God that is either unfit impertinent or unlawful to be asked but have first weighed all your words in the balance of the Sanctuary Hos 14.2 Matt. 6.9 and have framed all your prayers according to the pattern which our Lord hath given us both by his own prayer and the prayers of his Church 5. Have you prayed for others viz. all Superiours and relations of every 1 Tim. 2.1 kind and not onely for such as are your friends Matt. 5.44 but for your very enemies also 6. Have you first endeavoured to purifie your heart from all hypocrisie Jam. 4.8 and to cleanse your hands from all your actual sins by true repentance before you make your approaches to the most Holy God by prayer 7. Do you practise as you pray in the careful use of those means which God hath appointed James 1.6 7 8. to obtain your petitions 8. Do you daily praise God for his great glories in himself and give him thanks for his manifold graces Eph. 5.20 both general to all men special to his Church and people and particular to your self â—xpressed And do you shew forth the praises of God Matt. 5.16 not onely with your lips but in the good works of your life that others may be thereby excited to glorifie God also The Second Commandment Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image nor the likeness of any
by a full confession of them to God and in some cases to Man and that 3. with all contrition and godly sorrow for sin and 4. with a full purpose of amendment Heb. 10.16 17. renewing your covenant with God contracted in the foregoing Sacrament of Baptism and now to be sealed in the Sacrament of Christ's Bloud 4. Have you with all reverence and humility 1 Cor. 6.20 both of Soul and body approached to that Sacrament and have you received the same 1. Ro. 5.1 2. with a lively Faith in the mercies of God through the merits of Christ 2. with all Devotion and thankfulness of heart in the grateful acknowledgment of God's infinite love Joh. 3.16 1 â—im 1.15 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Joh. 6.51 Matt. 5.23 24 25. Isa 12.3 in giving his Son to be both the price of your Redemption and the food of your Soul 3. with an entire and unfeigned Charity towards all men 4. being inwardly affected with a spiritual joy in the Lord 5. After the participation of those divine Mysteries examine 1. whether you feel your former sinful motions sensual and worldly lusts dying and decaying in your heart 2. whether you have any sense of God's mercy refreshing your Soul as to the pardon of your sins past Rom. 14.17 and 3. of Grace quickening and strengthning you to serve God more sincerely and industriously for the time to come If not you may justly suspect your self guilty either of an undue preparation or some sinful defect in the participation thereof And because the Name of God is called not onely upon his Word and Sacraments but also upon the Place where those are administred examine whether you have made your approaches to that House which is called by his Name 1 Cor. 3.17 Ps 93.5 Matt. 21.13 Psal 5.7.132.7 Ps 11.4 Hab 2.20 viz. the Temple of the Lord the house of God c. and demeaned your self therein with that lowly Reverence and Humility both inward and outward as becomes the place that is separate to his service and sanctified by his special presence therein If otherwise remember with horrour if any one defile or profane the Temple of the Lord 1 Cor. 3.17 him shall God destroy for the Temple of God is holy 'T is here objected that the immediate following words which Temple ye are do imply this Text to relate to holy Persons not to any holy Houses of God But 't is answered That this makes not void that duty of holiness which becometh the House of God but rather confirms the same for these words which Temple ye are are an illation or consequence flowing from this which the Apostle takes for an undeniable principle The Temple of God is holy And the plain and full meaning of the whole Verse is in other words briefly this The material Temple or House of God is a figure of the mystical Temple or People of God As therefore the material Temple is an holy place being sanctified to the holy Service of the most Holy God and whosoever profanes the same by irreverent and undecent carriage there him will God destroy so the People of God being his mystical Temple must keep themselves undefiled and pure both in heart and life that God destroy them not The Fourth Commandment Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath-day c. Examination by the Fourth Commandment 1. HAve you wisely distinguished betwixt times sacred and profane Ecclus. 33.7 8 9. by esteeming of such days as are devoted to the service of God in a select and separate respect from such as are common or ordinary days allowed for the service of man 2. Have you not omitted the Christian Duties required to the Sanctification of the Lord's day and of every day holy to the Lord viz. 1. the publick Prayers with Thanksgivings Eph. 5.19 Isa 56.7 the Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs in the Lord's House 2. the offices of Charity Matt. 12.12 Mar. 3.4 Alms-deeds Visiting the sick 3. Have you not profaned any days devoted to God's publick Worship Isa 56.2 Ex. 20.10 by doing such servile works that might be omitted or by going unnecessary journeys Isa 58.13 or by spending the same in idleness or vain sports luxury and wantonness 4. Have you observed not onely the Festival days Joel 1.14 Matt. 6.16 1 Cor. 7.5 Lev. 16.29 30. but also those daies of Fasting and Humiliation which have been observed in all ages of the Church of Christ by the devout people of God and are injoyned by lawful Superiours in order to the obedience we owe to the Commands of God 5. Have you kept the true Christian spiritual Sabbath which is to rest from the service of sin and to be wholly devoted to the service of God here Heb. 4 9 10 11. so that you may reasonably hope to keep an eternall Sabbath of peace and joy with God and all the Chore of Heaven hereafter The Fifth Commandment Honour thy Father and thy Mother c. Examination by the Fifth Commandment THE Christian Duties enjoyned in this Commandment are as many as there are Relations of Superiority and Inferiority amongst men 1. As to your natural Parents Have you not been stubborn and irreverent in your carriage towards them Deut. 21.18 Prov. 20.20 and 23.22 Prov. 30.17 Pro. 1.8 4.1 13.1 Eph. 5.1 Ecclus. 3.12 13. Mar. 7.11 12. Have you not secretly despised them in your heart nor openly published their infirmities Have you not slighted their wholsome admonitions nor disobeyed their lawful commands Have you not neglected to comfort and relieve them to the best of your power and skill in their sickness wants weakness and old age and have you not secretly coveted their estates though by their death 2. If you be a Father or a Mother of Children examine 1. have you taken care to see they were rightly and in due time Baptized 2. Eph. 6.4 that they be taught as soon as they are able to learn what a solemn Vow was made in their name when Baptized with the Principles of Religion implied therein and depending thereupon 3. to correct them for their offences Heb. 12.9 10 11. that they contract not a custom in sin 4. to give them good example 5. to pray for them in private and openly to give them your blessing 6. Ecclus. 3.9 1 Tim. 5.8 to provide for them according to your ability and not to spend in needless riot or otherwise what ought to have been reserv'd for their maintenance 3. As to your civil Father 1 Pet. 2.13 14. Jud. 8. Pet. 2.10 11. Rom. 13.6 Tit. 3.1 Rom. 13.1 2. Pro. 24.21 Eccles. 10.20 who is the King as Supreme have you not been censorious and malapert in judging and traducing him or his government Have you not grudged to pay him toll or tribute refused to obey his lawful commands had no hand in rising up against him nor contributed thereunto by sowing sedition and faction spreading
will will be done in earth as it is in heaven May all we Petit. 3 whose immortal Souls do dwell in earthly Tabernacles as readily zealously constantly obey thy will and as chearfully submit to thy good pleasure as do thy blessed Angels and Saints in their blissful mansions of Heaven above Give us this day our daily bread Petit. 4 Even all things necessary both for our Souls and bodies both the bread of Heaven and earthly bread And grant that what we do enjoy upon earth may be rightly ours not to any other belonging and neither acquired by injustice nor uncharitably detained by us and our daily bread according to our daily necessities administred to us who daily wait upon thee O Lord who givest unto all their meâ—t in due season And that our daily abuse of thy gifts may not rob us of them Petit. 5 Forgive us our trespasses even all our transgressions of thy most holy Laws pardon good Lord whose nature and property it is alway to have mercy and to forgive But this we presume not to ask but upon thine own terms As we forgive those that trespass against us The trespasses of others and our sufferings from them are but few and trifling in respect of our sins and trespasses against thee for they be many and hainous but as sin hath abounded in us so doth grace and mercy abound also with thee but we are men of hard corrupt uncircumcised hearts Have mercy upon us O Lord and forgive us both our sins against thee and our uncharitableness unto our neighbours soften our hard hearts to be kindly affectioned one towards another forbearing and forgiving one another as we hope and humbly beg to be forgiven by thee through Jesus Christ our Lord. Lead us not into temptation Petit. 6 Suffer us not any more to fall into fins and trespasses against thee When we are led away with our lusts and tempted O leave us not then to our selves who are weak and frail and too prone to all that is evil but assist and enable us by thy Divine grace to overcome all the affaults of our ghostly enemies and to continue thy faithful servants and souldiers to our lives ends Deliver us from evil Petit. 7 From the evil of sin by thy grace and from the evil of punishment by thy mercy and from the authour of all evils the Devil From the temporal evils and miseries of this life and from the evils of a sad eternity in the life to come from thy wrath and from everlasting damnation Good Lord deliver us Liberati à malo confirmati semper in bono tibi servire mereamur Deo ac Domino nostro Pone Domine sine peccatis nostris da gaudium trdâ—ulâ—stis praebe redemptionem captivis fanitatem infirmis reâ—â—tiémque defunctis concede paâ—em securitatem in omnibus drebus â—â—stris france audaciam omnium inâ—micorum â—â—strorum exaudi Deus orationes omnium servorum cuorum fidelium Christianorum in hâ—â— die in omni tempore per Dominum nostrum Jesum Lit. Mozarab For thine is the Kingdom Conclusion Thou rulest and reignest over all and thy Dominion is absolute and independent the power whereof cannot be broken nor its glory eclipsed like the frail and fading Kingdoms of this world But thine is the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Thy Dominion is an everlasting Dominion such as shall not pass away and thy Kingdom such as cannot be destroyed but shall stand fast in power and eminent in glory for ever O give us hearts yielding a willing obedience to the Laws of thy Kingdom full of reverence and awful fear of thy Power studious to advance thy Glory upon earth that we may in the end arrive at thy Kingdom in Heaven where thou livest and reignest Blessed Father Son and Holy Ghost One God world without end Amen CHAP. XI The Seven Penitentiall Psalms paraphrased THE Psalms of David being by all Christians of what perswasion soever acknowledged to be the immediate dictates of God's Holy Spirit it must necessarily be acknowledged also that he who understandingly and devoutly prays in the very words of the Psalms prays by the Holy and true Spirit of God The truth whereof which by many blind Zelots is too much slighted and neglected we have both confirmed and the practice commanded Eph. 5.18 19. Be ye filled with the Spirit Speaking to your selves or among your selves which is done by answering each other in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs i. e. such as are the dictates of the Holy Spirit compared with Col. 3.16 Thus prayed our Lord upon the Cross in the very words of the Psalmist Psal 22.1 and 31.5 And so hath ever prayed the Church of Christ Psalmus totius Ecclesiae vox Aug. Prolog in Ps Chrys de Poen Hom. 6. Ambr. de Virg. l. 5. in all the Ages thereof Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs are and ever were the constant regular standing parts of God's Worship both under the Law and under the Gospel And he must needs be a desperate Fanatick who will not acknowledge the words of God's own Spirit to be more wise pithy pertinent and effectually prevailing with God in our Prayers then any words of man's devising how seemingly-zealous and taking soever 'T is a strange but not a true Spirit of holy Prayer then those persons pretend unto who slight the devout use of the Psalms which are the treasury of all sound Devotion and trust to their own extempore or studied expressions in Prayer preferring the dictates of their own Spirit before those of the Spirit of God himself The Penitential Psalms are so called because commended by the Church of Christ and by the constant practice of orthodox devout Christians to the Religious use of all true Penitents in their Prayers to be used upon all days of Humiliation and Fasting and in the time of sickness or any disness So prayed S. Aug. upon his Death-bed he wept and bewailed his sins in the devout use of the Penitential Psalms And those are also the most effectual Prayers we can use in the practice of Repentance by way of preparation to the holy Communion Psalm VI. Vers 1. O Lord the Judge of all men rebuke me not in thine indignation which I have deservedly incurr'd neither chasten me for mine offences in thy hot displeasure flaming to consume me 2. Have mercy upon me O Lord whose nature and property is ever to have mercy and to forgive for I am weak both through original corruption and manifold actual transgressions O Lord heal me pour the wine and oyl of thy grace and mercy into the wounds of my sinful soul for my bones are vexed that interiour strength which supports my Soul is troubled and sore shaken by many falls and failings 3. My soul also being conscious of her guilt and distemper'd condition is sore troubled being terrified at the apprehension of thy strict Justice and her own deserts but thou O Lord who desirest
Self-examination by the Decalogue or by the Third part of the Vow in Baptism To keep God's Holy Will and Commandments c. CHAP. V. The Examination of Religious actions CHAP. VI. The Examination of Repentance CHAP. VII Considerations with Directions in the Confession of Sin CHAP. VIII A Form of Confession of Sin fitted to the Rules of Self-examination whereunto every one may adde or substract as he finds himself guilty or not guilty CHAP. IX An ancient Form of Confession extant Biblioth Patrum CHAP. X. The Lord's Praier paraphrased CHAP. XI The Seven Penitential Psalms paraphrased CHAP. XII Meditations and Praiers to be partakers of the Merits of what our Blessed Redeemer hath done and suffered for us Pag. 195. l. 26. for Christ's number read this number p. 200. l. 27. for his read this THE PRACTICAL Christian PART I. CHAP. I. Of the great necessity of SELF-EXAMINATION 1. WHosoever believes as a Christian his Soul to be immortall being either entitled to everlasting Joy through Faith and Obedience to the Gospell of Christ or liable to eternall Woe through Disobedience and Misbelief a Joh. 5.28 29. must be very stupid and sottish if he do not frequently examine himself b Psal 4.4 2 Cor. 13.5 Gal. 6.4 whether he may reasonably conclude â—he is in the state of Grace and Salvation or of Sin and of Death the wages whereof c Rom. 6.23 2. That every man should know himself is such a fundamentall principle of true wisedom that wise men of old affirmed Nosce teipsum to be a command immediately derived to the sons of men by a voice from Hea ven as being absolutely necessary to the right guidance of all the actions of humane life upon earth 3. The reasonable Soul were it not debauched by the sensuall appetite and distracted by the hurry of exorbitant desires could not but often remember her self examine and call to mind the Authour and End of her Being the immortality and dignity of her nature what is her errand into this world and how she shall subsist in the world to come what is her chiefest Good and wherein her perfection and felicity consists which cannot be to eat and drink and sleep purchase lands build houses satisfy the lusts of the flesh swell with pride of life She would consider that she is stampt after the Image of God and her Happiness consists in the knowledge love and enjoyment of the Divine Majesty and in the imitation and representation according to her modell of the Perfections of the Godhead But alas vain man being in honour hath no understanding considers not the honour of his being after the Image of his Maker but receives his Divine immortall Soul in vain whilst he follows the sway of his sensuall irrationall appetite and is compared to the beasts that perish d Psal 49.12 4. And well it were for all such inconsiderate and imprudent persons if their Souls were as perishing and mortall as those which animate the beasts of the field But â—o their eternall sorrow 't is far otherwise for there is an account to be given by every man of his immortal Soul and of the Image of God stamped thereupon viz. how this blessed Image hath been either defaced or kept undefiled how it hath been obscured or how shined how deformed or how beautified through all the actions of each man's life For God will bring every work into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evill * Eccles. 12.14 Rom. 2.16 and 14.10 2 Cor. 5.10 5. Upon every man's Examination both in his particular and in the generall Judgment depends his everlasting well-being or undoing for ever each man's condition then shall be unchangeable whether it be of glory or misery They that have done good shall go into everlasting life and they that have done evill into everlasting fire f Matth. 25.46 6. Since this great Triall then shall be upon life and death eternall 't wil be wisely done to try beforehand Such is the advice of the wise Siracides Before judgment examine thy self and in the day of visitation thou shalt find mercy g Ecclus. 18.20 To examine accuse judge and condemn thy self in this life may through the merits of Christ acquit thee in the life to come So saith the Apostle If we would judge our selves we should not be judged h 1 Cor. 11.31 7. Now then sinfull man delay not to pass judgment upon thy self remember that the Great Judge himself hath said it I will reprove thee and set before thee the things that thou hast done i Psal 50.21 Be wise then and prevent this sad and dismall reproof by setting in order before thy self all the Sins of thy life And to this Triall of thy self these following particulars do necessarily concur 1. A Tribunall must be erected and this is not to be without thee but within thee even in thine own heart k 1 Joh. 3.20 21. 2. The Judge to sit upon this Seat of judicature must be thy Reason guided by the Law of the most High wherein beware of a misunderstanding and wresting of the letter of the Law to pass any unjust and partiall sentence upon thy self for that may undoe thee for ever l 2 Pet. 3.16 3. The Witnesses to be produc'd against thee are the Conscience bearing witness and the thoughts the mean while accusing or excusing one another and thus shall it be also in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Christ Jesus m Rom. 2.15 16. 4. The Executioners that stand ready to seize the Criminall are Fear and terrour and an horrible dread overwhelming the Soul n Phil. 2.12 Psal 55.5 These do ever attend 5. Self-condemnation which is an unfeigned and sad acknowledgment to have incurred the dismall Sentence of condemnation to death eternall To prevent which 6. Execution must be done and the bloud of the guilty Soul must be shed 'T is not to be believ'd or hoped that a black diseased Soul should recover its health and beauty after the Image of God except she bleed plentifully bleed in the tears of Compunction and godly sorrow bleed in the Confession of her Sins with an abhorrence of them for the filthiness guilt and danger contracted by them so as for the future to renounce and abjure them for ever 8. Thus to examine judge and condemn thy self is the same Christian duty which is called Repentance without the practice whereof our Lord positively affirms that we are all undone for ever saying Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish o Luk. 13.3 5. And he saith the same words again at the same time and in the same Text recorded 1. to enforce the great necessity of Repentance against all carnall careless self-conceited and seduced persons 2. to manifest his great goodness who would not have any to perish but that all should come to Repentance p 2 Pet. 3.9 9.
for the poor not to steal from the rich This sin is also a transgression of the former law Ecclus. 34.21 for the bread of the needy is their life and he that defraudeth him thereof is a man-slayer The Ninth Commandment Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour Examination by the Ninth Commandment NOt onely of all false and evill speaking Matt. 12.36 37. but of every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account in the day of Judgment And therefore to make up your accounts against that great day of trial 't will be necessary to commune with your heart 12.34 out of the abundance whereof the mouth speaketh 1. Whether you have been guilty of any officious lies by speaking falsely either in the cause of God Job 13. Col. 3.9 or of man The first being unlawful the second is highly sinful though my neighbour may be benefited thereby Ps 12.2 Ecclus. 2.24 25. and 23. 2. Have you told no scurrilous lies vain-glorious bragging lies to please and humour your own and your companions sensual inclinations 3. Psal 24 4. Pro. 12 17. 13.5 Have you told no false stories to allure others to be of your mind and judgment though you be in an errour And 't is very evident that you are both deceived your self and desire to deceive others when you tell a lie to maintain your opinion for Truth stands in need of no lie to support it 4. Prov. 18.8 â—nd 24.28 Ecclus. 19. â— 8. and â—1 25 Eph. 4.25 Have you told no infamous lies and scandalous stories to detract and blemish the good name of any If such stories should be true 't is uncharitable but when falsities abominable to report and spread them 5. Matt. 7.3 â— Have you not talk'd of the moat in your brother's eye to his disgrace being blind as to the beam in your own And have you not judged rashly censured uncharitably of other mens actions viz. not in the better but worser sense 6. â—rov 26. â—4 25 26. Have you not flattered with your lips professing more love and respect to any then has been truly in your heart towards them 7. Exod. 23.1 Have you neither publickly nor privately testified what is false to the diminution either of the reputation or estate of any man 8. Have you used no opprobrious language as thou fool knave Matt. 5.22 1 Pet. 3.9 nor answered railing for railing The sin of evil speaking is much aggravated from the qualitie of the persons evil spoken of As 1. for Children to speak evil and reproachfully either of or to their Parents Pro. 20.20 2. Jer. 18.18 Exod. 22.28 Jud. 8. for a people to speak evil of their Pastours 3. for Subjects to speak evil of their King and his Ministers of State Which is the humour of false Prophets and Hereticks it being the practice of Orthodox Pastours Tit. 3.1 2. to put their people in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers to obey Magistrates to speak evil of no man c. The Tenth Commandment Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife nor his servant nor his maid nor his ox nor his ass nor any thing that is his Examination by the Tenth Commandment 1. HAth no lust inflamed your breast towards the Wife or Maid of another Matt. 5.28 1 Thess 4.5 2 Sam. 11.2 or to covet whatsoever of his you vainly conceive serviceable to your sinful pleasures So lusted David after the wife of Vriah 2. Hab. 2.9 Luk. 12.15 Have you not coveted the house lands preferments offices or whatsoever is enjoyed by another in order to your worldly profit 1 King 21.1 c. So coveted Ahab the vineyard of Naboth 3. Have you not secretly wished the loss or ruine of your neighbour's health peace credit liberty life Job 31.29 30. 1 Joh. 2.11 and 3.15 or any thing that is his in order either to your pleasure or profit 4. Num. 11.28 29. Have you not envied the flourishing estate of any either in respect of their wealth esteem honour preferment and this whether in reference to your self or to your friend 5. Phil. 4.11 1 Tim. 6.8 Matt. 6.19 20. Heb. 13.5 Have you been content with your present state and condition in this world how mean soever not roving after the exteriour consolations of the creature abroad the onely way to lose contentment in your self at home 6. Prov. 13.4 Eph. 4.28 2 â—hess 3.8 Have you been diligent and industrious in the duties of your calling without all carking solicitude both for the support of your self and yours and for the relief of others 7. Have none of those great Diana's whom all the world worshippeth viz. the lusts of the flesh 1 Joh. 2.15 16. or voluptuousness the lusts of the eyes or covetousness the pride of life or ambition taken up more room in your heart then the love of God and the joys of the world to come My soul cleaveth to the dust Psal 119.25 quicken me O Lord according to thy word CHAP. V. The Examination of Religious actions SUch is the infelicity of our humane condition upon earth that we frequently trespass against the Majesty of Heaven not onely by doing what God hath by his holy Laws forbidden but also by the irregular performance of those holy acts of Religion which he hath commanded Gen. 4.4 5. And herein a more strict scrutiny is required a more narrow search into all the secret recesses and corners windings and turnings of the corrupt heart because the sins of such actions as be outwardly holy do commonly lie more closely hidden from our apprehension and view then those which have no appearance of holiness in them Where 1. Examine your intention in every good work what is your chief end and aim therein Matt. 6.22 23. For the light of the body is the eye 't is the intention the internall eye of the Soul which renders every work either of light or of darkness sinfull or holy Consider then whether in Alms-giving Fasting Praying Preaching or any other Religious duty you intend either 1. the glory of God rather then your own glory and esteem the praise of God more then the praise of men or 2. the good of your Soul and the interest of Heaven rather then any worldly ends or interests 3. Whether you perform such or such an holy action out of a true love to God and obedience to his commands or rather to please your self in following your own imaginations inclinations and humours 4. whether to satisfy your own conscience rather then to prevent the discourses or censures of others 5. to benefit others rather then to please your own fancy And lastly whether you have an eye to the recompence of reward in the other world without reflexion upon any secular advantage in this life 'T is too common with men to mistake their own
service of thy great Name And though thus and more ways then thus in more respects then I can possibly conceive or remember I have profaned thy Holy Name yet is thy Name called upon me and I do daily call upon thy Name I do therefore humbly beg For thy Name 's sake O Lord be merciful unto my sin for it is great Many of those Days and hours Sins against the Fourth Commandment times and seasons dedicated to thy Divine Worship publick and private have I profan'd and unhallowed making no difference either by my words or works betwixt Daies separate to the sacred Service of God and such as are left in common for the service of our selves I have too often absented my self from thy solemn publick Worship without sufficient cause and have too carelesly irreverently and indevoutly demeaned my self therein I have mis-spent much of the time assigned for holy Exercises in following my own private business satisfying my sensful lusts pursuing the pleasures and interests of this present world spending upon such daies in luxury riot and excess what might better have been laid out in Alms and Charitable uses The whole course of my life which thou grantedst me to be spent in thy service here that I might advance my hopes of Heaven hereafter I have foolishly thrown away upon my lusts and vanities continually grieving thy good Spirit quenching those sacred flames he hath enkindled in my breast never ceasing from the works of sin but daily labouring to destroy my hopes to keep a perpetual Sabbath in Heaven O God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my eyes to Heaven for mine iniquities are increased over mine head and my trespass is gone up unto the Heavens Sins against the Second Table of the Law O Most just and dear God Sins against the Fifth Commandment I humbly confess my self not onely to have broken the bonds of that love fear and service I owe unto thee but I have also transgrest my duty in all my Relations unto others I have been disobedient to my Parents Against Parents stubborn and disrespective in my carriage towards them I have sometimes secretly despised them in my heart and openly reviled them I have slighted their admonitions thinking my self too good to own them too wise to obey their commands I have not to the best of my power comforted and relieved them in their wants and weaknesses sorrows and sicknesses and I have too often wished for their death that I might enjoy their estate and follow the sway of my own corrupt humour and inclinations God be merciful to me a sinner I have not been careful Against Children either my self to instruct my Children or to see they were by others instructed in the Principles of holy and true Religion I have been more careful for their temporal then spiritual estate for the health of their Bodies then for the Salvation of their Souls not wisely admonishing discreetly correcting and seasonably reproving them and by my good example teaching them the ways of Truth and Holiness God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner Against the King I have been too disobedient to my Prince too censorious and malapert in traducing his Person and Conversation his Government and the Governours under his Majesty I have murmured to pay him Toll and Tribute and refused to obey many of his Laws and lawful Commands I had too deep a hand in the Rebellion against the late King of blessed memory by my many personal sins provoking the wrath of God by entertaining false opinions by believing and spreading lies and infamous stories God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have not made conscience to obey the Laws and Orders of thy Church Against the Church whether universal or particular not acknowledging or not submitting to the authority of either and am justly to be therefore rankt amongst Publicans and Sinners My Ghostly Fathers and the Ministers thereof in the several Orders of Bishop Priest and Deacon I have disbelieved disrespected disobeyed despised them in their Persons in their Callings in their Admonitions for my Soul's health And I have also detained diminished defrauded and grudingly paid the Dues of the Church God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner Amongst the Ministers of the Gospel I have had respect of persons being better pleased with a stranger then with my own lawful Pastour better pleased with the Factious and Schismatical then with the Orthodox and Regular Clergy better pleased with Preachers that tickle the itching ear then with such as feed the Soul with sound and wholsom Doctrine I have hated him that reproveth in the gate I have hardened my heart and refused when admonished to return from the Errours of my ways God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner Towards all my Superiours I have been too haughty and disrespectful Against all men in their relations and conditions both in my carriage towards them and speeches of them I have not honoured the aged and admonished the younger and less experienc'd Towards all men my deportment has been too churlish and ungentle not so meek and lowly not so courteous and affable as becomes the spirit of a true Christian I have been proud and vain-glorious stubborn and disobedient slighting contemning deriding others giving rash judgment but have been impatient my self of scorn or of a just reproof not enduring to be slighted and yet extremely deserving it God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have not ordered aright the members of my Family or my Servant Sins of Masters of Fandlies or Servants been too remiss in my care for their instruction and for their daily attendance upon the publick Worship of God preferring their attendance upon me and their service in my worldly concerns before the great concernment and interest of their own Souls Salvation in the service of thy Sacred Majesty I have detained or curtail'd their wages murmuring to give them their due provoked their spirits exacted too hard duty from them and too superciliously lorded it over them God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have oftentimes disobeyed And of Servants and murmured to obey my Master's commands I have not been so lowly and submissive in my demeanour towards him so just and honest in the management of his affairs as becomes a good and faithful Servant Have mercy upon me O God after thy great goodness and according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences through Jesus Christ I have been hainously and frequently guilty of immoderate Anger Sins against the Sixth Commandment Immoderate Anger in the heart in word and deed been peevish and disquieted at trifles at slight miscarriages of others and inconsiderable accidents about me My Anger hath often swelled into wrath and fury broken out into bitter railing and cursing opprobrious speeches to such and such mindful of wrongs forgetful of benefits going to law with such and such
in justice to cast down and thy remembrance throughout all generations Thy gracious promises both of the life that now is and of that which is to come are in all ages remembred to thy praise and glory 13. Thou shalt arise to redeem deliver and defend and have mercy upon Sion thy Church militant here upon earth for it is time that thou have mercy upon her the time of this life is the seasonable time of mercy because it is a time of misery yea the time is come even the fulness of time is compleated of our Redemption and Salvation 14. And why thy servants think upon her stones both Angels and Saints resent with much regret the dispersed members of thy Church and it pitieth them to see her in the dust they pity her distractions and confusions and have great desires to succour and relieve her 15. The heathen shall fear thy name O Lord which now they blaspheme but being converted from their Idolatries and from all the errours of their ways they shall with us adore the blessed and saving Name of Jesus and all the Kings of the earth thy majesty being converted unto thee they shall in all humility confess the greatness of thy Majesty far to transcend their greatest power and glory 16. When the Lord shall build up Sion repair the breaches of his Church and settle it upon the foundation of Prophets and Apostles and when his glory shall appear the glory of his great grace shall manifest it self in the edification and support of his Church upon the pillars of Truth and Peace 17. When he turneth him to the prayer of the poor destitute For his ears are ever open to the prayers of the humble and poor in spirit and such as be destitute of all exteriour consolations and despiseth not their desire when flowing from a true Faith and enfir'd with Charity and Devotion 18. This shall be written for those that come after That the succeeding people of God under the Gospel may have upon record the wondrous works of God under the Law and the people that shall be born regenerate and born anew of water and of the Holy Ghost shall praise the Lord. for the grace of Redemption and great mercy attain'd 19. For he hath looked down from his Sanctuary God the Son from the bosom of his Father above looked down with the eye of his mercy upon us miserable sinners here below out of heaven did the Lord behold the earth when the King of Heaven descended upon earth when the day-spring on high came down to visit us when the Word was made flesh for the building up of Sion 20. That he might hear the mourning of such as are in captivity groaning under the bonds and chains of their sins and deliver out of the gulf of sin and clutches of Satan the children appointed unto death as the due wages of sin 21. That they may declare the name of the Lord in Sion being delivered from the sad condition of being the children of the Devil in the vast womb of this wicked world to be the children of God in the sacred womb of their Mother the Church they might therein and therefore extoll the great Name of God and his worship at Hierusalem promote and advance the holy Worship of God in his Church and unanimously joyn therein together to the glory of his Name 22. When the people are gathered together When the people of God dispersed through the world shall be nevertheless joyned together in the unity of the true Faith enlivened by divine Charity and the kingdoms also to serve the Lord. when both the Kings and the people of their dominion assemble together and joyn with one heart and one mouth in the publick Worship of God then shall the Name of the Lord be magnified in Sion 23. He brought down my strength in my journey In the mean time whilst I walk in the way of Repentance my strength is decayed and he hath shortned my days of health and outward prosperity that I may apply my heart unto wisedom 24. But I said addressing my self unto God by Prayer O my God the God of my life of my health of my joy my God and my all take me not away in the midst of mine age before the natural course of my life expire as for thy years they endure throughout all generations being from everlasting to everlasting in respect of whose duration the years of my life are nothing and therefore I humbly beg they may not be shortned through the violence of thy afflicting hand 25. Thou Lord who art without beginning in the beginning of time hast laid the foundations of the earth which is the centre of this visible World and the heavens are the works of thy hands both the Heavens and the earth and all things visible and invisible are of thy Creation 26. They shall perish as having their beginning in time but thou shalt endure as being from all eternity and through all the changes of created beings remaining in thy self unchangeable 27. They all shall wax old as doth a garment which is worse for the wearing and as avesture shalt thou change them from their present state and condition and they shall be changed in their qualities and operations But thou art the same in thy self immutable and thy years shalt not fail or rather being not liable at all to any term of years but without either beginning or end of Time 28. The children of thy servants if they follow the steps of their godly Fathers in the sacred service of God shall continue in the land of the living being translated from the life of Grace to the life of Glory and their seed of good works the issue of their true faith shall stand fast in thy sight being treasured up in Heaven where no moth or rust corrupteth Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning Psalm CXXX Verse 1. OVT of the depths both of my sins and sufferings and out of the depth of my heart wounded with godly sorrow for my sins have I called as Jonas out of the whale's belly so do I lift up my voice in praier to be delivered from the power of the Devil unto thee O Lord with whom alone is power to help and save me Lord hear my voice in my prayers which I make before thee 2. O let thine ears which are not corporeal but wholly spiritual and therefore more quick andintense to consider well the voice of my complaint be intent to release me of my sins under the weight whereof my Soul complains 3. If thou Lord to whom no secrets are hid wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss so as to take notice of all our faults and failings and punish us accordingly O Lord who may abide it There is none so exactly righteous and holy as to abide the strict scrutiny of thy vindicative justice since every sin from which none is free is in respect of the person offended
infinite 4. For there is mercy with thee to forgive the sins of the penitent and to raise up them that are faln therefore shalt thou be feared or worshipped with reverence and godly fear thy mercy engaging and sweetly working upon our hearts to fear thy Name 5. I look for the Lord even for his saving mercy my soul doth wait for him to heal her soars and satisfie her longing desires with the oil and wine of mercy and consolation in his word is my trust for therein he hath promised to pardon the penitent to heal the broken-hearted And I doubt not but he will be as good as his word and therefore 6. My soul fleeth unto the Lord upon the spiritual wings of ardent desires strong hopes fervent prayers before the morning-watch very early in the morning of the day or in the morning of my life the time of my youth I say before the morning-watch or more carnestly then such who are appointed watch-men for the night do wait for the morning to be discharged from their watch and have liberty to repose themselves 7. O Israel Ye that are of the number of God's people members of his Church if you be wise trust not in your selves nor in others but trust in the Lord who never faileth to help them that put their trust in him and be doing good for with the Lord there is mercy There is there was and ever will be mercy with him to justifie sinners that truly repent and believe in him for his mercy endureth for ever and with him there is plenteous redemption His precious bloud whereby we are redeemed is plentifully sufficient to satisfie for our sins and not for ours onely but for the sins of the whole world 8. And he shall redeem Israel No doubt but he will more especially above all others redeem his own inheritance from all his sins Be they never so many mortal and venial if truly repented through Faith in the bloud of Christ they shall be pardoned And therefore we have great reason to give Glory to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. Psalm CXLIII Verse 1. HEar my prayer O Lord for the obtaining of what is good and consider my desire for the avoiding of what is evil hearken unto me in both respects for thy truth of thy promises made to hear the prayers of the humble and for thy righteousness sake in performing all such promises to those who trust not in their own but in thy righteousness condemning themselves that they may be absolved by thee 2. And enter not into judgment without any intermixture of mercy with thy servant O Lord I dare not say thy son but confess with the Prodigal that I have sinned against Heaven but reject me not from among the number of thy servants for in thy sight who art a God of purer eyes then to behold iniquity shall no man living in this frail mortal flesh be justified by his own merits but by the mercy of God through the merits of Christ 3. For the enemy the Devil hath persecuted my soul and doth incessantly undermine its innocence by his temptations and snares he hath smitten my life down to the ground so that my Soul grovels in the dust of earthly desires he hath laid me in the darkness involv'd in the night of secular lusts as the men that have been long dead in their trespasses and sins having no sense or feeling of their desperate condition 4. Therefore is my spirit vexed within me My Conscience within me being defiled and my Soul which would aspire to Heaven-ward depressed with the weight of her sins and the corruption of her flesh is a great corrosive and vexation of my spirit and my heart within me is desolate destitute of all consolation 5. Yet do I remember the time past wherein thy people have been exercised and tried both by adversity and prosperity both by temptations and deliverances and for my consolation and strengthning my hopes of deliverance I muse upon all thy works wherein I observe as thy great power and wisedom so thy mercy allaying the rigour of thy justice yea I enâ—â—ise my self in the works of thy hands wherein I find thy mercy to be over thy works and that I though an unprofitable work of thy hands may obtain mercy also 6. I stretch forth my hands unto thee both praying with my lips and working with my hands to obtain may petitions and my soul pours forth her self in the expansion of my hands which being in her self dry and barren of consolation gaspeth unto thee the fountain of living waters and well-spring of Divine graces even as a thirsty land gapeth to be fill'd and satisfied with rain from Heaven 7. Hear me O Lord watering my thirsty Soul with the celestial dew of thy Divine grace and that soon delay not to satisfie the thirst of my soul which is great for my spirit waxeth faint hath lost its wonted fersour of devotion being oppressed with the burthen of her sins and destitute of the sweet refreshments and influences of thy Holy Spirit hide not thy face from me as one turns away his face from his enemie or one with whom he is justly offended lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit If thou look not in mercy upon me I shall be in the same condition with them that are involved in the pit both of sin and of death 8. O let me hear be made sensible of thy loving kindness betimes in the morning early and betimes in this life and after the night of this life is ended in the morning of that day which never shall have end for in thee is my trust not in my self nor in any help of man for it is but vain and so will prove my trust in thee also except I obey thy will and walk in thy ways the which that I may do I humbly beg shew thou me the way of thy laws and the paths of thy Commandments wherein I should walk as leading to my native home of Heaven where my immortal Soul was first framed by the hands of the Almighty for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul which being made after thine Image aspires to become perfect in the beatifical vision and fruition of thy sacred Majesty In which way being soar let and hindred it implores thy assistence saying 9. Deliver me from mine enemies O God both visible and invisible ghostly and bodily adversaries for I flee unto thee when assaulted by them to hide me under the covert of thy protection from all the storms of temptations which daily arise in the tumultuous sea of this life 10. Teach me who am naturally blind and careless of my duty to doe the thing that pleaseth thee not onely to know but to doe thy will not to follow mine own pleasure but what is pleasing and acceptable unto thee for thou art my God who hast created and redeemed me and that I may be
by a timely true Repentance and Amendment that sad and dismall sentence at the last Day Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire h Matt. 25.41 4. Disobedience to these commands of our Lord in the neglect of this Blessed Sacrament doth declare every such person so neglecting whatever his excuses may be 1. in generall that he is more in love with his Sins then with his Saviour with the errours of his ways then with the Truth that is in Jesus i Eph. 4.21 or 2. more particularly that he prefers either his sloth and negligence or his enmity and maliciousness or his temporall concerns and covetousness or in a word some secular or sensual lust before the purification of his Soul in the Bloud of Christ and its nourishment to life eternall 5. He disobeys the commands slights the orders contemns the discipline of Christ's Church makes no conscience of conforming to the practice of and of holding communion with all sound and orthodox Members of Christ but rather implies nay openly declares that he is none of Christ's number but separate and divided from Christ's mysticall Body which is the Church k Col. 1.24 and consequently not quickened with his Spirit for these two are inseparable one Body the Church and one Spirit l Eph. 4.4 viz. of truth and holiness which quickeneth this one Body and this alone The guilt of any which particulars is so inconsistent with the state of true Christianity that there is no person who reads and seriously considers them can reasonably call himself a Member of Christ or acceptably call upon God as such and yet still continue his neglect of this Blessed Sacrament 6. And this amongst others is one of the greatest causes of so great a decay of Piety of so much dulness and deadness of heart in all Religious performances of so much averseness from the publick Worship of God in his House of prayer and of so much irreverence and profaneness therein 'T is the cause of so many spiritual diseases in the Souls of men of so much weakness against Temptations of so much wavering in opinion of so many Errours Schisms Factions even because the Souls of all such are not fed nourished strengthned and refreshed quickned and confirmed with the precious Body and Bloud of Christ the which being rightly and reverently received illuminates the Understanding purifies the Will cleanses the Heart rectifies the Affections and renders the whole Man apt and active to every good work of the Lord. II. The Second general Duty in order to this Holy Sacrament is To use all possible means and endeavours to receive the same worthily There will need no other Reasons to enforce this Duty then the terrour of those known words of the Apostle He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself And this Unworthiness consists in not discerning the Lord's Body as it immediately follows m 1 Cor. 11.29 Here then every man that hath any care of his Soul will desire to know what it is not to discern the Lord's Body which makes a man liable to Damnation by being an unworthy Communicant at the Lord's Table To understand this fully and clearly we must use the light of a distinction For there is a threefold Body of Christ abstracted from that of his personal subsistence as Man of a reasonable Soul and humane Flesh subsisting viz. 1. Mystical 2. Doctrinal 3. Sacramental And not to discern the Lord's Body in any of these three meanings thereof makes unworthie Receivers 1. The Mystical Body of Christ is his Church n Eph. 1.22 23. Col. 1.24 And he discerns not this Body of Christ who rightly believes not the Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints 'T is one of the names whereby this Holy Sacrament is called The Holy Communion excluding thence as unworthy all that are not within the Pale and Communion of Christ's Church both Unbelievers and Misbelievers Hereticks and Schismaticks all disobedient factious contentious spirits with all sorts of Separatists from the Church of Christ whether in Faith or Charity Doctrine or Worship For all worthy Communicants being many are one Body in Christ and every one Members one of another o Rom. 12.5 1 Cor. 12.12 13. 2. The Doctrinal Body of Christ is the Doctrine of Christianity or the Body of Faith wherein all found orthodox Christians do agree and are united as Members of the foresaid Mystical Body of Christ the Church which is therefore called the common Faith p Tit. 1.4 and 't is that Faith which was once given to or rather by the Saints q Jude v. 3. the holy Apostles of our Lord. He discerns not this Body of the Lord who understands not the Principles of his Religion which are summed up in the Vow or Covenant which every person rightly Christned hath made with God in his Baptism the positive parts whereof besides the negative are 1. the Apostles Creed 2. the Ten Commandments with what is implied therein and depends thereupon viz. 3. the Lord's Praier and 4. the Doctrine of the Sacraments Not to know these general Heads of Religion which be plainly and fully delivered in the Church-Catechism or having learned them by heart when Children not frequently to remember and consider them when come to age so as to understand and hold them fast as the Essentials of Christianity is the second general kind of Unworthiness of the Lord's Supper from whence all ignorant and careless foolish and sottish persons are excluded r Jer. 24.7 Heb. 8.11 with all such as hold not fast the first Principles of the Oracles of God †Heb. 5.12 3. The Sacramental Body of Christ is the consecrated Elements of Bread and Wine in the Sacrament This is expresly affirmed by our Lord saying This is my Body This is my Bloud Who then dare say as the Fathers frequently observe This is not his Body but a Figure of his Body onely He discerns not this Body of our Lord 1. who sees not with the eye of Faith Christ really present under the Species of Bread and Wine though he conceive not the manner thereof who doth not with all gratefull acknowledgment and divine love and with the greatest humility and devotion adore the infinite wisedom power mercy goodness and condescension of this Presence of our Lord not curiously questioning much less pragmatically defining the way and manner of his Presence as being deeply mysterious and inconceivable Those old Verses expressing the Faith of the wifest of our first Reformers may satisfy every modest humble and sober-minded good Christian in his great Mystery of godliness It was the Lord that spake it He took the Bread and brake it And what the Word did make it So I believe and take it 2. He discerns not this Sacramental Body of the Lord who knows not in some measure the nature ends uses and benefits of this Sacrament with what is required of them that come thereunto All
year as a day of Fasting and Abstinence and it was ever observed as such since our Lord died upon the Friday through all the Ages of the Church untill these last and worst of days wherein the evil spirit of contradiction against the Religious practices of Christ's Church doth so rage as amongst many others to cry down all Times and Days devoted to the Service of God except what they call the Sabbath-day the which under the Gospel is neither properly so called nor rightly observed by such as truly understand not the IV. Commandment but misinterpret the sound meaning of the Spirit by the killing Letter of the Law 3. All orthodox and understanding good Christians in stead of a Jewish Sabbath observe as festival and holy the Christian Sunday because the Sun of Righteousness arose upon that day from death to life and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel in which respect 't is frequently in Holy Scripture called the Lord's day 4. And there is the like reason for the observance of Friday as fasting in commemoration of Christ's Passion as there is for Sunday as festival in commemoration of his Resurrection Nor is this obscurely but plainly enough commanded by our Lord himself But the days will come when the Bridegroom shall be taken away from them and then shall they fast in those days a Luk. 5.35 These words are both 1. a positive command to all the Disciples of Christ they shall fast and also 2. the days whereon they shall fast are prescribed in those days whereon the Bridegroom was taken away from them which are the Fridays of the year whereon our Lord the Bridegroom and Head of his Church was taken off by a bitter death upon the Cross It is therefore but meet and just that all true Members of this Head should fast and pray and be humbled for their Sins on that day especially whereon the Son of God so sadly suffered and sorrowed for the Sins of the world Friday Meditations I. Part of LXIX Psalm paraphrased Verse 13. LORD I make my praier unto thee in an acceptable time Now is the acceptable time now is the day of Salvation even the day whereon for us men and for our Salvation the Blessed Son of God was crucified unto death 14. Hear me O God in the multitude of thy mercies against the multitude of my Sins which require a multitude of mercies to pardon them even in the truth of thy Salvation which on this day was so dearly purchased with the precious Bloud of the Son of God as a Lamb without spot 15. Take me out of the mire of all my sinfull pollutions and of all exorbitant lusts both secular and sensual that I sink not under the weight and pressure of them O let mâ— be delivered from them that hate me meaning chiefly the Devil and his angels and all the enemies of my Soul and out of the deep waters the rising waves of my unruly Passions and the waters of Trouble and Affliction which issue thence 16. Let not the water-floud of iniquity which overflows the face of the earth drown me with the rest of evill-doers neither let the deep swallow me up the deep abyss of Death the wages of Sin and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me so as that I arise not out of the gulph of Sin and Death to the life of Grace and Glory 17. Hear me O Lord for thy loâ—â—â— kindness is comfortable T is the 〈◊〉 and fountain life and soul of 〈◊〉 consolation at all times and in 〈◊〉 conditions both prosperous and adverse turn thee unto me not for any worth that is in me to attract thy loving-kindness but according to the multitude of thy mercies which are ever manifested to all them who truly turn unto thee 18. Hide not thy face from thy servant as angry and displeased for the alienations of my heart from thee and negligence in thy service for I am in trouble troubled for my Sins and frequent back-slidings and the sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit a broken and contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise O haste thee and hear me For if thou make as though thou hearest not I shall be like them that goe down into the pit 19. Draw nigh unto my Soal and save it who for the Salvation of my Soul didst this day humble thy self unto death even the cursed death of the Cross by the Merits and efficacy of which Cross and Passion O deliver me from all mine offences because of mine enemies that they triumph not in my confusion II. Meditations out of the Prophet Isaiah Chap. LIII Verse 4. SVrely he hath born our griefs and carried our serrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed 6. All we like sheep have gone astray and God hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all In the Sufferings of thy Saviour O my Soul thou maiest see as in a glass thine own Deformities and Sins The Great Lord over all Blessed for ever to be reproached reviled scorned contemned and numbred amongst the transgressours discovers thy false and uncharitable Judging Censuring Condemning Evil-speaking Lying and Slandering Railing and Reviling of others The blessed Face of Jesus besmeared with Spittle doth remember thee of all thy unclean Lusts and of all the filthy Communication that has proceeded out of thy mouth His blessed Mouth embittered with Gall and Vinegar doth mind thee of thy Effeminacy and Luxury Drunkenness and Gluttony and his Whipping of thy Stubbornness and Disobedience to the Laws of Heaven The King of Glory to wear a Crown of Thorns and for his Robes of Majesty onely a little Linen to cover his nakedness declares the iniquity of thy Pride and Vain-glory the folly of Gay cloathing and all thy vain and foolish affectation of the Pomps and Vanities of this sinfull World That Crown of Thorns beaten into his Temples with a Reed and much rage discovers the offensive nature of immoderate Cares of the world with the sharp and piercing Vexations issuing thence which eat up the Consolation of the heart and all true sincere Devotion of the spirit O sweetest Jesu let all my Sins be done away through thy Sufferings which did both represent and satisfy for them Let thy Wounds be a Salve for my Sin-wounded Soul and by thy Stripes let her be healed of all her Distempers Let thy Bonds discharge that Bond of malediction and woe wherein my Sins have enwrapt my Soul and let my Obligation to punishment be cancelled by thy Cross Let thy Pains deliver me from the Pains of Hell and thy Labours procure my Rest with the Saints in Heaven Let thy Sorrows purchase the Joys and thy Griefs the Pleasures of thy right hand Let thy Captivity be my Redemption thy Humiliation my Exaltation
into Egypt to return into thy countrey to be subject to thy parents to be baptized by John to be afflicted with a forty days fast and thrice to be tempted of the Devil to be wearied with journeys and macerated by hunger and thirst and watchings to be tired with preaching to weep for compassion to be rejected of the Jews and frequently abused by them Thy Passion approaching thou vouchsafedst to be heavy and exceeding sorrowful to pray not onely with bended knees but thrice to fall upon thy face to be in a bitter Agony and to sweat drops of bloud to be betrayed by Judas with a deceitful kiss to be apprehended by the Jews and bound as a thief to be left desolate and alone for all thy Disciples forsook thee and fled To be led to Annas the High-priest first and there to be buffeted to be sent by him bound to Caiaphas and there to be many ways derided to be brought before the council of the Jews and there to be falsely accused and condemned to have thy face polluted with spittings to be provok'd by manifold reproâ—ches to be scorned and blasphemed and again smitten on the face and buffeted to be delivered bound unto Pilate and before him vehemently accused unto death and by him to be sent unto Herod and there to be calumniated and set at nought by him and his men of war to be arrayed in white and sent back unto Pilate by his command to be bound to a pillar and cruelly scourged unto bloud to be by him condemned and delivered up to the souldiers to be crucified by whom thou wast mockt with a purple garment and pierced with a Crown of thorns derided with a Reed in stead of a Regal sceptre and with bowing of knees named in contempt The King of the Jews again the third time bespatter'd with spittle and buffeted and beaten with a Reed on thy head laden with the weight of thy Cross and led away to the place of thy Passion there again stript naked of thy garments and profered to drink Gall mingled with Myrrh At last thou wast extended on the Cross thy hands and feet transfixed with nails crucified amongst thieves numbred amongst transgressours blasphemed both by them that stood by and by them that passed by and in the extremity of thy sufferings criedst out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Thy head bowed down thou didst give up the ghost and thy Side was pierced by a Souldier whence issued both water and bloud Taken down from the Cross and buried by Joseph the third day thou didst rise again and appear to thy disciples The fortieth day thou ascendedst into Heaven and sitting on the right hand of God the Father thou didst send down the promise of the Holy Ghost upon thy blessed Apostles and Disciples and shalt come again to Judgment to render to all men according to their works done in the body whether they be good or whether they be evil O Blessed Lord Jesus by all these thy most sacred Sufferings by thy bitter death and most precious bloud shed for us and by all things foretold of thee and fulfill'd by thee vouchsafe in great mercy to deliver me a sordid sinner with all my friends and enemies parents brothers sisters all that are poor and desolate tempted and afflicted bound and imprison'd with all Christian people From all our tribulations and distresses from the snares of the Devil from the bonds and chains of our Sins and from all evils both of Soul and body good Lord deliver save and defend us All our imaginations and actions vouchsafe so to dispose and order that they may be acceptable unto thee fill us with thy grace and with holy peace and with all vertue and grant us herein to persevere even unto death that making a good end of this present life thou mayst bring us to eternal life in thy celestial Kingdom where thou livest and reignest CHAP. VI. Saint Gregorie 's Praiers upon the Passion of Christ I. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus hanging upon the Cross and bearing on thy venerable head a Crown of Thorns and I humbly beg by thy Cross to be delivered from the destroying Angel II. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus Christ expanded on the Cross with five great wounds in thy nailed hands and feet and pierced side and I humbly beg that thy dire and gastly wounds may be a healing remedy to my sin-sick Soul III. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus panting under the sad weight of the sins of the world and I humbly beg by that unconceivable bitterness of sorrow thy innocent Soul suffered in that moment when it left the body have mercy upon my Soul in the memert of her departure hence IV. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus laid in the Sepulchre and anointed with Myrrh and Aloes and I humbly beg that thy death may be the life of my Soul V. O Save Holy Jesus the good Shepherd who laid down his life for his Sheep save and preserve the righteous call home the wicked justifie the penitent have mercy upon all true believers and upon me a miserable sinner Amen CHAP. VII The Form of Praier used by our Lord upon the Cross viz. the XXII Psalm paraphrased Verse 1. MY God my God So prayed my dear Redeemer hanging upon the Cross the gemination of his words expressing both the great Devotion and also the bitter Anguish of his Soul look upon me imploring divine commiseration and assistence in the sufferings of his humane nature why hast thou forsaken me That 's the height of sorrow and suffering to be therein forsaken as if the personall union of his divine and humane nature were dissolved and art so far from my health not affording the least mitigation of my tormenting pains or consolation therein and from the words of my complaint or the voice of my roaring for with strong crying and tears I offer up my prayers and supplications a Heb. 5.7 2. O my God I will never cease to call thee so though now thine indignation for the sins of the world lieth heavy upon me so that though I cry in the day-time in the which I suffer the torments of crucifixion yet thou hearest not so as to deliver me from them and in the night-season also when I was in a bitter agony sweating drops of bloud under the pressure of the Sins of men and thy wrath for them in both seasons and sad sufferings I take no rest no ease of my Soul's sorrows no cessation of my bodily torments 3. And thou continuest holy just and faithfull in all thy promises of mercy to the miserable or thou dwellest in thy holy one in this holy and innocent body of mine though nailed to the cross So we reade God was in Christ reconciling the world b 2 Cor. 5.19 O thou worship of Israel who hast so often delivered thy people and been made both the subject matter of their prayers and praises and onely object of
Body the Church 19. But be not thou far from me O Lord so as to leave me altogether destitute of consolation in my present distresses nor yet to leave me buried in the grave to see corruption with other men and not to rise again till 〈◊〉 generall Resurrection thou art 〈◊〉 succour 'T is thy promise of succour I rely upon haste thee to help me finishing my Sufferings by Death and the Redemption of the world by my Resurrection from death to life 20. Deliver my soul from the sword from that death which by the sword and violence of wicked men is inflicted and my darling or dear and onely one Such was the Soul of Christ dear because innocent and free from Sin and the onely one that is absolutely so such is the Church of Christ dear unto him without spot and onely one as united in its Members from the power of the dog from such who without reason bark and devour August or from the power of Hell which greedily devours like a dog all that descend into it Lyra. 21. Save me from the lion's mouth out of the jaws of the Devill which are open ever to swallow up all departing Souls into death eternall But by thy assistence I shall overcome the tyrant and swallow up Death in victory thou hast heard me also answered my prayers by thy deliverance of me from amongst the horns of the unicorns such as lifted up the horn of pride and fierceness against me and extolled themselves August as if there were none like them And thus far saith Cassiodore our Lord expostulates his Sufferings by way of Prayer The fruit of his Passion followeth which is in generall the Glory of God's name 22. I will declare thy name thy might and thy Majesty thy greatness and thy goodness in my Passion and Resurrection especially manifested unto my brethren to my Apostle and Disciples and they to others Fâ—â— the word was first spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by them theâ— heard him f Heb. 2.2 3. in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee publickly and in the Temple of the Lord where every man speaks of his honour 23. O praise the Lord ye that fear him Ye that have any respect to thâ— worship of the Lord lift up you voice in the congregation and both with Priest and people praise the Lord magnify him all ye of the seed of Jacob and fear him all ye of the seed of Israel even all whom he hath chosen to be his people whether Jews or Gentiles So they are distinguished Ye men of Israel and ye that fear the Lord i. e. from amongst the Gentiles g Act. 13.16 To both even to all you it appertains to praise the Lord for the Redemption of the world by his Son Jesus Christ who although he was despicable in the eyes of men yet is far otherwise in the eyes of the Lord for 24. He hath not despised nor abhorred the low estate of the poor Though born in a poor condition lived a poor life more poor yet in his death being stripped naked of all even to a little linen to cover his nakedness destitute of what the poorest enjoy a buriall-place for he was buried in a stranger's sepul chre yet not despised but highly exalted having a Name given above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow Nor hath He ever despised his brethren the Members of his body who conform to his poverty by being poor in spirit humble and meek he hath not hid his face from him either through neglect or scorn as too usually men doe to the poor but when he called unto him he heard him as not presuming in himself but depending upon God 25. My praise is of thee or in thee For God the Son is praised in the Father and the Father in the Son in the great congregation both of the Church militant here below and triumphant above And that thy praise may be perfected in and by me my vows will I perform The vows of our Blessed Lord were to offer up his Soul a Sacrifice for Sin and to give his holy Body and Bloud to be the food of devout Souls in the Blessed Eucharist and this to be publickly performed even in the sight of them that fear him And onely for such is that Blessed Feast prepared not for the proud stubborn and disobedient but for 26. The poor The humble and penitent Souls and such as have abjured the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked world such shall eat and be satisfied because they hungred and thirsted after righteousness they that seek after the Lord in all humility and devotion shall praise him because he is found of them that seek him and sheweth himself to such as distrust him not your heart shall live for ever The life of your heart is the joy thereof which is both begot and maintained unto perpetuity by the Bread of life He that eateth this bread shall live for ever h Jeh 6.51 27. All the ends of the world The inhabitants of the utmost corners of the earth shall remember themselves in the remembrance and adoration of their Creatour and Redeemer and be turned unto the Lord from the service of the creature to the worship of God over all Blessed for ever Such so great and unspeakable is the efficacy of our Saviour's Passion as that thereby the sacred beams of Grace and Truth are displayed over all the world insomuch that all the kindreds of the nations of what tribe family nation sect or condition soever shall worship before him fall down before his footstool and adore him as the great Redeemer of the world and Prince of the holy Catholick Church 28. For the Kingdom is the Lord's Or Dominion over all the people of the earth is given to the Lord Christ who hath a Name written on his vesture and on his thigh King of kings and Lord of lords i Rev. 19.16 and he is the Governour among the people even all true Christian people among whom and over whom he sways his Scepter of righteousness by his Holy Word and by his Holy Spirit 29. All such as be fat upon earth spiritually fat or grown in Grace and Holiness temporally fat abounding in wealth and power the Princes and Potentates of the earth saith the Chaldee Paraphr have eaten and worshipped adoring the Lord for that he feeds them with his Divine Gifts and Graces 30. All they who goe down into the dust whose bodies are buried in the grave shall kneel before him prostrate themselves unto him who vouchsafed to give himself both Soul and Body a Ransom for their Sins for being all dead in Sin no man hath quickened his own soul That was and is effected onely by the meritorious Death of the Lord of Life And such as are quickened even 31. My seed whose Life in grace is the fruit and issue of my Death of which seed it is said When thou
shalt make his Soul an offering for Sin he shall see his seed k Isa 53.10 even the fruits of his Passion devout Believers who shall serve him or keep his holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of their life they shall be counted unto the Lord for a generation being regenerated by Water and the Holy Ghost in Baptism whereby they are made Members of Christ Children of God and Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven 32. They shall come being admitted into the glorious Communion of his blessed Saints and the Heavens both above and below both the Church Triumphant and Militant shall declare his righteousness His Mercies promised and performed in the Redemption of the world shall be proclaimed to all succeeding generations to a people that shall be born new born in and through all the Ages of the Church whom the Lord hath made his own peculiar people whose mouths are filled with his praise for ever saying Glory be to God the Father As it was in the beginning In the Greek Liturgy the people pray in the words of the Thief upon the Cross Lord remember us in thy Kingdom The Priest answers God be mindful of every one of us in his Kingdom both now and always for ever and ever Amen In the Mozarabick Liturgy I. By the wood of a Tree was Adam banished out of Paradise and from the Tree of wood the Cross the Thief that was crucified with our Lord ascended into Paradise The one by eating the forbidden Fruit transgrest the Law of his Maker the other confessed Christ in his Crucifixion to be the Lord of Heaven saying Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom II. Grant unto us O Lord the Repentance of the Thief upon the Cross and grant that we may with the like Faith call upon thee our Lord of great and much mercy saying Lord remember us in thy Kingdom III. Lord thou hast made us in the image of thine ineffable Glory which we have much defaced by the black marks of our many Falls have mercy upon the work of thine hands sanctify us of thy great goodness and restore us to our much-desired Country the celestial Paradise Lord remember us in thy Kingdom CHAP. VIII Meditations and Praiers preparatory to the Blessed Sacrament on Saturday-night or Sunday-morning before I. THOU art now invited O my Soul to such a Banquet as Heaven and Earth affords not the like 'T is the precious Body and Bloud of thy dear Redeemer which he first gave to be the price of thy Redemption and now gives again to be thy food and nourishment Teach me O Lord by thy Holy Spirit Out of St. Ambrose to understand and believe and ever to conceive and speak of those great and wonderful Mysteries and this day to receive the same with that Faith and Esteem Humility and Contrition holy Desires and Resolutions Reverence and Devotion as may please thee and conduce to my Soul's Salvation Empty my heart of all vain idle wandring Thoughts and of all filthy and unfruitfull Lusts Take from me this Heart of stone and give me an heart of flesh a soft and melting heart to fear thee love thee honour thee delight in thee and so to follow thee that I may be for ever happy in the enjoyment of thee II. O Holy crucified Jesus Out of St. Aug. Man ca. 11. I humbly beg by that sacred effusion of thy most precious Blead give unto thy Servant the effusion of Tears with compunction of spirit when I approach thine Altar to partake of that celestial Sacrament worthy of all Reverence and the most inflamed Devotion which thou O Lord God didst institute and command to be received in commemoration of thine infinite Love in dying for us and for the reparations of our manifold infirmities and daily failings Grant me Blessed Lord Out of T. Aquin. not onely to receive that Sacrament in the outward Elements but in the virtue and power thereof not Bread and Wine alone but the Body and Bloud of my Jesus to the Remission of all my Sins and to all other the Benefits of his Death and Passion for me III. The whole need not a Physician Out of T. Aquin. but they that are sick And such am I a diseased sin-sick Soul and as sick I now go to my Physician as a Sinner to the Redeemer of fallen Man as miserable to the Father of Mercy as unclean to the fountain of Purity as poor and needy to the Lord of all Bounty as blind and ignorant to the Brightness and splendour of Spirits as infirm and weak to the Strength of Israel And oh that it may please thee to enlighten my Darkness to heal all my Infirmities to inrich my Poverty to strengthen my Weakness to wash away all my Uncleanness and by the Communion of thy precious Body and Bloud to cleanse me from all Filthiness both of flesh and spirit that I may perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. IV. Thou didst offer up thy self Out of Tho. a Kempis Blessed Jesus even thy whole self upon the Altar of the Cross a Sacrifice for my Sins no Member of thy Body not tormented no Power of thy Soul not sacrificed no Drop of thy Bloud not shed for me a miserable Sinner 'T is therefore most just and meet and my bounden Duty that I should offer up my self my whole self to thee and to thy service for I am not mine own being bought with a price and such a price as transcends the value of all that the whole Heavens and Earth afford beside Whatever I offer unto thee O Lord though it be all that I do enjoy in the world with my Praiers for all it will not be accepted without the offering of my self for 't is not mine but me not all that is without me but all that is within me thou requirest as the price of thy self to be enjoyed Receive me O Lord in the devout Participation of thy most holy Body and Bloud whereunto I am now invited Guard me O Lord with the pious custody and strong defence of thy holy Angels invisibly present and assistent in the transaction of those tremend Mysteries of Godliness and Salvation that the enemies of all that is holy and good may be thence driven back with shame and confusion In all the holy Actions of that sacred celestial Service make me sensible of the sweetness of thy presence with me that I may taste and see how gracious the Lord is a Psal 34.8 be satisfied with the plenteousness of thy house and drink of thy pleasures as out of a river For with thee is the Well of life and in thy light shall we see light b Psal 36.8 9. O send out thy light and thy truth that they may lead me and bring me to thy holy hill and to thy dwelling and that I may goe unto the Altar of God even the God of my joy and gladness and upon the
every part and passage of Divine Service considering that this is the great End of your coming to Church and your business there is to serve the Lord with your Christian brethren in publick 1. Therefore when the Minister exhorts you out of the Word of God to confess and acknowledge your sins and wickedness harden not your heart but with all possible humility both of Body and Soul say after the Minister in the Confession of sin and to this and to every Praier or other act of Divine Worship where 't is prescribed neglect not to say Amen for that is as it were the seal to confirm to your Soul the Benefits thereof And the Hebrews have a saying that Whosoever says Amen with all his might opens the doors of Paradise 2. After the Confession when the Minister comes to the words of Absolution bow down your head and say softly in your heart Lord let this pardon pronounced by thy Minister fall upon my Soul and seal thereunto the forgiveness of all my sins 3. The Psalms and Hymns are to be answered verse for verse with the Minister that so all may joyn and bear a part in the Service of God for in his Temple doth every man speak of his honour v Psal 29.9 And 〈◊〉 although you cannot reade yet your heart may joyn with them that do reade and your mouth also may shew forth the praise of God by saying after every Psalm Glory be to the Father and to or else if it fall in course As it was in the beginning is now Adding always Amen to express how affectionately you desire the glory of God 4. Be not silent nor ashamed publickly and audibly to make confession of the holy Christian Faith when you are thereunto called by the Minister For this is a Duty you owe both to God and Man it is an act of God's Worship and a declaration that you hold the same Faith with all true Christians And therefore 't is required of you not onely with the heart to believe unto righteousness but that with the mouth also Confession be made unto salvation x Rom. 10.10 And when the Confession of Faith is publickly pronounced do not you sit or loll as if it concerned you not but stand up with the rest of the Congregation to signify and declare that you will stand to this Faith and earnestly contend for it as being the same which was once given to or by the Saints the holy Apostles 5. Be not so cold and careless in giving honour to God as not to bow at the name of Jesus for 't is a Duty positively commanded and universally practised by the Church and people of God in all Ages And therefore give no ear to those deceivable Criticisms corrupt Glosses and false Inferences which are too frequently but profanely urged to make void the commandment of God in the omission of this Religious practice If you hear any such allegations out of the Pulpit detest them the rather that any act of Religious worship should be spoken against in the place where whatever tends to the honour of God should be magnified and advanced 6. That you may not be tired with the length of the Divine Service consider 1. the great variety of its severall parts as consisting of Praiers and Praises Confessions Thanksgivings Invitations Lessons Admonitions all of which are with most admirable prudence and Religious wisedom so ordered and contrived to follow each other that so the ending of one and beginning of another may renew and re-enquicken your Devotion chearfully to joyn in all Remember 2. whose service it is you are a-doing and continue therein from the beginning to the end that you may reap the benefit of the whole Office both of the Absolution in the beginning and of the Blessing in the end and of the Amen's throughout CHAP. X. Meditations and Praiers at the Blessed Sacrament When you goe up to communicate COme unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will refresh you a Matt. 11.28 Thus calleth my Saviour upon Sinners whereunto my heart answereth I come Blessed Jesus in all humility and deeply sensible of my Sins I now come unto thee to be eased of the burthen of them and to be refreshed with the sense of thy Mercy and the truth of thy Salvation My heart hath talked of thee and of thy gracious command Seek ye my face Thy face Lord do I now seek O hide not thou thy face from me b Psal 27.8 9. under the clouds of my Sins neither let the thick clouds of my transgressions hinder the light of thy countenance from shining upon thy servant When you kneel down before the Altar Thou art worthy O Lord to receive blessing and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created c Rev. 4.11 Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisedom and strength and honour and glory and blessing d Rev. 5.12 Out of S. Chrysost Liturgy But I am unworthy his praise should come within my polluted lips and much more unworthy his precious Body and Bloud should be received into my Soul and unclean mouth But since he disdained not to be born in a Stable and to be laid in a Manger amongst Beasts * Luk. 2.7 since he vouchsafed to enter into the house of a Leper f Matt. 26.6 and of a Publican g Luk. 5.29 and to admit the kisses of an unclean Sinner such as I am washing his delicate Feet with her penitent Tears h Luk. 7.38 O vouchsafe most benign Jesus to receive me also reject me not though a Sinner yet thy Servant though unclean yet penitent and now humbling my self under thy most mighty hand That it may please thee to remit to release to pardon all my Sins whether of knowledge or ignorance whether by thought word or deed committed that with a pure and clean Soul I may receive thy most precious Body and Bloud Prayers out of several other Liturgies that the devout Reader may have the more choice and fix upon the use of such as he feels most enquickening his Devotion Out of S. James's Liturgy I. O Lord God the Bread of Heaven and Life of the World I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am not worthy to partake of thy most holy Mysteries yet vouchsafe mercifull Lord to make me worthy by thy grace that I may not receive thy Holy Body and Bloud to my condemnation but unto the remission of my Sins and everlasting life Amen II. I beseech thee O Lord Out of the R. B. that I may so worthily receive those sacred Mysteries of Salvation as to have Christ dwelling in my heart and that it may become the Temple of the Holy Ghost III. In the spirit of Humility and with a contrite heart receive me O Lord and may the Sacrifice which this day I offer up unto thee be
accepted and please thee O Lord my God IV. Let not the Participation of thy Body Lord Jesus which I too much unworthy presume to receive be unto me for judgment but effectual through thy great mercy for the safeguard both of my Mind and Body and for the healing of my sin-sick Soul who livest and reignest with the Father Out of the Greek Ritual I. May what we now offer up unto thee O Lord be accepted for the mercy of the universal World for all them for whom Christ offered up himself a Sacrifice upon the Altar of the Cross for the glory of thy Name and for the coming of the Holy Ghost that he may please to visit and enlighten my heart Amen II. As the Offering of righteous Abel as the Sacrifice of Noah of Abraham of Isaac so let this our Sacrifice be acceptable unto thee O Lord and may the same be so worthily offered by us and mercifully received by thee as when 't was performed by thy holy Apostles Amen III. O God the King of all give me I beseech thee true Compunction the Redemption of my Sins and the Amendment of my life who am deeply immers'd in bodily Affections estranged from thee and without hopes but in thy great goodness and saving mercies Omnipotent Jesus Saviour and Redeemer Amen Out of the Mozarabick Liturgy I. May the Sacrifice we now offer up unto thy Divine Majesty be effectual for the Pardon of all our offences for the Establishment of the Holy Catholick and Apostolick Faith and for all who religiously profess the same through Jesus Christ II. Bearing in mind continually the Holy Catholick Church we pray that the Lord may be pleased to be propitious hereunto and by the increase of Faith Hope and Charity to enlarge its limits We likewise remember all them that are fallen all that be in captivity the infirm and sick the stranger the fatherless and widow that the Lord would in mercy look upon them restore redeem heal comfort and relieve them all through Jesus Christ III. O Holy Trinity the Store-house of blessings vouchsafe to bless confirm and strengthen us all here present before thee deliver us from the day of condemnation and let us not be confounded when we shall appear before thee and in the presence of thy holy Angels but make us joyfull in thy Resurrection Blessed Jesus Keep the Soul of thy Servant the King and let Grace and Peace Charity and Humility flourish in his days through Jesus Christ IV. Grant O Lord our God that we may receive the Body and Bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ to obtain the Remission of all our Sins and to be replenished with thy Holy Spirit who livest and reignest Father Son and Holy Ghost one God over all Blessed for ever Out of the Aethiopick Liturgy I. Holy Holy Holy thrice Blessed ineffable Lord grant me to receive the Blessed Body of my Redeemer not unto judgment but to all fruitfulness in Good works according unto thy will and that such fruits may remain to thy glory Quicken us in thee to doe thy will In faith we call thee Father and pray Thy Kingdom come Hallowed be thy Name in us and by us for thou art most powerfull praise-worthy and glorious To thee be glory for ever Amen II. O God the Governour of Souls the Guide of the holy and the Crown of the just open mine Eyes now to see thee mine Ears always to hear thee and mine Heart to receive thee O give me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me And after of thy great grace thou hast satiated my Soul with thy Blessed Body and Bloud give me to understand both thy Greatness and thy Goodness and grant that thy holy will may ever be done in my Soul for thine is the Kingdom O Lord. Glory and Blessing be to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost for ever Amen III. Grant me Blessed Lord Out of the English Lit. so to eat the Flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ and to drink his Bloud that my sinfull Body may be made clean by his most Holy Body and my Soul washed in his most precious Bloud that I may evermore dwell in him and he in me Amen which is the great benefit of the Communion of Saints After you have received the consecrated Bread The Bread which I have now taken is the Bread which came down from Heaven and giveth life unto the world Oh that I may now feel its efficacy enquickening and inflaming my Soul with the heavenly ardours of divine love having all my Affections set upon things above and not upon things below May this Bread be to my Soul the staff of strength whereby I may vanquish all the assaults of the Devil the World and the Flesh and continue my Lord 's faithfull Servant and Souldier to my life's end Amen After the Cup received O that this precious Bloud of my dear Redeemer may be now both the Purification and Nourishment of my Soul the seal of my Pardon and Peace with God and the pledge of mine Inheritance in Heaven After both Grant Holy Jesus that as I have now received in faith thy precious Body and Bloud veiled under the Species of Bread and Wine I may hereafter behold thy blessed Face reveiled in Heaven to eat and drink with thy holy Angels and Saints in their mansions of blisse where they are satisfied with the fulness of the most ravishing delights in the Beatificall vision of the thrice-blessed Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost of whom and through whom and in whom are all things and to whom be all glory for ever Amen Out of the Greek Ritual We give thee thanks good Lord the Benefactour of our Souls that thou hast this day made us worthy of thy celestial and immortall Mysteries Vouchsafe O Lord to confirm us in thy fear to preserve our life to secure our paths and to guide our feet in the way of peace Amen The Song of Simeon 1. Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy Word 2. For mine eyes have seen thy Salvation 3. Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people 4. To be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning Meditations whilst others are communicated The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God the Lord God of his fathers though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary i 2 Chron. 30.18 19. Blessed are they who dwell in the House of the Lord and are fed though it be but with the crums that fall from his Table The XXXIV Psalm is in the Apostolical Constitutions and in S. Chrysostom 's Liturgy appointed to be at this time devoutly praied Verse 1. I Will alway give thanks unto the Lord his praise shall ever be in my mouth 2. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord the
humble shall hear thereof and be glad 3. O praise the Lord with me and let us magnify his Name together 4. I sought the Lord and he heard me yea he delivered me out of all my fear 5. They had an eye unto him and were lightned and their faces were not ashamed 6. Lo the poor crieth and the Lord heareth him yea and saveth him out of all his troubles 7. The Angel of the Lord tarrieth round about them that fear him and delivereth them 8. O taste and see how gracious the Lord is blessed is the man that trusteth in him 9. O fear the Lord ye that be his Saints for they that fear him do lack nothing 10. The lions do lack and suffer hunger but they who seek the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good 11. Come ye children and hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12. What man is he that lusteth to live and would fain see good days 13. Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips that they speak no guile 14. Eschew evil and doe good seek peace and ensue it 15. The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears are open unto their praiers 16. The countenance of the Lord is against them that doe evil to root out the remembrance of them from off the earth 17. The righteous cry and the Lord heareth them and delivereth them out of all their troubles 18. The Lord is nigh unto all them that are of a contrite heart and will save such as be of an humble spirit 19. Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of all 20. He keepeth all his bones so that not one of them is broken 21. But misfortune shall slay the ungodly and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate 22. The Lord delivereth the souls of his servants and all they that put their trust in him shall not be destitute Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning The Prayer May the praise of the Lord be ever in my mouth and let us all magnify his Name together who do now tast and see how gracious the Lord is for he hath heard our praiers enlightned our minds delivered us from all our fears and from all those troubles whereunto our Sins had made us liable And oh that the sweet tast of our gracious Lord in this Blessed Sacrament of his Body and Bloud may have its proper influence upon all the Affections of our hearts and Actions of our lives that we may henceforth and for ever eschew evil and doe good being fruitfull in all the good works of Righteousness and true Holiness from whence ensue eternal Peace and Happiness through Jesus Christ I have sworn vowed in my Baptism and now again renewed the same Vow and am stedfastly purposed to keep thy righteous judgments k Psal 119.106 I am thine even now solemnly devoted thine stedfastly resolved thine O save me for I have sought thy Commandments l Vers 94. O hold thou up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not m Psal 17.5 O hold thou up my goings in thy paths that I may daily perform my vows n Psal 61.8 CHAP. XI Psalms of Praise and Thanksgiving after the Holy Communion The CIII Psalm Verse 1. PRaise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name 2. Praise the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits 3. Who forgiveth all thy sins and healeth all thy infirmities 4. Who saveth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and loving-kindness 5. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things making thee young and lusty as the eagle 6. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all them that are oppressed with wrong 7. He shewed his ways unto Moyses his works unto the children of Israel 8. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy long-suffering and of great goodness 9. He will not alway be chiding neither keepeth he his anger for ever 10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our wickedness 11. But look how high the heaven is in comparison of the earth so great is his mercy also towards them that fear him 12. Look how wide also the East is from the West so far hath he set our sins from us 13. Yea like as a father pitieth his own children even so is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him 14. For he knoweth whereof we are made he remembreth that we are but dust 15. The days of man are but as grass for he flourisheth as a flower of the field 16. For as soon as the wind goeth over it it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more 17. But the mercifull loving-kindness of the Lord endureth for ever and ever upon them that fear him and his righteousness upon childrens children 18. Even upon such as keep his covenant and think upon his commandments to doe them 19. The Lord hath prepared his seat in heaven and his Kingdom ruleth over all 20. O praise the Lord ye Angels of his ye that excell in strength ye that fulfill his commandment and hearken unto the voice of his words 21. O praise the Lord all ye his hosts ye servants of his that doe his pleasure 22. O praise the Lord all ye works of his in all places of his dominion Praise thou the Lord O my Soul Glory be to the Father c. I. 'T is not within the power of all the Faculties of my Soul worthily to praise the Lord for that he hath now satisfied my mouth with the good things of Heaven he hath forgiven me all my sins and healed the diseases of my Soul he hath renewed my strength as an Eagle to mount my Soul unto Heaven upon the sacred wings of holy Faith firm Hope fervent Charity and by the virtue of that celestiall Food I have now received II. How great is the goodness and how great is the mercy of the Lord who hath not dealt with me after my Sins nor rewarded me according to my wickedness But as a father pitieth his own children so mercifull is the Lord and hath compassion upon the work of his own hands and whom he hath framed after his own Image frail and sinfull though we be III. But since through the weakness and frailties of my mortal nature I cannot praise the Lord as becometh his eminent grace and greatness may my defects herein be supplied with the Hallelujahs of Angels and Archangels and all the company of Heaven And 't is the exultation and joy of my heart that these celestiall Spirits cease not day and night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God of hosts Heaven and Earth are full of thy Glory Glory be to God on high Amen Blessed be the Lord God even the God of Israel who onely doeth wondrous things And blessed be the name of his majesty for ever and all