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A80798 Captivity improved to spiritual purposes. Or spiritual directions, given to prisoners of all sorts whether debtors or malefactors Principally designed for the use of those who are prisoners in those prisons which are under the jurisdiction of the city of London, as Newgate, Ludgate, the Counters, &c. Though also applyable to others under the like circumstances else where. To which are annexed directions to those who have their maintenance and education at the publick charge, as in Christ-Church hospital, or cure, as in St. Bartholomew's and St. Thomas's, or reducement to a more thrifty course of life, as in Bridewel, or have been happily restored to their former sense[ ] as in Bethleem, alias Bedlam. Cressy, Edmund. 1675 (1675) Wing C6889A; ESTC R230962 54,833 136

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sedateness of their Spirits and in the peace of their consciences and in their mastery over those inordinacies of Soul which often transport men into phrensy Love nothing passionately but God and those Divine beauties though they may transport will never distract the Soul Submit to the dis●●●s●tions of God concerning you and think that condition best which his providence hath allotted you and you need never fear that discontent will crack your brain Keep a conscience clear in all things for nothing is so distracting as guilt nothing more sedate then uprightness and integrity In Religion study not the things that are mysterious but the things that are necessary Deep enquiries have often distracted the acutest brains but plain truths never discomposed the most illiterate understanding Believe the Trinity to be a mystery incomprehensible and let it continue so Acknowledge the decrees of God to be unsearchable and pry not into them too curiously Resign your self to the guidance of the Spirit and be content to be ignorant of the manner of its operations and if this you do you will be as wise as God requires you should be more Religious then some men that count themselves more wise then you and more composed in your Spirit then those that distract themselves with mysterious enquiries And this is my second direction to this sort of People to avoid violent passions and nice speculations Thirdly My third direction shall be that when men have recovered the use of their reason they would employ the exercise of it about the best things the service of God the good of mankind and the discreet guidance of their own lives and conversations And surely God in his providence will preserve that reason sound and entire that is employed to so Divine purposes In these generous employments there are many things ennobling to our reason nothing disturbing or distracting To serve God and submit our will to his to hope in his goodness and depend upon his mercy are things easie to be understood and require not an acute brain to perform them But the disputes about God and Religion lead men into endless mazes and Meanders To do as we would be done by requires no great skill and cunning but the methods of Craft and deceit may soon puzzle the shrewdest understanding for the paths of righteousness are plain and easie but the contrivances of the wicked are many of them very distracting And then for those duties which concern the Regulation of our affections there are none of them have any tendency in them to disturb our Spirits but all proper to compose them Anger and impatience enrage the heart but meekness will compose and settle it Thirst of revenge boyls up the blood to unnatural heats but Christian forgiveness makes us at peace within our selves and with others Anxious care and desponding thoughts are very often productive of Phrensy but nothing so proper to quiet and allay all the fluctuations of our minds as Faith and Hope and those other graces that are nearly allied to these If God of his mercy restore our reason in gratitude we are bound to employ it in his service and this is also the best course to preserve the soundness and integrity of it for God will bless that reason that is employed in the exercises of Religion and the duties of Religion naturally tend to the improving and preserving of it The last duty that I shall recommend to them is to pity them that are in the like condition to that wherein they heretofore were to aid them at present with the assistance of their prayers and hereafter their Hospital with the bounty of their purse if God shall enable them to do so To do good and to communicate forget not saith the Apostle for with such sacrifices God is well pleased but our charity is most suitable when it is extended to those who are under those miseries which heretofore were ours Israel must not grieve the stranger because they were strangers in Egypt The believing Hebrews to whom the Apostle writes must remember those that are in bonds as being bound with them and them that suffer adversity as being themselves also in the body And those that have wanted their senses should remember those that want them still remember them always in their prayers and when they shall be able in the largeness of their bounty too I add not further to this Chapter but only the usual conclusion of the rest a Prayer A PRAYER O LORD we desire to return unto thee all possible praise and thanks for all thy mercies bestowed upon us more particularly for that great mercy of restoring us to our former senses We beseech thee teach us to employ our reason in the service of God and the duties of religion to work out our salvation with fear and trembling and to study the things of our peace Subdue in us all disturbing passions and inordinate affections which are contrary to our peace and contrary to thy Gospel Root out of our souls sensual love and restless ambition and all pride and haughtiness of spirit and teach us to regulate our desires according to the rules of reason and religion Preserve our reason which thou hast restored and restore it to those that want it pity their dark and disconsolate condition allay their fears answer their doubts and subdue their distempers and speak peace and health to them and make us truly thankful to God who hath made it to be better with us than it is with them And as thou hast relieved our bodily distempers so heal all our spiritual diseases Make us every day more and more to be religious towards our God just and charitable towards our Neighbours and sober and temperate in our chast and Christian usage of our own bodies Fill us with the fruits of the spirit goodness and meekness and faith and hope and patience and long-suffering and all other Graces here and the fulness of thy glory hereafter through Jesus Christ our Lord. In whose name c. The Close HItherto from the beginning to the ending of this Treatise I have walked in a path untroden by others before me But all along have sincerely aimed at the spiritual good of those that have come under the directions of my Pen. It is very meet that in this as in all other actions the main end that I propound to my self should be the hohour of God and the good of Souls but r●●●er that I have also designed to testifie my duty and respects to the Court of Aldermen whose Stipendiary I am and to the Worshipful Governours of the several places mentioned in this discourse and if they will permit these books to be distributed among the people under their charge I shall pray for a blessing from God upon what I have writ and the● shall read and direct them to pray for their Governours and Patrons and Benefactours in the short form following A PRAYER O LORD the giver of every good and perfect gift we return unto thee the tribute of praise and thanksgiving for all the priviledges and advantages reached out to us by the hands of our Patrons and Benefactours We beseech thee give us Grace to walk worthy of all these thy mercies and their favours and restore unto them into their bosomes a hundered fold for all their Christian charity and bounty Granting them in this life all the blessings of thy Grace and favour and in the world to come life and immortality through Jesus Christ our Lord who hath taught us to pray saying Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy name thy Kingdom come thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily Bread and forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that Trespass against us and lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from evil For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen THE CONTENTS Of the several Chapters of this Treatise Chap. 1. Directions suitable to those who are Prisoners for Debt which may be applyable to the condition of such as are Prisoners in Ludgate the Fleet or either of the Counters or Newgate as it is the County Prison for Debt Pag. 1. Ch. 2. Instructions for such Malefactors as have committed such crimes the punishment whereof is some publick shame or corporal infliction or any other punishment below that of death Applyable in great measure to the condition of those that are in Bridewel p. 28. Ch. 3. Directions for those that are Tried and Cast for their Lives but have them spared by the mercy of the King or the Bench. p. 45. Ch. 4. Considerations suited to the condition of such Malefactors as are actually under the sentence of condemnation for death p. 60. Ch. 5. Instructions suited to the condition of those who have their Education in the Hospital of Christ-Church p. 77. Ch. 6. Instructions proper for such for whose care Provision is made in the Hospital of S. Bartholomew near Smithfield and S. Thomas the Apostle in Southwark p. 94. Ch. 7. Instructions for those that have been restored to their senses in the Hospital of Bethleem p. 110. FINIS The Reader is desired before he proceed to peruse this Book to mend with his Pen these following mistakes which are not wholly chargeable upon the Printer but in part upon the Copy which was in some places interlined and in others not very fairly writ mispointings and smaller Errata's I have not here noted but such as pervert the sense of which the first is the Grossest and in that as well as the rest the Reader hath the very Pages and Lines noted Pag. 2. l. 9. for Creditors read Chapmen p. 4. l. 26. for we r. be p. 8. l. 27. for Learning r. hearing p. 15. l. 25. after world insert then p. 29. l. last for side r. size p. 31. l. 28. for Heb. 3. 1. r. Heb. 3. 13. p. 37. l. 16. for Devils r. Devil p. 39. l. 9. after are blot out with l. 26. for reach r. reak p. 41. l. 3. after themselves blot out they are p. 49. l. 16. after these blot out as p. 55. l. 19. for Counts r. Courts p. 80. l. 2. for reports r. reporters p. 93. l. 20. blot out in and insert old p. 95. l. 16. for Authority both by r. both by the Authority