Table which is the Chaire of thy Presence Yea where in High and Ineffable Mystery I find a Presence of thy Body and Keep both a Commemoration 1 Cor. 10. 16. and Communion of it and thy Blood O Lord Since I so much love thy Greg. Epistela Dci c. Selfe till in thy sight how should I not long to see Thy Letters the Word and Thy Seale the Sacrament and till in Beatificall presence weare that as a Ring in thy Remembrance 4. I loathe the Life in which I cannot See Thee At best an Exile at 1 Cor. 5. 6. worst a Trouble to Thee I loathe my selfe for casting away love on so base and unworthy a life Where I doe either Crucifie Thee with my Sinnes or Wound thee with my Miseries where Act. 9. 5. such is thy holy zeale to God and sympathie and tender mercy to my Soule I renue thy Passion by my Guilts or thine Agony by my Conflicts I loathe that Crucifix on my Brest which encourageth to trample Thee under foot I can endure O Christ to see Thee in Image a Picture of my Dearest Friend but abhorre to love it Eodem cultu Crux quo Christus like thee or to passe so much time and devotion to that as makes me more forget my Lord then dutifully remember me O Jesus thy selfe shalt be my Crucifix Not hung at my Brest but in my Heart No roome but that is good Heb. 13. 13. 2 Tim. 2. 12. Heb. 12. 1. enough for thee That next Martyrdome hyes me most to thee if I cannot flie a Martyrs pace I will run a Saints And by the speed of a mortified course make more haste after thee 5. I joy in thy Crosse not in thy Grief O Christ Can I see thy Body all gore and my heart not bleed The Zach. 12. 10. Luk. 23. 76. Speare be in thy Heart and no Sword at mine I will not I cannot endure it O Jesus No! I joy in the Root Thine infinite Mercy O God! And in Luk. 2. 78. Col. 1. 20. the fruit The perfect Redemption of man It is finished Yes blessed be Joh 19. 30. the Blood that was the Price Blessed the Body that laid out that Blood Heb. 10. 11. Heb. 7. 25. Joh. 16. 33. The Satisfaction is full Salvation is sure Sinne is nail'd Hell foil'd Satan chain'd The World baffled The 1 Pet. 4. 2. Flesh wounded Death slaine The Grave buried Every adversary power 1 Cor. 15. 54 57. is conquered by Christ Triumphant in the Chariot of his Crosse over all Col. 2. 15. All is finished O Drie Tree of more Blessed Fruit O lignum faelix c. c. 1. than ever Earth bare No Rather O Wet Body that madest a Whole World happy Sap and virtue of that Happy Tree It was not the Wood Col. 1. 20. but Blood of the Crosse that brought forth that fruit the Redemption of Man And what good doth not grow from and upon that Pulpit of Repentance Pillar of Faith Anchor of Hope Magazine of Charity Armory of Mortification Schoole of Patience Mirror of Obedience Rock of Constancy Shop of Humility the whole Duty of a Christian O blessed Root of Gods mercy that bringest forth the happy fruit of Mans Grace and Glory O Tree of Death more Blessed then the Tree of Life that hast such a Fruit and Root Thus are my Joyes triumphant in thy Cross But 6. I grieve to see thee Crucified againe O Christ And my Soul is Crucified for having a hand in thy Cross Wo to the World for Offences which Heb. 6. 6. make thee Bleed afresh and bring thee to thy Crosse againe Woe is me that see thee daily Crucified betwixt Hereticks and Schismaticks Theeves of thy Truth between Hypocrites and Profligates Theeves of thy Grace Amidst men of intemperate Heats and cools in Religion Theeves of thy Honour I grieve to see thee Crucified in vaine So much of the world lost when 1 Cor. 1. 17. all was paid for A price sufficient to have ransom'd not a World onely but a Hell full of Divells effectuall onely to a handfull of men Yea even within thy holy Pale which should preserve thy Bloud to a drop woe is me How is it spilt to a stream Whilst some give others leave thee or themselves none Making void by Gal. 2. 21. 2 Pet. 2. 1. their Sinnes the healing Vertues of thy Bloud and Wounds By Unbelief millions out of the Church and by Mis-belief thousands in it and by miscarriage of Life Millions of thousands both in and out My heart bleeds to see thy Creeds without Faith thy Decalogue without Obedience Thy Prayer without Use thy Sacraments without Reverence Nay to see it made Faith Conscience Devotion Zeal to have no respect to Sacrament Prayer Decalogue or Creed My Soul is troubled to see thy Holy Demeanes robb'd thy Mansions ruined Souls sold for Money for which thou didst pay Bloud And Lord what teares of Bloud are sufficient to bewaile it that thy One onely Commandement of Love which cannot live at all out of thy Church within it should be slaine and buried all in Broile and Bloud-shed O Christ can my Eyes see thee thus Crucified again twice and in vaine once and my Heart not grieve Yet 7. I hope And in Thee and the Bloud of thy Crosse alone I hope for Col. 2. 14. Pardon because I read it seal'd in thy Bloud I hope for Salvation because Act. 20. 28. I finde it purchased under that Seal Wilt thou not make good thy Seal Wilt thou not preserve thy Purchase Nor Sin nor Devill then shall damne me O Christ He shall not steal thy Rom. 8. 34 35. 1 John 2. 1. Purchase It shall not voide thy Seal Thy Bloud is my plea against both In it I see my Pardon and Salvation written nor care I so thou be my Advocate for Saint or Angel to set to 1 Tim. 2. 5 their Hands I hope in thee for my Salvation And so I doe for my Mothers too The Spouse bought with thy Bloud and lov'd as thy Body O Lord thou art by singular stile her Ephes 5. 24 25. Saviour And shall she want what she so much needs thy Salvation She is on the Crosse Dear Jesus deliver Her Force without and Fury within Crucifie Her Lord tender Her Enemies and Children both fall upon Her O Christ rescue Her O let Her not want thy Bowels for whom thou gavest thy Blood Behold Her miseries let Her not want a Bath for whom thou yet hast Blood Forgive Her sinnes Till that hath no Vertue She is not without hope By the Merits of thy Golgotha dry her Akeldama By the passions of thy Calvari take her off the Crosse O Christ Whilst thou hast one drop of Blood I will not Despaire for my selfe or Her Whilest that is warme that chilnesse shall never seize my Spirit And I know thy streames of Blood are neither Drain'd
Armes I leave the wounded Mother and at thy Feet I lay the Bleeding Child Jesus nourish these Holy Passions in me which my Heart hath conceived and my Tongue now brought forth before thee Let thy Holy Passion ever Breed them in me and thy Holy Spirit nurse them for thee Even by the Merits of thy Bloody Passion I beseech thee Amen Amen A Service Eucharisticall or Preparatory to the Holy Communion for Saturday or other Day Morning Prayer Psal 26. 74. 146. Lessons 2 Chron. 30. Mat. 26. to Verse 46. Evening Prayer Psal 55. 67. Lessons Isay 55. 1 Cor. 11. or 10. 1. Prayer before comming to the Holy Communion Acknowledging and Deprecating our unworthincs O Lord I am every where in thy Presence and under thy Eye and therefore should be profanc no where But thy Speciall Presence and Face is in thy Temple there therefore I should be most Holy And thy Chair and Seat is at thy Table there then I should be most Even the Angels are not pure enough for such a Heavenly Presence how then shall a poor sinfull mortall Man appear at so High and Holy a Service How shall I dare to Communicate with thee that deserve not to Come before thee Lord Since I cannot come as I should Pure I will endeavour by thy Grace to come as I may Penitent I will be more Humble because lesse Holy and more Wash'd because so Eilthy And O Lord give me Grace so to come Let me look over my life in the Glass of thy Law let my Conscience help me look and make me wash with my Teares what is polluted in my wayes and clense in Christs Bloud what I wash with my Tears O Lord in a Bath of this water warm'd in that Blood flowing from a Sinners bleeding Heart and Saviours bloody Side shall I not be clean if I wash Pierce my Heart O Lord that I may Repent open my Heart that I may Believe that I may so wash and be clean Though I did not live let me believe aright and let me love whom I doe believe Thee O God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who didst send thy Sonne to shed his Bloud and Redeeme me Thee O Son of God who didst come and shed thy Blood to make a Bath and heal me Thee O Holy Spirit of God! by whose Grace and Work upon my heart I come to have the benefits of that Bloud And whom I love let me not grieve Lord let me no more offend thee Let my heart be set to serve thee resolved to please thee And doe thou accept me Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Amen 2 Prayer to be used before the Holy Communion to be pardoned and prepared for it DEare Saviour that hast given thy Flesh and Bloud to be my meat and drinke and now invitest me to those heavenly dainties Who am I wofull and wicked wretch that I am that I should dare with my unworthy hands to receive those High and Holy Mysteries Originally uncleane Actually defiled and even since my last comming and Communicating for all my vowes and protestations before Thee againe and againe polluted In these straits and stresses of spirit how shall my soule be satisfied If I come not at thy call I rebell against thy mercy If I come I trespasse upon thy puritie O my God! I will not stand out a Rebell but rather fall downe an humble Suppliant before thee I am guilty Lord pardon me I am polluted Lord purge me Though guilty though polluted I am thy Ransomed soule Deare Redeemer save me Let the Merits of thy pretious bloud clense me from the guilts upon me Let the graces of thy Holy Spirit Sanctifie me from the stains within me Let the sighs and teares which come from my bleeding heart wash off those blots by vertue of that pretious bloud Let the cryes and prayers which now come from my believing soule obtaine those graces from thy Holy Spirit True repentance and humility A lively faith and charity with all those holy and heavenly thoughts and affections which may dispose and prepare me for thee By these fit my soule for thy selfe and my body with my soule to be an holy house and habitation for thee Let thy Holy Spirit and Body enter into me Come Deare Redeemer come to the price of thy bloud seize thine owne and save me Possesse my soule feede me and preserve me Hereafter let me have more grace then to grieve thee Give me care to keepe my bodie thy Temple more pure from sinne and holy to thee and my heart thy Bed more cleane from lust and undefiled before thee In the strength of thee the Living Bread let me grow more able to serve thee And by vertue of so neare an Union and Communion with thee let not mine but thy Holy Spirit from henceforth lighten lead and enliven me That I may shun sinne which thou hatest and daily doe those duties of devotion and charity which please thee So let this Holy Sacrament at once Seale to me thy mercy and my glory Where I shall for ever communicate with thee in perfect purity and felicity To that happy Communion by thy grace deare Saviour ever prepare me and now for a Holy Communion with thee Amen! Amen! Say Amen Lord Jesu 3. Prayer at our comming to the Holy Communion DIdst Thou not invite me to thy Holy Table O Lord I durst not come Now thou callest me I dare not keepe away And yet when I doe consider Who and what is here I fear and tremble to come Thou O Lord art a Holy and Dreadfull Majesty and so Thy Mysteries be Holy Bread and Holy Wine A most Holy Bodie and Bloud No taint in His Bloud who is God and Lord as Thy selfe The Lamb of God Immaculate Undefiled without Spot all-pure most High and Holy But alas I am Uncleane Uncleane Uncleane Originally Actually every way In Heart Hand Lips every part Throughout Childhood Youth Manhood every Age Most unworthy to approach a Presence so pure who am so unholy True Lord But I lament my Uncleanness I renounce my owne worthinesse I come not because worthy but needie I come to be made cleane and worthy That Bodie and Bloud can make me cleane It is my Saviours His Merits can make me worthy They are thy Sons And here is a conveyance of that Blessed Body and Bloud It is thy Sacrament Lord Thinke me worthy for his sake and Make me worthy for thy Mercies sake by my comming Give my Sins thy Pardon my Soul thy Grace My selfe thy Acceptance in thy Beloved And what Thou dost convey Seale to me by what I am to Receive from thee The Blessed Body and Bloud of Jesus Christ our Lord Amen 4. Prayer and Thanksgiving after Receiving of the Holy Communion PArdon O Father thy poore Child the errours and infirmities which have pass't in thy Holy Service whether before or in or since the Sacrament And in and for the pretious Bloud of thine Holy Child Jesus of which I
have had the Holy Communion Seale me my pardon And behold and accept thy Servant from a heart full of thy love pouring out praises to thee for the inestimable benefits received in those High and Holy Mysteries What am I O Lord or what is in me that thou shouldest doe this great honour and favour to me I am unworthy to touch the thresholds of thy House and thou hast taken me to thy Table I am not worthy to stand amongst thy Saints and thou hast made me sit with my Saviour I am not worthy to come before thee and fall down before thy Footstoole and thou hast beene pleased to come into me and make my heart thy Throne I am not worthy to eat the bread of Men and thou hast given me the bread of Angels Yea Lord The Angels hunger but have not this bread What they admire I have received whom they adore I have entertained The Body and Bloud of Jesus their Mirrour is my meat Christ and they are Two but I and my Saviour are One. Flesh of his Flesh and Bone of his Bone One Bloud one Body O unspeakable Mysterie O incomparable Mercy Lord I beseech thee since of my selfe I cannot enough praise thee make me some way worthy of thee Let my Hands which have received that Blessed Body and Bloud be henceforth Sacred and doe no deeds that may offend thee Let my Lips which have touched those Holy Mysteries be hallowed from all words that may displease thee And let my Heart the Habitation of my Lord and Saviour be hereafter holy and no vain thoughts lodge within me As I am one with Him in Body and Bloud let me be one in Spirit The spirit of Wisdome Love and Holyness truly to know Thee serve Thee and cleave unto Thee By the blessed Sacrament of his Body and Blood Convey it to me Confirme it in me Let it be to my soule the Signet of thy Love and Seale of thy Glory And even for the Precious Merits of that Bloud and Body receive me to it I beseech thee that I may be one in everlasting Union and Communion with Thee for Jesus his sake Amen Amen! A Thanksgiving to be said after the Communinn fit for one devoutly affected at it THou that hast given the Bread of Heaven to feed me O give me the tongue of an Angell to praise thee O Lord the very Angels are not blessed with such a Bread O! what an high Mystery and mercy is this that my Saviour is my Sustenance and their Maker my Meat The Body and Bloud of Christ the Eternall Sonne of Gods to be in an holy Communion eaten drunken by the mouth of a mortall man O the infinite condescending Goodnes of a gracious God to make my humble heart the habitation of his Holines To come to me enter in me and become one not by Reconciliation onely but heavenly Union and Communion with me O miraculous Union O mysterious Incorporation O happy Soule that art so neare to thy Saviour O blessed Saviour that art so neare to my Soule O wretched Soule if any thing be too deare with thee for such a Saviour That wouldst not give thy body and blood for his Truth that wilt not give thy life to his Glory O Lord let my Soule which by thy Sacrament is made so happie by my sinne be never made so wretched Thou that hast entred thy Bodie and Bloud into me by thy Spirit take possession of me Guide me leade me command me rule me move me Be thou the Spirit of my Soule and Soule of my Body Let not the Flesh World or Devill henceforth have any power in me Live O Live Thou in me O Christ in thy earthly House and let me live for ever with Thee in thy Heavenly Habitation Even by the Merits and vertues of thy pretious Body and Bloud Sweet Jesus my Deare Lord and Saviour I beseech thee Amen Amen! An Holy Rapture to be said by One having Devoutly Communicated O Lord Where thou doest dwell is Heaven Heaven then is not this day more Above me then Within me How then shall my Single Soule Honour thee and my Tongue extoll Thee who hast made for thy Servant a Double Heaven O Lord Let all that is within me and all that is without me minde heart tongue hand all Savour of that Heaven that is within me and set forth thy Glory And doe Thou who this day hast conveyed Heaven into me at my last houre Convey my Soule into Heaven That what is here wanting in thy due Praises I may pay there in everlasting Halleluja's Even so Lord Glory be to thee for ever for the Invaluable favour and honour thou hast done to thy servant For the unsearchable Riches and Treasures Conveyed in thy Sacrament even the Blessed Body and Blood of Jesus Christ my deare Redeemer and Lord and Saviour Amen Amen Meditations for the Holy Communion upon 1 Cor. 11. 24. 25. ¶ Doe this in Remembrance of me D Oe but for thee Dear Jesus I had been undone for ever for thee then and for Mat. 18. 11 thy sake what is it which I should not doe 2. Thy desires are my Commands There is Authority enough in thy love for me to doe what thou shalt please Speak Lord then thy Servant heareth what ever thy will is that will I doe 3. Since thou wouldst have no flesh but my Bodies I will have no will but Heb. 10. 5. thy Soules What is thine shall be my will O Lord and done which thou wilt hav◠me doe 4. I dare not say so to any man O Lord though never so Godly so much thy Man His will may have Errour for Guide and ill in Company But O thou Holy one of God! Thy mind knowes no Errour thy will no Obliquity I dare doe whatsoever thou dost will 5. Dare doe Dare not but doe it If thy desire once come out in an Injunction and thy will be signified by Command not onely upon my Obligation I ought But must upon my Mat. 17. 5. Act. 3. 23. Act. 9. 6. Allegeance to thee the King of the Church and Soveraign as well as Saviour of my Soul I must not dispute nor delay but doe and therefore ought may must doe This. For Lord what is it thou wouldst now have me do Is it to climb a Crosse to undergo a bitter Passion Act. 21. 19 Even for thy sake I should not think much to doe that who hast done more for mine What then when it is not so much as this not to goe to a Scaffold but come to thy Table not to goe to a Grave but a Feast not to Bleed or Burne but to to Eat and Drink not to Suffer that but to doe this 2. And what is that I am to Eat and Drink Bread of Affliction and Water of Adversity which flag my Spirits No Deare Jesus but Bread and Wine to confirme and comfort my Heart Not a Confessours Bread Tears nor a Martyrs Cup Bloud
but a Saviours fare Blessed Wine and Bread yea in them what both is and makes Blessed The Body and Bloud of Blisse Deare Jesus Thy Holy Body John 6. 48 53. 54. and Bloud Meat and Drink that doth both joy my heart and save my Soule Bread of life and Well of Life Of that O Lord I eat in thy Bread and drinke of this in thy Cup Because thee in both who art Lord and Bread Well and Lord of Life Was the Passover a feast and is thy Supper none Where no sower herbs but Naturall and Celestial sweets are serv'd in at the feast If that be thy Command O Christ I am a rebell as much to my good as thy Law a damn'd rebell if I doe not this 3. And a Wretch if I doe not all but bate thee halfe of that I am not Saved but by thy Body I shall be damned 1 Pet. 2. 24 Heb. 9. 12. 21. without thy Blood I can want neither Bloud nor Body for my Sacrifice and shall I not have them both in thy Sacrament Didst thou offer thy Bloud for me on the Crosse and shall I not take the Pledg from thee at thy Supper Dost thou give me a Title Mat. 26. 27. Mat. 26. 28. Ephes 1. 7. 1 Pet. 1. 19. to thy Bloud and shall any keep me out of my Possession Rob me of thy Mercy and my Right of no less then the Price of my Redemption Doest thou give me the Purchase in thy Bloud and shall any deny me the Seale in thy Church Thine O Christ how is that Church Thine that dare be guilty of so great a Rebellion and Robbery To violate at once thy Will and Seale To steal at once thy Cup and Scepter Against thy Testament and Will thy expresse Will and Order to doe that can there be a bolder a greater Rebellion To take the Cup from thy People and the Scepter out of thy hand to deprive their Soules of thy Bloud Sine grandi Sacrilegio fieri non posse Gelasi Concil Const thy Selfe and of thine Authority can there be a viler Robbery And to Confesse the Fact and Justifie what is done O thou King of Heaven and the Church can any Hand against thee be more High or act more Vile What then shall I doe Dear Jesus when and where I cannot doe this Where though I beg I cannot have thy Cup Shall I take half or none O Lord that art not for Halfe a Service thou art not for Half a Sacrament Thou that lookest at that as none wilt thou accept this for any And have not they just ground to fear that doe but half of this that when all is done they have done nothing Because by thine Authority and Holy Institution and the Practice of Primitive and Purest Church it was not Ordained nor Used so to be done Dear Jesus Pâ—ty the People that endure this Injury and either seek not or finde not ease from so great a Tyranny And Justifie thou their cause O Christ who for their Saviour and their Soules sake doe not give the right hand of Fellowship to those who thus rob thee of thy Worship Separate from their Service who divide thy Sacrament Because they dare not owne what those Usurp a Power to alter what thou dost Institute Nor Seal what they Decree an Act confest against thy Ordinance Nor doe what they enjoyne a Violation to thy Holy Seal and Sacrament How shall I Body with them that keep thy Bloud from me How shall my Soul unite with them who exhibite to me but half a a Saviour Shall â— not withdraw my self whole from them that will not give me the Sacrament entire but half If they deny me thy Cup shall they have my Communion O Lord How should I Communicate with them that take as my understanding from thy Service * In an unknown Tongue and thy Scripture from my * Reading forbidden Eyes so thy Cup from my Lips If that thou Commandest upon my Obedience without thy Curse I cannot doe other That is not to doe this 4. Doe this And see you doe it not what language is this leave this half undone Who dares thus contradict thee O Christ Is he thy Vicar or Master that dare doe thus Is it the Pillar of Truth whâ—ch thus puls down the Pillar of a Sacrament a Pillar of Salvation Takes off thy Blood the Cement of that Holy Pillar And so pulls if not all at least halfe down Shall I satisfie my Conscience with Wit And first Devise then Believe the Bloud is given in the Body But in Per Concâ—mitantiam the Eucharist thy Bloud is given as shed not kept Poured out not conteined Mat. 26. 28. in the Body And why then should any have the Cup since in the Body is a Conveyance of the Bloud Did the Apostles onely take the Cup Then Laiety must not eat the Bread and so be cut out of the Sacrament of Salvation both Body and Bloud Didst thou not foresee this O Lord and therefore say of purpose not Eat Mat. 28. 26 27. Non Edite omnes Previdente Domino quod de calice c. Bux Hist Dom Caenae 15. ye all but Drinke ye all of this to shew that none are to be excluded from the Cup By thy Grace then I will never doe that As thou appointest I will observe and doe this 5. This. Not thus It ties not to a Circumstance but the Substance of the Command Nor Place nor Time nor Number is confest for then only Twelve should Communicate in an upper Roome and at Night nor Gesture then if accidentall too though evident what it was the Church hath power to appoint it and I may with good Conscience observe her Appointment and though neither so nor so yet doe this In Remembrance I blush Lord to see my self need thy Memento for this Have I a Chest for the Trash of the World and no roome for thee my Heavenly Treasure Memory for what I list and none for what I should Thou hast so done thy marvellous Workes that they ought to be had in Remembrance O Lord And O thou Psa 114. 4. Isay 9. 6. whose Name is Wonderfull and all thy Workes as thy Name and in this above all thy Workes can I ever forget thee 2. Can I forget my self so much That do not breath a minute on Earth or out of Hell without thee If I forget thee O Jesus Let my tongue cleave to the Roof of my Mouth Let my right Hand forget her cunning Surely that Harp had never known the tune of Joy nor Hand had ever to doe with Harp hadst not thou put a World Ephes 1. 10 1 Cor. 5. 19 all out in order againe and set all in Tune 3. And is that all when I owe a thousand lives unto thee to require not my Body but my Minde to say Remember Not to suffer Death and die for thee but to forbid thy Memory to die in me Wil
to what they forbid for ill and to shun the contrary ill where they command good 3. And Mat. 5. 22 1 Thes 5. 22. to shun all kindes and causes and occasions of ill and to use all meanes and opportunities of good And 2. We may and must observe all this Eccl. 7. 29 Heb. 4. 15 Jam. 3. 2 1 John 3. 4 Ro. 6. 12 Heb. 13. 18 Act. 24. 16 Jer. 8. 6 Ro. 13. 8 Luke 1. 6. Heb. 12. 28 Not Exactly and Absolutely as Adam might and Christ did for we offend and sinne all and so break the Law but yet Vprightly and Evangelically that is We must keep our selves from greater sinnes and heartily endeavour and pray against all and grieve and repent when we doe any And thus by Gods grace we may doe and this for Christs merits God accepts and accounts for keeping of the Law without which we cannot do aright Qu. 3. What is it to Pray aright Mat. 6. 9 Ans According to the Patterne of Devotion summ'd up in the Lords Prayer the Rule of our Dâ—sires 1. For Gods glory before our good the Churches before my own and my soul before my body for matter and order And this in love and lowliness with faith and assurance for the manner 2. And that either to the Sense or according to the Words of the Patterne Qu. What assurances hath the true Christian that believing doing and praying aright in this world he shall be happy in another Ans Two great Assurances Gods Tit. 1. 2. Mar. 16. 16. Joh. 3. 15. Heb. 5. 9. Rom. 2. 7. Act. 2. 21. Heb. 6. 17. 18. Heb. 8. 6. Heb. 9. 15. Heb. 9. 18. 26. Heb. 10. 20. Word and Seal 1. Besides Gods Word his Bond which by his power he can and for his truth he will make good It is in a Covenant confirmed with Gods Oath which cannot change by Testament ratified in Christ bloud which must not alter And to this Covenant and Testament are put 2. Gods Broad Seales of mans Salvation the Two Sacraments of Christ Baptisme the Seal of my Birthright to Heaven and the Holy Eucharist the Seal of my Inheritance in it Qu. Are the Sacraments onely Signes and Seales Ans No. As they are Christs Assurances so they are his Conveyances Rom. 4. 11. Tit. 4. 5. Joh. 3. 5. 1 Cor. 10. 16. too and Meanes as well as Signes of grace Baptisme of my Spirituall Birth and life and the Holy Eucharist of my Growth and nourishment to that which is eternall Qu. What is to be gathered from all these Grounds Ans Two Good Resolves for two Important Inquiries 1. Who is the best Christian He that most carefully keeps his Rules and Seales 2. Which is the Best Church That which is made up of such Christians MAT. 18. 20. Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there I am in the midst amongst them There then Devout Soul be thou One in Christs Name and rest confident to be saved since thy Saviour is with thee there Grounds of Protestant Religion How a devout Christian Soul in the midst of the manifold Distractions and Divisions about Religion and Pretensions and Claimes to the Church may upon These Grounds against all seruples rest satisfied and setled in minde and cheerfully goe on in Gods Service to Salvation 1. IF he that Believes Lives and Prayes according to Christs Rules be the True Christian and by all Gods Assurances shall be the Happy Man The next way to Heaven is not to look after Controversie but Conscience and to spend my Zeale and Time not in being Contentious but Religious Since wheresoever I live or am in the Christian World West or East in what Church or Country soever it is not my being a Good Scholler that must save me but a Good Christian Not a learned Disputant for Christ but a Devout Servant to him Nor being of such or such a Party or Side in the Church but a true Member of his Body And even upon These Grounds I may see and discerne enough about the present Controversies and Debates in and concerning the Church For 1. I would aske this Whether I being borne againe and made a Christian by true Baptisme 1. Believing the Scriptures shall be damn'd for not equally believing Traditions Whether believing the Apostels Creed I shall be damn'd for not believing as my Creed the Popes to be as infallible as the Apostles 2. Whether making conscience to serve and worship God I shall be damned for not worshiping Images 3. Whether praying to God as Christ taught Our Father I shall be damned for not Invocating Saints and Angels and saying Our Friend which art in Heaven 4. Whether Receiving the Holy Sacrament in both kindes confessedly according to Christs Institution I shall be damned because the Cup is taken away by a Councell And whether if the Bloud be said to be in the Body it be not so to the Priest too and so by that reason neither People nor Priest are to have the Cup These being Points of Chiefest Difference in Religion betwixt Protetants and Papists an ordinary and indifferent understanding may easily judge by the evidence of Those Christian Grounds whether the Protestant is a damnable Christian 2. Nay secondly I would aske further 1. Whether to give an equall faith to Tradition as Scripture to a Pope as Christ or an Apostle of Christ be not to incurre the great Curse for Additions Rev. 22. 18 2. Whether Worshiping of Crucifixes and Images be not Idolatry damn'd in Scripture against Gods Second Commandement Whether the doing it but Relatively save it according to the Distinction of the Schoole in the ignorant people Or learned either if the Israelites Exod. 32. 4 5 8. were Idolaters for worshiping God in and before the Golden Calfe which was but a Relative worship 3. Whether Praying to Saints confessed to be an Unstatutable worship be not a sinne of Superstition against God and praying to be heard and help't for their Merits sake a Great injury to Christ 4. Whether to give the Sacrament without the Cup be not as Pope Gelasius said A grand Sacriledge and so to take it to receive but halfe the Communion And whether the people may not justly doubt and feare they Receive None if but Halfe These being the Points and practises of the Romane Church the unprejudic'd may judge whether the Papists be not the more dangerous Religion 2. If it be said there is but One Ancient Visible Catholique Church of Christ out of which to depart by Schisme is to goe from Salvation And that is the now-Romane Church and this now doth the Reformed I satisfie my selfe on my former grounds thus 1. Out of the Catholique Church is Universaâ—ity no salvation because that 's the Congregation of Christian men all over the World and none can be saved but a Christian But Is the West all the World Are there not Christians in the East Or doe Papists take up
of them all good Lord deliver us Deliver us from blood O God from all the innocent and pretious blood which lies upon us From our sins of peace which brought the warre and the sinnes of warre which brought and left us in that guilt of blood O Jesus that hadst mercy even for those that shed thine and Act. 2. 27. madest the matter of their sinne the meanes of their salvation let the virtue of thy blood expiate the guilt of all shed amongst us and the voice of Heb. 12. 24 it out-crie all the clamours which it makes in Heaven against us And by the grace of thy Spirit make our hearts bleed for our sins that it may crie so for us With our sinnes remove our woes Piece our rents and close our wounds with thy heavenly hands O God of peace that we perish not under them let us not make our selves a prey to foraigne force nor fall by an intestine fury Meet Body and Head in common safety meane while looke upon our languishings and keep life in the Body Lord who delightest not in the death of one Sinner pitty millions of poore sinfull miserable soules at the very point to perish pitty us good Lord and preserve us for thy great mercies sake in Christ Jesus Amen Amen 7. Collect for the Church 1 Cor. 11. 2. FOr thy deare Spouse and my best Mother I thy poore Child and Hers on bended knees hold up my hands and humbly pray all thy Goodnesse O God! Truth Love and Peace be with her For errour truth for schisme love for persecution peace Behold O Lord not what She is but was and not what She was for sin but thy Service And Heare Lord not the cries of her sins but groanes of her miseries And make her to be as Good as She was yea Lord make her be as Good as She should be Beautifull in Her selfe Unblemished in her Children Shining in truth Comely in order Holy in life Repair'd in her ruines Restored in her Rights Relieved in her injuries To Thy glory Her honour and the happinesse of us all through the Grace and Worthinesse of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 8. Collect for the Catholique Church O God of peace send Unity amongst all that professe thy Name As they have but one Head Ephes 4. 1 4 c. let them be but one Body as they are but one Body let them have but one Spirit the Spirit of truth and holiness in doctrine and life be in all Cease schismes and warres in the Christian world Let not them spill one anothers blood for whom thy Sonne shed His. Let there not be many Hearts under one Head nor more Heads with it lest they make a Massacre in thy Body or a Monster of it O let thy Scepter have obedience and thine Orders Observance every where Suffer none by delusion or depravation of mind or ambition of Spirit to pull downe thy Throne whilst they pretend for thy Scepter and let confusion and tyranny into the Church whilest they professe to bring in liberty and order and pull downe thy House to set up thy Glory From Violence avarice sacriledge schisme heresie Anarchy tyranny King of the Church keep us Do Thou governe us and let us obey thee doe Thou save us and let us serve thee Even all Christian souls save through out the world Dear Jesus Amen Concluding Prayer IT is thy promise to grant whatsoever I aske in thy Sons name Lord thou wilt not performe lesse because I BreviariuÌ„ totius Evangelii Tert. aske so in his Words In His blessed Breviary therefore I Summe and offer up all and say Our Father which art in Heaven c. The Blessing God the Father blesse me God the Son defend me God the holy Ghost preserve me and all mine and His now and evermore Amen So ends Morning Prayer A Charitable Prayer for these Miserable Times O Lord that dost not willingly afflict the Children of Men Behold from thy Holy Habitation of Heaven the Multitudes of miserable Souls Lives amongst us and have mercy upon us Have mercy on all Ignorant Souls instruct them On all Deluded Mindes and Enlighten them On all seducing and seduced Spirits and Convert them Have mercy on all broken Hearts and Heal them all strugling with Temptation and Rescue them All Languishing in Spirituall Desertion and Revive them Have mercy on all that stagger in Faith and establish them That are falne from Thee and Raise them That stand with Thee and Confirme them Have mercy on all that groan under their Sinnes and Ease them that blesse themselves and goe on in their wickednesse and curb and stop them Jesus that didst shed thy Bloud for all Soules to save them shed thy Holy Spirit on all and heal them And Lord have mercy on all miserable Bodies Those that are ready to Famish for want Feed them Those that are bound to Beds of pain Loose them Those that are in Prison and Bonds Release them Those that are under the fury of Persecution and cry under the yoke of Oppression Relieve them Those that lie smarting in their Paines and Wounds Cure them Thâ—se that are Distracted in their Thoughts and Wits Settle them Those that are in Perils of their Lives Preserve them Jesus that didst freely Distribute thy Comforts and Cures to all Miseries and Maladies of Men when thou wast on Earth Have mercy on all and Help them Far or near with us or from us Lord have mercy on all Even every Sonne and Daughter of Adam at this time in paine and anguish upon the face of the Earth where ever they are whosoever they be what help I would pray for my self from thee or Comfort from Man in their condition I beseech thee the God of all Help and Comfort to give it to them Take them to thy Care and Tender them Supply them and Succour them have Compassion on them and Heal them Jesus that didst give thy Bloud for them deny not thy bowels to them Thou that didst Redeeme them all preserve them Even all Miserable Souls and Bodies I beseech thee for thine Infinite mercies sake Amen A Prayer against the Temptations of the Time O God Who wilt not suffer us to be tempted above what we are 1 Cor. 10. 13. able to bear Succour me that the Temptations of the Time doe not overwhelme me Discover to me the wayes of thy Providence so far that I may see why I should neither deny it or doubt it And make me know Thy Judgements Job 11. 6. Rom. 11. 33. Job 40. 4. 41. 3. Jer. 12. 1. to be so unsearchable and thy wayes past finding out that I may humbly submit my wit to thy Wisdome and admire and adore the Justice which I doe not see Let me not be of so narrow a mind as to confine thy Worke to one World which thou dost not finish but in Two Nor let me be such a Creature of Sense as to believe thou
hast no other reward or punishment then what I see and feel O let my Eyes look to the end of all Heaven or Hell and let me envie no ill mans happinesse who shall end in Hell Nor bewaile any good mans wretchednesse who shall have Heaven for his end And let me understand that Prosperity of Psal 92. 7. Sinners is a heavy Plague because their Prov. 1. 32 spur to Hell the greatest punishment and Adversity of Saints a happy Mercy Psal 94. 12 because thy Rod to beat them into Heaven the Best Reward Meane while let me not give a Breast Psal 4. 8. full of thy Peace for an Armefull of that wealth which breeds nests of Vipers and Adders in their Hearts and continuall Job 20. 14. 16. stings in their Bosomes let me prefer the sufferings of Innocence before the Spoiles and Triumphs of Violence O God since a guilty Conscience is the greatest punishment on Earth because next to Hell And Accusing and Condemning thy Providence and forsaking Mal. 2. 17. 3. 13 14 15. my Innocence the greatest Guilt To that Extremity let no Temptation ever lead me Jesus Keep me from it by thy Grace and Mercy Amen Evening Prayers 1. Collect for Grace THou that hast promised Thy Holy Spirit to those that ask Luk. 11. 13. it give me Thy Grace O God with courage and constancy so to fight and subdue my flesh and ghostly enemy that I may passe my Pilgrimage in thy fear and at last receive my Triumphs in thy Glory Apoc. 3. 21 through the Merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 2. Collect for Peace O God of peace who art Incomprehensible give me thy peace Phil. 4. 7. which passeth all understanding Let me so live according to thy Rule that Gal. 6. 16. I may have peace with my Conscience Let me be so ruled by thy Will and Word that my Conscience may have peace with Thee Lord make an everlasting Jer. 6. 16. peace with me and let me never doe what will break that league with Thee Dear Jesus treat it for me in thy Bloud and maintaine it in me by thy Spirit Amen Amen 3. Collect for Health IT is the wonder of thy providence O Lord that a body subject to thousands of Frailties and casualties every day should enjoy health or life an hour yet through thy mercy I have both at this instant Lord continue to me what I have and let me so improve it to thy honour that thou maist continue it and for Christ his sake doe not for any wickednesse smite me with sicknesse Amen Amen 4. Collect for Safety FOrgive O Lord the forfeitures I Psal 19. 11. have made of thy protection by the wandrings of my life And though I have not beene as I should a dutiful Child yet be Thou O Lord as thou ever art a mercifull Isa 63. 16. Father Forget not thy fatherly goodnesse to me who pray thy pardon for offending Thee thy Grace to serve Thee and thy Providence to preserve me this night and evermore through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 5. Collect for Friends O Lord it is joyfull for Friends to Psal 3. 3. 1. Heb. 12. 22 23. love live together on earth but the joy of joyes all to live with thee in Heaven I beseech thee let this happinesse be the portion of all whom thou hast made more nearly and dearly mine Let us so live in thy service that we may die with thy Salvation Mean while what wants of earthly good to any give us what is amisse and offensive to thy Heavenly Majesty in any forgive us what is requisite to make us so to serve thee now as thou mayest save us then in thy bounty bestow upon us Truth and Grace aright to see and seek thy face in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 6. Collect for the Kingdome O Lord we lie all in broil and bloud Pity us Our distraction threaten desolation to us Preserve us Our sinnes cry loud for thy vengeance upon us Pardon us Thy mercies have been great to this Nation Lord remember them Thy deliverances of us have been many Lord renue them That iniquity be not our ruine let us repent ruine it The guilt bloud Ezek. 18. 13. upon us forgive our Breaches repaire The order which may bring peace establish The Government thou hast establish'd maintain what is just and right in thine eyes set up what thou seest evill cast down what makes the Nation miserable remove what may make it happy restore Lord for thy mercies sake say we have been miserable enough and make us more happy Let the light of thy countenance shine again upon us and grant us peace the Power and Authority which may procure it preserve and those to whom thou hast given that power blesse them to us and us in them and all in thee for Jesus Christ his sake Amen 7. Collect for the Church Catholike BEhold O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ I a Christian and child of his true Catholike Church pray thy mercies on my Good and Great Mother and all my Brethren and her Children in thee and thy Son For Errours amongst them send them Truth For Schisme Unity For Superstition warrantable worship For Confusion Order For Profanenesse Piety For Variance Concord For War Peace that all may as one Body with one mind and heart and mouth and knee believe love confesse adore and so serve thee and him whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ the Great Lord and common Saviour of us all as thou mayest save us all in the world to come O thou Head of the Church fave thy Body By thy Bloud cleanse it By thy Spirit sanctifie it By thy Power preserve it and every Limb of it dear Jesus Amen 8. Collect for the Church O Christ Head of thy Body the Ephes 1. 22 Church Let not this poor Member of it amongst us perish What it is thou seest Lord with pity behold us What it was thou knowest O Lord in mercy restore us Thy Primitive Order in Christian Truth and Worship for the saving of Soules cast down set up The present Confusions Distractions Innovations Errours which are got up cast down Set up thy Glory O Lord amongst us and what is set apart to support it doe thou maintaine and continue to us and our Posterities after us for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Amen Concluding Prayer BEhold Lord I have prayed thy Grace and Peace with Health and Protection for my Friends the Kingdome and this and thy Church Grant good God all the requests I have prayed of thee or what more I should have prayed from thee or what any else have prayed with me In whose name I have presented with whose words I desire to perfume perfect my Prayers Beseeching thee that his Spirit may breathe in those words in which I know I pray both what and as I ought And therefore as devoutly confidently say Our Father
prosper me O blessed Captaine of my salvation deare Jesus who didst shed thy blood for me shield me now that am to fight for thee and all engaged with me Have mercy on us all deare Jesus and give us victory Amen Amen Our Father c. 4. Thanksgiving after Fight LOrd that hast been the shield of Ps 28. 30. 124. 128. After Victory 26. 98. thy Servant I give thee the glory of thy goodnesse And still Lord in all dangers be my shield that I may give thee yet more glory for that thou hast given me to see many fall and my selfe stand that thou hast shewed me this day many wounded and kept me safe Glory be to thee O Lord for thy mercy for ever by Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Our Father c. 5. Prayer for one wounded in Warre O Lord thou woundest and healest 1 Sam. 2. 6. thou killest and thou makest alive I doe beseech thee therefore to heale him in thy mercy who is not wounded without thy providence Lord Jesu thou good and great Physitian of wounded bodies souls who never failest to cure whom thou pleasest to recover take him to thy care who is wounded in thy cause and even for thy tender mercies sake I beseech thee heale his Soule of his sins and his Body of his wounds O thou that thy self was wounded and sheddest thy blood for him and us all in this bleeding condition of his let thy blood be his cordiall and thy wounds his remedies And thou Lord of life who on earth with thy Word made the sick and wounded to recover yea the dead to live say unto him from Heaven Live and Recover that he may serve thee more and better on Earth And now and ever fit and prepare him with thy grace that when he dies he may live and reigne with thee in Heaven through the blessed merits and mediation who wast wounded and slaine to heale and save us all O Jesus Christ our Lord our life and onely hope and succour and Saviour in life and death Amen Prayers for the Sick 1. A Confession and Prayer for mercy and Deliverance O Lord I do humbly confesse to the glory of thy justice that the sicknesse which I suffer is the fruit of my sin the Root of Mankind was poysoned with it and I am a branch of it yea and am much and many waies polluted by it and so am like my Root a poysoned branch I am therefore a Child of Death Rom. 5. 12. and Heire of the Grave the issue of his sin and sicknesse is my portion as I am his Child But Lord I am the seed of a second Adam looke at me not as I am in the first but thy Christ a graft of that Isaiah holy stock the root of Jesse the branch of righteousnesse the Holy One of God for his pretious merits sake forgive me my sin and have mercy on me in my sicknesse And O deare Iesus Joh. 5. 14. that didst take flesh and blood for me pity me poore flesh and blood groaning before thee comfort me and succour me help me and heale me even by the merits of thy pretious blood I beseech thee Amen Amen Prayer for Patience in Sicknesse I Am thy Prisoner O Lord chained by infirmity to a bed of paine but let me not fret even because I am thine Thine whose chaine I cannot breake Thine who dost draw me to thee by this chaine Thine who for my sinne dost justly bind me Thine who knowest when it 's best to loose me Thine who seest what lies upon me Thine who hearest every groane within me Thine who for my sinnes mightâ—st bind me in everlasting chains and sendest this sicknesse to save me O Lord since I am so many waies thine let me submit to thy chaine and lie as thy prisoner so thy Patient before thee and let thy pity in thy good time release me and charge not the errors of my infirmity upon me for Jesus Christ his sake Amen A Thanksgiving for Recovery of Sicknesse WHat shall I render unto the Psal 116. Lord for all his benefits done to me the snares of death compassed me and the paines of Hell tooke hold upon me I found woe and misery then called I on the name of the Lord and he heard me yea thou Lord wast he that helped me Thou art my God and I wil praise thee It was not Man it was thou that healed me All Physitians are of no value all Medicines vaine without thee Thy Mercy O Lord was my Balme and I will magnifie it Thou wast my Physitian and I will praise thee My heart in all extremity shall therefore trust in thee My lips shall speake of thy praise and my life honour thee I will not be so wretched as to offend thee with the healthinesse thou hast given me with the life anew bestowed on me O Lord keep that wretchednesse for ever from me thy grace therefore ever give me to have in all my waies this mercy and thy glory before me even so be it I beseech thee O Lord for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Amen Prayer against the Plague O Lord Pestilence is thy Arrow and my sins have made mee thy marke nor canst thou misse me in thy justice But spare me Lord spare me in thy mercy Though I deserve the stroke for my selfe spare me for my Saviours sake let his innocency be my shield and his blood my antidote O Lord I have I wish no other antidote or shield By the soveraigne and all-saving merits of his I beseech thee pardon my sinne and spare my life Spare my soule that it may better serve thee spare my body that it may better serve my soule spare my heart that I may keepe it more carefully for thee spare my blood that my spirits may be more active to serve thee And as I pray Pestilence from my body so I beseech thee keep it from my soule Preserve me from the house and shield me from the chaire of pestilence As from infected Bodies so from Spirits which breath errors and vices pests and plagues of souls From all mutuall diseases defend me Body and Soule but from those fearfull ones above all I beseech thee And all those thou hast made neare and deare unto me deare Saviour doe it for thy mercies sake Amen Prayer for one infected with the Plague I Am struck O God and by thy hand I beseech thee let me bleed in thy Armes in thy Armes of mercy let me depart if I must die but Lord embrace me with thy favour that I may live live out this danger and see thy deliverance out-live my sins and doe thee more service Meane while mercy Lord for Jesus his sake mercy to thy poore Servant pardon to my sinne comfort to my spirit acceptance to my repentance strength to my faith life to my charity salvation to my soule that whether I live or die I may be thine O Lord who to redeem and save me
didst both live and die in virtue of thy blood that sole and soveraigne antidote and sanctuary of bleeding Sinners thy deare and pretious blood let my soule live if my body die but if thy blessed will both live to praise thy goodnesse to both Lord cast my sins behind thy back and hold me in thy Armes Into thy Armes of mercy I cast my self Body Soul my onely hope and refuge and rock of my salvation is in thy blessed merits and blood deare Jesus take me and keep me in thy Armes now and ever and especially in my last hower and agonie have mercy on me I beseech thee Amen Amen Thanksgiving for one recovered of the Plague THou hast smitten and thou hast healed me O my God! the blow was grievous thy help is greater the blow was just thy help more gracious my sinnes deserved death thy mercy hath spared my life O Lord with an humble thankfull soule I doe acknowledge as ever so now especially from thy good hand my present life and health And now I humbly beseech thee that my heart may smite me that I have ever rebelled against so good a Majestie and thy grace keep me that I never more lift up my hand against so great a goodnesse O let not the pestilence goe from my body to my soule let not Satan and corruption poyson perswade my spirit to sit in the chaire or stay in the house of pestilence Let not others be infected with sinne by me nor me by them lest thou be more provoked and the plague gone returne in a greater judgment My God my help my health my hope my life and comfort be thy Name ever blessed that hast spared my soule and life O let it be no more dishonoured by me that keeping from the infection of an evill world I may live in the blisse of a better where is neither sinne nor sicknesse to infect soule or body but perfect health strength grace and glory in thee and with thee to all eternity O Jesus my onely refuge and the horne of my salvation So be it Amen Amen Prayer for one at the Hower of Death to be said by the Sick or some for him altering the Person 1. Prayer of one at the point of Death GOd the Father his mercies be about me God the Sonne his merits be upon me God the Holy Ghost his comforts be within me Holy Trinitie preserve strengthen and support me that my Death may be pretious in the sight of the Lord and my Soule live with thee to all eternity Amen Amen 2. Prayer for one at the point of Death FAther of mercies let thy love be to him Saviour of the world let thy merits be on him Comforter of departing Souls let thy peace be in him Father Sonne and Holy Spirit defend a Child of thy Family save a Lamb of thy Flock keep a member of thy Church O thou One and onely Lord God of Heaven command thy holy Angels to tender him and forbid evill ones to trouble him Deliver his soul discharge his sinne seale his pardon heavenly Father by thy Holy Spirit in the blood of Jesus Amen Amen 3. Prayer for one at the point of Death LOrd Jesus Succour this Dying Soule make passage for him by death to a better life purge his sins in thy Blood and prepare his Soule by thy Spirit and receive it to the glory of thy Father Jesus that didst so deerly purchase it make haste to receive it from the pangs of present and paines of everlasting death Good Lord deliver it deliver it for thy mercies sake Amen Amen Thanksgiving after Death for one Departed ¶ Say this Scripture Psal 116. 7 15. Returne unto thy rest ô my Soule for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the Death of the Saints Apoc. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord even so saith the Spirit that they rest from their labours ¶ Then Pray thus THou that hast sent for this Soul out of the Prison of his Bodie to come to the Palace of thy Blisse receive our praises O Lord for his happy deliverance from pangs to joyes from Tryalls to Triumphs from Earth to Heaven O Lord we beseech thee admit our humble lauds to attend him into thy presence and with them let our prayers enter before thee that as he so we in thy good time may come and present our Halleluja's with our selves in thy sight And meane time lead a godly life to have a blessed death Lord let us not forsake thee now that thou mayest not leave us then in that last and great hower upon which followes an Eternitie of weale or woe Lord have mercy on us and doe not forsake us and therefore let us have the feare of it and thee now and ever before us that as we believed our Brother departed is we may be blessed in and by our death grant we may deare Iesus Amen Amen A generall Thanksgiving for Gods mercies O Thou high Majestie of Heaven how hast thou filled me with the favours of thy bounty how great hast thou been in thy goodnesse and mercy how gracious in thy providence to me thou hast poured the blessings of heaven and earth upon my head Thou hast loaden me with thy gifts bestowed upon me in Creating Redeeming and in Preserving me In my Creation thou gavest me thine Image and madest me more noble than all the Creatures of the earth In my Redemption thou gav'st me thy Sonne and madest me more glorious than the Angels of Heaven In my Baptisme and Regeneration thou gavest me thy Spirit and hast made me more happy than millions of men in the world Thou hast given thy self to me Lord what could'st thou doe more for me thrice blessed yea for ever be thy glorious Name for thine infinite grace mercy and goodnesse to me And in thy providence for this life how abundantly hast thou blessed me in health wealth body mind c. and many and many mercies vouchsafed me In my weaknesse thou hast strengthened me in my dangers thou hast delivered me in my distresses thou hast comforted me in my prayers thou hast heard me in thy judgments thou hast spared me to this day preserving my life and making it many waies joyfull to me And not for any good in me O Lord hast thou been thus gracious towards me My ills on earth hath been many my ingratitudes great against thee For them thou mightest for ever banish me from heaven and with my sinnes cast me into hell amongst those that offend thee for thy owne goodnesse and great Names sake hast thou been thus bountifull and mercifull to me O fill my heart with thy love that my mouth may poure ou◠praises to thee Ravish my soule with thy goodnesse that my heart may ever love thee Fill my life with thy feare that as my lips my thoughts deeds may ever honour thee let me not be so wretched as to forget thy
To that end it will be of some force to thinke 1. At death all leaves us Why 1 Tim. 6 7 Jam. 4 14. 1 Pet. 1. 17 so much cost on my Inne 2. Life is short Why such luggage for a little journey 3. Nature needs little Why clog 1 Tim. 6. 8. Conscience and it with much 4. My goods are trusts Why such Luk. 16. 2. care to have what is anothers 5. I must reckon for all Why Phil. 4. 17. then such reckoning of any 2. And effectually done if I have grace 1. To love the world lesse for 1 Joh. 2. 15 then I will not covet it much And value it low for then I will love it lesse Did we prize Riches as strawes we would not seek them as Pearles 2. To beleeve God better Then Heb. 13. 5. his Providence will moderate our care and his Promise banish our Covetousnesse 3. To serve God more For then Psal 37. 3. 54. 9. of St. Mat. I shall beleeve him better and challenge maintenance from him upon his Honour and Word 4. To be content with what I 1 Tim. 6. 6 have For then I will not crave what I have not and shall bring my mind to my lot if I Phil. 4. 11. 12. cannot it to my mind 5. To be thrifty with content For he that is a Prodigall to spend is forced to be a Miser to get Avarice never works more then in the service of luxury 6. To be covetous with my thirst Amos 4. 1. to wit of Heaven He that loves true riches scornes earthly 1 Cor. 12. 1. And will so get and use them as they may encrease 1 Tim. 6 19. the heavenly So he will be charitable not miserable thinking Act. 20. 35 it happier to be of the Giving than Receiving hand Tuesday-Service Against Gluttonie Morning Prayer Psal 17. 73. Lessons Deut. 8. or 32. Amos 6. Luke 16. or 21. Evening Prayer Psal 78. or 160. Lessons Dan. 5. or Isaiah 22. Rom. 13. or 1 Cor. 10. Phil. 3. Jude or Epist ¶ Collect or Prayer against Gluttonie DEare Saviour that would'st have my Body a Temple for thy holy Spirit thou wilt not have it a Sepulcher for Beasts Thou that hast done my lips Mat. 26. â—6 the blisse honour to be made Dores for thy Holy Bodie to enter at wilt not have them gates for the uncleane Spirit to passe in and out if I so pollute my body wilt thou not desert me and destroy me if I dare so prophane Thine Lord that I may not lose my Soul let me not so abuse either Bodie and abhorre gluttony which makes me doe that abuse to both O Christ it was thy meat and drink Joh. 4. 34. to doe thy Fathers will and but for strength to that thou didst not eate and drink O! let me not with Adam eat my selfe at oncc out of Obedience and Paradise Thou didst fast and feast to teach me there is a Time for both but a Gluttons appetite was never in thy mouth Nor let it ever be in mine O God! if I fast let me not eate up my Bodie by cruell abstinence if I feast let me not devoure my Soule by intemperance whether I abstaine or eate or drinke or whatsoever I 1 Cor. 10. 3 doe let all be to thy glory that at death when Epicures make their two Feasts for Wormes and Fiends with their Bodies and Soules thou mayest feast and fill both mine with thy One Joyes which will fill and not loathe Satisfie and not Surfeit for ever To that glut of joyes deare Jesus bring me From other gluttonie keep me By the way of thy Blood and worke of thy holy Spirit O Lord Amen Amen Daily Prayers Remedies against Gluttonie A Sinne 1 Man is not made for but is 2 undone by yet may be 3 helpt against 1. Mans throat is narrow not made to swallow and short not for delight to gormandize If he doe 2. Love he which World he will it will be his ruine 1 For a better 1. It makes Man Swine His Belly v. Apud Tertul. Venter Deus c. God and Paunch his Paradise The Kitchin his Church First and second courses his Services His howers of Devotion Meal-times His Creed is in his Cook His Decalogue in his Dishes The company of Epicures his Communion of Saints and death everlasting his end For by this meanes he eates and drinks away his time in vanity drownes his soul in sensuality destroyes his conscience Tert. Appendices sc gulae lascivia atque luxuria with guilt It being as one dead sin it self always mother of another luxury which never wants a womb where gluttony hath a belly And often sister to many as ill as 1 Cor. 10. 7 Sodomes all even the worst though Idolatry and Sodomie it selfe And 2. It makes him as much wretch as Beast For even here it bars him of the greatest blessing Health His chief boon long Life and onely blisse Pleasure For fulnesse is the mother of Sicknesse and that the nurse of Death Temperance hath the most delicious taste and Hunger cookes all meates Prov. 27. 7 to Delicates whâ—reas his Appetite needs more whets then his Knife with which he doth not so much cut his meat as his throat Even then digging his Pluris necat crapula quam gladius grave with his teeth when he most pampers his Palate Before the Flood Mans life was longest when food simplest Their years ten to one longer because their diets twenty to one lesse 3. For such a Malady help were happy And it hath a double cure 1. Perforce So sicknesse is the remedy which disgusts the Palate and make fasts necessary because meats unpleasant So for the time the Glutton is abstemious but by disease not virtue not from good habit but ill habitude Yet even thus if wise it may get the ill one off and be cured 2. By choice For as his pleasures are none in sicknesse they are short in health whilst the meats passe by the throat from the mouth to the stomack space and time not long And in death gone past all recovery Why then so much ill for so little good This vanishing and perishing in sicknesse and death That hastning and posting my Body unto sicknesse I wil none if I weigh it well And lesse if I doe consider and endeavour aright 1. 1. There is a life after death Be not an Epicure in thy Creed and thou wilt not be a Glutton 1 Cor. 15. 32 33. in thy life Ede bibe lude believes nothing beyond death 2. Thou wilt be arraigned then by thy Creatour for abusing his Workmanship thy self Accused by the Creatures for devouring his workes them Making thy soul and body instead of the Ark of his Testimonies and Tabernacle of his service the one a streiner for lusts the other for meats Rom. 8. 20 The creature ravished by force to serve thee against his ends
man from growing to the height of piety to SuÌ„ma Philosophia Chrys thanke God for Adversity making him as a Dwarfe of Hell giving Him if not Bans and Blasphemies Frets for Thanks 4. A Sinne which throws a man into the Depths of iniquity Tutor to despaire and Factor for Apostasie Luk. 8. 15. Heb. 12. 1. Lam. 5. 7 8. 5. A Sinne which opens a gap to all Temptation and Womb for all wickednesse Mother of all mans miscarriage Mat. 13. â—1 Malum impatientia est boni Tert. and mischiefe An Enemy to Heaven and Auxiliary to Hell 6. A Sinne which weakens and wastâ—s the Soule Breaking downe the Prov. 25. 28. wall of her strength Putting her shoulder out of joynt and body out of Luk. 21. 19. temper 7. A Sinne which weakens and worries life Depriving it of a Calme Lam. 3. 26 of Conscience in a Tempest of trouble Making the shelter that should be the more devouring storme and man Prov. 18. 14 flesh and spirit swallowed up in the misery of both 8. A Sinne so forbidding man to improve life to the best to die a Martyr that it allowes it not well to live Jam. 1. 20. â— a Saint This Sinne of so execrable and formidable a quality will be avoided or left if we shall 1. Know and believe Gods Providence Job 1. 21. Lam. 3. 39 Lam. 3. 22 governes all and well and our Sins deserve all ill and worse Sooner if we 2. See and Consider Calamity is a 1 Cor. 10. 13 Common lot from which Saints Jam. 5. 10. Heb. 5. 8. and Princes have no priviledge No not He that was King of Saints Kings Especially if we 3. Mind and study Christs Crosse A Present Cure No Water so bitter which this Wood wil not sweeten * Exo. 15. 23. no Meat which will not down with his Vinegar and Gall. No thing so hard which his Passion makes not easie a Bern. nullus cibus tam amaris qui si recordatione aceti fellis Christi temperâ—tur non statim fiat dulcior b Greg. Nihil tam aurum c. Luk. 23 41 Mat. 27. 46. Isa 53. 5 6 2 Pet. 2. 24 Mark 12. 50. Have in mind Who Suffered on it an Innocent man and God too God-man What more than all Mankind ever did or could beare Why for thy particular Guilts in the generalls of all Mankind How with a cheerfull Spirit and submissive Soule And if not for sinne for shame thou wilt have out of heart Impatience No such Physick to heale thy frets No such Booke to Teach no such Pulpit to Preach Patience Nor any Receipts Lessons Sermons more effectuall than those in that Course Book and Pulpit By the worke of his Spirit they will be so if thence we shall have grace to 4. Kill and Preserve What doth quicken and strengthen Impatiency in us And wil beget and nourish that life which will not let it quicken 1. Self-love and Pride give that Sinne life strength That 's the Womb this Father of it Deny my self and Mat. 16. 24. I will take up my Crosse love my self and I shall not endure it To crosse the flesh is the way to beare a Crosse And Humility will make me stoop and take it on Pride fume and throw it off or fret to Mat. 11. 29. have it on Not to be Proud is the way to be Patient And sooner 2. By Innocence Hope and Love which will give Patience a life 1. Innocency makes a quiet mind Isa 57. 21. as Guilt a troubled And Repentance helps to it since man once cast out comes not to a perfect state of innocence Martyrs therefore Penitents are the greatest Patients Because those are kept these wash't innocent 2. Hope makes a strong heart It Heb. 6. 19. anchors it in the storme and upholds it under evil Else it would drowne in griefe or breake and fall with misery 3. Love of God endures all for Him and much more especially from Him It looks as at the Heb. 2. 9. Joh. 18. 11. Scourge the Hand and takes the chastening quietly because a Fathers rod. Service of the Passion fit for Friday or Wednesday Morning Prayer Psal 22. Lessons Isa 53. or 63. Mat. 26. or Mark 14. Luke 23. John 13. Evening Prayer Psal 84. 112. Lessons Zach. 11. 12. Ephes 1. Col. 1. ¶ Collect or Prayer of the Passion O Incomprehensible Goodnesse Mercy who didst send thy owne Sonne to a Crosse to bring me to thy Crowne and at the price of a most bloody Passion to purchase my salvation O let this love be ever in my heart and the fruits of it abound with me in all holy carriage and conversation Make me therefore to hate my sinne more than death which made thy Son to die And let neither goods nor honours nor liberty nor life be deare unto me for my Saviours sake who made me so to live Lord let me sacrifice all that I have and am to thee who gavest thy Deare selfe a Sacrifice for me Let me thirst to shed my blood and die for thy truth and let it be my meat and drink all my daies to doe thy will and live to thy glory That I may at last by the merits of thy pretious blood and passion dwell for ever with thee with thy blessed Saints and Angels giving all lauds and worship and honour to thee even for ever and ever Amen Daily Prayers Letanie Ten Commandements Epistle Tit. 2. or Heb. 9. Gospel Mat. 26. or Joh. 3. Prayer for Catholique Church A Meditation of the Passion of Christ O Christ Thy Passion makes me full of all Passions I am in Love and Hate I have my Longings and Loathings I take Joy and Grief I cherish Hope and Feare I am Incen'st and Ravisht 1. I am in love And with whom but Thee O Jesus I am Enamoured Amor meus crucifixus est c. of thy Person God-man Sonne of God! The Beauty of Heaven and Earth Center of all Created and Increated Excellency Mirror of the Heb. 1. 2. Col. 2. 3. 9. 1 Pet. 1. 12. 1 Cor. 11. 3 7. Godhead Wonder of Angels Glory of Mankind I am Enflamed with thy Love why so much too much O Lord Was it not enough to leave a Throne for my sake but Thou must lie in a poore Cratch stand at a base Nimius amor Pillar hang on a Cursed Crosse not for thy self but me by my birth lust life a beast a Villaine a Malefactor to my God! Thou didst write thy love to Lazarus Legible in thy teares shall I not read it in thy wounds Saw they Joh. 11. 36. it in thy Dripping Eye shall not I in thy Bleeding Side They in the Hot-water thou didst bestow on his Dead Body and not I in thy Reaking Blood shed for my Damned Soule * O duri indurati obdurati c. quos non emollit tanta
flamma c. Bern. O let my Heart never be so hard as to see those Wounds of so great love to me and have no woundings of affection for Thee for Thee And all in heaven and earth that have Relation unto Thee O Christ I am in love with the Father of my Lord Jesus Christ who would give His Joh. 3. 16. Rom. 8. 32 onely Sonne so to suffer on earth for a time that I might not frie in Hell for ever And I have love tâ— Thee O Holy Spirit of God who didst Anoint Jesus Isa 61. 1. to be my Christ and give Him Inauguration to his Crowne of Thornes and Blessed though most bloody Function O Holy Trinity I doe adore what I cannot comprehend as your Heavenly 1 Joh. 3. 7. Heb. 10. 7. Persons so your Counsels And with an humble love and holy reverence desire to behold and blesse your Designe for the Salvation of one World by the Passion of Him who is more worth than a Thousand I see and admire your wonderfull Wisdome Goodnesse and Power that could and did contrive such a Decree And next to your Persons that Blessed Trinity of your Perfections I will Ephes 3. 10 11. Col. 1. 27. for ever love admire and adore And next God I have love for thee O Man Son of man who ever thou art by His flesh and blood and bloody Passion made Gods Son and Brother of Christ Thy Heb. 2. 10 12 14. Ephes 2. 13. 19. Crosse O Jesus shall make all Mankind my friends and Thy Blood glue my heart to every man O Christ why should I hate any when Thou didst so love all How dare I slight any when Thou gavest thy Hearts-blood for every one shall he that is Mat. 25. 40. thy Brother be my hate or scorne And of all Mankind I love you ye Saints that are Twice his Brethren Rom. 12. 5 1 Cor. 12. 27. in Spirit and flesh so neer to Him in both as makes you His Limbs as well as Brothers And Thee O Holy 2 Cor. 11. 2. Col. 1. 18. Ephes 5. 23. Church Spouse of Him and Mother and Body of them yea the Body for which with specialty He gave His Blood and Selfe I have Passionate Ephes 5. 25. Act. 20. 28. Love for thee O thou Dearest Body of Christ shall I think any thing too good for thee for whom He gave Himselfe Preferring thee His Mysticall before His Naturall Body And shall I esteem friend or state or liberty or life or any thing or all things before thee And above all the world though no worship I have kindnesse for you you holy Angels of God who though you have no Ransome because no need of a Redeemers Blood nor had wherwithall as it needed not to pay and contribute at all to the Redemption yet for your Zeale to God and Love Luk. 2. 13. to Man gave it the joy as if it had been your Deliverance and Christ the Welcome as if He had come to be your Saviour Messengers of His Birth Ministers in his life Attendants at his Luk. 2. 11. Mat. 4. 11. Joh. 20 12. Luk. 24. 6. Act. 1. 11. Death Heraulds of his Resurrection and Ascension Giving to his Naturall Body all Due Services on earth and paying for him to his Mysticall your Heb. 1. 14. Holy Ministeries now he is in Heaven O you Pure and Holy Spirits of God! though you got not your Blisse you lost not by Him It is made more strong to you and you more High in Mediator Confirmationis it by the Numbers of Glorified Bodies filling the Rooms of Apostate Spirits to vour farre greater joy and Blisse You love Him and His Passion for it and I you for that You love Man above your owne Kind for that and I you for it Thus Lord I love all for Thee and Thee in all And now I will love my self amongst them O Lord I am One in whom is thy flesh a Man I am One in whom is thy Spirit a Christian I am One for whom thou didst Heb. 2. 12. Joh. 3. 5. Heb. 2. 9. Rom. 5. 5. Isa 43. 4. shed thy Blood On whom thou hast shed thy Spirit A Redeemed Esteemed Man by Thee And shall I be so poore as to value dirt to thy Blood the world before thee Shall I quit Phil. 3. 8. thy Spirit for luâ—t value thee after the Flesh Shall I be tempted to give my selfe from thee to the Flesh and World love Thee lesse than the Devill O Lord I will value thy Blood more I will keep thy Spirit better I will set a higher price on my Self than to sell thy Blessed Purchase to the Devill for a Base piece of flesh and small portion of the World So am I and let me ever be in love with thee O Lord 2. But O Sinne I am in hate with thee for my owne and for my Saviours sake That didst pose Heaven it selfe and put God to it one of the two to damne my Soule or doe thus to my Saviour O thou Enemy of God Man how execrable art thou more than heart can think that madest Him Lamentable more than Eye saw Lam. 1. 12. And O Devill I hate thee who didst tempt man out of Paradise and so draw Christ to a Crosse And could thy Temptations have prevailed and thy power have matcht thy malice wouldst have cast the Second Adam out too that so nor the First nor His Seed might ever have come in againe And O World I abhorre thee as the Imp of the Devill who of His Jewes and Gentiles couldst find hands for such horrid acts and Sinnes that Act. 5. 27. made those Bloody Passions Sinne Devil World for the Death of my King and Lord and Christ Have as you deserve my hate 3. I long for the Lord My Soule longeth for God even the living God! Psal 42. 1. yea even for the dying God! when shall I come and appeare in the presence of God God dying once yet Apoc. 1. 18. Heb. 2. 8. living-ever when shall I come before the dying-living God! I long for the Chariot which will bring me to Thee and will Kisse it 2 Tim. 2. 12. though it be a Crosse I long for the Inne which will lodge me neare Thee and will embrace Phil. 1. 23. it though it be a Grave I long for the Bed which will raise me to Thee and will climb it though Act. 21. 13. it be a Gibbet O Cup of Salvation I will not refuse Psal 116. 12 thee Though full to Martyrs Mar. 10. 39 measure of blood if from Him thou shalt be drunke and yet deem'd nothing to thy Saviours Blood And till my Soule can come to thy Glorified-Crucified Body in Heaven I long after thy Courts where Thou art present in Spirit on earth To be Psal 95. 6. Mat. 28. 20 in thy Holy Temple which is the Chamber At the Altar and
I wear a Deaths-head in a Ring to preserve alive the memory of a Dead Friend And O thou Loving and Blessed above all Beloveds when thy Passion is Engraven by thy own Hand in an Holy Mystery for my minde to wear shall not the Ring be on my Finger shall not my Heart keepe and weare thy Ring 4. But is that all Dear Jesus Is that all I am to doe to give thee a Memory Surely then it must be the best of all O thou Manna that camest Joh. 6. 32. Heb. 9. 4. downe from Heaven a Golden Pot must keep thee My Soule must have most Pretious memory for thee Quick not Dull Humble not Bold Tender not Hard Active not Contemplative that 's Leaden Brasen Iron but Silver at best and reprobate at worst The Memory which moves all good Affections to thee and Promoves all good Abilities for thee that 's the Golden pot must keep thee So thou wouldst have this Memory because it will minde and doe all Duty Admire and Love thee Obey Endure Doe and Suffer for thee It will establish Faith excite Repentance enflame Charity maintain Constancy O thou Mirrour of the Godhead Heb. 1. 3. 4 Beauty of the World Excellent above Angels High above all Lord of Lords King of Kings Those are thy 1 Tim. 6. 15. Eccles 12. 1. Dues And Holy Memory is a Store-house full and Rich to Pay all therefore thou sayest Remember me I cannot but Believe Repent and Love to the last if thou be in minde If I Deut. 32. 18. fail payment of any Duty to God or Man it is because thou art out of my Memory But to thy Memory Dear Jesus what is it I should doe O Lord thou wouldst have me doe this In Remembrance of thee Thy Passion that that must be in my Memory and Thee I must Remember in 1 Cor. 11. 26. that Thy Sacrament then is an Obelisk to the Eternall Memory of thy Passion A Pyramide of everlasting date set up in the Church for a Solemne memoriall of thy Death And Lord So oft as I neglect it what doe I but pull downe thy Pyramide And Bury Thee and thy Merits as the Jews did thy Limbs but in a worser grave not in a garden but desert a grave of oblivion 2. And what Lord Shall I Remember of thy Passion What But that thou the Eternall Son of God wast made Man to endure it Moved Heb. 9. 14. by meer Love Infinite Love to undergoe it And I wretched Creature Sinfull Sonne of Man the Man that caused it who else had been for ever a Miserable and Damned Man And thus did Infinite Wisdome Mercy and Power in God wonderfully work the Salvation of Man This ineffable Mystery of Redemption by the Miraculous Passion of the Sonne of God which thou didst Suffer thou wouldst have me Remember And thy Sacrament is a Monument to last as long as thy Church that whilst I have Life and Soul I should perpetuate and preserve a Holy Memory of my Saviour 3. And what a Wretch am I that have neede of such a helpe to my Memory and Spur to my Duty as both a Commandement and a Sacrament for both It casts reproaches on me O Christ That thou should give thy Body for me and I scarce give my minde to thee That I should have so great a roome in thy heart and thou so hardly get any in mine That thou should be more ready to Bleed for me then I to Thinke of thee Dear Jesus That didst empty all thy Veines for me shall I not finde a vessell to Preserve thy Pretious Bloud Doe I not Spill what thou didst shed if I let it run out of my Memory Yet art Thou put to it to finde me both Bloud and Minde And when thou hast done all that out of Remembrance of me lest it should be forgotten ordainest a Sanction and Sacrament and sayest Do this in Remembrance of me 4. But more Wretch I if I doe not so doe and Remember For Lord If I doe thee Honour dost thou not doe me favour for it If I give thee glory is it more my Duty then Felicity to doe it If thy Sacrament is it not my Emolument Receive I not great Honours in it Reap I not good Benefits by it Conveyes it not the Bloud-Royall Concorporei Consanguinei Basil of Heaven into me and am I not Kinsman Brother of God an Heire and Prince of Heaven by vertue of that Bloud Is not the Godhead Bodily in Christ And is not his Body Col. 2. 9. 1 Cor. 10. 16. Mystically in me And I near Akinne to God by the Communion of that Body And can he want Demeans that is such a Prince Is not the Earth Psal 2. â— thy Gift and Heaven in thy Power Mat. 28. 18. Heb. 1. 2. Ephes 1. 7. 2 Cor. 1. 22. Rom. 8. 32 1 Cor. 3. 21 22 23. Jesus thou Son and Heire of all And have I not thy Spirit thy Flesh to Pledge for all The Conveyance Sealed in thy Bloud and thy Merits made over and Assured in thy Body O Lord I am so much concern'd in Honour and Estate to doe what thou dost command that if I doe consider my Selfe I should do it to thy Memory in Remembrance of me as well as Thee 5. But what Lord Must I so doe Mat. 26. 26. Credi salubriter posest investigaâ—i saâ—ubrâ—iter non potest Lumb Believe Thee Present in thy Holy Sacrament Upon thy Word I doe But Determined in a Naturall and Corporeal way of prâ—sâ—nce for thy Word I doe not * Act. 3. 31 So thou art in Heaven and wilt be to the great day Not on Earth So. This Remembrance teacheth me that Absence If so present I should see thee not Remember thee Thou art Glorified in Heaven Thou wast Crucified on earth It 's this I remember I Remember but doe not Offer Heb. 9. 25 26 28. Heb. 9. 24. Col. 1. 20. this That thou didst once I Commemorate not Râ—iterate often The Propiatory Sacrifice is Thine the Eucharisticall Mine That was on the Crosse this is in the Eucharist This I 1 Cor. 11 26. doe that I Remember The Memory of that I offer the Tragedy I doe not act What was in Sacrifice is here in Sacrament This is all that I doe and neede to doe and can doe if all in Remembrance of thee 6. So then My Soule and Body have both to doe in this Businesse of thine But my Soule more then my Body My Soule is Chief Minister to wait upon thee in this Mysterie My senses but handmaids to wait upon my Soule Sight Touch Tast Smell all to bring the more to my minde and reach the better to my Memory Thy Bodily Presence makes a True 1 Cor. 11. 29. 1 Cor. 1â— 30 31. Eucharist Mine if minde be away to me but a Mock-Sacrament To thee but a Mock-Service and will convey to me a Reall Judgement but a Mock-Salvation What
I doe is to no end without forme and voide if not with a Minde devoutly busied as a Body Well-devoted and all done in Remembrance of thee Naturally I may do something and see some Body but Sacramentally nothing if I discerne not Thine 7. Something then is to be done before I doe this I must get an Holy Appetite before I Eat and Drinke which is by Repentance And bring Mat. 5. 6. an Heavenly Mouth to the Meat which is my Faith And much is to Joh. 6. 35. be done after this I must Digest it so in Conscience as to get good Spirit by it and gaine such strength by the Digestion as to walke more hoâ—ly and grow Better for it Else what doe I but Deforme thy Body and Defile thy Bloud That must raise my Thoughts and Afflictions to the Memory This keepe them up As I must doe this in Remembrance of Thee I must do that in Remembrance of this and what is done not forget I have beene doing and put thee after out of my Remembrance Jesus Make me doe what I should Not neglect it lest I neglect at once my Saviour and Soule Not doe it as an Act of Complyance with Time or as a Due more to Custome then Conscience which is as ill Nor in a rude unhallowed unprepared irreverent bold Carriage and Confidence which is worse then a neglect Jesus Give me grace so to doe So to Remember Thee on thy Crosse that thou maiest not forget me in thy Kingdome So to Remember thee Luk. 23. 42. Luk. 22. 30. at thy Table that thou maiest Remember me on thy Throne Where Commemoration shall be turn'd into Vision Where I shall have not Sacramentall 1 Cor. 13. 12. but Beatificall Communion Where I shall not weare thy Ring but see thy Face Not Remember thee but Behold thee Not in Faith but cleare and full Fruition Even so be it O Lord Feede me to it in Faith and Love and Seale it to me in Spirit and Conscience Lord Thus have me and let me have Thee for ever in Remembrance Amen! Amen! Directions about the Holy Communion how to Prepare for it 1. Touching Prayers Preparatory to it ON Wednesday before Read the Penitentiall Service On Friday the Service on the Passion On Saturday the Service Preparatory to the Holy Communion On Sunday some of the Scripture Lessons with the Prayers proper for it and Meditation upon it 2. Touching Self examination necessary before we Communicate YOu must Examine your selfe 1. Cor. 11. 28. touching your Faith and Life 1. Your Faith is Right if you Believe concerning God and His Church according to the Rule of it Comprized summarily in the Apostles Creed Received by all Christians 2. Tim. 1. 13 2. Your Life is Right if it agree with the Rule of it The Law of God Comprehended in the Ten Commandements For finding of which 1. You are to Consider apart every Commandement and the Contents * Juxta ordinem Decalogi institutum Mcl. l. com de poenit v. Partic. apud ipsuÌ„ Rom 7. 7. Psa 119. 15. Lam. 3. 40 of it what Duties it Requires What Sins it Forbids and then aske your Conscience how you have Discharged your selfe therein 2. Where you finde upon Just Enquirie that you have led your life according to Gods Law in Piety to God or Charity to Man Thank God for His Grace where you find that you have failed Ask God for His Pardon 3. And because none but Penitents can ask and have Gods Pardon and Contrition is the Root Confession the Branch and Amendment of Life the Fruit of Repentance look therefore carefully to all And first 1. Touching Contrition IT is the Bleeding of a Soul toucht Act. 2. 37. with Remorse for Sinne And if of the Bodies much more care must be had of the Soules Bloud That it Bleed 1. Wisely For doing ill not well 2 Cor. 7. 10 That were to let out good Bloud and keep in Ill. 2. Kindly Even for doing Ill as an Psal 51. 4. Ezek. 7. 16 Offence to God chiefly Not so much for the Dread of Damnation as the Displeasure of his Goodnesse 3. Rightly For the Sinne which hath done more Displeasure to God and is chiefe in me most That 's to strike the right Veine Psa 51. 14 4. Freely The Heart must bleed for all and that above all Water must 1 Cor. 15. 9 Psal 66. Mat. 26. 75. Luk. 7. 38. not be wrung out of the Eye like Fire out of a Flint but if nature stop not the Course flow as from a full Fountain Naturally and Plentifully out Yet 5. Temperately too Not bleeding Joel 2. 12 13. Jer. 18. 11 12. to the Death of Despaire but so as to keep in Heart a Life of hope for Mercy and Help The sorrow be-being to drowne Sinne and not the 2 Cor. 7. 5 Heart To that end God hath given the Soule as the Eyes for Sluces to Jer. 13. 17. let out the Waters of Griefe when they swell about the Heart and are ready to overwhelme it So a Floodgate in the Mouth to void them and prevent an Inundation Psal 39. 4. of Heavinesse And as Teares spend Grief by the Eye Confession puts it out at the Mouth Of which is the next Enquiry 2. Touching Confession GOd being the Majesty whom Sin Psa 51. 13. Isay 43. 25 Prov. 28. 13. 1 Joh. 1. 8. Lev. 5. 5. John 20. 23. 2 Cor. 20. Vice Dei qui thesaurum in â—s posuit hominum Luth. 1 Sam. 7. 6 offends of him Pardon is to be sought and Confession the way to find it without which we seeme either to need no Pardon or not to seek it And God being pleased two wayes to give Pardon Immediately by a Power Imperiall in and of Himselfe and Mediately by the Ministry of Man Delegated by him to Seal Pardons in his Name and the Soules Peace Hence Man also hath two wayes to make Confession or speake his Guilt to God One is to pour out the Soul into Gods Bosome by having an Immediate Recourse for mercy to God Himself The other is into Gods Ear Fiat pastori vel potius Deo Coram pastore Zanch. in 1 Joh. 1. Betaking our selves for Ghostly good and Comfort to some Man of God And as in some Cases there is great need â—o for sundry Causes there may be much profit of this 1. In a storme of Conscience it 's not Job 33. 23 24. 37 38. Isay 504. Jam. 5. 15 16. safe to be without a Spirituall Pilot lest for want of better Direction and helpe the Soule be Swallowed up in her owne Deeps or Sunke under some Gust of Temptation As God knowes many daily are * Damnaberis tacitus qni posses liberari confessus Aug. 2. Or If the Mind Fluctuate and cannot rest Satisfied in her Spirituall Estate it 's dangerous not to seeke a Guide of God to leade us out of those Ghostly straights
Heavenly light to their thoughts and holy Fire to their Affections This Fire like that of the Sanctuary must not goe out of the Heart and vanish like passions moved at a Play unlesse we will play away our Soules we must then see 3. How we are to Order our selves after the Holy Communion AS our care was before how to 1 Cor. 11. 27. Ephes 4. 1. Heb. 2. 16. Communicate it must be now how to Walk Worthily As those who are Honoured by Christ above Angels and therefore should be at least Saints Made now One with Christ * Assistunt Cherubini Chys Ut ChristuÌ„ gcrat in pectore Ferat in mente Cypr. 1 Cor. 10. 16 17. and so henceforth to live Two from the Flesh the World and the Devill His Holy Body is in us His Holy Spirit must not be from us Else we Sinne grievously against His Bloud and Body What Nebuchadnezzars was in Eph. 4. 4. Dan. 2. 32. Dreame we make his Body indeed a Monster because we of it are such mungrill Limbs And as Belshazzar did at his Profane Banquet we doe by the Holy Supper Turne the Cup of 1 Cor. 11. 27 Blessing into Blasphemy Carousing as it were Healths to our Idol-lusts in Dan. 5. 4. His Hallowed both Wine and Bloud So 1. We play Judas with Christ Eat Joh. 13. 18 26. His Bread and lift up the Heele against Him Take the Sop and betray our Interests in Him 2. We play Gadaren with Him and worse We doe not Pray but Mar. 5. 17. cast Him out of our Coasts and after we have received Him in 3. We play Strumpet with Him 1 Cor. 6. 15. Jam. 4. 4. Our Members which are his are made the Worlds which is an Harlots 4. And so we play Fooles with our 1 Cor. 10. 22. Mat. 22. 11 1 Cor. 11. 29 30. own Soules On which we draw heavy Wrath for our vile provocations if not a Plague and Stroke from Heaven on our Bodies for doing such Injuries to our Saviour So end the Directions about the Holy Communion A Service fit for Sad Times for Wednesday or Friday Morning Prayer Psal 71 73 74. or 124 125 126 129. Lessons Dan. 9. or Ezra 10. to v. 7. or 2 Chron. 36. Jer. 14. Luk. 21. Evening Prayer Psal 44 77 78. or 83. 98 or 137. 140 141. Lessons 2 Chron. 13. or 20. 1 Cor. 10. or Jude Ep. ¶ 1. Collect Confessing and Depreâ—ating Judgments O Lord Thou hast given us to see Bitter and Bloudy Times Barbarous outrages are done and endured daily Our Houses and Friends are full Even thy Temples are not free Dear God! These be the Dues of our Sins Thou art Just but we are Wicked Against the great Meanes of thy Grace and Mercies of thy Goodness for many and many years vouchsafed to us and our Fathers before us we are notwithstanding full of Hypocrisie full of Profanenesse full of Lewdnesse most Ingratefully and therefore most Aboimnably Wicked And I even I have contributed a great measure of my Sins to fill up those Woes But O God! that art Mercifull as thou art Just that delightest not so much to appeare just as Mercifull Pardon those Sins of ours that cause those Woes Pardon those Sins of mine which concurre to that cause And with the Pardon of our Sins grant us a Release of our punishments Let civill broiles and bloodsheds cease True Piety and Peace flourish againe amongst us Thou that out of evill canst work good and out of Confusion didst set up the Order of the World out of those evills and confusions that are upon us worke good and establishment for us O Thou that powerfully canst Mercifully doe this To thy great Honour and our great happinesse for the comfort both in body and Soule of us and ours and all that truly fear and love Thee and true Religion in and for Thee Even for thy tender Pities sake hear us Even for the pretious Bloud and Passion of Jesus helpe us In whose Blessed and Beloved Name we put up our Prayers Saying Our Father c. Amen 2. Prayer for an End of Warre HAsten O God these Daies of Bloud and Woes and give a happy and speedy end to the Warrs O! Let unnaturall Divisions cease and the unhappy Separations of Dearest friends end amongst us For these Times of wants and wounds and bonds and destructions let the Daies of Plenty and Safety and Liberty returne againe unto us O! Let it be enough that for our sins thou hast so long wounded us and broken us and now heale us and binde us up and Save us for thy Mercies sake Give us peace for the Sword Thou God of peace even for his Sake who is the Prince of peace Jesus Christ our Lord Amen! 3. Prayer for Blessing on those who seeke peace O God of Peace Blesse those that seek it that they may findit and stop and turne those that fly it and make them to seeke it Bow their hearts to it that have the power and strengthen their hands for it that have the Will As for those who set their hands and hearts against it we beseech thee turne thine hand and face against them O! Forgive us our Sins which threaten to destroy us and send us a peace which may preserve us And from more Bloud and Violence Deliver us Deliver us for Jesus Christ his Sake Amen! 4. Prayer for Friends in Danger and Distresse O God of Power Pity preserve thou those that are in danger to die Rescue them from the rage of violence and shew thy selfe Mercifull to them in saving their lives if it be thy blessed will O thou preserver of men Save them If not grant them all Graces and Mercies needful for the saving of their Souls Let them Glorifie thee in life and death that thou maist glorifie them with thy Eternall Life Through the Merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. In whose name I pray mercy for all that Suffer in these Times of extremity Chiefly the Destitute Widdows and Fatherlesse Lord Take them to thy care and comfort them Have mercy on them and helpe them Supply them all and Succour them for Jesus Christ his Sake Amen 5. Prayer for Conversion of one in an Evill Course O Lord That delightest not in the Death of a Sinner I beseech thee by thy Grace and-Providence to stay his Course who is entred into a way of Vice and Vanity O Let him not goe on to bring an end of shame upon himself in this World and Confusion of face upon his Soule in the World to come But of thy great Mercy stop him and turne him to a better Course For Jesus Christ his sake Amen 6. Prayer for preservation of the Church O Lord The Church is thy Body and thou art Hâ—ae Head Shee is thy Spouse and thou art her Husband O! Save thine owne Body Preserve thine owne Spouse Protect her from all Enemies Men and Devills Keep her from all ills Errours
Pander to take the World for thy Love have not lesse in thy Heart then thy God and his Heaven 6. O my Soul Thou art the Bodies Lord Take then her Homage Let her serve thee not undoe thee Doe thou Act Gods Will and let it execute thine e Rom. 6. 19. But do not thou its the Will of thy Handmaid the Lust of the Flesh Let not Her Senses wooe thee to Vanities To doe pleasure to the Body bring not Paine on the Soul Make not thy Body thy God f Phil. 3. 19. lest thou make thy Self a Devill Damn'd for ever for not doing thy duty better to Almighty God and thy Selfe O my Soul An Angels Peere g Psal 8. 5. make not thy self a Devills Fellow h Joh. 6. 70 Sell not thy Lordship for Slavery and Misery to Boot If thou be not Lord but serve thy Servant never Earth saw none but Hell will harbour such a Slave 7. O My Soule Thou art Soveraigne i Rom. 6. 12. 23. in Man Under God Supreme over all that is in him Wilt thou be thy Subjects Subject Shall the Law of the Members be the Minds Law Rom. 6. 23 The Senses are thy handmaids O thou Princess of Heaven Shall they be the Chiefe Commanders of thy Life Wilt thou only move goe run refuse chuse as they Command O what a basnesse is this to be so unworthy to thy Maker and Nature And yet say O my Soule Speak out of Conscience and say Is not Sense the great Leader and Appetite l Rom. 8. 1 the Ruler of thy Life whilest Reason and Diviner Vnderstanding Lackie after their Desires and the Members are mere Drudges for them O my Soule The Soveraigne of God be not so much Subject to the Devill as to be led at his lust m Tim. 2. 26. by the Lure of Sense to satisfie the Flesh against Gods Law and thy Reason To a life which he himselfe though most wicked doth not lead For though Spirituall wickednesse abound in him n Ephes 6. 12. the Bodily is below him If thou wiâ—t be so base be not more then the Devill 8. O My Soule Thou Free-borne Child of Eternity Heire of Immensity Daughter of Him who is beyond all bounds of Time and Being The Body is but thy Prison Thou art shut up in o 1 Cor. 4. 2. 4. Walls of mud within the Gates of sense why then dost thou delight in a Prison before thy Palace And chuse a Bodily restraint before a Spirits p Rom. 8. 21. Liberty Is it blisse to be in bondage Are Chaines of Iron better then Gold Fetters before Freedome Even Earth is but a Gaole to Heaven q Rom. 8. 23. What a Little ease then doth the Spirit finde in so little a spot of Earth O doe not destroy thy Spirituall Liberty r Rom. 6. 16. Tit. 3. 2. by a Bodily Licentiousnesse Love not thy Gaole before thy Delivery lest thou be cast into that Gaole whence none is Delivered s Mat. 5. 25. It 's just with God most just that the Soule which chuseth the Devills Chaine before Gods Liberty should have the Devils Prison for Gods Palace And be his slave in Hell for ever that would not for a time be Gods servant on Earth Dove of God fly to Heaven Spiritus quisque ales est Tert. Cant. 2. 14 Amor temporalium viseus Spiritualium Belime not thy Spiritual wings in slime and mud Doe not Crow-like feed on Carrion and like a blind Beetle place thy blisse in dirt Sell not thy Selfe to buy a Gaole when thou givest a Palace for the Purchase and thy selfe to the bargaine t Mat. 16. 26. and hast nothing but Shackles and Tortures to boot 9. O My Soule Thou art Gods Jewel u Mal. 3. 17. the Body thy Casket Why then dost thou prefer her good to thy welfare Must the jewell be burnt to Save the Casket from the Fire Nay w Mat. 5. 30. it 's not so much It is at once to Fire casket and jewel to cast both together into Hel Fire Sardanapalus-like with all his bundles and heaps of worldly Treasures to make up one funerall pile and perish together for ever Body and Soule O Bright Diamond of Heaven Divinae particulam aurae Sparke of the Divinity Ray of Divinest Glory Set in the foile of Flesh for a Time till taken up and kept in Gods owne Cabinet for ever what dost thou on the Devills Finger Why dost thou doe him honour and worke x Joh. 8. 44. What dost thou under the Bodies Foot O my Soule looke better to thy selfe Burne the Casket if need be to Save the Jewell the Body to save the Soule So Holy Martyrs z Dan. 3. 28. Heb. 11. 34. did But not the Jewel to save the Casket the Soule to save the Body that filthy Epicures doe * Luk. 12. 19. And thy end O my Soule be a Saints not an Epicures 10. O My Soule The Purchase of Christ a Act. 20. 28. 1 Pet. 1. 19 Bought with no lesse then Gods owne Bloud the Bloud of the Son of God! Why dost thou Sell that so cheap b Isa 55. 2. which cost thy Saviour so Deare For the World which is Nothing c Pro. 23. 5 for vanity which is lesse d Psa 39. 7. Eccl. 1. 2. For a litle of that vanity which is lesse yet then what is lesse then that nothing e Isa 40. 17 Why hath that which cost more f 1 Tim. 2. 6. then Ten Thousand worlds are worth least of thy care and cost If thy Body be Sick thou wilt have Physick if wounded Salve if naked Cloths if hungry bread no rate no paine is spared for it But the pretious Soule may lie Sick of Sin g Psa 41. 4 wounded by guilt h Pro. 78. 14. stript of innocence i Ezek. 16. 22. starv'd for grace k Amos 8. 11. and nothing is given or done to helpe it For my Soul What is Gods price for his helpe but mans Labour Two mites worth of paines * Due miâ—uta carc anima Ber. is all thy l Isa 55. 2 owne and thy Bodies and yet thou wilt bate one if not keep both from him Wouldst thou lose a life that wilt not quit a state an honour a friendship for him Dost thou give him thy Soul that wilt not leave a bad custome or base lust to serve him But O my Soule no more of these neglects I charge thee by thy Heavenly Birth and Parentage by thy Immortall Substance and Durance by thy Pretious Ransome the Deare Bloud of God Value thy welfare more Seek the Bodies lesse thinke not Gods price too great mans Labour for his happinesse when the Son of God thought not his Sweat too much his Bloud for the Price O thou deare and Pretious Peice and Purchase of Divinest Architect and device Detect this Serpentine Policy
if thou seek God no Day thou wilt find him no where And in Heaven every day is a like Sabbath on Earth to make each day alike is to seek God no day Thou canst not be as in Heaven every day Holy thou must not be as in Hell every day Profane alike One Day therefore in the Week is set that Religion and with it thy Salvation be not lost And the first of the Week is that One. As Ancient as Apoc. 1. 10 the Apostles as Catholick as the Church of Christ Reverend for that and to be kept holy by thee because observed by all All that ever professed the Name of Christ And my Soul thou wilt not renounce him not be Refractory to Apostolike Order not Contradictory to Christian Custom not Singular to all the Saints in the Catholick Christian World This Day was ever kept by all And so let it be kept And as they did so do thou keep it For my Soul many do not so Not caring or knowing how to keep the Day of the Lord. For Some Observe it with great Superstition Second part Col. 2. 16. Others shun that with grosse Profanation Some bind themselvs to such a strictnesse as they neither doe nor can nor need observe because what God requires not Others leave themselves to such a loosnesse as they take not like Liberty on another day Betwixt these two Extremes must thou walke warily O my Soul Keep it not as the Jew a Sabbath nor as the Exod. 16. 23. Exod. 35. 3. 1 Pet. 4. 5. 2 Pet. 2. 13. Heathen â— Bacchanal Observe the Day with Devotion Keep it from Superstition Fly from an uncommanded strictnesse but run not to an unjustified loosnesse Take this Rule for thy Guide Let Church duties be duly paid and let not the House defrauâ— the Church Those are the Maine Service those must be Serviceable to the maine For it is absurd My Soul to thinke that on one and the same day thou maist appeare Saint in Gods house and in thy owne a Devil Be not Privately though piously employed when thou shouldest be at Publike Service but when publikely will-disposed be not privately ill This being more holy then another day must not have lesse of thy Service House and Church then both looke to this What others daies confine to the House this doth in it and what others do not in Church So then My Soule In the Church Gods House on Sunday the Lords day Where and when the King of heaven keeps his Court and commands thy Attendance faile not upon any terms save just and necessarie fail not to present thy selfe in the Holy Equipage of a Servant and Suppliant to the Majestie of Heaven Believe thy absence else an Offense to God thy Father A Neglect to Christ thy Saviour An Vndutifulnesse to the Church thy Deare Mother A Scandall to man thy Christian Brother And to those that know Thee and it an Example of ill and Encouragement to ungodliness But when God by his Ministers sends out summons to call thee to his House and Table too not onely to Serve but Sup with thy Lord O my 1 Cor. 11. 20. Soule How wilt thou answer it or to thy Selfe or thy God if thou dost not come Lovest thou Eternitie and hast no appetite to the Bread of Life Can Joh. 6. 48. thou and Satan be too much two Thou and thy Saviour too much One And is not this thy Communion with 1 Cor. 10. 16. 2 Cor. 8. 15. 1 Cor. 10. 21. Christ That thy Separation from Sin And it thy Dis-union with Satan Can thy Pardon from Hell be so sure or thy Assurance for Heaven too strong And is not this blessed Sacrament * Sensum in minimis minuit iâ— gravoribus peccatis consensum tollit Bern. 1 Cor. 11. 31. Mat. 26. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc Luk. 22. 9. the Seale of thy Pardon and that Assurance Canst thou doe thy Saviour too much Honour Is a Commanded Commemoration of His love too much Is not a neglect of that a scorne A signe of his vile neglect Wilt thou shed thy Bloud for his sake that wilt not drinke His to thy Salvation Wilt thou drinke his Cup of gall that dost refuse his Wine Wilt thou climb his Crosse that dost shun his Board Die for him that wilt not Sup with him Be his Sacrifice that dost decline his Sacrament O My Soul Where is thy love and Duty to thy Christ if at his call thou dost not come And what is it keeps thee away Doth Malice glut thy Holie Appetite 1 Cor. 10. 21. 1 Joh. 3. 12. This is to leave Gods for the Devills Table Is thy Stomack for some carnall lusts and pleasures and the Preparations for it slack that This is to preferre mans bread to Angels Nay Psal 78. 25. 1 Pet. 1. 12 Cant. 5. 1. a Sinners which is worse to the most Heavenly which is better O my Soul When God and the Devil or God and Man at once invite thee to their Board give not Man much lesse the Devill thy Presence and deny God thy Appearance No my Soul without good Warrant from God under Seal of thy Conscience Refuse not his Invitations Luk. 14. 17 to thy Eternall welfare lest he Banish thee his Beatificall vision for such inexcusable negligence And keep thee Apoc. 19. 9 from the Supper of the Lamb that hast kept thy self from the Supper of the Lord. O! woe to thee my Soul for ever if he once say as for like neglect he did Thou shalt not eat of Mat. 22. 8. Luk. 14. 22 Psal 118. 19 Prov. 9. 2. my Supper On Gods day then when his Doore is open be with him but especially when his Table is Spread Gods Ordinary is better then the Worlds Feast because it feeds to a better Life But Joh. 6. 27. here my Soul are the Dainties of Heaven * Omnium carnalium saporum dulcedinum voluptates exupâ—rat Cypr. de C. D. Prov. 9. 2. 5. What Infinite wisdome voluptates exuperat Cypr. de C. D. Prov. and goodnesse can provide to Feast thee till thou art satisfied with his Psa 17. 15. Glory in his Presence where is fulness of joy for Eternity O my Soul where * Chrys Ubi omnes angeli cum sacerdoto c. Joh. 6. 51. Joh. 6. 41. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc Animae vis spes salus lux nostra Chrys Psa 42. 1. 2. Psal 93. 6. 1 Cor. 11. 22. Eccl. 5. 1. Hab. 2. 20. Psa 46. 10. Angels are Ministers be thou one of Gods Guests Where Heaven is on the Table Kneel thou at the Board Where Life is in the Bread be thou at the Table Think it Death and Exile from God and Heaven to be kept from the House and Table of the Lord. But Presence is not enough if Carriage be not Christian Holinesse becomes Gods House Rudenesse is unsutable Veile thy Eyes here with Holy
and Dangers Thou didst purchase thy selfe a Church at the price of thy Bloud O! Let no hand seize and Spoile so Deare a Purchase More particularly Hear my Prayers for these persecuted parts The Petition of a poore Child for a Deare Distressed Mother Many O Lord are the Enemies to destroy it and few friends to preserve it Strong are the Armes to pull it downe and weake the Hands to hold it up But O God! doe not thou desert it uphold it with thy Holy Arme Maintaine the Religion Established amongst us and thy Holy Truth and Worship in that Religion Maintaine a Clergie that may be able by Learning and Holy Life to Defend thy Truth and Worship and the Meanes that may continue such a Clergie Let not Errour and Heresie corrupt it Ignorance blind it Superstition infect it Profanesse overgrow it Schisme teare it Sacriledge devoure it Atheisme lay it waste Persecution make it desolate Lord make us as happy as we were and more thankfull and lesse sinfull that we may be so happy Let Errors vanish Sects cease Furie leave us and the Spirit of Truth and love againe possesse us Let Confusions end and all Irreverences in thy Service be banisht from us and Holy Order Decency appear again amongst us Let wars and Tumults and Civill broiles and bloudsheds depart and the voyce of joy and peace returne againe unto us Lord Let us have that Religion which may make us happy in Heaven and that peace which may give us Time and Leave to enjoy that Religion And let those that have the power restore and preserve that Religion and Peace And doe thou to that end mercifully maintaine their Power and Them O Thou by whom Kings raigne who hast promised to make them Nursing Fathers to thy Church grant us these blessings to the Glory of thy Name the Quiet of our lives and the Saving of our Soules Even for thy Deare Son our Saviours sake Amen! 7. Prayer for Mercy to the Nation O Lord we are a Nation not to be Loved ready to be Ruined And for our sins thou maist justly destroy us Prince and People But Spare us good Lord Spare us for thy mercy sake let the Blood of Jesus expiate our guilts and the Spirit of Jesus amend our Misdoings O Thou who wouldst not have one Sinner die Suffer not Millions of poor Souls and Lives to perish Be Reconciled to us in a Mediatours Bloud and be Reconciler of us in a blessed peace God of pitty and peace be at peace with us make it for us O Thou Holy One of God who camest into the World to take away the Sins of it and make peace for us Pitty a poore Church and Nation ready to perish Pity the Church that hath so long maintained thy Truth and worship in the Nation Pity Them who are ready to perish for seeking to maintaine thy Holy Truth and Worship in the Church And do thou from Heaven Preserve It and us and Them Thou that hast the power of Heaven and Earth in thy hand stirre up thy strength and come and save us And in this low condition doe not leave us but Deliver us for thy Mercies sake Amen After these Daily Prayers for Grace Peace Health Safety Friends If it be made a Fasting Day or of more Solemne Humiliation and seeking God then Say the Letany and Ten Commandements Read for an Epistle Joel 2. or Jona 3. Gospell Luke 13. or Mat. 24. After being at Church-Prayers if to be had forbear Dinner for that Day and in that time 1. Read some Scriptures which may put in minde of the Miseries of the Age. As Deut. 28. Jos 7. Iud. 20 or some of the Lessons not read or some Godly Bookes 2. Meditate and call to minde the most Memorable mercies of God to you in all your Life 1. In Deliverances from Dangers Sicknesse c. 2. In Blessings of Birth Marriage Condition c. as fits your particular state And lift up the heart to God for these in all humble Thankfullnesse 3. Call to minde the Greatest Sinnes of your life and for them as Pardon and your present wants and for them beg supplies After-noone After Psalms and Lessons 1. Private Prayers as Before 2. Publike if any be 3. A lesse Supper then Ordinary 4. Some Alms to the poore 5. At Bed-time Ordinary Prayers Close all with this Prayer THou that markest those who Ezek. 9. 4. mourne for the Abominations of the Time Take a Mercifull notice Good Lord of thy Servant who have desired this day to humble my Soule before Thee The Abominations of the Time are manie O Lord And the more for mine both of heart and life Lord Forgive all that mourne for offending thee And spare those that greive to see how thou art offended Thou that wouldest have saved Sodome if but Ten such had beene found in it save all such for thy Mercy sake Save a sinfull Nation for their sake Save us all for Jesus his sake For his Infinite Merits and thine Infinite Mercies Sake Amen! Amen! The Blessing BLessed are they that Mourne for Mat. 5. 4. they shall be Comforted The Blessing and Comfort of God be on me and all such sad and Sorrowfull Soules with me now and evermore Amen! Seven SOLILOQUIES SACRED Set to the Seven Dayes of the Week by so many secret Sermons and Calls to Conscience Inviting and Directing the Soul to Mind and Do what wil make Blessed Not to pretend but practise Piety and to be not seeme Religious The Materialls of the Soliloquies 1. The Nobility of Piety For Sunday 2. Domesticall Devotion For Munday 3. Church-Duty For Tuesday 4. Perpetuall Service For Wednesday 5. Remora's in Religion For Thursday 6. Helps to Heaven and Happinesse For Friday 7. Remedies of Humane frailty For Sarurday PSAL. 4. 4. Stand in awe and sinne not Commune with your own Heart and in your Chamber and be still The same altering their Number and Order may serve for two Weekes thus 1st Week 1. Church-Duty 1. part For Sunday 2. Domesticall Devotion For Munday 3. Perpetuall Service For Tuesday 4. Remora's Religion 1. p. For Wednesday 5. Remora's 2 d. part For Thursday 6. Helps to Heaven first division For Friday 7. Helps to Heaven 2d. div For Saturday 2d. Week 1. Church-Duty 2d part For Sunday 2. Helps to Heaven 3. div For Munday 3. Helps to Heaven 4. div For Tuesday 4. Remedies of Frailty first part For Wednesday 5. Remedies c. 2. part For Thursday 6. Remedies c. 3. part For Friday 7. Nobility of Piety For Saturday Animadversions touching the use of the Soliloquies SOliloquies are of Antient and Excellent Vse With them the Fathers fed their Soules high and ours at this Day fare much better for them They must be ill Writ and worse Read if we thrive not in Piety by such Holy Fare Devotion feeding more on one single Dish of those Wholesome Home-selfe-Conferences than at many Feasts and Gluts of shaâ—per and nicer Disputations and