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A77634 Sacred principles, services, and soliloquies or, a manual of devotions made up of three parts: I. The grounds of Christian religion, and the doctrine of the Church of England, as differing from the now-Roman. II. Daily, and weekly formes of prayers fortified with Holy Scriptures, meditations and rules to keep the soule from the common roads of sin, and carry it on in a mortified course. III. Seven charges to conscience, delivering (if not the whole body) the main limbs of divinity, which is the art not of disputing, but living well. Brough, W. (William), d. 1671. 1649 (1649) Wing B4991; Thomason E1339_1; ESTC R209131 186,268 487

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Death 127 6. Of Judgement 130 7. Of Hell 134 8. Of the Pleasures of Piety 205 9. Of the Passion of Christ 231 10. Of the Holy Cummunion 262 The Services in this Book for the severall Dayes of the Weeks 1. Weekes Services of seven Subjects fit to Excite to a love of Godliness Sunday Service Of the Joyes of Heaven 112 Monday Service Of the Miseries of Earth 116 Tuesday Service Of the Vanities of it 119 Wednesday Service Of the Villanies of it 122 Thursday Service Of Death 126 Friday Service Of Judgment 130 Saturday Service Of Hell 134 2. Weekes Services against the seven Common Sinnes Sunday Service against Neglect of Gods Service 138 Monday Service against Procrastination 140 Tuesday Service against Presumption 143 Wednesd Service against Desperation 145 Thursday Service against Swearing 149 Friday Service against Lying 152 Saturday Service against Slandering 155 3. Weekes Services against the seven Deadly Sinnes Sunday Service against Idlenesse 158 Monday Service against Covetousness 161 Tuesday Service against Gluttony 168 Wednesday Service against Luxury 175 Thursday Service against Pride 178 Friday Service against Anger 182 Saturday Service against Envie 185 4. Weeks Services Against Seaven Vanities of the most valued things of the world Sunday Service against Pleasures 188 Monday Service against Honeurs 190 Tuesday Service against Riches 192 Wednesday Service against Beauty 194 Thursday Service against Strength 196 Friday Service against Wit 198 Saturday Service against Friends and Favour 200 Services upon other Particular Subjects and Occasions A Service Of the Pleasures of Piety 203 A Service Against Malice 209 A Service Against Revenge 212 A Service Penitentiall 215 A Service Against Impatience 223 A Service Of the Passion 230 A Service For the Holy Communion 251 A Service For sad Times 295 The Sinnes against which Prayers and Rules are made Alphabetically disposed Anger Remedies of it 183 Covetuousnesse Remedies of it 163 Desperation Remedies of it 147 Detraction Remedies of it 156 Envy Remedies of it 186 Gluttony Remedies of it 170 Idlenesse Remedies of it 159 Impatience Remedies of it 2●6 Lying Remedies of it 153 Luxurie Remedies of it 176 Malice Remedies of it 210 Neglect of Gods Service Remedies of it 139 Presumption Remedies of it 144 Pride Remedies of it 179 Procrastination Remedies of it 141 Revenge Remedies of it 213 Slaunder See Detraction Sloth See Idlenesse Swearing and Takeing Gods Name in Vaine Remedies of it 150 The Use of the Services Delivered in Fower Rules Rule 1. When you would strengthen in you the Grace 1. Of Feare Vse the Service of Death Judgement Hell 2. Of Hope Vse the Service of the Passion The Joyes of Heaven Against Desperation 3. Of Charity Vse the Service against Malice Anger Revenge Envy Detraction c. 4. Of the Contempt of the World Vse the Service against the Vanities of it Of Honours Riches Pleasures Beauty Wit Favour or of the Miseries of it Villanies of it Of Death Of the Joyes of Heaven 5. Of any Virtue which you would strengthen in you Read the Service against the Contrary Vice As For Chastity The Service against Lust For Truth The Service against Lying For Humility The Service against Pride For Meeknesse The Service against Anger For Patience The Service against Impatience c. Rule 2. When you would strengthen your self against any of the Sinnes above-named Read the Service against that Particular Sinne for that Day Rule 3. When you read one Service you may use besides the Collect for it the Collects for another As for the Service against Pride That against the Vanities of the World In the Service against the Vanity of Pleasure That for the Pleasures of Piety c. Rule 4. When you see cause you may make use of the Collects or Prayers and Meditations and say fewer or more of them without the Services The severall Soliloquies 367 1. The Nobility of Piety 311 2. Domesticall-Devotion 325 3. Church Duty 332 4. Perpetuall Service 351 5. Remora's in Religion 367 6. Helps to Heaven 389 7. Remedies of Humane Frailty 411 The Particulars conteined in these Soliloquies Absolution if it encourage Sin is the Bond not Acquittance of a Sinner 371 Abstinence from ill makes not good 360 Accessory to others Sins why not how not 450 Actions helping to Heaven 439 Almes see Charity Assurance not Essence of faith 426 Attempting good things overcomes them 445 Beleife Right makes not Perfect 375 Cautions good Helps to Heaven 447 Charity all goodnesse 362 Church best place 336. For most Reverence 345 Church-rudenesse an Affront to Heaven 347 Christ all in all 435 Company ill way to Hell 375 Communion Neglect of it a Sin against Christ and the Soul 343 Confession how abused 371 Covetousnesse a Meditation destroying it 403 Credit Christian how to be maintained 449 Dayes to be numbred 384 Deeds good what which best 360 362 Delayes of Repentance Dangerous 414 To Death Desperate 415 Common pleas for it poore 421 Excellency of Soul 311 Everlasting Sinning 451 Eucharist see Lords Table Meat for Heaven 447 Faith The Grace in Chief 434 A Cordiall 423. The Ingredients Rare Christ Chief 424 Virtues Soveraign 425 Five Counterfeits of it Delusion Blind Resignation Idle Speculation Great Confidence Good Opinion of our selves Boldnesse to Sin 426 Grief for Sin not Repentance enough 413 Habits ill dangerous 373 Hand to be lookt to see Deeds Heart Spring of action all care of it 352 Honest not enough without life 369 Hearing a good help to Heaven 439 Helps to Heaven 309 Hours set to be kept 327 Eleventh Hours call no cause to delay Repentance 420 Idlenesse an enemy to Godlinesse 348 Innocence from ill not enough 360 At the day of Judgement how pretious 394 Integrity all not saving 430 Intentions not sufficient though good 369 Lords Day how to be kept 341 Table how to be frequented Reverenced 342 349 Lust what Meditation kills it 304 Meditations advancing piety Of Death 391 Judgment 393. Heaven 396. Hell 400 Of Christ His Birth Life Death Soveraign against Pride Covetousnesse Lust 402 403 404 Morning and Evening best Times for Devotion 329 Motions of God How known 406 Angels 406 From Heaven To it 407 Dangerously refused 408 New Obedience the Soules Preservative 428 What Wherein How Counterfeits of it 430 Obedience see new Prastice of Good makes it easie 445 Prayers Mans Helps 446 Gods Visits 327 Private When where how to be made 329 330 Publick In Church Best 334 At Home when we should be there Ill 334 To be made by all The Greatest 336 Pride Meditation destroying it 402 Principles pernicious to Piety 368 Publick Service Piller of Religion 340 Pulpit makes not a Sermon 439 Reading Scripture a Help to Heaven 440 Of power to Convert 443 Religious Course Bars to it 367 Not for Cloister onely 372 Repentance Sins Remedy 411 Requisites Vertues of it 411 412 Not to be done by Halves 414 Not to be Delayed 414 A Time set for it 420 Resolution will doe much to
thee as that is my state let this be my blisse Give me the blessings of the Womb a healthy and holy seed which may be Heires of thy blessings on earth after us and at last inheritance of thy eternall blessednesse in heaven with us even for the sake of thy onely begotten Sonne my deare and onely Saviour Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 1. Prayer for a Woman with Child LOrd who hast blessed me with a hopefull Conception crowne thy mercy in mee with a happy Deliverance From all frights and harmes which may cause miscarriage to me let thy providence shield me From all errors and ills which may draw thy displeasure upon me let thy grace preserve me And for all my faults and failings past let thy mercy pardon me And Lord let not the Child for the Parents sake be any way unhappy The blessing of shape and perfectnesse of Body and mind be upon it I beseech thee so shall the Church have a Child and thou a Servant my Family a pillar and thy kingdome an heire mine shall be the comfort but thine shall be the gaine O thou that thy selfe wast once enclosed in a Mothers womb conceived bred and born shew this mercy to me doe it for me deare Iesus thou holy Sonne of God Amen Amen Prayer against Miscarriage LOrd keep me from all harmes and frights this day * At Evening say this Night and that my Womb by no ill acccident may miscarry within me let not my heart by any ill act miscarry before thee Body and Soule let thy mercy grace preserve me now and ever deare Iesus Amen Amen Prayer for a Woman in Travaile LOe this is the fruit of the forbidden Tree our first Mother brought forth sin and we bring forth in paine for it justly O Lord for I am the Daughter of my Mother as I sinned in her loynes so since I came into the world I have justified often what she did once I have sinned O Lord I have sinned O how often have I coveted what thou hast forbidden done ill in thy eyes to doe what was pleasing to my owne and been both tempted and Tempter unto evill By inheritance therefore and purchase wrath is my due misery my portion and this paine my proper lot and thy great mercy it is in Christ my Saviour that the pangs of everlasting death are not my but O thou Judge of the world remember that thou art the Preserver of men preserve me in it support me under it make haste make haste good Lord to deliver me from it and comfort me after it O remember not what the first Adam hath done but the second suffered and by his immaculate Conception and holy Birth and Life by the bitter passion and pangs and death of the holy Child Jesus deliver me deare Father in this my extremity Let the paines of my Travaile end in the joies of a blessed Birth that may to the comfort of my soule live and be made an Heire of thy kingdome Amen Amen Prayer after Deliverance of Child LOrd that hast look'd downe on thy poore hand maid in her great distresse I looke up unto thee and blesse thy Name for my happy deliverance that thou hast made me the joyfull Mother of a hopefull Child without visible infirmity or deformity which might take from my joy Goe on good God in mercy to me and it Support me on my bed of weaknesse and in thy due time raise me from it with strength Let my Child live till thou by holy Baptisme hast made it thy Heire and in that holy and happy state of soule preserve it to thy kingdome and let it be my continuall care by all good meanes to preserve it And good Lord from the pangs of eternall death and paines of Hell keep me and it for ever And whatsoever burden of woe I shall travaile under on earth let me not despaire of mercifull deliverance whom thou hast so graciously eased of my late paine and burden Thy power mercy is the same for ever O Lord let it be shewed to thy Servant in all her extremity according as her hope and trust is in thee by the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Prayer after Christening the Child WHat an honour hast thou done unto thy Servant O Lord thou hast given me a naturall birth and my Child a new one what came polluted into the world is washed cleane in thy laver for the raggs of Adam thou hast put on it thy Sonnes robes My Child is made thy heire and what was borne by me to a Crosse thou hast begotten againe to a Crown of glory O Lord let it be my care to keep my Child thine thy Sonnes righteousnesse on him and Spirit in him and my ambition so to be thy Child that I may with it be Inheritor of thy Crowne By the merits of him who is the first-borne of his Brethren thy Son and Heire of all things Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Prayer and Thanksgiving for our Birth-day I Thank thee O Lord for my Birth this day but especially for my new-birth By that I was made a Man by this a Christian from that I have a naturall life from this a spirituall that was to live on earth this in heaven nor was that to live for ever but a time on earth Lord let me not frustrate the end of my Birth nor apostate from the blisse of my Baptisme The state of grace in which this set me let me ever maintaine And if by sinne I ever fall from it let me by a true and timely repentance rise againe and recover it that when I shall go from earth I may come to heaven and when leave to live with men live with thee and thy Angels for ever for which end I am created redeem'd and preserved in this world Lord that gavest my life this day to begin let it so end for his sake whose birth life and death makes all ours blessed who is the beginning and end Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Prayer for new-years-New-years-day GOd of my life who hast given me this day to see a New-yeare begin let me live to see it at a happy end and thou who hast a New-heart in thy gift O give that to me that according to all the good purposes of my soule I may walke in good conscience before thee and have thy peace within me and thy blessing all the yeare upon me even for his sake who was content to be borne at this time and this day to be circumcised and shed his just blood for me Iesus Christ thy Son my deare Saviour and Lord. Amen Prayer for a Widow O Lord that hast taken my Head from me be thou Husband to me thou that boughtest my Soule by thy bloud to be thy Spouse doe not lose me doe not leave me guide and governe in me in all my waies in all my wants and straits supply me thou that art better than Friend than Father than Husband than all be unto
the Devill of more goodnesse wisdome care and power to save then he is able to destroy Thou canst send more succours to me then he can bring forces against me more holy Angels then he hath wicked Spirits Lord give me that strength Lord send me those succours Put upon me the armour of light to fight with the Rulers of darknesse Let the Helmet of hope be on my head and the brestplate of faith and love on my heart that I be not mortally wounded in the fight In my extremity send thy Angels to succour me And let thy holy Spirit be my Leader that the evill one may not be my Conquerour Lord Jesus that knowest what it was to be tempted and didst overcome the Tempter for me relieve my frailty when I am tempted and suffer not Satan to overcome me And let me be sober and watch and pray that I enter not into Temptation that thou mayest relieve me O Lord How shall I not fall into the hand of Hell if I throw my selfe into Temptation From such presumptions O Christ preserve me How many soules have beene left and lost in those bold adventures of their strength make me sadly to consider that such a daring Spirit may never possesse me Let me remember with feare and trembling what great Saints have falne that I may with an humble and holy care and feare seeke for thy strength to stand and being upheld by thy right hand may never fall But let me not cast my self out of thine into Satans hand for if thou Lord doe not uphold and he pull downe how shall I stand And let me keepe my wayes that I cast not my selfe out for thou wilt not protect me but in thy wayes And let me not runne my selfe into temptation for that is out of my wayes and thy protection Thou great Shepheard of the sheep keepe me a poore Lambe of thy fold Thou Lion of the Tribe of Juda that hast prevailed save me from the roaring Lion that he may never prevaile And in and from all his Temptations deliver me in thy mercy that he may not devour my soule for all his roaring Rescue me thou that didst redeeme me Preserve me thou that didst create me my Lord and my God my strength hope deare Jesus Amen TUESDAY A Prayer against the World O Lord The World is a strong Enemy to conquer The great Conquerors of the powers were Captives to the vanities of the World yet by thy strength it may be conquered for thou art greater then he that is the world Thou didst O Saviour conquer it for me and by thy aide I may conquer it for my selfe And by thy will I must conquer it with thee on earth if I will triumph with thee in Heaven O then let me resolutely set and fit my selfe for the conquest of the world And to the forces of reason Lord give me the powers of grace by which I may make a conquest This world is but for a time and will end at last and how soone to me thou Lord onely knowest and did it endure what comfort or contentment can my immortall soule receive in any or all the good of the world O let me not lose my eternall inheritance in the world to come for a poore portion in this present world Thou Lord hast made me in it but me for thy self and it for me O then let me never be of it let my Spirit alwayes be above it Let me not make my Servant my Soveraigne good Assist me by thy grace that I may not O God! And because my senses are so naturall and neare unto me and the world takes my soule captive by the power of my senses O let me watch those gates against the entries of Temptations and looke well to my sense that I lose not my soule That I doe not Lord keepe me from all evill from the men and from the things of the world From Companies and Counsels and examples of the ill set on by the Devill to wooe for the world Lord keep me as so many foes and fiends to my soule and let me rather suffer them as my sorrowes then take solace in such men From the Vanities of the world that they doe not allure me and the miseries of it that they may not deject me The great powers by which the world assaults me defend me O Lord that they doe not overcome me and let me looke well to my soule because I am never free from such assaults From the Vanities of Riches Honours Pleasures the prevailing goods of the world the Heaven she brings And from the miseries of wants scornes ignominies injuries tortures the powerfull ills of the world the Hell she hath Lord keep me that they lead not my soule into the Captivitie of sin lest I feele a worser Hell and lose a better Heaven Let me not lose thy favour for the smiles nor incurre thy displeasure for the frownes of this world Let neither her Sorceries bewitch me to ill nor her Tyrannies fright me from good Let my love and feare be both on thee the good and ill not of this but another life On that be my heart on this my foot Let me love and value and use this world onely as it may helpe me to that Not for the Throne of my Spirit but the footstoole of my soule By whose good my body may be better enabled to serve my Spirit and both to serve Thee and come to the good of a better world For such a Conquest Lord strengthen me and to these Triumphs above bring me even for his sake who hath overcome the flesh the Devill and the World for me Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen WEDNESDAY A Prayer against sudden Death O Thou great Judge of the world I am a child of death by the sentence of the Law for Adams sinne and have deserved it at the hands of thy Justice for my owne yet in thy mercy thou hast not executed that sentence upon me but to this day hast continued my life Yea most mercifull God when the feares and snares of Death and Hell tooke hold on me and my provocations were great against thee in those great distresses I called upon thee and thou didst heare me and deliver me Lord make me ever thankfull for thy goodnesse and take not away thy loving kindnesse from me though since I have not walked worthy of thy mercy Save my soule from the sins that trouble me Save my body from the sicknesses that feare me And save my life from all ill accidents and disasters that may befall me If thou speak the word O Lord I shall be safe body and soule and no ill can touch me Good Lord speake that word and save me Pardon my sins that they doe not destroy me and lengthen my dayes that I may better serve thee For a sudden death by a present repentance and good life Lord ever prepare me And from a sudden death by thy good providence deliver me That I may have
Rom. 12. or Heb 10. v. 30. ¶ Collect or Prayer against Revenge O Thou to whom vengeance belongeth keepe me from a revengefull spirit that I fall not into the hands of thy vengeance And since my pitty and patience and pardon is thy will let me not study revenges and returnes of injuries Thou O meek and mercifull Saviour didst pray for thy bloody enemies O let me then forgive my greatest foes Committing my cause to thee who wilt doe justice for me on them if I seek not revenge and for thy self upon me if I doe Thine O Lord is the sword of vengeance thine is the sharpest sword O let me not dare to take it out of thy hand lest whilst I strike others I fall justly by thy sword Though flesh and blood provoke me to it let thy holy Spirit hold me from it cast keep out of me that evil spirit by thy power O good God and Saviour of thy mercy Amen Daily Prayers Remedies against Revenge 1. THe sinne of Revenge strikes at God and Man 1. It invades Gods Prerogative and takes his sword out of his hand Rom. 12. 19 2. It is many waies an injury to man To his 1. Nature Borne without armes to live without revenge And even armed Bruits agree with their kind and Devils avoid quarrels 2. Glory To passe by an injury of Prov. 19 11. all the most excellent victory Caesars noble memory to forget Pro. 16. 32. Ro. 12. 22. nothing but wrongs 3. Peace The mind is disturbed and takes no rest Ester 5. 11 12 13. Prov. 12. 15 4. Justice I am my owne Judge and anothers Executioner 5. Wisdome If my revenge fall on a Just man it toucheth God his Zach. 2. 8. friend If he be unjust my vengeance will make me so too 2. Be a Christian and you cannot doe this sinne contrary to the Holy life and law of Christ for when much provoked Luk. 9. 55. 1. He check'd his Disciples for calling for it 2. He commands Charity to pardon Joh. 15. 12 Luk. 21. 19 Ro. 12. 20. wrongs Patience to suffer them and Kindnesse to conquer them 3. He forbids Selfe-love the mother 2 Tim. 3. 2. Ephes 4. 31 32. and Wrath the father both which beget and bring forth revenge A Penitentiall Service fit for a troubled Soule fasting and praying for mercy and grace for Wednesday or other Day Morning Prayer Psal 6. 32. 38. or 51. 130. 143. Lesson Isa 1. Mat. 11. or Act. 3. Evening Prayer Psal 40. 42 43. Lesson Job 9. or Ezek. 18. or 33. 2 Cor. 7. ¶ 1. Collect or Prayer for a Penitent O Lord I doe here cast downe my self before thee O cast me not away from thee I cannot stand at the Barre of thy justice I doe therefore lie downe at the Foot-stoole of thy mercy I doe condemne my self for my sins Lord doe not thou judge me Cancell my sins in my Saviours blood and wash my soule in the streames of mercy Though as red as crimson and scarlet thou hast promised the penitent they shall be white as snow O acquit this pensive soule of mine I beseech thee let not my guilt be black as Hell before thee Wash me from it forgive it me And because forgivenesse of what 's past availes not if I fall againe into former offences O God of all grace I beseech thee so to pardon me a sinner as to make me a Saint Give me an holy strength to mortifie my lusts with an holy care to watch and withstand all occasions and temptations to wickednesse especially those that are by nature custome or condition of life most ready to surprize me against them make me to watch and ward and pray and strive more diligently And let thy Holy Spirit assist and strengthen me to a victory even for the blessed merits of him who overcame the world for me the Captaine of my salvation thy Deare Son Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen ¶ 2. Collect or Prayer for a Penitent O God! with a prostrate body and bleeding heart I doe most humbly confesse bewaile my wretched nature and wicked life before thee For my thoughts my lusts my deeds and words past my conscience cryes out against me * Here thinke of particulars when you say it So vaine so vile so foule so ill have they been before thee And thou art greater then my heart and can'st lay more unto my charge then conscience knowes about me O thou searcher of all hearts and wayes how oft I have vowed thee better service thou knowest and have shamefully violated my faith with thee I have sometimes begun to seek after thee but soone lost my self again in the waies of former vanity As the hills so hath been my love to vaine things but my goodnesse as the morning dew which vanisheth presently And for this even from my owne mouth thou mayest againe condemne me Yea Lord with grief of heart and shame of face I doe yet further confesse and lament bitterly that as if it had been a light thing my self to be in sinnes and armes against thee I have been a Leader of others into Rebellion and so am both a Sinner and a Tempter before thee I have countenanced in them what I should condemne and encouraged what I should abhorre And so as principall to my owne have made my selfe accessary to other mens ills and by nursing the acts of their sinnes have contracted their guilts for which thou mayest againe condemne me charging their wickednesse and woes upon me And though I have been and am at this day so guilty unworthy and vile a wretch against thee O how good and gracious a God hast thou been all my life at this present art unto me Though I deserve all vengeance even to eternall death thy mercies have been and are still great upon me O God of all pity and patience I am confounded to consider thy great goodnesse and my wickednesse against thee Woe is me that the bonds of thy Lawes and thy mercies and my vowes should be all thus broken by me For this shame and confusion of face for ever might justly cover me But Lord though I be every way a miserable Sinner thou art infinitely more a mercifull God Thou hast a propitiatory for sinne above all my provocations Mary Magdalene was foule with lust yet forgiven St. Peter perjured but pardoned Saint Paul made others to blaspheme yet found mercy O Lord for thine infinite mercies sake let my sinnes be forgiven me even for my Saviours sake punish not my guiltinesse upon me Seale to my soule thy pardon in his blood which was shed to save me And for time to come let thy Holy Spirit assist me to live with more conscience and lesse sinne before thee Lighten my mind with a sight of thy truth and fire my heart with a love to thy majestie that the vanities of the earth may be my scorne and the glory of heaven the onely ambition that
it goe 2 Pet. 1. 10 right it will not keep it And that must be the more because no clock so soone out of Tune if the care be not much My Soul then if thou wouldst not have Conscience ill be not thou idle Let the clock in thy Eares mind thee of the Clock in thy Breast as the Devout Man did who was wont to say O Lord God! another Granat De. peccat hour of my life is now past and what account can I give thee of it So said he so say thou so oft as thou hearest the Clock And so my Soul thou seest the stops and stumbling-blocks in Gods service shun them and thou wilt better walk on in his wayes Wherefore lift up the hands that hang Heb. 12. 12. down and the feeble knees lest that which is lame be turned out of the way And Take he●d lest there be in you an evill Heb. 3. 12. heart of unbelief in departing from the living God The summe of this Soliloquie That God be duly and daily served what hinders must be carefully shun'd There be five great Impediments to true Piety and the constant service of God 1. Ill-Principles are great Impediments viz. That I am good and in good state towards God 1. Because others are worse 2. Because particularly good 3. Because my Heart is honest though not my life 4. Because I am Godly by fits 5. Because of right Religion and Belief 6. Because Ministerially absolv'd if not Penitent 7. Because it is for Cloister'd and Church-men onely to be what others need not strictly Religious 2. Bad Habits are great Bars to Religion because they turne and confirme the Soule against it 3. Leud Companies Inconsistent with good Courses Pests of Souls and to be shund as Plagues 4. Vaine Scruples great Prejudices to Pious Action and Consolation Acts of Satans endlesse Artifice and malice to be avoided much and how 5. Ghostly Negligences Mothers of Sin Nurses of Temptation Satans Advantages Agents Under-values of pretious Time Sellers-away of Eternity which no Treasure else can redeem and it selfe if gone on earth past redemption in Hell where Worlds would be given for a litle Time Friday-Soliloquie Helps to Heaven and Happinesse OR A Soliloquie Acquainting the Soule with such Holy Reliefs and Aides as will much facilitate and further Her Course and Progresse in the waies of Piety in Two Parts First Part. Holy Meditations and Motions Great helps to Piety MY Soule As those Avoidances 1. Division observ'd thou canst hardly be bad so some Releifs being had thou wilt be more easily good And by the Grace of God thou maist receive all those releifs Thy owne Thoughts and Endeavours may contribute all If thou wilt employ thy Mind and Parts to thinke and doe what may advance thee most The Aides are not small which may be brought in by both And first Improve thy Mind for that may doe much by Meditations great Promoters of Piety A Power that can daily mount to Heaven whither the Body till the last day cannot come And how that but by Holy Motions And what are they but such as either goe to or come from Heaven When we Muse of it they goe When moved from it they come What are our Motions to it but Heavenly Meditations And how so But when some good thing of God or Christ is and keeps in mind Four are made famous for that Death and Judgment Heaven and Hell For My Soul Remember thy end and thou shalt never doe amisse And Death is thy first Judgment Eccles 7. 36. Quatour Novissima thy next Heaven or Hel thy last end These four are thy last Nor will sin be in heart whilest they are in minde Nor any thing more move to Duty then to have these in memory Muse then often of those O my Soule And of that first which comes first and how soone who knows 1. Death O Death How bitter is thy Remembrance Ecclus. 41. 1. Yes to a Sinner but most wholsome against Sin My Soul Die thou must And when thou shalt what will be thy Comfort To have wallowed in worldly wealth Swome in sensuall Solaces Arrived at earthly Honors Alas No This will be thy Corrasive Then all these gauds are gone The flowers of thy Paradise all fade and nothing remaines but the snake under them guilt and woe Luk. 16. 26 manet turpitudo Psal 17. 14 Saladini funus Alex. Philosophus Job 14. 17 24. 20. Joh. 11. 43 Woe to thee then if that was thy Heaven Death casts thee out of it If thy Hell to want these it throwes thee into it Then a Sheet is all thy Goods a Grave all thy Land a Coffin all thy House Wormes thy Companions Corruption all thy Kindred Stench thy Perfumes and thy Robes rags of Rottennesse No the onely Comfort then is to have liv'd well to have Isay 38. 3. shun'd ill and so want the sting of the 1 Cor. 15. 56. 2 Pet. 3. 14. Luk. 2. 29. Psal 119. 103. S. Ambros Job 19. 26. Breast To have done good and so have the Peace of the Bosome So to have lived as not to be ashamed to die So to die as to be assured for ever to live O my Soul that wouldst give Worlds to have a little such Comfort at that houre neglect not the provisions of Luk. 19. 42. that Peace in thy day Believe it to entertaine Death with a Smile and Damnation without dread is the sole effect and fruit of a life well led in Gods fear according to good Conscience Phil. 1. 23. Heb. 11. 35. And canst thou think of this and not so live That knowest as surely as thou liv'st thou shalt Die and yet Eccl. 8. 8. no more where or when or how then Eccl. 9. 12. if thou didst never live That knowest the time is past of doing good if not done before thou die and thy Salvation gone if that time be past O dear soul Joh. 9. 4. Eccl. 9. 10. look to the Body that Death doth not surprize both look thou to thy God let it not look after the World that when its Death comes thy Life may begin and it not fear the Prison 2 Cor. 5. 5. of the grave because it shall come out to a joyfull day of Judgement And Joh. 5. 58. of that my Soul have a serious Meditation of 2. Judgement Sinne will not be in thy hand if that be in thy Eye It is the Bridle of vanity and Curb of lust Rejoyce O Eccl. 11. 9. young man in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee in the dayes of thy youth and walk in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thy eyes but know that for all these things God will bring thee unto Judgement Seest thou not my Soul how this is Solomons Bridle To curb and keep in the most Head strong Age youth in his fullest Careere the Heart on his quickest spur the
ever every way be the God of my salvation yea whilst I live wil I praise thee in this manner For thy mercy O Lord thine infinite mercy it is that I am preserved and live Lord let those dangers never depart from my mind that thy deliverance may never go out of my heart but that I may ever be mindfull and carefull of thee and thy service for it all the daies of my life O let me keep with joy the memory of those waves which came over but went off my head as the great passeover of my life And let thy tempest be made a Temple to me to call me to pray unto thee and praise thee the God of my life to teach me to feare obey and trust serve thee better every where whilst thou shalt continue to me those daies 1. Even thy Creatures how terrible are they O Lord all hearts are afraid of thy tempests and melt at thy stormes O let me in this glasse of their terror see the dreadfull face of thy angried Majestie at which the depths themselves doe tremble and the foundations of the world are discovered even as the blast of the breath of thy nostrils O Lord And let me never presume to exalt my selfe against thee but ever tremble before thy face 2. At thy word the stormes did cease their rage and lie still O God! if any tempest shall arise in my passions through my frailty let it cease at thy command let not the Seas obey thee and my Soule rebell against thee 3. Thou hast presented the horror of a tempest to my eyes and eares O Lord keep me that I never feele a tempest in my Conscience let the raging Sea never run in my Soule to raise up stormes in me more dreadfull than death And that I may never be drowned in the depths of despaire Lord keep me from the overflowing of wickednesse Let not presumptuous sinnes have any dominion over me let the conversation of the wicked never cleave unto me 4. Thou hast in this great extremity of danger manifested to my Soule thy ready and mighty help for deliverance even when the waves were about to overwhelme me then even then O blessed God did thy goodnesse save me O let this experience of thy mercifull power and aide make me to trust and stay my Soule upon thee in all distresses and dangers whatsoever shall hereafter befall me 5. O let not any temptations of the vanities of the Land drowne in me the memory of thy mercies at Sea but against all temptings to offend thee let this tempest thus arme me Had I bin in that hower tempted to sinne O God would I durst I then have offended thee And now that I am by thy mercy delivered shall I yeild upon any temptation to sinne against thee and breake my great obligation and vow to serve thee 6. O let those waters which did fright but not drowne me in the deep be apprehended as a new Baptisme in which thy hand was pleased at once to sprinkle and teach me that my cheeks are to be wet daily with the brinish teares of repentance for my sins and the fresh springs of joy are to flow from my eyes for the goodnesse of thy deliverance Thy waters came over me but confusion did not cover me my face felt the danger but thou hast saved my head O Lord my God! O Lord I beseech thee doe thou thus sanctifie these great passages of thy providence to me that whilst I live thou mayest have from me a better service and when I die I may receive from thee a better salvation even for Iesus Christ's sake my deare and onely Saviour Amen Prayer before or in a Journey O Lord who hast set thy Angels to keep us in all our Psal 91. 11 Psal 94. 5. waies charge that Convoy with me in whose heart they are forgive me that I have gone astray from thee and give me grace to goe no more astray and be not extreame to marke all errors and wandrings Ps 130. 3. from thee who then O Lord shall be preserved on earth or saved in heaven let thy holy Spirit guide me this day and ever in the waies which please thee and thy blessed protection be over me and all with me for his sake who is the Way the Truth and the Life even for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Prayer Gratulatory after a Journey LOrd thou hast been with me in my Journey and as I prayed I have passed the perils of the way by the conduct of thy providence and where I would be I am by the favour of thy conduct blessed be thy holy name O Lord for all thy goodnesse How many have miscarried and doe daily many waies and even so might I have done had it not been for thy favour Blessed be thy name for it yea for all the preservations of my life and the mercy to which I owe those preservations Blessed for ever be thy holy name And still O Lord so magnifie thy mercy in my protection on earth that thou mayest ever be blessed of me till I am blessed with thee in Heaven through the merits of him who by his blood bought that blessednesse for us and in our flesh sits at the right hand to save us Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Prayers for a Souldier in a just Warre 1. Morning Prayer for one in Warre O LORD in daies of blood Read Psal 140. there be many howres of Death what minute may not be that hower O let me then thinke of mine thinke of it and prepare for it Thy grace give me so to doe this day and thy mercy for what hath been misdone before it that when my life shall end on earth it may begin where it shall never have an end Meane while let me live to doe thee more honour if it may stand with thy pleasure and see a happy peace to be the purchase of this warre that I may so live to my Prince Nation Church Religion me mine every way happy And doe thou therefore guide my Soule this day and guard my life from all evill and danger for Jesus Christ his sake in whose words I pray it saying Our Father c. 2. Evening Prayer for one in Warre LOrd who hast been my shield this Read Psal 91. day be my watch this night that I may be safe from the swords and hands of all Enemies and by the guard of thy goodnesse preserv'd to blesse and serve thee the next day for and in thy mercy through the merits of Jesus Christ in whose words I pray it saying Our Father c. 3. Prayer before Bataile O Thou shield of those that put Read Psal 143. 21 23. their trust in thee be his shield whose hope is onely in thee and in thy mercy onely Mercy Lord grant me for all my sinnes past and pardon me Mercy grant me in my present perils and preserve me Mercy grant me good God in my attempts this day and
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
put it in thy senses Man of reason be not a beast for sense live and love above worldly vanitie looke and long after sure solid satisfying soule-felicity else saving thy selfe nothing is or can be so vaine Wednesday-Service Against the Villanies of the World Morning Prayer Psal 12. 14. 120. Lessons Gen. 6. or 19. Mat. 24. Evening Prayer Psal 18. 55. Lessons Jer. 5. or Isaiah 13. 2 Pet. 2. or 1 Joh. 5. Collect against the villanies of the World O Lord since the World is a Sodome 2 Pet. 2. 8. let me be a Lot vexed not delighted with her filthiness Since it is a Mesech let me be a David not taken but tired with her Psal 120. 4 wretchedness Lord why should that have my joyes where my Soule is never free from dangers nor thy glory from wounds where Blasphemie is as common as the ayre and Oppression as the earth where Iniquitie flowes like water and lust flames as fire why should I be in love with her that is in hate with thee where if I follow her course I go to the damnation of another world and if I crosse it meet with nothing but vexation all the way O Lord though I be in it let me not be of it if it be wicked let me be good yea the more wicked it is the better let me be that thou mayest Apoc. 3. 12 take a more mercifull notice of my goodnesse And because it is hard to breath the ayre of corruption and take 2 Cor. 6. 17 no taint into conversation let me be willing to get fairly from it and come to thee where is blisse pure without teare or taint Take me from the Devils of the world to thy Angels O God! meane time let me live a Saint even amongst Devils that I may at last be a Saint amongst Angels yea as one of thy Angels in that world where is no woe nor wickednesse Sinner nor Satan but thy blessed unitie with holy and happy society of glorified Men and Angels enjoying adoring lauding and serving thee for ever ever so be it for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Daily Prayers Meditation of the Villanies of the World MOther of all misdeeds and mischiefs when shall I be delivered from thee gaole of my Soule and wrack of my salvation a hill of poor Pismires tossing up and downe thou art at best a hell of debauch'd and damned Spirits at worst Source of sinne forge of hell and a field of all temptation If I love my God I must hate thee because an enemy to his honour if I love my self I must loath thee because an adversary to my salvation if I hate the Devill I must not love thee because thou art his Sword to destroy if I may not love the flesh I must not love thee because her staffe of support if I must not love vice I must abhorre thee because thou art the Mistresse of Vanitie if I must love grace I must detest thee because the Step-dame of Virtue Hagge of Satan Hate of Heaven Schole of Vice Seminary of Errour Mother of Sinne Step-dame of Saints Pest of the Spirit Nurse of the Flesh who by thy bad counsels and examples breedest the Brat of Sin in thy wicked womb and then sucklest and indearest it with thy profits and pleasures thy wretched dugs woe is me that I must stay in thee shame on me if I love thee thy best things are vanities of Earth thy worst villanies against Heaven what in thee can I love Though thou be a Whore I will not be a Villaine to my God so much a Villaine as to love such a Whore so Jac. 4. 4. 1 Joh. 2. 14 much a Villaine as by any lust of mine to make thee more Strumpet and by my additions of particular ills to encrease thy whoredomes I will have care what I can not to be Partaker of thy guilts but Ringleader I will never be to thy rebellions I would not come to thy end and therefore will avoid thy way God I thank thee for thy good Spirit which carries me against the streame of my corruption and tide of the World I cannot goe but in the strength of that Spirit against such a tide and streame God I pray thee let me continue my course that I fall not at last into thy Sea of Wrath and when the world of nature shall end be tormented with a world of sinners world without end for ever and ever Thursday-Service About Death Morning Prayer Psal 39. 49. Lesson Geu 3. or 5. Luk. 16. Evening Prayer Psal 90. 23. Lesson Eccles 12. Rom. 5. ¶ Thursday-Collect or Prayer about Death O Lord who hast appointed all to die make me ever mindfull of my dissolution that I may lesse love the vanities of this and more seek the felicities of a better life where death and distresses are not but we shall be as the Angels of God healthy and vigorous and happy for ever O let me every day so live that I may come to that life when I die And because the best-led life may have need of some time to prepare for death Of thy great mercy I beseech thee keep me from an unprepared heart and unexpected end Even for his sake who himselfe had the horrour of death Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Daily Prayers after it Meditation of Death DIe I must and after live in weal or woe for ever and no time after to recover the woe if I lose the weal As I tender then eternity let me look to my life Die I must and know not where House a Field Land or Water Bed or Board every where then let me look to it Die I must but know not how By a violent or naturall course casualty or infirmity lingringly or speedily every way then let me looke for it Die I must but know not when Day or night this or that day next or this This or that hour that or this minute this or that time Morn Noon Even ever then let me look after it And how look to it better then to finde out the murderer and doom him to death O Sin shalt thou lie in my bosome that hast laid all Mankind in a grave I will have thee to the crosse Rom. 5. 12 for that yea and for this too lest thou adde murder to murder and kill my Soul after my Body O what a sad hour of parting will that be if when Soul should leave the Body to death God shall leave the soul to be damn'd All full of horrour and utterly comfortlesse when it should be most the comforter of the Body But strength thou hast not to have death under foot without a Christ in Luke 2. 28 29. thy Armes Thou canst not welcome it without fear till thou embrace him in thy Faith To whom then should I look but to thee O Lord who art my Saviour And for what but thy mercy which is my Salvation And why but for my sinnes my onely destruction And how
healthy body make my soul more cheerfull to serve thee How unfit sicknesse is to doe thee service and how many wayes it may come let me sadly consider that in my health I may goe about my happinesse and in my sicknesse have the comfort of a well-employed health and at my death the assurance of eternall life by that employment Lord since thou givest me the best of thy blessings let me give thee the first of my years the strength of my youth not my decrepite dayes that come sicknesse or health life or death I may be Thine ever a child of blisse and heire of immortality by the merits of him who is the Sonne of thy Love Jesus Christ Amen Daily Prayers Friday-Service Against the Vanity of Wit Morning Prayer Psal 36. 94. Lessons 2 Sam. 17. or Prov. 3. Lukc 10. Evening Prayer Psal 90. 111. 2. Lessons Jer. 4. Ecclcs 2. 1 Cor. 3 or 2 Tim. 3. Jam. 3. ¶ Collect or Prayer against the Vanity of Wit I Thanke thee O Lord for the blessing of my Reason For the power of it by which thou hast made me a man not a beast and the use of it by which thou hast made me of understanding not an ideot I beseech thee let me not marre what thou hast made My wit to delude my will and it to draw my soule from thee lest I foole my selfe of the end for which I was made and an Ideot get to Heaven before me As I have the wit let me have the wisdome to know thee and with my understanding the conscience to feare thee without which the most wise is but a foole before thee Ftom a wit to contrive mischiefs and to compasse designes of vanity from skill to use the arts of sinne and finde the wayes of death and hell Good Lord deliver me From an Atheists wit to dispute against thee and Religious acts which binde the soule unto thee and cunning to maintaine acts of vice and villanie Lord keepe me that it find neither roome nor favour in me that such wickednesse be not charged upon me Let me be a foole on earth to be a Saint in Heaven even theirs who thinke Sanctitie a simplenesse Devotion a dulnesse and thy Feare a folly And from pride of understanding and scorne of the simple who have little to my much let this preserve me that thou canst make my much to be little if I so provoke thee bereaving me of my wits by a sicknesse or a phrensie Wisdome of God from all this save me Deare Jesus Amen! Daily Prayers Saturday-Service Against the Vanity of Friends and Favour Morning Prayer Psal 38. 41. 11. 5. 39. Lessons Esth 6. or Job 6. or Pro. 19. Luk. 1. Act. 7. Evening Prayer Psal 88 89. 106. Lessons Micha 7. Eccles 9. James 1. ¶ Collect or Prayer against the Vanity of Friends and Favour O Lord Friends are Jewels and so thou hast taught us to value them yet as men that may be false or will be fickle our trust must not be in them Some are not more friends to my person then my prosperity And those that are now most friends with me may prove bitter enemies against me Let me therefore seeke to have my Conscience thy Angels and Selfe for friends that will never faile me and let thy will be mine O God that all these friendships may be for me O thou great Friend of mankind who by thy bloud didst make falne man friends with God by thy Holy Spirit make me fit for all these friendships And Lord let me not value mans with thy favour They can give me honour but not a Crowne of Glory Wealth but not Heaven Their hands are too short Yea in sicknesse and distresse they cannot reach health or quiet to my body or my conscience And though their power be ever lesse then my wants it may be often greater then their wills O Thou Unchangeable Majestie The everlasting lover of them that feare thee let me be one that thou maist ever favour me Let me not care for mans cloud so the light of thy countenance shine upon me Let my sinnes never hide that light from my soule I beseech thee Sun of righteousnesse let some beame of thy love ever come unto me Lord Jesus say Amen Amen! Daily Prayers Services upon other subjects and particular occasions Advertisement to the devout Reader touching these Services FOr those services in the fourth Week which may not be so proper for all as that of Honour Beauty Strength those here which are of more Cōmon concernment may be used in their stead as the Service against Malice Revenge Impatience The rest as occasion and discretion guides thee and devotion finds most beneficiall for thee Wherein the Authour gives thee thou mayest take thy choice And if thou wilt make these serve for a fift Weeke doe as shall most please and profit thee A Service of the pleasures of piety for Sunday or other day Morning Prayer Ps 4. 30. 32. or 33. 97. Lessons Deut. 16. or Isa 29. or 35. 61. 65. Joh. 16. Evening Prayer Psal 16. 36. or 126. 132. Lessons Heb. 3. or Mat. 3. or 8. Phil. 4. ¶ A Prayer to have the pleasures of Piety RAvish my heart O Lord with the joyes of thy Saints and cause me to see the felicity of thy chosen O! What are the pleasings of sense to the solaces of a Soule or the delights of the flesh to the raptures of Spirit And in what but in thee O God can my immortall Soule take repose or my Spirit finde rellish thou art the Soveraign good In thee is the Crown of joy All in the world is nothing to thee woe without thee And how can my Soule rejoyce in thee but in the favour which thou hast to those that feare thee and those multitudes of mercies which proceed from thy favour to those that are in holy league and peace with thee Lord make me one of thy Saints that I may have some of those joyes which none but those that feele know and those that know cannot utter And give me I beseech thee some taste of those holy pleasures which may encourage me more and more to seek to be a Saint O Lord of those shoures of hidden Manna which daily fall upon Soules greatly devout indeed let some crums and drops come to me who truly desire to be so and whilst others take pleasure to swim in sensuality let me be satisfied with those drops Let sinfull contents be my hate because they banish them and sensuall my scorne because below them Let me joy in the goods of the earth as my common portion but triumph in thy favour as my great Inheritance and in the duties of thy service and feare as the wayes to thy favour To the harvest of joy in Heaven Lord at last bring me and to live more comfortably on earth in thy feare the First-fruits of thy Spirit give me and a love and care and conscience of thy feare encrease ever in me God
The Guide not followed will be gone The coale not kindled wil not warme And woe to thee if the good Spirit leave thee for then the Ill one will lead thee In stead of good Angels ill thoughts will haunt thee And thou knowest whither they goe whom he doth lead When God knock● at thy heart let him not stay at the doore when his Enemy at the first Motion is let in Doe not that for shame If so know that to keep out Gods Spirit is to shut dore on thy Blisse and doe not that for feare No My Soule In Prosperity or Adversity At thy Devotions or other occasions In Church or Closet By Day or night Well or Sick If thy minde be moved to some knowne good or against some evill God knocks doe thou open His Angel is at dore take him in His Spirit would enter bid him welcome Welcome blessed Spirit that Luc. 13. 36. Mat. 21. 19. comes to carry me to Heaven Welcome Holy Comforter that comest to keep me from Hell O come and never goe from me Holy Spirit of God My Soul thou hast seen what Heavenly Helpers Holy Meditations and Motions be Hear the God of all help and he will assure thee so If others Amos. 6. 3. put off the evil day it 's wisdome for thee to have it before thee If others Act. 24. 25 put by good motions it will be thy happinesse to entertaine them believe him who sayes both O that they were wise that they understood Deut. 32. 29. this that they would consider their latter end Wherefore Holy Brethren Partakers Heb. 3. 1. of the Heavenly calling consider the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Christ Jesus For consider him that endured such Heb. 12. 3. contradiction of Sinners lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds And Behold I stand at the doore and knock Apoc. 3. 20. if any man heare my voyce and open the dore I will come to him and Sup with him and he with me The Summe of this Part is Good Meditations are great Nurses Psal 119. 15. Psal 1. 2. Gen. 24. 63. of Gods feare Serious thoughts of Death Judgement Heaven and Hell are Meditations good against all Sins in the World Sober Considerations of Christs Birth Life Death are destructive to Pride Avarice and Lust which Three make all Holy Motions of God great Aids to the Practice of Godlinesse How they may be known to be Gods What good offices they have and doe from him to us as His Messengers and guides for our best good Why and how to be entertain'd as suc● and how foule and fearfull it is to neglect good and embrace Ill Motions Saturday-Soliloquie Remedies of Humane Frailtie OR A Soliloquie shewing the Soul What Provisions of Grace and Mercy God hath made to support her weakness in the way of Piety MY Soul For all thy Cares 1. Part. and Helps thou wilt fail in Eph. 5. 17. 1 Pet. 5. 8. thy Perpetuall Service so long as Flesh and Devil cease not their Perpetuall Motion God Ez. 18. 23. Gal. 3. 11. Col. 2. 12. Rom. 6. 19. Jam. 2. 26. Psal 41. 4. therefore in tendernesse of mercy hath provided for thee Remedies of Grace Repentance that thou do not die Faith to make thee and it live And New Obedience to keep all alive Sin my Soul is ill humour to Heaven a disorder of Holy Spirit and just temper in thee For this Disease Repentance is Gods Remedy * Tert. de paenit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. And very sufficient to heal thee For it will Bleed a Act. 2. 37 thee in Contrition Vomit thee in Confession b Ezek. 18. 31. Orig. Purge thee by Conversion c 1 Cor. 5. 9. Sweat thee with Guilt d Act. 9. 10 Bath thee in Teares e Joel 2. 12. Diet thee from occasions of ill f 2 Cor. 7. 11. Cauterize the corrupt part with Threats g Jona 3. 4 5. and foment the weak with Promises h Joel 2. 13 And Exercise all in Almes i Dan. 4. 27. Fasts k Joel 2. 12 and Prayers l Luk. 18. 13. And of the healing vertues of all these Penitent Soules have had Blest Experiments For that Bleeding cured the Barbarous Jewes m Act. 2. 38. Vomiting David n 2 Sam. 12. 13. Purging Ephraim o Hos 14. 8 The Sweat did the Jailer good p Act. 16. 29. The Bath helpt Magdalen q Luk. 7. 38. The Cautery Saul r Act. 9. 16. Fomenting s Hos 6. 1 2. Israel The Exercise did Zacheus t Luk. 19. 8. Ahab u 1 King 21. 19. even the Publican w Luk. 18. 13. Ease O my Soul Admire and Adore that Great and Good Physitian that Isa 57. 18. Prescribes thee so faire and yet so Soveraigne Jer. 8. 6. Peccata commssa plang●re plangenda non committere a Medicine To Grieve thou hast done ill and desire thou maist doe better To be sorry for what was amisse and not doe again what will make thee Sorry When I have wandred to returne When I have been fool'd to Jer. 3. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 3. 2. Joh. 12. 40 Isa 1. 16. Paenitens ferè innocens est Eccl. 7. 29. Hos 14. 4. Isa 1. 18. Luk. 15. 17 Ezek. 18. 30 31. Luk. 15. 22 24. 2 Cor. 7. 10 Luk. 4. 18. Act. 11. 18. grow wise When I am sick to be well When I am foul to wash When I cannot be a Saint as good as Adam was fully Innocent to be as well as Enoch may be truly Penitent Was ever Prescript so faire And yet my Soul this Heales Sin Guilt and Staine Returnes thee both to God and thy self Recovers both Fall and Wit Restores both Tainted Bloud and Spirit Reduces to a Paradise both of Joy and Innocence Saves thee from Death sets thee in Health Disposeth thee to long even everlasting life Can any Medicine be more Soveraigne Take it then my Soul if thou lovest thy self And how and when thy Physitian gives it Not half for he appoints the whole Nor this hereafter for he wills it Now To Grieve for Sin and do no more Joel 2. 12. is to see not to lose thy Sicknesse And to amend what is not first griev'd to recover before thou art Sick To be Compunct and not Confesse is to bleed inwardly To Confess but not be Contrite to Vomit wantonly To Confesse and Pro. 28. 13 not Amend to cast and lick up the Vomit To be Frighted for Sin and not 2 Pet. 2. 22 bettered is to Sweat and take cold Joh. 5. 14. after it To weep for it and commit it 2 Pet. 2. 22 is with the Sow to wash and wallow To Abstain occasions and not acts is to fast it into a better Stomack To be Threatned into Despaire is instead of Gen. 4. 13. Sin to burne thy self And
SACRED PRINCIPLES SERVICES and SOLILOQUIES OR A Manual of Devotions Made up of Three Parts I. The Grounds of Christian Religion and the Doctrine of the Church of England as differing from the Now-Roman II. Daily and Weekly Formes of Prayers fortified with Holy Scriptures Meditations and Rules to keep the Soule from the Common Roads of Sin and carry it on in a mortified Course III. Seven Charges to Conscience Delivering if not the whole Body the main Limbs of Divinity which is the Art not of Disputing but Living Well Grande est esse Christianum non videri Hier. LONDON Printed by J. G. for JOHN CLARK and are to be sold at his Shop under Saint Peters Church in Cornhill 1650. To the Reader TO thy Conscience not wit are these Devotions written And if so read thy Soule may grow if not wiser better by them The Author looks at Heat in Devotion as metle in a blind steed his first care therefore is to help thee to a good Sight in Religion and that he doth by the light of his Principles But because most miscarry by going and running against their light in wicked and erroneous wayes more pains are taken to prevent and rectifie such miscarriages To Elevate thy Soule and Aide it in good Desires and Endeavours for Grace against Sinne thou hast his Prayers and Services And to awake thy Conscience and warme thy Heart to all Duety Desired and Directed to is the Cry and work of the Soliloquies And albeit he will prohibit none to read the Book though for Curiosity more then Conscience and rather as a New then Prayer-booke because even so they may take benefit by it as Saint Austin did by Saint Ambrose's Sermon yet he would have thee know that it is Calculated chiefly for the Meridian of their minds who fall to their Prayers not by fits but Courses and read Books not to passe the time away but well Taking them in hand not as Recreations of their thoughts but Businesse of the mind And usiing them not as good Companions in Solitude but Guides and Helps to Heaven-wards That this may be so to thee is his Aime Thank God if it be thy Issue He prayes that for thee whosoever thou art Having an Amen for Nazianzens Vote Utinam nemo pereat and a Heart for the Prayer his Mother hath taught him That it may please God to have mercy on all men And if for his Name that Charracter please thee much good doe it thee So he is and hopes he ever shall be Thine in the Common Saviour Philo-Christianus THE Particulars conteined in this Manuall of Devotions OF Religion in Generall pag. 1. The Grounds of Christian Religion pag. 2 The Grounds of Protestant Religion 6 How to be satisfied and setled amidst the Doubts and Divisions about Religion 6 Rules of Devotion and Prayers for Morning 20 for Evening 21 1. Daily Prayers 23 Prayer For Grace 28 39 Prayer For Peace 28 39 Prayer For Health 29 40 Prayer For Friends 30 40 Prayer For Kingdom 31 41 Prayer For Church 33 43 Prayer For Catho Church 33 43 Particular Prayers Prayer Of a Husband 45 Prayer Of a Wife 46 Prayer Of a Parent 47 Prayer Of a Child 48 Prayer For a Family 49 Prayer For Issue 50 For Women with Child 51 Against Miscarriage 52 For a Women in Travail 52 After Deliverance 53 After Christning 54 Prayer For Birth day 55 Prayer For new-years-New-years-day 56 Prayer Of a Widow 56 Prayer For the Fatherlesse 57 Prayer Against suddain Death 59 Prayer For a Voyage by Sea 60 After it 60 At Return to Sea 61 At Return Home 62 After a Storme 63 Prayer For one in a Journey 65 After it 65 Prayer For a Souldier 66 Morning 67 Evening 68 Before Fight 68 After Fight 69 For one Wounded 69 Prayer For the Sick 73 For Deliverance 73 For Patience 74 Against the Plague 76 For one Infected 77 For one Recovered 78 Prayer For one Dying 80. 81 Rules of Devotion and Prayers for Sunday Morning 110 Evening 111 Weekly Prayers for Severall Dayes Sunday Prayer against The Flesh 89 Munday Prayer against The Devill 92 Tuesday Prayer against The World 95 Wednesday Prayer against Suddain Death 97 Thursday Prayer against Hypocrisie 99 Friday Prayer against Inconstancy 101 Saturday Prayer against Impenitence 104 3. Monthly Prayers for the severall Days of the Week for four Weeks 1. First Weekes Prayers Sunday Prayer On the Joyes of Heaven 11● Monday Prayer Vpon the Miseries of Earth 116 Tuesday Prayer Against the Vanities of it 119 Wednesday Prayer Against Villanies of it 132 Thursday Prayer About Death 126 Friday Prayer About Judgement 130 Saturday Prayer Against Hell 134 2. Second Weekes Prayers against seven common Sinnes Sunday Prayer against Neglect of Gods Service 138 Monday Prayer against Procrastination 140 Tuesday Prayer against Presumption 143 Wednesday Prayer against Desperation 145 Thursday Prayer against Swearing 149 Friday Prayer against Lying 152 Saturday Prayer against Slandering 155 3. Third Weeks Prayers against the Seven commonly called Deadly Sinnes Sunday Prayer against Ildenesse 158 Monday Prayer against Covetousness 161 Tuesday Prayer against Gluttony 168 Wednesday Prayer against Luxuy 175 Thursday Prayer against Pride 178 Friday Prayer against Anger 182 Saturday Prayer against Envie 185 4. Fourth Weekes Prayers against seven Vanities of the most valued things in the World Sunday Prayer against the Vanity of Pleasures 188 Monday Prayer against the Vanity of Honours 190 Tuesday Prayer against the Vanity of Riches 192 Wednesd Prayer against the Vanity of Beauty 194 Thursday Prayer against the Vanity of Strength 196 Friday Prayer against the Vanity of Wit 198 Saturday Prayer against the Vanity of Friends and favour 200 Prayers in eight other Services Prayer For Pleasures of Piety 203 Prayer Against Malice 209 Prayer Against Revenge 212 Prayer For a Penitent 215 216 220 Prayer Against Impatience 223. 225 Prayer On the Passion 230 Prayer For the H. Communion Before it 251. 253 At it 255 After it 257. 259 Prayer Deprecating Judgments 295 Prayer For an end of War 297 Prayer For blessing on those who seek Peace 297 Prayer For Friends in Danger and Distresse 298 Prayer For Conversion of one in an ill Course 299 Prayer For preservation of the Church 299 Prayer For Mercy to the Nation 302 A Charitable Prayer for these Miserable Times 35 Prayer A Prayer against the Temptations of the Times 37 Thanksgivings Generall for Gods Mercies 84 Deliveranees 87 Particular Thanksgivings For Recoveries of Sicknesse 75 Particular Thanksgivings After a Journey 65 Particular Thanksgivings After a Storme 62 63 Particular Thanksgivings After Child-birth 53 Particular Thanksgivings For Birth day 55 Particular Thanksgivings For a Friend Preserved 88 Particular Thanksgivings For Recovery of the Plague 78 Particular Thanksgivings For one Departed 82 Meditations upon Tenne severall Subjects viz. 1. Of the Joyes of Heaven 113 2. Of the Miseries of the World 117 3. Of the Vanities of it 120 4. Of the Villanies of it 124 5. Of
mercy so wicked as to abuse thy blessings let all that I am and have serve thee mind body state health friends none be abused to vanity in any way of sin to reproach thee but all made to extoll my Makers praises and my Redeemers glory Since I owe my selfe by so many bonds of blessings to thee yea thousand lives and soules had I so many to serve thee let me not deny the service of one poore soule body unto thee O blessed Maker and Redeemer and Preserver of both I have no more to give thee my self therefore made of both I present unto thee I give thee my self on earth O Lord accept me and receive me to thy selfe in heaven where with thy Angels I shal give thee perfect praises singing Hallelujahs day and night giving everlasting lauds unto thee my great Maker my deare Redeemer my holy Comforter my good Preserver O God Father Son and holy Ghost O blessed and adored Trinity to thee and to thy goodness alone for what I am and have hope of bliss in this or a better world be all honour praise thanksgiving and glory for ever and ever Amen Amen A Gratulatory Commemoration of Gods mercies and deliverances REceive the sacrifice of my thankfull soule O Lord for all thy mercies * Here think of particular and mercifull deliverances of me and mine from diseases and dangers by Land or Water in Warre or Peace of old or late for soule or body O! what great dangers hast thou shewed me and them and yet hast delivered us from all our feares they live and I live and all live and why but to praise thee the God of our salvation and life thou art my God and I will praise thee thou art my God and I will worship thee yea whilst I live will I magnifie thee on this manner And O give me grace to give thee more better glory Glory from my lips and glory from my life Glory in my mind by a just sense and Meditation of thy mercy And glory from my heart in a true love and joy of thy goodnesse till thou dost give me thy glory in heaven Lord let me ever give thee this glory on earth even so Lord for all thy benefits and blessings from any ill or of any good to me or any more nearly mine from the hower of my birth to this day of my life glory be to thee now and ever by Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Thanksgiving for a preserved Friend or others formerly Prayed for MY Heart is full of thy goodness O God! thou hast delivered thy Servant from his dangers and me from my fears O what shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits to me O my God! I give thee a thankfull heart and beseech thee to give me a thankfull life Grace so to live that my deeds as well as words may speak me thankfull O let me not pay thee with neglects for thy favours lest thou returne me plagues for thy mercies let me have care to serve thee in for thy goodnesse that I may still rejoice in and for thy salvation of him and me and all who are more dearly mine even so be it for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Prayers for every day in the Week SUNDAY A Prayer against the flesh O Lord deliver me from my selfe my sinfull sensuall and carnall selfe ready to joyne with my foes to ruine my soule by yeilding it up to the temptations of sinne Let me watch it as my most mortall enemy without which all the Devils in hell cannot force nor all the powers on earth fasten a sin upon me and yet a foe so inbred and Naturall to me as will lodge in me whilest I live and never leave me Make me see what cause I have to keepe a strict and continuall watch and pray thy aide when the Devill and the World without beset me and lead on Armies of Temptations against me and the flesh within is false and ever ready to betray me and let them in upon me From such Enemies and Traytors Lord deliver me and as I love the eternall salvation of my soule let me not sleepe in security that have to doe with such Enemies And since the flesh is my foe let me not cherish it and satisfie it and provide for it and entertaine it as a friend but according to thy will and the necessity of my soule let me not spare to crucifie and kill it as my Enemy which will torture me if I be not crucified and kill me if I doe not kill it And grant me Good God the power of thy Spirit to doe thy will in mortifying of the flesh to the saving of my soule Let my life be a continuall fight against the corruptions of my flesh and succour me with wisdome and grace to maintaine that fight let me watch and fast and use all due meanes to beat downe my body if that give it strength Let me meditate and heare and reade and pray and weep in all good wayes seeking to beare up my soule to beat downe that sinfull body and bring it to death And because though now beaten downe a new Temptation will raise it up and struck dead it will revive againe Hasten my soule O Lord out of these endlesse Warres where I may keep the triumphs of an eternall peace from earth to heaven and strengthen my soule to get those daily victories over my lusts that they bring me to those triumphs O Christ that hadst flesh and no corruption pitty me that have both Succour my double frailty thou that knowest the infirmity of the flesh Assist me with thy holy Spirit to stand Recover me when I fall in these holy fights Relieve my wants forgive my weakness●s close up my wounds by thy bloud Blessed Saviour the Captaine of my Salvation who didst fight and conquer all my foes and now sittest on thy Throne in triumph in heaven make me so to fight that I may conquer on earth and having subdued the flesh may sit with thee on the Throne From their shame keepe me that prefer the Subject before the Soveraigne Flesh before the Spirit From their losse keep me that prefer a Toy to a Crowne a Lust to a Kingdome From their Cowardise keepe me that dare not fight for a Crowne but yeild their souls up to lust From their woe ever keep me that buy delights with their death for a little life after the flesh dying eternally bodies and soules From such folly and misery deare Jesus deliver me Amen! Amen! MONDAY A Prayer against the Devill O Lord how shall my poore soule stand against Temptation it thou doe not assist me who have as many Ghostly Enemies as Devils to tempt me malicious crafty busie and mighty all of them hating my soule to death watching my weaknesses and continually seeking occasion to devour me O my God without thy strength I cannot stand and by thy strength I shall not fall For thou O God art above
time with more comfort and contentment and setlement of minde to yeild up my life and soule unto thee Deare Saviour heare me that sheddest thy bloud to save me and sittest in Heaven to preserve me For my last houre fit me From sudden surprizall of it keep me To it and in it ever save me and by thy grace and holy merits make it a happie houre unto me that I may then die in thy armes and at the day of Judgment rise and stand joyfull before thee Lord Jesus for thy mercies sake grant all this to me Amen! Amen! THURSDAY A Prayer against Hypocrisie O Lord Make me abhorre to be prophane and feare to be an Hypocrite If I be a notorious sinner the world will condemne me and if a close offender Thou wilt not justifie me Let me therefore be a Saint in sinceritie that God and man may approve and blesse me O Lord God of truth that searchest the heart what will it availe me to have the world accquit me when my conscience shall be a thousand witnesses against me and Thy selfe more then ten thousand consciences to condemne me Keepe me therefore from the blot and follie of Hypocrisie And since Hypocrites are the first-borne of the damned let me have no part in that sinne that I may have no portion with such sinners Let me be the same wheresoever I am in the Closet and Church in secret and publike in the darke and day and let me be alwayes what I should be studying ever to approve my heart and wayes before thee that thou who seest in secret mayest reward me openly O let me set Thee every where before my eyes and my selfe before thine and accordingly walk uprightly before thee till I come to rest eternally with thee O Lord since thou requirest no more to have thy favour on Earth and glory in Heaven but a heart true unto thee and doest pardon and passe by many infirmities where thou seest such a heart Let me not give thee lesse then a sinceritie in thy service God of Truth give me a single heart to serve thee and accept it from me and a Monster of a double heart let Satan never make me From Hypocrisie and lyes of life Lord deliver me Thou that hadst no gaule in thy heart nor guile in thy mouth Blessed Sonne and Truth of God let me be Thine in truth sweet Jesus Amen! FRIDAY Prayer against Inconstancie in good O Lord Thou art immutable what thou art let me be unchangeable what I should be never ceasing to be thy good Child and Servant who ever continuest to be my good Father and Lord O Lord There is not one moment in which I can be or live without thy goodnesse and shall there be many dayes wherein thou art without my service The glory with which thou rewardest it is to all eternity and shall the duties of it faile and fall short of constancy O my God! had I the age of Angels to live I owe the service of all that life unto thee and now that I have but a span of time shall I keepe away a great part of that from thee O Lord let me not so much forget thee and my selfe as to doe thus by thee And should I so farre forget my duty let me remember my necessity It is constancie gets the Crown to thy service and shall I fall off from it and lose my Crowne O Lord In what a fearefull condition would my soule be if death should seize me when I am faln off and take me away in that time of sin and have I any assurance this howre the next not to see death And were I sure of life time should I so live and divide it best yeares to the devill and worst to my God Months to vanity minute to piety Day and night looke to this world and not spare an houre for a better Lord Let not the Devill and the World divide my time with thee lest not giving thee all thou takest none from me or giving thee the least share thou throwest it backe upon me Fix my heart on thy feare that no temptation of Devill or man may remove mee Bind my soule with such resolutions to thee that no strength of the flesh may loose me Since I cannot for my bodies frailty serve thee as an Angell without intermission continually let me as a Saint without failing constantly be devoted to thee not as a retainer but daily servant attending upon thee Keeping carefully my howres of devotion and consecrating all my dayes unto thee in a conscionable and constant endeavour in all places ●nd things and at all times to shun all evill and doe what may please thee O thou that art without shadow of change ever the same settle my fickle soule in thy feare and establish thy holy Spirit in me that I may serve thee on earth with constancie and in heaven to all eternity By the grace and merits of him who finished the work of Eternall Redemption for me living and dying to save me and now sits at thy right hand to uphold and keepe me Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen SATURDAY Prayer against impenitence in ill LOrd keepe me from the fearfull sinne and judgment of an impenitent heart Since repentance for sinne is the onely remedy appointed to save me let me not neglect it lest I die for it irrecoverably O Lord what shall become of my guilty soule if thou doe not pardon me And how should I hope thy pardon if I goe on to provoke thee Give me therefore a sorrow for my sinnes past wherein I have offended thee and if I fall by frailty into sin let me not lye without remorse but rise by repentance that I may returne againe into favour with thee O my God if now I will not I shall repent in Hell if not on Earth if not with timely teares in hope in fires with everlasting horrour O let me weep for a time that I may not waile them for ever Let me mourne for them unto comfort rather then rejoyce into confusion From a heart hardned in sin and a conscience seared with guilt Lord keep me as from the threshold of hell And from continuance and custome in sin keep me that I grow not senselesse of it and seared And from multiplying and reiterating the acts of sin keep me that I get not a custome If I sin let my heart smite me that thy hand of vengeance may not touch me And for that hardnesse and habit of ill which I have already got by any acts of sin Deare Saviour help me and heale me Melt my heart in the fire of thy love to a tendernesse of offending thee and O blessed scape-goat * Levi● 16. 21. Goates blood melts Adamant Such is an hard heart Zach. 7. 12. mollifie my hardnesse by the vertue of thy blood that I may not stand stubborne against thee Bow me with thy mercies break me with thy judgments wound me with thy Word move me with
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. ●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 wh●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
of all grace and comfort I beseech thee for his sake who came to save me my Hope my Joy my Jesus Amen A Meditation of the pleasures of Piety ASsemble your selves you Epicures Masters of delights and Professors of all the Arts of Pleasure take Counsels and make Musters of all your powers and wits with all your Students Agents in delectable things and devices One Saint and Servant of God is Commander and Possessour of more joyes than you all 1. Joyes of another Quality than yours faire and pure even the poorest extracted out of the grossest earthly goods as Elixars and Essences Defecate from your dregs of guilt and stings of Conscience A Tun-full of yours is not worth a Viall of theirs Psal 4. 6. Eccles 1 2. Prov. 14. 13 a whole Barrel of your Pitch below a Box of their Balsome 2. And contend you not in Quantitie with them their numbers exceed yours as much as their excellencies Their joyes are Two to one to yours Yours are Psal 4. 6. Jac. 1. 12. for good of this life their 's for ill as well as good And Three to one for goods Yours are for temporall spirituall you doe not tast eternall you cannot hope they have Temporall in hand Spirituall in heart Eternall in eye Nay Ten hundreds thousands to one Yours is from Finite good their 's from Infinite And which multiplies that to ten thousand times ten thousands of millions and more Yours is for time and theirs of that Eternall You are then out-vied every way Yours are the joyes of Servants of Mat. 25. 13 Slaves Theirs the Lords Yours are Heb. 11. 25. Drops theirs Oceans yours Moments Isa 12. 3 theirs Eternities Above them Psal 36. 9. is the spring of heavenly joyes within Isa 30. 10. 1 Pet. 4. 8. Joh. 15. 11. Deut. 12. 7. Jer. 11. 15. them seas of holy solaces about them rivers of Earthly pleasures below them the pudles of your carnall contentments They drinke water pure from the spring and rock and therefore loathe your chanel joyes and even for that drinke it in both more pure and more To all these Territories of joyes have the Saints good rights and it is Phil. 4. 4. Deut. 28. 47. Prov. 1● 10 Psal 17. 14 both their shame and sinne if they doe not take and keep possession Which you cannot judge who are strangers both to their joyes and hearts Nor match who are pent up to your single sole poore pension of worldly-pettie transitory pittances Prince of Epicures enter the lists now with a Prime Servant of Almighty God Summe up all thou canst possesse or imagine of joyes and give in thy totall one of his least figures is more the summe infinitely Have what Solomons braine and state can Eccles 1 2. command of delights adde what Cleopatra's wanton wits and friends can devise of daliances an Ephrem from his Cell a Catherine from her Oratorie shall beat all your great Minions and baffle all your multitudes of joies You have a sense-full of joyes they a soule-full When your eyes run over with laughter your heart is not full Prov. 14. 13. their hearts are so full that they run all over Their Raptures are more great than hearts can hold One prayes God to withdraw a while his heart is too Recede Domine parūper quia vasculū cordis mei ferre nequit little a vessell to containe Him the other cries out to Him the multitude of his joyes overwhelme her O Epicure be a Saint and thou shalt find what thou doest else in vaine seek Obruor multitudine gaudiorum tuorum Domine as thy chief good Joy above all thy joyes in qualitie quantitie height depth bredth length pure as christall great as God high as heaven deep as the heart broader than earth long as eternitie But O Saint be not thou an Epicure if delight draw thy heart thou losest so much in delectation as Religion and abatest thy Soule so much of solace as God of service Believe it if thou wouldst have joy in life and at death for the goods and ills of this life both body and soule-goods enough on earth and more in heaven the only way is to be as thou shouldst be and continue as thou art not an Epicure but a Saint Service against Malicee for Monday or other day Morning Prayer Psal 7. 10. Lesson Prov. 24. Mat. 5. v. 43. Evening-Prayer Psal 35. 62. Lesson Levit. 19. 1 Cor. 5. or Tit. 3. 1 Pet. 2. ¶ Collect or Prayer against Malice O Thou Divine Goodnesse keep me from Malice the very Soule of Satan and proper sinne of the Devill Thou O God art Love He then is Hatred and if malice be in me I shall be as he is one whom unlesse thou hatest thy selfe thou canst not love From such a detestable and damned disposition Lord deliver me Let not Satans brand be on my brest and his soule in my body lest being marked for him he seize me as his owne and take me and carry me from thee body and soule Lord stamp thy love on my heart that I may be sealed for thee and as thy owne claimed by thee And since this is the Cognisance of thine to love one another let me not weare his Badge in a visible malice to any that all may know that I am thine A Child of thy Family a Dove of thy Flock a Lamb of thy Fould without gaule or mind to doe mischief to any Delighting like thee to do good to all Even for his sake who did wish and doe evill to none Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Daily Prayers Remedies against malice 1. IT is a Toad swelling with venome in the heart to God who is love a 1 Joh. 4. 8. 1 Joh. 1. 12. more odious because like the Devil most abominable The Devils heart in mans body 2. To cast keep out this venome of the Serpent 1. Consider 1. Men are mortall their enmities therefore should not be immortall b Eph. 4. 26. 2. Men are mutable Whom now I hate I may hereafter need as in Joseph c Gen. 42. 6. and Jeptha d Jud. 11. 7. 3. Men are amiable e Prov. 8. 31. all after Gods image and bought by Christs blood f Gen. 9. 6. 4. No man is the Christians enemy g Heb. 2. 9. Rom. 14. 15 as God he hates the sinne not the man h Mat. 5. 44. 5. If there be antipathie in nature it must be mastered by grace i Gal. 5. 24. which must doe miracles to nature 2. Beware 1. Of Anger That if it kindle it continue not to be wrath and so coole into malice k Ephes 4. 26. 2. Of men of Malice set upon mischiefe l Prov. 4. 15. 16. Service against Revenge for Thursday or other day Morning Prayer Psalm 94. Lessons Deut. 32. vers 35. or 1 Sam. 24. Luke 18. Evening Prayer Psal 18. v. 47. Lessons 1 Sam. 25.
man from growing to the height of piety to Sūma 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. ●1 Malum impatientia est boni Tert. and mischiefe An Enemy to Heaven and Auxiliary to Hell 6. A Sinne which weakens and wast●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. ● 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 temper●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
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
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 ho●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 ipsū 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 ●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 ●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 Christū 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 Depre●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 H●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
quiet that thou dost serve God at home when others Worship him at Church That 's good in it time O my Soul when Sicknesse or Necessity confines thee to a House a Sacrifice acceptable to God but else an offering of an ill and offensive Savour to God and man like meat out of Season At other timies it looks like an Integrity and Holinesse but now like a Singularity and boldnesse Be not thou no not in thy Closet Gods little Chappell when others are at his Greater the Church Thou must not put him to a Private Audience when he hath appointed thee a Publick But for him to see thee in thy Bed when he looks for thee in his Court To Spie thee at thy Glasse when thou shouldst be looking in His Word To be found at thy Jam. 1. 23. Dresses when thou shouldst be at thy Prayers To be taking or giving Addresses to man when thou shouldst be making them to God O My Soule When thou wouldst have God to loath thee let such postures of Profanenesse appeare in thee My Soule My Soule Believest thou God hath his Day of Doome I know thou believest I charge thee then as thou wilt answer it at that Dreadfull day by no means unless the plea be just Heb. 10. 25 before God by no meanes for these or any such like ends be bestowed in thy Chamber when others are assembled at Church All excuses set aside which Conscience dare not avow at that great Audit behave thy selfe more like a Saint and Servant of God be found and seen where they are in the Sanctuarie Deare Soul If thou dost otherwaies where canst thou be better found Are there better Companions then Saints and Angels Is any Greater then God Any Nobler Employment then to wait on Divine Majesty Any happier place then Heaven Any weightier businesse then Happinesse Loe They and This are here Saints Ministring Psal 74. 7. House of Glory Isay 6. 8. Gen. 28. 17. Regia Dei ipsum coelii Chrys Ezek. 46. 10. 2 Chro. 23 13. 2 Chro. 6. 13. Angels Assisting God Residing Heaven Appearing Happinesse Working Heaven in figure is before thee the Gate by thee and where is happinesse but in Heaven What then Thinkest thou any too great to serve God I know thou art too good to thinke it too wise to believe it The Prince hath his Pillar in Gods Temple There Great Solomon Kneeles * Eccl. Hist Eus de V. C. l. 4 c. 33. Stans concionem audit alit●r renuit rogatus licet Constantine Stands before Him Wert thou Prince King Emperour never so great a Man Nay Cherubim Seraphim Throne never so great an Angell it would be thy Honour to be his Minister And dost thou a Man no Angel a Worm no Man dost thou distaine on Earth what they doe in Heaven Dost thou Dan. 7. 10. Apoc. 4. 10 Job 4. 18 19. Psal 2● 6. despise what the greatest have done on Earth Or dost thou pretend affairs when Crowns are noe Excuses Nay therefore My Soule wait on God the rather that he without whose blessing all Designes are vaine may Psal 127. 1. Prov. 19. 21. Prov. 16. 3. speed thy Dispatches and Prosper thy Affaires But If thou hast either sense of thy Makers Honour or thy own Salvation If any love to God or man be in thee If any care of Piety or Prosperity If not given up to an utter neglect of thy owne and others wordly and heavenly welfare I charge thee O My Soule and recharge thee Take heed and tremble to keepe others from Church unnecessarily to wait upon thee at home when thou and they should be waiting on God in his Sanctuarie Art thou their God that to attend thy Will they must neglect His Worship Or art thou the Greater God that thou must be served before Him An Idoll thou maist be sure a God thou art not So Hic fur est l●●ro qui furari voluit gloriam ●uam Deu● 14. 26. thou Robbest God of his Honour and drawest thine into the Robbery O my Soule Be not such a Theife to Heaven Doe but consider it and thou wilt condemne it and never more be Guilty of such high dishonesty Thou must have care that thou and thine Jos 24. 15 House serve the Lord not take course to keep thee and them from his Service The King after Gods owne Psal 42. 4. Heart Went with a multitude into the House of God held not many from it Was one of the Holy Round and Ring of Worshippers not sitting in a Chaire Psal 26. 6. when he should be standing before the Altar not with them about him that should be with him about God! Dear Soul Bring all to Heaven thou canst hinder none from it And though Atheisme sit in the doore of some Lips that dare say Religion is but Policy let it not lurk in any corner of thy Mal. 3. 14. Heart so much as to think Piety an Impertinency A Ceremony to be Exod. 5. 17 done when there is nothing else to doe No my Soul There is no other Rom 6. 22 way to Heaven and the Church is Isa 35. 8. Gods High way What is done and not in Religion or Order to it is Impertinent Eccles 5. 6 all And the Lord keep thee and thine from their Death and Misery whose 1 Cor. 10. 7 1 Pet. 1. 17. Conversation is a meer Pastime and their Life an Impertinency As therefore Philip had his Morning-Memento to tell him he was a Man to keep him from Pride have thou some Evening-Remembrancer to minde thee the Night before the next day is for God to prevent such Profanenesse That by disposing thy self to a Timely rest that Night thou maist have better time and Spirit to serve God on his day Look at late Companies then as Vipers and shake them off as such Wasts of time especially Holy work stings of Conscience It is thy Mothers Counsell The Churches use Saturday is half Holy-day that Sunday may be whole And sure the Devout Mother that would have God thought on that Afternoone would not have him forgot that After-night much lesse neglected on the After-day No my Soul If thou dost honour thy Lord and Saviour thou must not despise His Day The day of the Lord. Nay if thou hast any love to Religion thou canst not For what is that but the Service of the Lord and this but his Day Nay if thou hast any care of happinesse For what is this but thy Saviours Day and how that but because set apart to seek Salvation Thy L d Christ rose this day out of his Grave to save thee and wilt not thou rise out of thy Bed to serve Him Is that the way to uphold an House to pull down the Piller My Soul If Piety have no set day for her P●actise Religion will soone fall to ruine Without that it will not be visible but vanish to nothing and thy Bli●se with it For surely
Almighty God if thou hast not care as well to Do as Say thy Prayers Observe then some hours for thy Devotion but all Time in thy Conversation The Eternitie which God will give and the Goodnesse which preserves thee every Psal 104. 13. moment will not abate a Minute of all for this thou owest him Service all Luk. 1. 75. the daies of thy Life every houre of the Act. 28. 7. day every Minute of the hour Thou must doe him Homage at Some Times Deut. 19. 9. Injurie at none Kneel at Times before him and pray but Offend and provoke Deut. 6. 13. 10. 12. 2 Tim. 1. 5. Act. 24. 16. 2 Cor. 1. 12. Rom. 12. 1 Deut. 8. 6. Psal 119. 5. Prov. 3. 6. Heb. 9. 14. Psal 119. 5. 6. him never My Soule Keeping a good Conscience is doing Him this Service In all thy waies then studie thou to keep a good Conscience That is a Conformitie betwixt his and thy waies His Will and thy Life His Laws and thy Cou●ses And since thy Thoughts Words and Deeds are the Three Courses of thy Life how they are to be run take Direction by his Lawes And let Solomon that great and Wise King teach The Government of thy Thoughts Keep thy Heart with all diligence Prov. 4. 23 A litle will not serve All is litle enough For thou canst not keep hand or Tongue without this Their courses being rivers that Spring in the Mat. 15. 19 Heart Out of the Heart proceed evill thoughts Murders Adulteries Fornications Thefts False-witnesse Blasphemies Ill words deeds thoughts all flow from the heart The Womb of Job 15. 35 Psal 7. 14. Isa 59. 4. wickednesse the Nest of evill No birth no bird without it With all diligence then look to it Since the Triplicitie of all ill is from it a Double a Treble Watch be ever over it Watch then My Soule that no ill thoughts lodge in it Come they may they will Jer. 4. 14. by force of Temptation or Corruption but stay they must not If the Gates of Sense let them in upon thee doe not Board them do not Bed them Consent not to them Delight not in them Thoughts are like Birds they come as swift and fly as high their hovering thou canst not hinder But their nestling thou maist If of an ill feather thou must Suffer them and Deut. 14. 11 12. they will hatch fledge and flie abroad out of tongue or hand in words or deeds of wickednesse If then Flesh or Devill bring an ill thought into thy heart Wandring or wicked to God or Man any way ill doe thou forthwith frowne and turne it out Bid it not Welcome but Avant And if that will not put it pray it away Groane to God under it that He may remove it And if yet it will not goe call in Help from God against it seeke Job 33. 23 Ghostly Counsell about it My Soule If an Infant Thought grow too strong for thee if it grow man how wil it Master thee Crie out then at first and call in more strength then thy own to drive it from thee And because it is so hardly got out if once let in therefore watch what thou canst to keep it out See to the Cinque-ports and at every Gate of sense Mark 13. 37. Psal 119. 37. Job 31. 1. 7. Prov. 4. 25 17. 4. 2 Sam. 11. 8 Prov. 7. 21 Gen. 3. 1. 6 Nec potestarx mentis capi nisi per portas bostiles irruat exercitus set a Watch And the Eyes and Eares especially as the Principall Gates David had never had so much as the thought of Adulterie had he looked better to his Eyes Nor would the Whorish woman have come into the Young mans heart had he kept her out of his Eares At these two gates Adam was taken and Mankind lost Nor is the fort of the Heart almost Dow got till we give up those Outwarks Gazing on Temptation and listning to the Devill is the over-throw of Man For if heart be gone all is lost As the first thing which lives it 's the last which dies as well in Spirituall as Naturall life If that then be departed thou art a Child of death For out of it are the issues of Life Above all keeping then Prov. 4. 23 Keep thy Heart Yes and keep thy Tongue too As thy Life look to thy Tongue It is S. Peters Transcript of King Davids Proclamation Who is the man that Psal 34. 13 1 Pet. 3. 10. wouldlive long and see good Dayes let him keep his tongue from evill and his lips that they speak no guile It is unruly and apt to run to Evill Jac. 3. 2. Jac. 1. 26. a Bridle therefore thou must have for it And what is that Surely Gods Law is a Bit his Threat a Curb thy Resolution a Rein all make a good Bridle The Bit is in every Mouth Prov. 4. 24 Psal 12. 3. the Curb in every Ear the Rein should be in every Heart If the Tongue go against Law it must come unto Judgment Even Words must be accounted Jude v. 15 16. for If Vain thou must answer for their Idlenesse The Judg assures it If Vile Mat. 12. 36 then thou must look to answer for their Ilness The Judg pronounceth it For by thy words thou shalt be justified Mat. 12. 37. Job 6. 26. and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Though but wind as they blow from Holy or unholy Spirit they waft to Heaven or Hel. My Soul look to it Life and Death are in the power of the Tongue This made David rein his in I said I will look to my wayes I Pro. 18. 21. Psal 39. 1. will take heed that I offend not with my Tongue He will keep it as with a Bridle He said he would he resolved it should be so He did not bite it out as the * Apud Hier. Young man did his tongue to save his Conscience but in he did and so must thou My Soul thou needest not be so severe It 's the Trumpet of Gods Psa 51. 15 Psal 71. 8. honour the Organ of his Praise his Servant and Sanctuary must not be mute do not then ruine but rule thy Psal 29. 9. tongue Bite it then in and if need be bite it but not out And the Rein wil be more easie if the Heart be wel Rul'd For out of the abundance of the Mat. 12. 34 35. heart the mouth speaketh good or ill as it is restored with grace or wickedness Where no Restraint of ill thoughts there will be liberty for ill words For what are words but born thoughts and what are thoughts but conceived words Misconceptions make mis-shapen Births Seest thou not O my Soul How unchaste 2. Pet. 2. 18. hearts have tongues ful of Filthiness And a stewes is in the mouth when a Whore is in the Heart Have Jude v. 13. not Prophane
thy self and that 's all All that either Law or Gospell askes For all is but To live godly and righteously and soberly Tit. 2. 12. in this present world And as love is in summe all that so Charity is Mic. 6. 8. Rom. 13. 10. Mat. 9. 13. Mat. 5. 23 24. Heb. 13. 16. in short all love God himself makes it chief of all He will have mercy and not Sacrifice He gives it Place before Piety He loves thy Almes before his Offerings and had rather see an Empty Altar then an unreconciled Brother Nay for Gods sake to doe man good is to make a Sacrifice of mercy A most sweet and acceptable Sacrifice Phil. 4. 18. and most honoured Piety No marvaile then if it take place of justice The truth is it is a Piece of it and Prov. 3. 27 Deut. 15. 7 Psa 112. 9. so principall that in the Holy Tongue one word speakes both Almes are debts to the needy by his Law who is Lord of thee and thine and the payment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 5. 7. Luk. 11. 41. Dan. 4. 27. Mat. 25. 34 35. Prov. 19. 17. Mat. 25. 40 so good as procures from him a generall Acquittance though but a particular Duty Nay not a Cancell onely of the debt but a Crown to the Debtour And wonder not at it O my Soul since it makes thee Creditour to thy God and Benefactour to thy Saviour As if as all is nothing without 1 Cor. 13. 23. 1 Joh. 3. 17 nothing were all with charity the chief of all As then it is in thy power shew it 1 Cor. 16. 2 Abate something of Back and Belly rather then have nothing in thy power With thy Superfluities provide the poor of necessaries * Superflua divitū necessaria pauperum Eph. 4. 28. Ex. 32. 3. Job 31. 9. Did they give their Ear-rings to make a God wilt thou quit nothing to save a Man shall all be Lavished away that should Ezek. 16. 49. be so laid out All to Vanity nothing for Mercy O My Soul Tremble to think how such accounts will passe at the great Audit-Day If thou canst at Phil. 4. 17. Luke 16. 2 once Discharge thy self and oblige thy God why dost thou bind over thy self by such actions of wast to answer Mat. 19. 21 Mat. 25. 42. Divine Justice at the Dreadfull Day of Judgement Dear Soul Read and avert the Doome thou canst not answer it Yea see it in Execution and quake to see it Dives that would Luk. 16. 21 24 25. not give a Crumb of Bread hath not a Drop of Comfort How much better had it been to have fed Lazarus then fared so deliciously To have given Almes then received Torments not to have spent so much on the Flesh rather then end in Fire Dear Soul be thou more devoted to charity let that never be thy End look to all but to that above all thy workes as thou dost unto thy words and thoughts This my Soul makes thy Conscience Luk. 1. 6. good and thy Service great when it takes care to keep all thy wayes right Indeed it is that then which nothing is more pretious to give thy self a holy 1 Sam. 15. Rom. 2. 12 Psa 50. 23 Sacrifice unto his Service nothing is desired more I beseech you therefore by the mercies Rom. 12. 1 of God that ye present your Bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable ervice The summe of this Soliloquie God being our God even unto death must be served all our life Psal 48. 13 Our Conscience of all our wayes is his perpetuall Service To look to our thougbts words and deeds is to have care of all our wayes 1. The Heart must be strictly kept because the Spring of all ill is in the Heart First Motions must be repell'd and the Senses well watcht if we will keep the Heart Eyes and Eares must be chiefly watcht of all the Senses 2. The Tongue must be bridled as we love our life Gods Law and Threat and Mans Resolution make a strong Bridle The Tongue will be easily rein'd if the Heart be rul'd and hardly else It will flie out if God keep not the Door of the lips Taciturnity is a good lock to keep it in 3. The Hand must be bound from ill to good To God and Man it must doe no Act. 24. 16 evill but all good True love performes all Charity to Man is by God accounted as the Principall and totall of Love If we have to spare we must spend if not pinch rather then want to lay out on workes of Charity Thursday-Soliloquie Remora's in Religion OR A Soliloquie shewing the Soule the Errors and Dangers in the waies of Godlinesse and how to avoid them MY Soule To keep thy selfe continually Serviceable to thy God is a great and hard Government More to Rule thy litle then the Greater world but Prov. 16. 32. 25 28. will be easied by some Helps which are to be had If thou wilt Avoid what Hinders and Observe what Furthers thee in the way to Heaven And if thou dost survey all thou wilt see that false Principles Bad Customes Vile Companies Vaine Scruples and Ghostly Negligences are Principall Bars and Hinderances Conscience is Gods clock to teach thee how to know and Spend thy Time in his Service but given thee to Keep If then the wheels be ill that move it or Dialls false that guide it or it kept foule or thou forgetfull of it how should the motion possibly be rectified and it goe right And My Soule Principles and Habits are the Wheels Examples Dialls Scruples Dusts Rests forgettings of it Minde and Will are the Wheels on which Humane Actions move ill Principles and Habits Spoile the Wheels And of many as the very Pests and Perversions of all Regular life eye these as 1. Ill Principles To thinke thy selfe good because thou seest others worse For so there shall be but One man Bad in the world to wit the worst Nay not One because be he never so bad the Devill is worse Ephes 3. 8 Rather Judge thy selfe bad whilest thou ●eest a better because by the grace of God didst thou equally pray and endeavour it alike thou mightest be as good By leave of that thou maist be very naught That Principle therefore is bad And no better 2. To thinke thy selfe not bad because Particularly good So Abimelech had beene as good as Abraham God Gen. 20. 6 Psal 119. 6 knowes he did not Adulterate Sarah act or thought For that his heart was upright Yea but if it encline or leane to any ill the heart is not upright for then since there is some Sin which every 2 Kings 10 31. one hates because a contrariety of Sins and some he loves the World which hath many would not have One Hypocrite And since no man is universally ill there should not be one Sinner I may
State his Palace is an Inne His bed a Manger His Throne a Cratch His Canopy none but Webbs which Spiders spin him Is it for strength then the Oxe is better For Beauty He lies in Soile and dust For wit It falls down at his feet Lo whom a Star and Angels Mat. 2. 11. Mat. 2. 2. Luc. 2. 8 9 2 Cor. 8. 9 and Sages proclaim Lord King of Heaven and Earth he is born thus poor that thou shouldst not be proud 2. His life is like his Birth to kill thy Covetousnesse He had no Lands to Lord but to walk in No Mounts to climb but to kneel on Mount Olivet Luc. 22. 39. Mat. 14. 13. 19. was his Closet and the Desert his House His Table the Grasse no Covering but Heaven His Provisions not the purchase of Monies but Miracles By them and Loanes he lives If he ride if he rest if he feast with his Friends Beast Bed Roome all are borrowed Birds and Beasts were provided Mat. 21. 3. Luk. 22. 11 better they had their Nests and Holes He not where to lay his Head Mat. 8. 20. Mat. 27. 60. Mat. 3. 16 17. Mat. 17. 5. Joh. 12. 29 Mat. 25. 14. 15. Luk. 16. 2. Nor House nor Tomb Dead or Living Not He He whom Heaven own'd by Voice and Signe for the Beloved Sonne of God the Lord of all would have nothing that thou shouldst not gape for much and Grasp at all Thou that by his favour dost borrow all of Gods and must account for all not laid out for him And can his Passion revive and lust live No for 3. His Death is the Crucifixion of lust a 1 Pet. 4. 1. 2. 24. Rom. 6. 16. Gal. 2. 20. It crucified him as the cause b Rom. 4. 25. 1 Pet. 2. 22 and thou must crucifie it c Gal. 5. 24 that 's the Consequent And as they him thou it that 's the Patterne d 2 Cor. 13. 4. And as he it so thou that 's the Power e Rom. 6. 11. Come lustfull thoughts Clap his thorns to thy Head Rise wanton Lusts Thrust his Speare to thy heart Tempt fleshly Deeds Strike his nailes into thy hands and into thy feet at such Motions If to Drunkennesse put his Spunge to thy mouth If to Gluttony bring his Gall to thy Palate In short whatever the flesh lusts for for his Deaths sake denie it At Bed or Board let it no where Obtaine let his Crosse crucifie it Golgotha burie it Let it not live the Lord of Life suffered Death for it And for thee that thou shouldst not let it Live That thou die not for 1 Pet. 2. 14 Rom. 8. 13 ever for it Alas my Soul If thy lust struck him who had none of his own Dead how shouldst thou who hast all 2 Cor. 5. 21 Isa 53. 45. and of thy owne Live How not be D●om'd and damn'd to eternall Death Gal. 5. 21. My Soule If thou sadly thinke of God in those foure and of Christ in these three these will be like wisdoms Seaven Prov. 9. 1. Pillers to build up thy heart to all Godlinesse And though such thoughts be the Epicures Dreads and Atheists follies Beleive thou God who loves not thy griefe and wisheth thee no better wisdome And despise not the Inspirations of the Almighty which are Gods Aids to advance that blessed worke My Soule Make much of them if they be Gods For 2. Holy Motions are great helps to Pietie Indeed when Holy Motions and Meditations meet as most what they doe as they make a blessed mixture and union of Holy Spirits Gods and mans So they give a great strength by the juncture and concurrence of two such Holy Hands in one and the same Soule mans and Gods And the worke will goe on that 's undertaken by such two 1 Joh. 4. 1. Ezek. 13. 3 Jer. 31. 33. Ezek. 11. 19. But My Soul It is as necessary as worthy thy knowledg to discern which be and which be not the Motions of the Holy Spirit For if another to it Delusion leads thee and if it guide thou wilt follow it The Tryall of Spirits is That is not Gods which is not Holy nor the Motions His which are not Heavenly For Gods Law is the way when his Spirit is the Guide Which did dictate and therefore will never drive Isa 8. 20. Joh. 16. 13 14 15. Gal. 1. 8. 2 Joh. 10. 2 Cor. 3. 6 from that way As being ever the same and never contrary to it selfe Even Gods Spirit in his Word makes this Tryall And when the Spirit is found Right make much of the Motions They are Rom. 8. 14 1 Cor. 11. 1. from an High my Soule Thou must not bring and bow them to thy Mind but it to them When God is leader thou must not goe before but keep the place of a follower And follow after in Gods name for it Leads ro Heaven It is no worse nor lesse A Messenger from it a Guide to it All good and regular Motion is from the first and Best Mover It is an Angell sent from Heaven for Mal. 2. 1. ● Angelus nuncius what 's that more then a Heavenly Messenger Take heed then Deare Soule Thou doe not entertaine bad and neglect good motions That 's to observe a Devill before an Angell Give not Audience to the Devils Messenger before Gods Embassadour That is to be tyed in too strict a league with Hell too loose with Heaven Beleive it there is as much difference betwixt a good and a bad Motion as a Cherub and a Fiend and betwixt their Isa 8. 19. entertainments as an Angels and a Devils And in their ends too For the one weighes to the Center below the other lifts up to the Circumference above A Seraphim to fire the heart and carry it up in the flame That is a Hellish Firebrand this the Heavenly Isa 6. 6. coale Thou art in some errour and the light of this is to lead thee right At a stand and coole in good and the heat of this is to wa●me thee and lead thee on Under a fall of grace dead under the ashes of prevailing frailty 1 Thes 5. 19. And this is to quicken thy sparke and stir it up O my Soule then Kindle not the Hellish Quench not the Heavenly coale Quench not the Spirit Cast not water and Earth upon it Drown not the Motions in Sensuall and secular pleasures and affaires Thy heart is the hearth where it is to burne but if good acceptance and endeavours Ephes 4. 30. 2 Tim. 1. 6 doe not blow and stir it up it will goe out They make the Bellowes for this Holy fire O my Soule Have dread of this The Messenger oft refus'd will come Act. 13. 46. Luc. 13. 35. Cant. 5. 23 6 7. Rom. 1. 28 2 Thes 2. 3 1 Sam. 16. 14. Luc. 12. 3. 1 Tim. 4. 1. Luc. 11. 26. Apoc. 3. 10. no more
argue from his singular thy same condition Nor from the Parable of the Eleaventh hour to thy Call at the last For what if those Hours be the Ages of the world then from Christs first comming to his second is the Eleventh And what if the Ages of Man Mind my Soul who Mat. 20. 7. was called He that was not before Hired But how oft hast thou had offers and refused Think then of the five Mat. 25. 12 Mat. 22. 7. Virgins as well as the five Labourers And of the Kings Supper as of the Lords Penny And for thy daily Recusancy Luk. 14. 28 look more to be excluded then admitted Heaven And to what To work till the time of wages My Soul death is the time to take the Penny The night in which no man can and Joh. 9. 4. when it should end hast thou not begun thy work And Whither but into the Vineyard of the Church out of the Market-place of the world and thou dost nothing but stand idle or doe ill in the Vineyard ever since by Baptisme taken in And Who calls but the Lord And if thou dost all thy life time refuse his work will he at death call thee to his Wages The Eleventh hour of the day then may be as well the Morn or Noon as Night of thy life No hope then if when called betimes 't is late ere thou wilt come Nor is that so Promising At what Ezek 18. 21. Aug. time soever It is that the Penitent shall have Pardon but where that tho Sinner shall be Penitent It is If he be it 's not that if he shall And must be from the bottome of the heart not from Ita versio Liturgica a frighted Phansie or quavering lip My Soul it is a great way from the Top of the Heart to the Bottome Jer. 17. 9. Psal 64. 6. And is a turning from wickednesse not against it That reacheth to the life from the Heart but that the Death-Bed cannot doe And though it be when it is not howsoever yea and for all that there are bounds to that when A set Place for Jezebel a Day for Jerusalem Apoc. 2. 21. Luk. 19. 42 Gen. 6. 3. a time for the world Too late thou maist repent too soon thou canst not If the Glasse be run the Sun Heb. 12. 17. Amos 8. 9 Eccl. 8. 12. Eccl. 9. 10. Luk. 13. 25 Pro. 1. 28. set though Noon naturall woe to thee it is too late The Door of mercy though it stand long open will at last be shut Wisdom it self shuts the Door All these then plead little for thee Nay doth not every one much against thee For my Soul if of two Thieves one was damned is it not an Eaven lay whether thou be saved whether thou shalt die Repenting or Blaspheming the Right-hand or the Left-hand Thief Is it not so by the President If some be called at the Eleaventh hour but all before from the first to that Is it not ten to one ods if ever thou be called if thou neglect the work of thy Salvation till the Eleaventh Is it not so by the Parable If when and not till when I repent I shall live Is it not a hundred to one nay a hundred thousand to one ods if I defer it I shall die Is not this the straight gate which for want of mind Mat. 7. 13. or time or grace few find because they seek it with Sin which they are loath Isa 55. 6. to lose till life and Soul and all be lost S. Jerome sayes my Soul There E centum millibus vix benè moritur malè qui vivit Hier. dies well that lives ill not one of a Hundred thousand And to prove his summe From Adam to Christ that have so lived and died we read but of one but one of many Thousands of Millions Without delay therefore Ioel 2. 12. now also turne even to him with all thy Heart with fasting and with weeping and with mourning and Rent thy Heart and not thy Garment and turne to the Lord. The Lord sayes it who delights not in thy death poor Sinner whosoever Ez. 33. 11. thou art And therefore would have thee by a true and timely Repentance Act. 3. 19. to recover thy health and life For from Soul-sicknesse that 's Gods Recovery 2 Tim. 2. 25. Recovery My Soul That may be a wholsome but a wearisome course to plow up thy Jer. 4. 3. Hos 10. 12. Heart and Harrow thy whole man with daily and continuall duty will make thee apt to faints and perhaps some ground will passe untouch'd and some clod unbroke when all is done Psal 19. 12 there will be failings and need to repent 1 Joh. 3. 20 thy very repenting To Comfort and Confirme thee therefore against this provision is made by the mercy of God And Faith is the Cordiall And for Materialls and vertues if 1 Tim. 1. 5 Job 28. 25 28. true a most Rare one Gold and Pearle and Corall are not Comparable to it Manus Christi is not Sanguis Christi makes it Nay Bloud and Spirit Godhead and Manhood Vertues and Merits what He did doe say Suffer all Christ and all Christs is it 1 Cor. 1. 30. Mat. 11. 28 1 Joh. 2. 1. Phil. 2. 9. Joh. 6. 50. Gal. 3. 27. Joh. 8. 36. 2 Cor. 8. 9. Phil. 4. 13. Isa 61. 1. 1 Thes 1. 10. Christ the Onely Cordiall to a Sinfull Soule None to Him None but Christ And Jesus None to that The Name above all names Bread to the starv'd Cloth to the Naked Freedome to the fetter'd Wealth to the begger'd Strength to the Faint Light to the darke Life to the dead Deliverance to the damn'd all 's in Jesus My Soule Christ is a Name of Medicine * Anointed Heb. 1. 9. Jesus of Health Saviour Mat. 1. 21. Mal. 4. 1. 1. Tim. 1. 15. Heb. 9. 11 12. There 's His Oyle but here thy Salvation Gladnesse that thou hast a Christ but thy happinesse in Jesus Healing is in his wings Saving his Worke Health in his Name Redemption his Office Against Sin Hell Guilt Wrath Devill Death Woundings Faintings Swounings no Remedies to Jesus And Faith makes the application * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys Joh. 3. 14 15. Joh. 6. 37. Joh. 1. 12. Rom. 7. 4. 2 Cor. 11. 12 Eph. 3. 17. Joh. 6. 47. Heb. 3. 18. Rom. 13. 14 Gal. 2. 20. Joh. 14. 16 The eye by which I see Him The foot on which I come to Him The hand by which I take Him The Ring by which I Marry Him The House in which I dwell with Him The Board at which I feed on Him The Bed on which I rest in Him The Vest in which I weare Him The Soule by which I live in Him The Body by which he lives in me What doth thus unite to the All-saving Comforter must needs be Cordiall And thence are in it
Trees are blown up with bitter Blasts well-rooted stand against all Winds yea by them better rooted and more strong to stand Holy Jobes and Holy Josephs Preservative It Preserves against High Censure Rom. 2. 13 2 Cor. 2. 7. Luk. 18. 11. Mat. 26. 25. Job 42. 7. 2 Chro. 28 10. 2 Chro. 30 18 19. 1 Joh. 3. 20 21. Luc. 8. 15. Psal 66. 16. Prov. 4. 4. Luc. 2. 51. Prov. 2. 1. 2. of others Infirmities a great Block and too deep a Sense of thy owne a sore Rub in the way to Heaven Hypocrisie Judgeth others Integrity it Selfe It Keeps the Heart against Maine Offences and God imputes not meaner trespasses The Sister of Charity and Daughter of Mercy Obeds and Hezekiahs Preservative It Preserv's Prayer in favour and the Word in fruitfulnesse The Key and Doore of heaven That clean T●is open It gaines that Audience of Gods Eare and gives this Entrance into mans heart Gets prayer good respect and Provides the word Due entertainment Prayers Advocate and the Words Treasurer King Davids and King 1 Pet. 2. 1. 2 Luc. 2. 19. Solomons Preservative It Preserves against Sin the Gate of Hell and against the World the Mat. 7. 13. Ephes 2. 2. Psal 23. 6. Job 31. 27 Ibi pecca ubi Deus non videt Bern. Psal 119. 168. Gen. 29. 10. Rom. 8. 35. Gen. 17. 1. Dan. 6. 5 10 11. Hinge of Sin The Hollow-heart will not in open the upright not in Secret He looks at mans eye this at Gods And therefore dare Sin no where because he sees God every where The Chast Body will neither be Courted nor frighted to ill The Heart which hath Singlenesse for God looks at the World as the Devills Wanton and neither Lures nor shackles Bracelets nor Manicles Golden nor Iron-chaines Gaines nor Losses Pleasures nor Tortures Honours nor Disgraces can tempt it to be naught Holy Abrahams and Holy Daniels Preservative My Soule canst thou perish and have such a Preservative No if it be of Gods making But for His Sugar take not Satans Mercury 1. To be True to thy Side and Trusty to thy way with all thy heart and Soule that 's nothing if it be not right Nay to owne Act. 26. 10 truth and goodnesse wheresoever thou seest and like and love it with thy mind and heart that 's to be true to 2 King 9. 32. God whosoever is on or against the Side If not thou art more for thy Side then God 2. To desire from thy 2 King 10 30 31. heart to be what thou should'st but yet not contribute more to it then Prov. 21. 25. mere desire that 's Somewhat of it in Conception but nothing in Birth Though for Christs sake thy Doing well be abated to Endeavour it comes Act. 24. 26. Phil. 2. 13. Isa 26. 8. not to so litle as Desire If not effectuall which is all one with it what goes no further in thy account may come to much but with God comes to Nothing 3. Nor will hearty Endeavour NUm 23 10. and Deed too passe for it if onely to Some good and against Some ill or Gen. 20. 3. Mar. 6. 20. Psal 119. 6. for much but not all True Obedience will not give Dispensation from any Law Loyall Integrity dare never aske or take leave and Licence at any Place 1 Sam. 26. 8 9. to rebell My Soule feed not Corrupted Nature with such Sweets as these Though Job 20. 12. Ezek. 13. 19. they seeme Sugars they are meere Mercuries Made not for thy health but bane not Medicines but Poysons of thy Life not Preservative to it but Destructive the wayes to Hell and Death As thou dreadest them then looke well to thy Selfe Mistake not Poyson for thy Preservative A Sound Heart in tru●h not errour is that whch Maintaines thy Life And now my Soule See at once all wht is required for thy Health How to Try How to Take How to Valew all One by another is their best way of Tryall Forward Repentance without Faith is Desperate Sorrow Faith 2 Cor. 7. 10. 2 Cor. 2. 7 Jam. 2. 14. 2 Pet. 1. 5. Rom. 18. 23. without Obedience Blod Presumption Backward Obedience without Faith Blind and unjustified Service Faith without Repentance Weake and unwarranted Beleife To Repent and not Beleive is to 1 Tim. 1. 5 Heb. 6. 1. Jude 20. Luk. 14. 20 Heb. 3. 6. 2 Cor. 7. 1. Mat. 3. 8 9 lay a foundation and not build To Beleive and not Obey is to build without a Roofe To obey and not Beleive is to clap the roofe on the Ground-worke To Beleive and not Repent is to build without foundation Repentance alone is Recovery without strength Faith alone strength without use Obedience alone Darknesse with strength Turne then and take them as you will this is the just Tryall That 's Right Repentance that hath Faith and Obedience after it a Act. 20. 21. 26. 20. That 's Sound Obedience that hath Faith and Repentance before it b Rom. 16. 26. Heb. 6. 1. That 's True Faith that hath Repentance before and Obedience after it My Soule then thou for thy health Mar. 1. 15. 1 Tim. 1. 5 must have all if thou wilt have it true sound and right And wouldst thou know how thou art to take all Sure til thou art in Heaven with perfect cure thou must use on 1 Cor. 13. 9 Phil. 3. 13. earth continuall Remedy Repent every day Believe every hour Obey every Moment There is no day wherein thou dost not Sin no night therfore in whichthou Mat. 6. 12. 2 Cor. 7. 1. must not Repent If foul thou must wash If guilty ask pardon If sick seek cure daily Thou dost never Sin but need a Saviour Never well but hast need of Ro. 6. 23. Neh. 13. 22. favour Of Bloud to clense the guilts of thy ill Of a Robe to cover the blemishes of thy good What Bloud but Phil. 3. 9. from his Side What Robe but on his Rom. 3. 25 Ephes 1. 7. Back Where else my Soul canst thou heal thy wounds or hide thy skars but under the Righteousness of his Innocent life Purpled in his most pretious Apoc. 7. 14 Jer. 33. 16. Isa 53. 11. Bloud If thou then art not without Sin a day thou canst not be without Christ an Hour lest for want of a Savior thou be lost in the very minute Rom. 6. 23 Heb. 4. 16. Phil. 3. 9. of Sinne. In his Bloud then thou must wash take Sanctuary in his Merits shroud thy self under his Robe seek mercy for his sake that is Beleive every hour And Obey him every moment For sure my Soul of whom thou hast continuall need thou must offend him never Finde a Minute when thou wouldst not be in Hell without him and take that time to offend him Eternall deliverance deserves continuall gratitude Vnto him that hath loved Apoc. 1. 5. us and washed us
from our sinnes in his owne Blood and of vassals and slaves of Satan hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father To him be Glory and Dominion and therefore from us Duty and Obedience for ever and ever Amen 3. So then My Soule Take them And Canst thou valew them enough Never too much Thy Bodies Health is worth all the World but thy owne worth more then Ten Thousands of Worlds Ten Millions of Bodies It 's worth as much as Salvation as Eternity comes to beyond all valew As much as thy Christ thy Saviour thy God is worth above Myriads of Salvation For Repentance Recovers thy Sickness * Gods salve for every sore Latimer Tit. 1. 13. Col. 1. 11. Joh. 3. 15. Act. 16. 31 Faith sets thee Sound Obedience keeps thee strong all give a state of good and perfect health and so save from death And my Soule valew faith above all So God doth and therfore ascribes thy health to it alone to shew it the Cheife And so it is Repentance is but a Preparative to it Obedience a Preservative of it Faith is the Royall Grace Repentance the Latimer Ser. 7. before K. Ed Vsher that goes before Obedience that bears up the Train after it The Queen Mother of this the Mistresse to that Regent to both O My Soule The Cordiall is above all because Christ is all in all The Quintessence of Heavenly vertue Col. 3. 11. the Elixar of all Grace the very Sp●rit of Goodnesse and the perfection of all Col. 2. 9. Eph. 1. 23. Col. 1. 15. Perfections both in Heaven and Earth Beare no Heart in thy Body then not this in thy heart O let that pretious Viall never want this Holy Essence Count worldly good grease to this Oyle All Delights death to this Glad Psal 4. 6. Phil. 3. 8. Col. 1. 27. Apoc. 2. 10 Apoc. 3. 11 nesse All Honours shames to this Glory Keep thy Christ as thy Crowne thy Life as the Crowne of Life thy Immortall Crown and Keep thy Faith as Him for thou hast and holdest Him in it Keep Him as thy Saviour and it as thy Salvation Him as thine Heb. 10 19 1 Pet. 1. 3 4 Eph. 2. 18. Jam. 3. 2. Inheritance and this as thine Interest Him as the onely Sanctuary of a troubled Spirit and this as the only Accesse to Him If Defects be in thy Repentance Errors in thy Obedience as there may there will be in both fly by Faith unto thy Sanctuary Hide thy Selfe in his wounds Hold by the Hornes of the Altar Creep under his wings Die within his Armes goe run from the Pursuer of blood to this Heb. 3. 18. 19. City of Refuge Enter in by thy Faith And My Soul Keep the viall clean that the Elixar goe not out Wash it with Repentance and Dry it with Obedience that it be so kept let them doe that Duty to it that doth so much good and help for them And then My Soul thou shalt be healthy and strong and happy in them all Of old all was not enough for thy health but Christ hath Mediated thy Covenant thus New And to doe this Heb. 8. 6. Duty God for his sake will give thee Ability Ability of Grace to doe him acceptable Service Take his Word for it he Promiseth he will And his Command with it for he Saies thou must A New heart will I give you and a Ezek. 36. 26. new Spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart and give you a heart of flesh And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and you shall keep my judgements to doe them Therefore saith the Lord God Repent Ezek. 18. 31 32. and turne your Selves from all your transgressions So iniquity shall not be your ruine Cast away all your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed and make you a new heart and a new Spirit For will yee die O House of Israel For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith the Lord God Wherefore turne your selves and live The Summe of this Soliloquie God hath appointed Remedies against our failings in His Service 2. Repentance is the Sinners first Remedie And a most faire and Soveraigne Remedie Experiments of it Taking it by Halves or Deferring it too long makes it not to be Saving To Delay it to future is dangerous till death Desperate 2. Faith is a Sinners Cordiall Most pretious because Christ is cheife yea onely Ingredient of it and taken by it Excellent Spirits begot by the Cordiall of true faith Six counterfeits of faith not truly cordiall 3. Obedience in the New Covenant the Souls Preservative in ●ealth Why it is called New and how it is Preservative of it Some take Poison instead of this Preservative The Proofs of these three Remedies and Prescripts how and when to take them and Pretiousnesse of all and of Faith in Cheife Helps to Heaven and Happinesse OR A Soliloquie acquainting the Soul with such Reliefs and Aids as will facilitate and further her Course and Progresse in the wayes of Godlinesse The second Part. Holy Actions and Cautions great Assistants to Piety MY Soul If good Meditations 3. Division and Motions live in thee the mind may do much But when all that is done there must be more And thy Ear Eye Heart Hand Mouth every one must doe his Part Hear Read Resolve Practice Pray all must be in Action And Conscience must keep a particular watch too and have some things in Holy Caution This will compleat all And the Good is not meane which may be done by The Eare. For my Soul by this Dore Gods Act. 14. 2● 16. 14. Joh. 3. 5. 1 Pet. 2. 2. Joh. 10. 27 Joh. 13. 17 Psal 109. 105. Jer. 23. 29. 2 Cor. 4. 45. Luk. 24 42. 2 Tim. 4. 2 3. 16. Luk. 11. 28. Heb. 5. 11. Isa 28. 10. Heb. 6. 1 2 Heb. 4. 12. Word is received in Baptisme first sets thee Preaching keeps thee on thy feet For what are they but to know and do And in Gods Word is both light and heat and both are Communicated by good Preaching And observe that my Soul to avoid common Errour The work of it is both on minde and heart to informe and enflame Til thou dost as well doe good as know it the Preacher hath not done his nor thou thy work He may tell thee that in an hour which he can scarce teach thee to doe in a life The Principles of Christianity are easie but the Practise is hard And Efficacy as well as Instruction is the work of the Word Even the Preached Word So it be duly Preached For that my Soul thou shalt doe well to eye as another prevailing but most pestilent error The Pulpit doth not make the Word nor Speaking from it Preaching But a Reverend handling of Holy Scripture according to the Truth of Gods Sense and to the aimes