loving kindness to my Patron to all my friends and Benefactors Reward them and make them plentiful recompense for all the good which from tâ—y merciful providence they have conveyed unto me Let the light of thy countenance shine upon them and let them never come into any affliction or sadness but such as may be an instrument of thy 〈◊〉 their eternal comfort Forgive them all 〈◊〉 sins let thy Divined Spirit preserve them from all deeds of Darkness Let thy ministring Angels guard their persons from the violence of â—hy spirits of Darkness And thou wâ—o knowest every degree of their necessity by thy infinite wisdom give supply to all tâ—eiâ— needs by â—he glorious mercy preserving 〈◊〉 persons sanctifying their hearts and leading them in the waies of righteousness by the waters of comfort to the land of etâ—râ—al â—eâ—t and glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen CHAP. IV. Of Christian Religion REligion â—n a large sense doth signifie the whole duty of Man comprehending in it Justice Charity and Sobriety because all these being commanded by God they become a part of that honour and worship which we are bound to pay to him And thus the word is used in S. James Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this Iam. 1.27 To visit the fatherlesse and Widows in their â—ffliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world But in a more restrained sense it is taken for that part of duty which particularly relates to God in our worshippings and adoration of him in confessing his excellencies loving his person admitting his goodness believing his Word and doing all that which may in a proper and direct manner doe him honour It contains the duties of the first Table only and so it is called Godliness Tit. 2.12 and is by S. Paul distinguished from Justice and Sobriety In this sense I am now to explicate the parts of it Of the internal actions of Religion Those I call the internal actions of Religion in which the soul only is imployed and ministers to God in the special actions of Faith Hope and Charity Faith believes the revâ—lations of God Hope expects his promises and Charity loves his excellencies and mercies Faith gives our understanding to God Hope gives up all the passions and affections to Heaven and heavenly things and Charity gives the will to the service of God Faith is opposed to infidelity Hope to Despair Charity to Enmity and Hostility and these three sanctifie the whole Man and make our duty to God and obedience to his Commandments to be chosen reasonable and delightful and therefore to be intire persevering and universal SECT IV. Of Faith The Acts and Offices of Faith are 1. TO believe every thing which God hath revealed to us Demus Deie aliquâ—d posse quod noâ— fateamuâ— investâ—gare noâ— possâ— S. Aug. l. 21. c 7. de Civitat and when once we are convinced that God hath spoken it to make no further enquiry but humbly to submit ever remembring that there are some things which ouâ— understanding cannot fathom nor search out their depth 2. To believe nothing concerning God but what is honourable and excellent as knowing that belief to be no honouring of God which entertains of him any dishonourable thoughts Faith is the parent of Charity and whatsoever Faith entertains must be apt to produce love to God but he that believes God to be cruel or unmerciful or a rejoicer in the unavoidable damnation of the greatest part of mankinde or that he speaks one thing and privately means another thinks evil thoughts concerning God and such as for which we should hate a man and therefore are great enemies of Faith being apt to destroy Charity Our Faith concerning God must be as himself hath revealed and described his own excellencies and in our discourses we must remove from him all imperfection and attribute to him all excellence 3. To give our selves wholly up to Christ in heart and desire to become Disciples of his doctrine with choice besides conviction being in the presence of God but as Ideots that is without any principles of our own to hinder the truth of God but sucking in greedily all that God hath taught us believing it infinitely and loving to believe it For this is an act of Love reflected upon Faith or an act of Faith leaning upon Love 4. To believe all Gods promises and that whatsoever is promised in Scripture shall on Gods part be as surely performed as if we had it in possession This act makes us to relie upon God with the same confidence as we did on our Parents when we were children when we made no doubt but whatsoever we needed we should have it if it were in their power 5. To believe also the conditions of the promise or that part of the revelation which concerns our duty Many are apt to believe the Article of remission of sins but they believe it without the condition of repentance of the fruits of holy life and that is to believe the Article otherwise then God intended it For the Covenant of the Gospel is the great object of Faith and that supposes our duty to answer his grace that God will be our God so long as we are his people The other is not Faith but Flattery 6. To professe publickly the doctrine of Jesus Christ openly owning whatsoever he hath revealed and commanded not being ashamed of the Word of God or of any practices enjoyned by it and this without complying with any mans interest not regarding favour nor being moved with good words not fearing disgrace or losse or inconvenience or death it self 7. To pray without doubting without weariness without faintness entertaining no jealousies or suspicions of God but being confident of Gods hearing us and of his returns to us whatsoever the manner or the instance be that if we doe our duty it will be gracious and merciful These acts of Faith are in several degrees in the servants of Jesus some have it but as a grain of mustard-seed some grow up to a plant some have the fulness of faith but the least faith that is must be a perswasion so strong as to make us undertake the doing of all that duty which Christ built upon the foundation of believing but we shall best discern the truth of our faith by these following signes S. Hierome reckons three Dâ—aâ—â— adver Lucif Signes of true Faith 1. An earnest and vehement prayer for it is impossible we should heartily believe the things of God and the glories of the Gospel and not most importunately desire them For every thing is desired according to our belief of its excellency and possibility 2. To doe nothing for vain-glory but wholly for the interests of religion and these Articles we believe valuing not at all the rumours of men but the praise of God to whom by faith we have given up all our intellectual faculties 3. To be content with God for our Judge for
to him that gives them all that they have or need and unless He who was pleased to imploy your Lordship as a great Minister of his Providence in making a Promise of his good to me the meanest of his servants that he would never leave me nor forsake me shall enable me by greater services of Religion to pay my great Debt to your Honour I must still increase my score since I shall now spend as much in my needs of pardon for this boldness as in the reception of those favours by w ch I stand accountable to your Lordship in all the bands of service and gratitude though I am in the deepest sense of duty and affection My most Honoured Lord Your Honours most obliged and Most Humble Servant IER TAYLOR The Table CHAP. I COnsideration of the general instruments and means serving to a holy life by way introduction Page 1. Sect. 1. Care of time and the manner of spending it 4 23 Rules for imploying our time 7 The 5 benefits of this exercise 17 Sect. 2. Purity of intention or purpose in all our actions c. 17 10 Rules for our intentions 20 8 Signes of purity of intention 23 3 Appendant Considerations 27 Sect. 3. The consideration and practise of the presence of God 29 6 Several manners of the divine presence 30 10 Rules of exercising this consideration 35 The 5 benefits of this exercise 38 Prayers and Devotion according to the Religion and purposes of the foregoing considerations 41 Devotions for ordinary daies 42 CHAP. II. Of Christian sobriety 64 Sect. 1. Of sobriety in the general sense 64 5 Evil consequents of voluptuousness or sensuality 65 3 Degrees of sobriety 67 6 Rules for suppressing voluptuousness 68 Sect. 2. Of Temperance in eating and drinking 71 4 Measures of Temperance in eating 73 8 Signes and effects of Temperance 75 Of Drunkenness 76 7 Evil consequents to Drunkenness 78 8 Signes of Drunkenness 80 11 Rules for the obtaining temperance 81 Sect. 3. Of Chastity 84 The 10 evil consequents of uncleanness 88 7 Acts of Chastity in general 93 5 Acts of Virginal or Maiden Chastity 95 5 Rules for Widows or Vidual Chastity 96 6 Rules for Married persons or Matrimonial Chastity 97 10 Remedies against uncleanness 101 Sect. 4. Of Humility 106 9 Arguments against Pride by way of consideration 107 19 Acts or offices of Humility 110 14 Means and exercises of obtaining and increasing the grace of Humility 117 17 Signes of Humility 124 Sect. 5. Of Modesty 126 4 Acts and duties of Modesty as it is opposed to Curiosity ibid. 6 Acts of Modesty as it is opposed to boldness 130 10 Acts of Modesty as it is opposed to Vndecency 132 Sect. 6. Of Contentedness in all estates c. 135 2 General arguments for Content 137 8 Instruments or exercises to procure contentedness 142 8 Means to obtain Content by way of consideration 157 The Consid. applied to particular cases ibid. Of Poverty 164 The charge of many Children 173 Violent Necessities 174 Death of Children Friends c. 176 Vntimely Death 177 Death unseasonable 180 Sudden Deaths or violent 182 Being Childlesse ibid. Evil or unfortunate Children ibid. Our own Death 183 Prayers for the several graces and parts of Christian sobriety fitted to the necessity of several persons 184 CHAP. III. Of Christian Justice 191 Sect. 1. Of Obedience to our Superiours 192 15 Acts and duties of obedience to all our Superiours 193 12 Remedies against disobedience by way of consideration 198 3 Degrees of obedience 203 Sect. 8. Of Provision of that part of justice which is due from Superiours to inferiours 205 12 Duties of Kings and all the supreme power as Lawgivers ibid. 2 Duties of Superiours as they are Judges 209 5 Duties of Parents to their Children 210 Duty of Husbands Wives reciprocally 213 7 Duties of Masters of Families 215 Duty of Guardians or Tutors 216 Sect. 3. Of Negotiation or civil Contracts 217 13 Rules and measures of Justice in bargaining ibid. Sect. 4. Of Restitution 222 7 Rules of making Restitution as it concerns the persons obliged 224 9 As it concerns other circumstances 227 Prayers to be said in relation to the several obligations and offices of Justice 232 CHAP. IV. Of Christian religion 241 1. Of the internal actions of religion 242 Sect. 1. Of Faith 243 The 7 acts and offices of Faith ibid. 8 Signes of true Faith 245 8 Means and instruments to obtain Faith 248 Sect. 2. Of Christian Hope 250 The 5 acts of Hope 251 5 Rules to govern our Hope 252 12 Means of Hope and Remedies against Despair 254 Sect. 3. Of Charity or the Love of God 261 The 8 acts of Love to God 263 The 3 measures rules of Divine Love 266 6 Helps to encrease our Love to God by way of exercise The 2 several states of Love to God 271 viz. The state of Obedience ibid. The state of Zeal 272 8 Cautions and rules concerning zeal ibid. 2 Of the external actions of Religion 275 Sect 4. Of Reading or Hearing the Word of God 276 5 General considerations concerning it 278 5 Rules for hearing or reading the Word 279 4 Rules for reading spiritual Books or hearing Sermons 280 Sect. 5. Of Fasting 282 15 Rules for Christian fasting ibid. Benefits of Fasting 289 Sect. 6. Of keeping Festivals and daies holy to the Lord particularly the Lords day ibid. 10 Rules for keeping the Lords day and other Christian Festivals 292 3. Of the mixt actions of Religion 297 Sect 7. Of Prayer 297 1 Motives to Prayer 298 16 Rules for the practise of Prayer 300 6 Cautions for making vows 309 7 Remed against wandring thoughts c. 311 10 Signes of tediousness of Spirit in our prayers and all actions of Religion 313 11 Remedies against tediousness of Spirit 314 Sect. 8. Of Alms. 319 The 18 several kindes of corporal Alms. 321 The 14 several kinds of spiritual Alms. 322 The 5 several kinds of mixt Alms. ibid. 16 Rules for giving Alms. 323 13 Motives to Charity 332 Remedies against the parents of unmercifulness 335 1.9 Against Envy by way of consideration ib. 3.12 Remedies against anger by way of exercise 13 Remed against anger by way of consid 341 7 Remedies against Covetousness 344 Sect. 9. Of Repentance 352 11 Acts and parts of Repentance 355 4 Motives to Repentance 364 Sect. 10. Of Preparation to and the manner how to receive the Sacram. of the Lords Supper 367 14 Rules for preparation and worthy Communicating 370 The effects and benefits of worthy c. 375 Prayers for all sorts of men c. 381 The Rule and Exercises of HOLY LIVING c. CHAP. I. Consideration of the general instruments and means serving to a holy Life by way of Introduction IT is necessary that every Man should consider that since God hath given him an excellent nature wisdom and choice an understanding soul and an immortal spirit having made him Lord over the Beasts and but a little lower then the
of the Supreme and if we be wronged let us complain to God of the injury not of the persons and â—e will deliver thy soul from unrighteous Judges 7. Doe not believe thou hast kept the Law when thou hast suffered the punishment For although patiently to submit to the power of the sword be a part of obedience yet this is such a part as supposes another left undone and the Law punishes not because she is as well pleased in taking vengeance as in being obeyed but because she is displeased she uses punishment as a means to secure obedience for the future or in others Therefore although in such cases the Law is satisfied and the injury and the injustice is paid for yet the sins of irreligion and scandal and disobedience to God must still be so accounted for as to crave pardon and be washed off by repentance 8. Humane Laws are not to be broken with scandal nor at all without reason for â—e that does it causlesly is a despiser of the Law and undervalues the Authority For humane Laws differ from divine Laws principally in this 1. That the positive commands of a man may be broken upon smaller and more reasons then the positive commands of God we may upon a smaller reason omit to keep any of the fasting daies of the Church then omit to give alms to the poor only this the reason must bear weight according to the gravity and concernment of the Law a Law in a small matter may be omitted for a small reason in a great matter not without a greater reason And 2. The negative precepts of men may cease by many instruments by contrary customs by publick disreâ—lish by long omission but the negative precepts of God never can cease but when they are expresly abrogated by the same Authority But what those reasons are that can dispence with the command of a man a man may be his own Judge and sometimes take his proportions from his own reason and necessity sometimes from publick fame and the practise of pious and severe persons and from popular customs in which a man shall walk most safely when he does not walk alone but a spiritual man takes him by the hand 9. We must not be too forward in procuring dispensations nor use them any longer then the reason continues for which we first procured them for to be dispensed withall is an argument of natural infirmity if it be necessary but if it be not it signifies an indisciplined and unmortified spirit 10. We must not be too busie in examining the prudence and unreasonableness of humane Laws for although we are not bound to believe them all to be the wiâ—est â—et if by eâ—qâ—iâ—ing into the lawfulness of them or by any other instrument we finde them to fail of that wisdom with which some others are ordained yet we must never make use of it to desparage the person of the Law-giver or to countenance any mans disobedience much lesse our own 11. Pay that reverence to the person of thy Prince of his Ministers of thy Parents and spiritual Guides which by the customs of the place thou livest in are usually paid to such persons in their several degrees that is that the highest reverence be paid to the highest person and so still in proportion and that this reverence be expressed in all the circumstances and manners of the City and Nation 12. Lift not up thy hand against thy Prince or Parent upon what pretence soever but bear all personal affronts and inconveniences at their hands and seek no remedy but by patience and piety yeilding and praying or absenting thy self 13. Speak not evil of the Ruler of thy people neither Curse thy Father or Mother nor revile thy spiritual Guides nor discover and lay naked their infirmities but treat them with reverence and religion and preserve their Authority sacred by esteeming their persons venerable 14. Pay tribute and customs to Princes according to the Laws and maintenance to thy Parents according to their necessity and honourable support to the Clergy according to the dignity of the work and the customs of the place 15. Remember alwaies that duty to our Superiours is not an act of commutative justice but of distributive That is although Kings and Parents and spiritual Guides are to pay a great duty to their Inferiours the duty of their several charges and government yet the good government of a King and of Parents are actions of Religion as they relate to God and of Piety as they relate to their people and families And although we usually call them just Princes who administer their Laws exactly to the people because the actions are in the matter of justice yet in propriety of speech they are rather to be called Pious and Religious For as he is not called a just Father that educates his children well but Pious so that Prince who defends and well rules his people is Religious and does that duty for which alone he is answerable to God The consequence of which is this so farre as concerns our duty If the Prince or Parent fail of their duty we must not fail of ours for we are answerable to them and to God too as being accountable to all our Superiours and so are they to theirs they are above us and God is above them Remedies against disobedience and means to endear our obedience by way of consideration 1. Consider that all authority descends from God and our Superiours bear the image of the Divine Power which God imprints on them as on an image of clay or a coin upon a lesse perfect metal which who so defaces shal not be answerable for the losse or spoil of the materials but the defacing the Kings Image and in the same measure will God require it at our hands if we despise his authority upon whomsoever he hath imprinted it He that despiseth you despiseth me And Dathan and Abiram were said to be gathered together against the Lord. And this was S. Pauls argument for our obedience The powers that be are ordained of God 2 There is very great peace and immunity from sin in resigning our wills up to the command of others for provided that our duty to God be secured their commands are warrants to us in all things else and the case of conscience is determined if the command be evident and pressing and it is certain the aâ—â—â—on that is but indifferent and without reward if done only upon our own choice is an act of duty and of religion and rewardable by the grace and savour of God if done in obedience to the command of our Superiours For since naturally we desire what is forbidden us and sometimes there is no other evil in the thing but that it is forbidden us God hath in grace enjoyned and proportionably accepts obedience as being directly opposed to the former irregularity and it is acceptable although there be no other good in the thing that is commanded us but that it
restraint and penalty of Laws and although they are superiour to the people yet they are not superiour to their own voluntary concessions and ingagements their promises and Oathes when once they are passed from them The duty of Superiours as they are Judges 1. Princes in judgment and their Delegate Judges must judge the causes of all persons uprightly and impartially without any personal consideration of the power of the mighty or the bribe of the rich or the needs of the poor For although the poor must fare no worse for his poverty yet in justice he must fare no better for it And although the rich must be no more regarded yet he must not be lesse And to this purpose the Tutor of Cyrus instructed him when in a controversie where a great Boy would have taken a large Coat from a little Boy because his own was too little for him and the others was too big he adjudged the great Coat to the great Boy his Tutor answered Sir If you were made a Judge of decency or witness you had judged well in giving the biggest to the biggest but when you were appointed Judge not whom the Coat did fit but whose it was you should have considered the title and the possession who did the violence and who made it or who bought it And so it must be in judgments between the Rich and the Poor it is not to be considered what the poor Man needs but what is his own 2. A Prince may not much lesse may inferiour Judges deny justice when it is legally and competently demanded and if the Prince will use his Prerogative in pardoning an offender against whom justice is required he must be careful to give satisfaction to the injured person or his Relatives by some other instrument and be watchful to take away the scandal that is lest such indulgence might make persons more bold to doe injury and if he spares the life let him change the punishment into that which may make the offender if not suffer justice yet doe justice and more real advantage to the injured person These Rules concern Princes and their Delegates in the making or administring Laws in the appointing rules of justice and doing acts of judgment The duty of parents to their Children and Nephews is briefly described by S. Paul The duty of Parents to their Children Ephes. 6.4 1. Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath that is be tender boweld pitiful and gentle complying with all the infirmities of the Children and in their several ages proportioning to them several usages according to their needs and their capacities 2. Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord that is secure their religion season their younger years with prudent and pious principles make them in love with virtue and make them habitually so before they come to choose or to discern good from evil that their choice may be with lesse difficulty and danger For while they are under discipline they suck in all that they are first taught and believe it infinitely Provide for them wise learned and virtuous Tutors Pâ—tiâ—r mihi ratio vivenâ—â— honestè quà m ut optimè dicendi viderâ—tuâ— Quintil. lib. 1. cap. 2. and good company and discipline * Heb. 1â— 9. Crates apud Plutarch de libeâ— educand 1 Tim. 5.4 seasonable baptism catechism and confirmation For it is a great folly to heap up much wealth for our Children and not to take care concerning the Children for whom we get it It is as if a man should take more care about his shooe then about his foot 3. Parents must shew piety at home that is they must give good example and reverent deportment in the face of their children and all those instances of charity which usually endear each other sweetness of conversation affability frequent admonition all significations of love and tenderness care and watchfulness must be expressed towards Children that they may look upon their Parents as their friends and patrons their defence and sanctuary their treasure and their Guide Hither is to be reduced the nursing of Children which is the first and most natural and necessary instance of piety which Mothers can shew to their Babes a duty from which nothing will excuse but a disability sickness danger or publick necessity 1 Tim. 5. â— 4. Parents must provide for their own according to their condition education and imployment called by S. Paul a laying up for the Children that is an enabling them by competent portions or good trades arts or learning to defend themselves against the chances of the world that they may not be exposed to temptation to beggery or unworthy arts and although this must be done without covetousness without impatient and greedy desires of making them rich yet it must be done with much care and great affection with all reasonable provision and according to our power and if we can without sin improve our estates for them that also is part of the duty we owe to God for them and this rule is to extend to all that descend from us although we have been overtaken in a fault and have unlawful issue they also become part of our care yet so as not to injure the production of the lawful bed 5. This duty is to extend to a provision of conditions and an estate of life (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip. Eâ—ectr Me tibi Tyndareus vità graevis auctor annis Tradidit arbitrium nâ—pâ—â—s habeiâ—t avus Ovid in â—pist pro Hermione Parents must according to their power and reason provide Husbands or Wives for their Children (b) Liâ—â—ri sine consensu parentum contraheâ—e nâ—n debent Aâ—dremacha apud Euripidem ciaâ— peâ—â—ta fâ—â—t ad nuptias respondiâ— patâ—is suâ— esse sponsalâ—um sucâ—um curam habere Achilles apud Homerum Regis filâ—â—m sine patris suâ— consensu noluit dâ— cere H. â— H 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et Justinianus Imp. ait naturali simul civili rationè congruere ne filii ducant uâ—o es citra Parentum authoritatem Simo Terenâ—â—anus parat abdicatiâ—nem qâ—â—a Pamphilus câ—am ipso duxisset uxorem Isâ—â—â—smodi sponsalia fiunt iâ—rita nisi velint parentes At si sid sâ—quuta est copula nè temere rescindantur connubia multae suadent caâ—tiones pericula Lâ—beri autem quamdiu secundum leges patrias suâ—â—u is non sunt clandestinas nuptias si meant peccant centra quinâ—um praeceptum jus naturaâ—e Secundarium Propriè nâ— loquendo Parentes nâ—n habent 〈◊〉 fiâ—e potestatâ—m sed authoritatem g. habâ—nt jus jubendi aut prehiâ—endi sed non irritâ—m faciendi Atque etiam isla authoritas eâ— ercenda est secundum aequâ—m bonum seil ut nè moroâ—us difficâ—â—â— sit Pater Maâ—erâ—n vix habet aliquod Juâ—is praeter suasiâ—nes amoris gâ—atitudinis Si c. Pater filiam non collocasset ante â—5 annos â—â—â—ta nube â—poterat cuâ— voluerat
Laws of Religion and the Common-wealth O Lord I am but an infirm man and know not how to decree certain sentences without erring in judgment but doe thou give to thy servant an understanding heart to judge this people that I may discern between good and evil Cause me to walk before thee and all the people in truth and righteousness and in sincerity of heart that I may not regard the person of the mighty nor be afraid of his terrour nor despise the person of the poor and reject his petition but that doing justice to all men I and my people may receive mercy of thee peace and plenty in our daies and mutual love duty and correspondence that there be no leading into captivity no complaining in our streets but we may see the Church in prosperity all our daies and religion established and increasing Doe thou establish the house of thy servant and bring me to a participation of the glories of thy kingdom for his sake who is my Lord and King the holy and ever blessed Saviour of the world our Redeemer Jesus Amen A Prayer to be said by Parents for their Children O Almighty and most merciful Father who hast pâ—omised children as a reward to the righteous 〈◊〉 hast given them to me as a testimony of thy mercy and an ingagement of my duty be pleased to be a Father unto them give them healthful bodies understanding souls and sanctified spirits that they may be thy servants and thy children all their daies Let a great mercy and providence lead them through the dangers and temptations and ignorances of their youth that they may never run into folly and the evils of an unbridled appetite So order the accidents of their livâ—s that by good education careful Tutors holy example innocent company prudent counsel and thy restraining grace their duty to thee may be secured in the midst of a crooked and untoward generation and if it seem good in thy eyes let me be enabled to provide conveniently for the support of their persons that they may not be destitute and miserable in my death or if thou shalt call me off from this World by a more timely summons let their portion be thy care mercy and providence over their bodies and souls and may they never live vitious lives nor die violent or untimely deaths but let them glorifie thee here with a free obedience and the duties of a whole life that when they have served thee in their generations and have profited the Christian Common-wealth they may be coheirs with Jesus in the glories of thy eternal Kingdom through the same our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen A prayer to be said by Masters of Families Curats Tutors or other obliged persons for their charger O Almighty God merciful and gracious have mercy upon my Family or Pupils or Parishioners c. and all committed to my charge sanctifie them with thy grace preserve them with thy providence guard them from all evil by the custody of Angels direct them in the waies of peace and holy Religion by my Ministery and the conduct of thy most holy Spirit and consigne them all with the participation of thy blessings and graces in this World with healthful bodies with good understandings and sanctified spirits to a full fruition of thy glories hereafter through Jesus Christ our Lord. A Prayer to be said by Merchants Tradesmen and Handicrafts men O Eternal God thou Fountain of justice mercy and benediction who by my education and other effects of thy Providence hast called me to this profession that by my industry I may in my small proportion work together for the good of my self and others I humbly beg thy grace to guâ—de me in my intention and in the transaction of my affairs that I may be diligent just and faithful and give me thy favour that this my labour may be accepted by thee as a part of my necessary duty and give me thy blessing to assist and prosper me in my Calling to such measures as thou shalt in mercy choose for me and be pleased to let thy holy Spirit be for ever present with me that I may never be given to covetousness and sordid appetites to lying and falshood or any other base indirect and beggerly arts but give me prudence honesty and Christian sinceâ—ity that my trade may be sanctified by my Religion my labour by my intention and thy blessing that when I have done my portion of work thou hast â—llotted me and improved the talent thou hast instrusted to me and served the Common-wealth in my capacity I may receive the mighty price of my high calling which I expect and beg in the portion and inheritance of the ever blessed Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Amen A Prayer to be said by Debtors and all persons obliged whether by crime or contract O Almighty God who art rich unto all the treasurie and fountain of all good of all justice and all mercy and all bounty to whom we owe all that we are and all that we have being thy Debtors by reason of our sins and by thy own gracious contract made with us in Jesus Christ teach me in the first place to perform all my Obligations to thee both of duty and thankfulness and next enable me to pay my duty to all my friends and my debts to all my Creditors that none be made miserable or lessened in his estate by his kindness to me or traffick with me Forgive me all those sins and irregular actions by which I entred into debt further then my necessity required or by which such necessity was brought upon me but let not them suffer by occasion of my sin Lord reward all their kindness into their bosoms make them recompense where I cannot and make me very willing in all that I can and able for all that I am obliged to or if it seem good in thine eyes to afflict me by the continuance of this condition yet make it up by some means to them that the prayer of thy servant may obtain of thee at least to pay my debt in blessings Amen V. LOrd sanctifie and forgive all that I have tempted to evil by my discourse or my example instruct them in the right way whom I have led to errour and let me never run further on the score of sin but doe thou blot out all the evils I have done by the spunge of thy passion and the blood of thy Crosse and give me a deep and an excellent repentance and a free and a gracious pardon that thou may est answer for me O Lord and enable me to stand upright in judgment for in thee O Lord have I trusted let me never be confounded Pity me and instruct me guide me and support me pardon me and save me for my sweet Saviour Jesus Christ his sake Amen A Prayer for Patron and Benefactors O Almighty GOD thou Fountain of all good of all excellâ—ncy both to Men and Aâ—gels exâ—end thine abundant favour and
Holy Living In which are described The Means and Instruments of obtaining every Virtue and the Remedies against every Vice and Considerations serving to the resisting all Temptations Together with PRAYERS containing the whole duty of a Christian and the parts of Devotion fitted to all Occasians and furnished for all Necessities By JER TAYLOR D. D. The 5 th Edition corrected With Additionals LONDON Printed for Richard Royston at the Angel in Ivie-lane 1656. TO THE Right Honourable and truly Noble RICHARD Lord VAUGHAN Earl of Carbery Knight of the honourable Order of the Bath My Lord I Have lived to see Religion painted upon Banners and thrust out of Churches and the Temple turned into a Tabernacle and that Tabernacle made ambulatory and covered with skins of Beasts and torn Curtains and God to be worshipped not as he is the Father of our Lord Jesus an afflicted Prince the King of sufferings nor as the God of peace which two appellatives God newly took upon him in the New Testament and glories in for ever but he is owned now rather as the Lord of Hosts which title he was pleased to lay aside when the Kingdome of the Gospel was preached by the Prince of peace But when Religion puts on Armor and God is not acknowledged by his New Testament titles Religion may have in it the power of the Sword but not the power of Godliness and we may complain of this to God and amongst them that are afflicted but we have no remedy but what we must expect from the fellowship of â—hrists sufferings and the returns of the God of peace In the mean time and now that Religion pretends to stranger actions upon new principles and men are apt to preferre a prosperous errour before an afflicted truth and some will think they are religious enough if their worshipings have in them the prevailing ingredient and the Ministers of Religion are so scattered that they cannot unite to stop the inundation and from Chairs or Pulpiâ—s from their Synods or Tribunals chastise the iniquity of the errour and the ambition of evil Guides and the infidelity of the willingly seduced multitude and that those few good people who have no other plot in their religion but to serve God and save their souls doe want such assistances of ghostly counsel as may serve their emergent needs and assist their endeavours in the acquist of virtues and relieve their dangers when they are tempted to sinne and death I thought I had reasons enough inviting me to draw into one body those advices which the severall necessities of many men must use at some time or other and many of them daily that by a collection of holy precepts they might lesse feel the want of personall and attending Guides and that the Rules for conduct of souls might be committed to a Book which they might alwaies have since they could not alwaies have a Prophet at their needs nor be suffered to go up to the house of the Lord to inquire of the appointed Oracles I know my Lord that there are some interested persons who adde scorn to the afflictions of the Church of England and because she is afflicted by Men call her forsaken of the Lord and because her solemn Assemblies are scattered think that the Religion is lost and the Church divorc'd from God supposing Christ who was a Man of sorrows to be angry with his Spouse when she is like him for that 's the true state of the Errour and that he who promised his Spirit to assist his servants in their troubles will because they are in trouble take away the Comforter from them who cannot be a comforter but while he cures our sadnesses and relieves our sorrows and turns our persecutions into joyes and Crowns and Scepters But concerning the present state of the Church of England I consider that because we now want the blessings of external communion in many degrees and the circumstances of a prosperous unafflicted people we are to take estimate of our selves with single judgments every man is to give sentence concerning the state of his own soul by the precepts and rules of our Law-giver not by the after-decrees and usages of the Church that is by the essential parts of Religion rather then by the uncertain significations of any exteriour adherencies for though it be uncertain when a Man is the Member of a Church whether he be a Member to Christ or no because in the Churches Net there are fishes good and bad yet we may be sure that if we be members of Christ we are of a Church of all purposes of spiritual religion and salvation and in order to this give me leave to speak this great truth That Man does certainly belong to God who 1 Believes and is baptized into all the Articles of the Christian faith and studies to improve his knowledge in the matters of God so as may best make him to live a holy life 2 He that in obedience to Christ worships God diligently frequently and constantly with naturall Religion that is of prayer praises and thanksgiving 3 He that takes all opportunities to remember Christs death by a frequent Sacrament as it can be had or else by inward acts of understanding will and memory which is the spiritual communion supplies the want of the external rite 4 He that lives chastly 5 And is merciful 6 And despises the World using it as a Man but never suffering it to rifle a duty 7 And is just in his dealing and diligent in his calling 8 He that is humble in his spirit 9 And obedient to Government 10 And content in his fortune and imployment 11 He that does his duty because he loves God 12 And especially if after all this he be afflicted and patient or prepared to suffer affliction for the cause of God The Man that have these twelve signes of grace and predestination does as certainly belong to God and is his Son as surely as he is his creature And if my brethren in persecution and in the bands of the Lord Jesus can truly shew these marks they shall not need be troubled that others can shew a prosperous outside great revenues publick assemblie uninterrupted successions of Bishops prevailing Armies or any arm of flesh or lesse certain circumstance These are the marks of the Lord Jesus and the characters of a Christian This is a good Religion and these things Gods grace hath put into our powers and Gods Laws have made to be our duty and the nature of Men and the needs of Common-wealths have made to be necessary the other accidents and pomps of a Church are things without our power and are not in our choice they are good to be used when they may be had and they help to illustrate or advantage it but if any of them constitute a Church in the being of a society and a Government yet they are not of its constitution as it is Christian and hopes to be saved And now the
Angels he hath also appointed for him a work and a service great enough to imploy those abilities and hath also designed him to a state of life after this to which he can only arrive by that service and obedience And therefore as every man is wholly Gods own portion by the title of creation so all our labours and care all our powers and faculties must be wholly imployed in the service of God even all the daies of our life that this life being ended we may live with him for ever Neither is it sufficient that we think of the service of God as a work of the least necessity or of small imployment but that it be done by us as God intended it that it be done with great earnestness and passion with much zeal and desire that we refuse no labour that we bestow upon it much time that we use the best guides and arrive at the end of glory by all the waies of grace of prudence and religion And indeed if we consider how much of our lives is taken up by the needs of nature how many years are wholly spent before we come to any use oâ— reason how many years more before that reason is useful to us to any great purposes how imperfect our discourse is made by our evil education false principles ill company bad examples and want of experience how many parts of our wisest and best years are spent in eating and sleeping in necessary businesses and unnecessary vanities in wordly civilities and lesse useful circumstances in the learning arts and sciences languages or trades that little portion of hours that is left for the practises of piety and religious walking with God is so short and trifling that were not the goodness of God infinitely great it might seem unreasonable or impossible for us to expect of him eternal joyes in heaven even after the well spending those few minutes which are left for God and Gods service after we have served our selves and our own occasions And yet it is considerable that the fruit which comes from the many daies of recreation and vanity is very little and although we scatter much yet we gather but little profit but from the few hours we spend in prayer and the exercises of a pious life the returne is great and profitable and what we sowe in the minutes and spare portions of a few years grows up to crowns and scepters in a happy and a glorious eternity 1. Therefore although it cannot be enjoyn'd that the greatest part of our time be spent in the direct actions of devotion and religion yet it will become not only a duty but also a great providence to lay aside for the services of God and the businesses of the Spirit as much as we can because God rewards our minutes with long and eternal happiness and the greater portion of our time we give to God the more we treasure up for our selves and No man is a better Merchant then be that layes out his time upon God and his money upon the Poor 2. Only it becomes us to remember and to adore Gods goodness for it that God hath not only permitted us to serve the necessities of our nature but hath made them to become parts of our duty that if we by directing these actions to the glory of God intend them as instruments to continue our persons in his service he by adopting them into religion may turne our nature into grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arriaâ—n Epict. l. 1. c. 13. and accept our natural actions as actions of religion God is pleased to esteem it for a part of his service if we eat or drink so it be done done temperately and as may best preserve our health that our health may enable our services towards him And there is no one minute of our lives after we are come to the use of reason but we are or may be doing the work of God even then when we most of all serve our selves 3. To which if we adde that in these and all other actions of our lives we alwaies stand before God acting and speaking and thinking in his presence and that it matters not that our conscience is seal'd with secresie since it lies open to God it will concern us to behave our selves carefully as in the presence of our Judge These three considerations rightly manag'd applied to the several parts and instances of our lives will be like Elisha stretched upon the childe apt to put life and quickness into every part of it and to make us live the life of grace and doe the work of God I shall therefore by way of introduction reduce these three to practise and shew how every Christian may improve all and each of these to the advantage of piety in the whole course of his life that if he please to bear but one of them upon his spirit he may feel the benefit like an universal instrument helpful in all spiritual and temporal actions SECT I. The first general instrument of holy living Care of our time HE that is choice of his time will also be choice of his company and choice of his actions lest the first ingage him in vanity and losle and the latter by being criminal be a throwing his time and himself away and a going back in the accounts of eternity God hath given to man a short time here upon earth and yet upon this short time eternity depends but so that for every hour of our life after we are persons capable of laws and know good from evil we must give account to the great Judge of Men and Angels And this is it which our blessed Saviour told us that we must account for every idle word not meaning that every word which is not designed to edification or is lesse prudent shall be reckoned for a sin but that the time which we spend in our idle talking and unprofitable discoursings that time which might and ought to have been imployed to spiritual and useful purposes that is to be accounted for For we must remember that we have a great work to doe many enemies to conquer many evils to prevent much danger to run through many difficulties to be mastered many necessities to serve and much good to doe many children to provide for or many friends to support oâ— many poor to relieve or many diseases to cure besides the needs of nature and of relation our private and our publick cares and duties of the world which necessity and the providence of God hath adopted into the family of Religion And that we need not fear this instrument to be a snare to us or that the duty must end in scruple vexation and eternal fears we must remember that the life of every man may be so ordered and indeed must that it may be a perpetual serving of God The greatest trouble and most busie trade and wordly incumbrances when they are necessary or charitable or profitable in order to any
parts of it 1. Sobriety 2. Justice 3. Religion For the grace of God bringing salvation hath appeared to all men T it 2.11 12. teaching us that denying ungodlyness and wordly lusts we should live 1. Soberly 2. Righteously and 3. Godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. The first contains all our deportment in our personal and private capacities the fair treating of our bodies and our spirits The second enlarges our duâ—y in all relations to our Neighbour The third contains the offices of direct Religion and entercourse with God Christian sobriety is all that duty that concerns our selves in the matter of meat and drink and pleasures and thoughts and it hath within it the duties of 1. Temperance 2. Chastity 3. Humility 4. Modesty 5. Content It is a using severity denial and frustration of our appetite when it grows unreasonable in any of these instances the necessity of which we shall to best purpose understand by considering the evil consequences of sensuality effeminacy or fondness after carnal pleasures Evil consequents of voluptuousness or Sensuality 1. A longing after sensual pleasures is a dissolution of the spirit of a man and makes it loose soft and wandring unapt for noble wise or spiritual imployments because the principles upon which pleasure is chosen and pursued are sottish weak and unlearned Tu si animum vâ—â—isti pâ—tius quà m animus te est quod gaudeaâ— Qui animum vinâ—unt quà m quoâ— animus sâ—mper probiores cluent â—â—num such as preferre the body before the soul the appetite before reason sense before the spirit the pleasures of a short abode before the pleasures of eternity 2. The nature of sensual pleasure is vain empty and unsatisfying biggest alwaies in expectation and a meer vanity in the enjoying and leaves a sting and thoâ—n behinde it when it goes off Our laughing if it be loud and high commonly ends in a deep sigh and all the instances of pleasure have a sting in the tail though they carry beauty on the face and sweetness on the lip 3. Sensual pleasure is a great abuse to the Spirit of a man being a kinde of fascination or witchcraft blinding the understanding and enslaving the will And he that knows he is free-born or redeemed with the blood of the Son of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian c 2 l. 1. will not easily suffer the freedom of his soul to be intangled and rifled 4. It is most contrary to the state of a Christian whose life is a perpetual exercise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Epist. cap 34. a wrastling and warfare to which sensual pleasure disables him by yielding to that enemy with whom he must strive if ever he will be crowned And this argument the Apostle intimated 1 Cor 9 â—5 He that striveth for masteries is temperate in all things Now they doe it to obtain a corruptible crown but we an incorruptible 5. It is by a certain consequence the greatest impediment in the world to martyrdom that being a fondness this being a cruelty to the flesh to which a Christian man arriving by degrees must first have crucified the lesser affections for he that is overcome by little arguments of pain will hardly consent to lose his life with torments Degrees of Sobriety Against this voluptuousness sobriety is opposed in three degrees 1. A despite or disaffection to pleasures or a resolving against all entertainment of the instances and temptations of sensuality and it consists in the internal faculties of will and understanding decreeing and declaring against them disapproving and disliking them upon good reason and strong resolution 2. A sight and actual warre against all the temptations and offers of sensual pleasure in all evil instances and degrees and it consists in prayer in fasting in cheap diet and hard lodging and laborious exercises and avoiding occasions and using all arts and industry of fortifying the Spirit and making it severe manly and Christian. 3. Spiritual pleasure is the highest degree of Sobriety and in the same degree in which we relish and are in love with spiritual delights the hidden Manna Apoc. 2.17 with the sweetnesses of devotion with the joyes of thanksgiving with rejoicings in the Lord with the comforts of hope with the deliciousness of charity and alms-deeds with the sweetness of a good conscience with the peace of meekness and the felicities of a contented â—pirit in the same degree we disrelish and loath the husks of swinish lusts and the parings of the apples of Sodom and the tast of sinful pleasures is unsavoury as the Drunkards vomit Rules for suppressing voluptuousness The precepts and advices which are of best and of general use in the curing of sensuality are these 1. Accustom thy self to cut off all superfluity in thy provisions of thy life for our desires will enlarge beyond the present possession so long as all the things of this world are unsatisfying if therefore you suffer them to extend beyond the measures of necessity or moderated conveniency they will still swell but you reduce them to a little compasse when you make nature to be your limit Desideria tua parvo redime hoc n. tantum curaâ—e dâ—bes uâ— dâ—sinant Senec. We must more take care that our desires should cease then that they should be satisfied and therefore reducing them to narrow scantlings and small proportions is the best instrument to redeem their trouble and prevent the dropsie because that is next to an universal denying them it is certainly a paring off from them all unreasonableness and irregularity L. 3. Eth c. 12. For whatsoever covets unseemely things and is apt to swell to an inconvenient bulk is to be chastened and tempered and such are sensuality Facilius est initia affectuum pâ—ohibere quà m impetum â—egâ—re Senec cp 86. and a Boy said the Philosopher 2. Suppresse your sensual desires in their first approach for then they are least and thy faculties and election are stronger but if they in their weakness prevail upon thy strengths there will be no resisting them when they are increased and thy abilities lessened you shall scarce obtaine of them to end if you suffer them to begin 3. Divert them with some laudable imployment and take off their edge by inadvertency or a not attending to them For since the faculties of a man cannot at the same time with any sharpness attend to two objects if you imploy your spirit upon a book or a bodily labour or any innocent and indifferent imployment you have no room left for the present trouble of a sensual temptation For to this sense it was that Alexander told the Queen of Caria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that his Tutor Leonidas had provided two Cooks for him Hard marches all night and a small dinner the next day these tamed his youthfull aptnesses to dissolution so long as he eat of
and violence but easiness and softness and smooth temptations creep in and like the Sun make a maiden lay by her vail and robe which persecution like the Northern winde made her hold fast and clap close about her 6. He that will secure his chastity must first cure his pride and his rage For oftentimes lust is the punishment of a proud man to tame the vanity of his pride by the shame and affronts of unchastity and the same intemperate heat that makes anger does enkindle lust nunâ— quid ego à te Magno pâ—ugnatant dâ—poseâ— conside Vâ—â—â— a su◠〈◊〉 mea cum confeâ—bâ—â—â— iâ—a Hoâ—at seâ—m l. Sat 2. 7. If thou beest assaulted with an unclean Spirit trust not thy â—elfe alone but run forth into company whose reverence and modesty may suppresse or whose society may divert thy thoughts and a perpetual witness of thy conversation is of especiall use against this vice which evaporates in the open air like Camphire being impatient of light and wiitnesses 8. Use frequent and earnest-prayer to the King of Purities the first of Virgins the eternal GOD who is of an essential purity that he would be pleased to reprove and cast out the unclean Spirit For besides the blessings of prayer by way of reward it hath a naturall virtue to restrain this vice because a prayer against it is an unwillingness to act it and so long as we heartily pray against it our desires are secured and then this Devil hath no power This was Saint Pauls other remedy For this cause I besought the Lord thrice And there is much reason and much advantage in the use of this instrument because the main thing that in this affair is to be secured is a mans minde He that goes about to cure lust by bodily exercises alone as Saint Pauls phrase is or mortifications Mens impudicam fâ—ceâ—â— non corpus sâ—leâ— shall finde them sometimes instrumental to it and incitations of sudden desires but alwaies insufficient and of little profit but he that hath a chaste minde shall finde his body apt enough to take laws and let it doe its worst it cannot make a sinne and in its greatest violence can but produce a little natural uneasiness not so much trouble as a severe fasting day or a hard nights lodging upon boords If a man be hungry he must eat and if he be thirsty he must drink in some convenient time or else â—e dies but if the body be rebellions so the minde be chaste let it doe its worst if you resolve perfectly not to satisfie it you can receive no great evil by it Therefore the proper cure is by applications to the Spirit and securities of the minde which can no way so well be secured as by frequent and servent prayers and sober resolutions and severe discourses Therefore 9. Hither bring in succor from consideration of the Divine presence and of his holy Angels meditation of Death and the passions of CHRIST upon the Crosse imitation of his purities and of the Virgin Mary his unspotted and holy Mother and of such eminent Saints who in their generations were burning and shining lights unmingled with such uncleannesses which defile the soul and who now follow the Lamb whithersoevâ—r he goes Danda est opera ut matrimonio deviâ—ciantur quod est tutissimum juâ—entutis vinculum Plut de educ lib. 10. These remedies are of universal efficacy in all cases extraordinary and violent but in ordinary and common the remedy which GOD hath provided that is Honourable marriage hath a natural efficacy besides a virtue by Divine blessing to cure the inconveniences which otherwise might afflict persons temperate and sober SECT IV. Of Humility HUmility is the great Ornament Jewel of Christian Religion that whereby it is distinguished from all the wisdome of the world it not having been taught by the wise men of the Gentiles but first put into a discipline and made part of a religion by our Lord Jesus Christ who propounded himself imitable by his Disciples so signally in nothing as in the twinne sisters of Meekness and Humility Learn of me for I am meek and humble and ye shall finde rest unto your souls For all the World all that we are and all that we have our bodies and our souls our actions and our sufferings our conditions at home our accidents abroad our many sins and our seldome virtues are as so many arguments to make our souls dwell low in the deep valleys of Humility Arguments against Pride by way of Consideration 1. Our Body is weak and impure sending out more uncleannesses from its several sinks then could be endured if they were not necessary and natural and we are forced to passe that through our mouths which as soon as we see upon the ground we loathe like rottenness and vomiting 2. Our strength is inferiour to that of many Beasts and our infirmities so many that we are forced to dresse and tend Horses and Asses that they may help our needs and relieve our wants 3. Our beauty is in colour inferiour to many flowers and in proportion of parts it is better then nothing For even a Dog hath parts as well proportioned and fitted to his purposes and the designs of his nature as we have and when it is most florid and gay three sits of an ague can change it into yellowness and leanness and the hollowness and wrinkles of deformity 4. Our learning is then best when it teaches most humility but to be proud of Learning is the greatest ignorance in the World For our learning is so long in getting and so very imperfect that the greatest Clerk knows not the thousand part of what he is ignorant and knows so uncertainly what he seems to know and knows no otherwise then a Fool or a Childe even what is told him or what he guesses at that except those things which concern his duty and which God hath revealed to him which also every Woman knows so farre as is necessary the most Learned Man hath nothing to be proud of unlesse this be a sufficient argument to exalt him that he uncertainly guesses at some more unnecessary things then many others who yet know all that concerns them and minde other things more necessary for the needs of life and Common-wealths 6. He that is proud of riches is a fool For if he be exalted above his Neighbours because he hath more gold how much inferiour is he to a Gold Mine How much is he to give place to a chain of Pearl or a knot of Diamonds For certainly that hath the greatest excellence from whence he derives all his gallantry and preheminence over his Neighbours 5 If a man be exalted by reason of any excellence in his soul he may please to remember that all souls are equal and their differing operations are because their instrument is in better tune their body is more healthful or better tempered which is no more praise to him then it
which becometh women professing godliness with good works 9. As those meats are to be avoided which tempt our stomacks beyond our hunger so also should prudent persons decline all such spectacles relations Theatres loud noises and out-cries which concern us not and are besides our natural or moral interest Our senses should not like petulant and wanton Girles wander into Markets and Theatres without just imployment Oedipam curiositas in extremas cojecit calamitateâ— Plat but when they are sent abroad by reason return quickly with their errand and remain modestly at home under their guide till they be sent againe 10. Let all persons be curious in observing modesty toward themselves in the handsome treating their own body and such as are in their power whether living or dead Against this rule they offend who expose to others their own or pry into others nakedness beyond the limits of necessity where a leave is not made holy by a permission from God It is also said that God was pleased to work a miracle about the body of Epiphanius to reprove the immodest curiosity of an unconcerned person who pryed too neer when charitable people were composing it to the grave In all these cases and particulars although they seem little yet our duty and concernment is not little Concerning which I use the words of the Son of Sirach He that despiseth little things shall perish by little and little SECT VI. Of contentedness in all estates and accidents Virtues and Discourses are like Friends necessary in all fortunes but those are the best which are Friends in our sadnesses and support us in our sorrows and sad accidents and in this sense no man that is virtuous can be friendlesse nor hath any man reason to complain of the Divine Providence or accuse the publick disorder of things or his own infelicity since God hath appointed one remedy for all the evils in the World and that is a contented spirit For this alone makes a man passe through fire and not be scorched through Seas and not be drowned through hunger and nakedness and want nothing For since all the evil in the world consists in the disagreeing between the object and the appetite as when a man hath what he desires not or desires what he hath not or desires amisse he that composes his spirit to the present accident hath variety of instances for his virtue but none to trouble him because his desires enlarge not beyond his present fortune and a wise man is placed in the variety of chances like the Nave or Centre of a wheel in the midst of all the circumvolutions and changes of posture without violence or change save that it turns gently in complyance with its changed parts and is indifferent which part is up and which is down for there is some virtue or other to be exercised what ever happens either patience or thanksgiving love or fear moderation or humility charity or contentedness and they are every one of them equally in order to his great end and immortal felicity and beauty is not made by white or red by black eyes and a round face by a straight body and a smooth skin but by a proportion to the fancy No rules can make amability our mindes and apprehensions make that and so is our felicity and we may be reconciled to poverty a low fortune if we suffer contentedness and the grace of God to make the proportions For no man is poor that does not think himself so But if in a full fortune with impatience he desires more he proclaims his wants and his beggerly condition Nam facta tibi est si dissimules injuria But because this grace of contentedness was the sum of all the old moral Philosophy and a great duty in Christianity and of most universal use in the whole course of our lives and the only instrument to ease the burdens of the world and the enmities of sad chances it will not be amisse to presse it by the proper arguments by which God hath bound it upon our spirits it being fastned by Reason and Religion by duty and interest by necessity and conveniency by example and by the proposition of excellent rewards no lesse then peace and felicity 1. Contentedness in all estates is a duty of Religion it is the great reasonableness of complying with the Divine providence which governs all the World and hath so ordered us in the administration of his great Family He were a strange fool that should be angry because Dogs and sheep need no shoes and yet himself is full of care to get some God hath supplied those needs to them by natural provisions and to thee by an artificial for he hath given thee reason to learn a trade or some meanes to make or buy them so that it onely differs in the manner of our provision and which had you rather want shoes or reason And my Patron that hath given me a Farm is freer to me then if he gives a loaf ready baked But however all these gifts come from him and therefore it is fit he should dispence them as he please and if we murmure here we may at the next melancholy be troubled that God did not make us to be Angels or Stars For if that which we are or have doe not content us we may be troubled for every thing in the World which is besides our being or our possessions God is the Master of the Scenes we must not choose which part we shall act it concerns us only to be careful that we doe it well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alwaies saying If this please God let it be as it is and we who pray that Gods will may be done in Earth as it is in Heaven must remember that the Angels doe whatsoever is commanded them and go where ever they are sent and refuse no circumstances and if their imployment be crossed by a higher decree â—an 14.13 they sit down in peace and rejoice in the event and when the Angel of Judea could not prevail in behalf of the people committed to his charge because the Angel of Persia opposed it he only told the story at the command of God and was as content and worshipped with as great an extasie in his proportion as the prevailing Spirit Doâ— thou so likewise keep the station where God hath placed you and you shall never long for things without but sit at home feasting upon the Divine Providence and thy own reason by which we are taught that it is necessary and reasonable to submit to God For is not all the World Gods family Are not we his creatures Are we not as clay in the hand of the Potter Doe we not live upon his meat and move by his strength and doe our work by his light Are we any thing but what we are from him and shall there be a mutiny among the flocks and herds because their Lord or their Shepherd chooses their pastures and
our neighbours the poor members of Christ rejoice together with us 6. Whatsoever you are to do your self as necessarie you are to take care that others also who are under your charge do in their staâ—ion and manner Let your servants bee called to Church and all your familie that can be spared from necessarie and great houshold ministeries those that cannot let them go by turns and be supplied otherwise as well as they may and provide on these daies especially that they be instructed in the articles of faith and necessary parts of their dutie 7. Those who labour hard in the week must bee eased upon the Lord's day such ease beeing a great charity alms but at no hand must they be permitted to use any unlawful games any thing forbidden by the Laws any thing that is scandalous or any thing that is dangerous and apt to mingle sin with it no games prompting to wantonness to drunkenness to quarrelling to ridiculous and superstitious customs but let their refreshments bee innocent and charitable and of good report and not exclusive of the duties of Religion 8. Beyond these bounds because neither God nor man hath passed any obligation upon us wee must preserv our Christian libertie and not suffer our selvs to be intangled with a yoke of bondage for even a good action may become a â—â—are to us if we make it an occasion of scruple by a pretence of necessity binding loads upon the conscience not with the bands of God but of men and of fancy or of opinion or of tyranny Whatsoever is laid upon us by the hands of man must be acted and accounted of by the measures of a man but our best measure is this He keeps the Lords day best that keeps it with most religion and with most charitie 9. What the Church hath done in the article of the resurrection she hath in som measure done in the other articles of the Nativity of the Ascention and of the Descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost and so great blessings deserve an anniversary solemnity since he is a very unthankful person that does not often record them in the whole year and esteem them the ground of his hopes the object of his faith the comfort of his troubles and the great effluxes of the divine mercy greater then all the victories over our temporal enemies for which all glad persons usually give thanks And if with great reason the memory of the resurrection does return solemnly every week it is but reason the other should return once a year * To which I adde that the commemoration of the articles of our Creed in solemn daies and offices is a very excellent instrument to convey and imprint the sense and memory of it upon the spirits of the most ignorant person For as a picture may with more fancie convey a story to a man then a plain narrative either in word or writing so a real representment and an office of remembrance and a day to declare it is far more impressive then a picture or any other art of making and fixing imagery 10. The memories of the Saints are precious to God and therefore they ought also to be so to us and such persons who served God by holy living industrious preaching and religiouâ— dying ought to have their names preserved in honour and God be glorified in them and their holy doctrines and lives published and imitated and we by so doing give testimony to the article of the communion of Saints But in these cases as every Church is to be sparing in the number of daies so also should she be temperate in her injunctions not imposing them but upon voluntary and unbusied persons without snare or burden But the Holy day is best kept by giving God thanks for the excellent persons Apostles or Martyrs we then remember and by imitating their lives this all may do and they that can also keep the solemnity must doe that too when it is publikly enjoyned The mixt actions of Religion are 1. Prayer 2. Alms. 3. Repentance 4. Receiving the blessed Sacrament SECT VII Of Prayer THere is no greater argument in the world of our spiritual danger and unwillingness to religion then the backwardness which most men have alwaies and all men have sometimes to say their praiers so weary of their length so glad when they are done so wittie to â—xcuse and frustrate an opportunitie and yet all is nothing but a desiring of God to give us the greatest and the best things wee can need and which can make us happie it is a work so easie so honorable and to so great purpose that in all the instances of religion and providence except onely the incarnation of his Son God hath not given us a greater argument of his willingness to have us saved and of our unwillingness to accept it his goodness and our gracelesness his infinite condescention and our carelesness and follie then by rewarding so easie a duty with so great blessings Motives tâ— Praier I cannot say any thing beyond this very consideration and its appendages to invite Christian people to pray often But wee may consider That first it is a duty commanded by God his holie Son 2. It is an act of grace and highest honour that wee dust and ashes are admitted to speak to the Eternal God to run to him as to a Father to laie open our wants to complain of our burdens to explicate our scruples to beg remedie and ease support and counsel health and safety deliverance and salvation and 3. God hath invited us to it by many gracious promises of hearing us 4. Hee hath appointed his most glorious Son to bee the President of Praier and to make continual intercession for us to the throne of Grace 5. Hee hath appointed an Angel to present the Praiers of his servants and 6. Christ unites them to his own and sanctifies them and makes them effective and prevalent and 7. Hath put it into the hands of men to rescind or alter all the decrees of God which are of one kinde that is conditional and concerning our selvs and our final estate and many instances of our intermedial or temporal by the power of praiers 8. And the praiers of mâ—n have saved câ—ties and kingdoms from ruine praier hath raiseâ— dead men to life hath stopped the violence of fire shut the mouths of wilde beasts hath altered the course of nature caused rain in Egypt and drought in the sea it made the Sun to go from West to East and the Moon to stand still and rocks and mountains to walk it cures diseases without physick and makes physick to do the work of nature and nature to do the work of grace and grace to do the work of God and it does miracles of accident and event and yet praier that does all this is of it self nothing but an ascent of the minde to God a desiring things fit to bee desired and an expression of this desire to
prayers a great part whereof we doe not hear our selves If they be not worthy of our attention they are farre more unworthy of Gods Signes of tediousnesse of spirit in our prayers and all actions of religion The second temptation in our prayer is a tediousness of spirit or a weariness of the imployment like that of the Jews who complained that they were weary of the new moons and their souls loathed the frequent return of their Sabbaths so doe very many Christians who first pray without servour and earnestness of spirit and secondly meditate but seldom and that without fruit or sense or affection or thirdly who seldom examine their consciences and when they doe it they doe iâ— but sleepily slightly without compunction or hearty purpose or fruits of amendment 4. They enlarge themselves in the thoughts and fruition of temporal things running for comfort to them only in any sadness and misfortune 5. They love not to frequent the Sacraments nor any the instruments of religion as sermons confessions prayers in publick fastings but love ease and a loose undiscipli'nd life 6. They obey not their superiours but follow their own judgment when their judgment follows their affections and their affections follow sense and worldly pleasures 7. They neglect or dissemble or deferre or doe not attend to the motions and inclinations to virtue which the Spirit of God puts into their soul. 8. They repent them of their vows and holy purposes not because they discover any indiscretion in them or intolerable inconvenience but because they have within them labor as the case now stands to them displeasure 9. They content themselves with the first degrees and necessary parts of virtue and when they are arrived thither they sit down as if they were come to the mountain of the Lord and caâ—e not to proceed on toward perfection 10. They enquire into all cases in which it may be lawful to omit a duty and though they will not do less then they are bound to yet they will do no more then needs must for they do out of fear and self-love not out of the love of God or the spirit of holyness and zeal The event of which will be this He that will do no more then needs must will soon be brought to omit something of his duty and will be apt to believe less to be necessary then is Remedies against tediousness of spirit The Remedies against this temptation are these 1. Order your privat devotions so that they become not arguments causes of tediousness by their indiscreet length but reduce your words into a narrower compass still keeping all the matter and what is cut off in the length of your praiers supply in the earnestness of your spirit for so nothing is lost while the words are changed into matter and length of time into servencie of devotion The forms are made not the less perfect and the spirit is more and the scruple is remov'd 2. It is not imprudent if we provide variety of forms of Praier to the same purposes that the change by consulting with the appetites of fancy may better entertain the Spirit and possibly we may be pleased to recite a hymn when a collect seems flat to us and unpleasant and we are willing to sing rather then to say or to sing this rather then that we are certain that variety is delightful and whether that be natural to us or an imperfection yet if it be complied with it may remove some part of the temptation 3. Break your office and devotion into fragments and make frequent returnings by ejaculations and abrupt entercourses with God for so no length can oppress your tenderness and sickliness of spirit and by often praying in such manner and in all circumstances we shall habituate our souls to praier by making it the business of many lesser portions of our time and by thrusting in between all our other imploiments it will make every thing relish of religion and by degrees tuâ—n all into its nature 4. Learn to abstract your thoughts and desires from pleasures and things of the world For nothing is a direct cure to this evil but cutting off all others loves and adherences Order your affairs so that religion may be propounded to you as a reward and praier as your defence and holy actions as your security and charity and good works as your treasure consider that all things else are satisfactions but to the brutish part of a man and that these are the refreshments and relishes of that noble part of us by which we are better then beasts and whatsoever other instrumeÌ„t exercise or consideration is of use to take our loves from the world the same is apt to place them upon God 5. Doe not seek for deliciousness and sensible consolations in the actions of religion but only regard the duty and the conscience of it For although in the beginning of religion most frequently and at â—â—me other tim 's irregularly God complies with our infirmity and encourages our duty with little overflowings of spiritual joy and sensible pleasure and delicacies in prayer so as we seem to feel some little beam of Heaven and great refreshments from the Spirit of consolation yet this is not alwaies safe for us to have neither safe for us to expect and look for and when we doe it is apt to make us cool in our enquiries and waitings upon Christ when we want them It is a running after him nor for the miracles but for the loaves not for the wonderfull things of God and the desires of pleasing him but for the pleasures of pleasing our selves And as we must not judge our devotion to be barren or unfruitful when we want the overflowings of joy running over so neither must we cease for want of them If our spirits can serve God choosingly and greedily out of pure conscience of our duty it is better in it self and more safe to us 6. Let him use to soften his spirit with frequent meditation upon sâ—d and dolorous objects as of death the terrours of the day of judgment fearful judgments upon sinners strange horrid accidents fear of Gods wrath the pains of Hell the unspeakable amazements of the damned the intolerable load of a sad eternity For whatsoever creaâ—es fear or makes the spirit to dwell in a religious sadness is apt to entender the spirit and make it devout and plyant to any part of duty For a great fear when it is ill managed is the parent of superstition but a discreet well guided fear produces religion 7. Pray often and you shall pray oftner and when you are accustomed to a frequent devotion it will so insensibly unite to your nature and affections that it will become trouble to omit your usual or appointed prayers and what you obtain at first by doing violence to your inclinations at last will not be leâ—t without as great unwillingness as that by which at first it entred This rule relies not only
upon reason derived from the nature of habits which turn into a second nature and make their actions easie frequent and delightful but it relies upon a reason depending upon the nature constitution of grace whose productions are of the same nature with the pâ—â—ent and increases it self naturally growing from gâ—anes to huge trees from minutes to vast proportions and from moments to Eternity But be sure not to omit your usual prayers without great reason though without sin it may be done because after you have omitted something in a little while you will be past the scruple of that and begin to be tempted to leave out more keep your self up to your usuâ—l forms you may enlarge when you will but doe not contract or lessen them without a very probable reason 8 Let a man frequently and seriously by imagination place himself upon his death-bed and consider what great joyes he shall have for the remembrance of every day well spent and what then he would give that he had so spent all his dayes He may gâ—esse at it by proportions for it is certain he shall have a joyfull and prosperous night who hath spent his day â—olily and he resignes his soul with peace into the hands of God who hath lived in the peace of God and the works of religion in his life time This consideration is of a real event it is of a thing that will certainly come to pass It is appointed for all men once to die and after death comes â—udgment the apprehension of which is dreadful and the presence of it is intolerable unlesse by religion and sanctity we are dispos'd for so venerable an appearance 9. To this may be useful that we consider the easinesse of Christs yoke See the Gâ—eat Exemplar Part. 3. Disc. 14. of the eaâ—iness of Christian Religion the excellences and sweetnesses that are in religion the peace of conscience the joy of the Holy Ghost the rejoycing in God the simplicity pleasure of virtue the intricacy trouble and businesse of sin the blessings and health and reward of that the cuâ—sâ—s the sicknesses and sad consequences of this and that if we are weary of the labours of religion we must eternally sit still and do nothing for whatsoever we do contrary to it is infinitely more full of labour care difficulty and vexation 10. Consider this also that tediousnesse of spirit is the beginning of the most dangerous condition and estate in the whole World For it is a great disposition to the sin against the holy Ghost it is apt to bring a man to backsliding and the state of unregeneration to make him return to his vomit and his sink and either to make the man impatient or his condition scrupulous unsatisfied â—â—kâ—ome and â—â—sperâ—tâ— â—nd it is better that he had never known the way of godliness then after the knowledge of it that he should fall away The 〈◊〉 noâ— in the world a greater signe that the spirit of Reprobation is beginning upon a man then when he is habitually and constantly or very frequently weary and slights or loaths holy Offices 11. The last remedy that preservs the hope of such a man and can reduce him to the state of zeal and the love of God is a pungent sad and a heavy affliction not desperate but recreated with some intervals of kindnesse or little comforts or entertained with hopes of deliverance which condition if a man shall fall into by the grace of God he is likely to recover but if this help him not it is infinite odds but he will quench the Spirit SECT VIII Of Alms. LOve is as communicative as fire as busie and as active and it hath four twin Daughters extreme like each other and but that the Docters of the School have done as Thamars Midwife did who bound a Scarlet threed something to distinguish them it would be very hard to call them asunder Their names are 1. Mercy 2. Beneficence or well-doing 3. Liberality And 4. Almes which by a special priviledge hath obtained to be called after the Mothers name and is commonly called Charity The first or eldest is seated in the affection and it is that which all the other must attend For mercy without Almes is acceptable when the person is disabled to express outwardly what he heartily desires But Almes without Mercy are like prayers without devotion or Religion without Humility 2. Beneficence or well-doing is a promptness and nobleness of minde making us to doe offices of curtefie and humanity to all sorts of persons in their need or out of their need 3. Liberality is a disposition of minde opposite to covetousness and consists in the despite and neglect of money upon just occasions and relates to our friends children kindred servants and other relatives 4. But Almes is a relieving the poor and needy The first and the last only are duties of Christianity The second and third are circumstances and adjuncts of these duties for Liberality increases the degree of Almes making our gift greater and Beneficence extends it to more persons and orders of Men spreading it wider The former makes us sometimes to give more then we are able and the latter gives to more then need by the necessity of Beggers and serves the needs and conveniencies of pâ—rsons and supplies circumstances whereas properly Almes are doles and largesses to the necessitous and calamitous people supplying the necessities of Nature and giving remedies to their miseries Meâ—cy and Almes are the body and soul of that charity which we must pay to our Neighbours need and it is a precept which God therefore enjoyned to the World that the great inequality which he was pleased to suffer in the possessions and accidents of Men might be reduced to some temper and evenness and the most miserable person might be reconciled to some sense and participation of felicity Works of mercy or the several kinds of corporal Almes The works of Mercy are so many as the affections of Mercy have objects or as the World hath kindes of misery Men want meat or drink or clothes or a house or liberty or attendance or a grave In proportion to thesâ— seven works are usually assigned to Mercy and there are seven kindes of corporal almes reckoned Mat. 25.35 1. To feed the hungry 2. To give drink to the thirsty 3. Or clothes to the naked 4. To redeem Captives 5. To visit the sick 6. To entertain strangers 7. To bury the dead * Mat. 25. 2 Sâ—m 2. But many more may be added Such as are 8. To give physick to sick persons 9. To bring cold and starved people to warmâ—h and to the fire for sometimes clothing will not doe it or this may be done when we cannot doe the other 10. To lead the blinde in right waies 11. To lend money 12. To forgive debts 13. To remit forfeitures 14. To mend high-wayes and bridges 15. To reduce or guide wandring travellers 16. To ease thâ—â—r labors by
for a trifle 6. Remove from thy selfe all provocations and incentives to anger especially 1. Games of chance and great wager * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iliad â— Patroclus killed his friend the son of Amphidamas in his rage and sudden fury rising upon a crosse game at tables Such also are petty curiosities and wordly businesse and carefulnesse about it but manage thy self with indifferency or contempt of those externall things and do not spend a passion upon them for it is more then they are worth But they that desire but few things can be crossed but in a few Qui paueâ— requiâ—unt non multis excidunt Plut. 2. In not heaping up with an ambitious or curious prodigality any very curious or choice Utensils Seals Jewels Glasses precious stones because those very many accidents which happen in the spoiling or losse of these rarities is in event an irresistible cause of violent anger 3. Do not entertain nor suffer talebearers for they abuse our ears first and then our credulity and then steal our patience and it may be for a lye and if it be true the matter is not considerable or if it be yet it is pardonable and we may alwayes escape with patience at one of these out-lets either 1 By not hearing slanders or 2. By not believing them or By not regarding the thing or 4 By forgiving the person 4. To this purpose also it may serve well if we choose as much as we can to live with peaceable persons for that prevents the occasions of confusion and if we live with prudent persons that will not easily occasion our disturbance But because these things are not in many mens power therefore I propound this rather as a felicity then a remedy or a duty and an art of prevention rather then of cure 7. Be not inquisitive into the affairs of other men nor the faults of thy servants nor the mistakes of thy friends but what is offered to you use according to the former rules but do thou not go out to gather sticks to kindle a fire to burn thine owne house And add this if my friend said or did well in that for which I am angry I am in the fault not he But if he did amisse he is in the misery not I for either he was deceived or he was malitious and either of them both is all one with a miserable person and that is an object of pity not of anger 8. Use all reasonable discourses to excuse the faults of others considering that there are many circumstances of time of person of accident of inadvertency of infrequency of aptnesse to amend of sorrow for doing it and it is well that we take any good in exchange for the evil is done or suffered 9. Upon the arising of anger instantly enter into a deep consideration of the joyes of Heaven or the pains of Hell for fear and joy are naturally apt to appease this violence â—omer 10. In contentions be alwayes passive never active upon the defensive not the assaulting part and then also give a gentle answer receiving the furies and indiscretions of the other like a stone into a bed of Mosse and soft compliance and you shall find it sit down quietly whereas anger and violence makes the contention loud and long and injurious to both the parties 11. In the actions of Religion be carefull to temper all thy instances with meeknesse and the proper instruments of it and if thou beest apt to be angry neither fast violently nor entertain the too forward heats of zeal but secure thy duty with constant and regular actions and a good temper of body with convenient refreshments and recreations 12. If anger rises suddenly and violently first restrain it with consideration and then let it end in a hearty prayer for him that did the real or seeming injury The former of the two stops its growth and the latter quite kils it and makes amends for its monstrous and involuntary birth Remedies against Angel by way of consideration 1. Consider that Anger is a professed enemy to Counsel it is a direct storm in which no man can be heard to speak or call from without for if you counsel gently you are despised if you urge it and be vehement you provoke it more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be carefull therefore to lay up before-hand a great stock of reason and prudent consideration that like a besieged Town you may be provided for and be defensible from within since you are not likely to be reliev'd from without Anger is not to be suppressed but by something that is as inward as it self and more habituall To which purpose adde that 2. Of all passions it endevours most to make reason useless 3. That it is an universal poyson of an infinite object for no man was ever so amorous as to love a Toad none so envious as to repine at the condition of the miserable no Man so timorous as to fear a dead Bee but anger is troubled at every thing and every Man and every accident and therefore unlesse it be suppressed it wil make a Mans condition restlesse 4. If it proceeds from a great cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot. it turns to fury if from a small cause it is peevishnesse and so is alwayes either terrible or ridiculous 5. It makes a Mans body monstrous deformed and contemptible the voice horrid the eyes cruel the face pale or fiery the gate fierce the speech clamorous and loud 6. It is neither manly nor ingenuous 7. It proceeds from softnesse of spirit and pusillanimity which makes that Women are more angry then Men sick persons more then the healthfull old Men more then yong unprosperous and calamitous people then the blessed and fortunate 8. It is a passion fitter for Flies and Insects then for persons professing noblenesse and bounty 9. It is troublesome not onely to those that suffer it but to them that behold it there being no greater incivility * Discere quid coenâ posses ingratius istâ of entertainment then for the Cooks fault or the negligence of the servants to be cruel or outragious or unpleasant in the presence of the guests 10. It makes marriage to be a necessary and unavoidable trouble friendships and societies and familiarities to be intolerable 11. It multiplies the evils of drunkennesse and makes the levities of Wine to run into madnesse 12. It makes innocent jesting to be the beginning of Tragedies 13. It turns friendship into hatreds * it makes a Man lose himself and his reason and his argument in disputation It turns the desires of knowledge into an itch of wrangling It addes insolency to power * It turns justice into cruelty and judgement into oppression * It changes discipline into tediousnesse and hatred of liberal institution * It makes a prosperous Man to be envyed and the unfortunate to be unpitied * It is a confluence of all the irregular
its consequent temptations Some people can shed tears for nothing some for any thing but the proper and true effects of a godly sorrow are fear of the divine judgements apprehension of Gods displeasure watchings amd strivings against sin patiently enduring the cross of sorrow which God sends as their punishment in accusation of our selves in perpetually begging pardon in mean and base opinions of our selves and in all the natural productions from these according to our temper and constitution for if we be apt to weep in other accidents it is ill if we weep not also in the sorrows of repentance not that weeping is of it self a duty but that sorrow if it be as great will be still expressed in as great a manner 2. Our sorrow for sins must retain the proportion of our sins though not the equality we have no particular measures of sins we know not which is greater of sacrilege or Superstition Idolatry or Covetousness Rebellion or Witchcraft and therefore God ties us not to nice measures of sorrow but onely that wee keep the general Rules of proportion that is that a great sin have a great grief a smaller crime being to be washed off with a lesser shower 3. Our sorrow for sins is then best accounted of for its degree Hugo de S. Victor when it together with all the penal and afflictive duties of repentance shall have equalled or exceeded the pleasure we had in commission of the sin 4. True repentance is a punishing duty and acts its sorrow and judges and condemns the sin by voluntary submitting to such sadnesses as God sends on us or to prevent the judgement of God by judging our selves and punishing our bodies and our spirits by such instruments of piety as are troublesome to the body such as are fasting watching long prayers troublesome postures in our prayers expensive almes and all outward acts of humiliation For he that must judge himself must condemn himself if he be guilty and if he be condemned he must be punished and if he be so judged it will help to prevent the judgement of the Lord 1 Cor. 11.31 S. Paul instructing us in this particular But I before intimated that the punishing actions of repentance are onely actions of sorrow and therefore are to make up the proportions of it For our grief may be so full of trouble as to outweigh all the burdens of fasts and bodily afflictions and then the other are the less necessary and when they are used the benefit of them is to obtain of God a remission or a lessening of such temporal judgments which God hath decreed against the sins as it was in the case of Ahab but the sinner is not by any thing of this reconciled to the eternal favour of God for as yet this is but the Introduction to Repentance 5. Every true penitent is obliged to confess his sins and to humble himself before God for ever Confession of sins hath a special promise If we confesse our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins meaning that God hath bound himself to forgive us if we duly confess our sins 1 Iohn 1.9 and do all that for which confession was appointed that is be ashamed of them and own them no more For confession of our sins to God can signify nothing of it self in its direct nature He sees us when we act them and keeps a record of them and we forget them unless he reminds us of them by his grace so that to confess them to God does not funish us or make us asham'd but confession to him if it proceeds from shame and sorrow and is an act of humility and self condemnation and is a laying open our wounds for cure then it is a duty God delights in in all which circumstances because we may very much be helped if we take in the assistance of a spiritual Guide therefore the church of God in all ages hath commended and in most ages enjoyn'd * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Basil. reg brev 228. Concil Laâ—d c. 2. Concil Quiniseâ—t c. 102. Tertul. de poenit that we confess our sins and discover the state and condition of our souls to such a person whom we or our superiours judge fit to help us in such needs For so if we confesse our sins one to another as S. James advises we shall obtain the prayers of the holy man whom God and the Church hath appointed solemnly to pray for us and when he knows our needs he can best minister comfort or reproof oyl or Causticks he can more opportunely recommend your particular state to God he can determine your cases of conscience and judge better for you then you do for your self and the shame of opening such Ulcers may restrain your forwardness to contract them and all these circumstances of advantage will do very much towards the forgiveness And this course was taken by the new Converts in the dayes of the Apostles For many that believed Acts. 1â— 28 came and confessed and shewed their deeds And it were well if this duty were practised prudently and innocently in order to publick discipline or private comfort and instruction but that it be done to God is a duty not directly for it self but for its adjuncts and the duties that goe with it or before it or after it which duties because they are all to be helped and guided by our Pastors and Curates of souls he is careful of his eternal interest that will not lose the advantage of using a private guide and judge He that bideth his sins shall not prosper Non dirigetur Prov. 28.13 saith the Vulgar Latin he shall want a guide but who confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy And to this purpose Climacus reports that diverse holy persons in that age did use to carry Table-books with them and in them describ'd an account of all their determinate thoughts purposes words and actions in which they had suffered infirmity that by communicating the estate of their souls they might be instructed and guided and corrected or incouraged 6. True repentance must reduce to act all its holy purposes and enter into and run through the state of holy * Rom. 6 3.4.7 verses 8. 10. 13. 13.14 11. 22.27 Gal 5. 6.24 6. 15. 1 Cor 7. 19. 2 Cor. 13. 5. Colos. 1 21.22.23 Heb. 12. 1.14.16 10 16.22 1 Pet. 1 15. 2 Pet. 1 4.9.10 3. 11. 1 Iohn 1. 6. 3. 3.9 5. 16. living which is contrary to that state of darknesse in which in times past we walked * Nequam illud verbum bene vult nisi qui benè facit Trinummus For to resolve to do it yet not to do it is to break our resolution our faith to mock God to falsifie and evacuate all the preceding acts of repentance to make our pardoÌ„ hopeles our hope fruitles He that resolves to live well when a danger is upon him or a violent
our sins 1 John 3.5 If ye being evill know to give good things to your children how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good things to them that ask him Matth. 7.11 This is a faithfull saying and worthy of â—ll accepâ—ation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners He that hath given us his â—on how should not he with him give us all things else Acts of hope to be used by sick persons after a pious life I Am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nâ—â— Principalities noâ— powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8.38 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but unto all them also that love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.7 Blessed be the God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comforts who comforts us in all tribulation 2 Cor. 1.3 A prayer to be said in behalf of a sick or dying person O Lord God there is no number of thy dayes nor of thy mercies and the sins and sorrows of thy servant also are multiplied Lord look upon him with much mercy and pity forgive him all his sinnes comfort his sorrows ease his pain satisfie his doubts relieve his fears instruct his ignorances strengthen his understanding take from him all disorders of spiritâ— weakness and abuse of fancy Restrain the malice and power of the spirits of darkness and suffer him to be injured neither by his ghostly enemies noâ— his own infirmities and let a holy and a just peace the peace of God be within his conscience Lord preserve his senses till thâ— last of his time strengthen his faith confirm his hope and give him a never ceasing charity to thee our God and to all the world stir up in him a great and proportionable contrition for all the evills he hath done and give him a just measure of patience for all he suffers give him prudence memory and consideration rightly to state the accounts of his soul and do thou reminde him of all his duty that when it shall please thee that his soul goes out from the prison of his body it may be received by Angels and preserved from the surprize of evil spirits and from the horrors and amazements of new and stranger Regions and be laid up in the bosom of our Lord till at the day of thy second coming it shall be reunited to the body which is now to be layed down in weakness and dishonour but we humbly beg may then be raised up with glory and power for ever to live and to behold the face of God in the glories of the Lord Jesus who is our hope our resurrection and our life the light of our eyes and the joy of our souls our blessed and ever glorious Redeemer Amen Hither the sick persons may draw in and use the acts of several vertues respersed in the several parts of this book the several Letanies viz. of repentance of the passion and the single prayers according to his present needs A Prayer to be said in a storm aâ— Sea O My God thou didst create the Earth and the Sea for thy glory and the use of man and doest daily shew wonders in the deep look upon the danger and fear of thy servant my sins have taken hold upon me and without the supporting arm of thy mercy I cannot look up but my trust is in thee Do thou O Lord rebuke the Sea and make it calm for to thee the windes and the sea obey let not the waters swallow me up but let thy Spirit the Spirit of gentleness and mercy move upon the waters Be thou reconciled unto thy servants and then the face of the waters will be smooth I fear that my sins make me like â—onas the cause of the tempest Cast out all my sins and throw not thy servants away from thy presence and from the land of the living into the depths where all things are forgotten But if it be thy wil that wâ— shall go down into the waters Lord 〈◊〉 my soul into thy holy hands and preserve it in mercy and safety till the day of â—estâ—â—â—tion of all things and be pleased â—oâ—n â—e my dâ—â—th to the 〈◊〉 of thy Son and â—o accept of it so united as a punishment for all my sins that thou mayest forget all thine anger and blot my sins out of thy book and write my soul there for Jesus Christ his sake our dearest Lord and most mighty Redeemer Amen Then make an act of resignation thus TO God pertain the issues of life and death It is the Lord. Let him do what seemeth good in his own eyes Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven Recite Psalm 107. and 130. A form of a vow to be made in this or the like danger IF the Lord will be gracious and hear the Prayer of his servant and bring me safe to shore then I will praise him secretly and publickly and pay unto the uses of charity or Religion then name the sum you designe for holy uses O my God my goods are nothing unto thee I will also be thy servant all the dayes of my life and remember this mercy and my present purposes and live more to Gods glory and with a stricter duty And do thou please to accept this vow as an instance of my importunity and the greatness of my needs and be thou graciously moved to pity and deliver me Amen This form also may be used in praying for a blessing on an enterprize and may be instanced in actions of devotion as well as of charity A Prayer before a journey O Almighty God who fillest all things with thy presence and art a God afar off as well as neer at hand thou didst send thy Angel to bless Jacob in his journey and didst lead the children of Israel through the Red Sea making it a wall on the right hand and on the left be pleased to let thy Angel go out before me and guide me in my journey preserving me from dangers of robbers from violence of enemies and sudden and sad accidents from fals and errours and prosper my journey to thy glory and to all my innocent purposes and preserve me from all sin that I may return in peace and holyness with thy favour and thy blessing and may serve thee in thankfulness and obedience all the dayes of my pilgrimage and aâ— last bring me to thy country to the celestial Jerusalem there to dwell in thy house and to sing praises to thee for ever Amen Ad. Sect. 4. A prayer to be said before hearing or reading the word of God O
ever in the unity of the holy Catholick Church and in the integrity of the Christian faith and in the love of God and of our neighbours and in hope of life Eternal Amen 2. For the whole Catholick Church O holy Jesus King of the Saints and Prince of the Catholick Church preserve thy spouse whom thou hast purchased with thy right hand and redeemed and cleansed with thy blood the whole Catholick Church from one end of the Earth to the other she is founded upon a rock but planted in the sea O preserve her safe from schisme heresie and sacrilege Unite all her members with the bands of Faith Hope and Charity and an externall communion when it shall seem good in thine eyes let the daily sacrifice of prayer and Sacramental thanksgiving never cease but be for ever presented to thee and for ever united to the intercession of her dearest Lord and for ever prevaile for the obtaining for every of its membres grace and blessing pardon and salvation Amen 3. For all Christian Kings Princes and Governours O King of Kings and Prince of all the Rulers of the Earth give thy grace and Spirit to all Christian Princes the spirit of wisdom and counsell the spirit of government and godly fear Grant unto them to live in peace and honour that their people may love and fear them and they may love and fear God speak good unto their hearts concerning the Church that they may be nursing Fathers to it Fathers of the Fatherless Judges and Avengers of the cause of Widowes that they may be compassionate to the wants of the poor and the groans of the oppressed that they may not vex or kill the Lords people with unjust or ambitious wars but may feed the flock of God and may inquire after and do all things which may promote peace publick honesty and holy religion so administring things present that they may not fail of the everlasting glories of the world to come where all thy faithfull people shall reign Kings for ever Amen 4. For all the orders of them that minister about H. things O thou great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls Holy and Eternall Jesus give unto thy servants the Ministers of the Mysteries of Christian religion the Spirit of prudence sanctity faith and charity confidence and zeal diligence watchfulnes that they may declare thy will unto the people faithfully dispense thy Sacraments rightly and intercede with thee graciously acceptably for thy servants Grant O Lord that by a holy life and a true belief by well doing and patient suffering when thou shalt call them to it they may glorifie thee the great lover of souls and after a plentifull conversion of sinners from the errour of their wayes they may shine like the stars in glory Amen Give unto thy servants the Bishops a discerning Spirit that they may lay hands suddenly on no man but may depute such persons to the Ministeries of religion who may adorn the Gospel of God and whose lips may preserve knowledge and such who by their good preaching and holy living may advance the service of the Lord Jesus Amen 5. For our neerest relatives as Husband Wife Children Family c. O God of infinite mercy let thy loving mercy and compassion descend upon the head of thy servants my wife or husband children and family be pleased to give them health of body and of spirit a competent portion of temporals so as may with comfort support them in their journey to Heaven preserve them from all evill and sad accidents defend them in all assaults of their enemies direct their persons and their actions sanctifie their hearts and words and purposes that we all may by the bands of obedience and charity be united to our Lord Jesus and alwayes feeling thee our mercifull and gracious Father may become a holy family discharging our whole duty in all our relations that we in this life being thy children by adoption and grace may be admitted into thy holy family hereafter for ever to sing praises to thee in the Church of the first-born in the family of thy redeemed ones Amen 6. For our Parents our Kindred in the flesh our Friends and Benefactors O God merciful and gracious who hast made my Parents my friends and my Benefactors ministers of thy mercy instruments of providence to thy servant I humbly beg a blessing to descend upon the heads of name the persons or the relations Depute thy holy Angels to guard their persons thy holy spirit to guide their souls thy providence to minister to their necessities and let thy grace and mercy preserve them from the bitter pains of eternal death and bring them to everlasting life through Jesus Christ. Amen 7. For all that lye under the rod of war famine pestilence to be said in the time of plague or war c. O Lord God almighty thou art our Father we are thy children thou art our Redeemer we thy people purchased with the price of thy most precious blood be pleased to moderate thy anger towards thy servants let not thy whole displeasure arise lest we be consumed and brought to nothing Let health and peace be within our dwellings let righteousness and holiness dwell for ever in our hearts and be express'd in all our actions and the light of thy countenance be upon us in all sufferings that we may delight in the service and in the mercies of God for ever Amen O gracious Father and mercifull God if it be thy will say unto the destroying Angel it is enough and though we are not better then our brethren who are smitten with the rod of God but much worse yet may it please thee even because thou art good and because we are timerous and sinfull not yet fitted for our appearance to set thy mark upon our foreheads that thy Angel the Minister of thy justice may pass over us hurt us not let thy hand cover thy servants and hide us in the clefts of the rock in the wounds of the holy Jesus from the present anger that is gone out against us that though we walk thorough the valley of the shadow of death we may fear no evill and suffer none and those whom thou hast smitten with thy rod support with thy staff and visit them with thy mercies and salvation through Jesus Christ. Amen 8. For all women with childe and for unborn children O Lord God who art the Father of them that trust in thee and shewest mercy to a thousand generations of them that fear thee have mercy upon all women great with childe * be pleased to give them a joyfull and a safe deliverance and let thy grace preserve the fruit of their wombs and conduct them to the holy Sacrament of Baptisme that they being regenerated by thy spirit and adopted into thy family and the portion and duty of Sons may live to the glory of God to the comfort of their parents and friends to the edification of