all sins past as present and always before him whilst to the sinner himself many are never known many once known quite forgotten Again He as being the person wronged by sin who is always a higher valuer of the offence than is the party offending justly aggravating it from the supreme dignity of his person his infinite love and numberless benefactions to the Sinner his former long patience toward Him his exceeding holiness and purity so opposite to its filthiness c. See Gen. 6.6 Where 't is said That man's sin grieved him at his heart and it repented our Lord that ever he had made him on the earth And again Mar. 3.5 That our most meek Lord Jesus was so provoked by it That he looked round about on them with anger being grieved for the hardness of their hearts But especially the hainousness of sins may be learnt from the many experienced stupendious Judgments upon them at which man is much troubled how to make them bear any just proportion to his Faults Which dreadful revenges upon Sin you may consider 1. In the faln Angels for one sin exiled from heaven and held in chains of darkness near upon ever since the Creation of the world besides what is to come made also for ever uncapable of any means of Reconciliation 2. In Adam for one sin ejected out of his most pleasant Habitation apparrel'd with the covering of Beasts condemned to eat his Bread in labour and sorrow and penance for near a 1000 years and then to return to Putrefaction and a curse laid on all his Posterity and on the ground they lived on for his sake 3. In the drowning at one time for their lusts and oppressions of all the men in the world except Eight persons their children and infants and all other living creatures for their sake 4. In the storm of Fire and Brimstone rained upon the five Cities for their Lusts and those pleasant Plains turned to a dead Lake till this day and yet these Cities to undergo a new Damnation at the day of Judgment as if they had as yet suffered nothing See Mat. 11.22 Where our Lord aggravating the punishment of Bethsaida saith it shall be then more intolerable than that of Sodome 5. In the severe punishments of David though otherwise a most holy person the sad story of which you may read in the 13.15 and 24. Chapters of 2. Sam. Concerning all which forenamed punishments this is a sufficient evidence that the sins deserved them because he who is Justice it self and from whom man learns the true notions of it inflicted them 6. Lastly In the precious Sacrifice of the only Son of God required by his Father for the Expiation of Sin This of the present temporal punishments But then consider also 2ly The future punishment for all sin here unrepented of and unforsaken before death in the world to come 27. 1 Immediately after death Of the Soul Exemplified in the deceased rich man tormented in fire whilst his brethren yet living in their jollity here on earth Luk. 16.24 And in the Beast and false Prophet their being cast into the Lake of fire before the Invasion of Gog and Magog and before Satan's being shut up there See Rev. 19 20. Comp. 20.8.10 Which also appears from our Lord 's declaring that a temporal death kills the Body but not the Soul Matt. 10.28 And St. Pet. 1. Ep. 3 4. adviseth the adorning of the hidden man of the heart because this not corruptible And Ibid. ver 19. makes mention of Spirits in Prison viz. the spirits of such persons as were preached-to in the days of Noah And if the Souls of the Righteous be then presently in Paradise Luk. 23.43 and with Christ their Lord and partake of God's mercy and glory the Souls of the Wicked must be then presently imprisoned and remain with the Devil their Master feel the lashes of God's Justice and begin their never ending misery and ignominy Whilst the Body descends into the Grave the poor Soul by the strength of Angels being forced downward into a far lower Dungeon an infernum inferius in the most innermost bowels of the earth from whence it shall never return again nor see light save at the last day that which flasheth from the face of the angry Judge when it is brought to his Bar to receive its last doom doubled torments and to make it much more sensible of them forc'd to take along with it its loathed Mate the Body into the same profound pit Who then can tell the agony of such person now come to the end of his days when scorched with Feavers he desires to dye and by death can remove only into a bed of fire when he cannot endure his present pains and hath no change save to far greater these he cannot suffer and the other if ceasing to suffer these he can no way avoid nor knows he what way to turn himself in this Labyrinth of Despairs These sufferings of the Soul having been by some endured already above 5000 years and those of the rich glutton in flames if this not made wholly a Parable suffered now above sixteen Centuries though he lived here not one 28. 2 After Dooms-day Of Soul and Body Where also weigh well the terrible description of these punishments mentioned in his Word who cannot lye The Body raised in dishonour A Carcass deformed stinking Chains binding hand and foot Prison depth of the Earth Dungeon Bottomless Pit A Fire and Brimstone-Lake Immobility Suffocation Worm or Serpent gnawing Fire devouring Thirst never refreshed Body never consumed Sense never stupified Weeping wailing gnashing the teeth Society of wicked men and Devils ugly stinking All hating cursing one another hating cursing God cast into a land of Oblivion Psal 88.12 None to comfort none to bemoan The ancient Compassion of Saints and Angels and God now turned into Hate and Derision No Mediator no Redeemer The Soul always in an Agony and sick to death restless hopeless despairing wounded to the heart with the sense of lost happiness as well as present misery And all her sufferings eternal eternal Eternal these pains God in his upright Justice not being so indulgent as to grant to that his wretched Creature the relief of an Annihilation And these pains unremitting the rich man sparingly begging of the beggar that before wanted his relief but only one drop of water falling from the dipped tip of his finger Luk. 16.24 and it would not be granted him The greatness of God's vengeance then answering the greatness of his person and of his patience when yet for the present so much hating sin which Patience abused at last turns to Fury and no wrath comparable to the wrath of the Lamb. See Rev. 6.6 Rom. 2.5 And from the magnitude of this wrath and punishment is chiefly learnt the magnitude of sin and what a Monster that must be that deserves such Torments for ever and ever from him that cannot do the least Injustice Digr Of the Degrees
which you must be accountable Because of the multiplied cares thereof leaving you less vacancy for attendance on Prayer and Celestial things which vacancy you ought by all means you can to preserve for the doing your chiefest business that of the next World for it may well be applied to this secular engagement what the Apostle adviseth concerning another 1. Cor. 7.33 Qui sine uxore est read it sine officio solicitus est quae Domini sunt quomodo placeat Deo qui autem cum uxore solicitus est quae sunt mundi quomodo placeat uxori divisus est And ver 35. Hoc ad utilitatem vestram dico quod facultatem praebeat sine impedimento Dominum obsecrandi The Apostles frequently advising us to whatever may further disswading from whatever may hinder Prayer the chief business in this life See this ch v. 5. 1. Pet. 3.7 Matt. 5.23 24. 1. Tim. 2.8 Jam. 1.6 And ver 32. Volo autem vos sine solicitudine esse Again Because of the many Temptations and great Sins to which secular Greatness and State joined with Wealth and Applause its two ordinary Hand-maids exposeth you Concerning which Temptations and Sins the former Counsels and Texts being as applicable to an honourable and a low condition as before to a rich and a poor need not here be repeated Lastly Because of the many changes to which secular Greatness is liable and from which though no condition whatever in this world is freed yet much the more stedfast and fixt and always equal are the lowest As for the invitement to all these hazards the doing more good consider that it is also most what a temptation proceeding from too much self-love and self-esteem that if indeed you be not so worthy and fit for the right discharge of such Office as some others your procuring it doth for so much hinder and diminish the publick Good Again being exposed to so many more Temptations by it your Humility ought to fear that the Sins you shall commit are likely to o're count the Good you may perform and that in this case you ought to prefer your own Innocence before your neighbour's Benefit and the not offending God by Sin before your pleasing him with some good Work he requiring Purity before Charity and Obedience before Sacrifice 2. Refusing also such Honors and Preferments when offered preserving due obedience to those who may command you because there are persons enow fitter than your self as you ought to think to possess them 3. Prescinding at once all ambitious desires and designs and the many vices that attend them after a due respect had to the sufficiency of your present condition by passing a firm Resolution never to solicite for or accept when freely offered unless constrained to it by authority not to be opposed any higher place or preferment in this world men much more freely and devoutly attending to their spiritual Progress when they have concluded their secular Recommendation of Humiliations and of a low Condition 4. Diligently practising frequent Humiliations of your self to mean persons and services below your condition See Rom. 12.10 16. Jam. 1.10 considering the many Vertues and Graces in us that receive great growth thereby and rise still higher as our Humility can descend still lower and this is the proper effect of such Humiliations considering also the Tranquility and Peace enjoyed by it whilst we seek that wherein we have no Competitor but wherein all are ready rather to further our design But especially imitating the Pattern of our great Lord in this Practice Matt. 20.28 And Jo. 13.4 c. where he professeth he did it for a Pattern ver 14 15. And obeying his Lessons Luk. 14.10 9.46 Matt. 18.2 23.12 Mar. 9.35 36. where he directs the Guest to take the lowest place that so he might be called higher and by an humble Child brought in amongst them teacheth his ambitious Disciples that the true way to be greatest was to be least and first was to be last Greatest for the present i. e. in Vertue and in the esteem of God and his good Angels even whilst he is last in Place and mens esteem But greatest too for the future this being in the rule of God's Oeconomy the only posture for Preferment he depressing the high and exalting the low and so such a State if it were only out of ambition to be chosen which God and Men love to advance §. 16. 2. And Reputation 1. And as for Honors Preferments and Offices so for Reputation and a Name which we may seek also even in the not-seeking the other Keeping ever a strict watch of not being tainted at least with this most subtle Evil never suffering the praise of men to be a motive to you of undertaking any Action The praise of men a thing so little worth which is but of a few of them only in some Corner only of this lower world most of these too of little judgment and this perhaps mis-informed or partial as is the praise of friends or dissembling and praising only from the lips outward when the heart despiseth and very mutable commending to Day condemning to Morrow See how it went with our Lord himself Benedictus qui venit on Palm-Sunday and Crucifige Crucifige within five days after the most being of a perverted judgment and commending things no way praise-worthy and so this drawing aside the ambitious thereof from doing what his conscience would tell him is most fit to what is most applauded the occasion of the Pharisees great miscarriage in their actions Jo. 12.43.5.44 And see Jo. 5.41 Lastly all in a short time swept away from the earth the praiser and praised and both forgotten and unknown to Posterity This praise of men therefore always rejected let your only motive be the Praise you shall have with God 2. Cor. 10.18 Rom. 2.29 1. Cor. 4.7 and with his Holy Angels infinitely more numerous persons more honourable of a constant being and in the next world our near Acquaintance and Associates never lost but to whom now also we are a spectacle as well as to men 1. Cor. 4.9 1. Tim. 5.21 and our present Actions discoursed of in the Court of heaven and laid up in their Memories Job 1.8 Zechar. 1.12 13. 3.2 Who see and rejoice for any good done to us Luk. 2.14 or done by us Luk. 15.7 and this our Reputation with them declared by our Lord to be worth the valuing See Luk 12.8.9 Rev 3.5 14.10 Matt. 25.31 Eccl. 6.5 1. Tim. 3.16 Who considers much and often that all his Virtues are seen and registred in the Court of heaven will little care to be applauded or known in the Village of this world or rather in but one Cottage of it Mihi pro minimo est ut judicer ab humana die 1. Cor. 4.3 Nay Si hominibus i. e. mundi placeo Christi servus non sum Gal. 1.10 This then often meditated on will animate you to worthy performances with
this life were not the least worthy of 2. Cor. 14.17 There to possess all Riches Without fear of Moth or rust or thief Matt. 6.19 Having in Heaven an induring substance Heb. 10.34 Receiving for all our former Losses an hundred fold Matt. 19.29 To enjoy all Honour To be made Kings Coheirs of God's heavenly Kingdome with his only Son Possessed of an exceeding eternal weight of glory 2. Cor. 4.17 Shining as the brightness of the Firmament as the Stars Dan. 12.3 as the Sun Matt. 13.43 having Crowns Palms Thrones Rev. 7.9 sitting with Christ in his Throne Rev. 3.21 Judging the Nations Angels 1. Cor. 6.3 ruling over the Nations Rev. 2.26 27. Made like unto the Son of God our B. Saviour 1. Jo. 3.6 To enjoy all Pleasures Arrayed in fine linnen clean and white Rev. 19.8 prepared as a bride adorned for her husband Rev. 21.2 And there married unto the Lamb Rev. 19.7 The ravished spouse shall cry out I have found him whom my Soul loveth I will hold him and will not let him go Cant. 3.4 Blessed are they who are called to the marriage Supper of the Lamb Apoc. 19.9 Blessed be those Servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching Verily I say unto you that he shall gird himself and make them sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them Luk. 12.37 They shall come from the East and from the West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven Matt. 8.11 I will drink no more of this fruit of the Vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my fathers Kingdome Matt. 26.29 On either side of the River was the tree of life which had twelve manner of fruits and yielded her fruit every month c. Let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Apoc. 22.2 17. Entring into the never-ending joy of our Lord Matt. 25.23 In whose presence is fulness of joy and at whose right hand pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 Whether St. Paul was caught up and there heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter and of such a one saith he may I glory 2. Cor. 12.1 c. Where their Soul is to be satisfied with marrow and fatness that their month is still praising with joyful lips Psal 63.5 Where they are so ravished with his beauty and holiness that for ever they are doing nothing but gazing in his face Matt. 18.10 Rev. 22.4 and celebrating it and crying holy holy holy Rev. 4.8 Hallelujah Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne and to the Lamb. Great and marvelous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Amen Blessing and glory and wisdome and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be unto our God for ever and ever Amen Rev. 4.11 7.10.12 15.3 19.6 Happy are the men happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and that hear thy wisdome 1. King 10.8.1 Thou hast ravished mine heart thou hast ravished mine heart Tell my Beloved that I am sick of Love One thing have I desired of the Lord that I will seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord c. Psal 27.4 How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts My Soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God Blessed are they that dwell in thy house and are still praising thee Psal 84.1 2.4 Lastly filled with all the fulness of God Eph. 3.19 For Christ ascended into Heaven that so he might fill all things Eph. 4.10 Made all one with Christ and with God As thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one Jo. 17.21.23 That God may be all in all 1. Cor. 15.28 Next view the City where this Society of Saints live A City of most firm Foundations not to be shaken whose builder and maker is God himself Heb. 11.10 12.28 8.2.5 In a better country the heavens Heb. 11.16 And those made anew for the purpose Rev. 21.1 Allusively described and painted to our imaginations by the most glorious and perfect things that here fall under the knowledge of sense Rev. 21 and 22. Chapters The City made in fashion of a Cube the most stable figure Rev. 21.16 The streets of it pure Gold as it were transparent Chrystal Rev. 21.21.11 4.6 The Foundations garnished with all manner of precious stones See Rev. 4.3 Jasper Saphire Emerald c. ver 19. The walls of Jasper clear as Chrystal c. ver 18.11 these stones too having the glory of God ver 11. shining upon them The 12. Gates 12. Pearls Every several Gate of one Pearl These always standing open because never night freely to receive all nations ver 24 25. And at the 12 Gates 12 Angels to guard them that nothing abominable or defiling enter in there at But only those that are written in the Lambs Book of Life Rev. 21.27 1. Within it a pure river of water of life proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb Rev. 22.1 In the Piazza of the City Paradise watered with its streams ver 2. and in it the tree of life exposed always bearing fruit and ever flourishing with an unfading leaf having the cure of all evils in the leaves the yieldance of all delicacies in the fruits and variety of these for every month See ver 2. 2. The Glory of God and of the lamb not resident in one part of the Temple as formerly but the Temple thereof Rev. 21 22. And the glory of them likewise the Sun thereof ver 23. For what other light can transcend that of the glorified Saints who themselves shine as the Sun All things there Holy Nothing that defileth entring into it nothing wicked or abominable Rev. 21.8 27. No more Curse or Malediction there Rev. 22.3 And when you have viewed the City then look into it and view once more the inhabitants thereof All Sons of Nobles Kings with Crowns Triumphant with Palms Cloathed all in white bright radiating Robes and shining as the Sun Wonder at their endless inviolable Concord A City at unity in it self More united than Friends being all Brethren Then Brethren being Fellow-members all of one and the same Body And more united yet than Members In as much as the Spirit of God by which they are joyned hath a more excellent power and vertue in compacting the Members of Christ then the Soul hath in those of the Body By which union it is that all the honour glory inheritance in the
O Holy Spirit the Comforter in all afflictions and sufferings giving ability to bear them internal peace and spiritual joy in them and who art the author of a constant lively hope and confidence in God Have mercy on us O Holy Spirit who distributest and dividest thy gifts and graces variously to every one according to thy good pleasure Have mercy on us The Spirit of wisdome and understanding the Spirit of knowledge and truth the Spirit of counsel and fortitude Have mercy on us The Spirit of sobriety chastity and temperance the Spirit of modesty patience and prayer Have mercy on us The Spirit of humility benignity and meekness the Spirit of compunction sanctification and the fear of God the Spirit of peace and love Have mercy on us O Holy Spirit the discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart and reproving the World of sin of justice and of judgment Have mercy on us Be merciful and spare us O Holy Spirit Be merciful and hear us O Holy Spirit From all temptations and deceits of the Devil from all sin and every evil Spirit Deliver us O Holy Spirit From all filthiness and uncleanness of soul and body from the Spirit of fornication from the Spirit of anger strife contention and envy and all uncharitableness Deliver us O holy Spirit From all presumption and despair from opposing the known truth from hardness of heart and final impenitency Deliver us O holy Spirit By thy eternal procession from the Father and the Son by the miraculous conception of the Son of God by thy operation by thy descent upon our Saviour at his Baptisme and by thy sitting upon his Apostles Deliver us O holy Spirit In the day of Judgment Deliver us O holy Spirit We Sinners beseech Thee to hear us O holy Spirit That thou would'st spare us That thou wouldst keep us from blaspheming thee O Holy Ghost and from doing any contumely to the Spirit of Grace We sinners beseech Thee c. That we may never quench grieve or neglect this Holy Spirit but may prepare our hearts for thy holy inspirations and may diligently hearken to discover and obey thy godly motions which lead us to all perfection We sinners beseech Thee c. That remembring how we are the Temples of the Holy Ghost we may take heed of violating them and that as we live by the Spirit we may walk in the Spirit and fulfil no more the lusts of the flesh but by the Spirit mortify the deeds thereof so that sowing in the Spirit we may of the Spirit reap life eternal We sinners beseech Thee c. That thou wouldst vouchsafe to stir up and cherish in us poverty of Spirit and enkindle in us a hunger and thirst after Justice that we may be peaceable and worthy to be called the Sons of God We sinners beseech Thee c. That thou wouldest infuse into us perfect charity and mercy and that we may constantly and manfully endure persecution for Justice sake We sinners beseech Thee c. That thou would'st vouchasafe us to continue unto the end in faith hope and charity and that we may be careful to keep the unity of the Spirit that is in all thy servants in the bond of peace We sinners beseech Thee c. O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Pour on us the holy Spirit O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Send us the promised Spirit from the Father O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Grant us the Spirit of Peace Our Father which art Heaven c. Create in us clean hearts O God And renew right Spirits in our Bowels Cast us not away from thy face O Lord And take not thy holy Spirit from us Restore unto us the joy of thy Salvation And confirm us with thy principal Spirit The Grace of thy Holy Spirit Enlighten our senses and hearts O Lord hear our Prayers And let our cry come unto thee Let us pray O Holy Ghost the Comforter we commend to thee our souls and bodies the beginning and the end of our lives give us grace to be heartily sorry for our sins for the love of God and to do true penance for them that we may be perfectly purified from them before we depart hence out of this mortal body Of our selves O Lord we are corrupt and blind in our affections and desires if we rely on our own judgments easily seduced into error easily overcome by temptation Wherefore to thee O Holy Spirit we wholly offer and commit the guidance of our Souls defend and keep us thy servants from all evil teach and illuminate our minds strengthen our weak Spirits against inordinate pusillanimity and superfluous scruples of conscience and keep us humble that we fall not into presumption Give us a right faith unmovable hope and perfect charity that we may sweetly delight in thee and every-where fulfil thy will and pleasure who livest and reignest with the Father and Son one God world without end Amen O Eternal God who didst send thy Holy Spirit upon thy Church and didst promise that he should abide with it for ever let the same Spirit lead us to all truth defend us from all sin enrich us with his gifts refresh us with his comforts and rule in our hearts for ever And grant O bountiful Lord the Doner of every good and perfect gift that we may prepare our hearts for his holy inspirations may diligently hearken to clearly discover believe and obey his godly motions may never quench never grieve this Holy Spirit but living in him may by him be sealed to the day of redemption through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord who liveth and reigneth world without end Amen O Blessed Spirit the Almighty Paraclete the communication bond and union of the Father and Son the conduit conveying to us all that we receive from the Father and the Son The dear pledge and token of our absent Lord until his blessed return by whose power all things are enlivened which do truly live and whose delight is to reside and converse in the hearts of the simple which thou vouchsafest to consecrate as Temples to thy self Come gracious Spirit have mercy upon us descend from heaven into our hearts waiting for thy comfort and so fit us for thine own self that through the multitude of thy compassions our meanness may be accepted of thy greatness and our weakness of thy strength Sanctify the temples of our bodies and consecrate them for thy own habitation Make glad with thy presence our Souls that long after thee make ready a mansion fit for thy self adorn thy bride-chamber furnish thy resting place with the variety of thy own gifts and graces drive out from thence whatsoever is old and fading renew in us thy own workman-ship with beauty incorruptible for ever convey into us heavenly light heat and motion that having tasted of the heavenly gift and the powers of the
of future Torments * according to the several measures of sin here Matt. 10.15 * According to the measures of sinful pleasures enjoyed here Rev. 18.7 Luk. 16.25 * According to the greater knowledge of God's will here Luk. 12.4.47 48. 29. After all that is said seriously imagine What one of those poor Souls released from Hell-torments would do not to return again to those intolerable pains what rigid long Penances he would undergo what great works of Piety and Devotions he would attempt what a strict watch he would keep over his words and thoughts and after all think this nothing in comparison of such a deliverance And then do you endeavour to do the like mortification who perhaps are a greater Sinner to prevent those pains and secure your future Condition The unreasonableness and hurt of Sin thus seriously pondered IV. Concerning the difficulty of Repentance IV. Next Concerning Repentance and its Difficulties Consider 1. 1 It s Inferiority to innocence And 2 the great advantages of early Piety 2. Wicked actions of the afterward penitent though not condemning us yet 1 Diminishing our future happiness i.e. the more clear Vision and the more perfect fruition of that which we then shall most ardently love or if you will the more ardent love of that which is supremely amiable 2 Hindering for the present the larger donations and consolations of the Spirit 3. The folly of sinning because of a cure which will be so bitter if effectual 4. The uncertainty of attaining Repentance and converting unto God at what time we shall desire it Forgiveness being promised to Repentance But not so longer life or in it the Grace of Repentance to a Sinner And this supposed that the Elect cannot finally fall away yet not any sure but only by perseverance or extraordinary Revelation that they are of that number since many believers are not so Jam. 2.14.19 20. Matt. 25.44 In illum crediderunt Bona operari non curaverunt St. Austine De Fide Oper. cap. 15. 5. The uncertainty afterward of our having performed it sufficiently 6. Upon continuance in sin still more difficulty of Repentance sin habituated growing much stronger 7. And less care also of Repentance as a sin is more frequented so it appearing lesser 8. And sins of Malice which by the Judgment of God do darken the heart being followed with sins of Ignorance And then this not-knowing that we sin utterly barring up all way to repentance Jer. 2.35 9. And so much sorer Repentance penances humiliations tears c. to be performed for a longer and increased guilt and for the delay also of Repentance 10. The time of an acceptable Repentance perhaps to some tho none can know to whom expired before this life be so For which at your leisure consider these Texts Heb. 3.11 6.4 10.26 12.16 17. Luk. 19.42 Matt. 12.42 Jo. 5.14 12.39 40. Apocal 16.9.11 Job 27.9 35.12 13. Prov. 1.24.28 28.9 Es 1.15 Jer. 11.11 14.12 Ezech. 8.18 Zeph. 2.2 2. Chron. 36.16 Esay 6.9 10.55.6 Psal 18.41 Psal 32.6 Eccles 9.12 Jer. 14.10 Ezech. 14.13 14. Zechar. 7.13 2. King 22.16 c. 23.25 26 27. Josiah's Prayers and Reformation not countervailing Manasses his sins Manasses tho a Penitent 2. Chron. 33.12 c. Hos 9.7 5 6. Matt. 13.15 21.19 25.10 11. Luk. 13.24 25. 12.58 19.42 21.35 Jo. 8.21 2. Pet. 2.20 1. Thes 2.13.16 The Case of Cain Gen. 4.13 Of Saul 1. Sam. 15.24 30 31. 1. Cor. 9.24 Some Runners losing the Race 2. Tim. 2.5 Some Combatants losing the Crown It may be some or other of these Texts God's Grace co-operating may prevail with you for an early Reformation for fear of a later fruitless Repentance 11. And they at last abandoned and condemned to more sins as the punishment of former Act. 7.42 Rom. 1.24 Hence 12. Later Repentance less hopeful 13. And from little hopes of forgiveness there growing more hardheartedness in sinning 14. After Repentance If there happens a relapse to the same degree of sinning as formerly this Estate far worse than before that of the Impenitent was Either the guilt of former sin upon relapse as some say returning or rather the very guilt of the relapse so much more aggravated from former sin forgiven 15. Lastly That a true and effectual Repentance is where death prevents not nothing else but a sincere Reformation of life and actual walking in Holiness and Righteousness all our days Together with a continual voluntary Contrition looking back to our former sinful life Contrition both interior and exterior joined together in forbearing things delightful and in practising things painful to the flesh and to nature Corpo voto Anima desolata Digr 1. Of the severe Penitences done in the Primitive Church 2. Recommendation of doing voluntary publick Penance 3. That the fear of God's Justice and doubtfulness of his forgiveness either of the eternal or also temporal punishments for sins committed after Baptisme is the chiefest promoter of the painful humiliations of Repentance And presumption of the certainty of our Salvation or of the divine mercy either general to all or particular to us when such sinners by some miscalled Faith is the greatest hindrance thereof Qui a peur il est asseur §. 5 Par. 1. V. Concerning the Measure of this Reformation V. Concerning the measure of this Reformation Consider 1. The strictness of the last Judgment not only concerning our Works but Words and Thoughts where there hath been here no after-penitence for and Reformation from them More especially concerning the imployment of our abilities and the Duties of our Profession or calling Luk. 19.13 12.42 43. Matt. 25.15.30 Matt. 20.8 Luk. 16.2 And concerning our deeds of charity and mercy Matt. 25.42 16.9 10. Matt. 10.42 Luk. 16.25 Comp. 21. 2. And the severity thereof The Lord Jesus then coming as with great power and glory Matt. 24.30 so in great wrath to take vengeance on the disobedient to his Gospel c. 2. Thes 1.7 8. Rev. 6.16 n. 18. 3. The Paucity of the saved and even of those who profess Christianity but by their own default man being a creature indued with free will that so his actions might be capable of punishment and reward Many called but few chosen and many more condemned by God's Justice than saved by his Mercy Concerning this weigh well our Lord's Answer to the Question asked him If few saved Luk. 13.23 That the Gate of Salvation is strait and that many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able i. e. seek too late when the Gate is shut There is a Time then it seems when the Gate shall be shut upon us after which shutting we in vain seek the opening of it See § 4. n. 10. As he tells the Jews also Jo. 7.34 and 8.21 That they should seek him and yet dye in their sins because come too late But though many seek to enter in that shall not yet perhaps the most may enter in still Therefore see the Question answered yet
hath being too weak instead of curing he catch the Disease And what is said of companying may be much more of marrying leaging with or contracting other obligatory relations to such persons and thereby inheriting any divine Maledictions belonging to them 8. Taking care not to read any ill or vain Books of which the very same things may be said as of keeping ill Company Books being our ordinary company when alone and the mischief of them when bad very great 9. As much as you can procuring a well imployed Solitude Recommendation of Solitude which is most necessary for the great duty of this life viz. Prayer and Conversation with God and cutts off at once those most frequent sins of the tongue and the ear and all the temptations of them Solitude observes silence and when alone we neither blaspheme nor swear nor boast are free from all filthy and corrupt Communication from railing slandering detracting flattery from scurrility and jesting vain and idle talk of which also we are to give account Matt. 12.36 are free also from hearing such things with applause assent or silence Digr 1. Of the many damages ordinarily received from company 2. Of the great Sin of men-pleasing and compliance frequently miscalled Civility 3. Of the Sins of the Ear. 4. Of the power of Example 5. Of the standing severity of God's laws no way mitigated by contrary custome nor sin in those places a less fault where more practised 6. Of the duty of Christians abstaining from and having no common Society with many sorts of people 1 Cor. 5.11 which is ordinarily transgressed and especially of not marrying or leaging c with them §. 24 10. Of Discourse and Compliance 1. In Conversation avoiding all appearance of levity laughter and secular Mirth which contristates the Holy Spirit and obstructs its Motions excludes sober thoughts suits ill with God's presence and a constant habit of Prayer which is built upon a false and fleeting foundation and savours of too much sensuality and gives to our treacherous nature a hurtful liberty that tends to several Exorbitances whereas in this world she should rather be always to some degree curbed and mortified Remembring the wise-man's censure of it Eccl 2.2 I proved my heart with Mirth saith he And I said of Laughter it is mad and of Mirth what doth it And our Lord's woe Luk. 6.25 See Eccl. 2.7 c. to the 8. Ecclesiasticus 21.20 But always retaining your self within a certain degree of Gravity which is ready to nourish any good motions of the Spirit or dictates of Reason that are choaked by Mirth and carries with it some mortification of your sensitive faculties Cor sapientium ubi tristitia est Eccl. 7.5 and if it were for nothing else which is eligible for the sobering of your company by your good example per tristitiam vultus corrigitur animus delinquentis Ib. v. 4. See 1. Tim. 3 4.8.11 Tit. 2.2 7. To this end not using too much familiarity and intimacy with any Charitas habenda est erga omnes familiaritas non expedit least by such amity you be tempted to some excess 2. On the other side avoiding melancholy and sadness always to be or to appear so and being rather chearful and endeavouring always a spiritual mirth ex munditia cordis in whatsoever external condition Fructus Spiritus gaudium Gal. 5.21 Rejoice always and I say again rejoice but remember what follows in the Lord with a spiritual not secular joy Phil. 4.4 1. Thess 5.16 And the Apostle's always in all things give thanks Eph. 5.20 1. Thess 5.18 implies the same who gives thanks is well pleased and why ought they not to be always giving thanks quibus omnia vertuntur in bonum Rom. 8.18 Omnis anxietas ex maligno 3. Avoiding in your discourse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scurrility foolish talk and jesting buffonery and superfluous facetiousness quae ad rem non pertinent saith the Apostle Eph. 5.4 and the speaking things any way apt to invite laughter and affectation of wit which is seldome innocent and free from Sin because it borrows its matter chiefly from the faults or which is worse the infirmities of other men the abuse of persons or things sacred and is ambitious of pleasing men though this purchased with the offending of God and also of men Not studying in such wicked or at least vain and idle talk how to be more expensive of that of which must be rendred so strict an account In your Conversation though with intimate friends using an holy reservedness and not turning your inside outward and taking liberty to speak all that comes into your thoughts For most Christians having many imperfections the most of their thoughts must be weak and unrefined and even those persons more perfect do in the first surreptitious cogitations of any thing usually apprehend it according to Nature not Grace or the Spirit unless some pre-consideration be used Those must not be too open-hearted who have little good there And though dissembling and speaking contrary to what we think is never lawful yet the not concealing much of that which we think and not keeping our own secrets much more warily than other mens is a sign of little prudence and since all mens judgments in many things disagree the not hiding but disclosing things that are offensive much weakneth friendship 4. Not talking much especially in much company to which when numerous is due more reverence and modesty Ecclesiastieus 7.14 32 but as one that hath resolved silence and breaks it only upon necessity For In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin Prov. 10.19 And again He that useth many words shall be abhorred and he that taketh to himself authority therein shall be hated Ecclesiasticus 20.8 And He that hath knowledge spareth his words c. Prov 17.27 Not engaging in every discourse and speaking to every matter Nor speaking at all times what you know but what is necessary loving herein the praise of God rather than of men and God will reward you for it A prudent man concealeth knowledge but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness Prov. 12.23 And A fool uttereth all his mind but a wise man keepeth it in Prov. 29.11 And Keepeth silence knowing his time and till he seeth opportunity Ecclesiasticus 20.6 7. And The mouth of a wise man is in his heart but a fool's heart in his mouth Ecclesiasticus 21.16 And A fool travelleth with a word as a woman in labour of a child and as an arrow sticketh in a man's thigh so is a word within his belly 5. Not speaking hastily without pre-consideration and lifting up your soul first to God that you may speak nothing that may displease him and in matters of moment first in your thoughts asking Council of him when you cannot delay an answer so long as to ask it in your Prayers following herein the pious Example of Nehemiah 2. c. 4 5. Knowing that words are
speaking any thing tending directly or indirectly to your own praise in earnest or in jest for greater matters or for trifles and such things as are by you thought contemptible For many times there lies herein a feather of vain glory tho not discerned by us and many times to others it appears and gives offence Not doing this I say unless when some extraordinary good may come thereby and then delivering the matter spoken with much moderation apology and humility acknowledging the true author of it and qualifiing it with relating your faults always immediately repelling any praise given you by others God being only to be praised so long as he is the Author of all Good So generally speaking little of your self in any kind of your business of your sufferings c. savouring of self-love and tedious to others But upon any good occasion given despising vilifying condemning your self especially when commended from which thing you will find much benefit and were it worth any thing or might you seek for it more reputation and a great deal more esteem with those that hear you 13. Not vindicating or justifying your self when receiving from your company some slight defamations and affronts nor excusing your self when blamed and that as you think unjustly because self-love may blind you not to see a true fault or if it doth not yet some other way you deserve more blame than that laid on you to which for mortification sake you may apply it always remembering the most admirable silence of our Lord in the questioning of his most innocent life This practice will incourage your friends the more to mind you of your faults And God undertakes our Justification when innocent much more effectually than we can do it when we for humility peace and good Example desist from it 14. Speaking of particular persons as little as may be a thing seldome done without some wrong to them It being more pleasant to speak of other men's faults than virtues because by the one we seem to our selves advanced by the other depressed Whether it be to friend or foe talk not of other men's lives saith a wise man But rather when there is occasion to speak of any vice speak what you have to say of it in general and without application to persons or else in the first person I or We speaking evil of no man absent though a truth though a truth well known Excusing any as much as you can when evil spoken of from their ignorance good intentions strong temptations or the like Always signifying an unwillingness to hear them ill spoken of which may perhaps discourage and rectify the Relator men usually forbearing to speak what they think doth not please or at least may preserve your own innocence Making no comparisons between persons for seldome is the one of them praised but that the other is depressed Especially speaking always reverently of holy things and persons and generally of all persons in authority being our publick Parents and Benefactors for whom we are obliged particularly to pray 1. Tim. 2.2 and who to us are in the place of God Taking heed of censuring their actions which being publick are more talked of and so we here to stand more upon our guard and the true circumstances of them by inferiors many times little understood and as being the actions of persons above us apt to be maligned and envyed and mis-related Remembering the terribledoom of those in 2. Pet. 10.11 and Jude 8 9. who are not afraid to speak evil of Majesty and Dignities when as God's Officers and Ministers the Angels themselves for all their higher place forbear to do it 15. As much as you can abstaining from secular discourse and guiding or diverting it to or at least mixing it with something of Piety of Spiritual matters which matters most concern all persons whatever of God's honor and praise in some or other of his Attributes his wisdome mercy justice providence omnipotency to several of which every action in the world that we can talk of hath some near relation Knowing that the glorifying God on this manner is one of the chiefest ends of God's Creation of us and Ordination of them Remembring the Apostle's Exhortation Let such speech proceed out of your mouth as is good to the edifying of Faith that it may minister Grace to the Hearers and contristate not the Holy Spirit of God that continually inspires such good motions into you Eph. 4.29 30. by talking secular impertinencies And again Let the Word of Christ dwell in you abundantly in all wisdome teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord and whatsoever ye do in word or work do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by him Col. 3.16 17. And Non stultiloquium aut scurrâ—litas quae ad rem non pertinet sed magis gratiarum actio Domine totus mundus plenus est Te nescimus loqui de Te vel ad Te. Recommendation of Silence 16. Lastly in much company so far as it may consist with your duty and charity accustoming your self to Silence not caring to be accounted therefore stupid or ignorant melancholick or unsociable by which Silence we escape many sins of the tongue and keep more calm our passions and an entire peace within our selves as being free from others contradictions pax animi silâ—ntium Tace paulisper tumultus animi cito pertranseunt whereby we better examine the cogitations and fancies that are continually springing within us before they pass the gate of our lips and judge many fit to be suppressed and stifled in the conception whereby we better hearken to the internal whispers and motions of God's Spirit and uningaged can better discern the value of others discourse Lastly holding our peace furnisheth the Soul with good thoughts and is the way not to want that which may be said profitably and to purpose 17. In Silence not suffering your mind to lye idle or to dwell too much in your ear where the discourse of others is not pertinent For he that will be dumb must also be deaf or to wander whither it listeth to other matters no less vain than those you avoid but keeping it at work and putting your self in another and better company I mean conversing in your heart with God who is still with us when we turn unto him and goes not from us at all but as we recede from him Reciting in your mind some Psalms or other ready devotions which will presently stop the course of your passion or your ears from your Companion 's impertinencies To which purpose are those Scripture-Exhortations of praying continually with perseverance always in all things giving thanks rejoycing always i. e. in the Lord singing and making Melody in our hearts to the Lord not quenching the Spirit 1. Thes 5.16 17 18 19. Phil. 4.4 Eph. 6.18 Col. 4.2 Eph. 5.20
some danger of your life In an extraordinary storm of Thunder Earthquake Shipwrack in your last sickness Or as if the trumpet were sounding and the dreadful day of Judgment had surprized you Or as if you suffered the torments which Dives doth yet with some hopes of being delivered And such passion for pardon and resolutions for amendment as you would put on in such a case those presently entertain and so bespeak God for such things are no fictions but one day will come upon you Again addressing your self to our Saviour as Peter cryed out when sinking in the waves Or when he cryed Lord not my feet only Jo. 13.9 Or weeping as he when his good Master looked back upon him after he had denyed him Or as blind Bartimeus importuning him for the restoring of his sight Or as the Paralitick expecting that good word thy sins are forgiven thee c for instances are infinite such like addresses may profitably be used for acts of Confession and beging pardon §. 115. 2. Again in thanksgiving for his benefits and especially that of your redemption imagining your self standing before the Emperor of the whole world condemned to dye the most horrible death for treason against him and then this Emperor sending his onely Son that justice may not be defeated all others refusing to dye for you one of the vilest of all his subjects and then being thus delivered say to him what your heart shall tell you Or imagining your self to accompany our Saviour having first charged himself with your guilt and to answer justice for it quite through his passion Being behind him in the Garden at the time of his Agony and sweating of Blood When He tyed with cords and carried away Prisoner you with Peter and John following and beholding his usage in the Judgment-hall and weeping with Peter when he looks on you the Sinner he so suffers for Beholding his cruel whipping at a Post following him from thence and helping him with Simon when he faints with their hard usage to bear his Cross Then with his distressed Mother and Disciple standing before him hanging and bleeding on the Cross and then drawing nearer and with great compassion to his innocence and grief for your sins that caused such his pains desiring to bear part of his sorrows and resolving also to suffer all things for him say further what your heart shall teach you But then finding him after he is risen again and exalted over all still at his Prayers and Intercessions to the Father for you Say again and resolve what your heart shall teach you So also for other benefits imagining God sitting on the top of heaven compassed with all Celestial Courtiers looking down on millions of men and dispensing here judgments there mercies and amongst so many millions taking notice of you and before his Angels testifying his good will unto you and desire of your Salvation and sending by the chiefest of his train many gifts and tokens of his love and withal diverting his judgments from coming nigh your dwelling and then falling down see whether your heart can thank him §. 116. 3. In praising or giving glory to God or our Saviour imagining the Show Rev. 4.8 or 5.9 7.10.12 and your self amongst that Heavenly Quire crying Holy Holy c. Es 6.3 Or Bless the Lord with me all ye his Angels c. Psal 103.20 Or crying Glory in the highest with the multitude at our Saviours triumph Luk. 19.37 c. Or with Mary giving Glory to and worshipping him leading Captivity captive upon his Resurrection-day Or with Stephen him standing at the right hand of God §. 117. 4 In petitioning him for spiritual graces or temporal necessities Imagining our Saviour as at his last Supper giving his Body c or as sitting on Jacob's Well and you beging of him with the Samaritan Sinner Lord give me that water or with the Canaanitish Woman asking for some crums that may fall from the Childrens table or patiently sitting with Mary at his feet to receive his gracious answer or the unum necessarium So for making intercession for others Imagining a friend in prison or torments crying out for your aid as you pass by and that some few words spoken by you may procure his liberty or save his life Or some part of your body wounded and pained and that you are going to seek help for it Or rather that some member of your blessed Saviour as all true Christians are was some way distressed and that he after so much kindness shewed to and intercessions made for you would try now the return of your love to him in interceding for it c. Now who thinks such acts of imagination useless let him only consider the great effects of Imagination in another kind which he hath experienced in advancing his lusts and many false pleasures and conceited felicities sometimes in sometimes before the acting of a sin §. 118. Frequency of Prayer 19. Not omitting your Prayers when you find in your self little devotion or also much distraction of thoughts c. For if it be a fault to do them slightly it is a greater not to do them at all And God many times gives unexpected grace to those who endeavor and devotion is often acquired by entring into Prayer when we had it not before 20. Not omitting and thinking your self excused from your private dayly devotions by your presence at some common For besides that those are many times a necessitated these a more free will offering and worship who is there that hath not particular sins necessities mercies which are not in the publick prayers confessed or petitioned for 21. Vsing many times or hours of Prayer or Meditation in the day and that rather upon your knees for so you will be more observant what you are doing according to the best permittance of your ordinary employments custome of praying at length will make you in love with praying i. e. conversing with God Frater eamus paulisper precatum Aloys Gonzaga 22. Not omitting your set devotions for the intervening of ordinary business or ordinary works of Charity Because you stand more obliged in this duty towards God and greatest Charity towards your Soul than in some lesser towards your own or towards your neighbours temporal affairs And because also whether our own or our neighbours business it is much more furthered by our prayers procuring God's blessing than by our labours and indeed when we have most business then have we most use of Prayer 23. Vsing some set times annual monthly or weekly for your extraordinary devotions Confessions and reviewing your Spiritual Condition 24. Using extraordinary times of Prayer before and after extraordinary employments 25. Avoiding Taedium mentis as in all things so in your devotions For such who delight not in their work cannot long persevere in it This taedium is always relieved by variety of employment According to the old rule of the Religious Nunc lege nunc ora nunc cum
the patterns of all prayer and praise for the passion of love many times holily dotes and useth to be exorbitant and unjudicial 45. Of several other ways of enlarging prayer As using the repetition of Psalms got by heart in them these being the chief stock and treasure of devotion of which whoso is well provided can never be barren or at a stand in them Meditating upon the several parts one after another of the Lord's Prayer Creed Ten Commandments Jo. 17. c. Any Psalm or Hymn Magnif Benedict Te Deum Staying upon every part so long as your imagination suggests any acceptable matter and exercising several acts of devotion as Confession Petition Praise c. according to the subject Or staying only a short set time on every one and so running through many such prayers c. at once Or staying only one respiration upon every substantial word this only to cause you to say it with more attention and devotion Taking some other place of Scripture which are not Prayers as our Saviour's Sermon the later ends of St. Paul ' s Epistles turning precepts and commands into requests Making a swift cursory over some of the Psalms and offering up what petitions and Confessions concern you Good Lord we have so many wants Spiritual and Temporal to petition thee for so many sins especially those wherein we still offend thee to ask thy pardon for so many Benefits Spiritual and Temporal to thank thee for So much wisdome mercy and justice seen in all thy works to praise thee for so many temptations and dangers from which to beg thy preservation So many businesses of our own or our Friends wherein to ask thy counsel or happily dispatched to return thee thanks So many designs of some good wherein to beg thy necessary assistance So many ways of promoting thy Glory the end of our Creation wherein to offer thee our poor service So many snares and inticements to sin to resolve against and resolutions to reiterate and further strengthen So many Relatives Spiritual and Temporal and their necessities to intercede to Thee for And will any one when he kneels down before thee say he finds nothing to say to thee or knows not how to continue prayer This will be a strange excuse of neglecting this holy duty when Thou shalt cast up our Accounts Nay what moment of our life is there wherein some or other of these do not call on us for prayer §. 128. Particularizing in our Prayers 46. Making your prayers in whatever kind Confessions or Petitions Thanksgivings or Resignations very particular and circumstantial So punctual in confessing your sins as if at the opening of the books at the last day those only of them should be found cancelled which you had often and freely confessed to him And so punctual in confessing his benefits as if the non-acknowledgment of any one received would stop the receit of any more thereafter or that those also you had should be retracted when they ceased to be commemorated 47. Laying open before him your innermost bowels communicating with him as with a friend all your counsels and purposes which will make you entertain none but good discovering to him again and again all his gifts mercies deliverances bemoaning your self to him of all your infirmities opening unto him all your wants with that particularity as if he knew nothing of them The one will make you more sensible of his goodness the other of your need of his help Reciting to and minding him of all his promises as if he had forgot them for this is as more prevalent with God so more profitable to the Soul making you to put greater confidence in them So in your petitions for any grace As for temperance c. with your prayers joyn the motives such as may conduce to breed it in you or perswade you to practice it For any necessity with your prayers joyn the motives which may incline God to grant it for these will enflame you more passionately to ask it Jer. 10.1 Jer. 32.24 Act. 22.19 20. Esa 37.14 48. Amongst many particulars singling out some more eminent sins benefits wants for which you shall more constantly beg pardon give thanks petition c. 49. Keeping a Catalogue of all your greater sins Of all God's greater and more special benefits and favors still adding to them what shall happen hereafter at set times more solemnly to be reviewed and confessed unto him 50. So likewise keeping a collection of all the Offices and eminent actions and passions of our Saviour and of the Holy Spirit in order to your Salvation to be more punctually enumerated at some times in more solemn doxologies unto them §. 129. Colloquies to be used in Prayer 51. Using in Prayer frequent Prosopopeia's Colloquies Solliloquies whereof there are five more usual 1. God speaking i. e. the Promises and Threats mentioned in Scripture unto you 2. Our Saviour Christ speaking unto you according to what he hath said in the Gospel 3. You speaking to your own Soul Ps 44. 4. Speaking to God the Father 5. Speaking to your Saviour by your imagination set before you in some such familiar posture in the Gospel as much animates your addresses These will serve much to strengthen your faith and your endeavors by thus assuming another person and being abstracted from your self We thus speaking things not so easily thought on when we act only our own persons counselling more impartially comforting more powerfully c. See Kemp. 3. l. To these Colloquies may be added sometimes those with the Creatures to praise God with us Psal 103.20 Psal 148. To submit to his Kingdome c. with us Psal 4.2 c. and those expostulations with the vain or wicked world with our flesh with our spiritual enemies with our former sins c. Wisd 5.8 1. Cor. 15.55 Psal 119.115 9.6 139.19 Mic. 7.8 Psal 118.13 4.2 §. 130. Scripture expressions 52. In all your spiritual exercises using rather scripture expressions sanctified by the Holy Spirit that spake in holy men Accepted with God and answered with blessings breeding also in your more confidence In using these changing universals into particulars instead of our we us I me c. for we are more passionate for our selves §. 131. Advantages to Prayer 53. Using when you can those advantages your Prayers receive 1. From the communion of other Saints in publick Assemblies where is your worship of God more openly profest and so he by you more glorified See Heb. 10.25 a greater promise of God's presence Matt. 18.20 a greater presence of the Angels 1. Cor. 11.10 in religious assemblies 1 1. From publick Assembles and Communion of Saints your common prayers as forces united whilst every one in the plural prays for all more powerful Graces and spiritual favours more ordinarily then bestowed Act. 2.1 4.41 13.2 1. Cor. 14.24 25.30 2. Chron. 20.14 add to these the presence of the Priest and of some men of greater sanctity more favourably heard
who healest the broken in heart and bindest up their wounds God of the Fatherless and Judge of the Widows which loosest the Prisoners and openest the eyes of the blind Have mercy on us The Lord God that killest and makest alive who sendest to the grave and bringest back again who increasest the nations and destroyest them who enlargest the nations and straightenest them Have mercy on us God who takest no pleasure in iniquity with whom is no accepting of persons terrible in thy Counsels concerning the Sons of men the strong and jealous God visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children Have mercy on us God whose anger none can withstand the just Judge strong and long-suffering and a consuming fire Have mercy on us The Lord who liftest up the meek and humblest the wicked down to the ground who hast power to cast body and soul into Hell who takest the wily in their own craftiness and scatterest the counsel of the wicked Have mercy on us The Lord compassionate long-suffering of great mercy and truth our Protector and exceeding great Reward Have mercy on us Be merciful and spare us O Sacred Trinity Be merciful and hear us O Sacred Trinity From all evil Deliver us O Lord. From all pride and loftiness of mind from gluttony and surfeiting and all intemperance Deliver us O Lord. From envy hatred and malice from luxury and uncleanness from sloth and inordinate heaviness and anxiety Deliver us O Lord. By the Eternity of thy Glory and Majesty by the infiniteness of thy power by the abundance of thy goodness by the unspeakable greatness of thy love and mercy and by the abysse of thy justice and judgments Deliver us O Lord. In the day of Judgment Deliver us O Lord. We sinners beseech Thee to hear us O Lord. That we may adore our Lord God and serve thee only in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives We sinners beseech Thee to hear us That we may never take thy holy Name in vain that we may keep holy the Festivals of thy Church in exercises of religion and devotion We sinners beseech Thee c. That we may obey and reverence with due honor our Parents Prelates Superiors and all thou hast set over us We sinners beseech thee to hear us That we injure no man's life good name or honor out of anger hatred or envy We sinners beseech thee to hear us That we keep our hearts clean from all inordinate lustings of the flesh and impure affections That we hurt none by stealing damage or any other wrong through cousinage or violence That we never speak a ly or bear false witness against our Neighbour nor covet his goods We sinners beseech thee to hear us That we love thee O God with all our heart with all our soul and with all our strength and that we do to others as we would should be done to our selves We c. That thou wouldest make us grow in all grace that we despise not the riches of thy bounty patience and long-suffering We sinners beseech thee to hear us That we present our bodies a living and holy Sacrifice well-pleasing to Thee that at length we may attain to that kingdome which thou hast prepared for us from the beginning of the world We sinners beseech thee to hear us O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Pacify thy Father towards us O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world By thy merits and sufferings redeem us O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Send thy holy Spirit into us O Blessed Trinity hear us O Adored Sacred Trinity hear us Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Our Father which art in Heaven c. Blessed art thou O God the God of our Fathers Praise-worthy and glorious for ever All the Angels and Saints bless thee Praise and magnify thee for ever Bless we the Father Son and Holy Ghost Praise him and exalt him for ever O Lord hear our Prayers And let our cry come unto thee Let us pray ALmighty and everlasting God from whom descends every good and perfect gift mercifully grant that the serious consideration of thy incomprehensible Majesty may beget in us profound humility and constant obedience and the frequent meditation of thy infinite goodness may move our wills to love thee above all things that we may here in reverence to thy word believe what we do not see and may hereafter in the blissful Vision of thy glory see what now we cannot comprehend thro Jesus Christ our Lord who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth one God world without end Amen The LITANY to God the Father O God the Father of Heaven Have mercy on us O God the Son Redeemer of the world Have mercy on us O God the Holy Ghost Have mercy on us O Sacred Trinity one God Have mercy on us O Father which art in Heaven Father of Glory whose face the holy Angels behold continually in heaven who hast life in thy self Have mercy on us Father of whom are all things who hast made us after thine own Image and gavest us dominion over the rest of thy Creatures Have mercy on us Father of our Lord Jesus Christ from whom all paternity is called and derived in heaven and in earth Have mercy on us Who art well pleased in thy Son who lovest him and hast given all things into his hands And who by a voice from heaven didst glorify Him Have mercy on us Who so lovedst the world that thou gavest thy only begotten Son that we should have life by him and would'st have thy Son take upon him the form of a Servant to redeem us that were in bondage Have mercy c. Who by thy Son hast predestinated us into the Adoption of Sons and hast elected us in him before the foundation of the world that we might be holy and unspotted before thee Have mercy on us Who would'st have us conformable to the Image of thy Son and hast called us into Fellowship with him and hast made us acceptable in thy beloved Son without whom none cometh to the Son unless thou O Father drawest him Have mercy on us O Father who sendest out thy Spirit and they are created and thou renewest the face of the earth who fillest the world with thy spirit and givest it to them that ask it of thee Have mercy on us Father of lights from whom every good and perfect gift descendeth who hidest thy mysteries from the wise and revealest them to little ones Have mercy on us Father of mercies and God of all consolation by whom all the hairs of our head are numbred who comfortest us in all our tribulations and hast blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places Have mercy on us Who out of thy abundant charity hast vouchsafed to make us partakers of the inheritance of thy Saints and
bottome of our hearts to assist us in this our difficult and dangerous Combat which we weak and infirm creatures are to wage with the same enemy that we may manfully resist and happily overcome him thro Jesus our Lord. Amen The LITANY of all Saints O God the Father of Heaven Have mercy on us O God the Son Redeemer of the World Have c. O God the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son Have mercy on us O Sacred Trinity one God Have mercy on us Holy Mary chosen to be the Mother of God blessed among Women who art called Blessed to all Generations Pray for us O all ye holy Angels who always stand in the presence of God ready to praise and obey him and to minister for the good of men Pray for us O all ye holy Patriarchs and Prophets friends of God and lovers of Justice who with ardent desires and sighings expected the coming of the Messias and prefigured it by several Types and Prophecies Pray for us St. John Baptist the Fore-runner of the Messias and grand Exemplar of Penance Pray for us St. Joseph Husband to the Mother of God and Foster-Father of Christ Pray for us O all ye holy Apostles Evangelists and Disciples of our Lord who left all to follow him and abode with him in all temptations who were witnesses of all his actions and admitted to all his secrets Pray for us Who spread over all the earth the sound of the Gospel who were sent forth as Lambs in the midst of Wolves and being infirm and ignorant and base according to the flesh confounded the power and wisdome of the world Pray for us Who endued with power from above and strengthened by the Holy Ghost boldly professed Christ and shed your blood for him Pray for us Who rejoyced in that you were counted worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Jesus and who shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Pray for us St. Peter Prince of the Apostles who lovedst our Saviour more than the rest and to whom our Lord at his departure committed the feeding of his Sheep Pray for us St. Paul a chosen vessel Doctor of the Gentiles who labouredst more than them all Pray for us St. N. whose holy Memory and Festival we this day commemorate Pray for us St. John the Disciple beloved above the rest to whom our Saviour at his death commended his Mother who didst vindicate the Divinity of Christ and to whom were revealed things to come even to the end of the world Pray for us O all ye holy Martyrs who living godly in this world suffered Persecution and rejoyced in the Cross of our Lord who hated your own Souls in this world and preserved them to eternal life who suffered reproached and whippings bonds and imprisonments were stoned cut in peices and sundry ways tried Pray for us Who came out of great Tribulation and washed your garments in the blood of the Lamb and serve in his Temple day and night Pray for us Who neither thirst nor hunger any more neither doth any heat light upon you who follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth who leadeth you to the fountains of living water and hath wiped all tears from your eyes Pray for us St. Stephen the first Martyr of Christ whom full of the Holy Ghost thine enemies could not resist who prayedst for thy Persecutors Pray for us All holy Popes Bishops Priests Doctors and Confessors who being Souldiers for God did not intangle your selves with things of this world who were set over the Church of God by his Spirit Pray for us Who bore the heat and burthen of the day in the Vineyard of our Lord who watched over your flocks as those that were to give an account for their Souls who enlightened many in righteousness and now shine as lights in the Firmament and as stars in all Eternity Pray for us All holy Monks and Hermites who taking up your Cross followed Christ who not thinking that you had comprehended pressed on to that which was before you who bore chearfully the light burthen and easy yoke of our Lord Pray for us Who made your selves Eunuchs for the Kingdome of God who chastised your bodies and brought them into subjection who being dead to the world led a hidden life with Christ in God and who having put your hands to the Plow looked not back Pray for us All holy Virgins who imitating here the Purity of Angels now rejoyce in the perpetual enjoyment of your heavenly Bridegroom Pray for us All holy Virgins and Widows who with a constant purpose of Continency and Chastity offered up your bodies a living Sacrifice to God and now celebrate perpetual Nuptials with the Bridegroom Pray for us All holy Saints of God who strove to enter in at the strait gate which leadeth to life and took the Kingdome of Heaven by violence Pray for us Who thro many Tribulations and Persecutions have entred into the kingdome of heaven who first sought the Kingdome of God and its Justice who counted all things loss that ye might gain Christ Pray for us Who used this world as tho you used it not who being poor in Spirit merited the possession of the Kingdome of heaven who being meek and patient under injuries possess now the land of the living who hungred and thirsted after righteousness and are now satisfied with the pleasures of heaven who shewing mercy to your Neighbours have obtained abundant mercy who being clean in heart do see God Pray for us Who loving peace rejoyce now in the name and inheritance of the Sons of God who loved your enemies and did good to those that hated you who could do all things thro him that strengthened you Pray for us Who continued unto the end and therefore were saved who were inebriated with the plenty of God's house and satisfied with the torrent of his pleasure who dwell in the house of God and praise him for ever and ever who being secure of your own Salvation with abundant charity are solicitous for ours Pray for us JESU King of the Patriarchs and Light of the Prophets Master of the Apostles and Fortitude of the Martyrs The Sanctity of the Confessors and Purity of Virgins Pray for us Be merciful and spare us O Lord. Be merciful and hear us O Lord. From all evil Deliver us O Lord. By all thy Saints and Elect people Deliver us O Lord. By thy faithful servants who continually stand in thy presence by thy dearly beloved and friends who reign with thee in heaven Deliver us O Lord. By the holiness and intercession of all thine Elect by the death of thy Saints precious in thy sight Deliver us O Lord. We sinners beseech Thee to hear us O Lord. That thou wouldst make us partakers of the fellowship with all those that fear thee and keep thy commandments that we together with thy Saints may strive to enter in at the strait gate that beholding the conversation of
thy Saints we may also imitate their faith and patience We sinners beseech Thee to hear us That we may keep inviolably the Catholick Faith so stoutly maintained by them that like as thine Elect in heaven so we may readily do thy will on earth that we may hate our own Souls in this world that we may preserve them to eternal life that thou wouldst vouchsafe to admit us into the inheritance of thy chosen in light We sinners beseech Thee to hear us That we may continually praise thee in thy Saints that we may laud thee with thy Saints in Heaven and magnify thee for ever We sinners beseech Thee to hear us O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Our Father which art in Heaven c. PRaise the Name of our Lord praise him ye Servants of our Lord. Who stand in the house of our Lord in the courts of the house of our God Praise our Lord for he is good sing unto his Name for it is sweet Sing unto our Lord a new Song his Praise in the congregation of his Saints For our Lord taketh pleasure in his people he will magnify the meek with Salvation Let the Saints be joyful in glory let them sing aloud upon their beds Let the high Praises of God be in their mouth and a two-edged Sword in their hand To execute vengeance upon the Nations and punishment upon the people To bind their Kings with chains and their Nobles with fetters of Iron To execute upon them the Judgment written This Honor have all his Saints Hallelujah Let us pray WE give thee thanks O Lord with all our hearts for that thou hast chosen thy Saints and justified them by thy infinite grace for that thou hast prevented them with the blessings of thy sweetness and preserved them in their way thro all the impediments of their Salvation We give thee infinite thanks O God for all the Graces and Benefits which thou hast bestowed upon them in time and reserved for them to Eternity O ye blessed Servants and Friends of God who confirmed in all Grace and now have received the Crown of heavenly Glory and with joy behold the Sacred Trinity face to face praising him with unspeakable gladness everlastingly obtain for us your Supplicants free pardon of our sins and a perfect denial of our selves that we may follow your steps thro the narrow way as also an intimate and sincere love of God wherewith you being enflamed have valiantly and gloriously overcome the world the flesh and the devil with all the crosses of this present life pray for us now and at the hour of our death that when we are to pass hence and to appear before the fearful Tribunal of the great Judge he would not enter into judgment with us but judge us according to his infinite mercy that so at length we may be admitted into the blessed Fellowship in that supernal Jerusalem where we altogether may praise extol and magnify our Lord God for ever and ever Amen O Lord God multiply upon us thy Grace and grant us to follow in a holy profession the joy of thy Saints whose memories we celebrate through Jesus Christ thy only Son our Lord. Amen MOst gracious God the Author of all Sanctity and lover of Unity whose wisdome hath established an admirable communion between thy Church triumphant in heaven and militant on earth as members of the same mystical Body whereof thy Son Christ Jesus is the Head mercifully grant that as thy Blessed without ceasing pray to thee for us we may continually praise thee for them and in correspondence to their perfect Charity with pious observance celebrate their memories till we all meet before thy glorious Throne and with one heart adore the Saviour of us all who with Thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth one God world without end Amen O All ye blessed Saints of heaven and Spirits Angelical whom God with the brightness of his presence makes everlastingly joyful pray for us We salute and honour you we give praise and thanks to our Lord who hath chosen you and made you eternally happy with his benedictions obtain from him for us forgiveness obtain for us grace that at the end of this frail life we may be admitted to the fruition of your heavenly Society thro Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen ALmighty God and most merciful Father favourably regard the imperfect Prayers of thy servants here on earth which we present unto thee by the most efficacious intercession of our fellow members the Saints in heaven and grant that as their Sanctity is exalted by thee to a supreme degree of glory so their Charity may obtain for us the especial assistance of thy Grace thro Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen GRant O Almighty God that we who celebrate the Memories and reverence the Holiness of all thy Saints may be assisted with Thee by their intercession and rejoyce in their protection thro Jesus Christ Amen O Almighty and Eternal God who vouchsafest us the Grace to reverence the Holiness of all thy Saints Grant us we beseech Thee the desired plenty of thy mercy by their multiplied intercessions thro our Lord Jesus Christ Amen The LITANY of Penitents O God the Father of heaven our Creator Have mercy on us O God the Son our Redeemer Have mercy on us O God the Holy Ghost our Sanctifier Have mercy c. O strong just and jealous God taking revenge upon all sin and iniquity who sparedst not the Angels that sinned but castedst them down into hell to be tormented From thy great wrath good Lord deliver us Who hast appointed death the stipend of Sin who didst shut Adam after he had sinned out of Paradise and subjectedst him to many Curses From thy great wrath good Lord deliver us Who sparedst not the old world but punishedst it overwhelmed in sin by the flood From thy great wrath c. Who utterly consumedst Sodom and Gomorrah burnt to ashes and miraculously punishedst Pharoah and the Aegyptians hardening their hearts against thee From thy great wrath good Lord deliver us Who sparedst not thine ancient people the Jews rebelling against thee but deliveredst them up into the hands of their enemies and into the Babylonish Captivity From thy great wrath good Lord deliver us Who at last scatteredst them throughout all the world whilst persevering in their sins and gavest thy beloved City and thy Sanctuary to be trodden under foot of the Enemy From thy great wrath good Lord deliver us O God to the relenting and penitent gracious and merciful long-suffering and abundant in mercy and repenting thee of evil who lovest every thing and hatest nothing that thou hast made From thy great wrath c. Who pitiest all and winkest at the sins of men for their amendment of life who wouldst have none to perish but all be converted and in whose presence there is joy over one sinner that doth penance From all thy great wrath c. Who calledst
Adam after his fall to the acknowledgment of his fault and who upon Moses's Prayer forgavest the transgressions of thy people against thee From thy great wrath good Lord deliver us Who frequently restoredst the Israelites after they had sinned when turning unto thee being penitent out of the hands of their enemies From thy great wrath c. Who puttedst away David's sin confessing and doing penance in sackcloth and fasting who sparedst Ahab humbling himself and doing penance From thy great wrath good Lord deliver us Who heardst Manasses repenting and restoredst him to his Kingdome who heardst Jonah crying unto thee out of the belly of the Whale after he had run away from thee who pardonedst the Ninevites doing penance in fasting sackcloth and ashes From thy great wrath c. JESU Son of the living God who camest into this world to save sinners the good Shepherd who camest to seek and to save that which was lost From thy great wrath good Lord deliver us Who being to redeem the world sent'st John the Baptist the Preacher of Penance and gavest him to be a wonderful pattern thereof in the severity of his diet and raiment From thy great wrath good Lord deliver us JESU who tho thou knewest no sin yet was frequent in fastings watchings and other acts of Penance From thy great wrath good Lord deliver us Who declaredst the Publican acknowledging his guilt with sorrow and humbly beating his breast to be justified who calledst the Publicans and Sinners and not the Just to repentance and broughtest Salvation to the houses of Matthew and Zacheus being penitent From thy great wrath good Lord deliver us Who deliveredst those that were afflicted with diseases by Satan first forgiving their sins who by the example of the Prodigal Son returning to his Father hast given poor sinners great hopes of pardon and forgiveness From thy great wrath good Lord deliver us Who mercifully absolvedst the Woman taken in Adultery and who forgavest much to Mary Magdalen a Sinner because she loved much From thy great wrath c. Who by graciously looking upon Peter after he had denied thee thrice broughtst him to confession of his Sin and bitter tears of Penitence and who miraculously calledst St. Paul when a great Persecutor and making havock of thy Church From thy great wrath c. Who didst bear our sins in thy Body upon the Cross and wast made a propitiation for us From thy great c. We confess unto thee O Lord our transgressions and the transgressions of our fore-fathers by which we with them have offended thee and walked contrary to thy commandments Be merciful and spare us O Lord. Behold we were conceived in sin and in iniquity did our Mothers bring us forth and as we have multiplied our days so have we multiplied the number of our transgressions Be merciful and spare us O Lord We have sinned by our vain thoughts and the unlawful desires of our hearts the idle and wicked words of our lips by our wicked works and our whole life spent unprofitably Be merciful and spare us O Lord. We have sinned against thee by unthankfulness for thy benefits by impatience under thy chastisements and our care to fulfil our own sinful lusts more than thy holy commandments Be merciful and spare us O Lord. We have sinned against our brethren not doing to others as we would have them do to us Be merciful c. We have sinned against our selves by preferring the profits of this present world before our eternal happiness Be merciful and spare us O Lord. We have sinned by deferring our Conversion and putting off our good purposes of amending our lives by exposing our weak nature to new temptations by neglecting many opportunities of doing good and even our best endeavours have been full of imperfections Be merciful and spare us O Lord. We have sinned by not improving those talents thou hast bestowed upon us by loosing our precious time and neglecting the means thou hast afforded us for the promoting of our Salvation Be merciful and spare us O Lord. Our iniquities have multiplied over our heads and our transgressions have grown up to the heavens to thee O Lord belongeth mercy and forgiveness but unto us shame and confusion of face Be merciful and spare us c. Just art thou O Lord in all the evils that have befallen us for thou hast dealt righteously with us but we have done wickedly and our destruction is from our selves Be merciful and spare us O Lord. Be merciful and spare us O Lord. From all Evil Deliver us O Lord. From all Sin Deliver us O Lord. From all profaness and contempt of Sacred things from all Superstition and Hypocrisy from Idolatry and worshiping of thee according to our own fancy from rash swearing perjury and cursing Deliver us O Lord. From neglect in coming to and irreverence in celebrating thy holy service Deliver us O Lord. From disobedience to our Superiors and doing injuries to our Neighbour from anger and contention from cousining and fraud from lying and back-biting Deliver us O Lord. From all wicked desires from wanton thoughts filthy concupiscences and uncleanness from lust of the flesh and lust of the eyes Deliver us O Lord. From pride covetousness and luxury from envy anger and gluttony from sloth in things concerning our eternal Salvation and all other mortal sin Deliver us c. From all impatience and murmuring against the righteous Dispensations of thy Divine Providence Deliver c. From all Schism and Heresy from presuming on our own judgments from all seducing of others into sin Deliver us O Lord. From relapsing into those sins of which we have once repented from hardness of heart and security of an evil conscience Deliver us O Lord. From the sight of the angry Judge from being placed at thy left hand and hearing that fearful sentence Deliver us O Lord. From the worm that dies not and the fire that is unquenchable from the bitter pains of eternal death from the gates of hell and power of darkness Deliver us c. By the paternal bowels of God the Father by the bloody wounds of God the Son by the ineffable goodness of God the Holy Ghost Deliver us O Lord. By that Name besides which there is no other given under heaven by which we can be saved by the blood of the New Testament and propitiation for the whole world Deliver us O Lord. We sinners beseech Thee to hear us O Lord. That thou wouldst vouchsafe to bring us to true Penance and that we may always bear in memory in the bitterness of our Souls the ill spent years of our forepast life We sinners beseech Thee to hear us That thou wouldst be pleased to enlighten our minds to the finding out of our secret sins and of such as formerly known are now forgotten by us We sinners c. That we may duly perform the penances enjoyned us by our Ghostly Fathers and that we may judge our selves and so escape thy
just judgments We sinners c. That we may chastise our bodies and bring them into subjection and that we may no more live after the flesh but by the spirit mortify the deeds thereof We sinners c. That we may voluntarily forbear the pleasures and customes of this life to the end that we may give our selves without interruption to the painful exercises of penance We sinners beseech Thee to hear us That we may bewail our sins in sackcloth and ashes and humble our Souls before thee in watchings and prayers weeping and mourning night-exercises and solitude We sinners beseech Thee to hear us That taking revenge on our selves we may break off our sins by fastings and abstain from things grateful and pleasant to our senses We sinners beseech Thee c. That we may readily expose our selves to contempt and disgrace from men thereby to take revenge upon our pride and wickedness against thee We sinners c. That to the glory of thy name and shame and confusion of our own faces we may confess our sins to the Ministers thou hast appointed that we may more easily obtain pardon from thee We sinners beseech Thee to hear us That we may freely confess to our neighbours the wrong we have done them and humbly beg pardon of them restore what we have wrongfully taken or withheld from them and make reparation for any losses thereby to escape thy just revenge upon us We sinners c. That we may freely forgive others trespasses against us or any satisfactions due from them to us whereby we may have hope that thou wilt forgive ours against thee We sinners beseech Thee to hear us That we may break off our sins by alms and our transgressions by shewing mercy to the poor that we feed the hungry cloath the naked visit the sick forgive our enemies and shew mercy to all whereby we may the more easily obtain mercy from thee We sinners c. That putting on the whole armour of God we may hereafter be able to stand against all the wiles of the Devil We sinners beseech Thee to hear us That we may bring forth fruits worthy of Penance in due season and that we may work out our Salvation with fear and trembling We sinners beseech Thee to hear us That thou wouldst be pleased to afflict and purge us here and spare us eternally hereafter We sinners c. That going with confidence unto the throne of Grace we may obtain mercy and find it in an acceptable time We sinners beseech Thee to hear us O Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the world Spare us good Lord. O Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the world Hear us good Lord. O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Have mercy upon us O Christ hear us _____ O Christ hearken to us Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy on us Lord have mercy on us Our Father c. A Psalm O Lord deal not with us according to our sins Nor reward us according to our iniquities O Lord remember not our former transgressions Let thy mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low Help us O Lord our Saviour And for the glory of thy Name deliver us and be merciful to our transgressions Cleanse us O Lord from our secret sins And keep us from other mens sins Remember not our offences O Lord nor the offences of our Fore-fathers Neither take thou vengeance on our sins Deliver not our Souls to the devouring Beast And forget not the Souls of thy poor servants for ever O Lord turn away thy face from our sins And blot out all our iniquities Restore unto us the joy of thy Salvation And establish us with thy principal Spirit O Lord hear our Prayers And let our cry come unto thee O Benigne c. Or This. O Lord correct us not in thine anger neither chastise us in thy fury We acknowledge our iniquities against our selves unto thee O Lord that thou may'st forgive the hainousness of our sins O Lord all our desire is before thee and our sighing is not hid from thee Have mercy-upon us O Lord according to thy great mercy And according to the multitude of thy mercies blot out all our transgressions Thou shalt arise O Lord and have mercy upon us for it is time to have mercy upon us yea the time is come If thou shouldst be extreme to mark what is done amiss O Lord who can stand Enter not into judgment with thy servants O Lord for in thy sight shall no flesh living be justified O Benigne c. Let us pray A Collect. MOst gracious God the Fountain of all mercy and blessing who desirest not the death of a sinner nor despisest the tears of the penitent favourably receive this our confession and effectually move our hearts to a true contrition that being pardoned the evils we have presumed to do we may be delivered from the evils we deserve to suffer and assisted by thy grace may bestow the short remainder of our days in a more perfect denial of our corrupt inclinations and more constant attendance to thy glorious promises thro our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who with Thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth one God world without end Amen A Collect. O Benigne Lord pour we beseech thee thy grace into our hearts that we restraining our sins by voluntary chastisements may rather be afflicted with some temporal sufferings than deputed to eternal punishments thro Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen LITANIES for the Sick and those that are Dying O God the Father of heaven Have mercy on us O God the Son Redeemer of the world Have c. O God the Holy Ghost Have mercy on us O Sacred Trinity one God Have mercy on us O Father of Mercies and God of all Consolation who comfortest us in all our tribulations who sufferest us not to be tempted above that which we are able to bear but with the temptation givest strength that we may be able to sustain Have mercy on us Who chastisest and scourgest those whom thou lovest who judgest and correctest us with weaknesses and sickness and death it self that we may not be condemned with the world Have mercy on us Who breathedst into man newly made after thy own Image the breath of life Have mercy on us Who madest not death nor delightest in the destruction of the living who plantedst in the midst of Paradise the Tree of life against the death of the body Have c. Who after our first Parents had contracted the guilt of death opposedst the seed of the Woman against the malice of the Serpent Have mercy upon us Who createdst Herbs growing out of the earth and innumerable other remedies for the use and necessity of man Have mercy on us Who turnest man to destruction and sayest Return ye children of men who woundest and healest strikest and bindest up with thy hand killest and makest alive
judge the living and the dead Give rest to the Souls of the Faithful departed O Lamb of God at whose presence the earth shall be moved and the heavens melt away Give rest to the Souls of the Faithful departed O Lamb of God in whose blessed book of Life their names are written Give eternal rest to the Souls of the Faithful departed The Antiphon DEliver us O Lord and all thy Faithful in that day of terror when the Sun and Moon shall be darkned and the Stars fall down from heaven in that day of calamity and amazement when heaven it self shall shake and the Pillars of the earth be moved and the glorious Majesty of Jesus come with innumerable Angels to judge the world by fire Deliver us O Lord in that dreadful day And place us with thy blessed at thy right hand for ever O Lord hear our Prayers And let our Supplications come to thee ALmighty God with whom do live the Spirits of the perfect and in whose holy custody are deposited the Souls of all those that depart hence in an inferior degree of thy grace who being by their imperfect Charity rendred unworthy thy presence are detained in a state of grief and from thy beatifical sight as we bless thee for the Saints already admitted to thy glory so we humbly offer our Prayers for thy afflicted servants who continually wait and sigh after the day of their deliverance Pardon their sins supply their unpreparedness and wipe away the tears from their eyes that they may see thee and in thy glorious light eternally rejoyce Thro Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen O Eternal God who besides the general precepts of Charity hast commanded a particular respect to parents kindred and benefactors grant we beseech thee that as they were the instruments by which thy providence bestowed on us our birth education and innumerable other benefits so our Prayers may be a means to obtain for them a speedy delivery from any privation of bliss which they may suffer for their sins and a free admittance to thy infinite joys Thro Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen MOst wise and merciful Lord who hast ordained this life as a passage to the future confining our Conversion to the time of our Pilgrimage here and reserving for hereafter the state of punishment and reward vouchsafe us thy grace who are yet alive and still have opportunity of reconcilement to thee so to watch over all our actions and correct every least deviation from the true way to Heaven that we be neither surprised with our sins uncancelled nor our duties imperfect but when our Bodies go down into the grave our Souls may ascend to thee and dwell for ever in the mansions of eternal felicity Thro Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen The LITANY of Christian Virtues O God the Father of Heaven Have mercy on us O God the Son Redeemer of the world Have c. O God the Holy Ghost Have mercy on us O Sacred Trinity one God Have mercy on us O Lord just and good and a rewarder of all those that seek thee diligently Have mercy on us Who createdst our first Parents in innocency and holiness after thine own image and gavest a testimony to the offerings of just Abel Have mercy on us Who savedst in the Ark from the Flood Noah a Preacher of Justice and deliveredst from the Fire just Lot vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked Have mercy on us Who gavedst the Promise to Abraham found faithful after many trials Have mercy on us Who deliveredst Jacob endued with a wonderful patience and confidence in adversities from all evils and gavest a joyful end to thy servant Job that pattern of patience Have mercy on us Who rewardest the singular modesty and chastity of Joseph with the rule over Aegypt Have mercy on us Who choosest Moses the meekest man upon earth to be Ruler over thy people and electedst Joshuah notable for valour and constancy to lead thy people into the land of Promise Have mercy on us Who gavest the Priesthood to the Sons of Levi for their great courage in vindicating thine honor and deliveredst from all dangers the Prophet Elias for his incomparable Zeal for thy true worship against the false Prophets and at length took'st him up into heaven Have mercy on us Who set'st Samuel Judge over thy people a lover of Justice and free from bribes And liftedst up David a man after thy own heart in the faithful service of thee to be King of Israel Have mercy on us Who replenishedst Solomon humbly begging Wisdome of thee both with it and many other Graces And adornedst Daniel and his Companions being singularly temperate and sober with wisdome and beauty Have mercy c. Who chosest the Blessed Virgin Mary adorned with singular chastity humility obedience and all other Virtues to be the Mother of thy Son Have mercy on us Who sentest John Baptist a fore-runner of thy Son a Preacher of penance and of great austerities and abstinence Have mercy on us Who sentest JESUS Christ thy only begotten Son into the world the pattern of all Holiness that we should follow his example Have mercy on us Who hast chosen us in him before the foundations of the world that we also should be holy and unblameable in thy sight Have mercy on us Who hast predestinated us that we should be made conformable to the image of thy Son and hast created us in him to good works which thou hast ordained that we should walk in them Have mercy on us Who hast redeemed us from our vain conversation by the precious blood of Christ and hast regenerated us by thy word unto a lively hope of an eternal inheritance Have mercy on us O Jesu who knewest no sin neither was guile found in thy mouth but appearedst to take away the sins of the world Have mercy on us JESUS who barest our sins in thy body on the Cross that we being dead unto sin may live unto Justice and Holiness Have mercy on us Who hast delivered us out of darkness into light from the power of Satan into thy Kingdome and hast bestowed upon us the remission of sins and an inheritance amongst thy Saints Have mercy on us Who promisedst thy Disciples that forsook all for thee twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel who committedst unto St. Peter notably confessing and loving thee the feeding of thy sheep Have mercy on us Who vouchsafest to St. John notable for chastity the singular priviledge of thy love Have mercy on us Who sendedst thy holy Spirit whereby divine Charity is spread abroad in our hearts Have mercy on us Be merciful and spare us O Lord. Be merciful and grant unto us O Lord The virtue of humility and patience spiritual poverty and meekness longanimity and obedience to those that are set over us Grant unto us O Lord A quiet mind and contented with our present condition true peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Grant us c.
Temperance and modesty sobriety and chastity a true love of thee and our neighbours the contempt of our selves and the things of this world bounty and compassionate affections Grant us O Lord Diligence and constant vigilancy a hunger and thirst after Holiness zeal and fervour of spirit Christian fortitude and perseverance to the end Grant us c. We sinners beseech Thee to hear us O Lord That being reconciled to God by the death of Christ we may present our selves holy unspotted and unblameable before him that we may walk worthy of God in all things well-pleasing fruitful in good works and increasing in the knowledge of God We sinners c. That whatsoever we do in word or deed we may do all to the glory of God that we make not void thy grace or receive it in vain We sinners beseech Thee to hear us That we be careful to sanctify our Lord Jesus Christ always in our hearts that we seek not our own things but before all the things of Jesus Christ We sinners c. That looking up to Jesus who suffered we be not wearied and faint in our minds but considering the conversation of the Saints imitate their faith and patience We sinners beseech Thee to hear us That as his Souldiers we entangle not our selves in the things of this world but having food and raiment we be content therewith We sinners beseech Thee to hear us That by good works we make our faith and election sure that we do good whilst we have time and faint not for that we shall reap in due season We sinners c. That we forbear one another in love being careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace that we bear one another's burthens and so fulfil the law of God We sinners beseech Thee c. That being strengthened in all virtue thro the power of his grace we give thanks to God with all patience and long-suffering We sinners beseech Thee to hear us That waiting for the coming of our Lord we be careful to be found in him pure and unspotted in peace that we may receive the end of our faith even the salvation of our Souls and in the mean time work out our Salvation with fear and trembling We sinners beseech Thee c. O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Increase our Faith O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Infuse Hope O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Enkindle Charity O Christ hear us Christ give Ear unto us Our Father which art in Heaven c. Let us pray IN flame O Lord our reins and heart with the fire of thy holy Spirit that we may serve thee with a chast body and please thee with a pure heart O Most gracious Lord vouchsafe we beseech thee to direct and order all our thoughts words and works according to thy blessed will and to the praise of thy great Name conform them according to the perfect example of thy most holy life and conversation Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost one God world without end Amen O God which justifiest the ungodly we humbly beseech thy Majesty graciously to defend with thy heavenly grace and assist with thy continual protection us thy servants relying on thy mercy that constantly running in the course of virtue we may at length receive the crown thereof and by no temptations be withdrawn from serving thee through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen O Father of mercies and God of all consolations propitiously regard the frailty of our condition and by thy grace strengthen our endeavours that thro thy mercy we may at length obtain plenary remission of our sins constancy in thy holy service and the reward promised to perseverance thro Jesus Christ thy only Son our Lord. Amen Concerning our SPEECH For Governing our Words O Almighty Judge of men who hast declared that for every idle word we must give account in the day of Judgment and by our words we must be justified or condemned and hast taught us by thy Holy Scriptures that he that keepeth his tongue keepeth his life and that if any offend not in word the same is a perfect man We beseech thee to set a continual watch before our mouth and keep the door of our lips that we may ever take heed unto our ways that we offend not in our tongue that unruly member which defileth the whole Body and setteth on fire the whole course of Nature O Lord protect and deliver thy servants by thy restraining Grace and by thy fear from the many evil and bitter fruits of this so small a member from blasphemy swearing or taking thy name in vain from lying slandering backbiting and speaking evil of our neighbour from railing reviling flattery tale-bearing or disclosing secrets from vain-glory and boasting from praising our selves or disparaging others from ostentation of our own science and wit from all filthy and corrupt communication from jesting foolish froward and idle words and unprofitable discourse And Thou who hast given this Member c. Thou knowest O Lord who knowest all our infirmities how slippery a member the Tongue is and how liable we are to some abuse of it which we are necessitated so often to use and have so often occasions ministred unto us of using it amiss which also it is not in another's power easily to restrain Grant that we may employ our uttermost endeavours to prevent the manifold evils thereof that we may not desire to speak where we may without loss be silent nor utter any thing which becomes not thy servants for fear of seeming stupid or ignorant melancholick or unsociable make us swift to hear and learn but slow to speak not intermedling in every discourse nor speaking at all times what we know but what is necessary remembring that a prudent man concealeth knowledge and that there is more hopes of a fool than of one hasty in his words And good Lord endue with such peaceableness and calmness of spirit that we may never passionately contend or dispute to maintain an unnecessary truth or to vindicate a small right or to justify our selves in slight defamations or affronts but may follow the pattern of thy most admirable silence O Lord even in the questioning of thy most innocent life and on all occasions vilifying and humbling our selves may in our hearts give the glory only to Thee Who livest and reignest c. But thou who hast given this member to thy creature Man as a special instrument of thy Praise grant that we may zealously employ it to promote thy glory and when ever occasion is given to vindicate thy honor to joyn in thy praises and to give thanks and to speak good of thy Name O Lord open thou our lips and let our mouth ever shew forth thy Praise And be pleased also so to sanctify us in our worldly converse that our Speech may be always