of the Christian Church prove Christ to be God (u) Ergo qui remittit Deus est quia nemo remittit nisi Deus Hilar. in Math. Can. 8. because he forgave sin which none but God can do (x) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys in 1 Cor. 15. and his son Jesus who is also very God and purchased this Mercy of Absolution with his own blood (y) Ille solus peccata dimittit qui pro peccatis mortuus est Ambr. Veniam peccatis quae in ipsum commissa sunt solus potest ille largiri qui peccata nostra portavit Cypr. wherefore we give to God the things which are Gods and plainly declare he is the Author we the dispensers only of this favour and the Witnesses and Messengers to bring certain news thereof (z) En fili certificate remissa tibi esse peccata hujus me testem habebis Vade in Pace Fer. in Matth. 9. And this is more comfort to the Penitent the Supreme Judge he from whose Sentence is no Appeal Pardoneth thee fear not the state of Agag whom Saul had pardoned but God had not wherefore Samuel hewed him to pieces in the midst of his vain hopes that the bitterness of death was past He Pardoneth that hath no equal to examine or approve much less superiour to disanul his actings Our absolution is profitable when the Persons are meet to receive it (a) Tunc enim vera est absolutio Praesidentis cum aeterni arbitrium sequitur judicis Greg. hom 26. but the stamp of God will make it currant in Heaven it self The Priests Pardon is not compleat at present till it be ratified at the last day But he Pardoneth at this present while we are holding out this Absolution he that knows who among you are true believers and really Penitent is at this instant sealing your Pardon in Heaven which makes ours to be valid we then are but the Messengers and interpreters but it is our great Master that Absolveth because what we do is Pronounced in his name dispensed by his Authority offered on his Condition and confirmed by his Approbation § 9. All them that truly repent and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel These two acts Repentance and Faith are by Christ (b) Mark 1.15 and his Apostles (c) Act. 20.21 made the Conditions of all the Gospel promises and without them no Absolution can be had those that have these no man can condemn but without these no man can acquit it was therefore a great arrogance in those Ecclesiasticks in St. Hieroms time who imagined they could save or destroy at pleasure (d) ut vel damnent innocentes vel solvere se noxios arbitrantur Hierom. Com in Matth. l. 3. Nec Angelus nec Archangelus potest nec Dominus ipse si peccaverimus in poenitentiam deferentibus non relaxat Ambros Epist 28. ad Theodos and it is as great a vanity in any to believe a Servant acting contrary to his Masters known Will because it will be insignificant wherefore if any by hypocrisie shall think to surprize an Absolution Or if he that dispenseth an act by prejudice or corruption you must know it is he must ratifie the Pardon who can see whether these qualifications are in him that receives it or no and though we hold out this Act of a Grace to all yet our Master pardons none but such as do repent truly and believe unfeignedly and how many soever do so if they have been the worst of sinners they shall every one be forgiven Let us then take care to come 1. With an hâ—mble lowly penitent and obedient heart sorrowing and being ashamed fearing exceedingly confessing humbly and resolving heartily against all sin let us beware that a hard heart and a customary confession and hypocritical pretences do not ruine our hopes and blast our desires for he only Pardoneth the real Penitent 2. Let us bring with us an unfeigned Faith in his Gospel trusting in the assurances of his Promises and persuading our selves of the necessity and excellence of his laws and confirming our souls in the expectations of his rewards and this Faith unfeigned (e) 1 Tim. 1.5 2 Tim. 1 5. will open the door of Mercy but for that bold challenge which some make to the promises and the benefits of the Gospel while they are void of hatred to sin or love to God it is only feigned to stifle the accusations of Conscience and ward off the threats of the Law and to give the man liberty to sin and God will never accept such to remission but discover these men had no other ground for their confidence but only because they had persuaded themselves of a falshood Remember you come to him that searcheth the heart for a Pardon and strive that your Repentance may be true and Faith cordial and sound as you hope for mercy from him and learn by this order first to repent of your former evil ways before you entertain too particular confidences of Gods love and your interest in Jesus but if you have truly repented the more firmly you believe the greater will be Gods glory and the sweeter your comfort and the speedier will your Absolution be confirmed Though your iniquities are heinous and innumerable if upon the sight you have had of them you do condemn your self with real purposes of amendment and notwithstanding your unworthiness if you can trust to the Merits of Jesus and believe all the gracious Promises of the Gospel shall be fulfilled to you I doubt not to assure this your Repentance and Faith shall pass the test of God himself and your desires shall be satisfied in his mercy § 10. Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true Repentance and his holy Spirit The whole duty of a Minister consists in instruction and exhortation (f) Acts 2.40 Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first to convince the understanding the second to engage the affections both which parts of his Office the Priest doth here exercise for hitherto he hath testified there is Remission to be obtained and now he exhorts to seek for it for in this Section we are directed how to obtain in the following we are encouraged by the Benefits to be had thereby now this present exhortation is a conclusion inferred from all the former parts of this Absolution which are in this word wherefore urged as so many motives to quicken our addresses viz. 1. Since God who is full of power and mercy would not the death of us sinners but desires we may live therefore we may cheerfully come to him for help who will be as well pleased with the opportunity of giving as we with the mercy of receiving 2. He hath Commissionated Ministers to be the Heralds of his willingness to forgive wherefore let us in answer to this gracious Proclamation go in and submit to him who though he be the offended Party first sent to us to be reconciled 3. He hath assured us he
least it should be neglected or forgotten by private persons if we attend on the Service of the Church we shall neither be ignorant nor unmindful of this heavenly touchstone by which we may constantly discover all that is contrary to the truth of our principles or the holiness of our profession 2. To express our constant fidelity to God this being like the Souldiers word or symbol by keeping which we own that great General whose Souldiers and Servants we avowed our selves at Baptism and took upon us this Faith as the badge and cognizance of our relation to God and dependance on him So that whenever we are to fight for him or to approach him (z) Dei igitur cultus quoniam coelestit militia est devotionem maximam fidemque desiderat Lact. lib. 5. c. 20. Non ego perfidum dixi sacramentum Ibimus ibimus we must shew this badge and repeat the Articles of our Allegiance to declare we are still for the Lord of hosts and do hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering Nor is there a more effectual argument to move God to hear our Prayers and obtain the intercession of Jesus then with heart and voice to make this Confession of him before men (a) Rom. 10. ver 9 10. S. Matth. 10. ver 32. and solemnly to own our selves his servants (b) Psal 116. ver 16. Psalm 119.125 for then we have assured promises of protection and defence Let us then think how reverently should we stand up to renew our faithful engagements to the King of Heaven and Earth and how sincerely should we profess our fidelity to the searcher of all hearts whose we desire so much to be accounted and now that we are in our Petitions to beseech him to shew himself to be our God let us most seriously and devoutly protest our selves to be his servants 3. To manifest our unity among our selves and agreement with the whole Church that as we have one Lord so we may have one Faith (c) Ephes 4.5 Rom. 15.6 and as Children of the same Father servants of the same household and Souldiers under the same Prince may with one mind and one mouth glorifie this One God For we must agree in heart as well as meet in person if we would have our prayers (d) Matth. 18.19 be accepted It were to be wished there were no dissent in the smallest matters among the servants of the same God but if any such be that they may not dissolve our Union nor divide our Worship we are all to rejoyce that we agree in the main and to repeat this Creed together with a hearty charity that we may all declare our selves satisfied in these necessary things and may pray together without the least sparks of wrath Let us therefore remember these Prayers are put up only by and for the true members of the Church and this Creed is the Criterion to discern between the faithful and the false (e) Tessera signaculum quo inter fideles perfidosque seceâ—nitur Maxim Taurin So that by the hearty reciting thereof thou ownest the same Faith which glorified Saints did once profess and all holy Christians throughout the world do now believe and dost hereby declare thy self a true member of Christs holy Church Fides quam Sancti Apostoli praedicaverunt concilia firmaverunt Fatres consignaverunt Theodorus Ep. Rom. and so hast a right to its priviledges and a share in its Devotions § 4. The last and chiefest enquiry is concerning the manner how it is to be repeated of which we had need be careful least our frequent use of so excellent a part of these offices do take off our attention from these noble and necessary ends There are many requisite and becoming affections which our thoughts should now be actuated with concerning the certainty and the usefulness of these truths the happiness of those that know them and the misery of such as are ignorant of them But especially we must be careful in this part of our service 1. To be most heartily thankful to our gracious God that hath made these divine truths so manifest to us Shall the heathen Plato praise God that he was born in Greece and educated at Athens and the Jews bless him every day that made them sons of Abraham and sanctified them with his precepts and shall not we much more magnifie his favour towards us who by the advantages of our Birth and Education are so early instructed in these saving truths that are so necessary we cannot be happy without them so evident that we are scarce ever tempted to doubt of them and yet withall so mysterious that all the wisdome in the world could never without the help of Revelation have discovered them to us many Kings and Princes Prophets and Masters of the greatest reason have lived and dyed in ignorance of these principles which by Gods mercy you understand as clearly and believe as fully as any thing that sense or experience teacheth you Forget not therefore daily to pay the tribute of Praise to thy heavenly Master who hath made thee oâ—e of his own School and prevented thy going blindfold to destruction 2. Be sure to give your positive and particular assent to all and every article thereof receiving them all as undoubted Oracles from the mouth of the God of truth who neither will nor can deceive Our souls may safely rely upon them and require no other demonstration (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Strom. 50. but only whether it be certain that God did reveal them He that knows him and his eternal veracity will enquire no further and he that would believe firmly had need enquire so far and with the Bereans search the Scripture (g) Acts 17.11 Non temerè sed ratione nitimur ad fidem Orig. in Cels l. 3. and examine if these be confirmed there and then we may on good grounds annex our Credo I believe to every single Article when we have found it agreeing with the Word of God And though I believe be only once set down in the beginning of the first Article yet it must be understood and supplied by us in the front of every Article afterwards as it was wont to be in the antient form of Baptism and may be seen in the Creed for that office in our Liturgy the Priest asking at every Article Credis Dost thou believe and he answering Credo I believe Meditate that God himself doth so bespeak you I have given you my holy word and taught you all saving truth do you believe there is one God and let every ones heart eccho again I do believe it Do you believe he made Heaven and Earth I do believe it c. Nor must any man think it sufficient for the Minister to say the Creed for him it is not then thy Faith but his own Nor doth he confess it that doth not in heart or voice or both go
a uniting love for the heart will be the faster bound to the most merciful Father when it is first made sensible it hath offended a dreadful Almighty God who yet retains the bowels as well as name of a Father and is the most merciful of all Fathers for what natural Parent would not have cast out and disinherited his once dearest Child for the one half of what thou hast done against thy Heavenly Father who yet upon our true repentance stands ready to embrace us with as much love as if we had never done amiss if fear will move our hearts here is represented his terrible power if love will work upon us here is discovered unspeakable goodness and what heart can resist both His Almightiness is first but if the terrour thereof seal up thy lips let the hope of his fatherly pity and compassion open them again Learn humility and true contrition from the first and Faith and Hope from the latter which are excellent mixtures in a penitent heart and the best dispositions in the World for a hearty and prevailing confession § 2. We have erred and strayed from thy wayes Gods laws are frequently in holy Scripture compared to a way that leads to everlasting life and thither we are going when we are walking in them But our sins and iniquities are errings and strayings out of this path In our lesser sudden and unobserved sins we step aside and make our way crooked (c) Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sig peccatum curvum Eccles 7.13 Psal 38.16 Job 33.27 Matth. 17.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by vain thoughts rash and idle words light and foolish carriage these happen so frequently that if we walk right a while we are soon out again so that at best we go on but in contorted spiral lines which is far from the straitness and evenness of our rule yet because these are done out of ignorance they are called Errors which though we may think them small in their kind yet they are formidable in their numbers and next to infinite but besides these lesser wandrings we stray further stay longer when we fall into greater transgressions and evil habits these are absolute forsaking of Gods folds and a plain passing over those bounds which God hath set us as Solomon did to Shimei (d) 1 Kings 2.36 ubi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sign transâ—re limites ut Jos 4.1 at Deut. 17 2. c. signif peccare and by so doing we forfeit our lives as he did his if Gods mercy did not spare us And thus Malice and Envy Lust and Drunkenness Pride and Cruelty Covetousness and Oppression especially when by frequent repetitions they are become customary may be called straying from his wayes 'T is very like many in favour to their own cause will count their errors no sins and call their strayings errors and infirmities But the least are committed so often that they are not to be despised and the greater are so heinous they cannot be hid and we should consider that be the sin what it will if we repent not we remain in our wandring and so an error may become a going astray To have stepped aside may seem excusable by humane frailty (e) Humanum est errare Belluinum vero perseverare in errore Cicer. he must be more then man that doth not so sometimes but he that sees his error and goes on it is worse then beast and wholly inexcusable 'T is certain there is none of us but we have erred by less and strayed by greater sins but if we hasten our repentance our strayings will be forgiven and esteemed as errors otherwise the lesser evils if we cherish them and neglect repentance may well encrease and be reputed as the utter deserting of Gods wayes § 3. Like lost sheep The Church chuseth the language of the holy Ghost to express our departure from God by For God and his Son Jesâ—s are compared to the Shepherds and we to the Sheep of their Pasture * Psalm 23.1 100.3 4. John 10.1 2 c. by our sins we become lost Sheep (f) Matth. 15.24 and by the Mercy of Jesus we are reduced (g) Luke 15.4 and since we have all sinned there is no man can deny but he is one of these lost Sheep (h) Isaiah 53.6 and David himself puts it into his Confession (i) Psalm 119.176 and so may the best of men do We frequently forsake the sâ—fe fold the pure streams and the green pasture which God hath provided for us and wander into a dry and barren wilderness where we want all true comforts and are expoâ—ed to a thousand evils Now how fitly these errings and strayings of ours are resembled by a lost Sheep may appear in three particulars 1. No creature is more apt to stray and by its heedlesness would never keep right were it not continually under the Shepherds eye So we while we greedily feed on worldly contents we daily go forward not observing whether we are right or wrong nor minding whither we go so that we easily fall into offences and are seldome long in Gods wayes Again 2. Nothing is more open to dangers when it doth stray then this shiftless Creature which hath many enemies and no defence against them the Dog is too swift the Wolf too strong and tâ—e Fox too cunning for it so that it becomes a prey to all Even so poor silly man when he hath left his Shepherd is intangled in the thorns of worldly cares ensnared by Sathan oppressed by wicked men and pursued by his own Conscience and hath not subtilty enough to contend with the Devil nor strength to defend himself against his instruments nor nimbleness to fly from his accuser Lastly the straying Sheep is most unlikely ever to return for supposing it should miss the ravenous enemies it is so stupid and inobservant that it would stray for ever unless the Shepherd find it and restore it And just thus God knows it is with us who wander up and down forgetting whence we are fallen and ignorant how to return again changing the kinds of our sins sometimes but never likely to find the right path till the good Shepherd of our souls who comes to seek that which was lost cause us to hear his voice behind us (l) Isai 30.21 John 10.4 and we turn and follow him Thus by this one significant Metaphor we own God for our true Shepherd and our selves to be his Sheep poor helpless Creatures apt to stray and in our wandrings likely to perish by many enemies and great dangers and unlikely and unable ever to return unless he please to forgive our sin forget our folly and pity our misery and come to seek and save us that feel our selves neer lost already we have not minded our Shepherds voice nor heeded his steps who as the custom of Shepherds in those Eastern countries was (m) John 10.4 Psalm 77.20 did himself walk before
will obtain help from him for us by the power of his undenyable intercession and as a glorious Conqueror commands the Earth and Hell it self So that his might will secure us here and this is our strong Tower in which we believe our selves so safe that upon the confidence thereof we pray for protection and defence and that we may neither fear nor feel harm from any of our opposers and desire this may be granted and decreed in heaven by the mighty interest of our Mediator there and accomplished on earth by the invincible strength of the same Jesus here Amen The Paraphrase of the Collects for Peace O God who by thy constant power and providence art the author of safety and the cause of our peace from without the procurer of amity and lover of concord within thy Church and among thy people Thou art the only true God in knowledge of whom standeth out chief happiness in eternal life and our best means of coming safe thither for thou art the best of all Masters whose service is safe and pleasant because it is perfect freedom from the slavery of Sathan and the fear of his instruments Therefore mighty Lord be pleased to defend us who fly to thy protection and surrender up our selves to thee vowing we are and ever will be thy humble servants Oh keep us safe in soul and body if not from yet however in all assaults which are made upon us by the power malice or cunning of our enemies let their attempts be so constantly frustrated that we under the shadow of thy wings may couragiously proceed in our holy course and surely trusting in thy defence while we are faithful to thy service that we may not so much as fear the power or policy of any adversaries since we have so good grounds to hope thou wilt now and alwaies hear us through the interest and help us through the might of Iesus Christ thy dear son our Lord and only Saviour Amen The Analysis of the third Collect for Grace In this Collect are four parts 1. A confession of the Attributes of God 1. Love O Lord our heavenly Father 2. Power Almigâ—ty and 3. Eternity everlastiâ—g God 2. An acknowledgment of his Providence Who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day 3. A Petition for â—is grace 1. To preserve us from evil 1. In general defend us in the same with thy mighty power 2. In particular from 1. Spiritual and grant that this day we fall into no sin 2. Temporal neither run into any kind of danger 2. To help us in doing good that we may be 1 Directed by him but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance 2. Accepted of him to do alwâ—ies that which is righteous in thy sight 4. The means to obtain it through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A Practical Discourse on the Collect for Grace § 5. O Lord our heavenly Father almighty and everlasting God Peace without Grace is the nurse of vice the sauce of dangerous pleasures It occasions our forgetfulness of God that gave it and becomes an undisturbed opportunity to prosecute and enjoy those lusts which it is apt to breed So that we must not pray for Peace alone but joyned with righteousness and Grace for these God hath united in Scripture (n) Psal 85.10 2 Cor. 1 2. and we must not separate them in our devotions For which cause this Collect for Grace follows that for Peace Grace alone can make Peace true beneficial and lasting and sin is the great boutefen and the greatest enemy to Peace in the world So that by receiving this Collect devoutly we still improve our former request and if we can obtain such grace as to make us just and charitable meek and patient towards one another this world will be the Type of everlasting Peace We shall neither disquiet our selves nor others while our doings are directed by the wisdome and agreeable to the will of the God of peace Since therefore Grace is so necessary for us we must learn where to seek it and its very name will lead (o) Gratia est gratis data non meritis operantis sed miseratione donantis August Epist 120. us to the free and inexhaustible fountain whence it ever flows even to God who gives to all men liberally and upbraideth no man The very Heathens confessed it the gift of God (p) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. Mem. Nulla sine Deo mens bona Seneca who will rejoyce to hear such a request from an humble soul that is sensible of its own weakness and desirous of his strength He will be more ready to grant then you can be to ask (q) Luke 11.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maxim Tyrius in dissert Consider but the Attributes the Church hath prefixed to this Prayer Is not the Lord your heavenly Father and shall not he pitty and love you and delight to do you good Is he not Almighty and therefore able to relieve you and Everlasting the same yesterday today and for ever Being All-sufficient and never to be drawn dry though we come day by day unto him We have no reason to doubt either his sufficiency his might or his mercy and therefore no cause to fear but this Petition shall prevail We are on Earth but we have a Father in Heaven we are weak but our Lord is Allmighty our time is measured by daies and nights and we grow older every day and must at length have our end but we have a God that changeth not but is the same from everlasting to everlasting Let this chear our hearts (r) Psal 102.25 26 27. and give wings to our Petitions and strength to our faith Let us fly to him and rest upon him for we can never come to him for grace but we are sure to find him furnished with it and both able and ready to bestow it upon us § 6. Who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day The Mercies of God are new every morning and so ought our Praises to be (s) Lament 3.23 Psal 92.1 2. Occurrere ergo ad solis Ortum ut te Oriens invenint jam paratum Ambr. in Psal 119. offered still with a fresh Devotion to which purpose being now come to the shore it will be a pleasant and profitable prospect to look back on the great deep the darkness of the night which we have passed and now to remember that though we were folded in the arms of sleep the brother of death and were insensible of danger and uncapable of resistance yet we have gone safe through those dismal shades which are the image of hell the embleme of death the opportunity of mischief and the most uncomfortable part of our lives And though the Heathens supposed the Dominion of the Night to belong to the Infernal Powers yet we have found it is under the government of our heavenly Father by whose gracious providence we have been kept therein from
freely to purchase Gods favour but though men be thus appeased yet he must have something he likes better and truly the Sacrifices most likely to be accepted of God who needs no outward things are a broken spirit which trembles at his Anger and hateth it self for its sins and is almost dashed to pieces betwixt fear and sorrow Whoever therefore brings such a broken and a contrite heart let him think it never so vile yet O God thou whose favour such alone desire wilt not despise nor reject but accept and embrace both it and those that bring it 2. If they shall further argue against themselves that they deny not Gods gracious nature but that they fear their iniquities have turned his love into hatred his mercy into fury and his kindness into indignation Behold in the next place a free discovery of what God is to sinners (k) Dan. 9.9 for the Jews were then in captivity but had so grievously offended that Daniel who much desired their restauration scarce knew how to plead for them till at last he finds an Argument in Gods gracious Nature viz. That mercies and forgiveness that is many nay infinite mercies and forgiveness for numberless sins were Gods peculiar possession a principal part of his Name (l) Exod. 34.6 the chiefest of his Attributes and inseparably annexed to his Essence and therefore the sins of his creatures cannot make any change in God Mercy in the creatures is by communication from him but he is the original and fountain which is never dry therefore Daniel confesseth they are sinners but denies that therefore it is impossible to hope for pardon for their evil doings could not rifle his treasures nor rob him of his Attributes nor alter his Nature That continues the same still and therefore there is mercy to be had He confesses them guilty of all sorts of sins that is sins of commission and that even to an absolute rebelling and forsaking of God and apostacy from him (m) LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ita Vulg. Vat. by Idolatry and then also Omission and neglect of walking in Gods law though they were taught and instructed in it therefore they deserved no mercy But God is the fountain of mercies still and therefore there is yet hope Other Translations generally read not though but because we have sinned which is but a further illustration of the same sense viz. We may see and be convinced that Mercy is Gods peculiar possession because we have done such vile things and yet he hath spared us that we might by our humiliation give him occasion to forgive us and this his pity in sparing shews his intention of restoring us and therefore should quicken us to address to him who hath it solely in his own power Daniel will not go to the King of Babylon not to the best nor greatest on the earth No Mercy is Gods and so we have the better hope to obtain it Dan. 9.9 Why should we because we have formerly sinned remain hopeless of ever being received since we know that To the Lord Jehovah who is peculiarly our God as inseparably annexed to his Essence and as his own proper possession belongs mercies infinite and forgivenesses more then our sins can need and since they are his we hope we shall have them though we are unworthy for though we have sinned by breaking his laws and rebelled against him by forsaking his Covenant neither have we done what he commanded us nor obeyed the voice of the Lord our God who charged us by his servants to walk in his laws and tread in that plain and pleasant path which he set before us though all this be true we are sorry for it but will not despair because God can yet restore us 3. To enforce both the former and encourage these humble souls whose desires are too big for their faith here is a lively example of one (n) Luke 15.18 19. whose condition was as miserable his faults as great and his reception as unlikely as theirs can be And yet he comes and speeds that you may take example hereby and do likewise The example is that of the prodigal son who had voluntarily forsaken his Fathers house and carried away his full portion which he wasted lavishly and consumed in all manner of riot and excess never thinking of nor regarding his father all the time of his madness till extreme want had restored him to the use of his Reason (o) ver 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad seipsum rediens and put him into his wits again and then he blames himself for lying still either in his sin which is lapsus animae the fall of the soul resolving to arise by repentance or else you may understand his lying along or sitting on the ground to be a posture of sorrow (p) Isa 3.26 But he sees he may sit disconsolate for ever and be no nearer to his fathers house wherefore he resolves to take courage and arise and not sit alwaies bemoaning himself with a vain and ineffective grief but repenting himself to return home His father had not called him nor had he any assurance he should be received only he knew if he sate still he must starve and if he were repulsed he could suffer no more He comes not to make any apology but to bring in accusation against himself he hoped indeed that his offence could not unty the bands of that dear Relation and therefore calls him Father but confesseth he had forfeited the title of Son and not onely broken the law of Nature but of heaven that is of the God of heaven (q) Coelum pro Deo ponitur quoniam est ejus habitaculum Elias Tisb Psal 73.9 who expresly requireth this Obedience He could have wished a return to his Fathers Table but that were Presumption to expect only he hopes he will not see him starve and if he be set with the meanest servants that will be prevented But the Father is readier to hear then the Son to desire and what his unworthiness made him ashamed to ask his Fathers Bounty made him willing to bestow and he that scarce hoped to be admitted a servant is once more owned as a dear son This he found and so shall they that follow his example Luke 15.18 19. Why do I sit still in my sin vainly bemoaning my folly while I am like to starve surely I will take courage and I will arise by repentance and with prayer and supplication make haste and go by faith to my Father who can relieve me and perhaps may have pity on me For to move his bowels toward me as soon as I see him I will fall down and will say unto him Father who didst beget me that am now so wretched I here confess that I have sinned by my ungodly courses against Heaven and the God that dwells there and before thee being so ungrateful for all thy love that I justly deserve to be disowned and
left in my misery for I have forfeited my relation and am no more worthy to be called thy Son yet I hope thou wilt not let me perish who feedest thy meanest servants A Meditation preparatory to Prayer when we doubt of the favour of God to us HE that hath a considerable request to make to an earthly King must approach without a present in his hand but my request is to the King of Kings to whose laws I have been disobedient false to his Government refractory to his summons and ingrateful for his former favours But what can I offer to him that needs nothing what can I give to him whose both my self and all I have are his favour indeed is so sweet so desirable and so universal a comprehension of all happiness that I could freely give all I have or can do or may procure for the purchase of it but the whole world is a vanity to him neither can such trifles blind his eyes or bind his hands buy his mercy to the unworthy or pervert his justice from the sinner I could methinks expose my body to the sharpest torments my soul to the heaviest sorrows and my life to the cruelest Tyrant if I were sure of his everlasting mercy afterwards and would account my self happy in the purchase but it cost more to redeem a soul I can give nothing but it is his already and I can suffer nothing but what I have deserved what then oh where shall I have a peace-offering which may not be dispised I am told nothing is more acceptable then a broken heart t is strange can an heart polluted with the guilt and enslaved to the Power of sin stupid to apprehend slow to desire and impatient to wait for and unable to perform any good but witty to invent and vigorous to prosecute unsatiable to desire and unwearied to pursue all evil and now more vile then ever by reflecting upon its own vileness shaken with fears torn in pieces with sorrow and even a terror to it self miserable and poor blind and naked can this heart be a fit sacrifice for so glorious and all-seeing so holy and pure a God can he like that which I abhor how can it be but let me recall that hasty word for he hath said it who best knows what will please himself and if he value it it is worthy for the true worth of every thing is to be judged by his estimation of it Who knows but such a broken heart may be a greater evidence of his power and mercy a fitter instrument of his praise and glory a plainer table to describe his grace and draw his image on then any other Such a heart I have and if this serve I am happy I will give it freely to thee oh Lord who despisest not the meanest gift if there be sincerity in the giver It was broken before with fear but it is now dissolved with love I am ashamed it is no better but thy mercy is the greater in accepting it and it will become better by being thine oh how am I filled with admiration of the freeness and fulness of thy mercies in comparison of which the greatest humane compassion seems cruelty and I dare proclaim to all that in thee are all the mercies of the world united and thou art mercy it self in the highest degree if my disobedience and negligence contempt and ingratitude could have separated thee from thy mercy I had now met thee in fury taking vengeance without pitty for I have seemed to live as if I had designed to Dare thee to turn away thy self from me and to try thy utmost patience the least part of which baseness would have turned my best friends in the world against me but behold the mercy of my God continues still oh let me have the shame of an ingrateful sinner and thy name have the glory of thy inexpressible pitty even to those who are almost ashamed to ask pardon and let me to whom thou hast shewed such compassion have the honour to be an instance of thy goodness to all the world but have I such a father why then do I lye still with this load of guilt upon my soul and this heavy burden of sorrow upon my spirit what do I get by these vain complaints but waste my time and double my misery by sad reflections I can neither have help from my self nor any creature but from my Father alone to whom mercies are as proper as misery is to me and if I through fear or sorrow sit still here and starve I have not so much pity for my self as he would have for me if he saw me thus grieved for abusing his mercies wherefore I will arise and go though I think I shall scarce have the face to ask more I have spent the last so ill and I shall be ashamed to tell him how base I have been but as I was not ashamed when I did evil so I must have shame when I suffer the desert of it I will go bathed in tears blushing for shame accusing my self and only relying on the bowels of a Father will beg only so much mercy as will banish despair and quiet my mind and give me some little hope and revive my languishing faith and if I may have this I will be content though I be not entertained with assurance and certain expectations for the least favourable look is more then I have deserved yet I see the tender Father upon the first sight of the returning prodigal whom he had never sent for but was driven home by his own miseries yet he runs to meet him takes the words out of his mouth and receives him with all the demonstrations of love and the caresses of a deer affection and is my God less merciful who hath invited me so often and promised me so largely I have done ill to stay so long but I will go now high in my desires low in my expectations sorrowing for my offence and begging his mercy and I hope though I carry no merits of my own to his justice yet I carry misery enough to make his bowels of compassion yearn upon me and then I cannot perish Amen Thus we see the Church hath shewed her care of these poor contrite ones in selecting the most and choicest of these sentences for them who are the best though the least part of the people and though such are vile in their own eyes (t) Psal 15.4 Old Transl Chal. Par. Viles prae oculis suis yet they are dear to God and highly valued by all good people and tenderly indulged by the Church who wishes there were more of this blessed temper § 5. THe next sort of men who come to pray are involved in gross ignorance and such are inappreâ—ensive of their guilt and unacquainted with their danger who know not what to ask nor of whom nor why but these be instructed before they pray or otherwise they will neither confess aright nor amend at all
should dis-esteem us since we have deserved it such a heart the Prodigal had when he thought a servants place too good for him (l) Luke 15.19 such the Publican (m) Chap. 18.13 when he durst neither look up nor come near and he that wants it and thinks well of himself after his sin cannot confess heartily nor desire pardon devoutly nor for sake what he thinks hath done him no harm Wherefore let us labour to have this right knowledge of our selves and of our sins and that we may be ashamed of both let us consider we have shewed so much folly and rashness disingenuity and ingratitude obstinacy and perversness by breaking such holy laws of so great a God and so gracious a Father for so small a price and are thereby so miserable that we shall for ever be disgraced if we repent not Sin is a more just cause of shame then any thing in the world for it shews a man to be a base and abominable person nay it makes him degenerate into a beast (n) Psal 73.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arr. in Epict. lib. 1. cap. 3. which if we seriously think upon it will beget in us a dis-esteem of our selves and a true opinion of our own unworthiness which is an excellent disposition for the begging or receiving of pardon 2. A Penitent heart viz. a sad and sorrowful spirit which is most becoming one that sees his actions to have been base vain and dâ—ngerous and therefore must ever accompany us in confession of our sins Now if we are of ingenuous tempers the Gospel will produce this viz. The beholding the wounds of Jesus which we have made the long suffering we have abused the grace we have rejected and the comforts and benefits we have lost and forfeited But if we are more obdurate the Law must effect it viz. the sight of Gods justice and the consideration of the curse we have deserved and the danger we are in of endless torments for those poor perishing pleasures these things duly weighed will help us to draw water before the Lord (p) 1 Sam. 7.6 Ch. Par. Hauserunt aquas è puteo cordis sui abundè lachrymati sunt coram domino resipiscentes as the Israelites did from the pits of our hearts and pour them out by the channels of our eyes and this sorrow for what is past will both make our confession acceptable and help us to the third requisite 3. An obedient heart that is a takeing up such a dislike against sin as to resolve stedfastly if we can get those pardoned we have committed that we will never more do that which hath caused so much shame and sorrow to us and till we have brought our hearts to this all our confession and sorrow are not repentance but onely a purpose to repent (q) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex Strom. 2. Nor will all the rest prevail either to a removal of the guilt or dominion of sin Therefore let us learn how to confess Humility will make our confession sincere Sorrow will make it earnest and Holy purposes will make it prevalent § 6. To the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same by his infinite Goodness and Mercy There is nothing more pleasant to us then the contemplation of Gods infinite goodness and mercy but we are therein apt to forget his justice and to think the one will exclude the other because we measure God by our selves in whose narrow hearts these two dispositions are not at once contained and hence when we hear of infinite mercy we are apt to presume of pardon upon any terms But the Church from Gods Word assures you that a sinner cannot be forgiven no not by this infinite mercy unless he bring an humble penitent and obedient heart and that you are to esteem it infinite goodness that you may be forgiven upon these terms For you must know that Justice without a Mediator doth not admit a sinner to second thoughts nor accept of any Repentance at all and therefore it is an high act of Grace that so holy a God so justly offended and highly provoked will be reconciled upon any terms and let us not neglect our endeavours to get our hearts thus disposed for we had need be so prepared or else Mercy it self will reject us Some may here perhaps scruple at the expression to the end and Question whether in our confession we ought not rather to aim at Gods glory then our own forgiveness Such must know they quarrel with the language of holy Writ (s) Acts 2.38 Chap. 3.19 where men are exhorted to repent that they may be forgiven and further they do not understand what Gods glory is if they separate it from his doing good to his creatures and representing his excellencies to them wherefore to aim at Gods glory and our own forgiveness is all one for by confessing we own his power to forgive we shew our trust in his goodness and hope in his mercy and desire that the Almighty by accepting and doing us good may demonstrate himself to be what we believe him to be viz. a God gracious and merciful c. that we and all the world may admire him for it and praise him for evermore § 7. And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our sins before God This concession of the Churches declares that the Publique Prayer ought not to excuse any from Private Devotions These we account the Principal but the other we recommend as very useful and necessary so that we neither incourage the lazy who neglect the private nor allow the Precise who undervalue the Publique one ought to be done so as not to leave the other undone We find our Saviour and his Apostles after the manner of the devout Jews were wont to go to the Temple and Synagogues at the hours of Prayer and yet both he and they did seek retirements for more private Devotions And the Scripture teacheth us to Pray at all times in all places and with all sorts of prayer (r) Ephes 6.18 1 Timoth. 2.8 Psalm 111.1 that none might be excused from either nor can one be alledged to exclude the other for they are mutual helps to one another for he that hath been most careful in private Confession will be the fittest for and most advantaged by the other yet he that is so prepared must not think the coming to Gods house superfluous because we cannot do this too often nor too openly since many of our sins are manifest and require a publique declaration And by this open Confession we shall be freer from the suspition of hypocrisie in our Closet We must remember we stand in need of Gods help every moment and therefore we have reason to beg it often and we can never beg it in humility unless we confess those sins that make us unworthy of it and since we sin dayly a dayly Confession is highly requisite and that not only
will Absolve none without true Repentance wherefore let us beg of him who requires this Condition to give what he requires (g) Domine da quod jubes jube quod vis D. Augustin upon all these considerations let us beseech c. if we now make not our applications it will be a despising his love slighting his Message and sending back his servants empty oh let us earnestly pray for true Penitence we are encouraged by his gracious nature engaged by his courteous offer of a treaty urged by necessity as being not like to be forgiven without it further we must ask these favours of him from whom comes every good and perfect gift (h) James 1.17 for if we consider what we ask we shall easily discern they must not be sought any where else Repentance is a change of the notions of the mind the choices of the will the actings of the affections and passions induring new joys and sorrows hopes and fears desires and aversations so that it is a kind of new Creation (i) Ephes 4.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he alone that brought life out of death and light out of darkness can bring us from the death of sin and darkness of iniquity to the life and light of holiness and Piety * Nulla sine Deo meus bona Seneca we can fall down by our own weight but we cannot rise out of this narrow Pit without help nay we sink lower for our hearts are as backward to repent as forward to sin and by frequent commissions we love sin more and are more loth to part with it yesterday we mistook by accident to day we desire to be again in such circumstances to morrow we shall run into them (k) viresque acquirit eundo so that we must not trust in our own hearts (l) Prov. 28.1 but seek repentance from God and his holy Spirit which being both so necessary for us and of so incomparable advantage to us let us humbly beg this on our knees beseeching God to grant them to us which word grant (m) Acts 11.18 denotes a free act of grace from a Prince to his Subject though few offending Subjects can have a Pardon granted out upon their Repentance yet God deals so with us and hath not only promised to forgive us when we do repent (n) John 6.37 but to give us grace that we may repent (o) Acts 5.31 and if we have his gracious assistance no doubt we shall repent truly and not fall into Ahabs hypocrisie Israels treachery (p) Psal 78.34 nor Judas his despair Oh let us pray for his holy spirit of grace which will open our eyes to see our sirs and soften our hearts to mourn for them and strengthen our purposes to amend them and this will be a true Repentance which contains in it an unfeigned Faith which is here understood though not expressed for Faith and true Repentance are so inseparably joyned that in Scripture Repentance is put for them both in many places (q) Matth. 4.17 compared with Mark 1.15 because he that is truly humbled and really purposed to amend doth ever trust in Gods mercy or else it may be understood when we pray for his holy Spirit we mean to produce in us all graces especially Faith which is that gracious fruit of the Spirit of Adoption (r) Gal. 4.16 for by it we call God Father and as such rely on him 'T is certain if we can prevail with God for his holy Spirit it will bring both Faith and all Graces with it and will assist us to do good when Repentance hath taken us off from our evil courses this will keep out those lusts which Repentance began to exclude but observe Repentance goes first for you must not expect this holy Dove will abide in impure places (s) Pietas inducit Spiritum Sanctum R. R. ad Candida tecta columbae when the unclean Spirit expects his house to be swept and garnished (t) Matth. 12.44 we may then hope to have our Prayers for Gods holy Spirit heard when Repentance hath prepared his lodgings in our hearts § 11. That those things may please him which we do at this present Having thus taught you who to pray to and what to pray for it remains that we shew the great advantages of having your Prayers heard that so you may not put up so weighty a request without such hearty desires and zealous affections as are suitable to it for this one Petition granted will procure you 1. Present acceptance 2. Future assistance 3. Endless happiness true Repentance and Gods holy Spirit will assure all this to you but if you pray not so devoutly and earnestly as to obtain them your Absolution must be cancelled your services rejected your souls continue polluted here and be condemned to endless misery hereafter so that we hope your own Interest will quicken you most passionately to beg for these to which purpose consider them severally 1. If your Confession Prayers and Endeavours be such as can prevail with God to give you a true Repentance and his holy Spirit then all the duties now performed shall be acceptable particularly and in the first place that which we Ministers are doing viz. pronouncing the Absolution this shall be confirmed by God and he will assent to it so that your Pardon shall be inrolled in Heaven and then all other duties that we and you do shall be pleasing to God and beneficial to you our mutual and common Prayers shall be answered our praises accepted our hearing shall be converting and salutiferous our Communicating an infallible conveyance and irrevocable seal of Grace and peace But without Repentance all our prayers and praises and all we do (u) See of this at large before in Sect. 2. shall be rejected as a mocking of God without his holy spirit also all our observances are harsh and unpleasing flat and dull in Gods account it is this good Spirit that makes our hearts and tongues agree this inlightens our minds to see our wants quickens our memory to remember them toucheth our hearts with a sense of them confirms our Faith that God can supply us and enlarges our affections to beg the relief of them In a word this Spirit of God helps us to ask inclines him to give and fits us to receive all we pray for so that God is not pleased when we worship him without it (x) Gal. 4.6 John 4.24 Rom. 8.26 and denies nothing when we have it so that our Saviour accounts (y) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luc. 11.13 Is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 7.11 it the same to pray for the holy spirit and all good things which spring from it And now who would not earnestly beseech for such a true Repentance as might invite this Holy Spirit into their hearts which will be the seal of their Pardon and make all they do well-pleasing to God to please him
man that although God is and ever shall be a glorious King (o) Psal 10.16 and Psal 29.10 in deluvium Deus sedit h. e. Perditis omnibus creaturis tamen regnum ejus manet R.R. whatever become of this lower world yet the devils hate him and wicked men rebel against him and their own corruptions will not fully submit to him and all this while the great King of Kings seems to connive at all seldome exercising his power to subdue or his justice to punish and destroy his enemies so that the whole world abounds with Impiety and Confusion and then what wonder if the Children of God who know their Fathers Power and goodness do earnestly desire he may more visibly reign amongst men for his glory and their own good in particular and the benefit of all the World for his Kingdome is Regimen Paternum and consequently our interest (p) Illi deputamus quod ab illo expectamus Tertul. and our happiness and therefore our Prayer for when our Heavenly Father doth thus exercise his Authority then his faithful servants shall be secured from their enemies supplied in all their needs and satisfied in all their desires Now the Kingdome of God or Heaven (q) Vide Supra Ch. p. 1. §. 6. signifies either his Kingdome of Grace or that of Glory His Kingdome of Grace we pray may come in a double sense 1. By an outward profession viz. That the Gospel may be embraced in all the world even there where now they are slaves to the Devil and their own lusts who are servants to the Prince of darkness (r) Ephes 2.2 doing his work observing his Laws and paying him Tribute by Sacrifices as their Leige Lord we pray that these poor Souls may be Converted believe and be Baptised renouncing their old Master and professing themselves Subjects of Jesus and of the great King of all the World 2. We pray his Kingdome of grace may come by a real subjection where his Soveraignity is owned because without this an outward possession is but like the mockery of the cruel Jews who saluted him hail King and then smote him on the face and so doth every professed Christian that lives wickedly Wherefore we pray That his Kingdome may be within us as well as among us (s) Luke 17.21 and whereas now his Laws are broken his Messengers despised his People abused and his Enemies cherished that by the power of his grace in all our hearts our unruly passions may be tamed our rebellious lusts mortified and our naughty desires extinguished till we all own his Authority fear his displeasure and obey his Edicts as we ought to do and if any be so obstinate as still to refuse him for their King (t) Luke 19.14 we pray that our Lord Jesus would exercise his royal power in punishing all such that others may see and fear (u) Psal 58. ult and every good man desires for himself this righteous Prince (x) Psal 45.6 may subdue every opposing thought in his heart (y) 2 Cor. 10.5 and may have the absolute command over all the members of his body and faculties of his soul and then he hopes his corruption will be restrained his graces quickened and all his inward man in much better order he knows if Christ rule in his heart he shall have more freedome comfort and peace then ever he had before Oh it were happy for the Christian world and every truly Christian soul if Our Fathers Kingdome were set up in all our hearts since we all own it with our mouths Lord let thy Kingdome of grace thus come Secondly the Children of God pray for his kingdome of glory viz. for that visible and glorious manifestation of the Kingdome of Jesus when he shall come to dispense his glorious rewards and finall Pardon to his faithful servants and admit them to be sharers in his joy and partners in his Kingdome and to pronounce the fearful doom upon his obstinate and miserable enemies to make them suffer the just deserts of their wilfull opposition and desperate Rebellion in unexpressible and eternal torments In which acts the glory of his kingdome the mightiness of his power the truth of his word the infiniteness of his love to his own and the exactness of his justice to his enemies shall be so clearly demonstrated to all the world that his faithful ones shall be rapt with joy and wonder and glorifie him for it to all eternity Here alass they serve there they shall reign here they are despised and afflicted vext with their own corruptions grieved for the sins of others poor and disconsolate full of cares and fears which when Christs Kingdome comes shall not only be done away but exchanged for endless glory and boundless felicity And who can blame them who are weary with slavery (z) Optamus maturiùs regnare non diutiùs servire Tert. de Or. Regnum Dei Volum Christianorum confusio nationum exultatio Angelorum idem ibid. to wish for liberty and long for that happy day which is the end of all their evils and the beginning of that incomparable joy that never shall have end Let ungodly persons fear and tremble at this dreadful day to them let their tongue falter when they wish for it and their own confusion the holy ones of God can joyn with their bretheren under the Altar in saying Come Lord Jesus come quickly the sooner he comes the sooner shall their souls be delivered and their desires satisfied in seeing and enjoying their Lord and deer Redeemer 'T is true when a good man considers how dreadful vengeance will then seize on sinners out of pitty to them that pitty not themselves they pray that these desperate sinners may first submit to his Kingdome of grace and are well pleased with the deferring of that day (a) 2 Pet. 3.9 Pro morâ finis Tert. ibid. and can pray with the Primitive Christians for the putting that time further off though it be to their own loss because so God will be more glorified and Heavens Quire fuller and the Musick sweeter the more are brought home therefore they pray that though the Kingdome of Glory be their happiness yet the Kingdome of Grace may first come into the hearts of all that will receive it § 5. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven As Gods Kingdome doth alwaies abide so his will is ever done and so it may seem superfluous to request it may be done because it is the Rule by which all Creatures act and they all do bring about (b) Psal 115.3 Rom. 9.19 his Will when they interd it and when they do not and God himself alwaies doth his own Will (c) Deo non posse nolle est posse ville Tertull. in Prax. which is the limit of his infinite power for he can do and doth what he will and thus we had sufficiently asked it before in thy Kingdome come because this is the
(u) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alexandr Paedag. as the Christians form of praising God above 100 years before the Councel of Nice An. 190. besides it appears it was used in the service of the Church before or somewhat very like it (x) Gloria Deo Patri honor item adoratio cum filio collegâ unà cum Sancto vivificatore Spiritu Athanasius because the Arrians did alter the antient form into Glory be to the Father by the Son and in the holy Ghost for which they are sharply reprehended by the Orthodox Fathers who afterward annexed it to their publique Devotions in this Form in which we now have it All which doth not only prove the Antiquity of it but teach us that it may serve for two purposes first as a form of Praising God and glorifying every Person of the Trinity which was the first design of those that invented it Secondly as a shorter Creed and declaration of our Faith in the Trinity in Unity which was the use it was fitted to afterwards I wish we might have no occasion to make use of it in the second sense as a Teste for Hereticks though the Disciples of Socinus and Fanatick Enthusiasts do even still deride or deny this mistery but if there were no such it might still serve its principal end to be a Form of ascribing all Praise and Glory to the Supreme Being and an Act of Adoration to each Person which we are obliged particularly to pay because every one of the Persons in the Trinity hath done peculiar benefits for us so that it is our Duty to Praise the Father for our Creation the Son for our Redemption the Holy Ghost for our Sanctification The Father hath sent us into the world and preserves and provides for us in it The Son hath lived with us and died for us and being returned to his Glory is still mindful of us The Holy Ghost doth come to us and stay with us as a guard and a guide a comforter and an advocate cleering our minds cleansing our hearts quickening our affections and enforcing our prayers and shall we not then be highly ungrateful if we pay not a particular tribute to every Person in special as well as to all in general Remember the Angels sung praise to the undivided and ever-blessed Trinity in the morning of the Creation the beginning of all time (y) Job 38.7 and they and all the world do it now and both men and Angels shall continue this Jubilee to eternity As long as goodness endures (z) Omnes tam orationes quam oblationes cessabunt in seculo futuro sed oblatio gratiarum nunquam cessabit R.D.K. Psal 100.4 gratitude and praise cannot cease This was and is and ever shall be done in all ages and generations (a) Psal 145.4 The Patriarchs and Prophets did it in the beginning of the Church the Apostles and Martyrs in the first planting of the Gospel All these though removed to heaven continue to sing praises to the Trin-une God there as we and all Pious Christians do here and there will never want tongues in Heaven nor Earth to sing this gratulatory Hymn for all generations Observe further the Comprehensiveness of these few words which extend to all things as well as to all times and persons and present at once to our view all the Mercies of God past present and to come and are an acknowledgment that all the good that ever was or shall be done or is now enjoyed in heaven or earth hath proceeded from this all-sufficient and ever-flowing fountain to whom this tribute of praise is and was and ever will be due Behold then oh pious soul a glorious Quire of Angels Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Saints and Martyrs in Heaven with all holy Men and Women in all the world at once with united voices and joyful hearts to sing this triumphant Song let this inspire thee with holy raptures and extasies of Devotion to bear a part here on earth and when thou art taken hence thy place shall be supplied by the succeeding generations and thou shalt be advanced to a state as endless as his mercy where thou shalt praise him to eternity What better form can we have to glorifie God by then this which is a declaration of our faith a discharge of our homage in which we acknowledge his former mercies and confess his present favours to us and all the world and glorifie him for both we hope in him for those that are to come expecting all from him and resolving upon those returns of Eucharist which we will for ever make to him How can this be done too often or repeated too frequently surely his mercies are more frequent then our praises can be Those that censure this as a vain repetition would ill have digested the hundred blessings (b) Deut. 10.12 R. R. legunt pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro quid leg centum unde unusquisque benetur centum benedictiones quotidiè reddere which the Jews are bid to say every day and might be offended at Davids seven times a day (c) Psal 119.64 and St. Pauls charge to rejoyce alwaies (d) 1 Thess 5.18 Philip. 4.4 but as God never thinks it too often to relieve us let us never think his praises too many tedious or impertinent but in Psalms Letanies and every thing let us give thanks and when Gloria Patri is not in our mouths let it be in our heart that we may never forget his benefits To this we shall only add the particular reason why the Church hath placed it in the close of the penitential part of daily Prayer and that is in imitation of holy David who commonly when he hath made his Confession and declared his distress (e) Psal 6.9 and 130.7 and begged pardon and deliverance turns his petitions into Praises because of his lively hope of acceptance so we being full of hopes that our gracious Father will forgive us for his Sons sake by the Ministry of his spirit We I say do now give glory to the Father who granteth this Absolution to the Son who purchased and obtained it and to the Holy Ghost who sealeth and dispenseth it to us and we also call to mind those innumerable instances of the like infinite mercies to poor sinners which have been and ever shall be to the worlds end and what heart can conceive or tongue express that exstasy of ravishing pleasures which we shall feel at the last day when we and all true Penitents that ever were or shall be shall all joyn in singing songs of praise to our deer Redeemer whom we shall love much because much is forgiven us we can foresee those Anthems which shall then be sounded on the battlements of Heaven by millions of glorious souls rescued from destruction and we by Faith have such a sense hereof that we begin now that Song that we shall sing for evermore § 5. Praise ye the Lord the Lords
It hath ever been and still is the custome for Souldiers when they were about to joyn in battle (a) 1 Sam. 17.20 Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vid. Grot. in Josh 6.5 to encourage one onother with a general shout to which we may compare this joyful Acclamation of the Church Militant we being now about to besiege heaven with our Prayers and to assail the gates of hell by holy resolution every Man shews his Own forwardnesâ— and reproves his Neighbours backwardness with O come let us c. which word signifies that zealous speed we are to make that we may set upon these holy offices and this we are commanded to do by the Apostle whenever we use to meet in the house of God (b) Heb. 10.25 especially in Psalms and Spiritual Hymns (c) Ephes 5.19 Coloss 3.15 then we must admonish and encourage one another as the Minister and People do most pathetically in this Psalm stirring up each others hearts in these two first verses to praise God the same thing after the Poetick manner being expressed in divers words from which it appears this Psalm was sitted for the two sides of the Quire and so we still use it The Priest beginning the Exhortation O come let us sing c. and the people answering Let uâ— come c. thereby approving the advice and returning the courteous invitation and both minister and people do mutually pâ—ess the duty and express their joynt resolutions to glorifie God In private it may suffice that our heart and spirit rejoyce in God (d) Luke 1.46 47. but we are now in publique and therefore as God hath bestowed his favours (e) 1 Cor. 6. â—0 on both soul and body we must both in heart and voice glorifie him by both We must sing his Praises and thereâ—y shew even to men who cannot see the heart th â— we are glad and joyâ—â—l in remembring his goodness We mâ—st 〈◊〉 stand mute but our tongues must affect our hearts and the hearts of all about us that every mans light may shine clearly and our neighbours torch may be kindled at our fire till the several sparks of gratitude that lye hid in single hearts be blown up and united into one flame bright as the blaze of the Altar and till we be all turned into holy joy and love which will be the effect of the zealous performing the outward part But we must also be sure to let our heart make a Unison with our tongue (f) Ephes 5.19 c. Rom. 15.6 or else the grunting of swine is not more harsh and unpleasant to our ears then the best harmony of their voices in Gods who only dwell on the sounds and never observe the sense nor excite devout affections as a caution against such formality there are four good considerations proposed in these two Verses First The Person to whom these Praises are addressed unto the Lord who sees our hearts and cannot as men be deceived with Verbal complements Secondly The reason why we praise him because he is the strength of our Salvation a Rock of Defence (g) See Dr. Hammond Annot. on Psal 89. ver 26. l Syr. potentissimus meus liberator LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. to us and a mighty Champion for us and powerful rescuer of us on whose power and mercy relies the strength of all our hopes for this world and the next Thirdly The place where we praise him we are before his presence in those Assemblies where he peculiarly manifests himself The Jews were before the Ark but St. Paul teacheth us that we come into the Holiest of all for we Christians are admitted into the Presence-Chamber and if we mock him we do it to his very face Fourthly The manner in which he expects to be praised even that we be glad in him and rejoyce in the Lord not with the mirth of a Theatre loose and voluptuous but with the joys of Cherubins and all those celestial Orders whose joy is kindled from the pure beams of the Divine love These things as seriously thought on as they are frequently repeated would spiritualize our joy and help us both in heart and voice to glorifie the fountain of all good § 3. Ver. III IV and V. For the Lord is a great God c. 'T is impossible we should do any action chearfully till we are informed of the reason why it must be done and when the understanding is convinced fully the Will chuseth freely and then all the faculties of the Soul and members of the Body lend their help readily to put it in execution For which cause these three Verses contain the Reasons and Motives to that duty of praising God in heart and voice to which the former Verses exhort us For as the Subjects of great Princes do celebrate their masters praises with Panegyricks and with loud hyperbole's set forth the greatness of their Power multitude of their Vassals largeness of their Dominions and the excellency of their atcheivements so we being before the King of Kings and our particular benefactor are more firmly obliged to glorifie him and can more justly commend him upon all these accounts then the Favourites of the greatest Monarch upon Earth who are forc't to magnifie small matters and add many to fill up their Lords character but we need only relate the truth even that our God is infinite and immense in himself absolute and supream in his Authority universal and unlimited in his Dominions glorious and admirable in his Works all which will quicken our Praises if we consider them severally as they are laid down in order in these Verses 1. The Lord is a great God Let us view his Essential greatness and Immensity which places him without the bounds of our apprehension but he is so much the more to be esteemed (h) Hoc est quod Deum aestimari facit dum aestimari non capit Tert. Apol. Nec videri potes visu clarior nec comprehendi tactu purior nec aestimari sensu major est idâ—ò sic eum dignè aestimamus dum inestimabilem diximus Cyprian because he cannot be comprehended our senses cannot represent him nor can those thoughts that can measure out heaven and earth contain him who is not so properly said to be in the world as the world in him for he is every where (i) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo. but is confined no where and though to pursue this contemplation would amaze our understandings rather then help our Devotion yet it will teach us humility and to supply with admiration what we cannot conceive clearly nor explicate fully and it will engage us to extol him as much as is possible that our praises may hear some proportion with his greatness Yet let us believe that whatever we say or think of him here is so far short of what he really is that when we are admitted to the Beatifick Vision we shall confess with that Queen that the
the maker of it And then saith Philo was man created and brought into this stately Theater to do those offices pitty is it you have eyes to see ears to hear mouths to tast and souls to judge and apprehend if you have not hearts and tongues to sing the Encomiums of this Great King who hath made all things so wonderfully and given them to you so freely You are pirates and robbers if you seize the provisions of Sea or Land and do not heartily give thanks to the Lord of them Let the serioâ—s apprehension of all this tune your hearts and voices to sing praises in the highest to so great a God so high a Lord of so vast perfections and endless Dominions of so infinite power and such noble bounty that we ow our selves and all we have to him § 4. Ver. VI and VII O come let us worship c. The people of the East exceeded all others in their expressions of reverence to their Kings and in Persia (u) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Artaban it was established by law that they should adore their Prince as the Visible Image of God so that as Curtius notes Darius received divine honour from his subjects But we are now before the King of Kings whose Empire is universal and his Dominions boundless and therefore we may well advise one another to use the most lowly gestures that may express our holy fear of and awfull regard to so great a Majesty Prostration of the body the greatest sign of honour among those Nations is now out of use but kneeling is still used in all addresses to mortal Princes and that is now among us an expression of the greatest civil respect from inferiors wherefore let us not repine if we be commanded to kneel before our great God the Lord of Heaven and Earth since it was a custome used by the Jews and Christ himself recommended it by Scripture (x) Genuflexio in oratione tam ex divinâ quam humanâ traditione provenit Calvin Inst l. 4. and great examples of its early observance in the Christian Church (y) Vid. Euseb l. 5. c. 5. An. Christi 170. Genua flectimus orantes Origen in Numb and the unanimous consent of all pious men But he that shall behold the abominable irreverence and saucy behaviour now used in our Devotions will think it no more then needs for us severely to reprove the people for it as the Antient Fathers who had not so much cause use to do (z) Diacono clamante flectamus genua maximam partem populi velut columnas erectas stare conspicio quod Christianis dum in Ecclesiâ oratur nec licet nec expediâ— Caesarius Arelat Hom. 30. vid. item Hieron in Ephes cap. 5. and both by our words and examples daily to say to them O come let us kneel c. not to Idols or Images the works of your hands as Heathens and some that are called Christians do bâ—t to the Lord your Maker who made both your Soul and Body and expects reverence from both especially in publique where you are by outward reverence to give testimony of your inward fear of his holy name and as Christ saith he that hath ears so I say he that hath knees to kneel let him kneel to him that is the glorious Maker of the whole Body the whole Man nay of the whole World But we may observe that though all these words are used to express outward reverence yet Worship is a general word and signifies all parts of Gods service and especially prayer (a) John 4.24 Acts 8.27 so that to Worship may here signifie to Pray and as before we encouraged one another to praise God so now having represented the Omnipotency and All-sufficiency of God we invite one another to pray to this great God and mighty King who made all Creatures and disposeth of all things and can relieve us whatever our wants be we need not fear to ask what he cannot do or to be sent back for want of power to help as great Kings sometimes do with their Petitioners (b) 2 Kings 6.27 Have we such a God and shall we be slow to worship him or careless and unmannerly when we make our applications to him no sure if we love our selves we shall make haste to come and be reverent when we are before him If we want any thing and do not pray to him for it he may justly suppose we question his Power or Sufficiency and and take it very ill but if we pray to him with humility he never accounts it boldness but accepts it as an acknowledgment that we believe his Authority and Supremacy and declare our dependance upon him who is our maker and therefore will be our preserver for no man makes a curious piece and then suffers it to decay by minding it no further much less will God despise the work of his own hands when he can so easily preserve us This is the first motive to our putting up Petitions to this great God because he is our Maker but on this ground all the Heathen world is as much obliged and hath as good cause of hopes as we because he hath created them as well as Christians But in the seventh verse we are taught an especial obligation lies upon us besides what concerns all mankind because he is Our God and we are his people the Jews were once so but now they are rejected for unbelief and we adopted into his family (c) Ephes 2.19 Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and admitted neerer to God then ever they were so that he may justly expect we should worship him and pray to him for every Nation doth that to their God though a feigned Deity (d) Micah 4.5 But he is the Lord whom we adore and therefore able he is our God and consequently willing to grant our Requests There is a mutual Covenant between him and us he will defend us with an especial providence and we must serve him with an extraordinary Devotion Oh blessed are we who have this Almighty and most glorious Lord and Ruler of all the World for our God! Why do we look disconsolate or complain of our wants to them that either will not pitty us or cannot help us go ye to the Lord and complain to your God for his is all that power and glory you heard of before We did not choose him but he chose us to be his Flock (e) Psal 23.1 John 15.16 he feeds us and folds us we eat in his pasture and are defended by his hand for our being under his hand (f) Gen. 39.8 John 13.15 and Deut. 38.3 Num. 33.1 denotes his care of us and undertaking to lead us and keep us and whereas we are called his sheep or flock that is his subjects for a shepheard is put for a King (g) Zach. 11.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 see both offices joyned in two words Psal 78.72 73. in Scripture and sheep for Subjects
immediately before his presence who sees our thoughts having our hearts filled with thanksgiving and gratitude for all his favours And the more to set forth his love and quicken our bretheren let us openly reioyce and shew our selves glad in him not with any vain songs but with Psalms which are indited by his Spirit and appointed by the Church as Forms of our daily Praises Ver. III. And we have great reason to glorifie him with heart and voice for the Lord Jehovah is not like any other that is falsly worshiped for he is a great God infinite and incomprehensible in his Essence supream and absolute in his Dominion and a great King who commands over Angels of Heaven Devils of Hell and the greatest earthly Monarchs being far above all that are supposed or called Gods and therefore deserves a nobler worship then Heathens give to their feigned Deities and guardian Angels or flattering Courtiers to their Royal Masters Ver. IV. He is not limited in his Power and Providence to one City or confined to a single Province but in his hands and Power under his Rule and Government are all the remotest and most secret corners of the earth no place is too far for him to reach too deep for him to discover or too high and strong for him to subdue for the heigth and the strength of the hills which are inaccessible to men these are his also and serve for the bulwarks of his Kingdome Ver. V. He is Lord of all the world and commandeth over that unruly Abyss of Waters the Sea which he binds in fetters of sand that it should not harm us but serve our needs for he hath given us power over it because it is his by an unquestionable Title for he created and he made it and therefore ought to give laws to it and to dispose of it and all the earth because he took away the covering of Waters from the ground and his hands made Herbs and Fruits Birds and Beasts and so furnished and prepared the dry land to be a habitation for the Sons of Men. Ver. VI. O come then since we have so gracious and All-sufficient a God let us not only praise him for what we have but also pray unto him and worship him in spirit and truth petitioning him for the relief of all our necessities with all possible zeal and sincerity in our heaâ—ts and with all lowliness and reverence in our postures let us bow and fall down on our faces and kneel to so glorious a King behaving our selves decently and humbly before the Lord who is able to do all things and being our maker will not suffer us the work of his own hands to perish Ver. VII But besides his Creating of us upon which ground others have hope to be heard as well as we our peculiar interest in him may encourage us to pray to him for he is the Lord whom we believe in and who calleth himself our God and although he made all men yet he hath especially made himself known to us and we are the people whom he feeds with his Word and Sacraments and whom he hath chosen to be the flock of his pasture that he himself may watch over us day and night to secure us from sin and Sathan because we are his especial subjects and the sheep that shall ever be preserved by the care of his eye and the power of his hand if we come at his call and hearken to his voice Ver. VIII O ye peculiar people of God observe how when his Word is read or preached to you his Ministers nay his Spirit doth every day invite you to Repentance saying to day after you have lost so many and have so few remaining while this is in your power it will be well for you if ye will hear and obey his voice and that he may not call in vain take heed you wilfully harden not your hearts by delighting in the pleasures of sin and doubting of the promises or slighting the threatnings of God for the event will be as sad as in the provocation of the Divine Anger by the unbelieving Israelites at Meribah and in the day of their presumptuous temptation of Gods patience at Massah in the wilderness of Sin after they came out of Egypt Ver. IX This example God set before the Posterity of those obstinate Jews saying to them as now he doth to us remember the time when your fathers whom you glory in disobeyed my commands and questioned my Providence and durst not trust my promises but tempted me by requiring miracles from me to satisfie their lusts and by this they supposed to have proved me and made trial of my power and love although there was evidences enough of both in their miraculoâ—s deliverance wherein they found my kindness and saw my works which were so wonderful they would have convinced any but such stubborn wretches Ver. X. For all this I forbore them as I have done you who serve me as they did yet fourty years long I spared them from utter destruction and still they were as rebellious as at first so that all that time was I grieved with the perverseness of this Generation At last when nothing would amend them I declared my utter detestation of them and said of those whom I had once chosen it is a people whom nothing can reclaim a refractory crew that do err in the thoughts of their hearts concerning me imagining me faithless and false or weak and impotent and no wonder for they have not known nor never would observe my waies to destroy presumptuous sinners but to give grace and glory to holy and humble men which put their trust in me Ver. XI Wherefore I warn you all to take heed least you refuse to hear my voice and neglect to repent to day for so you will provoke me to deal with you as I did with them unto whom I sware and stedfastly resolved in my wrath being justly incensed at their baseness that they should all perish in the wilderness and for all their confidence one of them should not enter into the blessed land of promise nor partake of my rest nor did they for I cut them off from the possession of Caanan for disobedience and unbelief and I will keep all such out of the heavenly Jerusalem loe I have said it that you may be warned and turn in time Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the Beginning c. §. VII Of the daily use of the Psalms in the Morning and Evening Prayer THE Book of Psalms seems to be a Collection of thosâ— devout hymns wherewith holy men did praise God upon publique or private occasions and are fitted to all Conditions of the Church in general and of particular persons and are Divine forms of Prayer and Praise indited by the Spirit of God with such admirable variety that we may easily Collect a Form from thence either to Petition for any thing we need or to glorifie the
and be careful to express those practical inferences that are all along drawn from them in our lives and conversations heartily desiring we may live by these holy principles of truth and in these we must exercise especially Faith and Love concluding them with giving Glory to the Father who hath made us partakers of a right Faith in his Son by his Spirit and remembring that every Person of this Glorious Trinity joyns in these eminent works of Creation Providence Redemption and Sanctification let us heartily praise God the Father Son and Holy Ghost for all that is done or designed for the sons of men Let thy soul say Oh Lord I confess the truth of these things I believe them fully and I admire them highly and will ever love thee for declaring them I acknowledge thy Power in Creating thy Bounty in sustaining thy Wisdome in ordering and thy Mercy in relieving and preserving all the World I discern thy love in our Redemption I hope in thy might for a resurrection to life and I trust in thy Mercy for a share in thy glory Glory be to the Father c. for all this 2. The Psalms of Exhortation which are serious admonitions backed with powerful motives and convincing arguments and cleer examples by which we are stirred either to some Acts of moral Virtue (b) Psal 15. and 101. or to some Duties of positive Religion to fear God or study his Law or observe his Will (c) Psal 1. and 34. and 119. or else we are warned against sin by threatnings and examples (d) Psal 7. and 58. and 64. particularly against distrust in God by the History (e) Psal 78.105 106. of his Providence over his own people That we may profit by these it is requisite that we do weigh the promises and motives to holiness so seriously that we be convinced of our folly in neglecting these duties and resolved to set upon the sincere performance of them and it is necessary that we consider the evils that are appointed for and threatned to all sorts of sins and the sad instances and examples of sinners that have been made miserable thereby till we find our hearts moved with fear and penitence and till we have taken up purposes of speedy forsaking those dangerous courses so that here we are to exercise humility and Repentance fear of God and pious resolutions which being finished in the Doxology is a superadded act of Praise to the Father for sparing us to the Son for interceding for us and to the Holy Ghost for warning and convincing us and this Glory be to the Father c. doth declare you are thankful for the admonition and resolved to take warning and full of hopes of the Divine assistance to help you to forsake the evil and follow the good In these Psalms take the same resolutions which holy David did and encourage your selves with the same hopes love what he loves desire what he longed for believe and expect what he promiseth to himself hate what he hated take warning by what he observed and fear the same sad event if you go on in the same way with those sinners that are made examples to you evermore praising God for these gracious discoveries and saying Glory be c. 3. The Psalms of Supplication which are most ardent Petitions for all good things for your selves your Bretheren and the whole Church in all circumstances and upon all occasions These are private Prayers for Pardon of sin (f) Psal 25. and 51. and 143. for Restauration to Gods favour (g) Psal 4. and 42. and 63. for Patience in trouble (h) Psal 39. and 88. for deliverance from Spiritual or Temporal enemies (i) Psal 55. and 59 and 71. and 74. and also publique Prayers for the King (k) Psal 21. and 72. and for the Church and people of God (l) Psal 68. and 79. and 80. and such like Which that we may be fitly disposed for we must have a quick and feeling sense of our own and our bretherens wants a firm belief of Gods all-sufficiency a strong confidence in the intercession of Jesus Christ and a full persuasion of the acceptableness of these requests which are drawn up by the Holy Ghost And these devout prayers will give us occasion to shew our care of our own souls and our universal charity to all the world our love to Gods Church and our intire dependance on his Power and Mercy and may fitly be closed with a giving Glory to the Father who heareth us to the Son who pleads for us in Heaven and to the Holy Ghost who directs and assists us on Earth and we have cause to bless him who hath heard both our and others Prayers and will do so to the end of the world giving all persons in all ages past present and to come great-cause of Eucharist and thanksgiving for by this Gloria Patri added to our Prayers we declare our confidence and hope that he will grant us our desires who is and was and ever shall be the helper of all that flee to him for succour and we call to mind that many are now praising him in heaven for hearing these very Petitions we now put up Art thou poor or miserable sick or weak despised or slandered persecuted or oppressed here thou mayest breath out thy complaints to him that can help thee or those that are so Art thou under trouble of conscience or fear of Gods anger worsted by temptation or sluggish in holy duties or any waies spiritually indisposed here are most proper and pertinent forms for thy comfort and redress Art thou a well-wisher to all the world a lover of Gods people a friend to the Peace of Kingdoms and a faithful Subject to thy own Prince hast thou any detestation for sinners or desire of their Conversion any pitty for the calamitous and wishes for their deliverance if thou bring a charitable heart thou mayest pray for all or any of these in such prevailing words that ere thou hast done speaking thou mayest have such assurances of a gracious return as to sing Glory be to the Father c. 4. The Psalms of thanksgiving are those joyful songs of Praise and Eucharist and lovely descriptions of the Divine goodness to the World but especially to us and all his own people Such are those wherein God is praised for all his mercies (m) Psal 103. and 136. and 145. for those bestowed on our bodies (n) Psal 116. and 130. health plenty (o) Psal 65. and 104. victories over our enemies (p) Psal 18. and 144. and 149. as also for what he hath done for our souls (q) Psal 66. and 111. and 118. and in these Psalms are most earnest exhortations to joyn in praising his holy Name and most exact Characters of all Gods gracious dealings with us and all mankind wherefore that we may joyn in heart and voice let us bring with us hearts fully sensible of our
Rab. Sermo enim divinus secundum intelligentiae nostrae naturam se temperat nobis enim non sibi loquitur Hilar. in Psal 26. imitates our Phrases complies with our notions and hath laid down all necessary and fundamental truths so clearly that the meanest may understand them and yet in more curious points hath left such difficulties as may exercise the wits and allay the arrogance of the most knowing men Nor hath he in any part set down all that is directly tending to our salvation but to engage us diligently to read it all hath so prudently dispersed these necessary things that some of them are to be found every where and all in no one place but every part thereof is useful and none of it must be neglected much less contemned (d) Nulla ne verecundia tibi est dicere eorum quae Deus ipse loquitur nullam esse cognitionis utilitatem Chrysost Otiosum autem verbum dicere in S. Scriptura ingens blasphemia est Basil For like high hills the outward barrenness is recompensed by Mines and hidden treasures (e) Matth. 5.18 Non est litera in lege à quâ non pendeant magni montes Dictum Rab. and such the most difficult places yield to those that have skill and patience to dig into them And the Almighty hath not only shewed his care in the forming but also in the preserving of these Sacred Records which though they are the most antient in the world of undoubted credit and have been hated and opposed by Sathan and his instruments the great and wise ones of the world yet time power policy nor malice could never corrupt nor destroy them because God resolved to preserve them for our use upon whom the ends of the World are come § 3. Thirdly The Church hath done her part in complyance with the designs of Gods Mercy and Providence to deliver it safely to us and make it useful for us Hereupon the Catholick and faithful Christians discovered the frauds of Hereticks convinced the minds of unbelievers and sealed the truth of it with their blood And least any should pretend ignorance (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex Strom. 10. the governors and lights of the Church have carefully translated the Original Scripture into all Languages that every Nation might hear in their own Tongue the wonderful works of God Acts 2.11 After which pattern our Church hath made that elaborate exact and faithful Translation into the English tongue the like to which is not in any Nation (g) Anglicanae versionis Authores omni laude majores fuisse arguit accurata illa ad invidiam aliarum gentium elaborata versio Sixt. Amama praef ad Drus And now the Scripture hath learned our Language that it may instruct us in our own words and it must be wilful negligence if we do not understand them To prevent which it is not left to our liberty but we are injoyned to read or hear it every day both at Morning and at Evening Prayer according to the practice of the Jews (h) Acts 13.17 2 Cor. 3.15 Luke 4.7 Nehem. 8.8 who read the Law in their Synagogues however on the Sabbath and on other daies they tasted no food till they had read a Section of it either in publique or private (i) Ita fecerunt Christiani teste Clem. Alexandr and every man knows how solemnly and constantly this hath ever been done in all the Assemblies of the Christian Church (k) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 paulo post 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost ad Act. 9.19 For hence they confirmed their opinions in Doctrine (l) Coimus ad literarum divinarum commemorationem Tertul. Apol. c. 39. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Strom. 60. and learned lessons of holiness in conversation I had rather your own Observation should inform you then spend time to tell you how carefully the Church hath selected the most practicall and pertinent Chapters omitting the more difficult or rather remitting them to private consideration where you have more leisure The Lessons suited to the solemn Festivals are determined (m) Nunc interposita est sölemnitas sanctorum dierum quibus certas ex Evangelio lectiones oportet in Ecclesi◠tractari Aug. praef in Johan and do either explain the Mistery relate the History or apply the Example unto us In fine the goodness of God in revealing and his Power in preserving these holy Books as also the Churches courage in defending them exactness in Translating and Prudence in dividing them both shew it is the great concern of all Christians to understand them and fit them so to our use that there is nothing wanting to make us wise to salvation but our diligent endeavour so to profit by them that this Grace of God and care of the Church be not bestowed on us in vain wherefore we shall desire you to observe the following directions § 4. First it is necessary that we humbly and earnestly call for the assistance of the Divine Spirit which as it did first indite so it can best explain these Oracles of Truth and also enable us to practice them And this may be done by a short and pathetical ejaculation while the Minister prepares himself to Read and if we are not ready at making such Forms we may repeat Psalm 119.180 Open thou mine eyes that I may see the wondrous things of thy Law Or ver 125. I am thy servant give me understanding that I may know thy testimonies Or if you have time you may pray by that excellent Collect the second in Order for the second Sunday of Advent Blessed Lord God who hast caused all holy Scripture c. Now by these Prayers we own God the fountain of all Wisdome and express our desires to know and do his Will and therefore no doubt they will procure us wisdome and strength Secondly labour to bring a heart purified from the love of all sin for a Lamb only can open the Seals of this Book (n) Revel 5.2 The Mahumetans write on the cover of the Alcoran Non attingat nisi Sanctus Let no unclean Person touch this and since that better agrees to Gods word we shall do well to engrave it on our memories and then we give the signification of that rite of washing the hands before the taking it up which the Christians (o) Chrysost hom 52. in Evang. Johan observed of old and the Turks at this day We cast not our seed into untilled grounds and let us not cast the more precious seed of the Divine word into unhallowed hearts (p) Jerem. 4.3 Matth. 13.4 5 c. least it be choaked with weeds or over-run with thorns or parched for want of root in us The love of sin blinds the eyes vitiates the pallate and alters the object it will make this Divine food nauseous or turn it into the nourishment of corrupt humors He only profits by Gods word that brings a pure and
clean heart He sees Gods will clearly loves it exceedingly closes with it readily because it suits his inclinations and sympathizes with his affections so that it brings its welcome along with it 3. Come with holy desires to learn your duty and stedfast resolutions to practice it The end of writing the Scripture must be our aim in hearing it that we may be wiser and better The Philosopher complained of some that read Plato not to reform their manners but to adorn their discourse (q) Est etiam proh Jupiter qui Platonem legere posiulet non vitae ornandae sed linguae orationis comendae gratiâ non ut modestior fâ—at sed lepidior Taur ap Aul. Gell. no. At. 1.9 but we have juster cause to complain of those that hear Gods holy word to make them more talkative and not more holy It is not Phrases but virtue which we ought to learn there We must like good souldiers stand with our loins girt our arms fixed expecting only the watch word and then we must obey Let us say Spâ—ak Lord for thy sâ—rvant heareth and with St. Paul (r) 1 Sam. 3.10 Acts 9.8 Lord what wouldâ—st thou have me to do And when he hath in his word signified his pleasure our souls must answer (s) Exod. 19.8 All that the Lord hath spoken that will we do It had been a strange presumption in David to have consulted the Oracle about his safety (t) 1 Sam. 23.2 and ver 12. unless he had purposed to obey the Answer And it is an equal affront to the Divine Majesty for us to pretend we come to ask his advice when we have no intentions to follow it § 5. Being thus prepared before by Prayer purity and holy resolutions when the Lessons are begun Fourthly Let us hear them with all reverence according to that excellent example of those devout Jews (u) Nehem. 8.6 who when the Law was read to them lifted up their hands bowed down their heads and fell on their faces And sure we should express such outward respects as may declare we are mindful of the Author of these Proclamations who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords The Scripture daily salutes us as Ehud did the King of Moab (x) Judg. 3.20 I have a message to thee from God And if the Tyrant at that news rose from his seat shall not he condemn us if we receive it with less signs of regard and reverence But especially let us labour to fill our minds with serious apprehensions that it is the word will and mind of the great God (y) Scriptura est ipsa vox anima Dei. D. Gregor and then we shall express our outward reverence with more ease and sincerity Let us receive it as being truly his (z) 1 Thess 2.13 and it will work as effectually as if it came with the terrors of Mount Sinah or were delivered in Thunder from the battlements of Heaven And the better to affect your heart behold the evident demonstrations that God is in and with them Think how many sad hearts these promises have cheared how many erring and wavering minds these truths have established sow many obstinate sinners these exhortations and threatnings have converted and it will help to give them their due valew in your eyes 5ly Mark them with a most diligent attention as those did our saviours words (a) Luke 19. ult Let your eyes be fixt on the Minister as if you expected to receive something (b) Acts 3.5 Let your ear be open to receive the words and your heart ponder well the sense and be sure you narrowly watch and speedily drive away those evil thoughts which come to devour our sacrifice and carry our souls away we know not whither How deservedly would that poor man want relief who should entertain himself with every Bird within his view at a time of distribution till all were disposed of Yet such is their folly who while they are pursuing every idle thought which Sathan starts loose many sentences which might open their eyes strengthen their hands and comfort their hearts And he knows not what good he deprives himself of that lets the least sentence slip unobserved for the very filings of gold are precious and there is weight in the least tittle of Gods word (c) Matth. 5.18 There are many places which are obscure and by reason of close connexions or speedy transitions are no wayes to be understood without the comparing with what precedes or follows (d) Qui non adveris quid supra infra scriptum sit is pervertit verba Dei viventiâ— Munster so that breaking one link may spoil the chain It is not possible a careless hearer should understand them clearly or apply them prudently or make any future benefit of them but we find by half sentences and slight observation men sâ—ck in errors and evil principles and the same word that cures one kills another (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian in Epict. l. 2. c. 24. It is this negligence and inadvertency that makes the Scripture so little understood so hugely perverted so speedily forgotten and so slowly practiced We have enough to imploy our minds and our time and did we give that heed (f) Qui audierit inveniet Deum qui etiam studuerit intelligere cogetur credere Tert. to Scripture that we do to trifles we might easily understand it and should be engaged to a firmer belief and a more conscientious practice of it § 6. The last part of our care is after the Lessons be ended then sixthly Meditate of them and lay them up in your heart that you may faithfully remember what you have learned and readily bring it forth upon occasion We do not only hear Gods word to stir us into a present Devotion but to fill our Treasures store our Armory and victual our Fort against we be besieged by temptation or affliction (g) Heb. 2.1 Hammond Annot. and 't is not our affections when we hear it so much as our memory of what we hear that thus makes it serviceable to us But we must especially treasure that which is most pertinent to our own condition and as the Jewish Masters love to Allegorize we must not be like the Wine-press which keeps the husks and lets out the pure Wine nor like the Spunge which promiscuously sucks in all nor yet like the Hour-glass which pours out at one side what it received on the other but in hearing we must be like the Fan which retains nothing but the solid Corn. If we have but skill to chuse according to our needs there is in Scripture plenty and variety for all estates and if our arms be fewer yet if they be ready and fit they may be more serviceable then more that are not so well ordered Lastly Begin immediately to put what you hear into practice and then it is out of Sathans reach (h) Is divinas Scripturas rectè
probable he was a person considerable very likely him whom the Jews call Simeon the first who lived at this time and was the son of the most famous Rabbi Hillel (i) Vid. Scultet Exerc. Evang. l. 1. c. 61. and Light-foots Harm on this place who opposed the received opinion of the temporal Kingdome of the Messiah for it is certain our Simeon did so or he had never thus rejoyced over a Messiah presented by so mean Parents in swadling clothes at the gates of the Temple It was not the object that appeared to his eyes but the illumination of the Spirit and the prospect of his Faith that elevated his affections Wherefore we need not pretend to dismiss this holy song by alledging it was an extraordinary occasion for the writings of thâ— Apostles which are daily read among us do as clearly represent him the Saviour of the world to the eye of Faith and set him before us as evidently in the house of God as any bodily sight could do to him and if our minds be inlightened and our faith firm as his we have the same occasion and ought to rehearse it with the same devotion The mercy is made sufficiently plain to us it we were but as apprehensive of the advantages it brings to us and all men as he was I know not why we should wish to live any longer then till we have obtained hopes of a share in it But we have houses to build families to propagate and designs to compleat and all before we are willing to dye We desire something besides nay perhaps more then an Interest in Jesus and therefore we dare not joyn in this noble wiâ—h But he was dead to the world before and had been impatient of a longer stay but only for the promise to have a sight of Jesus in the flesh And when this long-wished for happiness was come to pass his expectations are answered and all his desires filled He values nothing here but humbly craves his dismission His holy soul that came from God can find no rest on the waters of this world and therefore desires to return with an Olive-branch of peace to its dear Lord (k) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Câ—em Al. Strom. 4o. Mortem Stoici appellare solent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian where it was sure of rest and joy among the best of friends He now desires leave to depart from the flesh which he had long esteemed his Prison wherein he was confined by his infirmities (l) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Themistius ap Stobae and shut up from beholding the glories of God which he now longs to see more then ever by this last experience of his Truth and Mercy and he knew that death would set him free his desires and joy begin to swell too big to be confined in the walls of flesh and now he is even straitned till he be let loose into the regions of glory to praise him face to face And yet his extasies transport him not beyond the measures of obedience and humility for he first asks his Masters leave nor will he go till he have Commission but he intimates he had stript himself of all worldly desires and had his inner coat his flesh in his hands ready to lay it down and run whenever the watch word (m) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ar. was given His hopes and desires to see his Saviour had alone made his life acceptable and the fulfilling of them makes even death most welcome to him because he knew that Jesus came to disarm death and by satisfying for sin to deprive it of that sting which made it terrible to all men All the sin-offerings of the law were but weak armor to encounter death nor could they so fully purge or appease the Conscience as that it should not accuse in the fatal hour But the perfect Sacrifice of the death of Jesus doth so fully avert Gods wrath that all that believe in him can triumph over death meet it with courage and embrace it with peace as the end of their fears and the entrance into their felicity (n) 1 Cor. 15.55 Non est timendum quod liberat nos ab omni timendo How can he fear death that hath his sins forgiven or how can he doubt Gods mercy that beholds his Son with faith and love or how can he question the truth of Gods Promises that embraces Jesus the greatest of all in his arms He that knows Gods power is persuaded of his love and convinced of his truth can dye in peace and lye down with joy in the assurance of a blessed Resurrection And this we may do for it was only their priviledge who lived then to see Jesus and whoever looked on him so as to dare to dye then must behold him by faith and thus we may see Christ not only with Simeon presented in the Temple but with St. Steven standing at the right hand of God not only in his rising but his full glory Why then are we so fixed to this world so desirous to stay so loath to depart so sad when God calls Oh let us look on this our Redeemer so stedfastly and embrace him so tenderly in our hearts that it may appear he is dearer to us then our very lives Let us love him so intirely that nothing may satisfie us without him and trust so fully in his merits and mercies that we may live chearfully and dye peaceably Let us say with this devout Old man Lord I do now so clearly perceive thy purposes of mercy so confidently believe thy promises of forgiveness and so firmly rely on the hopes of glory that I resolve to be ever thy servant I desire to stay no longer in this world then to get assurances for a better Earths vanities do not make me wish to live nor deaths terrors afraid to dye If thou callest me this day Lord I come I can live with patience or dye in peace for I see him that will preserve me in life or death and gives me hopes that whether I live or dye I am the Lords I was not with Simeon in the Temple to behold my Saviour with my bodily eyes but I have had thy Salvation as clearly manifested in this thy holy word as if I had seen him with my eyes Lord grant me thy holy Spirit that I may behold him with the same faith and embrace him with the same affections that he did and then I shall chearfully joyn in a Nunc Dimittis and being daily ready to dye shall ever be fit to live and thy will shall be done in my life or death Blessed Lord thou hast even to our dayes by these holy writings sufficiently manifested thy Son before all our faces and it is our carelesness ingratitude and unbelief that hides him from our eyes and makes us hug these vanities and fear to leave them But thou hast done thy part and I will praise thee for sending this bright and glorious Sun
since they were ushered in by Faith and Charity the best preparatives to that duty We have all owned that we have one Lord and one Faith and now we are preparing as bretheren and fellow-souldiers to unite our requests and to send them to the throne of God But first in token of our mutual Charity the Church appoints instead of the antients kiss of peace a hearty salutation to pass between the Minister and People he beginning in the phrase of Bâ—az to his Reapers The Lord be with you (o) Ruth 2.4 Psal 129.8 which was after drawn into common use as a form of salutation to all and used by St. Paul in his Epistles (p) 2 Thess 3.16 to which the people are to return a good wish for their Minister in a form taken from the same Apostle (q) 2 Tim. 4.22 Galat. 6.18 desiring the Lord may be with his spirit Which is no invention of our own but mentioned in an Antient Counsel (r) Placuit ut Episcopi â—resbyteri uno modo salutent populum dicentes Dominus vobiscum ut respondeatur à populo Et cum Spiritu tuo sâ—cut ab ipsis Apostolis traditum omnis retinet Oriens Concil Brace primum Can. 21. and there affirmed to have been instituted by the Apostles and as it there appears retained in the Liturgies especially of the Greek Church but sure it never had a fitter place then in our excellent service where it succeeds the Creed as the Symbol and bond of peace St. John forbids us to salute or to desire God to be with any that cleave not to this right Faith (s) 2 Ep. 5. Jâ—hn ver 10.11 But when the Minister hath heard every one profess his Faith in the same words with himself how chearfully and without scruple may he salute them as bretheren and they requite his affection with a like return 'T is too sadly true that little differences in Religion make wide separations and the most incurable animosities Why then should not our exact agreement be as forcible an uniter of all our hearts since the profession of the same Faith hath ever been reputed the firmest bond of Charity (t) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo. Wherefore when these endeering offices have warmed our hearts with mutual love these expressions will not barely signifie the affections between the Minister and his people but may be used as the exercise of their Charity by way of Pâ—ayer for one another Let the spiritâ—al man meditate how often Sathan is among the sons of God how mâ—ny of his flock which now are preparing to joyn with him are oppressed with hard hearts or disturbed with vain thoughts and then let him earnestly pray the Lord may be with them that his Prayers be not in vâ—in for them Let the people also remember how comfortable and advantagious it will be to them that he who is their mouth to God may have a pure heart and a fervent spirit and with these thoughts let them most hear ily require their Pastors prayer by desiring the Lord to be with his spirit that both may by acknowledging tâ—eir insufficiency and declaring their Charity obtain a blessing of God for each other and find the benefit of these short Petitions in every part of the suceeding Offâ—ces § 2. Let us pray We can do nothing in Religion without the Divine presence and Assistance and therefore the Minister and People must mutually beg that for each other and then they must joyn in their Petitions In the beginning of which is placed this short and antient Exhortation So often repeated in all the old Liturgies (u) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alibi Dominum oremus postulemuâ— vid. Liturg S. Jacobi S. Basilii c. whereby the Priest gives the signal of battel or the watch word to all the assembly that they may set on their enemies with courage and besiege even Heaven it self with a holy importunity And as the Cryer of old in the Heathen Sacrifices proclaimed his HOC AGITE and warned all to attend what they were about so doth the Minister charge you against all wandring thoughts which are never more frequent nor pernicious then in holy duties desiring you not to rest satiâ—fied in his Petitions for you but to let your heart go along with him that they may be accepted as your Prayers though pronounced with his lips He injoyns all to pray and that with him and for one another for it is a great work we have to do and we must now take off our thoughts from all other things and wholly mind this § 3. Lord have mercy upon us Christ have c. Lord have c. The best beginning for our requests is a Petition for Mercy whereby we acknowledge our unworthiness declare our misery and confess we cannot expect our Prayers should be heard unless it may please God first to have mercy upon us Like those poor Lepers (x) Luke 17.11 12. eminus tanquam immundi Levit. 13.45 clamant Jesu Domine miserere nostri we discerning Jesus afar off cry out unclean and beseech him to have mercy on us for we are defiled dust and ashes and how shall we dare to draw near to him or open our mouths before him till he be pleased to pitty and cleanse us As to this particular Form it is originally taken out of Davids Psalms (y) Psal 6.2 Psal 51.1 Psal 123.3 where it is sometimes repeated twice together to which tâ—e Church hath added Christ have mercy upon us that it might be a short Litany and a supplication for mercy to every Person in the Trinity (z) Imploramus misericordiam Domini per Kyrie eleeson Chriâ—e c. Kyrie c. ita ut tres articulos aliquo modo divinae majestatis trinitatis in Ecclesiâ celebreâ—us Amalar Fort. de Eccl. off because we have offended every Person and are to pray to every Person and need the help of every Person calling both the Father and Holy Ghost by the same title of Lord as being partakers of only one and the same Divine Nature and the Son by another title who also did partake of our humane Nature as Durand Rational l. 4. c. 12. doth observe And as Tho. Aquinas adds being under a three sold misery of ignorance guilt and punishment we thrice imploâ—e mercy And because we need that when ever we pray (a) Quia ante omnem Orationem sacerdotùm necesse est misericordiam Domini implorare Durand Rat. ut supr it was used both in the Eastern and Western Churches and become customary in the time of Theodosius the younger so that it was decreed by a Councel (b) Et quia dulcis nimis salubris consuetudo intâ—omissa est ut Kyrie eleeson frequentiùs cum grandi compunctione dicatur Placuit etiam nobis ut in omnibus Ecclesâ—is nostris ista consuâ—tudo Sancta ad Matutinum ad Missas ad Vesperam
have their inward man endued and adorned with the purity signified thereby And this Petition we make to him who hath promised to deck his Priests with health (l) Psal 132.16 Isai 61.10 and to cloath them with the garment of salvation and the robe of righteousness that his Saints may re-rejoyce and sing For the holy lives and good success of pious and painful Ministers is an extraordinary and a huge delight to Gods people who therefore do here use it as an argument to enforce their request for the Ministers For we say they are not of the number of those who glory in the crimes of the Ministers of God or rejoyce in their calamities because O Lord we love thee and them wherefore if thou wilt please to give them health and safety righteousness and peace we shall thrive under their care and joyfully follow their good examples the benefit and the pleasure will be ours and the glory shall be thine for this and all thy mercies § 7. Psal 28.9 O Lord save thy people Answ And bless thine inheritance The kindness of the Congregation to the Minister expressed in the last Responsal is here most lovingly and thankfully returned and required by him who now prays for them as heartily as they for him before which cannot but endeer the Priest and people one to another since they daily do thus mutually interchange offices of love Wherefore let both joyn in this comprehensive request that God would save and deliver his people from all evil and bless and furnish them with all good things since they are his peculiar inheritance and so may expect a special defence and relief from their own God But of this before in the TE DEVM § 8. 1 Chron. 22.9 Give peace in our time O Lord Answ Because there is none other that fighteth for us but only thou O God It pleased God to make particular Promises to Solomon Hezekiah and Josiah (m) 1 Chron. 22.9 Isai 39.8 2 Kings 22.20 that he would give peace in their days Wherefore we make bold to ask it for our times from the God of peace our only defence (n) Exod. 14.14 Deut. 1.30 against our enemies They who trust in their bow and rely on their sword care not to ask for Peace because they hope either to awe their foes into quietness or to make advantage by War as being sufficiently guarded and prepared But we even the Church of God know Armies and Navies are useless not only against God but without him and only successful by his blessing So that though we have both yet we account the Divine Providence our greatest security How well this Petition suited the Primitive Christians every one may discern who considers they judged it unlawful while the Emperors were Heathen to fight in their own defence (o) Luke 22.38 ita Explic. ab Origen in Cels l. 5. Ambros de Off. Basil August vid. Arnobius l. 1. p 6. And when Prayers and tears were their only weapons they might most justly (p) Ezra 8.22 be earnest with God for their defence who did so wholly depend on his Protection that his glory seemed concerned in their safety Yet it is not improper for us now though blessed be God we have Christian Princes and their forces to defend us for we wish there may be no occasion to use arms or if there be (q) Bellum gerere malis videtur foelicitas bonis necessitas Augustin we declare we rely not alone on these Preparations unless he please to bless them we know they are unserviceable Wherefore if it please him we desire peace and that he will keep off invasions and Rebellions for our time and so will the following generations for their daies that it may appear we wish to live in peace and do trust alone in the Lord of hosts § 9. Psal 51.10 11. O God make clean our hearts within us Answ And take not thy holy spirit from us Though Peace be accounted the chief of all blessings yet without grace it may do us more harm then good Wherefore we conclude with an carnest supplication for Grace to fit us for and help us in the following devotions We are now to offer up our incense and therefore do beseech the Author and lover of purity in holy Davids words to cleanse the Altars of our hearts that neither the guilt of former offences may unhallow or defile them nor any remaining evil thoughts may disturb the holy cloud but that it may ascend and he a sweet savour before the Throne of God And because it is the Holy Spirit alone which can effect this we pray that our hearts may be so pure as to invite this holy Dove to come unto us and remain with us that it may both make and keep us undefiled both in the remaining part of our Prayers and of our lives If we look back on those portions of the Office which we have performed I hope we shall have cause thankfully to acknowledge that the Divine Spirit hath been with us and excited the flames of our devotion the comfort of which aid makes us earnest for its continuance And certainly we could never have sent up these very sacred ejaculations with such fervent spirits united hearts and harmonious voices if the same spirit of zeal and love had not inspired us Therefore let the sweetness of this experience encourage us to beg that the Holy Ghost may stay among us so that we may as affectionately joyn in those Prayers where the Minister is the only speaker as we have done in these wherein we have had the honour and advantage of bearing our Parts and making our Responsals The Paraphrase of the Versicles and Responsals before and after the Lords Prayer Minister MY dear bretheren in the right Faith I do most affectionately salute you desiring The Lord and his grace may be with you to prosper you in that you now are doing Answer And we thankfully return the kindness desiring likewise the Lord may be with thy spirit to compose and excite it while thou speakest to God for us Minister Let not your thoughts wander but now Let us pray to God with fervency and devotion O Lord God the Father pitty pardon and have mercy upon us who are unworthy to call upon thee O Christ the son of God pitty pardon and have mercy upon us whose only hope is in thy Mediation and Redemption O Lord God the Holy Ghost pitty pardon and have mercy upon us and assist us in these our supplications Our Father which art c. Priest Consider our sin and misery with compassion O Lord and now shew some token of thy mercy upon us to our comfort Answ And grant us now and ever such wonderful deliverances from all evil that we may surely obtain thy salvation Priest O Lord thou Governor of all the world be pleased to bless preserve and save the King thine own Anointed Answ And mercifully hear us whose peace is linked
together with his prosperity when we call upon thee for him especially on extraordinary occasions Priest O Lord do thou Endue the hearts and minds of thy Ministers with the purity and holiness signified by their garments that so their lives may be full of righteousness Answ And thereby thou shalt make us and all thy chosen people out of our love to them and spiritual benefit by them exceeding joyful in such exemplary and faithfâ—l Pastors Priest Be graciously pleased O Lord continually to deliver and save thy people out of all their troubles Answ And of thy infinite bounty and goodness to bless thine inheritance which thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood Priest Mercifully Give peace to all the world and especially to thy Church that we may quietly serve thee in our time O Lord thou God of Peace Answ We pray to thee for Peace because there is no other can keep us from war or save us in it for we trust not in any one that fighteth for us since none can secure us but only thou O God of hosts Priest And since we are now to proceed in our supplications unto thee O God by thy grace make clean and purifie our hearts from sin that no evil thoughts may remain within us in our approaches unto thee Answ As thou hast begun to assist and cleanse us so be pleased to continue thy help and take not the sweet and necessary aid of thy holy spirit away from us but let it rest upon us in the remaining part of our devotions and for ever SECTION XIII Of the Collects for the Week and Festival daies § 1. IT cannot be expected we should here give a particular account of all the Collects for Sundaies and other Festival daies which are so numerous they cannot be contained in the narrow limits of this Essay and so plain that they need not any curious explication especially when the Pious soul by exercising it self in other parts of these offices after our proposed method is become expert in inlarging into devout meditations it will then easily do the same in these Collects without a Monitor And yet the Epistle and Gospel annexed to them are generally an excellent Commentary upon them and some judge they take their name from their being Collected out of those portions of holy Writ But if we regard the use of the Word in the Scripture and the Fathers (r) Dies collectae Vulg. Lat. Levit. 23.36 collectionem Vulg. Heb. 10.25 apud Patres collectam celebrare saepissimè Inde precâ—tiones illae à populi collectione câ—llectae appellâ—ri coeperunt Alcuinus they may rather seem to be denominated from the Collection and gathering together of the People into Religious Assemblies among whom so collected these Prayers were to be used For which cause though they be short (s) Existimant orationem brevem câ—llectam appellari qâ—od sacerdos omnium petitiones compendiosâ brevitate colligit Walafriduâ— Strabo vid. Durand rational l. 4. c. 15. yet all that any need ask for is comprehended in them and collected into a small Epitome Therefore let the whole Congregation joyn most unanimously in them and apply them to their own and their bretherens known necessities And observe that they are all directed to the Father through the Son who liveth and loveth us (t) Generaliter ad Patrem dirigitur terminatur in Nomine filii paulo post O Pater exandi per filium tuum qui hoc vult potest vult quia vivit potest quia Regnat Durand Rat. l. 4. c. 15. and so will hear us and who reigneth in Heaven and therefore can help us The beginning is commonly the ground on which we are induced to ask and after the Petition made it is commonly backed with some motive taken from the glory of God or our benefit which we believe will be the effect of our being heard But if any desire a more distinct information of the subject of every Collect they may learn by the following table wherein they are so ranged that besides the direction in the publique we may by frequent use thereof be alwaies armed with a compendious and ejaculatory Prayer of the Churches composure pertinent to all occasions which may be of excellent use to those who desire to be alwaies on their guard against the enemy of their souls An Analytical Table of all the Weekly and Festival Collects § 2. In them we pray either first for our selves or secondly for others In the first sort we pray for our selves 1. For both body and soul Sundaies and Festivals 2. and 5. of Lent 2. For the body and things temporal 1. Safety by the Providence of God Sundaies and Festivals 2 3 4 20. after Trin. Guarding of Angels Sundaies and Festivals St. Michael 2. Deliverance from Enemies Judgments Sundaies and Festivals 3. Lent Sexagessima Septuag 4. Lent 3. Support in Adversity Sundaies and Festivals 3 4. Epiphany 4. Both Preservation from evil and supply of good Sundaies and Festivals 8. 15. Trinity 3. For the soul and things spiritual 1. Manifold gifts from God Sundaies and Festivals St. Barnabas 2. Especial favours of God 1. Pardon of sin Sundaies and Festivals 12.21 24. Trinity 2. Benefit of Christs death Sundaies and Festivals Annuntiation 3. Acceptance for his sake Sundaies and Festivals Purification 2. Epiphany 3. Abundant Grace as to 1. The Author of it 1. To comfort us Sundaies and Festivals Sund. after Ascens 2. To inlighten us Sundaies and Festivals Whitsunday 3. To direct us Sundaies and Festivals 19. Trinity 2. The means in 1. Hearing Sundaies and Festivals St. Bartholomew St. Luke 2. Reading Sundaies and Festivals 2. Advent 3. Falling Sundaies and Festivals 1. Lent 4. Prayer Sundaies and Festivals 10. 23. Trinity 3. The end to 1. Convert us from sin Sundaies and Festivals 1. Advent 1. Easter St. Andrew St. James St. Matthew 2. Rescue us in temptations Sundaies and Festivals 4. Advent 4. Epiphany 18. Trinity 3. Enable us to do good Sundaies and Festivals 5. Easter 1. 9. Trinity 11. 13. Trinity 17. 25. Trinity 4. Bring us to glory Sundaies and Festivals Epiphany 6. after Epiphany 4. The kinds of it for 1. Regeneration Sundaies and Festivals Nativity of Christ 2. Charity Sundaies and Festivals Quinquagessima 3. Mortification Sundaies and Festivals Circumcision Easter Even 4. Contrition Sundaies and Festivals Ash-Wednesday 5. Sincerity Sundaies and Festivals 3. Easter 6. Love of God and his laws Sundaies and Festivals 4. Easter 6. 14. Trinity 7. Heavenly affections Sundaies and Festivals Ascension-day 8. Faith both Right Sundaies and Festivals Trinity Sunday Stedfast Sundaies and Festivals 7. Trinity St. Thomas St. Mark 9. Imitation of Christ Sundaies and Festivals 6. Lent 2. Easter The Saints Sundaies and Festivals St. Steven St. Paul St. Philip Jacob St. John Baptist Holy Innocents All Saints day In the second sort we Pray for others 1. Such as are out of the Church as Jews Sundaies and
title and seems to have the same subject with that in the morning Office And indeed Peace is so desirable a blessing that we cannot pray for it too often especially if it be for different kinds of Peace as it is in the present case if we well observe it In the Morning we pray for external in the evening for internal peace In the beginning of the day being to dispatch various affairs and converse with the world we desire to be preserved from the injuries affronts and designs of evil men In the close thereof we request that tranquility of mind that springs from the testimony of a good Conscience that when our hearts lye as easie as our heads our sleep may be sweet and quiet The first kind of Peace sometimes the best of men cannot obtain for the wicked will do wickedly but even then this inward peace will support us and make a calm within when the waves beat most furiously from without So that this is the most necessary and most advantageous Wherefore we are taught to ask this which is called the Peace of God from the God of peace who is here described to us as the author and finisher of all holiness and righteousness the surest and only foundations for a true and lasting peace From which we may learn that there is an inseparable union between righteousness and true peace (z) Fac justitiam habebis pacem tu fortè unam habere vis alteram non vis at osculantur hae amant hae si amicam pacis non amaveris non amabit te pax Aug. Psal 85.10 and that we cannot have that unless it spring from holy desires good counsels and just works If the grace of God work these in us it is not all the slanders (a) Conscia mens recti famae mendadacia ridet Ovid. Bona via gaudium semper habet Isidor Soliloqu the scorn nor injustice of the world can hinder the serene reflexions and inward Peace of a good conscience He that doth not deserve reproach can nobly despise it and he that hath not provoked his neighbour to wrong him by any evil doing can easily bear the greatest of injuries Whereas if all the world be quiet and none disturb the wicked man he makes himself restless (b) Si in mundo non est quod timeant pacem habere putantur sed pax ista cum conscientia semper litigat rixatur intrinsecus cum hostem non habet secum decertat Cassiodor in Psal because there is an enemy within that upbraids him more loudly and wounds him more deeply then he can do the holy man Whoever therefore enquires for true peace let them here behold him in and from whom are all the causes of it with love and admiration And let them acknowledge to his glory and their own comfort that he is the Author and finisher of every good work (c) James 1.17 Philip. 2.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierocles He excites our affections to desire it engageth our will to choose it and strengtheneth our hands to perform it There are no holy thoughts in our minds (d) 2 Cor. 3.5 nor good purposes in our hearts (e) Prov. 16.1 nor any righteous actions in our lives (f) Isai 26.12 but it is in and by and through him To him then let us make our supplications that he will fill our hearts with the motions of his holy spirit the first seeds of all vertue and by the continuing influence of the same grace make these holy thoughts spring up into prudent and religious resolutions and determinations and by favourable circumstances and addition of strength ripen them into pious and just works And the fruit hereof will be peace and we may chearfully hope and pray that he that planted the root and sowed the seed will give us the pleasure of the fruit and comfort of the harvest which is the sweetest and most enduring peace And let us beware since we confess this to be the fruit of righteousness that when we seem most earnest in our prayers for this peace we do not wilfully deprive our selves of it and hinder our own wishes by stifling holy thoughts and breaking pious resolutions and neglecting good works For he that cuts the root and lops off the branches must not expect ever to eat of this fruit and if he complains deserves to be silenced as the Author of his own misery § 2. Give unto thy Servants that Peace which the world cannot give To ask a thing inconsiderable of a mighty prince may seem a disparagement because he can as easily bestow a province on a faithful Servant as another can give a small gratuity So when we that are the Servants of the most high make our Petitions it must be for such things as are not in our power nor in the power of any other to bestow Our requests must be proportionable to his infinite bounty rather then our deserts We must ask something which may become his Majesty to give that our Lord may be glorified by the very expectations of his Servants We now desire peace but it is such a Peace as no other hand can dispense a Peace that is not given as the world gives in a feigned Complement or an empty wish at best (g) John 14.27 Homines plerumque frigidae tantum Ceremoniae causâ pacem in ore habent vel si pacem alicui seriò precantur non tamen cam reipsâ dare possunt Calv. in loc but in sincerity and with effect a peace differing from the worlds Peace in its nature causes and Qualities in all which it far excels it This Peace is grounded on the evidence of Faith in that reconciliation which the merits of Jesus have procured (h) Rom. 5.1 2. between the Divine Majesty and our sinful souls from the persuasion whereof ariseth such cleer hopes of pardon such a lively sense of Gods love with such abundant satisfaction therein and such fixed expectations of eternal glory thereby that no ravishments are comparable to the pleasures of it And then it is further comfirmed by the testimony of a good (i) 2 Cor. 1.12 conscience declaring we have endeavoured to walk answerable to this infinite love by a strict observance of all the will of God which occasions such a pleasing calm in our souls and creates so brisk a delight in every review that no tongue can tell the joy of such souls but only theirs that feel it This is the Peace which is so sweet and so unmixed so charming and powerful that no sinful pleasures can entice nor no earthly calamities force a holy man from the embraces of it The Peace of the world if it spring from the friendship and love of men hath innumerable allays For this is sometimes no more but guilded flattery and a cover for more unexpected and dangerous assaults But if true it can neither support you under nor secure you against the anger of God and must
dye when the first of you two lovers descends to the grave If it arise from plenty it will make your delights wormwood to remember how quickly you may be stript of them what excellent things you have given for them and how speedily you must be taken from them however your peace and plenty must expire together Give us then O Lord that Peace which is grounded on thy truth and the merits of Jesus upon a sense of thy love and an experience of thy grace for this can never deceive nor fail us because it ends in everlasting Peace And let us not seek this in the Freindships of the wicked nor the storehouses of pleasure but in Jesus and an holy life in heavenly desires pious resolutions and religious Conversation In which the grace of God will help us for we are his servants and make our applications to him for it and since we seek not as the world seeks no doubt we shall find a Peace so sweet and ravishing as that nothing which the men of this World know can be compared to it § 3. That hoth our hearts may be set to obey thy Commandements It is the Epicure that desires Peace that he may wallow in sinful pleasures But our first and principal end in this Petition is that we may have no interruption to our holiness because our cheif desire is to lead a good life (k) De pace temporis per pacem pectoris transeamus ad pacem aeternitatis Durand lib. 4. cap. 39. And how pleasant will this sound in the ears of him who is the fountain of all holy desires good counsels and just works when we wish peace it self only as a means to righteousness I have observed before that peace first springs from a holy life and now must add that it encreases that holiness to which it owes its Original by a reciprocal gratitude The fear of Gods irrevocable displeasure and the accusations of conscience may discourage and persuade us we cannot safely undertake nor hope to finish a course of piety And then for want of this peace our good desires seldom come so far as religious resolutions seldomer to be righteous actions But this Peace will be as a guard (l) Phil. 4.7 Graec. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praesidio erit cordibus vestris See Rom. 15.13 to exclude these fears to keep us firm in our allegiance to God and to make us abound in hope and constancy to the end For in this we tast the sweetness of Religion the winning and yet solid delights it doth afford And then it will in our thoughts sure be so far esteemed above all other things that nothing can be able to separate us from the love of God (m) Qui in malis fuerit conversus est ad bonum dum gaudet de bonis quae invenit recordatur malorum quae evasit difficulter redit ad malum Opus imperfect in Matth. ap Chrysost hom 2. cap. 2. Thus his favour becomes our joy his Spirit our comforter his grace our help and his glory our reward And would any reject these priviledges and cast away these advantages for honour pleasures profit or friends Break his league with heaven to make such friendships Can any man that ever tasted the living waters of the divine grace long for the corrupt and standing pool of any sublunary contents If we desire our hearts should be so fixed let us beg an experience of this Peace Nothing draws us more powerfully ties more closely nor keeps us constant more surely then this For thus we shall learn to love holiness it self and to welcome all good motions and diligently to improve them till they bring forth their desired fruit § 4. And also that by thee we being defended from the fear of our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness through the merits of Iesus Christ our Saviour Amen The sum of our happiness on earth is to lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty And if we can obtain the Peace of God we may be happy in both these And since our heavenly Master not only delights in the holiness but hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants we use it as an argument to move him to grant us this Peace by representing that it will compleat our felicity for it will fix our hearts in the obedience of his laws and will make our â—ives most comfortable He must be highly base that will injure and offend an innocent and blameless man a friend of Heaven who deserves and gains the affections of most men (n) Qui infra diligitur idem supra diligitur R. Mos Aeg. Sat fautores semper habet qui recte facit Seneca Yet if such an one be injured he is sure of the aid of an Almighty defender and his own heart being filled with the Peace of God he enjoyes tranquillity in his own brest and is not to be constrained by violence from without not cannot be terrified by any fears within For since his care is to please God he daily experiences that heavens eye is over him and is more and more confirmed that his foundation is sure And thus be it night or day he can pass it over with all inward quietness so that nothing in this world can make such an one miserable Let us be earnest then with the author of all holiness to give us that Peace which may be the nurse and guard of our piety the support and comfort of our lives that our daies may be safe and our nights pleasant and every moment engage us to new acts of Praise And let us beg this Peace for the merits sake of Jesus who hath purchased a Covenant of Peace with his precious blood remembring we deserve by our sins to live in perpetual disturbance but for his sake we may hope for Peace and desire it as the readiest way to temporal yea and to eternal happiness Amen The Paraphrase of the Collect for Peace in the Evening Prayer O God the giver of every good and perfect gift from whom and by whose grace all holy desires first spring up in our hearts and all good Counsels and holy resolutions grow till they bring forth the fruit of righteous actions and all just works both holiness and the truest Peace which flows from it do proceed from thee Wherefore gracious Lord give unto us that acknowledg our selves thy servants such firm persuasions of our reconciliation to thee and such comfortable testimonies of our obedience to thy will that we may ever enjoy that Peace which is so sweet and sure that the world with all its Friendship and Plenty cannot give any Peace worthy to be compared with it Grant us so to tast this delicious fruit of a holy life that both our wavering and inconstant hearts by the experience of this Peace may be set firmly and resolved stedfastly to obey thy commandements to the encrease of our Piety and also that by thee
1. The ground of our asking considering 1. The Experience of his Grace Almighty God who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee 2. The Truth of his Promise and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests 2. The Petition or thing asked Hearing our Prayers as to 1. The Matter fulfil now O Lord the desires and petitions of thy servants 2. The Manner as may be most expedient for them 3. The principal Requests 1. To know God granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth 2. To enjoy him and in the world to come life everlasting Amen A Practical Discourse on the Prayer of St. Chrysostome § 5. ALmighty God who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee This excellent conclusion of our prayers that bears the name of its renowned Author was well known to the Greek Church for it is still found extant in the Lyturgies both of St. Chrysostom and St. Basil And yet it s own worth might sufficiently recommend it if it wanted the reputation of those honourable Names For it is founded on our own experience and the certainty of his Promise who is infallible carried on with such submission to the Divine Will and designed so to our chiefest advantages that nothing can be more judiciously contrived or more pertinently applied to this close of our Devotion Where it seems to review and re-enforce all our former Petitions to revive our hopes of acceptance and encourage our zeal in them yet so as to represent our necessities in the most humble and lowly manner with submission to his Wisdome who best knows what is most expedient for us We may now reflect on those many necessary and useful Prayers which we have offered up to God with an unanimous consent and a hearty Devotion and it is fit we should pay our grateful acknowledgments for that Grace which hath assisted us therein For there are no clearer evidences of the presence of the Divine Spirit in our Prayers then the sincere agreement and harmonious accord of our souls in the joynt oblation of them (u) Acts 1.14 Chap. 4.24 Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the fervent affections that every one in particular hath added to them It is his Grace that hath bound our arrows together by the bonds of love and hath directed them to pierce the Clouds by a vigorous and steddy zeal And we have the surer ground to believe he hath assisted us and the greater cause to praise him for it in regard these are no other then our Common Prayers and ordinary Supplications which have no novelties or varieties to court our Fancies but yet have been made new to us by a fresh supply of his heavenly grace which hath kindled our accustomed sacrifice with new flames And if we well consider the effects of Gods grace are rather to be judged by the heart then the tongue by renewed affections rather then change of expressions And to be sure nothing but a new sense of our old wants can give life to these Petitions Wherefore as we daily receive new succours let us daily make new acknowledgments that as we have the comfort of our union and zeal so he who bestows them may have the glory And yet this is not all the use we must make of the experience which we have had of his enabling us to pray for it must strengthen our faith and quicken our hope that we shall be heard For he that helps us to ask thereby assures us he intends to give (x) Matth. 25.25 Psal 10.17 He prepares the heart and then his ear attends thereunto The first step towards the obtaining of a blessing is the giving us a heart devoutly to ask for it (y) Signum futurae impetrationis est quando Spiritus S. movet ad petendam cum fiduciâ quasi securitate impetrandi Cassian coll 9. Which desire he would not create if he did not intend to fulfil it Therefore we may lay this as a foundation on which we may chearfully request his gracious acceptance of those Prayers which he hath quickned us to by a new Devotion § 6. And dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy name thou wilt grant their requests But that we may not doubt of the prevalency of our Petitions nor go away from the Throne of Grace with a sad heart we have not only our ground of hope from the operations of the Spirit which are secret and not alwaies so discernable but from an infallible promise made by him who is Truth it self and in whom all the Promises of God are Yea and Amen Which assureth us that the united requests of his People who meet and pray in his name can never miscarry For Jesus is so highly delighted in the unions and unanimous societies of the faithful that if but two of them (z) Math. 18.19 20. Vbi duo consident sermonem habentes â—e lege Schechinah est inter ipsos R.R. ap Drus Non multiâ—udini sed unitati plurimum tribuendum Cypr. de unit Eccles agree on earth to ask any thing it shall be given them and wheresoever two or three are gathered together in his Name he is (a) Non dicit ero non enim tardat cui Cunctatur sed jam sum i. e. illic inveniar praesens gratià favore singulari Luc. Brugens in the midst of them Nay he is there before they come ready to receive their supplications and whoever meet in his house of Prayer shall find he is present amongst them (b) Psal 46.6 Deus in medio illorum esse dicitur quibus exhibet gratiosae suae praesentiae testimonia Ravan Thes Bib. vid. Deut. 7.21 Josh 3.10 by the communications of his grace and his answering their Prayers For the granting our requests as you may here observe is the Paraphrase of Jesus his being with us and the best testimony of his being among us is the granting our desires And this way we wish our blessed Lord may manifest himself to us who are gathered together in his name (c) Acts 4.7 compared with Matth. 21.23 1 Sam. 17.45 Psal 20.8 that is in obedience to his Command and Authority in hope and trust in his power and Aid to pay our homage to him to declare our Faith in him and to own our dependance upon him Wherefore his own Promise doth oblige him to hear us Sometimes the Congregation is very numerous and he that will hear so few will as an Ancient notes much rather receive those requests to which so many have unanimously and devoutly said AMEN But if there be but few as to the shame of this Nation is too often seen the wickedness of the neglecters ought not to reproach the Piâ—ty of those that are present nor is it safe for men to despise them for their parcity
which hath enabled us with one accord and a fervent devotion to make our Addresses to thee with new affections even in the presenting these our daily and common supplications unto thee we confess thou hast helped us to ask and therefore hope thou intendest to give and the rather because thou hast assured us and dost promise that when two or three even the smallest number of the faithful in obedience to thy command are gathered together to offer up their united prayers to the Father in thy name they shall find thee present in the midst of them for thou wilt grant their requests Wherefore since we have called upon thee by thine aid and are assembled in thy name fulfill now O Lord unto us this gracious promise and mercifully accept the desires and meditations which have been sent from the hearts the prayers and Petitions uttered from the mouths of thy Servants supplying their wants with the best things and at the fittest times as may be judged by thy infinite wisdome most expedient for them But however thou dealest in all other things let the interest of our souls be secured both here and hereafter by thy granting us in this world daily experiments and further knowledg of thy truth in the fulfilling of thy promises and the granting of our prayers that so we may never forsake thee here and in the world to come our happiness shall be compleated by thy bringing us then to life everlasting through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The Blessing taken out of 2 Corinth 13. ver ult § 9. THe grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us all evermore Amen In all Religious Assemblies it hath been the custome to dismiss the people with a Blessing which was wont to be pronounced by the principal Person present (k) Heb. 7.7 sometimes by the King (l) 2 Sam. 6.18 1 Kings 8.55 but most commonly by the Priests (m) Numb 6.23 24 ver c. whose office was to bless in the Name of the Lord. And therefore under the Law there was a particular form of Benediction which the Jews to this day observe so religiously that they believe it ought to be repeated in the Holy Tongue (n) Fagius in Numb 6. Buxtorf Synag c. 14. See Nehem. 8.6 and to be received by the People with all reverence bowing their heads and prostrating their bodies so that no man may presume to look upon the Priests hands when they are stretched out to give it because they say then the glory of God rests upon them And in the Christian Church also they ever concluded with a blessing 't is likely the same we now use being endited by the Holy Spirit and used by St. Paul in the close of his Epistle to the Corinthians concerning which it was ordered that the Assembly should bow their heads (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Constit Ante benedictionem sacerdotis egredi populus non presunat Concil Agath can 31. when it was pronounced and decreed by a Councel that none might depart out of the Church till it was given But to give a greater strength to these Orders let us consider the excellency of this Divine Blessing and sure its own perfections will oblige us to stay for it and engage us to receive it with all devotion and reverence The legal Benediction was no more but a wish for temporal felicity but this contains the whole order of our salvation and brings in the glorious Trinity with the several gifts of each Person to make us compleatly happy The Father indeed is first in order but we begin with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that is the benefits purchased by his Passion because that is the first mover in our acceptance and obtains both the love of God the Father and the Communication of the Holy Ghost What can the pious soul ask or desire which is not comprehended in this Blessing here is the grace of the Son to pardon our sin the love of the Father to supply our wants the fellowship of the Blessed Spirit to strengthen our weakness The first to redeem us the second to justifie us the third to sanctifie us and all these not only at this present but to be confirmed to us and remain with us even when we are gone from the holy place in life and death and for ever Nor are these only desired but they are pronounced over us by the Embassador of God whom he hath sent to bless in his name and this Minister of Heaven being cheared with observing our Devotion doth from his soul wish and Ministerially as far as in him lies dispense these unspeakable blessings to us And what he doth on Earth shall be ratified in Heaven to every truly holy man Oh let us bow our heads and open our hearts to receive this universal blessing as from God himself and depart from the holy place full of comfort and joy that we have such a preservative against all evil and such a guide and encouragement to all good even the blessing of God to be with us and remain upon us for ever and to this let all the people say Amen The Blessing Paraphrased LEt The Grace and all the benefits of the death of our Lord Iesus Christ merit our Absolution and the love of God the Father seal our justification and the fellowship and Communication of the Graces of the Holy Ghost perfect our sanctification And let all these at present be with us and rest upon us all evermore Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS ERRATA The Reader is desired to excuse and amend the following Errata occasioned by the Authors great distance from the Press PReface page 8. read Pet. p. 8. marg l. 12. r. infirmorum p. 12. l. 5. r. recover it ib. marg l. 3. r. confectus p. 18. l. 2. r not approach p. 21. l. 1. r. had need be p. 22. marg l. 13. r. accipiat ib. l. 21. r. Magistri ib. l. 23. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 29. marg l. 3. r. Acies p. 32. l. 21. r. not be p. 35. l. 14. marg r. Quinque p. 43. l. 3. r. Sec. 1. § 5. p. 22 p. 66. marg l. 8. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 70. marg l. 4. r. tribus p. 72. l. 22. r. bloodshot p. 81. marg l. 10. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 90. marg l. 13. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 94. l. 12. r. in your p. 96. l. 4. r. sectile p. 105. marg l. 8. r. ignoscentium p. 114. marg l. 1. r. r. Lev. 10.13 p. 118. l. 29. r. it act ib. marg l. 11. r. nisi p. 129 marg l. 12. r. Med. p. 174. l. 24. r. reference p. 184 l. 30. dele 11 p. 199. marg l. 14. r. è p. 216. marg l. 13. r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 229. l. 35 r. his Divinity p 259. l. 21. r. therefore it p. 260. marg l. 13. r. hi veâ—o p. 269. marg l. 1. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 271. l. 3. r. enobled p. 313. marg l. 3. r. Prus ib. marg l. ult r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 315. l. 31. r. the other p. 319. l. 15. r. reciting p. 320. marg l. 18. r. occurre p. 349. marg l. 17. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
along with every sentence and seal it with a most hearty assent There are many truths which do not concern us whether they be true or false and in such cases a general persuasion that they may be true will suffice But these principles of our Faith are the ground of our Prayers the rule of our lives and must be received with the same evidence that the Mathematicians postulata are on which his following demonstrations depend so that without the admission of these he can do nothing Remember you must conduct the affairs of your life by this profession you must venture your souls at your death on these principles nay if need be you must seal these Truths with your blood therefore do not slightly repeat them but let them sink into your heart and be so assured of them that no pleasure or profit may intice you to walk contrary to it or deny it nor no threats or pains affright you from confessing it and rejoyce in this daily opportunity to express the constancy of your faith and every day protest your belief as solemnly as if you were to dye for it 3. Our mind can never want imployment for all the faculties and powers thereof because in the repetition we are to make a particular application of every Article that it may produce those effects and serve those ends for which it was revealed And it is absurd if not impious to think that God did discover these sacred truths only to enlarge our speculations or experience our credulity All that is true is equally so and the reason why these truths are more necessary to be believed then others is not because they are more certain but more uâ—eful to assist our devotions and direct our conversation then any other propositions that Gods word doth contain where they are not barely taught but ever applied either as incouragements to the worship of God or arguments to a holy life Nor are they intended so much to make us wiser as to perswade us to become better (h) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Paedag. And if they have not this effect upon us our Faith excels not the Confession of the Devils (i) Matth. 8.29 James 2.19 who did acknowledge Jesus the Son of God and yet opposed the purposes of that mistery and so had no benefit by their acknowledgment This light is set up to direct us and it is expected that we should work and walk by it And that will appear when our Devotions suit these principles and our practices are the genuine products of our profession For therefore Heaven did reveal this Creed and therefore the Church inserts it here And that we may learn to use it to these purposes let us more particularly consider 1. How we may apply it to assist our Prayers In order whereunto we must observe that our Faith is the basis on which our Petitions are built the sole engagement to us to make them and the principal motive to God to hear them who hath so often required that we should pray with Faith and without the least wavering or distrust (k) Matth. 21.22 1 Tim. 2.8 Heb. 11.6 James 1.6 Graec. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agitatur scil dubitans at non progreditur vide item Jac. 5.15 Graec. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If we come to God we must believe that he is and that he will reward those that wait upon him without which persuasion the Gentiles themselves did never (l) Veneramini Dees colitis non credentes illos esse propitias aures vestris supplicationibus accommodare Arnob adv gentes lib. 2. worship their false Gods nor can we pray to the true with either courage zeal or comfort till we have possessed our souls with right opinions of him And this we may do by a reciting our Creed before our Prayers which is an impenetrable armor against all those discouragements and fears which Sathan is apt to assail us with Let us not pray like those that know not God but imitate the holy servants of God in Scripture who alwaies begin their supplications with a brief Confession of their Faith in Gods Power (m) 1 Kings 8.23 Nehem. 9.6 1 Chron. 29.11.12 Daniel 9.4 and Providence his Mercy and his Covenant as we do ours with the declaration of our Faith Oh what holy fervours doth it put our souls into to contemplate the Power of an Almighty Father the love of a most merciful Redeemer and the grace of the holy Spirit our sanctifier Doth it not teach us reverence and fear sincerity and longing desires hope and chearful expectations thus to set God before us in our Creed in the beauty of his Attributes and the glory of his works When we have professed our belief in the Father Almighty that made Heaven and Earth how readily shall we run to him for the supply of our temporal necessities When we have protested our assurance that the eternal Son of God was made man born among us lived with us and dyed for us and arose again and returned to his glory to prepare a place for us and plead our cause can we then forbear to cry for pardon and peace for conversion and salvation or shall we doubt to be accepted Again have we owned our belief of that holy Spirit which is the Author and finisher of all grace and are we not then fitly disposed and strongly moved to petition for his aid that we may continue true members of Christs body and enjoy a Communion with the Saints remission of our sins restauration of our body and an eternal life of glory If we did not premise our Faith to our Prayers it might be suspected we spoke to him we knew not and asked what was unfit to be desired or impossible to be obtained But now all these stumbling blocks are removed and our Creed is made an excellent preparatory to the following Collects every Petition of which are directed by grounded on and enforced from some of these Articles which if we thus apply them will shew us how fitly we may desire these things and what reason we have to hope they shall be granted And secondly we must learn to apply these Articles of our Faith to the right ordering of our lives not repeating them as empty notions and airy speculations but as the principles and rules of practice For why should the Christians belief alone be supposed sufficient without some Acts deduced from it The Merchant believes there are Jewels and rarities in other lands (n) Estne operis in vitâ negotiosum aliquod quod non fide praecunte suscipiunt actores Arnob. l. 2. Nihil est quod in vitâ geri possit si non credulitas praecesserit Ruffin in Symbol and he puts to Sea and attempts the purchase The Countryman sows the Scholar studies and the Souldier fights according to the principles of advantage they believe will come upon those endeavours And doth the Religious man only believe and sit