have inclined unto wickedness with my heart but for the sake of thy well-beloved Son Cast not out my prayer nor turn Thy Mercy from me Miserable wretch that I am I have gone astray from the very womb I was shapen in wickedness and in sin did my Mother conceive me Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean What is man then O God that he should be clean or he that is born of a woman that he should be righteous Thou Lord puttest no trust in Thy Saints and the Heavens are not clean in Thy sight and the very Angels Thou chargest with folly How much more abominable then and filthy am I who dayly drink iniquity like Water Lord pity and cleanse and forgive and save me for Thy Mercies sake I know O God that in my slesh dwelleth no good thing for when I would do good evil is present with me and I see a Law in my Members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin Lord have mercy upon me and deliver me from this body of death from this Tyranny of sin Alas alas My whole Nature is Corrupt Infinitely prone to all evil and averse to all that is good my Understanding is full of Ignorance and Errour my Will is perverse my Memory tenacious of all things that may pollute me and forgetful of my duty my Passions are inordinate my Senses the inlets of all impurity and I have abused all my faculties I am Unclean Unclean Lord Pity and Cleanse and forgive and save me for Thy Mercies fake O Lord God How have I through my whole life violated the solemn Vow I made to Thee in my Baptism by eagerly pursuing the vanities of this wicked World by easily yielding to the temptations of the Devil by greedily indulging my own Carnal desires and lusts by a fruitless and dead faith and by disobedience to thy Holy Will and Commands Father I have sinned against Heaven and in Thy sight and am no more worthy to be called Thy Son I have sinned O Lord God I have sinned Against Thee by Here confess out of your Paper the sins which you have committed more immediately against God with those aggravations that accompany them For instance Lord I have committed this sin or these sins frequently against Checks of Conscience c. and then add Father I have sinned against Heaven and in Thy sight and am no more worthy to be called Thy Son O Pity and Cleanse and forgive and save me for Thy Mercies sake I have sinned O Lord God I have sinned Against Thee and against my own self by Here confess the sins you have committed more immediately against your self with their aggravations c. and say as before Father I have sinned against Heaven c. I have sinned O Lord God I have sinned Against Thee and against my Neighbour by Here confess the sins you have committed more immediately against your Neighbour with their aggravations c. and add as before Father I have sinned against Heaven c. O Lord God my wickedness is great and my iniquities are infinite they are more in number then the hairs of my head and my heart would fail me but that I well know Thy mercies are more Numberless then my sins Have mercy upon me therefore O Lord according to Thy great goodness according to the multitude of Thy mercies do away my offences Who alas can tell how oft he offendeth O cleanse Thou me from my secret faults from all my sins of Ignorance or Infirmity or Omission or which I have not observed or which I have forgot Lord lay none of them to my charge Father forgive me Lord Jesus have mercy on me O remember not the sins and offences of my youth but receive me O Heavenly Father into the arms of Thy Fatherly Compassion as Thou didst the returning Prodigal and forgive me all my transgressions for the merits of Jesus Thy only well-beloved Son and my Saviour Amen Amen When you have thus confest your sins good Phil. endeavour to be still more sensible of them and to bewail them with a true Penitential Hatred and Shame and Sorrow for them then make steady resolutions of forsaking them and cry earnestly to God for pardon and grace for you must as well put on the New man as put off the Old of all which acts of Repentance I give you the following instances and advise you to say them over as devoutly as possibly you can Acts of Shame O Lord God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to Thee for my iniquities are increased over my head and my trespasses are grown up unto the Heavens O my Soul what fruit have I reapt from all the pleasures of sin which flattered me but vanity and vexation of Spirit Lord I am ashamed of my own folly and madness and disingenuity when I call to mind how greedily I have sucked in my own Pollution How treacherously I have betrayed my own Soul to temptations and combined with the very Devils to hasten and increase my own damnation How obstinately I have fled from Thee when Thy Mercy pursued me with promises of Pardon How unworthily I have abused Thy Goodness and forbearance and long-suffering which should have led me to Repentance Surely after I was turned I repented and since I have considered my ways I am ashamed yea even confounded because I bear the Reproach of my youth Acts of Abâ—orrence I hate all evil ways O Lord but Thy Law will I love O Lord God nothing is more abominable in Thy sight or more Diabolical Nothing more defaces Thy Divine Image or makes me more odious in Thy Purest Eyes then Sin and therefore I hate and abhor it O Lord God I confess I have Nothing good in me Nothing that can any way move Thee to compaâ—ionate so loathsome a Sinner but Thy own free and Undeserved and Infinite Mercy and the merits of my Saviour O Lord God I cannot but admire the Riches of Thy Goodness who hast spared me so long and hast given me this opportunity of Repentance O do Thou yet Magnifie Thy mercy more in my forgiveness O Cleanse me from all that Filth my soul hath contracted which now renders me odious to my own self as well as to Thee Acts of Contrition Miserable Wretch that I am that I should begin so early to offend my Creatour and sin so much in so short a time Lord I fear I never yet throughly considered how evil and how bitter a thing it is to depart from Thee O make me every day more and more seusible of the errour of my ways and of my own Infinite vileness Miserable wretch that I am that ever I should commit those sins which expose me to all the vials of Thy wrath to all the Curses of Thy Law to all Thy Judgments temporal or spiritual in this life and to all the Horrors and despair
this night and for the time to come give me grace to fly all youthful lusts and to remember Thee my Creatour in the days of my youth Shower down Thy graces and blessings on me and on all my Relations on my Father and Mother on my Brethren and Sisters on all my Friends on all my Governours in this place and on all my Fellow-Scholars and give Thy Angels charge over us to protect us all from sin and danger Lord bless me in my Learning this day that I may every day grow more fit for Thy service O pardon my failings and do more for me then I can ask or think for the merits of Jesus my Saviour in whose holy words I sum up all my wants Our Father which art in heaven c Evening Prayer GLory be to Thee O Lord God for all the blessings I dayly receive from Thee and for Thy particular preservation of me this day O Lord have mercy uâ—on me and forgive whatsoever Thou hast seen amiss in me this day past and for the timk to come give me grace to fly all youthful lusts and to remember Thee my Creatour in the days of my youth Lord receive me and all my Relations and all that belong to this Colledge into Thy gracious protection this night and send me such seasonable rest that I may rise the next morning more fit for thy service Lord hear my prayers and pardon my failings for the merits of my blessed Saviour in whose holy words I sum up all my wants Our Father which art in Heaven c. This good Pbil. is the lowest degree of duty and it should be your dayly endeavour to improve in your devotion as well as in your learning and the more effectually to move you to so happy an improvement I advise you on Sundays and Holy-days attentively to read over this following Meditation and to propose to your self the Holy Child Jesus for your example A Meditation on the Holy â—hild Jesus GLory be to Thee O Lord Jesus Glory be to Thee who when Thou wert twelve years old didst go up to Jerusalem with Thy Parents after the custom of the Feast to eat the Passover and to worship Thy Heavenly Father O blessed Saviour give me grace like Thee to make Religion my first and chiefest care and devoutly to observe all solemn times and all holy Rites which relate to Thy worship Glory be to Thee O Lord Jesus Glory be to Thee who when Thy Parents returned home didst stay behind in Jerusalem and after three days wast found of them in the Temple sitting in the midst of the Doctors both hearing them and asking them questions O blessed Saviour who in Thy very Childhood didst triumph over all the vain delights of youth and wouldst choose no place but the Temple to reside in Mortifie in me all inordinate love of sensual pleasure which may pervert me from my duty raise in me an awful reverence of Thy House an early devotion in my Prayers and a delight in Thy Praises O blessed Jesu who didst choose before all others the company of the Doctors and didst both hcar them and ask them Questions give me grace to abhor all lewd company and all filthy communication give me grace to love wise and sober and profitable and religious conversation and to be diligent and inquisitive after learning and whatsoever is good Glory be to Thee O Lord Jesus Glory be to Thee who when Thy Father and Mother had sought Thee sorrowing didst reply to them How is it that ye sought me wist ye not that I must be about my Fathers business O blessed Jesu who from Thy infancie didst make it Thy whole imployment to do Thy Fathers will kindle in me a forward zeal for Thy Glory that I may consecrate my youth to Thy service and make it the great business of my life to know and fear to love and obey my Heavenly Father Glory be to Thee O Lord Jesus Glory be to Thee who didst at last return home with Thy Parents and wert subject to them O blessed Jesu give me grace to honour my Parents and Governours and readily to obey all their lawful commands Glory be to Thee O Lord Jesus Glory be to Thee who in those tender years wert blessed with such Heavenly wisdom that all that heard Thee were astonished at Thy understanding and answers who didst dayly increase in this Heavenly wisdom and in favour with God and Man O Lord Jesu bless me with all abilities of mind and body that may make me daâ—ly increase in my Learning but above all bless me with Wisdom from above and give me Thy Holy Spirit to assist and enlighten me that as I grow in Age I may dayly grow in Grace and in the knowledge of Thee and in favour with God and Man and every day more and more conformable to Thy Unsinning and Divine example Amen Lord Jesus Amen Directions for those that are more grown in years WHen you have attained to more knowledge and proficiencie in grace and are of an Age capable of receiving the Holy Sacrament God then expects more from you and 't is high time for you good Philotheus to lengthen your prayers and to begin to add some ejaculations over and above such as these are which follow Ejaculations at waking or rising AWake O my Soul and Sing praises to God Glory be to Thee O God for watching over me this night Lord raise me up at the last day to life everlasting Morning Prayer EArly in the morning will I cry unto Thee Lord hear my Prayer Glory be to Thee Lord God Almighty Glory be to Thee for renewing Thy mercies to me every morning Glory be to Thee for refreshing me this night with sleep and for preserving me from the perils of darkness O do away as the night so my transgressions scatter my sins as the Morning Cloud Lord forgive whatever Thou hast seen amiss in me this night my Here if you are conscious to your self of any sin committed in the night confess it O Father of Mercies wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin And let Thy Holy Spirit so prevent and accompany and follow me this day that I may believe in Thee and love Thee and keep Thy Commandments and continue in Thy fear all the day long Lord make me chaste and temperate humble and adviseable diligent in my studies obedient to my Superiours and charitable to all men Lord deliver me from sloth and idleness from youthful lusts and ill company from all dangers bodily and ghostly and give me grace to remember Thee my Creatour in the days of my youth Bless and defend and save the King and all the Royal Family and all Orders of men amongst us Ecclesiastical or Civil Lord give them all grace in their several stations to be instrumental to Thy glory and the publick good Together with them I commend to Thy Divine Providence my Father and Mother my Brethren and Sisters all
my Friends and Relations all my Superiours in this place and all my Fellow-Scholars O Lord vouchsafe us all those graces and blessings which Thou knowest to be most suitable for us Unto Thee O my God do I dedicate this day and my whole life O do Thou so bless and prosper me in my Studies that I may every day grow more fit for Thy service Hear me O Lord and pardon my failings for the merits of Thy Son Jesus in whose holy words I sum up all my wants Our Father which art in Heaven c. Directions for Reading Holy Scripture WHen you have said your Morning Prayer good Phil. you may then go cheerfully to your study and relie upon the Divine Goodness for a blessing But first if you have time I advise you to read before second Peal some short Psalm or piece of a Chapter out of the Gospels or Historical Books because they are the most easie to be understood Remembring the example of young Timothy who was bred up to know the Scripture from a Child But if you want time on ordinary days to read the Scripture be sure to read somewhat of it on Sundays and Holy-days and consider that you have it dayly read to you in the Hall before Dinner and Supper and at night when you are just going to Bed that you may close the day with holy thoughts and if you hearken diligently to it when it is read you do in effect read it your self Now to make your reading the more profitable to you begin with one or more of these Ejaculations Ejaculations before reading Holy Scripture WHerewithal Lord shall a young man cleanse his way even by ruling himself after Thy Word Lord open my eyes that I may see the wonderful things of Thy Law O heavenly Father I humbly beg Thy Holy Spirit so to help me at this time to read and understand and remember and practise Thy Word that it may make me wise to salvation When you are thus prepared good Phil. then begin to read and consider that it is Gods most holy Word you read and that all the while you are reading God is speaking to you and therefore read with attention and humility and endeavour as much as you can to suit your affections to the Subject you read For instance If you read any of Gods commands they should excite in you a zeal to keep them If you read any of Gods threatnings against sinners or his judgments on them they should excite in you a fear to provoke him When you read any of his gracious promises they should encourage and quicken your obedience When you read any of Gods mercies they should excite you to thanksgiving When you read any great mystery recorded in holy Writ you are to prostrate your Reason to Divine Revelation And to this purpose in the midst of your Reading say Lord give me grace to obey this command Or Lord deliver me from this sin or this judgment Or Lord I relie on this good promise Or Glory be to Thee O Lord for this mercy Or Lord I believe and adore this mystery Say any of these according as best agrees with the subject you read and when you have read as much as conveniently you can conclude with one of these Ejaculations Ejaculations after Reading BLessed be Thou O Lord O teach me Thy Statutes Lord make Thy Word a Lanthorn unto my feet and a Light unto my paths Lord make Thy Word my delight and my Counsellour Directions for the Day time O Philotheus you cannot enough thank God for the order of the place you live in where there is so much care taken to make you a good Christian as well as a good Scholar where you go so frequently to Prayers every day in the Chappel and in the School and sing Hymns and Psalms to God so frequently in your Chamber and in the Chappel and in the Hall so that you are in a manner brought up in a perpetuity of prayer Be sure Phil. that you are accountable to God for all these opportunities He gives you of serving Him and think how many blessings for your self and for the Colledge you might obtain if you prayed and praised God rather out of a devout affection then meerly to comply with the custom of the place Prayer good Phil. is the very life of a Christian and therefore we are so frequently commanded to pray without ceasing Not that we can be always on our knees but that we should accustom our selves to frequent thoughts of God that where-ever we are He sees us and when we think on God we should have always an ejaculation ready to offer up to Him and by this means we may pray not only seven times a day with David but all the day long In your reading holy Scripture especially in the Psalms you may easily gather those short sentences which most affect you for they are most proper for this use and when you have learned them without Book say one of them now and then as they occur to your mind or as occasion requires or as your devotion prompts you But be not troubled if being otherwise lawfully imployed or if being indisposed you pass a whole day without saying any for to omit them is no sin nor be you scrupulous in what posture you say them for they being short breathings of the soul to God require not that solemnity as Set Prayer does Now to give you some instances of ejaculatory Prayer take these following At going out Lord bless my going out and my coming in from this time forth for evermore After a sin committed Lord be merciful to me miserable sinner and for the merits of my Saviour lay not this sin to my charge After any blessing or Deliverance Glory be to Thee O Lord for this Blessing or for this Deliverance Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise His Holy name At giving Alms. O Lord who didst not despise the Widows mite Accept of this little I now give to relieve one of Thy poor members After having done any good Not unto me O Lord not unto me but unto Thy Name be the praise In Temptation Lord succour me with Thy Grace that I may overcome this Temptation Directions for the Evening COnsider good Phil. how many that have gone to Bed well over night have been found dead the next morning and therefore it highly concerns you to take care to make your peace with God before you go to sleep I advise you therefore towards night or when you go circum to call your self to an account how you have spent the day Examine your thoughts and discourses and actions and Recreations and Devotions and see what has been amiss in any of them Consider what Idleness or Unchastity what lying or stubbornness you have been guilty of or whether you have had a quarrel with any of your fellows and if you have be sure to be friends with
him before you say your prayers Again Consider what particular blessing or deliverance God has vouchsafed you the day past that you may give thanks for it and then say as follows Evening Prayer LEt my prayer O Lord be set forth in Thy sight as Incense and the lifting up of my hands be as an Evening Sacrifice Holy holy holy Lord God I miserable sinner humbly acknowledge that I have offended Thee this day in thought word and deed Particularly by Here mention any sin you have been guilty of But I fly into the Arms of Thy fatherly compassion Lord for Thy Mercies sake forgive me cleanse me from my wickedness and strengthen my weakness that I may overcome all the temptations which daily surround me and continue constant in my Obedience Accept of my Humblest Praise and Thanksgiving O Lord for all the goodness Thou hast this day shewed me for all the Helps of preventing or restraining grace Thou hast vouchsafed me for whatever I have done this day which is in any measure acceptable to Thee for whatever progress I have made in my Study for Thy Preservation of me from all the miseries and dangers which frail Mortality is every moment exposed to Particularly for Here name any particular blessing or deliverance God has sent you Praise the Lord O my Soul who saveth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with Mercy and Loving-kindness O Heavenly Father to Thy Almighty Protection I recommend my self and all my Relations and all that belong to this Colledge O Thou that never slumbrest nor sleepest watch over us to preserve us from sin and danger Lord let it be Thy good pleasure to refresh me this night with such seasonable rest that I may rise the next morning more fit for Thy service O pardon my failings and hear my prayers for the sake of my blessed Saviour in whose Holy words I sum up all my wants Our Father which art in heaven c. Ejaculations at going to Bed LOrd as I now go to my Bed I must one day go to my Grave O make me wise to consider my latter End I will lay me down in peace and take my rest for 't is Thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety Directions for Midnight IF you chance to wake in the Night or cannot sleep Beware Phil. of Idle and Unclean thoughts which will then be apt to crowd into your mind and therefore to arm your self against them I advise you to learn the 130 and the 139 Psalms by heart or treasure up some Ejaculations in your mind which will be excellent matter for your thoughts to feed on For instance Ejaculaions for the Night THou Lord hast granted Thy loving kindness in the day time and in the night season will I sing of Thee and make my Prayer to the God of my Life O Lord the Holy Angels are now before Thy Throne in Heaven they never rest day or night from Thy Praises and with them do I now sing Hallelujah Salvation and Honour and Glory and Power be unto our God for ever and ever Amen Amen Lord I know Thou wilt one day call me to give an account of my Stewardship but when Thou wilt come I know not whether at Even or at Midnight or at Cock-crowing or in the Morning O do Thou give me grace to Watch and to Pray always that at Thy coming Thou mayest say to me Well done good and faithful Servant Enter into the Joy of thy Master Amen Blessed Lord Amen But have a care Phil. you fix not your mind too much neither strive to repeat too many devout expressions for fear of hindring your sleep and of indisposing your self for the duties of the day following Directions for the Lords Day A Good Christian Philotheus that takes care to spend every day well will take more then ordinary care to sanctifie the Lords day it being the proper imployment of that day to attend Gods Worship and to provide for our Souls and therefore 't is fit you should add some Petitions to your Morning and Evening Prayer Relating to the solemn duties of the Day such as these are which follow Before Church time O My God I humbly beseech Thee to prepare my Soul to Worship Thee this day acceptably with Reverence and Godly fear Fill me with that faith which works by love Purifie my heart from all vain or worldly or sinful thoughts fix my affections on things above all the day long and O Lord give me grace to receive Thy Word which I shall hear this day into an honâ—st and good heart and to bring forth fâ—uit with Patieâ—ce Hear me O God for the sake of Jesus my Saviour Amen Amen When you come into the Church or Chappel not only on the Lords day but on any other day use this short preparatory Prayer at your first kneeling down In the Church O Lord I humbly beg Thy Holy Spirit to help my Infirmities at this time and to dispose my heart to devotion that my Prayers and Praises may be acceptable in Thy sight through Jesus Christ my Saviour Amen After Church time GLory be to Thee O Lord God Almighty Glory be to Thee who hast permitted me to appear before Thee this day and to tread Thy Courts Lord pardon all my failings in Thy Service this day past the wandrings and coldness and indevotion of my Prayers For the sake of my blessed Saviour have mercy upon me Lord make me a doer of Thy Word and not a hearer only lest I deceive my own soul. When you are called to Repetition at Night remember Phil. to make some amends for your negligent Hearing at the Church and treasure up in your memory some little portion of those Instructions you have heard to direct your Practice Directions for receiving the Holy Eucharist THe Receiving of the blessed Sacrament good Phil. is the most divine and solemn act of all our Religion and it ought to be the zealous endeavour of every true Christian by Gods assistance to prepare his Soul with the most serious and most devout dispositions he possibly can to approach the Holy Altar you are therefore to consider what you are to do before Receiving what in the time os Receiving and what after Receiving Before Receiving The duties you are to perform before Receiving are all comprehended in that one Rule which St. Paul gives us Let a man examine Himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup which are in a manner Commented on by the Church in the Exhortation before the Sacrament which I advise you to read over in your Common Prayer Book To put this Rule in practice 't is your best way Phil. â—t some convenient time to withdraw your self into your Chamber or into the Chappel and there to begin to commune with your own heart and to call your â—ins to remembrance but first pray heartily to God for His grace to assist you â—rayer before Examination
and Promise sake for all the merits and sufferings of the Son of Thy Love in whom Thou art always well pleased Pardon all my sins and fa lings and receive me into Thy favour Amen O Lord God Amen Amen A Petition for Grace in General O Lord God I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep Thy righteous Judgments But alas I am able of my self to do nothing that is good not so much as to think one good thought and I no sooner shall rise from my knees but I fear I shall be tempted to those very sins I have now so solemnly renounced and those temptations will certainly overcome me unless Thou Lord dost seasonably interpose Thy grace to with-hold me But I can do all things through Thee strengthening me Do Thou then O blessed Saviour perfect Thy strength in my weakness for in Thee only is my trust O my God Thou hast promised to give Thy Holy Spirit to those that ask it Behold Lord I do humbly I do earnestly ask Thy Holy Spirit now of Thee O fulfil Thy gracious promise to me O vouchsafe me that Holy Spirit I pray for to purifie my corrupt nature to strengthen my weakness to comfort me in troubles to support me in discouragements to succour me in temptations and to assist me in all parts of my duty that I may ever hereafter live in Thy fear and in constant sincere and universal obedience to all Thy righteous Laws Thou O searcher of hearts knowest the sin or sins I am most inclined to here name it or them and herein will lie my greatest danger of back-sliding But O my God I beg a double portion of Thy invisible aid against it or them Hold Thou up my goings in Thy paths that my Footsteps slip not O work in me that victorious Faith by which I may overcome the World the Devil and my own corrupt Nature True it is O Lord God that there are many sins which upon examination I find through Thy grace I have not yet committed and therefore not unto me Lord but to Thy name be the glory but alas there is in my corrupt nature so great a proneness to evil so great a curiosity to try what sin is that without Thy restraining Grace every temptation when I shall have more age and liberty and opportunity to enforce it will be apt to draw me from my obedience and to overthrow all my present Resolutions But my Help standeth in Thee O great Creatour who hast made Heaven and Earth and I commit my Soul to Thy keeping O Thou that art faithful as well as Almighty keep that safe which is committed to Thy trust watch over me that I may not be beguiled by the deceitfulnes of sin or betrayed by my own treacherous heart or surprized by my ghostly enemies and give me grace to watch and to pray incessantly my self lest I enter into temptation Hear Lord from Heaven and succour me for the alone merits of Jesus my Saviour Amen Amen Petition for particular Graces O That my ways Lord were made so direct that I might keep Thy Statutes for then shall I not be confounded when I have respect unto all Thy Commandments Vouchsafe me Thy Holy Spirit therefore O Lord God to work in me whatever is well-pleasing in Thy sight that for the time to come I may bring forth fruits meet for repentance O let it be Thy good pleasure to create in me a saving Knowledge of Thee and of my duty justifying Faith true sanctifying Grace and a purifying Hope an ardent Love and a filial fear of Thee a constant desire of pleasing Thee and a great tenderness of offending Thee Lord create in me a penitent heart a resigned will and mortified affections an habitual mindfulness of Thy presence and a steddy devotion in my Prayers sincere intentions and Zeal for Thy Glory Perseverance in all Holy purposes and constancy in all trials and temptations Lord create in me a Reverential awe of Thy Name a delight in Thy service a sacred regard to Thy day and house of Prayer and a great attention to Thy Word a dayly care of my time and diligence in my studies Lord make me chast and temperate humble and adviseable and patient of reproof and create in me a chearful and meek a contented and considerate a quiet and peaceful spirit Lord bless me with Health and Competency of living with a good understanding a retentive memory and a ready apprehension and with such a measure of temporal good things as Thou seest fit for me and give me grace to make a right use of all those blessings I have already receiveâ— Lord Purifie my thoughts Bridle my tongue Guide all my actions Guard all my senses Stop my ears and turn away my eyes from sin and vanity Lord give me grace to be just in all my dealing to do to all men as I would they should do to me to be subject to my Parents and to all my Superiours to the King as supreme and to all Civil Magistrates To the Pastors of Thy Church and to all my Governours in this place O grant that I may render due honour and obedience to them all in their several stations Lord make me willing to forgive injuries and unwilling to offer any Make me grateful to my Benefactors friendly to my equals condescending to my inferiours compassionate to the afflicted charitable to the Poor according to my ability a Lover of good men and kind to my enemies and give me grace to keep always a Conscience void of offence towards Thee and towards men and to continue in the Communion of Thy Church without wavering O Merciful God keep Thy servant from all wilful deliberate or presumptuous sins and let no wickedness have dominion over me From stubbornness and pride idleness and sloth intemperance and youthful lusts inconstancy and lying Good Lord deliver me From irreligious principles and false Teachers unruly passions and violent temptations from contracting vitious habits or taking pleasure in sin from prophaneness and ill company envy and malice detraction and uncharitableness Good Lord deliver me From the erros and vices of the Age and all remanent affections to sin from the sin or sins my corrupt Nature is most inclined to Here name it or them from whatsoever is offensive to Thee or destructive to my own Soul Good Lord deliver me Hear me O Heavenly Father and conform my whole life to the Example of my Blessed Saviour and that for his sake in whose holy words I sum up all my wants Our Father which art in heaven c. You have now Good Phil. by Gods help gone over the hardest part of your preparation for the Holy Sacrament the next thing you are to do is to examine your self whether you do sufficiently understand what the Sacrament is then to ask your self with what intentions you do approach it and to pray for Gods grace to dispose you for Worthy Receiving and
guilty of repining or murmuring at Gods providence or of being impatient under his afflictions or of being unthankful for His Mercies or of being disobedient to His Commands or of being incorrigible under his Judgments When and in what manner hast thou been guilty of dishonouring God By blasphemous or irreligious thoughts or discourses or by tamely hearing others blaspheme By taking Gods most Holy Name in vain or by Customary or false swearing or by the breach of any lawful Oath or solemn Vows By any Sacriledge or Irreverent behaviour in Gods House or mispending the Lords day or any neglect of or Inattention to Gods Word read or preacht or unprofitableness under the means of Grace Have I dishonoured God by Coldness and Wandrings and Indevotion or Carelessness in my Prayers or by any Weariness in His Service or by any total neglect of it or by Unworthy Communicating By Impenitence or putting off the evil day or superficial and partial repentances or frequent Relapses or Resisting the good Motions of Gods Spirit By abetting any Schism or Heresie or Prophaness O my soul what sins art thou guilty of more immediately Against thy self Art thou guilty of Pride either of thy Clothes or of thy Estate or of thy Credit or of thy Parts or of thy own Holiness or of boasting of thy own good deeds or of commending thy self or of being greedy of Praise or of performing good duties to gain applause or of committing sin to avoid reproach of men Hast thou been immoderately greedy of Riches or of sensual pleasures or guilty of peevishness or of too violent or too lasting fits of anger or of Inconstancy or of inconsideration or of discontentedness with thy condition Hast thou been guilty of mispending thy time or of negligence in resisting temptations or of not improving those opportunities of Learning and Piety which God gives thee in this place or of Abusing Thy Natural parts to Sin Hast thou been guilty of any Intemperance in eating or in drinking or in sleeping or in recreations spending too much time on them or being too greedy after them Hast thou been guilty of Idleness or of downright drunkenness or of laughing at it in others Hast thou been guilty of any Uncleanness of the Eye or of the Hand or of the Fansie of any lasciviousness or Lust or Fornication or Adultery or hast thou taken delight in lewd Company or in vitious or Unchast Songs or Stories or expressions O my Soul what sins art thou guilty of more immediately Against thy Neighbour How when where Against whom hast thou been guilty of Any Injury or Injustice or Oppression or breach of Trust or Promise or of any Fraud or Theft or Flattery or Dissimulation or Treachery or Lying or of giving any just Scandal How when where against whom hast thou been guilty of Any Ill Language or detraction or slander or tale-bearing or rash censuring or back-biting or of Contemning or Scoffing at thy Neighbour either for his Infirmities or for his being religious How when where against whom hast thou been guilty of any Contentiousness or Spight or Revenge or of delighting Causlesly to grieve thy Neighbour or of Railing or of actually Hurting him Or of murdering him in thy mind by Ill wishes or Curses Hast thou been guilty of bitter imprecations or bearing false witness or Covetqusness of any thing He possesses Hast thou been guilty of Unthankfulness to those that have done thee good or have reproved thee or of Uncharitableness to the Poor or to any Christian in distress or of any Unnaturalness to any of thy Relations or of any Evil-speaking or Dis-respect or Stubbornness against any of thy Governours either Civil or Ecclesiastical or in particular Against thy Parents or Superiours in this place or of any Wilful Disobedience to the lawful Commands of all or either of them Hast thou tempted any other to sin by Connivence or Encouragement or Command or Perswasion and Mightily increased thy own Guilt by furthering the damnation of thy Brother In case Phil. you do find this Examination too difficult for you or are afraid you shall not rightly perform it or meet with any scruples or troubles of Conscience in the practice of it I then advise you as the Church does to go to one of your Superiours in this place to be your Spiritual Guide and be not ashamed to Unburthen your Soul freely to Him that besides His Ghostly Counsel you may receive the benefit of Absolution For though Confession of our Sins to God is only Matter of duty and absolutely Necessary yet Confession to our spiritual Guide also is by many devout souls found to be very advantageous to true Repentance If upon your Examination Phil. you find you have any way wronged your Neighbour Resolve upon the first opportunity to make him some suitable satisfaction and to ask his forgiveness for you are first to be reconciled to your Brother before you come to the Altar to offer your Gift If you are guilty of tempting any other to sin Ask Gods pardon for him as well as for your self and if you have any opportunity to do it exhort him to Repentance But if any hath wronged you forgive the Injury presently for you beg forgiveness of God on this very condition that you your self forgive your Brother This Examination of your self Phil. I suppose will be task enough for you at one time and therefore that you may not tire your self you may conclude with this short Prayer A Prayer after Examination O Lord God I have now by Thy Assistance considered my own evil ways O Thou who only knowest the Heart and who only canst change it Create in me such a broken and contrite heart which thou hast promised not to despise and so deep a sense of my own sin and misery that my Repentance may bear some Proportion to my Guilt O my God Pardon all my failings and perfect that good work thou hast begun in me for the merits of Jesus my Saviour In whose Holy words I sum up all my wants Our Father c. At the very next opportunity of retiring you can get Resolve good Phil. with the Prodigal to return to your Heavenly Father and humbly to beg forgiveness and having brought your Catalogue of Sins with you Kneel down and with the lowest prostrations of soul and body make your Confession to God of your Sins and of their aggravations A Form of Confession O Thou great Judge of Heaven and Earth before whose Glorious Majesty even the Good Angels who never sinned fall Prostrate and tremble With what debasement and dread ought I to appear before Thy Awful presence who am but dust and ashes and which is infinitely worse a miserable wretched Sinner Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty Thou art of purer eyes then to behold evil with the least approbation The way of the wicked and the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to Thee Wo is me then O Lord wo is me for I