THE Daily Practice OF DEVOTION OR The Hours of Prayer FITTED To the main Uses of a CHRISTIAN LIFE Also Lamentations and Prayers for the Peaceful re-settlement of this Church and State By the late Pious and Reverend H. H. D. D. Cum clamore valido lachrymis preces offerens exauditus est pro sua reverentia LONDON Printed for R. Royston Bookseller to His most Sacred Majesty MDCLXXXIV The Introduction ALL things tend naturally toward some certain End and desire some Good the attainment of which is the Perfection of their Nature and the enjoyment of it their Supreme Happiness The highest Perfection and Happiness of Mankind consists in their nearest approach unto God the supreme End and only Good The only means of thus approaching and applying our selves to God is a sincere Love of him the Natural effect and expression of which is our keeping his Commandments 1 John 3. 5. Now the whole Service of God which is that we call Religion being in the Holy Scriptures largely and plainly declared to the meanest understandings may seem to be all comprehended under these three Heads Faith Works and Prayer I. By Faith we nnderstand the hearty Belief of whatsoever is revealed by God II. By Works the diligent Observing of whatsoever is commanded by God III. By Prayer the humble Petitioning for all requisites to that end Of the First we have a short Summary in the Apostles Creed Of the Second in the Two Tables of the Law Of the Third we have an excellent Pattern in the Lords Prayer Of which though the last be the only Subject of our present Discourse yet the First and the Second were to be mentioned being the natural Introductions to it The Apostles Creed I Believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord which was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried he descended into Hell the third day he rose again from the dead he ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead I believe in the Holy Ghost the Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints the Forgiveness of Sins the Resurrection of the Body and the Life everlasting Amen The two Tables of the Law I. THou shalt have none other Gods but Me. II. Thou shalt not Worship any kind of Image III. Thou shalt not take the Name of God in vain IV. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day V. Honour thy Father and thy Mother VI. Thou shalt do no Murder VII Thou shalt not commit Adultery VIII Thou shalt not Steal IX Thou shalt not bear False Witness X. Thou shalt not Covet any thing that is thy neighbours The Lords Prayer OUR Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And lead us not into Temptation But deliver us from evil For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen The Contents OF the daily practice of Devotion Pag. 1 Of set Forms of Prayer 2 Of the Lords Prayer 3 The Lords Prayer 4 The Paraphrase 5 Of the parts of Prayer 7 Of the Difficulty of Prayer 9 Preparatives to Prayer 10 Preparatory Prayers 14 A General Form of Prayer 15 The Seven Hours of Prayer for every day 31 The First Hour 35 The Second Hour 43 Of Publick Prayer the third hour 59 The Third Hour 63 The Fourth Hour 69 The Fifth Hour 79 The Sixth Hour 85 The Seventh Hour 93 Of Solemn Repentance 109 A General form of Confession 115 Of the Lords Supper 129 Of Frequent Receiving 133 Of Preparation 137 Prayers before the Sacrament 141 Before the Bread 146 After the Bread 147 Before the Cup. 148 After the Cup. ibid. An Hymn 149 After the Sacrament 151 An Admonition after Receiving 153 Of Death 157 A Prayer Preparatory to Death 160 Lamentations and Devotions for Times of Captivity 163 Psalms 172 Prayers 183 A Prayer for the Church 190 A Prayer for the King and State 195 A Prayer for all Christian Princes and the Ecclesiastical State 202 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alexander Stromat lib. 7. p. 728. OF THE DAILY PRACTICE OF DEVOTION Micah 6. 8. He hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do Justly and to love Mercy and to walk Humbly with thy God Of Prayer AS Religion is the Life of the Soul so Prayer is the Soul of Religion and the Breath by which it lives and moves without which it is stifled up and dies It is a piece of Service as most acceptable to God so most useful to us for as in it we make our daily acknowledgment and do homage as it were to the Great King so in it we have continual access into his high Court to offer up our Petitions to Him to make known our Wants and implore his gracious Relief Of set Forms of Prayer AND although the perpetual changeableness of all things in this transitory Life do every day alter our occasions and create to us new necessities yet our great and common wants and interests remaining still the same in all reason we may still use the same words to express them to God Our extraordinary Necessities may be added and inserted in their proper places in our ordinary Prayers as our daily occasions shall require Otherwise being comprehended under the general heads expressed in our usual Form it will not always be necessary to mention them particularly to Him that knows what things we have need of before we ask and neither hears us the sooner nor understands us the better for our many words Of the Lords Prayer AND indeed any sober Christian may abundantly satisfie himself both of the Lawfulness of Set Forms and the Usefulness of Short ones from the Direction and Example of our Lord who Himself prescribed to His Disciples a Brief Form of Prayer still remaining upon record in the Holy History and daily used in the Catholick Church Which excellent Pattern doubtless we may do well to imitate in our Devotions as that which in a fit method and few words comprehends and summs up all necessaries as may appear by this Short Paraphrase The LORD's PRAYER OUR Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily Bread And forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from Evil. For thine is the Kingdom the Power and Glory for ever and ever Amen The Paraphrase O Mercifnl Lord God who hast vouchsafed to adopt and receive us Thy
not die but live to praise thy mercy I confess O Lord that I was even conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity and though thou hadst wash'd me from that Original Pollution of Nature in the holy Fountain of Baptism yet have I since again defiled my self with all manner of actual Abominations O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face unto thee for mine iniquities are increased over mine head and my trespasses are waxed great unto the Heavens Since the days of my youth I am in a great trespass and my whole life is nothing else but a continued transgression of thy Law and provocation of thy wrath I have but slightly performed or neglected and wholly omitted and even contemned those Duties and Services which thou requirest of me but have greedily committed and carelesly and even presumptuously continued in those sins which thou hast strictly forbidden and severely threatned So that if thou shouldst enter into judgment with thy Servant I could expect nothing but to receive my portion with hypocrites and unbelievers and to be cast out into utter darkness in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for evermore But thou O Lord which desirest not the death of a sinner but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live turn thou me O good God turn me from all my transgressions and let not iniquity be my ruine Open thou mine eyes and awaken my dull and stony heart that I may see and understand the vileness and misery of my sinful state that I may hate and abhor and forsake all my evil ways and turn to thee with all my heart and with all my strength Give me that Godly sorrow which worketh true repentance forgive and put away all my sins and offences nail them to the Cross of Jesus Christ and bury them in his Grave that they may never rise up in judgment against me Receive me O my Father and be reconciled unto me in the mercies and merits of thy dear Son for his sake restore me again to thy grace and favour and the light of thy countenance and establish me with thy free Spirit Psal 51. 12. Send down the dew of thy heavenly grace the light of thy Holy Spirit into my heart to lead me in thy way and enable me to walk in it Give me strength to resist all temptations and to stand against all assaults of the World the Flesh and the Devil that no Allurement may draw no Terror may drive me from the streight path of thy Service but that I may persevere in it to the end of my days that having lived in thy fear I may die in thy favour rest in thy peace rise in thy power and reign with thee for ever in thy Glory And thou O Lord which hast promised to add all other necessaries to them which seek first thy Kingdom and the righteousness thereof remember me also with thy temporal blessings as shall seem best unto thee and may be most for the advancement of mine Eternal Interest Give me health of Body soundness of Mind competence of means comfort of Friends peace in this world and contentment of mind what state soever thou shalt please to call me to Give me grace to set my heart not on things below but on things above that I may chearfully expect when it shall please thee to translate me from thy blessings in this world to the joys of thy Eternal Kingdom And thou O Lord which hast commanded us to make prayers and supplications for all others as well as our selves we beseech thee to extend thy mercy and goodness to all mankind in all the corners of the Earth Open and enlighten the eyes of them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death and guide their feet into the way of peace that thy way may be known upon earth and thy saving health among all nations Psal 67. 2. Inlarge the bounds of thy Catholick Church Unite and sanctifie all that are already received into her bosom and restore her to her ancient purity and prosperity Send such Priests whose lips may preserve knowledge and make the People diligent to seek thy Law at their mouth and so direct and rule both Priests and People that by their holy conversation they may shine as Lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation And thou who hast promised to make Kings and Queens the Nursing Fathers and Nursing Mothers of thy Church protect all the Governments of the world especially Christian Kings and Princes and more particularly Him whom thy particular Providence hath placed over us Preserve and prosper him in all his ways give him success in all his undertakings and actions that having lived and ruled here in justice piety prosperity peace and happiness he may quietly pass from this earthly and transitory to a heavenly and eternal Crown Bless his Illustrious Family and the whole State under him Distribute thy blessings to every one as thou shalt judge most meet and as may best fit and enable and encourage them in their several Places and Callings in the performance of their duties of Worship and Obedience to thee and of justice and Honesty and Charity to their Brethren Bless all those to whom I am bound by any special Relation Parents Freinds Kindred Benefactors Family Thou O Lord knowest the Name and place of every one Thou knowest our several desires and wants We beseech Thee to proportion thy reliefs and blessings to every one that we may be mutual helps and comforts to each other in our passage through this vale of misery and tears Have mercy and compassion upon all that are under any calamity in body or mind or outward condition especially those that suffer for righteousness sake Give them Patience to bear and Prudence to make a right use of all their Afflictions and in thine own good time relieve and restore them here or take them away from these temporal miseries to thine eternal rest in Heaven And let not my Lord be angry and I will speak but this once and that in obedience to thy command for our Enemies Slanderers and Oppressors especially those that have caused or increased the publick Distractions Lord restrain their malice and open their Eyes and Hearts that they may see the crookedness of their own ways and return into the streight path of meekness and Charity that we may live together in Peace here and reign together in thy Glory hereafter And that our Ingratitude for Thy former Blessings may not make us more unworthy and uncapable of the future we humbly desire to offer up our sacrifice of Praise and Thansgiving for all thy goodness and loving-kindness multiplied and continued upon us That Thou hast been pleased to create us men after thine own Image the most excellent of all the works of thy hands And when by our own sin and fall we had made our selves worse than the vilest of all
labourer of his hire by want of due care in expending what we have and a good conscience in acquiring more We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By lying detraction and contumely by censuring and rash judgment by false witness and perverting the course of justice We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By uncontentedness and desiring change in our estates by giving our selves over to lustful covetous and inordinate affections by neglecting acts of Charity and doing as we would be done to and not doing our duty in that state of life unto which it hath pleased Thee to call us We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By fretting our selves because of the ungodly and being envious against the evil-doer by not loving our enemies not blessing them that curse us not doing good to them that hate us nor praying for those that despightfully use us and persecute us We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By presuming to do evil that good may come thereof by placing piety in opinions by straining at Gnats and swallowing of Camels scrupling at things indifferent and making no conscience of known sins We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By running into open profaneness under colour of avoiding Superstition by guiding our conscience by humours and phansies and not by the certain rules of thy Law by having itching ears and heaping to our selves Teachers and by having mens persons in admiration because of advantage We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By impatience under thy correcting hand not endeavouring our amendment by it and reflecting on our own sins as the causes of it by despising thy chastisements and not rejoycing in tribulations nor glorifying Thee that hast counted us worthy to suffer for righteousness sake We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By our want and neglect of those necessary Christian duties of Humiliation and godly sorrow for sin of indignation and revenge upon our selves for it of confessing and forsaking of restitution and satisfaction to others and not by bringing forth fruits worthy of repentance We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousnnss belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day WHO can tell how oft he offendeth O cleanse Thou us from these and from our secret sins Psal 19. 22. Try us O good God and search the ground of our hearts prove us and examine our thoughts Look well if there be any other way of wickedness in us and lead us in the way everlasting Psal 139. 23 24. Behold O Lord we are here before Thee in our sins we stand guilty of these and many more not only of all sorts but of all degrees also and we know and confess that the least of these deserves no less than the wages of eternal death But if Thou Lord shouldst be extreme to mark what is done amiss O Lord who may abide it If Thou shouldst thus severely proceed in judgment against us our spirits should fail before Thee and those souls which Thou hast made Deal thou with us therefore O Lord not after the multitude of our sins but according to the multitude of thy mercies Turn away thy face from our sins and behold that Son of thy Love in thine own bosom that doth not only intercede but hath satisfied not only request and intreat but even require and challenge Thee to have mercy upon us For his sake therefore we beseech Thee have this mercy upon us to make us capable of thy mercies Send down the dew of thy Heavenly grace that may melt and mollifie our frozen and stony hearts that we may see and confess and hate and forsake and sincerely repent us of all our past sins and abominations and turn from the evil of our former ways to Thee that art the Way the Truth and the Life John 14. 6. And then O Lord do Thou return to us also forgive the Debt which hath been discharged by the precious bloud of thy dear Son and seal to us our pardon by the gift of thy holy Spirit which for the time to come may prevent excite and enable us to walk before Thee in holiness and rigtheousness all our days that having cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light we may like valiant Soldiers fight that good fight against all temptations of the world the flesh and the Devil that having finished our course we may receive of Thee that crown of life which Thou hast promised to them that continue faithful unto death Rev. 2. 10. And all for his sake who by his death hath overcome death and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life To him with Thee and the Holy Spirit be all Honour and Glory world without end Amen OF THE HOLY SACRAMENT OF THE Lords Supper AND THE PREPARATION Before it Psal 116. 12 13. What reward shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me I will take the cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. Psal 26. 6. I will wash my bands in innocency so will I compass thine Altar O Lord. THere yet remains one principal piece of Devotion and that without which there is indeed no Devotion it being the Sacrifice in the Smoke of which our prayers must ascend up before him that sitteth on the Throne Now although God being himself a Spirit desires also to be worshipped in Spirit and in his own respect cares not for these outward and sensible performances yet because the minds of men being as it were shut up in this prison of the Body can receive little information or affection but what is conveyed to them by the Sense it hath pleased him to accommodate himself to our imperfection and infirmity and appoint certain Ceremonies or outward actions which working immediately upon the Senses are by them conveyed in unto the Soul and make on it a more powerful impression of that which is signified by those sensible actions Such are Looking up toward Heaven when we speak to God Kneeling when we pray to him Standing up when we praise him and Bowing at the mention of his Sacred Name such is the dipping in water and signing with the Cross in the Sacrament of Baptism and such is the receiving of Bread and Wine in this other of which we speak For though the