out all my transgressions O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure If I consider what I have done what I suffer is not so much what I have committed is grievous what I suffer is but light righteous art thou O Lord and upright are thy judgments O Lord deal not with me after my sins neither reward me after mine iniquities but according to the multitude of thy mercies think thou vpon me O Lord for thy goodness Thou God art my strength and the horn of my Salvation thou makest sore and bindest up thou woundest and thy hand make whole thou killest and makest alive thou bringest down to the Grave and bringest up if therefore thou pleasest to permit my Soul to remain any longer in this Earthly Tabernacle for thy Glory and Service O Lord help thy afflicted Servant and give me patience But if thou seest it fit to take away my Life thy Will be done and let thy Servant depart in peace Protect me against all the temptations and assaults of Satan with the Shield of thy mercy Grant that my faith may not fail me nor my hope be shaken nor the weakness of my Nature be cast down by the terrours of Death but after my Eyes are dim my Tongue faulters and my senses have lost their power and faculties grant that my Mind and Soul may be continually fix'd on thee and by the Assistance of thy Holy Spirit may be firmly united to thee and with my last breath I may commend my Soul into thy hands O Lord who livest and reignest for ever and ever Amen II. Blessed Lord forasmuch as I must bid farewel to this World I commend unto Thee all mine Thou who relievest the Fatherless and the Widow be their Father and Protector It is not for me to intermeddle with what is thy prerogative but give me Grace to use all Diligence to make my own calling and election sure before I go hence and be no more seen All my other care I cast upon Thee Be thou pleas'd to provide for all mine Bless them O Lord and replenish their hearts with a godly fear and love of thy holy Name Give them health of body soundness of mind and all good things which thou seest fit for them Keep from them all such things as may alienate their minds from Thee or any ways hinder them from the profession of a true faith or the practice of a Holy Life III. O Eternal Lord I now see all things in the World leave me but do not thou forsake me O my God In thee is my trust leave not my Soul destitute I flee unto thee for succour Make hast to help me O Lord my Salvation O my God be not far from me in this my last hour I confess indeed I am not worthy to be called thy Son or even the meanest of thy Servants but I cast my self at thy feet and fall down before thy Throne of Grace O deal with me according the multitude of thy mercies and enter not into judgment with thy Servant I do not hide my transgressions from thee but humbly confess them before thy Divine Majesty but according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness sake O Lord look upon my affliction and pain and forgive all my sins for the merits and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ Cast me not away from thy thy presence since thou hast redeemed me with the blood of thy Son O keep my Soul and deliver me let me not be ashamed for I put my trust in thee O dear Jesu thou art my Redeemer and my Saviour thou hast overcome the World Sin and Hell it self that they can do me no harm Lord I come unto thee do not reject me O do not leave me in this my hour of Death Into thy hands I commend my Spirit Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Amen Amen O Man remember Death and Eternity and whilst you live here consider where after Death you are to live for ever and ever FINIS Books Printed for and are to be Sold by Sam. Keble at the Great Turks-head in Fleet street MONASTICON ANGLICANUM Or the History of the Ancient Abbies and other Monasteries Hospitals Cathedral and Collegiate Churches in England and Wales with divers French Irish and Scotch Monasteries formerly relating to England Collected and Published in Latin by Sir William Dugdale Knt. late Gartor King of Arms in Three Volums and now epitomiz'd in English Page by Page price 10 s. The Historical Parts of the Old and New Testament in Verse with One Hundred and Twenty Cuts being the best use of Poetry and Sculpture 12o. price 2 s. EPICTETI Enchiridion Or the most Excellent Morals of Epictetus Made English in a Poetical Paraphrase By Ellis Walker M. A. A Collection of Private Forms of Prayers for Morning Noon and Night and other special Occasions by the Author of the Weeks Preparation to the Sacrament Degrees of Marriage that which is ordered to be had in all Churches
shall be Forgiven The Apostle St. Paul reckons these amongst the works of the Flesh Gal. 5.20 21. Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditions Envyings and such like and pronounceth that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God And St. John saith 1 Joh. 3.14 15. He that loveth not his Brother abideth in Death Whosoever hateth his Brother is a Murderer We have good reason to bear with the infirmities of others because there are many things which others must bear with in us For no one is perfect You see plainly that you are not able to bring your self to live according to those Rules which you could wish and why then should you be angry with others if they do not live just as you would have them Mat. 7.5 first cast out the Beam out of thine own Eye and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the Mote out of thy Brothers Eye let us therefore bear one anothers Burthens Gal. 6.2 for there is no body without fault And then farther let us endeavour to keep our selves from Slandering and Calumniating of others by not being too curious in enquiring into the Words and Actions and Lives of our Neighbours for what O Man is it to thee what another says or does Rom. 14.4 Who art thou that judgest another Mans Servant To his own Master he standeth or falleth Do thy best to give a good account of thine own Words and Actions to God and he also is obliged to render an account of his to the same God to whom all things are naked and open he sees all things under the Sun and knows what every one thinks and desires and to what end they direct their Actions therefore commit all to him rest contented and do not disquiet thy self with others cares The Prayer O Lord our most Merciful Father who in thy Son Jesus Christ hath called me to Eternal Life and forgiven me all my sins let thy Holy Spirit also direct and rule my heart that I may daily persevere in a true Repentance continually strive against my sins and increase more and more in all vertuous and godly living And for as much as my own strength is not sufficient to contend against so many Enemies and to bring my good purposes to effect do thou O Lord stretch forth thy Right Hand to assist me least I saint in the Warfare and Satan get the Dominion over me Thou O Lord resistest the Proud but givest grace to the Humble The proud in heart is an Abomination to thee vouchsafe me therefore O Lord an humble Spirit devoid of all High-mindedness according to the example of our Blessed Lord who being in the form of God humbled himself even to the Death of the Cross that he might exalt us unto everlasting life Make me to consider that I am but Dust and Ashes and have no reason to lift up my self let me not be proud of those gifts which thou hast bestowed on me and scornfully despise others but confess that what ever good is in me I have received it all from thee O Lord naked came I out of my Mothers Womb but thou hast bountifully given me Meat and Drink Cloathing and Habitation and all things necessary for the preservation of my life Make me to be contented with my Daily Bread that my mind may never be possess'd with Covetousness But may remember that I must go out of this World naked as I came and therefore may lay up my Treasure in Heaven which I may enjoy to all Eternity And because I know that in me dwelleth no good thing and the Flesh always Lusteth against the Spirit and is daily enticing me to the pleasures of this World grant O Lord that by the assistance of thy Holy Spirit I may crucifie and mortifie the Flesh with its affections and Lusts and may live soberly righteonsly and godly in this present World and serve thee in pureness of Spirit all the days of my life Grant also that according to thy command and example we may love one another Root out of our Hearts all bitterness and malice that the Sun may never go down upon our Wrath but that we may do good to those that hate us and forgive all that have offended us Lord I beseech thee take from me Pride and give me the Spirit of Humility Extinguish in me the desires of the Flesh and inflame my Heart with the love of thee Cast out of my mind the fury of anger and implant therein the gift of Patience Remove from me the love of Vain-glory the bitterness of Envy and bestow on me the sweetness of Charity and Humility the gift of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in thy sight of great price CHAP. XVII A Diary of the practice of Piety BUT for as much as the Exercises of Piety ought to be every day performed because no body can be certain which shall be that last day when he shall depart out of this life and every day for ought we know may be our last It will therefore be very useful to have both in our view and memory the course of one day regularly dispos'd according to the pattern whereof we may lead our lives that so every day we may be prepared for an happy Death First then O Man when you awake out of sleep in the Morning let your earliest Meditations be on God nor ever let any thing but the thoughts of God first enter into your mind For serious Contemplations of God being once admitted into our minds will keep out all evil Devices think then first that God will easily hereafter raise you from the dead as now you are awaken'd from your sleep Afterwards when with open'd eyes you behold the light of the Sun think with your self how great the Glory and Majesty of the last day will be when so many hundred thousand glorious Bodies shining like the Sun and Stars shall go with Christ their Judge like so many Suns into eternal life and therefore use all diligence that you may appear one of that blessed number Afterwards revolve in your mind that the Devil like a Roaring Lion 1 Pet. 5.8 walketh about seeking whom he may devour That he was not far from you the night past and had a desire to hurt you and could have done it unless God had defended you by the Ministry of his Holy Angels And withal think that the Holy Angels were encamped all night round about you that now you are rising from your Bed they stand by you and therefore take care to behave your self Circumspectly as being placed in the presence of God and the blessed Angels When you put on your Cloaths think that they are the Tokens of guilt with which we cover our shame and nakedness and therefore you have no cause to be proud of them and whilst you cover your Body let not your Soul be naked but put on the wedding Garment even the Righteousness of Christ and think
desirable soever they may appear and whatever he loves he therefore loves them because they are dear and acceptable unto God but whatever God hates that the Christian is to despise Thus our Saviour teacheth us Luk. 14.26 27. If any Man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wise and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life also he cannot be my Disciple Joh. 12.25 He that loveth his Life shall lose it and he that hateth his Life in this World shall keep it unto Life Eternal That is to say a Christian ought to despise himself and all that he hath and every thing in the World in respect of God to desire nothing to love nothing that may alienate his affections from God however specious it may seem or how much so ever it may tend to the gratification of his pleasure profit fame or glory So that though he studies the practice of Vertue yet he doth it not to advance his own vain Glory and Honour but because no knoweth 't is acceptable to God and so whatsoever he doth he doth all to the glory of God This is truly to die to the World when we can despise Pleasures Riches Honours and all the World enjoys when God is dearer to us than any thing besides and when we dare not do any evil for the love of any Man or thing in the whole World If this seem hard yet is it very just and reasonable For if we love any thing because we find it profitable to us consider that every thing we possess we have from God if we love any other things because they are good God is the chiefest good yea goodness it self If we love Riches all things are Gods he is Lord of Heaven and Earth he filleth the needy with good things and dispenseth Riches to whom he pleaseth If we love Honour what greater Honour can there be than when the Son of Man shall come in great power and glory that they who have loved him and for his sake have left all things in the World should also sit upon seats and Judge the Tribes of Israel All Worldly things are changeable and Momentary and the various vicissitudes of Humane Affairs occasion nothing but Cares Sorrows and Vexations of Soul But the love of God causeth perpetual Peace and Tranquility of Mind according to that of David Ps 73.36 My Flesh and my Heart faileth But God is the strength of my Heart and my portion for ever If for the sake of God we lose our Worldly goods the great God alone is more worth than all and whoever enjoys him hath all things else For in God are all things that we can wish for or desire as saith our Lord Every one that hath forsaken Houses or Brethren Mat. 19.29 or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my names sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life Joh. 14.23 And again if a Man love me my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him This may seem hard to Flesh and Blood but Chrisâ—â—â—nity cannot otherwise subsist The true Christian loves nothing better than God and whoever doth prefers the Creature before the Creator In short the Christian doth all to the glory of God he seeks not his own pleasure or profit or honour in any thing but doth all out of love to God and for Gods honour And he that loves God truly and sincerely loves only those things that are dear and acceptable to God and hates all things that God hates This Holy Men in all Ages studiously perform'd especially the Martyrs the World indeed esteemed them as fools but they were the most prudent Men living For is not he the wisest Man that despiseth vile and trifling things and sets a just value upon things that are best and most useful For as our Saviour says Mat. 16.26 what shall it profit a Man to gain the whole World and lose his own Soul Virtue it self and good works are not pleasing to God if in them a Man seeks his own glory and not the glory of God alone And from hence it appears how vain the thoughts of Men are they spend many Days and Nights in Labour and Study that they may get Learning and appear renowned in the World but to be made partakers of the Divine Nature to acquire a Blessed and Eternal Life they can scarcely spare so much time from their business as to recite one serious Prayer What troubles do Merchants undergo how many dangers do they run in hopes of being rich And of how little value are the things they gain Nay were they as truly great and pretious as they seem to be yet Death would quickly deprive them of all But on the contrary how great are those good things which God will give in the other life to those that love him Of which we have already treated in the fourth Chapter That life will be void of all evil and replenish'd with all the good and happiness that can be desired there we shall openly behold the Glory and Majesty of God and enjoy Communion with him there we shall not only hear the Hymns and Songs that are sung without intermission in praise of the Eternal King by the Angels Archangels and all the Blessed but shall also assist in their Quire and praise God for ever and ever Oh! How Blessed how beautiful is the Heavenly Jerusalem Very glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God In thee there is no darkness no night no cold nor heat no alteration of Seasons no hunger nor thirst no labour nor weariness no sickness nor death the glory of God shall enlighten thee and the pure immaculate Lamb shall be thy Light Rev. 21.23 There God shall give us meat of which whosoever eateth he shall hunger no more and drink of which whosoever drinketh he shall thirst no more God shall be our strength our health and our life God will there be all in all And now who in his right mind would not despise and loath these vain Worldly things and love God alone above all things else that so after Death when all things here below vanish and disappear he may be made a partaker of this Blessedness wherein God will be all in all The Prayer O Merciful Lord inlighten the Eyes of my mind that I may consider what immense benefits I have received from thee When I was nothing thou didst create me after thine own Image when by my sins I was justly doom'd to the pains of Hell thou didst redeem me there from by the Death of thy Son and hast sanctified me with thy Holy Spirit Lord by how many Bonds am I obliged to love thee my only good How vain and empty are these Transitory things which after this life is ended must all be left behind Grant therefore that I may set my affections on things above
that I may desire thee alone and be inflam'd with the love of thee that after Death I may be translated to the joys and blessedness of thy glorious Kingdom and live with thee for ever and evâ—â— Amen CHAP. XV. That we are to love our Neighbour AFter God our Neighbour is to be beloved whom a Christian ought to love as himself And these two the love of God and of our Neigheour are joyned together by an indissoluble Bond so that the love of God can never be separated from the love of our Neighbour If any one shall say I love God and hate his Brother he is a Lyar. He who is angry with his Brother without cause doth not love God no one can hurt his Brother but at the same time he offends God And therefore amongst the Characters of a Christian this is one of the chief to love our Neighbour A new Commandment saith our Saviour John 13.34 35 I give unto you that ye love one another By this shall all Men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another Although a Christian be endued with all other Vertues yet without Charity they will all profit him nothing Of which St. Paul thus speaks 1 Cor. 13.1 c. Though I speak with the Tongues of Men and of Angels and have not Charity I am become as sounding Brass or a tinkling Cymbal And though I have the gift of Prophecy and understand all Mysteries and all knowledge and have no Charity I am nothing c. In the last Judgment the Faith of Men shall be judged by their Charity Whilst the Just Judge shall say to the Blessed Mat. 25. I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me for as much as ye have done it unto the least of these ye have done it unto me And on the contrary to the wicked he shall say I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink I was a stranger and ye took me not in naked and ye cloathed me not sick and in prison and ye visited me not and forasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me By this Christians are distinguished from the Heathen they indeed love their Friends but Christians must love their Enemies as our Saviour teacheth us But I say unto you love your Enemies Mat. 5.44 c. Bless them that Curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you That ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven for he maketh the Sun to rise on the evil and on the good and and sendeth rain on the Just and on the Vnjust For if ye love them which love you what reward have ye Do not even the Publicans the same And if ye salute your Brethren only what do ye more than others do not even the Publicans so Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect For in this the Eminency and Prerogative of a Christian consists in overcoming the World and the Flesh Accordingly St. Paul thus adviseth us Rom. 12.17 18. Recompence to no Man Evil for Evil Provide things honest in the sight of all Men If it be possible as much as lieth in you vers 19. live peaceably with all Men Dearly beloved avenge not your selves If thine Enemy hunger vers 20. feed him if he thirst give him drink for in so doing thou shalt heap Coals of fire on his Head Be not overcome of Evil but overcome Evil with good vers 21. The Prayer LORD Jesus who hast given us a new Commandment that we should love one another and wentest before us by thy Example in doing good and praying for thine Enemies grant that we may bear a brotherly love and kindness to all Men that we may hurt no body but do good to all Men even to our Enemies and commit all Revenge to thee alone Take from us O Lord Anger Hatred Malice and all bitterness of Spirit that the Sun may not go down upon our wrath but that we may forgive those that have Trespassed against us even as we desire thee to forgive us our Trespasses grant unto us kindness and good will that our Faith may work by love and all Men may say that we are thy Disciples indeed CHAP. XVI That we must guard our minds from Capital Sins ALthough a Christian if he loveth God above all and his Neighbour as himself and orders all his Actions by the love of God and of his Neighbour will not easily be tempted to commit any Heinous Crime yet because sins do easily insinuate themselves under the mask of good and the World the Flesh and the Devil do endeavour a thousand ways by allurements by deceits or by force to tempt us from our good purposes and resolutions of living well it therefore behoves a Christian to arm himself against the Assaults of all Capital Sins For as in War he that knows the Enemy is near provideth himself with all necessary Weapons keeps Watches and Sentinels that so he may at all times be in a readiness to oppose the Enemy In like manner it is our Duty to have always our Spiritual Armour at hand with which we may resist the Enemies of our Salvation the World the Flesh and the Devil This is that Warfare by which we overcome the World and our own selves and we ought daily to improve our selves in it Wherefore if Men would but take half the pains in vanquishing their Lusts and implanting Piety in their Minds as they do in getting Riches hunting after Honours and resolving nice and intricate Questions there would be fewer offences in the World and the exercises of Vertue would be much more frequent and vigorous amongst Men. And whereas all that are in the World are the Lusts of the Flesh the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life or the love of Pleasures Riches and Honours 1 John 2.16 and those Enormous Sins which arise from hence as Pride Covetousness Luxury Envy Anger Enmity and Hatred and the like It is therefore the Duty of a Christian diligently to consider how he may best fortifie himself against these vices And first against Pride The Christian may easily cure himself of this Evil by accustoming himself to Humility and considering how little one Man is better than another We are born all alike one wants Meat and Drink as well as another and all the labour of Man is for his Mouth and yet the Appetite is not filled one is sick as well as another and we all die and return unto the Earth from whence we were taken And indeed this consideration alone that in a short
time we must all die is sufficient to keep us from Pride and lifting up our selves above our fellows for should any begin to be high minded and boast themselves of their Noble Extract their Beauty Wisdom Honours Riches and such like gifts of God let them consider that in a little while they must descend into the Grave and then sure their Haughty Spirits will be brought down and humbled They must soon leave all their Worldly Enjoyments and be laid in the dust and perhaps be trampled on by those very Men who before they despised and oppressed Why then is dust and ashes proud Whosoever is proud let him go to the Vaults and Tombs of the Dead he will there find no difference nothing within but stench and rottenness and let him consider that of the Psalmist I have seen the Wicked in great power Vidi potentes impios Gravique fastu turgidos Virescere instar laureae Amaena propter fluminae Specto repente en lubricae Imago nusquam gloriae Nusquam manens vestigia Cunctis gravis potentiae Buchanan in Ps 37.35 36. and spreading himself like a green Bay-tree Yet he passed away and Lo he was not yea I sought him but he could not be found And therefore according to the advice of Tobit Love thy Brethren Tob. 4.13 and despise not in thy Heart thy Brethren for in pride is destruction and much trouble This cast Lucifer from Heaven For God resisteth the Proud and giveth grace to the Humble 1 Pet. 5.5 If thou shouldest find any thing in thy self for which others praise thee say with the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.10 Ps 115.1 by the grace of God I am what I am and not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give glory And Lord I am not worthy of the least of all thy Mercies For what hast thou that thou didst not receive Gen. 32.10 And since thou didst receive from God all that thou hast it should rather be an occasion to humble thee than to make thee proud If you find any thing good in you you ought to think that others are better that so you may keep your self humble neither shall we be acquitted by our own but by the Judgment of God who is oftentimes displeased with what we like very well be not too curious in judging others but rather turn your Eyes on your own self In judging others one may easily mistake and very often sin But our labour will not be in vain if we examine and judge our selves Neither is it lawful for the Rich Men of this World to be proud of their Wealth and prodigally to spend it after their own Lusts for they as well as others are but Stewards of those Riches which God hath committed to their Trust and the more they have the more they must give an account of And thus Holy David prayed when he was dying All that is in the Heaven and in the Earth is thine Thine is the Kingdom and thou art exalted as Head above all 1 Chr. 29.11 Both Riches and Honour come of thee And by the Prophet Haggai God says The Silver is mine and the Gold is mine Hag. 2.8 And if God gives them unto any one it is not to make them haughty or that they should spend them prodigally but that the poor should be partakers with them be careful therefore not to be listed up or abuse thy Riches and power for a sharp Judgment shall be to them that are in High places Wisd 6.5 6. For Mercy will soon pardon the meanest but mighty Men shall be mightily tormented And then against Covetousness let the Christian Arm himself with this Consideration of Job Naked came I out of my Mothers Womb and naked shall I return thither Job 1.21 and with that of Solomon As he came forth of his Mothers Womb naked shall he return to go as he came Eccles 5.15 and shall take nothing of his labour which he may carry away in his hand As also that of St. Paul we brought nothing into this World 1 Tim. 6.7 and it is certain we can carry nothing out let us not vainly deceive our selves with the Rich Man in the Gospel who said to his Soul Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years Luke 12.19 take thine ease Eat Drink and be Merry least we hear from God the same Sentence as he did Thou fool vers 20. this night shall thy Soul be required of thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided Let us therefore always remember the Apostles Advice â— Tim. 6.8 if we have food and raiment let us be therewith content Puer fui nunc sum 〈◊〉 Ope destitutum 〈…〉 Videre memini 〈…〉 Ejus petentes libeâ—â—â— Buchauan Ps 37.25 And that of the Psalmist I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the Righteous forsaken nor his Seed begging Bread Remember also our Lords Counsel seek ye first the Kingdom of God Mat. 6.33 and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you No Man can serve two Masters God and Mammon Did we but throughly consider how much trouble and danger and evil too Riches bring with them we should not so greedily covet after them The love and desire of Mony is more vexatious than the use thereof can be either pleasing or profitable Riches are never got without trouble and seldom without sinning against and offending God they are never kept without Care nor lost without Sorrow What good hath the Richest Man in the World from all this Treasures more than this that he may live upon them And since our lives are so very short what need is there for Hoarding up for so many years At the end of our Lives the condition of him that hath possessed but little will not be worse but better than his that hath possessed much for he hath had less trouble whilst he liv'd and hath a less account to give up when he is dead what then O Man do those things profit thee which are good for nothing after thou art dead Nor is there any need to scrape together a great deal of wealth that we may leave an Estate to our Children and Heirs this indeed seems plausible and hath deceiv'd many But who knows what our Heirs shall be whether thankful or ungrateful And it is certain that great Riches left to Children do more often prove the incitements and occasions of Wickedness than of Virtue If any one diligently examined what daily happens in the World he would find that very many poor Mens Children did raise themselves to Wealth and Eminency and on the contrary many Rich Mens Children did prodigally spend the Estates left them by their Parents and became miserably poor In short therefore godliness with contentment is great gain Another Vice the Christian is to Arm himself against is Luxury Now to extinguish these exorbitant and unruly