and torments of the Damned in the life to come Miserable wretch that I am that ever I should transgress that Law of Thine O God which is so Just and Holy and good and perfect and so condescending to my infirmitiâ—s and in keeping of which there are so great so Unconceivable Rewards O that with Mary Magdalene I could weep much and love much having so much to be forgiven O Gracious Lord look on me as Thou didst on Peter and let Thy Compassionote look so pierce my heart that I may weep bitterly for my sins O Lord God Break this hard heart for Thou only canst do it and melt it into tears of Contrition Miserable wretch that I am that I should sin so much and yet grieve so little Wo is me Miserable wretch wo is me that ever 〈◊〉 should offend so Indulgent so Liberal so tender a Father Wo is me that ever I should repay the infinite love and the intolerable Sufferings of my Saviour for me with Nothing but those sins which occasioned those very sufferings Wo is me that ever I should grieve the Holy Spirit by rejecting so many of His good Motions from whom only I derive Grace and Consolation O Lord God every slight worldly trouble is apt to draw plenty of tears from mine eyes but when I should weep for my sins which are the greatest calamities that can possibly befal me either my eyes are dry or my tears too few to bewail so many Provocations O Blessed Spirit instil true penitent sorrow into my soul Make my Head Waters and my Eyes Fountains of tears Or do Thou supply the want of them with sighs and groans Unutterable But alas I know all the tears I can possibly shed can never wash away the least of my sins 'T is Thy blood only Lord that can do it O Blessed Saviour how can I ever sufficiently lament the guilt of my sins which was so great that nothing but Thy own inestimable bloud could expiate O Heavenly Father in the defect of my own tears I offer Thee the bloud of Thy own well-beloved Son for His sake Have mercy upon me Amen Amen Resolution O Lord God with shame I confess that Other Lords besides Thee have hitherto had dominion over me I have been in the Snare of the Devil and have been led captive by Him and Sin hath reigned in my Mortal body and I have obeyed it in the lusts thereof But henceforth I resolve to serve none but Thee and from this very moment I utterly forsake all my sins and turn to Thee O my God I do from my heart Renew my Baptismal Vow which alas I have hitherto so often violated I do for ever Renounce the Devil and all His works and all His temptations I do for ever Renounce all the vanities of this wicked World which may pervert me from Thy Service and all the sinful lusts of the flesh O my God I do stedfastly believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith and I will keep Thy Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of my life All this am I bound to do and believe and by Thy help so I will and I heartily thank Thee O Heavenly Father who hast called me to this state of salvation through Jesus Christ my Saviour and I humbly pray Thee for His sake to give me grace that I may continue in the same to my lives end Oblation Blessed be Thy Name O Lord God who hast set before me life and death and hast bid me chuse life Behold Lord I do with all my heart chuse life I chuse Thee O my God for Thou art my life Save Lord and Hear me O King of Heayen and accept my Sacrifice even the Sacrifice of my whole heart which I now give Thee O my God I offer Thee my Senses and passions and all my faculties I offer Thee all my desires All my designs all my studies all my endeavours all the Remainder of my life All that I have or am I offer up all entirely to Thy service Lord sanctifie me wholly that my whole Spirit Soul and Body may become Thy Temple O do Thou dwell in me and be Thou my God and I will be Thy Servant Amen Amen Acts of Charity O Lord God I do from henceforth Resolve to love my Neighbour as my self and to love him not in word only but in deed and in truth I do from my heart forgive all men their trespasses Do Thou Lord forgive them also Lord bless them that Hate me and do Good to them that have any way despitefully used me O Repay them Good for Evil O my God bless all those that I have any way wronged Have mercy on All those to whose sins I have been any way accessory and give them all grace to forgive me Amen Amen Petition for Pardoâ— O Thou Father of Mercies and God of all Consolation be merciful to me a miserable sinner Lord Remember all Thy Gracious calls of sinners to Repentance All Thy Protestations that Thou delightest not in the death of him that dies and that Thou wouldst have all to be saved Lord Remember all the exceeding great and pretious promises which Thou hast made to Penitent sinners Lord Remember that Thy mercy is over all Thy works that in mercy Thou delightest and that all the Holy Angels seeing Thee well pleased in the exercise of that Mercy Rejoice at the Conversion of a Sinner that the greater my sins are the more will that Mercy be magnified in my forgiveness Lord Remember that Thou didst so love the world as to give Thy only beloved Son a Ransome for it O Heavenly Father Thou that sparedst not Thy only Son but deliveredst Him up for us wilt thou not with Him also freely give us All things and if all things wilt Thou not also give us the pardon of our sins O my God I firmly believe Thou wilt on that ransome my Saviour hath paid for me and on all Thy gracious promises of pardon which for his sake Thou hast made to me I wholly rely Here only is the sure and stedfast anchor of my soul to which my Faith and Hope shall for ever adhere All this Lord do I plead to implore Thy forgiveness Behold Lord though my failings are many yet to the utmost of my power I have confest and bewailed and forsaken my transgressions Behold Lord I come at Thy Call and I come weary and heavy laden with the burthen of my sins Be it unto me according to Thy Word O Thou that art faithful and just forgive me my sins and cleanse me from all Unrighteousness Lord do Thou in no wise cast me from Thee but Heal my Backslidings and love me freely Ease me of my Burthen that I may find rest in Thee and say unto my Soul Be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee O Heavenly Father for thine own Infinite Mercies sake for Thy truth
Hear the voice of my humble Petition O Lord now I cry unto Thee and lift up my hands towards Thy Mercy Seat Behold Lord I am now about to search into my own heart but alas alas my heart is dâ—ceitful and desperately wicked How can I know it O Thou therefore that searchest the heart and triest the reins Discover to me all the evil and deceits of my own heart that I may confess and bewail and forsake them and obtain mercy Lord hear me Lord help me for the Merits of Jesus my Saviour Amen Amen Rules to be observed in Examination Having prayed for Gods assistance doubt not Phil. but he will vouchsafe it you and to guide you in your examination the better observe these following directions When you examine your self either by the following Catalogue or by that in the Whole Duty of Man or by any other Pause a while on every particular and if you find your self not guilty then say Glory be to Thee O Lord for preserving me from this sin and so go on When your Conscience answers guilty then it will be your best way having said Lord have mercy upon me and forgive me this sin to write down that sin in a Paper that you may have it ready to confess to God when your Examination is done You are to consider Phil. that there are several degrees of young Penitents and some are more some less sinful For instance Some tâ—re are who either through want of conscienâ—ous Parents or through often stiâ—ling good motioâ—s or through Inconstancy or Heedlessness or Unadvisableness or Vitious Company or Ill Nature or Youthful Lusts and the like have been from their Infancy very negligent of Learning or at least of practising their Duty Again Some there are amongst these whose sins are more heinous then ordinary in regard they are accompanied with several aggravations For any sin is Much aggravated if it be committed Knowingly or Deliberately or Frequently More then that if it be committed Obstinately or presumptuously or on slight or no temptations or against Checks of Conscience or against Reproofs or Admonitions or Chastisements or Vows to the contrary but most of all If it be committed so long and so often till it becomes habitual till the sinner does take delight in it or boast of it or make a Mock at it or tempt others also to commit it All these and the like Circumstances do very much heighten the guilt of any sin You may easily from hence guess what progress you have made in wickedness and if you find your self in the number of any of these by all means good Phil. Resolve to repent immediately and to confess your sins with all their aggravations for be sure of this that every other step you run farther from Heaven every other hour you continue longer in a sinful course makes your sins the more hard to be mastered and your repentance the more difficult On the other side some there are though I fear but few who having been brought up in the Nurture and admonition of the Lord have been by the goodness of God secured from violent temptations and enormous sins who have like Josiah while they were yet young sought the Lord and have in a great measure kept their baptismal vow and preserved a sense of their duty Such as these have fewer sins to confess and those sins less aggravated and therefore have greater obligations to Magnifie Gods Mercy then others but if you are in this number have a care of growing careless in your examination or of presuming on your own Innocence for if we say or think we have no sin we miserably deceive our selves O Phil. the best of men God knows have very much evil in them to detest and bewail and have infinite need of a Saviour and therefore let him that standeth take heed lest he fall Whatever you do then be sure to keep your heart with all diligence and to pray for constant supplies of Gods grace for perhaps the Devil defers his tempting you till you are grown up and become your own Master and have not that tenderness of offending or that awe of Parents or Superiors which you now have Be not over scrupulous Phil. either to make your self guilty of more sins then really you are or to reckon up all your infirmities or dayly failings or sins of Omission which would render your Examination endless and impossible but examine your self chiefly about your wilful sins or sins of Commission and know there be many sins even of Commission that you may doubt whether you have committed or no many that you have quite forgot but be not disheartned at it for Holy David hath taught you that a general Confession for such sins is enough when he prays to God to cleanse him from his secret faults That you may gain a true sense of your sins by your examination Labour to imprint in your mind awsul apprehensions of the day of Judgment and of God the great Judge in whose presence you now are and to raise such apprehensions Dwell a while on such Meditations as these Motives to Examination O My soul Thou art now in the Presence of the great Judge of Heaven and Earth before whose dreadful Tribunal thou must certainly appear at the day of Judgment to give a strict account of all thy Actions of every idle word of every evil thought and thy own Conscience will then be thy accuser Think O my Soul think if thou canst what unâ—maginable Horrours will seize an impenitent sinâ—er when the last trump calls him out of his Grave and the Devils begin to drag him to Gods Judgment Seat what would such a Wretch give to purchase one such opportunity of Repentance as God now in great mercy gives thee If ever thou hopest to escape those horrours O my soul Make thy peace with God Judge thy self here lest thou be condemned hereafter The Examination it self I Adjure thee O my soul in the presence of the great Judge who knows all the secrets of thy heart I adjure thee as thou wilt answer before Gods Judgment Seat at the last day to tell me Does not thy dayly experience teach thee that thy whole Nature is corrupt Prone to all that is evil and averse to all that is good How hast thou spent thy time from thy Childhood to this very moment How hast thou kept the solemn Vow of thy Baptism What good duties hast thou Omitted What sins hast thou Committed In particular What sins art thou guilty of more immediately Against God Art thou guilty of Any Infidelity or Atheism Any distrust in or Presumption on or despair of Gods Mercy Art thou guilty of any Wilful Ignorance of God or of any Idolatry in Worshiping any Creature Hast thou loved any thing more then God or feared any one Above him Hast thou been guilty of Hypocrisie in Gods service or of forsaking God and of resorting to the Devil to Witches or Wizards Art thou
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
How Unutterable is Thy Mercy and Thy Love past finding out O All ye Holy Angels Behold and Wonder Wretched Man hath sinned against God and God himself has suffered the Sinners Punishment Was there ever any sorrow like that which my Lord and my God endured for me Was there any Love like to that Love my Lord and my God has shewed to me Help me then O ye Blessed Host of Heaven to celebrate that Unknown Sorrow that Wonderful Love which you your selves so much Admire Help me to praise my Crucified Saviour O my Gracious Lord my heart is now full of the sense of Thy Love and what have I to return to Thee but Love again 'T is all I have to offer Thee Accept it O merciful Lord imperfect as it is and Do Thou daily heighten my sense of Thy Love to me that I may dayly heighten my Love to Thee O Thou Infinite Lover of Souls with all my Heart I Love I Praise I Adore Thy Love to me but alaâ— I can never do it enough O do Thou at last Gracious Lord translate me to Thy Kingdom of Glory that there I may Love Thee to the Utmost Capacity of a Creature and Praise Thee to all Eternity Amen Lord Jesus Amen Amen What benefits we receive by it I Adore Thee O Blessed Jesu my Lord and my God when I consider the Benefits which through Thy Mercy we receive by the Holy Sacrament Glory be to Thee O Lord who there makest Thy own Body and Bloud to become our spiritual food to strengthen and refresh our Souls Glory be to Thee O Lord who by this Heavenly food dost mystically Unite us to Thy self for Nothing becomes One with our Bodies more then the bodily food we eat which turns into our very substance and Nothing makes us become One with Thee more then when Thou vouchsafest to become the very food of our souls Glory be to Thee O Lord who by this Immortal food dost nourish our souls to live the life of Grace here and doest raise us up to life everlasting hereafter Lord do Thou evermore give me this bread Amen Amen Motives of Receiving O Blessed Saviour what more powerful Motives can I have to perswade me to Communicate then Thy Command and the Admirable effects of the Holy Sacrament But alas my corrupt Nature is apt to suggest to me low and base inducements to this duty such as are fear of my Superiours displeasure if I abstain or shame of not appearing as devout as my Equals or the meer Custome of the Place or of the Season But Lord I do from my heart Renounce all these and the like Carnal Considerations and I come to Thy Altar to â—enew my Baptismal Covenant with Thee of which Thy Sacrament is a Seal I come to Testifie my sense of Thy Love O Heavenly Father in So loving the World as to give up Thy only Son to die for me I come to testifie my Faith in Thee and my Love toward Thee O Bleâ—ied Saviour and thankfully to Commemorate Thy Wonderful Love in dying for me I come Lord to testifie my stedfastness in the Communion of Thy Church and my Charity to all the World I come to Thy table O Lord out of the sense I have of the want of that Spiritual food to which Thou there invitest me Alas Alas I am soon apt to grow weary of well-doing a few prayers every little duty is apt to tire me Every slight temptation is apt to overcome me and I know there is â—o food can strengthen my Soul but Thy Body No Cordial can revive my drooping Obedience but Thy Bloud and 'T is Thy most blessed Body and Bloud I hunger and thirst after O Gracious Lord Grant that I and all that communicate with me may feel its saving efficacy O Feed O Refresh O Nourish our Souls with it to life everlasting and that for Thy own Infinite Mercy sake which moved Thee to offer up Thy Body and Bloud for us Amen Amen Prayer for Preparation Blessed Lord Jesus I even tremble when I consider that He that eateth and drinketh Unworthily is Guilty of Thy Body and Bloud and eateth and drinketh damnation to his own Soul and this severe Sentence on Unworthy Communicants makes me afraid to come to Thy Altar But when I consider that Thy Sentence is as Severe against those who being invited refuse to Come for Thou hast said they shall not taste of Thy Supper and Unless we eat Thy flesh and drink Thy bloud we have no life in us I am then afraid to Keep away But Bleâ—ied be Thy Mercy O Lord for in this streight my Soul is in Thou art my Guide Thou by giving me this opportunity of Receiving Invitest me to Thy table Thou callest me to seek Thy face and my heart replies Thy face Lord will I seek If Thou Lord should be extream to mark what is done amiss Alas alas I am then Unfit not only to Communicate but to say even my daily prayers I Know Lord that if I should stay till I am Worthy to come I should then never come and therefore though I am Unworthy of so Unspeakable a mercy yet I come to beg Thy Grace to make me Worthy or at least Such as Thou wilt accept O Blessed Jesus do Thou so open my eye of faith to discern Thy Body and Bloud in the Holy Sacrament Do Thou so Dispose my Soul at this time to Communicate that I may feel all the happy effects of Thy own Divine Inâ—titution that my Soul may receive such lasting impressions of Thy Goodness and be so Ravisht with the Love of Thee and with the Incomparable Delights of Thy Service and with such an early fore-taste of Heaven that all the pleasures of sin which in my growing years may tempt me may appear to me tasteless and Unwelcome O Heavenly Father Cloath me with the Wedding Garment even the Graces of my Blessed Saviour for then am I sure to be a Welcome guest to Thy Table when I shall come thither in the likeness of Thy only well-beloved Son in whom Thou art always well-pleased O Heavenly Father Fill me with a lively faith profound humility filial obedience enflamed affections and Universal Charity O raise in my Soul all those Heavenly transports of Zeal and Devotion of Love and desire of Joy and delight of Praise and thanksgiving which become the Remembrance of a Crucified Saviour which become one Redeemed by the Bloud of God and that for His sake only that Redeemed me in whose Holy Words I sum up all the Graces and Blessings I stand in Need of Our â—ather which art in heaven c. This Prayer Phil. is proper for you to add to your Morning Prayer the day on which you are to Receive Directions in time of Receiving IN time of Receiving Good Phil. Labour all you can to keep your heart affected with the Publick Prayers and to fill up all the vacant minutes with Holy Ejaculations such as
these which follow At going to the Altar In the multitude of Thy Mercies O Lord God do I now approach Thy Altar O Pardon my sins and Receive me Graciously Amen Amen At the Offertory Blessed be Thou O Lord God for all things come of Thee and of Thy own do I now give Thee O let this Alms be an Odour of a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable and well-pleasing to Thee At Consecration O Blessed Jesu In the bread Broken I call to mind Thy Body torn with Whips and Thorns and Nails and in the Wine poured out I call to mind Thy precious bloud shed for my sins Glory be to Thee O Lamb of God that didst offer Thy self a Sacrifice to take away the sins of the whole World Lord have mercy on me and take away Mine also Whilest others are Communicating O my God whom have I in Heaven but Thee and there is none on Earth I desire in comparison of Thee As the Hart panteth after the Water brooks so panteth my Soul after Thee O God! My Soul is athirst for Thee O God my God! Blessed Saviour I am Thine I am wholly Thine for Thou hast bought me with a Price with the inestimable price of Thy Own bloud Lord suffer not the price of Thy own bloud to perish and I will always glorifie Thee in my Body and in my Spirit which are Thine If there be many Communicants and thou hast much vacant time Phil. and doest want devout Matter to imploy thy thoughts till All have communicated thou mayest then repeat the Thanksgiving for Christs sufferings p. 44. either in whole or in part as thou seest it needful When the Priest cometh toward you O Lord God I now desire to renew my Covenant with Thee and to seal it in this Sacrament Lord put Thy Laws into my mind and write them in my heart and for the Passion of Thy Son which I now commemorate be merciful to my Unrighteousness My sins and my iniquities remember no more and be Thou my God and I will be Thy servant Amen Amen O my Soul taste now and see How gracious the Lord is After receiving the Bread Glory be to Thee O Lord who feedest me with the bread of life O Lord God who didst sanctifie us by the offering of the body of Jesus once for all sanctifie me even me O Heavenly Father After Receiving the Cup. Glory be to Thee O Lord Jesus who permittest me to drink of the fountain of life freely My Beloved is mine and I am his Blessed Saviour Thou hast Loved us and washed us from our sins in Thy own bloud and therefore to Thee be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen Amen Glory be to Thee O Jesus My Lord and my God for thus feeding my Soul with thy most blessed body and bloud O let Thy Heavenly food transfuse new life and new vigour into my Soul and into the Souls of all that Communicate with me that our Faith may daily increase that we may all grow more humble and Contrite for our sins that we may all love Thee and serve Thee and delight in Thee and Praise Thee more servently more incessantly then ever we have done heretofore Amen Amen After the Congregation is dismist Phil. if you cannot get privacie in your own Chamber I advise you â—t the first opportunity to go into the Chappel and there to give God thanks for that great blessing of which He has now made you a partaker A Thanksgiving after Receiving O How plentiful is Thy Goodness My Lord and my God which Thou hast laid up for those that fear Thee which Thou hast laid up for those that put their trust in Thy Mercy Was it not Love Infinite enough Dearest Lord to give Thy self for me on the Cross Was not that Sacrifice of Thy self sufficient to expiate the sins of the whole world What Lord couldst Thou then do more for me All the mighty Host of Heaven stood amazed to see the bloud of God shed to see their King of Glory to whom from everlasting they had sung their Hallelujahs Nailed to a Cross and all this to save Sinners Sure Lord None of all those Blessed Spirits with all the Glorious illuminations they had could ever have Imagined how Thou couldst give Thy self more to us then Thou hadst done And yet for all this Thou hast wrought new miracles of Love for us and as if it had not been Love enough to have given Thy self for us on the Cross Thou hast found out a way to give Thy self to us in the Holy Sacrament to Unite Thy self to us with the most intimate Union that 't is possible to conceive to become the very food the Life the strength the support of my Soul to become one with me to become the very Soul of my Soul O Lord God This is so Unconceivable a blessing this is so Divine an Union that the very Angels who so much desire to look into the great Mystery of our Redemption who learn Thy Manifold Wisdom from Thy Church and frequent the Places of Thy Publick worship do crowd about our Altars and with aweful Admiration contemplate the Holy Sacrament What thanks then Gracious Lord can I return to Thee for those wonders of Love Thou hast shewed to me wretched sinner which the very Angels who never sinned so much admire O dearest Lord raise Thou my devotion to the highest pitch it can possibly reach to Praise Thee Enlarge my Soul to its utmost extent to Love Thee How can I ever more offend such Riches of mercy as are in Thee O Crucified Saviour and yet whilest I carrry this body of sin about me I fear I shall But Lord I do from my heart Renounce and abhor all things that displease Thee I resolve to the Utmost of my power to Resist all temptations and to become as totally Thine as my frail Nature will permit me O Gracious Lord who hast so Infinitely Loved us and given us everlasting Consolation and good Hope through grace Comfort my Heart and for ever establish it in every good Word and Work Blessing and Honour and Glory and Power be unto Him that sitteth on the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever Rejoice in the Lord Jesus O my Soul for of Him cometh my salvation I will love Thee O Lord my King and I will praise Thy name for ever and ever Glory be to Thee O Lord God for giving me this blessed opportunity of coming to Thy Altar O grant I may never more Pollute my soul which Thou hast now made Thy Temple to reside in who art the God of Purity Praise the Lord O my Soul while I live will I praise the Lord as long as I have any being I will sing praises Unto Thee O Blessed Saviour My King and my God O gracious Lord Pardon all my failings Accept all my prayers and praises and supply all my wants which I sum up in Thy Own
that your heart is little affected with it and that you fall very much short of the Rules here laid down and therefore are ready to Conclude that all you have done is in vain and displeasing to God Be not disheartned at this Phil. 't is a good sign to be so much grieved for your failings in your duty 't is an argument of a filial tenderness and desire to serve God better that your spirit is willing though your flesh is weak and if you still continue your endeavours and prayers pâ—tiently relying on Gods infinite goodness and on his gracious promises of Hearing you He will assuredly Hear you in His good time Know good Phil. that this is the case of thousands as well as of your self the very best of Christians sigh under the pervcrsness and impotence of their corrupt nature and even the Just man falls seven times a day through sins of Ignorance or Infirmity or sudden surreption or inadvertency or the like though it is true he riseth again by an Habitual repentance and therefore be not discouraged but dayly beg pardon for your daily failings To ease you in such indispositions or when you are also streightned in time or diverted by any Unavoidable avocations I advise you to shorten your prayers and for the longer Morning and Evening prayer say the shorter and as for the other parts of Devotion throughout this whole Manual they are cut into so many breaks and divisions on purpose that you may lengthen or shorten your prayers as may best comply with your Occasions and Infirmities Onely let me warn you seriously that under colour of Indulging your infirmities you dò not indulge your sloth Be not then afflicted good Phil. if you cannot come up exactly to the Rules here given you Believe me it was never imagined you would it was onely hoped that you would endeavour it and know that it is a great errour of many devout souls to think all they do signifies nothing because they fall short of the Rules laid down in their Books of Devotion little considering that 't is Sincerity God requires of us and not perfection for if there be a willing mind in us it is accepted according to that which a man hath and not according to that a man hath not so that your Infirmities ought to humble but not to discourage you For instance Suppose you should not be able after all your endeavours and prayers to shed any or but few tears for your sins Be not too much cast down at it for to be troubled for want of tears is one sign of godly sorrow and 't is certain though tears are very desirable yet they are not always signs of true Repentance for Hypocrites may shed them and there may be true godly sorrow without them and perhaps God will at last give them to you when his wisdom sees your Heart in a fit temper for them Whensoever then you are troubled with an afflicting sense of your infirmities and for your many failings I advise you to say this Prayer following and to rest satisfied that He that died for you will both hear and accept and succour you A Prayer against Failings O Thou Compassionate Saviour of sinful man look down from Heaven and have mercy upon me wretched sinner O save me O help me for without Thee I can do Nothing as I ought Miserable man that I am my very Prayers and Repentance are accompanied with so many failings that I am sometimes afraid that Thou Lord wilt not hear such Prayers nor regard such Repentance But O Blessed Saviour my Lord and my God 't is Thy promise not to discourage the least measure of grace Thou wilt not quench the smoaking Flax or break the bruised Reed 'T is Thy practice Lord to comply with the weakness of Thy servants Thou arâ— the good Shepherd who carriest the tender Lambs in Thy very bosome and gently leadest those that be with young Nay Lord 'T is Thy very Nature so to do for Thou Thy self hast felt humane infirmities and canst not but commiserate those that sigh under them Why art thou then so heavy O my Soul and why art thou so disquieted within me O put thy trust in thy Saviour who is the help of my Countenance and my God! O gracious Lord do Thou Pity me and Accept my weak and imperfect performances and supply by Thy boundless mercy all the defects in my duty and if it be Thy pleasure I should serve Thee better O Lord God increase Thy succours of Grace and I shall then increase my obedience O Thou lover of Souls for the sake of that infinite Compassion of Tâ—ine which moved Thee to die for me Hear me and Help me Amen Lord Jesus Amen Amen Directions in time of Sicknâ—ss FAr be it from you good Phil. to Counterfeit your self sick at any time to avoid the School or the like Lest God send you sickness indeed to punish your Idleness and dissimulation But if it please God to visit you with a real disease let it be your first care to make your peace with Heaven for God by taking you off from your usual Studies does give you a Call to Repentance and the exâ—mination of your self in the beginning of your sickness is as seasonable and necessary as before your Communicating besides if your sickness prove dangerous you will then I doubt not desire to Communicate so that to fit you both for the Holy Sacrament and for Heaven examination and Repentance ought to be first in your thoughts Beware Phil. of deferring this duty because you are young and think you may have time enough to repent Hereafter for you see that persons younger then your self die and you are not sure to out-live this distemper and if you should put it off till your sickness grows more on you it may perhaps take away your senses or if it does not be sure it will much more indispose you to Prayer and Recollection In the beginning then of your sickness begin your Repentance and say over this following Prayer and do not only say but practise it A Prayer in the beginning of Sickness O Heavenly Father who in Thy wisdom knowest what is best for me Glory be to Thee Lord if it seem good in Thy sight divert this distemper from me which I now feel seizing on me that I may imploy my health to Thy Glory and Praise Thy Name But if Thou art pleased it should grow on me I willingly submit to Thy affâ—icting hand for Thou art wont to chastise those whom Thou dost love and I am sure Thou wilt lay no more on me then Thou wilt enable me to bear I know O my God Thou sendest this sickness on me for my Good even to Humble and reform me O grant that it may work that saving effect in me Lord crâ—ate in me a true Penitent sorrow for all my sins past A stedfast Faith in Thee and sincere resolutions of amendment for the
all these particulars together with all that you are to know and believe concerning the Blessed Sacrament are contained in these following Meditations which I advise you to read over devoutly at several times till you are in some measure affected with them Meditations on the Holy Eucharist On the ouâ—ward Elements I Adore Thee O Blessed Jesus My Lord and my God when I consider what that Sacrament is to which Thou now invitest me and of what parts it consists Of an Outward and visible sign and of an Inward and spiritual Grace For Thou Lord who knowest our Infirmities and how little able we are to conceive things heavenly and spiritual In pity to our dark and feeble apprehensions hast Ordained Outward and Obvious and Visible signs to represent to our minds Thy grace which is Inward and Invisible Thou hast ordained bread and wine which is our Corporal food to picture out to our Faith the food of our Souls On the Inward Part or Thing signified I know O my God that I must look through the Outward Elements and fix my faith on that which they signifie and which is the Inward and Invisible Grace even Thy own blessed Body and Bloud which is verily and indeed taken and received of the faithful in the Lords Supper But tell me O Thou whom my Soul loveth How canst Thou give us Thy flesh to Eat Lord Thou hast told me that Thy words they are Spirit and they are life and are therefore not Carnally to be understood Lord I believe Help Thou my Un-Unbelief I believe Thy body and blood to be as really present in the Holy Sacrament as Thy Divine Power can make it though the manner of Thy Mysterious presence I cannot comprehend Lord I believe that the Bread that we break and the Cup that we drink are not bare signs only but the real Communication of Thy Body and Thy Bloud and pledges to assure me of it and I verily believe that if with due preparation I come to Thy Altar as certainly as I receive the Outward Signs so certainly shall I receive the thing signified even Thy most Blessed Body and Bloud to receive which inestimable Blessing O merciful Lord do Thou fit and prepare me Amen Amen Who Instituted it I Adore Thee O Blessed Jesus my Lord and my God when I consider that this Holy Sacrament was Thy own Institution For it was Thou Lord who in the night Tâ—ou wast betrayed didst take Bread and after that the Cup and didst bless them and give them to Thy Disciples O blessed Saviour let Thy Divinity thus stampt on it strike into my Soul an Holy Awe and Reverence in approaching it O Create in me Heavenly dispositions to celebrate so Heavenly an Institution Amen Amen For what end I Adore Thee O Blessed Jesus My Lord and my God when I consider for what end Thou didst institute the Holy Sacrament implied in Thy own Command Do this in Remembrance of Me. But what need This Command O Gracious Lord is it possible for me ever to forget Thee my Saviour who hast done so great things for me Alas alas my own sad experience tells me it is wo is me every temptation every vanity is apt to make me forget Thee though Thy own Dying words bid me remember Thee But O Blessed Lord for Thy infinite Mercies sake Pardon all my stupid forgetfulness and ingratitude hitherto and do Thou now Create in me such a thankful and lively Remembrance of Thy Dying for me that may excite me to give up my self entirely to Thee as Thou didst give up Thy self on the Cross for me Amen Amen A Thanksgiving for Christs Sufferings O Thou my crucified Saviour Glory be to Thee for causing Thy sufferings to be registred in the Gospel There I have read and Remember the Wonders and Triumphs of Thy Almighty Love for which I will always Adore and Praise Thee I Remember O Gracious Lord How Thou who thoughtst it no robbery to be equal with God wast made in the Fashion of frail man of the vilest and most contemptible of men for Thou tookest on Thee the form of a very Servant I Remember how many reproaches and contradictions and blasphemies and persecutions Thou didst endure from a wicked and perverse generation and all this to save us sinfulmen O Lord Jesus was ever sorrow like unto Thy sorrow Worthy art Thou O Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Riches and Wisdom and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing I Remember O gracious Lord How Thou didst indure a most bitter Agony and didst sweat great drops of blood falling to the ground How Thou who art God above all Blessed for ever wast treacherously betrayed and apprehended and bound as a Malefactor How Thou wast set at nought by Herod and his men of war and forsaken of all Thy Disciples and denied by Peter and all this to save us sinful men O Lord Jesus was ever sorrow c. I Remember How Thou O God of Truth wast accused by false witnesses How Thou whom all the Angels adore wast blindfoldâ—d and buffeted and â—ocke and spit upon and stript naked and scourged and all this that we might be healed by Thy stripes and to save us sinful men O Lord Jesus was ever any sorrow c. I Remember Lord How Thou that art the great Judge of Heaven and Earth wast Thy self dragged to the Judgment-Seat and condemned How Thou O King of Heaven wast crowned with thorns and opprest with the weight of Thy own Cross and all this to save us sinful men O Lord Jesus was ever any sorrow c. I Remember O blessed Saviour How Thou who art the Lord of Glory and the sole Author of life wast put to a most ignominious death How Thy hands and Thy feet were nailed to a Cross How Thou wast Crucified between two Thieves and numbrâ—d with the Transgressors How Thou hadst a potion given Thee to imbitter Thy very last gasp and all this to save us sinful men O Lord Jesus was ever any sorrow c. I Remember O Gracious Lord How when Thou wert hanging on the very Cross Thou wast scoffed at and reviled How infinitely then Thou wert afflicted and bruised for our transgressions when the Iniquities of us all were laid on Thy shoulders How Thou didst then express an anguish greater then all the tortures of Thy Crucifixion when Thou didft cry out My God my God why hast Thou forsaken Me and how Thou didst at last give up the Ghost and die Thy self that we might live O Lord Jesus was ever any sorrow c. I Unfeignedly believe O Gracious Lord that Thou didst suffer all this for sinful men and in particular for me when we were all Thy utter enemies and had nothing in us to move Thee to pity us but our extream misery Nothing to move Thee to save us but our great Unworthiness and Thy greater Mercy O the depth of the Riches of Thy Love Blessed Lord
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