Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
mercy_n death_n lord_n sinner_n 2,648 5 7.4070 4 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A77634 Sacred principles, services, and soliloquies or, a manual of devotions made up of three parts: I. The grounds of Christian religion, and the doctrine of the Church of England, as differing from the now-Roman. II. Daily, and weekly formes of prayers fortified with Holy Scriptures, meditations and rules to keep the soule from the common roads of sin, and carry it on in a mortified course. III. Seven charges to conscience, delivering (if not the whole body) the main limbs of divinity, which is the art not of disputing, but living well. Brough, W. (William), d. 1671. 1649 (1649) Wing B4991; Thomason E1339_1; ESTC R209131 186,268 487

There are 19 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

by thy mercy obtaine everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Confession ALmighty and most mercifull Father I have erred and strayed from thy wayes like a lost Sheep I have followed too much the devices and desires of my owne heart I have offended against thy holy laws I have left undone those things which I ought to have done and I have done those things which I ought not to have done and there is no health in me But thou O Lord have mercy upon me miserable Offendour Spare thou me O God which confess my faults Restore thou me that am penitent According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord and grant O most mercifull Father for his sake that I may hereafter live a godly righteous and sober life to the glory of thy holy name Amen Prayer for Pardon ALmighty God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who desirest not the death of a Sinner but that he may turne from his wickednesse and live and hast promised pardon to them that truly repent unfeignedly believe thy holy Gospel of thy mercy I beseech thee to grant me true repentance and thy holy Spirit that those things may please thee which I doe at this present and the rest of my life hereafter may be pure and holy so that at the last I may come to thine eternall joy through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Lords Prayer OUr Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy kingdome come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our dayly bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evill c. The Versicles Vers O Lord open thou my lips Resp And my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Vers O God make speed to save me Resp O Lord make hast to help me Glory be to the Father c. Alleluiah Praise the Lord. ¶ Read the Psalmes for the Service of that day Then the Lessons appointed for it After say the Creed c. Then the Daily Prayers Animadversions to the devout Reader touching these Daily Prayers IF thou wouldest have reason why these Prayers are so short and in severall which use to make a long one all put together that thy Devotion may be quicker they are so short a little space being run with a greater speed and that thy Spirit may hold out fresher in severalls as so many rests all the way it runs If thou beest a Man of another Spirit take that course of prayer wherein thy soule speeds best This is propounded not prescribed to every Devotion and intended for help not the hinderance of any Morning Prayers 1. Collect for Grace O God! I can aske no greater gift than thy Glory and therefore beg no better gift than thy Grace yea even this consummate is nothing else but 1 Cor. 13. 10. that nor can I come at it but by the way of grace I doe therefore for Jesus Christ his sake beseech thee bestow on me that blessed gift Grace to doe thee service on earth that thou may'st give me thy salvation in heaven through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 2. Collect for Peace MY poore Soule is an humble Suiter for peace O God! the Col. 1. 20. blood of Jesus is my plea thy Spirit my Advocate I deserve by my sinnes eternall enmity but for thy deare 2 Cor. 5. 19. Sonnes sake have favour for me by whom the world is attoned O let me be reconciled to thee I know not how Rom. 8. 26. to pray this as I ought but thy Spirit can make effectuall Intercession for me Lord let thy Spirit move and thy Son make my peace Subdue my lusts conquer Satan for me that my conscience may have peace with thee and I in it By thy grace through the mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 3. Collect for Health O Lord when I am sick let me thinke I may die when I am in health that I may be sick that I may not mispend the stock of my life but doe thee honour with my health and thou mayest give me comfort for it in my sicknesse Even this that sin hath not bound me to my bed but thy providence hast cast me downe which can and will lift me up or to health in this world or to happines in a better such an enjoyment of health give me I beseech thee for Jesus Christ his sake Amen 4. Collect for Safety O Lord so many daies as I live so Act. 10. 28. many lives I owe thee thou renewest my lease every day a poore Tenant at thy will I am and a fraile Isa 28. 5. cotage of clay by thy power I keep Job 4. 19. Deut. 10. 12. Lord that hast hitherto spar'd me still preserve me and let me pay as I can what I owe of service the onely rent thou requirest for tenement and appurtenances life health wealth and all the good things I have of thee for which thou both grantest terme of life and givest eternity This to that continue I beseech thee for his sake who was surety and is sole Purchaser for me Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 5. Collect for Friends FOr all my Kindred and Friends Lord receive my prayers Doe thou good unto them all O God! To those that erre shew thy truth and those that see it keep from errour to those that doe amisse give grace to doe better and those that doe well continue in so doing to those that are afflicted give comfort and deliverance to those that prosper humility and temperance blesse the sick with health and the healthy from sicknesse supply those in want and let those that want not give supply to all grant thy grace O God! and shew thy mercy let love bind us one to another and Religion knit us all to thee that all who are of naturall kindred may meet in heavenly consanguinity Even so Esth 2. 31. Job 1. 13. Lord let the bloud of Jesus runne through all our veines and the Spirit of Jesus go along with the blood that the glory of Jesus may be the end of us all And how ever we suffer and scatter on earth we may live and joy together in the blisse of Heaven By the Union of that holy Spirit and communion of that blessed blood Amen Amen 6. Collect for the Kingdome O Lord we were the mirror of the world for mercy we are for misery a people wofully torn divided distressed distracted a multitude of headlesse heartlesse disordered men ready to be destroyed O thou great Physitian that canst as easily cure Jer. 4. 22. a Kingdome as a Man heale our Land for thy tender pities sake Lord have mercy on us and heale us In the blood of Jesus purge our sins the cause of all our maladies whether ours or of the Ages before us from their guilt and curse
of them all good Lord deliver us Deliver us from blood O God from all the innocent and pretious blood which lies upon us From our sins of peace which brought the warre and the sinnes of warre which brought and left us in that guilt of blood O Jesus that hadst mercy even for those that shed thine and Act. 2. 27. madest the matter of their sinne the meanes of their salvation let the virtue of thy blood expiate the guilt of all shed amongst us and the voice of Heb. 12. 24 it out-crie all the clamours which it makes in Heaven against us And by the grace of thy Spirit make our hearts bleed for our sins that it may crie so for us With our sinnes remove our woes Piece our rents and close our wounds with thy heavenly hands O God of peace that we perish not under them let us not make our selves a prey to foraigne force nor fall by an intestine fury Meet Body and Head in common safety meane while looke upon our languishings and keep life in the Body Lord who delightest not in the death of one Sinner pitty millions of poore sinfull miserable soules at the very point to perish pitty us good Lord and preserve us for thy great mercies sake in Christ Jesus Amen Amen 7. Collect for the Church 1 Cor. 11. 2. FOr thy deare Spouse and my best Mother I thy poore Child and Hers on bended knees hold up my hands and humbly pray all thy Goodnesse O God! Truth Love and Peace be with her For errour truth for schisme love for persecution peace Behold O Lord not what She is but was and not what She was for sin but thy Service And Heare Lord not the cries of her sins but groanes of her miseries And make her to be as Good as She was yea Lord make her be as Good as She should be Beautifull in Her selfe Unblemished in her Children Shining in truth Comely in order Holy in life Repair'd in her ruines Restored in her Rights Relieved in her injuries To Thy glory Her honour and the happinesse of us all through the Grace and Worthinesse of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 8. Collect for the Catholique Church O God of peace send Unity amongst all that professe thy Name As they have but one Head Ephes 4. 1 4 c. let them be but one Body as they are but one Body let them have but one Spirit the Spirit of truth and holiness in doctrine and life be in all Cease schismes and warres in the Christian world Let not them spill one anothers blood for whom thy Sonne shed His. Let there not be many Hearts under one Head nor more Heads with it lest they make a Massacre in thy Body or a Monster of it O let thy Scepter have obedience and thine Orders Observance every where Suffer none by delusion or depravation of mind or ambition of Spirit to pull downe thy Throne whilst they pretend for thy Scepter and let confusion and tyranny into the Church whilest they professe to bring in liberty and order and pull downe thy House to set up thy Glory From Violence avarice sacriledge schisme heresie Anarchy tyranny King of the Church keep us Do Thou governe us and let us obey thee doe Thou save us and let us serve thee Even all Christian souls save through out the world Dear Jesus Amen Concluding Prayer IT is thy promise to grant whatsoever I aske in thy Sons name Lord thou wilt not performe lesse because I Breviariū totius Evangelii Tert. aske so in his Words In His blessed Breviary therefore I Summe and offer up all and say Our Father which art in Heaven c. The Blessing God the Father blesse me God the Son defend me God the holy Ghost preserve me and all mine and His now and evermore Amen So ends Morning Prayer A Charitable Prayer for these Miserable Times O Lord that dost not willingly afflict the Children of Men Behold from thy Holy Habitation of Heaven the Multitudes of miserable Souls Lives amongst us and have mercy upon us Have mercy on all Ignorant Souls instruct them On all Deluded Mindes and Enlighten them On all seducing and seduced Spirits and Convert them Have mercy on all broken Hearts and Heal them all strugling with Temptation and Rescue them All Languishing in Spirituall Desertion and Revive them Have mercy on all that stagger in Faith and establish them That are falne from Thee and Raise them That stand with Thee and Confirme them Have mercy on all that groan under their Sinnes and Ease them that blesse themselves and goe on in their wickednesse and curb and stop them Jesus that didst shed thy Bloud for all Soules to save them shed thy Holy Spirit on all and heal them And Lord have mercy on all miserable Bodies Those that are ready to Famish for want Feed them Those that are bound to Beds of pain Loose them Those that are in Prison and Bonds Release them Those that are under the fury of Persecution and cry under the yoke of Oppression Relieve them Those that lie smarting in their Paines and Wounds Cure them Th●se that are Distracted in their Thoughts and Wits Settle them Those that are in Perils of their Lives Preserve them Jesus that didst freely Distribute thy Comforts and Cures to all Miseries and Maladies of Men when thou wast on Earth Have mercy on all and Help them Far or near with us or from us Lord have mercy on all Even every Sonne and Daughter of Adam at this time in paine and anguish upon the face of the Earth where ever they are whosoever they be what help I would pray for my self from thee or Comfort from Man in their condition I beseech thee the God of all Help and Comfort to give it to them Take them to thy Care and Tender them Supply them and Succour them have Compassion on them and Heal them Jesus that didst give thy Bloud for them deny not thy bowels to them Thou that didst Redeeme them all preserve them Even all Miserable Souls and Bodies I beseech thee for thine Infinite mercies sake Amen A Prayer against the Temptations of the Time O God Who wilt not suffer us to be tempted above what we are 1 Cor. 10. 13. able to bear Succour me that the Temptations of the Time doe not overwhelme me Discover to me the wayes of thy Providence so far that I may see why I should neither deny it or doubt it And make me know Thy Judgements Job 11. 6. Rom. 11. 33. Job 40. 4. 41. 3. Jer. 12. 1. to be so unsearchable and thy wayes past finding out that I may humbly submit my wit to thy Wisdome and admire and adore the Justice which I doe not see Let me not be of so narrow a mind as to confine thy Worke to one World which thou dost not finish but in Two Nor let me be such a Creature of Sense as to believe thou
Rom. 12. or Heb 10. v. 30. ¶ Collect or Prayer against Revenge O Thou to whom vengeance belongeth keepe me from a revengefull spirit that I fall not into the hands of thy vengeance And since my pitty and patience and pardon is thy will let me not study revenges and returnes of injuries Thou O meek and mercifull Saviour didst pray for thy bloody enemies O let me then forgive my greatest foes Committing my cause to thee who wilt doe justice for me on them if I seek not revenge and for thy self upon me if I doe Thine O Lord is the sword of vengeance thine is the sharpest sword O let me not dare to take it out of thy hand lest whilst I strike others I fall justly by thy sword Though flesh and blood provoke me to it let thy holy Spirit hold me from it cast keep out of me that evil spirit by thy power O good God and Saviour of thy mercy Amen Daily Prayers Remedies against Revenge 1. THe sinne of Revenge strikes at God and Man 1. It invades Gods Prerogative and takes his sword out of his hand Rom. 12. 19 2. It is many waies an injury to man To his 1. Nature Borne without armes to live without revenge And even armed Bruits agree with their kind and Devils avoid quarrels 2. Glory To passe by an injury of Prov. 19 11. all the most excellent victory Caesars noble memory to forget Pro. 16. 32. Ro. 12. 22. nothing but wrongs 3. Peace The mind is disturbed and takes no rest Ester 5. 11 12 13. Prov. 12. 15 4. Justice I am my owne Judge and anothers Executioner 5. Wisdome If my revenge fall on a Just man it toucheth God his Zach. 2. 8. friend If he be unjust my vengeance will make me so too 2. Be a Christian and you cannot doe this sinne contrary to the Holy life and law of Christ for when much provoked Luk. 9. 55. 1. He check'd his Disciples for calling for it 2. He commands Charity to pardon Joh. 15. 12 Luk. 21. 19 Ro. 12. 20. wrongs Patience to suffer them and Kindnesse to conquer them 3. He forbids Selfe-love the mother 2 Tim. 3. 2. Ephes 4. 31 32. and Wrath the father both which beget and bring forth revenge A Penitentiall Service fit for a troubled Soule fasting and praying for mercy and grace for Wednesday or other Day Morning Prayer Psal 6. 32. 38. or 51. 130. 143. Lesson Isa 1. Mat. 11. or Act. 3. Evening Prayer Psal 40. 42 43. Lesson Job 9. or Ezek. 18. or 33. 2 Cor. 7. ¶ 1. Collect or Prayer for a Penitent O Lord I doe here cast downe my self before thee O cast me not away from thee I cannot stand at the Barre of thy justice I doe therefore lie downe at the Foot-stoole of thy mercy I doe condemne my self for my sins Lord doe not thou judge me Cancell my sins in my Saviours blood and wash my soule in the streames of mercy Though as red as crimson and scarlet thou hast promised the penitent they shall be white as snow O acquit this pensive soule of mine I beseech thee let not my guilt be black as Hell before thee Wash me from it forgive it me And because forgivenesse of what 's past availes not if I fall againe into former offences O God of all grace I beseech thee so to pardon me a sinner as to make me a Saint Give me an holy strength to mortifie my lusts with an holy care to watch and withstand all occasions and temptations to wickednesse especially those that are by nature custome or condition of life most ready to surprize me against them make me to watch and ward and pray and strive more diligently And let thy Holy Spirit assist and strengthen me to a victory even for the blessed merits of him who overcame the world for me the Captaine of my salvation thy Deare Son Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen ¶ 2. Collect or Prayer for a Penitent O God! with a prostrate body and bleeding heart I doe most humbly confesse bewaile my wretched nature and wicked life before thee For my thoughts my lusts my deeds and words past my conscience cryes out against me * Here thinke of particulars when you say it So vaine so vile so foule so ill have they been before thee And thou art greater then my heart and can'st lay more unto my charge then conscience knowes about me O thou searcher of all hearts and wayes how oft I have vowed thee better service thou knowest and have shamefully violated my faith with thee I have sometimes begun to seek after thee but soone lost my self again in the waies of former vanity As the hills so hath been my love to vaine things but my goodnesse as the morning dew which vanisheth presently And for this even from my owne mouth thou mayest againe condemne me Yea Lord with grief of heart and shame of face I doe yet further confesse and lament bitterly that as if it had been a light thing my self to be in sinnes and armes against thee I have been a Leader of others into Rebellion and so am both a Sinner and a Tempter before thee I have countenanced in them what I should condemne and encouraged what I should abhorre And so as principall to my owne have made my selfe accessary to other mens ills and by nursing the acts of their sinnes have contracted their guilts for which thou mayest againe condemne me charging their wickednesse and woes upon me And though I have been and am at this day so guilty unworthy and vile a wretch against thee O how good and gracious a God hast thou been all my life at this present art unto me Though I deserve all vengeance even to eternall death thy mercies have been and are still great upon me O God of all pity and patience I am confounded to consider thy great goodnesse and my wickednesse against thee Woe is me that the bonds of thy Lawes and thy mercies and my vowes should be all thus broken by me For this shame and confusion of face for ever might justly cover me But Lord though I be every way a miserable Sinner thou art infinitely more a mercifull God Thou hast a propitiatory for sinne above all my provocations Mary Magdalene was foule with lust yet forgiven St. Peter perjured but pardoned Saint Paul made others to blaspheme yet found mercy O Lord for thine infinite mercies sake let my sinnes be forgiven me even for my Saviours sake punish not my guiltinesse upon me Seale to my soule thy pardon in his blood which was shed to save me And for time to come let thy Holy Spirit assist me to live with more conscience and lesse sinne before thee Lighten my mind with a sight of thy truth and fire my heart with a love to thy majestie that the vanities of the earth may be my scorne and the glory of heaven the onely ambition that
Heavenly light to their thoughts and holy Fire to their Affections This Fire like that of the Sanctuary must not goe out of the Heart and vanish like passions moved at a Play unlesse we will play away our Soules we must then see 3. How we are to Order our selves after the Holy Communion AS our care was before how to 1 Cor. 11. 27. Ephes 4. 1. Heb. 2. 16. Communicate it must be now how to Walk Worthily As those who are Honoured by Christ above Angels and therefore should be at least Saints Made now One with Christ * Assistunt Cherubini Chys Ut Christū gcrat in pectore Ferat in mente Cypr. 1 Cor. 10. 16 17. and so henceforth to live Two from the Flesh the World and the Devill His Holy Body is in us His Holy Spirit must not be from us Else we Sinne grievously against His Bloud and Body What Nebuchadnezzars was in Eph. 4. 4. Dan. 2. 32. Dreame we make his Body indeed a Monster because we of it are such mungrill Limbs And as Belshazzar did at his Profane Banquet we doe by the Holy Supper Turne the Cup of 1 Cor. 11. 27 Blessing into Blasphemy Carousing as it were Healths to our Idol-lusts in Dan. 5. 4. His Hallowed both Wine and Bloud So 1. We play Judas with Christ Eat Joh. 13. 18 26. His Bread and lift up the Heele against Him Take the Sop and betray our Interests in Him 2. We play Gadaren with Him and worse We doe not Pray but Mar. 5. 17. cast Him out of our Coasts and after we have received Him in 3. We play Strumpet with Him 1 Cor. 6. 15. Jam. 4. 4. Our Members which are his are made the Worlds which is an Harlots 4. And so we play Fooles with our 1 Cor. 10. 22. Mat. 22. 11 1 Cor. 11. 29 30. own Soules On which we draw heavy Wrath for our vile provocations if not a Plague and Stroke from Heaven on our Bodies for doing such Injuries to our Saviour So end the Directions about the Holy Communion A Service fit for Sad Times for Wednesday or Friday Morning Prayer Psal 71 73 74. or 124 125 126 129. Lessons Dan. 9. or Ezra 10. to v. 7. or 2 Chron. 36. Jer. 14. Luk. 21. Evening Prayer Psal 44 77 78. or 83. 98 or 137. 140 141. Lessons 2 Chron. 13. or 20. 1 Cor. 10. or Jude Ep. ¶ 1. Collect Confessing and Depre●ating Judgments O Lord Thou hast given us to see Bitter and Bloudy Times Barbarous outrages are done and endured daily Our Houses and Friends are full Even thy Temples are not free Dear God! These be the Dues of our Sins Thou art Just but we are Wicked Against the great Meanes of thy Grace and Mercies of thy Goodness for many and many years vouchsafed to us and our Fathers before us we are notwithstanding full of Hypocrisie full of Profanenesse full of Lewdnesse most Ingratefully and therefore most Aboimnably Wicked And I even I have contributed a great measure of my Sins to fill up those Woes But O God! that art Mercifull as thou art Just that delightest not so much to appeare just as Mercifull Pardon those Sins of ours that cause those Woes Pardon those Sins of mine which concurre to that cause And with the Pardon of our Sins grant us a Release of our punishments Let civill broiles and bloodsheds cease True Piety and Peace flourish againe amongst us Thou that out of evill canst work good and out of Confusion didst set up the Order of the World out of those evills and confusions that are upon us worke good and establishment for us O Thou that powerfully canst Mercifully doe this To thy great Honour and our great happinesse for the comfort both in body and Soule of us and ours and all that truly fear and love Thee and true Religion in and for Thee Even for thy tender Pities sake hear us Even for the pretious Bloud and Passion of Jesus helpe us In whose Blessed and Beloved Name we put up our Prayers Saying Our Father c. Amen 2. Prayer for an End of Warre HAsten O God these Daies of Bloud and Woes and give a happy and speedy end to the Warrs O! Let unnaturall Divisions cease and the unhappy Separations of Dearest friends end amongst us For these Times of wants and wounds and bonds and destructions let the Daies of Plenty and Safety and Liberty returne againe unto us O! Let it be enough that for our sins thou hast so long wounded us and broken us and now heale us and binde us up and Save us for thy Mercies sake Give us peace for the Sword Thou God of peace even for his Sake who is the Prince of peace Jesus Christ our Lord Amen! 3. Prayer for Blessing on those who seeke peace O God of Peace Blesse those that seek it that they may findit and stop and turne those that fly it and make them to seeke it Bow their hearts to it that have the power and strengthen their hands for it that have the Will As for those who set their hands and hearts against it we beseech thee turne thine hand and face against them O! Forgive us our Sins which threaten to destroy us and send us a peace which may preserve us And from more Bloud and Violence Deliver us Deliver us for Jesus Christ his Sake Amen! 4. Prayer for Friends in Danger and Distresse O God of Power Pity preserve thou those that are in danger to die Rescue them from the rage of violence and shew thy selfe Mercifull to them in saving their lives if it be thy blessed will O thou preserver of men Save them If not grant them all Graces and Mercies needful for the saving of their Souls Let them Glorifie thee in life and death that thou maist glorifie them with thy Eternall Life Through the Merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. In whose name I pray mercy for all that Suffer in these Times of extremity Chiefly the Destitute Widdows and Fatherlesse Lord Take them to thy care and comfort them Have mercy on them and helpe them Supply them all and Succour them for Jesus Christ his Sake Amen 5. Prayer for Conversion of one in an Evill Course O Lord That delightest not in the Death of a Sinner I beseech thee by thy Grace and-Providence to stay his Course who is entred into a way of Vice and Vanity O Let him not goe on to bring an end of shame upon himself in this World and Confusion of face upon his Soule in the World to come But of thy great Mercy stop him and turne him to a better Course For Jesus Christ his sake Amen 6. Prayer for preservation of the Church O Lord The Church is thy Body and thou art H●ae Head Shee is thy Spouse and thou art her Husband O! Save thine owne Body Preserve thine owne Spouse Protect her from all Enemies Men and Devills Keep her from all ills Errours
8. 12. 6. 15. Jer. 3. 3. Prov. 7. 21 Jer. 9. 12. in brasse as will be in thy countenance Entrance teares of the veile of shame but continuance whores the forhead And so my Soule it is with all Sin as that One. Entrance conceives Continuance This begets Custome And That Impudence And It Vengeance Say then my Soule Say and doe with Humble and Holy Job Once have I Spoken but I will not answer Job 40. 4. 5. Yea twice but I will proceed no further No Thrice may carry thee so far from God that either thou carest 2 Tim. 3. 3. Prov. 1. 24. 31. Apoc. 22. 11. not or canst not Returne and so must on and Proceed Proceed for want of a Timely pause till thou come to a fatall Period Beware then of Bad Customs And so doe by 3. Lewd Companies Indeed the way not to be struck with those is to fence against these For they will both instill the one and induce the other That as they are Schools of Prov. 4. 14 error and This as they be forges of wickednesse Those within these without both lead to Leudnesse According Hos 7. 6. 7. to the Dialls next us our Watches goe and wrong if they be set to wickednesse When David therefore would have his goe right he bids these be gone Away from me ye wicked for Psal 6. 8. I will Keep the Commandements of my God That is His Conscience cannot Prov. 1. 10 goe right if their Company be not away How should we goe right and be with Mat. 26. 69. them that are wrong Saint Peter though fully resolv'd and warn'd against it thus fell into his fearfull error The way of Christ lay not through the High-Priests hall nor will Devotion kindle but coole at such a fire A Spark amongst live-coales holds its heat amongst dead it dies My Soule If thou canst not decline evill livers delight not in them they will damp and Prov. 13. 20. Prov. 6. 27. Col. 3. 12. 1 Cor. 5. 10. Ephes 5. 11. Mat. 8. 28. Ephes 2. 1. Mazentius dead thy Sparke Civility with all is good Familiarity dangerous Thou maist live amonst Gods rebells thou must not love them If thou dost thou wilt in time be like them Dead as they are to all good As the living Bodies chain'd by the Tyrant to the Dead And Buried as they are in all ill As sound Bodies living with the Pestilent catch their death And without the Preservative of Gods great mercy and grace damn'd with them for both As those that are found with Rioters incurre the same Doome how Luc. 6. 25. Num. 16. 24. Apoc. 18. 4 dost thou feare their Condemnation and love their Company How canst thou laugh with them in this World with whom thou wouldst not houle in that other Why dost thou dread a Plaguie Body and sit with a Pestilent Psal 1. 4. Cathedra Pestilentiae 2 Cor. 11. 3. 2 Tim. 4. 3. Prov. 4. 15. Act. 2. 40. Soule Surely the Soule is better then thy Body and her Plague worse and that infection greater Read Lord have mercy on them writ on a Sinners Doore When thou dost see in their lives a Crosse to all Gods Commandements And my Soule say Lord have mercy on thee for dareing so much in Spirituall dangers and Lord have mercy on thee that thou doe not further dare so much Shun profane Companies And as not goe the way with these So doe not give way to 4. Vaine Scruples My Soule Two things God desires Thy Joy in his Service and His Comfort in thy Life The Devill a friend to neither seekes to rob thee of both And thy Scruples are his Theeves If they overtake and overcome thee they will bind thee from the One and beat thee out of the other Taking both thy heart from all Duty and all joy from thy heart Believe it they will give thy Spirit no Freedome and thy Conscience no rest For when thou shouldst be doing good thou wilt be disputing it when at Gods work questioning thy Warrant when acting and waiting on his Service entertaining arguments about it Thus when others are well on their journey thou art quarrelling thy Passe and dost either with Balaams asse stand Judg. 22. 27. Exod. 14 and not move at all or with Pharaohs Chariots drive on heavily And no wonder for the Wheels are of The minde becomes darke the heart dull the Spirit dead the Conscience dared nothing but weaknesse and wavering and trembling and chilnesse and confusion in the powers of action and so either none at all or a stupid trepid troubled motion These be the first fruits of thy Scruples fetters and Snares And what then the Second but Heart-gaules and Gripes They will beat thee till they leave not one sound part of comfort in thee Scourge thee with thoughts Saw thee with doubts Rack thee with feares Torture thee with perplexities till thou hast neither joy of Duty nor Life Leaving thee in a labyrinth of woe dolefull dismall full of nothing but Damps of joy Dumps of Spirit and Distresses of Conscience And here My Soule Take view and heed of the Devils boundless craft 1 Pet. 5. 8. and rage When he cannot make thee quick to ill he will make thee dead to goodnesse If not dissolute irresolute If not Debauch'd for Hell Distracted Heaven-ward If loose of life then Conscience it selfe is a Scruple if strict then every Scruple is a Conscience First he would have thee have no conscience and if not It to be all Scruple With the profane even Carefull Piety goes for Holy lunacy and Motions of holy Spirit for fits of Ghostly Phrensie But to the Religious he perswades what he can what they doe and are all to be profane So when he cannot make our hearts hard as flint to bad purposes he makes them weak as water to better And this is the Malice of the Devill When he cannot have us in Hel to have it in us To Torture us with our Scruples when he cannot with his Torments Now to have us without the Comfort of Heaven because not ever without the joyes of it He would have all like himselfe if they will not goe to it carry Hell with them But Dear Soul do thou defeat his 2 Cor. 2. 12 Devices A Scrupulous Conscience is as unsafe as sad Thy Scruples as they are thy Clogs and Rods so they will be his Skrewes if they continue so Skrewes to winde thy thoughts up through doubts and feares to the utmost pin of Despaire and either leave thee there or let thee downe againe to as ill though a more merry Pin of thy first estate in Presumption They will hoist thee up from Atheisme till they have thee to Superstition and then let thee fall to Atheisme againe So niceness of life ends often in retchlesnesse of Conversation When Satan cannot make our hearts tough enough he makes them tender too much and from that excesse brings them
difficulty because our Christianity is purged from such corruptions Then I aske If he be mad that being to passe over a deepe River will leave a Bridge for a narrow Planke Is he wise that in the Great Case of Eternall life and Salvation will put his Soule on a perplext and perillous way when he may goe a plaine and a safe one 2. And by that Argument should not every Papist turne Protestant Believe Worship Pray Come to Service and Sacrament with us For 1. They confesse with us Scripture is infallible but we say not the Pope The Rule of Faith say both but not Tradition say we Safe to believe the Old Creed both grant but a New One we deny To trust to Christs Merits sure with both but not to ours with us Both believe Heaven and Hell but we have no faith for Purgatory The Protestants then is the safer Faith 2. And to worship God they say with us is safe and profitable piety but to worship Images we say is damnable Idolatry Ours therefore is the safer Worshipping 3. And to pray to God in Christs Name both grant good Religion but to call to Saints for helpe or to God in their Name we say grosse Superstition That therefore is the safer Praying 4. And in the Sacrament of the Eucharist a Sacrifice Commemorative both grant but a Propitiatory we disclaime A Reall Presence both allow but the way of Transubstantiation we reject The Cup by Institution and Primitive Observation we and they confesse A power of Alienation we abhorre This therefore is the safer Receiving 5. Lastly in our Liturgy is no errour some of them say but in their Missall are many say we Service in a Knowne Tongue is not sinfull with them but in an unknowne unwarantable and against Scripture with us Therefore it 's best to come to our Church to Service and Prayers And so ours by their Confession and Reason is the best Religion To conclude Upon my Grounds before I build all this The True Christian hath Gods Word and Seale for his Salvation He that Believes Does and Praies aright is the True Christian 1. Such a one is a member in and of the Catholike Church though not of the Romane 2. Such Christians the Primitive Times had therefore he is no new but an ancient Christian 3. Where Gods Word and Sacraments are professed and used by such there 's a Church of Christ and visible Christianity 4. And from any Church in the world that is such I will not From the Romane as such I doe not separate So I am no Schismaticall Christian 5. And in these Grounds all agree and so there is Unity And this is the onely plaine Christian way to Heaven and so it 's safest to be Reformed not Corrupted a Catholike Christian not a Particular Romane GAL. 6. 16. And as many as walk according to this Rule Peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel os God Rules of Devotion for Morning IN the Morning when you first awake What to doe when you awake lift up your eyes to God and say I lift up mine eyes to the Hils from whence cometh my help Then lift up your heart to God and pray Lord keep me from all sin and danger this day for Jesus Christ his sake When you are up kneel down and say What to doe when you are first up this prayer Almighty God who hast touched my heart with a sense of thy fear and holy dread of thy Majesty I beseech Let this never be omitted thee give me thy grace so to governe my thoughts and look to my words and wayes this day that I may avoid all sinnes Especially those to which I am most inclined or may be most provoked That so my soul and body may be kept pure and unspotted before thee and whensoever the houre of their separation shall come may be ready and prepared for thee through the merits and mercies of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen When you are ready for your Morning Prayers use every day one of the following Services Rules for the Evening BEfore you goe into your Bed kneel and say this short Prayer O God who hast made the day for labor and the night for rest let thy Sons Bloud cleanse me from this days guilt that I may sleep in thy peace and rise againe refreshed and preserved by thy favour through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen And this Thanks-giving and Prayer Almighty God who hast preserved me this day from many sinnes and dangers I doe humbly magnifie thy Name for thy Grace and Goodnesse towards me Beseeching thee to forgive me all the errours of this day whereof my conscience doth or may accuse me And grant that those sins which by my frailty I have committed may by the help of thy Spirit be more carefully avoided That I may ever stand in thy favour walk under thy protection and now rest and lie down in thy peace and at last come to thy heavenly Kingdom through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ Amen! When you lie down say I will lay downe my ●head in peace and take my rest for thou onely O Lord makest me to dwell in safety Then pray thus Lighten mine eyes O Lord that I sleep not in death I commit my soule and body to thee Keep me for thy mercies sake PSAL. 55. 18. In the Evening and Morning and at Noone day will I pray and that instantly and he shall heare my voyce Dayly Prayers Here begin the Daily Prayers saying first some of these Sentences PSAL. 66. 2. O Thou that hearest prayer unto thee shall all flesh come PSAL. 123. 125. 1. Vnto thee lift I up mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the Heavens Vnto thee O Lord will I lift up my soul PSAL. 66. 16. If I incline to wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not hear me JOHN 16. 23. Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever you shall ask the Fatherin my name he will give it to you JAM 1. 6. But let him ask in faith nothing doubtin for let not that man thinke he shall receive any thing of the Lord. that is wavering and without Faith 1 JOHN 3. 22. And whatsoever we aske we receive of him because we keep his Commandements and doe the things that are pleasing in his sight JAM 4. 3. Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amisse that ye may spend it on your lusts 1 TIM 2. 8. I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy bands without wrath without doubting Preparatory Prayer BReath on me with thy holy Spirit O God that the Breath of mine may now please thee and my Prayers come up as sweet-smelling odours before thee Through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord Amen! Or This PRevent me O Lord in all my doings with thy most gracious favour and further me with thy continuall help that in all my works begun continued and ended in thee I may glorifie thy holy name and finally
thee as that is my state let this be my blisse Give me the blessings of the Womb a healthy and holy seed which may be Heires of thy blessings on earth after us and at last inheritance of thy eternall blessednesse in heaven with us even for the sake of thy onely begotten Sonne my deare and onely Saviour Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 1. Prayer for a Woman with Child LOrd who hast blessed me with a hopefull Conception crowne thy mercy in mee with a happy Deliverance From all frights and harmes which may cause miscarriage to me let thy providence shield me From all errors and ills which may draw thy displeasure upon me let thy grace preserve me And for all my faults and failings past let thy mercy pardon me And Lord let not the Child for the Parents sake be any way unhappy The blessing of shape and perfectnesse of Body and mind be upon it I beseech thee so shall the Church have a Child and thou a Servant my Family a pillar and thy kingdome an heire mine shall be the comfort but thine shall be the gaine O thou that thy selfe wast once enclosed in a Mothers womb conceived bred and born shew this mercy to me doe it for me deare Iesus thou holy Sonne of God Amen Amen Prayer against Miscarriage LOrd keep me from all harmes and frights this day * At Evening say this Night and that my Womb by no ill acccident may miscarry within me let not my heart by any ill act miscarry before thee Body and Soule let thy mercy grace preserve me now and ever deare Iesus Amen Amen Prayer for a Woman in Travaile LOe this is the fruit of the forbidden Tree our first Mother brought forth sin and we bring forth in paine for it justly O Lord for I am the Daughter of my Mother as I sinned in her loynes so since I came into the world I have justified often what she did once I have sinned O Lord I have sinned O how often have I coveted what thou hast forbidden done ill in thy eyes to doe what was pleasing to my owne and been both tempted and Tempter unto evill By inheritance therefore and purchase wrath is my due misery my portion and this paine my proper lot and thy great mercy it is in Christ my Saviour that the pangs of everlasting death are not my but O thou Judge of the world remember that thou art the Preserver of men preserve me in it support me under it make haste make haste good Lord to deliver me from it and comfort me after it O remember not what the first Adam hath done but the second suffered and by his immaculate Conception and holy Birth and Life by the bitter passion and pangs and death of the holy Child Jesus deliver me deare Father in this my extremity Let the paines of my Travaile end in the joies of a blessed Birth that may to the comfort of my soule live and be made an Heire of thy kingdome Amen Amen Prayer after Deliverance of Child LOrd that hast look'd downe on thy poore hand maid in her great distresse I looke up unto thee and blesse thy Name for my happy deliverance that thou hast made me the joyfull Mother of a hopefull Child without visible infirmity or deformity which might take from my joy Goe on good God in mercy to me and it Support me on my bed of weaknesse and in thy due time raise me from it with strength Let my Child live till thou by holy Baptisme hast made it thy Heire and in that holy and happy state of soule preserve it to thy kingdome and let it be my continuall care by all good meanes to preserve it And good Lord from the pangs of eternall death and paines of Hell keep me and it for ever And whatsoever burden of woe I shall travaile under on earth let me not despaire of mercifull deliverance whom thou hast so graciously eased of my late paine and burden Thy power mercy is the same for ever O Lord let it be shewed to thy Servant in all her extremity according as her hope and trust is in thee by the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Prayer after Christening the Child WHat an honour hast thou done unto thy Servant O Lord thou hast given me a naturall birth and my Child a new one what came polluted into the world is washed cleane in thy laver for the raggs of Adam thou hast put on it thy Sonnes robes My Child is made thy heire and what was borne by me to a Crosse thou hast begotten againe to a Crown of glory O Lord let it be my care to keep my Child thine thy Sonnes righteousnesse on him and Spirit in him and my ambition so to be thy Child that I may with it be Inheritor of thy Crowne By the merits of him who is the first-borne of his Brethren thy Son and Heire of all things Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Prayer and Thanksgiving for our Birth-day I Thank thee O Lord for my Birth this day but especially for my new-birth By that I was made a Man by this a Christian from that I have a naturall life from this a spirituall that was to live on earth this in heaven nor was that to live for ever but a time on earth Lord let me not frustrate the end of my Birth nor apostate from the blisse of my Baptisme The state of grace in which this set me let me ever maintaine And if by sinne I ever fall from it let me by a true and timely repentance rise againe and recover it that when I shall go from earth I may come to heaven and when leave to live with men live with thee and thy Angels for ever for which end I am created redeem'd and preserved in this world Lord that gavest my life this day to begin let it so end for his sake whose birth life and death makes all ours blessed who is the beginning and end Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Prayer for New-years-day GOd of my life who hast given me this day to see a New-yeare begin let me live to see it at a happy end and thou who hast a New-heart in thy gift O give that to me that according to all the good purposes of my soule I may walke in good conscience before thee and have thy peace within me and thy blessing all the yeare upon me even for his sake who was content to be borne at this time and this day to be circumcised and shed his just blood for me Iesus Christ thy Son my deare Saviour and Lord. Amen Prayer for a Widow O Lord that hast taken my Head from me be thou Husband to me thou that boughtest my Soule by thy bloud to be thy Spouse doe not lose me doe not leave me guide and governe in me in all my waies in all my wants and straits supply me thou that art better than Friend than Father than Husband than all be unto
ever every way be the God of my salvation yea whilst I live wil I praise thee in this manner For thy mercy O Lord thine infinite mercy it is that I am preserved and live Lord let those dangers never depart from my mind that thy deliverance may never go out of my heart but that I may ever be mindfull and carefull of thee and thy service for it all the daies of my life O let me keep with joy the memory of those waves which came over but went off my head as the great passeover of my life And let thy tempest be made a Temple to me to call me to pray unto thee and praise thee the God of my life to teach me to feare obey and trust serve thee better every where whilst thou shalt continue to me those daies 1. Even thy Creatures how terrible are they O Lord all hearts are afraid of thy tempests and melt at thy stormes O let me in this glasse of their terror see the dreadfull face of thy angried Majestie at which the depths themselves doe tremble and the foundations of the world are discovered even as the blast of the breath of thy nostrils O Lord And let me never presume to exalt my selfe against thee but ever tremble before thy face 2. At thy word the stormes did cease their rage and lie still O God! if any tempest shall arise in my passions through my frailty let it cease at thy command let not the Seas obey thee and my Soule rebell against thee 3. Thou hast presented the horror of a tempest to my eyes and eares O Lord keep me that I never feele a tempest in my Conscience let the raging Sea never run in my Soule to raise up stormes in me more dreadfull than death And that I may never be drowned in the depths of despaire Lord keep me from the overflowing of wickednesse Let not presumptuous sinnes have any dominion over me let the conversation of the wicked never cleave unto me 4. Thou hast in this great extremity of danger manifested to my Soule thy ready and mighty help for deliverance even when the waves were about to overwhelme me then even then O blessed God did thy goodnesse save me O let this experience of thy mercifull power and aide make me to trust and stay my Soule upon thee in all distresses and dangers whatsoever shall hereafter befall me 5. O let not any temptations of the vanities of the Land drowne in me the memory of thy mercies at Sea but against all temptings to offend thee let this tempest thus arme me Had I bin in that hower tempted to sinne O God would I durst I then have offended thee And now that I am by thy mercy delivered shall I yeild upon any temptation to sinne against thee and breake my great obligation and vow to serve thee 6. O let those waters which did fright but not drowne me in the deep be apprehended as a new Baptisme in which thy hand was pleased at once to sprinkle and teach me that my cheeks are to be wet daily with the brinish teares of repentance for my sins and the fresh springs of joy are to flow from my eyes for the goodnesse of thy deliverance Thy waters came over me but confusion did not cover me my face felt the danger but thou hast saved my head O Lord my God! O Lord I beseech thee doe thou thus sanctifie these great passages of thy providence to me that whilst I live thou mayest have from me a better service and when I die I may receive from thee a better salvation even for Iesus Christ's sake my deare and onely Saviour Amen Prayer before or in a Journey O Lord who hast set thy Angels to keep us in all our Psal 91. 11 Psal 94. 5. waies charge that Convoy with me in whose heart they are forgive me that I have gone astray from thee and give me grace to goe no more astray and be not extreame to marke all errors and wandrings Ps 130. 3. from thee who then O Lord shall be preserved on earth or saved in heaven let thy holy Spirit guide me this day and ever in the waies which please thee and thy blessed protection be over me and all with me for his sake who is the Way the Truth and the Life even for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Prayer Gratulatory after a Journey LOrd thou hast been with me in my Journey and as I prayed I have passed the perils of the way by the conduct of thy providence and where I would be I am by the favour of thy conduct blessed be thy holy name O Lord for all thy goodnesse How many have miscarried and doe daily many waies and even so might I have done had it not been for thy favour Blessed be thy name for it yea for all the preservations of my life and the mercy to which I owe those preservations Blessed for ever be thy holy name And still O Lord so magnifie thy mercy in my protection on earth that thou mayest ever be blessed of me till I am blessed with thee in Heaven through the merits of him who by his blood bought that blessednesse for us and in our flesh sits at the right hand to save us Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Prayers for a Souldier in a just Warre 1. Morning Prayer for one in Warre O LORD in daies of blood Read Psal 140. there be many howres of Death what minute may not be that hower O let me then thinke of mine thinke of it and prepare for it Thy grace give me so to doe this day and thy mercy for what hath been misdone before it that when my life shall end on earth it may begin where it shall never have an end Meane while let me live to doe thee more honour if it may stand with thy pleasure and see a happy peace to be the purchase of this warre that I may so live to my Prince Nation Church Religion me mine every way happy And doe thou therefore guide my Soule this day and guard my life from all evill and danger for Jesus Christ his sake in whose words I pray it saying Our Father c. 2. Evening Prayer for one in Warre LOrd who hast been my shield this Read Psal 91. day be my watch this night that I may be safe from the swords and hands of all Enemies and by the guard of thy goodnesse preserv'd to blesse and serve thee the next day for and in thy mercy through the merits of Jesus Christ in whose words I pray it saying Our Father c. 3. Prayer before Bataile O Thou shield of those that put Read Psal 143. 21 23. their trust in thee be his shield whose hope is onely in thee and in thy mercy onely Mercy Lord grant me for all my sinnes past and pardon me Mercy grant me in my present perils and preserve me Mercy grant me good God in my attempts this day and
prosper me O blessed Captaine of my salvation deare Jesus who didst shed thy blood for me shield me now that am to fight for thee and all engaged with me Have mercy on us all deare Jesus and give us victory Amen Amen Our Father c. 4. Thanksgiving after Fight LOrd that hast been the shield of Ps 28. 30. 124. 128. After Victory 26. 98. thy Servant I give thee the glory of thy goodnesse And still Lord in all dangers be my shield that I may give thee yet more glory for that thou hast given me to see many fall and my selfe stand that thou hast shewed me this day many wounded and kept me safe Glory be to thee O Lord for thy mercy for ever by Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Our Father c. 5. Prayer for one wounded in Warre O Lord thou woundest and healest 1 Sam. 2. 6. thou killest and thou makest alive I doe beseech thee therefore to heale him in thy mercy who is not wounded without thy providence Lord Jesu thou good and great Physitian of wounded bodies souls who never failest to cure whom thou pleasest to recover take him to thy care who is wounded in thy cause and even for thy tender mercies sake I beseech thee heale his Soule of his sins and his Body of his wounds O thou that thy self was wounded and sheddest thy blood for him and us all in this bleeding condition of his let thy blood be his cordiall and thy wounds his remedies And thou Lord of life who on earth with thy Word made the sick and wounded to recover yea the dead to live say unto him from Heaven Live and Recover that he may serve thee more and better on Earth And now and ever fit and prepare him with thy grace that when he dies he may live and reigne with thee in Heaven through the blessed merits and mediation who wast wounded and slaine to heale and save us all O Jesus Christ our Lord our life and onely hope and succour and Saviour in life and death Amen Prayers for the Sick 1. A Confession and Prayer for mercy and Deliverance O Lord I do humbly confesse to the glory of thy justice that the sicknesse which I suffer is the fruit of my sin the Root of Mankind was poysoned with it and I am a branch of it yea and am much and many waies polluted by it and so am like my Root a poysoned branch I am therefore a Child of Death Rom. 5. 12. and Heire of the Grave the issue of his sin and sicknesse is my portion as I am his Child But Lord I am the seed of a second Adam looke at me not as I am in the first but thy Christ a graft of that Isaiah holy stock the root of Jesse the branch of righteousnesse the Holy One of God for his pretious merits sake forgive me my sin and have mercy on me in my sicknesse And O deare Iesus Joh. 5. 14. that didst take flesh and blood for me pity me poore flesh and blood groaning before thee comfort me and succour me help me and heale me even by the merits of thy pretious blood I beseech thee Amen Amen Prayer for Patience in Sicknesse I Am thy Prisoner O Lord chained by infirmity to a bed of paine but let me not fret even because I am thine Thine whose chaine I cannot breake Thine who dost draw me to thee by this chaine Thine who for my sinne dost justly bind me Thine who knowest when it 's best to loose me Thine who seest what lies upon me Thine who hearest every groane within me Thine who for my sinnes might●st bind me in everlasting chains and sendest this sicknesse to save me O Lord since I am so many waies thine let me submit to thy chaine and lie as thy prisoner so thy Patient before thee and let thy pity in thy good time release me and charge not the errors of my infirmity upon me for Jesus Christ his sake Amen A Thanksgiving for Recovery of Sicknesse WHat shall I render unto the Psal 116. Lord for all his benefits done to me the snares of death compassed me and the paines of Hell tooke hold upon me I found woe and misery then called I on the name of the Lord and he heard me yea thou Lord wast he that helped me Thou art my God and I wil praise thee It was not Man it was thou that healed me All Physitians are of no value all Medicines vaine without thee Thy Mercy O Lord was my Balme and I will magnifie it Thou wast my Physitian and I will praise thee My heart in all extremity shall therefore trust in thee My lips shall speake of thy praise and my life honour thee I will not be so wretched as to offend thee with the healthinesse thou hast given me with the life anew bestowed on me O Lord keep that wretchednesse for ever from me thy grace therefore ever give me to have in all my waies this mercy and thy glory before me even so be it I beseech thee O Lord for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Amen Prayer against the Plague O Lord Pestilence is thy Arrow and my sins have made mee thy marke nor canst thou misse me in thy justice But spare me Lord spare me in thy mercy Though I deserve the stroke for my selfe spare me for my Saviours sake let his innocency be my shield and his blood my antidote O Lord I have I wish no other antidote or shield By the soveraigne and all-saving merits of his I beseech thee pardon my sinne and spare my life Spare my soule that it may better serve thee spare my body that it may better serve my soule spare my heart that I may keepe it more carefully for thee spare my blood that my spirits may be more active to serve thee And as I pray Pestilence from my body so I beseech thee keep it from my soule Preserve me from the house and shield me from the chaire of pestilence As from infected Bodies so from Spirits which breath errors and vices pests and plagues of souls From all mutuall diseases defend me Body and Soule but from those fearfull ones above all I beseech thee And all those thou hast made neare and deare unto me deare Saviour doe it for thy mercies sake Amen Prayer for one infected with the Plague I Am struck O God and by thy hand I beseech thee let me bleed in thy Armes in thy Armes of mercy let me depart if I must die but Lord embrace me with thy favour that I may live live out this danger and see thy deliverance out-live my sins and doe thee more service Meane while mercy Lord for Jesus his sake mercy to thy poore Servant pardon to my sinne comfort to my spirit acceptance to my repentance strength to my faith life to my charity salvation to my soule that whether I live or die I may be thine O Lord who to redeem and save me
didst both live and die in virtue of thy blood that sole and soveraigne antidote and sanctuary of bleeding Sinners thy deare and pretious blood let my soule live if my body die but if thy blessed will both live to praise thy goodnesse to both Lord cast my sins behind thy back and hold me in thy Armes Into thy Armes of mercy I cast my self Body Soul my onely hope and refuge and rock of my salvation is in thy blessed merits and blood deare Jesus take me and keep me in thy Armes now and ever and especially in my last hower and agonie have mercy on me I beseech thee Amen Amen Thanksgiving for one recovered of the Plague THou hast smitten and thou hast healed me O my God! the blow was grievous thy help is greater the blow was just thy help more gracious my sinnes deserved death thy mercy hath spared my life O Lord with an humble thankfull soule I doe acknowledge as ever so now especially from thy good hand my present life and health And now I humbly beseech thee that my heart may smite me that I have ever rebelled against so good a Majestie and thy grace keep me that I never more lift up my hand against so great a goodnesse O let not the pestilence goe from my body to my soule let not Satan and corruption poyson perswade my spirit to sit in the chaire or stay in the house of pestilence Let not others be infected with sinne by me nor me by them lest thou be more provoked and the plague gone returne in a greater judgment My God my help my health my hope my life and comfort be thy Name ever blessed that hast spared my soule and life O let it be no more dishonoured by me that keeping from the infection of an evill world I may live in the blisse of a better where is neither sinne nor sicknesse to infect soule or body but perfect health strength grace and glory in thee and with thee to all eternity O Jesus my onely refuge and the horne of my salvation So be it Amen Amen Prayer for one at the Hower of Death to be said by the Sick or some for him altering the Person 1. Prayer of one at the point of Death GOd the Father his mercies be about me God the Sonne his merits be upon me God the Holy Ghost his comforts be within me Holy Trinitie preserve strengthen and support me that my Death may be pretious in the sight of the Lord and my Soule live with thee to all eternity Amen Amen 2. Prayer for one at the point of Death FAther of mercies let thy love be to him Saviour of the world let thy merits be on him Comforter of departing Souls let thy peace be in him Father Sonne and Holy Spirit defend a Child of thy Family save a Lamb of thy Flock keep a member of thy Church O thou One and onely Lord God of Heaven command thy holy Angels to tender him and forbid evill ones to trouble him Deliver his soul discharge his sinne seale his pardon heavenly Father by thy Holy Spirit in the blood of Jesus Amen Amen 3. Prayer for one at the point of Death LOrd Jesus Succour this Dying Soule make passage for him by death to a better life purge his sins in thy Blood and prepare his Soule by thy Spirit and receive it to the glory of thy Father Jesus that didst so deerly purchase it make haste to receive it from the pangs of present and paines of everlasting death Good Lord deliver it deliver it for thy mercies sake Amen Amen Thanksgiving after Death for one Departed ¶ Say this Scripture Psal 116. 7 15. Returne unto thy rest ô my Soule for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the Death of the Saints Apoc. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord even so saith the Spirit that they rest from their labours ¶ Then Pray thus THou that hast sent for this Soul out of the Prison of his Bodie to come to the Palace of thy Blisse receive our praises O Lord for his happy deliverance from pangs to joyes from Tryalls to Triumphs from Earth to Heaven O Lord we beseech thee admit our humble lauds to attend him into thy presence and with them let our prayers enter before thee that as he so we in thy good time may come and present our Halleluja's with our selves in thy sight And meane time lead a godly life to have a blessed death Lord let us not forsake thee now that thou mayest not leave us then in that last and great hower upon which followes an Eternitie of weale or woe Lord have mercy on us and doe not forsake us and therefore let us have the feare of it and thee now and ever before us that as we believed our Brother departed is we may be blessed in and by our death grant we may deare Iesus Amen Amen A generall Thanksgiving for Gods mercies O Thou high Majestie of Heaven how hast thou filled me with the favours of thy bounty how great hast thou been in thy goodnesse and mercy how gracious in thy providence to me thou hast poured the blessings of heaven and earth upon my head Thou hast loaden me with thy gifts bestowed upon me in Creating Redeeming and in Preserving me In my Creation thou gavest me thine Image and madest me more noble than all the Creatures of the earth In my Redemption thou gav'st me thy Sonne and madest me more glorious than the Angels of Heaven In my Baptisme and Regeneration thou gavest me thy Spirit and hast made me more happy than millions of men in the world Thou hast given thy self to me Lord what could'st thou doe more for me thrice blessed yea for ever be thy glorious Name for thine infinite grace mercy and goodnesse to me And in thy providence for this life how abundantly hast thou blessed me in health wealth body mind c. and many and many mercies vouchsafed me In my weaknesse thou hast strengthened me in my dangers thou hast delivered me in my distresses thou hast comforted me in my prayers thou hast heard me in thy judgments thou hast spared me to this day preserving my life and making it many waies joyfull to me And not for any good in me O Lord hast thou been thus gracious towards me My ills on earth hath been many my ingratitudes great against thee For them thou mightest for ever banish me from heaven and with my sinnes cast me into hell amongst those that offend thee for thy owne goodnesse and great Names sake hast thou been thus bountifull and mercifull to me O fill my heart with thy love that my mouth may poure ou● praises to thee Ravish my soule with thy goodnesse that my heart may ever love thee Fill my life with thy feare that as my lips my thoughts deeds may ever honour thee let me not be so wretched as to forget thy
the Devill of more goodnesse wisdome care and power to save then he is able to destroy Thou canst send more succours to me then he can bring forces against me more holy Angels then he hath wicked Spirits Lord give me that strength Lord send me those succours Put upon me the armour of light to fight with the Rulers of darknesse Let the Helmet of hope be on my head and the brestplate of faith and love on my heart that I be not mortally wounded in the fight In my extremity send thy Angels to succour me And let thy holy Spirit be my Leader that the evill one may not be my Conquerour Lord Jesus that knowest what it was to be tempted and didst overcome the Tempter for me relieve my frailty when I am tempted and suffer not Satan to overcome me And let me be sober and watch and pray that I enter not into Temptation that thou mayest relieve me O Lord How shall I not fall into the hand of Hell if I throw my selfe into Temptation From such presumptions O Christ preserve me How many soules have beene left and lost in those bold adventures of their strength make me sadly to consider that such a daring Spirit may never possesse me Let me remember with feare and trembling what great Saints have falne that I may with an humble and holy care and feare seeke for thy strength to stand and being upheld by thy right hand may never fall But let me not cast my self out of thine into Satans hand for if thou Lord doe not uphold and he pull downe how shall I stand And let me keepe my wayes that I cast not my selfe out for thou wilt not protect me but in thy wayes And let me not runne my selfe into temptation for that is out of my wayes and thy protection Thou great Shepheard of the sheep keepe me a poore Lambe of thy fold Thou Lion of the Tribe of Juda that hast prevailed save me from the roaring Lion that he may never prevaile And in and from all his Temptations deliver me in thy mercy that he may not devour my soule for all his roaring Rescue me thou that didst redeeme me Preserve me thou that didst create me my Lord and my God my strength hope deare Jesus Amen TUESDAY A Prayer against the World O Lord The World is a strong Enemy to conquer The great Conquerors of the powers were Captives to the vanities of the World yet by thy strength it may be conquered for thou art greater then he that is the world Thou didst O Saviour conquer it for me and by thy aide I may conquer it for my selfe And by thy will I must conquer it with thee on earth if I will triumph with thee in Heaven O then let me resolutely set and fit my selfe for the conquest of the world And to the forces of reason Lord give me the powers of grace by which I may make a conquest This world is but for a time and will end at last and how soone to me thou Lord onely knowest and did it endure what comfort or contentment can my immortall soule receive in any or all the good of the world O let me not lose my eternall inheritance in the world to come for a poore portion in this present world Thou Lord hast made me in it but me for thy self and it for me O then let me never be of it let my Spirit alwayes be above it Let me not make my Servant my Soveraigne good Assist me by thy grace that I may not O God! And because my senses are so naturall and neare unto me and the world takes my soule captive by the power of my senses O let me watch those gates against the entries of Temptations and looke well to my sense that I lose not my soule That I doe not Lord keepe me from all evill from the men and from the things of the world From Companies and Counsels and examples of the ill set on by the Devill to wooe for the world Lord keep me as so many foes and fiends to my soule and let me rather suffer them as my sorrowes then take solace in such men From the Vanities of the world that they doe not allure me and the miseries of it that they may not deject me The great powers by which the world assaults me defend me O Lord that they doe not overcome me and let me looke well to my soule because I am never free from such assaults From the Vanities of Riches Honours Pleasures the prevailing goods of the world the Heaven she brings And from the miseries of wants scornes ignominies injuries tortures the powerfull ills of the world the Hell she hath Lord keep me that they lead not my soule into the Captivitie of sin lest I feele a worser Hell and lose a better Heaven Let me not lose thy favour for the smiles nor incurre thy displeasure for the frownes of this world Let neither her Sorceries bewitch me to ill nor her Tyrannies fright me from good Let my love and feare be both on thee the good and ill not of this but another life On that be my heart on this my foot Let me love and value and use this world onely as it may helpe me to that Not for the Throne of my Spirit but the footstoole of my soule By whose good my body may be better enabled to serve my Spirit and both to serve Thee and come to the good of a better world For such a Conquest Lord strengthen me and to these Triumphs above bring me even for his sake who hath overcome the flesh the Devill and the World for me Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen WEDNESDAY A Prayer against sudden Death O Thou great Judge of the world I am a child of death by the sentence of the Law for Adams sinne and have deserved it at the hands of thy Justice for my owne yet in thy mercy thou hast not executed that sentence upon me but to this day hast continued my life Yea most mercifull God when the feares and snares of Death and Hell tooke hold on me and my provocations were great against thee in those great distresses I called upon thee and thou didst heare me and deliver me Lord make me ever thankfull for thy goodnesse and take not away thy loving kindnesse from me though since I have not walked worthy of thy mercy Save my soule from the sins that trouble me Save my body from the sicknesses that feare me And save my life from all ill accidents and disasters that may befall me If thou speak the word O Lord I shall be safe body and soule and no ill can touch me Good Lord speake that word and save me Pardon my sins that they doe not destroy me and lengthen my dayes that I may better serve thee For a sudden death by a present repentance and good life Lord ever prepare me And from a sudden death by thy good providence deliver me That I may have
time with more comfort and contentment and setlement of minde to yeild up my life and soule unto thee Deare Saviour heare me that sheddest thy bloud to save me and sittest in Heaven to preserve me For my last houre fit me From sudden surprizall of it keep me To it and in it ever save me and by thy grace and holy merits make it a happie houre unto me that I may then die in thy armes and at the day of Judgment rise and stand joyfull before thee Lord Jesus for thy mercies sake grant all this to me Amen! Amen! THURSDAY A Prayer against Hypocrisie O Lord Make me abhorre to be prophane and feare to be an Hypocrite If I be a notorious sinner the world will condemne me and if a close offender Thou wilt not justifie me Let me therefore be a Saint in sinceritie that God and man may approve and blesse me O Lord God of truth that searchest the heart what will it availe me to have the world accquit me when my conscience shall be a thousand witnesses against me and Thy selfe more then ten thousand consciences to condemne me Keepe me therefore from the blot and follie of Hypocrisie And since Hypocrites are the first-borne of the damned let me have no part in that sinne that I may have no portion with such sinners Let me be the same wheresoever I am in the Closet and Church in secret and publike in the darke and day and let me be alwayes what I should be studying ever to approve my heart and wayes before thee that thou who seest in secret mayest reward me openly O let me set Thee every where before my eyes and my selfe before thine and accordingly walk uprightly before thee till I come to rest eternally with thee O Lord since thou requirest no more to have thy favour on Earth and glory in Heaven but a heart true unto thee and doest pardon and passe by many infirmities where thou seest such a heart Let me not give thee lesse then a sinceritie in thy service God of Truth give me a single heart to serve thee and accept it from me and a Monster of a double heart let Satan never make me From Hypocrisie and lyes of life Lord deliver me Thou that hadst no gaule in thy heart nor guile in thy mouth Blessed Sonne and Truth of God let me be Thine in truth sweet Jesus Amen! FRIDAY Prayer against Inconstancie in good O Lord Thou art immutable what thou art let me be unchangeable what I should be never ceasing to be thy good Child and Servant who ever continuest to be my good Father and Lord O Lord There is not one moment in which I can be or live without thy goodnesse and shall there be many dayes wherein thou art without my service The glory with which thou rewardest it is to all eternity and shall the duties of it faile and fall short of constancy O my God! had I the age of Angels to live I owe the service of all that life unto thee and now that I have but a span of time shall I keepe away a great part of that from thee O Lord let me not so much forget thee and my selfe as to doe thus by thee And should I so farre forget my duty let me remember my necessity It is constancie gets the Crown to thy service and shall I fall off from it and lose my Crowne O Lord In what a fearefull condition would my soule be if death should seize me when I am faln off and take me away in that time of sin and have I any assurance this howre the next not to see death And were I sure of life time should I so live and divide it best yeares to the devill and worst to my God Months to vanity minute to piety Day and night looke to this world and not spare an houre for a better Lord Let not the Devill and the World divide my time with thee lest not giving thee all thou takest none from me or giving thee the least share thou throwest it backe upon me Fix my heart on thy feare that no temptation of Devill or man may remove mee Bind my soule with such resolutions to thee that no strength of the flesh may loose me Since I cannot for my bodies frailty serve thee as an Angell without intermission continually let me as a Saint without failing constantly be devoted to thee not as a retainer but daily servant attending upon thee Keeping carefully my howres of devotion and consecrating all my dayes unto thee in a conscionable and constant endeavour in all places ●nd things and at all times to shun all evill and doe what may please thee O thou that art without shadow of change ever the same settle my fickle soule in thy feare and establish thy holy Spirit in me that I may serve thee on earth with constancie and in heaven to all eternity By the grace and merits of him who finished the work of Eternall Redemption for me living and dying to save me and now sits at thy right hand to uphold and keepe me Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen SATURDAY Prayer against impenitence in ill LOrd keepe me from the fearfull sinne and judgment of an impenitent heart Since repentance for sinne is the onely remedy appointed to save me let me not neglect it lest I die for it irrecoverably O Lord what shall become of my guilty soule if thou doe not pardon me And how should I hope thy pardon if I goe on to provoke thee Give me therefore a sorrow for my sinnes past wherein I have offended thee and if I fall by frailty into sin let me not lye without remorse but rise by repentance that I may returne againe into favour with thee O my God if now I will not I shall repent in Hell if not on Earth if not with timely teares in hope in fires with everlasting horrour O let me weep for a time that I may not waile them for ever Let me mourne for them unto comfort rather then rejoyce into confusion From a heart hardned in sin and a conscience seared with guilt Lord keep me as from the threshold of hell And from continuance and custome in sin keep me that I grow not senselesse of it and seared And from multiplying and reiterating the acts of sin keep me that I get not a custome If I sin let my heart smite me that thy hand of vengeance may not touch me And for that hardnesse and habit of ill which I have already got by any acts of sin Deare Saviour help me and heale me Melt my heart in the fire of thy love to a tendernesse of offending thee and O blessed scape-goat * Levi● 16. 21. Goates blood melts Adamant Such is an hard heart Zach. 7. 12. mollifie my hardnesse by the vertue of thy blood that I may not stand stubborne against thee Bow me with thy mercies break me with thy judgments wound me with thy Word move me with
put it in thy senses Man of reason be not a beast for sense live and love above worldly vanitie looke and long after sure solid satisfying soule-felicity else saving thy selfe nothing is or can be so vaine Wednesday-Service Against the Villanies of the World Morning Prayer Psal 12. 14. 120. Lessons Gen. 6. or 19. Mat. 24. Evening Prayer Psal 18. 55. Lessons Jer. 5. or Isaiah 13. 2 Pet. 2. or 1 Joh. 5. Collect against the villanies of the World O Lord since the World is a Sodome 2 Pet. 2. 8. let me be a Lot vexed not delighted with her filthiness Since it is a Mesech let me be a David not taken but tired with her Psal 120. 4 wretchedness Lord why should that have my joyes where my Soule is never free from dangers nor thy glory from wounds where Blasphemie is as common as the ayre and Oppression as the earth where Iniquitie flowes like water and lust flames as fire why should I be in love with her that is in hate with thee where if I follow her course I go to the damnation of another world and if I crosse it meet with nothing but vexation all the way O Lord though I be in it let me not be of it if it be wicked let me be good yea the more wicked it is the better let me be that thou mayest Apoc. 3. 12 take a more mercifull notice of my goodnesse And because it is hard to breath the ayre of corruption and take 2 Cor. 6. 17 no taint into conversation let me be willing to get fairly from it and come to thee where is blisse pure without teare or taint Take me from the Devils of the world to thy Angels O God! meane time let me live a Saint even amongst Devils that I may at last be a Saint amongst Angels yea as one of thy Angels in that world where is no woe nor wickednesse Sinner nor Satan but thy blessed unitie with holy and happy society of glorified Men and Angels enjoying adoring lauding and serving thee for ever ever so be it for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Daily Prayers Meditation of the Villanies of the World MOther of all misdeeds and mischiefs when shall I be delivered from thee gaole of my Soule and wrack of my salvation a hill of poor Pismires tossing up and downe thou art at best a hell of debauch'd and damned Spirits at worst Source of sinne forge of hell and a field of all temptation If I love my God I must hate thee because an enemy to his honour if I love my self I must loath thee because an adversary to my salvation if I hate the Devill I must not love thee because thou art his Sword to destroy if I may not love the flesh I must not love thee because her staffe of support if I must not love vice I must abhorre thee because thou art the Mistresse of Vanitie if I must love grace I must detest thee because the Step-dame of Virtue Hagge of Satan Hate of Heaven Schole of Vice Seminary of Errour Mother of Sinne Step-dame of Saints Pest of the Spirit Nurse of the Flesh who by thy bad counsels and examples breedest the Brat of Sin in thy wicked womb and then sucklest and indearest it with thy profits and pleasures thy wretched dugs woe is me that I must stay in thee shame on me if I love thee thy best things are vanities of Earth thy worst villanies against Heaven what in thee can I love Though thou be a Whore I will not be a Villaine to my God so much a Villaine as to love such a Whore so Jac. 4. 4. 1 Joh. 2. 14 much a Villaine as by any lust of mine to make thee more Strumpet and by my additions of particular ills to encrease thy whoredomes I will have care what I can not to be Partaker of thy guilts but Ringleader I will never be to thy rebellions I would not come to thy end and therefore will avoid thy way God I thank thee for thy good Spirit which carries me against the streame of my corruption and tide of the World I cannot goe but in the strength of that Spirit against such a tide and streame God I pray thee let me continue my course that I fall not at last into thy Sea of Wrath and when the world of nature shall end be tormented with a world of sinners world without end for ever and ever Thursday-Service About Death Morning Prayer Psal 39. 49. Lesson Geu 3. or 5. Luk. 16. Evening Prayer Psal 90. 23. Lesson Eccles 12. Rom. 5. ¶ Thursday-Collect or Prayer about Death O Lord who hast appointed all to die make me ever mindfull of my dissolution that I may lesse love the vanities of this and more seek the felicities of a better life where death and distresses are not but we shall be as the Angels of God healthy and vigorous and happy for ever O let me every day so live that I may come to that life when I die And because the best-led life may have need of some time to prepare for death Of thy great mercy I beseech thee keep me from an unprepared heart and unexpected end Even for his sake who himselfe had the horrour of death Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Daily Prayers after it Meditation of Death DIe I must and after live in weal or woe for ever and no time after to recover the woe if I lose the weal As I tender then eternity let me look to my life Die I must and know not where House a Field Land or Water Bed or Board every where then let me look to it Die I must but know not how By a violent or naturall course casualty or infirmity lingringly or speedily every way then let me looke for it Die I must but know not when Day or night this or that day next or this This or that hour that or this minute this or that time Morn Noon Even ever then let me look after it And how look to it better then to finde out the murderer and doom him to death O Sin shalt thou lie in my bosome that hast laid all Mankind in a grave I will have thee to the crosse Rom. 5. 12 for that yea and for this too lest thou adde murder to murder and kill my Soul after my Body O what a sad hour of parting will that be if when Soul should leave the Body to death God shall leave the soul to be damn'd All full of horrour and utterly comfortlesse when it should be most the comforter of the Body But strength thou hast not to have death under foot without a Christ in Luke 2. 28 29. thy Armes Thou canst not welcome it without fear till thou embrace him in thy Faith To whom then should I look but to thee O Lord who art my Saviour And for what but thy mercy which is my Salvation And why but for my sinnes my onely destruction And how
to be fed with Promises unto Presumption is not to Cherish thy self but thy Sicknesse 2 Cor. 7. 1 To Renounce evill and entertaine occasions is to send it away and call it again To Pray to God and yet provoke Isa 1. 12. 14. 1 Cor. 13. 3 him is to make a play of our Prayers To give Almes and do ill is to give Sin not a Divorce but a Licence To fast from meat and fall to Sin is to whet the knife not to kill it but feast Isa 58. 4. Luk. 18. 12 it To pray give fast and then take liberty to swear and Sin and Erre again is not to make Health but a Disease of the Exercise My Soule This is to take the Medicine by halfes and so thou shalt never Recover thy selfe whole And if thou Delay it that 's the way never to recover That takes strength from the Medicine and gives it to the Disease for so it grows Inveterate and the Cure more Difficult if not Desperate Mat. 13. 15 More hard to be A Sow is washed white not a Blackamore A young Profligate sooner then an old Obdurate Jer. 13. 23. Mat. 26. 73. Act. 8. 18. 2 Cor. 4. 4 Psal 7. 12. Jer. 4. 22. Sinner Simon Peter quickly Simon Magus never It 's more hard to doe Sin hath more efficacie the Devill more Interest God more Anger Nature is vanquisht Her Powers depraved Her faculties infirm'd decayed deprived of virtue for it It 's more hard to Suffer Sin is incorporate the Humours irradicate Habituate and Naturaliz'd As soone pluck up an old tree as Sin by the roots As easily teare out thy heart as thy lust and vomit bowels as customs Mat. 5. 29. and quit Limbs as such vices O My Soule If Delay of Physick hath killed thousands of Bodies it hath ten thousands of Spirits Defer not then thy help Delay not thy time And especially by the love thou hast to Heaven Deferre it not till Death For what Inducias usque ad mane apud Greg. if that be Suddaine and give thee no Time Or Distracted and take away Wit Or cursed and keep away Grace And if it allow thee Space and Sense and Succour where will be thy Comfort Backward Ther 's nothing to be seene but the sad Survey of a life full of Guilts and staines Forward There 's the Horrid Prospect of Hell and all Hideous Tortures of Damned Ghosts the due Deserts of those Guilts Thou hast no power to undoe ill no Time to doe better What then Wilt thou repent here and Amend in the World to come For halfe thy worke looke for all thy wages No Thou dost not halfe if no more repent Wilt thou then looke upward Will a Miserere mei Deus serve God or a Peccavi satisfie All the three volumes of thy Sins Thoughts Words and Deeds all the Scroles of thy Guilts be cancelled and blowne away with a breath of three Words or Syllables Will a Groane expiate a Lifefull of Quantam lacrymarū vim expendemus ut cum Baptismi fonte exaequari possit Naz. guilt A Teare a Drop wash a Heart full of filthinesse The Irkings of a Moment undo the ills of all thy ages Cast thou expect this from Him that is Just when thy whole life hath been but an Abuse of his Grace and Mercy Canst thou promise it thy Selfe and looke Inward That this is the feare of God not Death not out of Selfe-love but Gods Not for hate of Paine but Sin Not by a Force on Conscience but Free And if not thy Selfe dost thou look Outward who shall assure thee Some Comforter may pronounce Mercy to thee as favourable Judgment hath been given of many that have lived ill and yet died penitently O my Soul● In this case it 's better to give then receive a favourable Judgement It 's my Charity not thy Felicity that it doth suppose thee happy whom it knowes not miserable 1 Cor. 13. 5 7. but if it do not find thee doth not leave thee happy What thou art the Judge of Hearts knowes what thou shouldst be the Judge of Charity hopes Because when he sees not evidence to the contrary he believes the best of thee with thy Great Judg. O my Soul then leave not all to the last hour when thou art Isa 38. 9. Psa 126. 5 Luk. 23. 43. Mat. 20. 9. Ezek. 18. 21 22. to reap be not to sow thy Comfort Hast thou President Parable Promise of Hope The Converted Thief The Eleaventh Hours Call * In Liturgiâ sic vertitur At what time soever O be not such a Spider'd Spirit to suck Poison out of sacred Flowers Let not Antidotes of mercy be made Cordials for Presumption If thou dost out of Gods Word draw ill Spirit thou robbest it of its Holy Sense and wilt finde no Promise of pardon Nor Hope in any Parable or President for such a Thief My Soul then Look at the Thief on the Crosse as a 2 Pet Child at the Font Baptized from Sin Confirmed by Christ so Dying and Saved What 's that to thee who as Copronymus Eccl. Hist in his Baptisme ever since thine hast done nothing but defile thy Font A Renegado in thy life to the 2 Pet. 2. 20 Heb. 6. 4. Profession of thy Baptisme Look at the Thief on the Crosse as a Martyr at the Stake A Believer a Saint a Confessour All on holy flame Luk. 23. 40 41 42. for Christ The New Disciple that hanged for Him when none of the Old stood to him Senslesse of paine to spend his Breath and serve him As ready to Die for him as with him and spend his Bloud as Breath to honour him Look at the Theif on the Crosse as a Jonah in the Sea A Miracle of Grace Jonah 2. 10. A Prod●gie of Providence Wilt thou therefore cast thy self into the Sea in hope to be saved Gods Mercy is an Ocean yet if thou so leap into it thou Mic. 7. 19. Eccl. 8. 11 12. Ro. 2. 4. 5 1 Tim. 1. 19 maist be drown'd Thou that hast left the ship of good life the ordinary way how canst thou look to be preserved by singular Priviledge A Monster of life to be saved in Death by a Miracle of mercy Look at the Thief on the Crosse as a Saint in Heaven Make him not encourage thee to rob God of his honor and thy self of thy happinesse lest thou make him to be a Thief in Paradise too Canonize not thy self Saint by his Example lest thou stigmatize him Sinner for the President and prove thy self a Reprobate by the Presumption Think not then when thou hast liv'd 2. Part. Mat. 20. 9. Ita patres aliqui It● alii ill in the world and art Crucified to leave it by the staffe of a good hope to leap into Paradise though before an utter stranger to Christ with whom thou hast not the blisse to be Crucified There is no Parity of reason to
6. Gods best Saints have been fearing men and shall sinners be presumers See it in Job g Job 9. 28. David h Psal 119 20. Paul i 1 Cor. 9. 27. and others 7. I presume of that which is not mine but Gods life k James 4. 14 15. and grace l 2 Tim. 2. 25. without either of which I am undone for ever m Eph. 2. 5 and yet I provoke God without whose mercy I can have neither n Rom. 2. 5 8. Who wil give his head a mortall wound o Isa 1. 6. in hope to finde a soveraign balme yet I give my soule certaine wounds in hope of uncertaine remedies p Jer. 51. 8 9. Wednesday-Service Against Desperation Morning Prayer Psal 103. 44. Lesson Jer. 3. or Mic. 27. Luke 7. Evening-Prayer Psalm 130. 147. Lesson 2 Chron. 33. 1 Tim. 1. 1. Prayer against Desperation LOrd keep me from despairing of thy mercy Let me not seek at once to destroy my soul and my Saviour by believing my sinnes to be so great as thy mercy cannot pardon or my conscience so foul as his Bloud will not purge Preserve me from all sins O Lord but from this above all I beseech thee for his sake who is the hope of Israell and of all that dwell in the ends of the earth Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 2. Prayer against Desperation O Lord I have been a great offendour but let me not be a d●sperate sinner I have most wickedly provoked the eyes of thy glory but let me not more wickedly shed the bowels of thy mercy Thy Law hath been cast behind my back but O let not thy bloud be trampled under my foot Thou keepest the gate of mercy open let not me shut it upon me Thou hast not yet cast me in keep me from leaping into the pit of perdition Though guilts and staines have made me black as a fiend yet am I not in hell out of which there is no Redemption Dear Saviour with thee is mercy and plenty for the whole world of sinners much more for one though the greatest sinner of the world Revive that soule with thy grace which thou didst ransome with thy bloud Rescue that poore soul by thy mercy for which thou hast satisfied in thy justice Wash off my staines break off my bonds pull off the chaines of Satan deliver me from my sinnes That I may live an Example of thy mercy a Comfort to poor penitents a Joy to the Angels a Companion to the Saints and Servant to thy Majesty So be it dear Saviour Amen Amen Letany Daily Prayers Remedies against Desperation 1. THe sinne of Hell In the dead and damned not fit for them that live on earth a Eccles 9. 4. Psal 42. 11. Jer. 18. 12. who may be in a state damnable but not condemned without hope to be saved then the Judge would not let them live b Jud. 13. 23. 2. The sin against Heaven Not a treason against God but a murder of the Godhead In which Judas sinned more then in his Treason * Saint Hierome 3. The sinne on earth capable of a cure two wayes by Consideration and Caution 1. Consider 1. If I have a world of sin to damn me God hath a Sea of mercy to drown it c Mic. 7. 18. 2. No stains or guilts can make my Soul so much vile but Christs bloud is more precious d Ro. 5. 9. Heb. 9. 13 14 1 Pet. 1. 19. 1 Joh. 1. 7. 9. 3. The Remedy of Repentance e Isai 1. 16. Acts. 2. 38. by the power of that mercy and vertue of that bloud hath cured most damned and desperate sinnes and sinners David's f Psal 51. Psal 32. 5. 2 Sam. 12. 13. Peters g Mat. 26. 75. Manasseh h 2 Chron. 33. 12. Magdalen i Luk. 8. 2. Luk. 7. 37. 47. Paul k 1 Tim. 1. 13. and others 2. Beware before of the sin of 1. Presumption From which precipice of false hope are the most fatall fearful falls into despair l Job 11. 10. 2. Under the temptation to despair take heed of concealing the conflict for wo to me if when I have my selfe and the Devill my foe I have no man of God to friend Violent ends and deaths had beene m Prov. 28. 13. Act. 16. 27 30. cured by such confessions Thursday-Service Against Swearing and Taking Gods Name in Vaine Morning Prayer Psal 15. 99. Lessons Zachary 5. or Mal. 3. Mat. 5. v. 33. Evening Prayer Psal 50. 111. Lessons Eccles 9. James 5. ¶ Collect or Prayer against Swearing and taking Gods Name in vaine O Lord Holy and Reverend is thy Name let me not dare to prophane it Angels therefore dread and adore thee and shall I despise thee Thou Lord wilt take an account of all idle words if then thy Titles be prostituted at my vaine pleasure and made to fill my idle discourses how shall I answer thee Keep my tongue from such customes O Lord and let Care watch my lips that I get not such a tongue And let thy Feare guard my heart that no such words move thence to my lips What is past pardon I beseech thee in thy mercy what is to come prevent in me by thy grace for Jesus his sake Amen Daily Prayers Remedies against Swearing and taking Gods Name in vaine 1. THere is much ill in this sinne 1. Against the Creator GOD. It is 1. Petty Blasphemy at least The Jewes stopt their eares at it and dare Christians open their mouths for it a Act. 7. 55. 2. Petty Treason A lifting up the tongue against Divine Majestie and wounding it and bringing it to contempt b 2 Kings 19. 22. 3. Grand ingratitude to God For my tongue made for his glory c Psal 55. 8. to do him dishonor And the Names Members of Christ to be made instruments of sinne d 1 Cor. 6. 15. 2. Against the Creature 4. Grand rebellion Man the tongue of the Creatures to praise God makes then Mutes to his Glory e Psal 19. 1. and guilty of his despising and daring God and himself worse then them all 2. There is great danger in it The Law sayes it goes not guiltlesse f Exod. 20. 7. The Gospel sayes of Condemnation g Jam. 5. 12. 3. There is no profit credit or pleasure in it a meer-pure sin without motive to excuse it 4. Custome aggravates it That I dare get and keep an habit against Heaven 5. I may use meanes to lose as well as get this custome * Socrates by stones cured his ill speech 1. For Gods Names O Lord Jesus Christ use other words O strange O rare O me c. with as good sense and lesse sin 2. Punish thy slips Bite tongue Give an almes Say Lords Prayer Friday-Service Against Lying Morning Prayer Psalm 34. 52. 63. Lesson Prov. 6. or 12. Job 8. Verse 44. Evening Prayer Psalm 59. 101. Lesson
nor Cool'd to Earth and the Seas of mercy run as fresh and full as ever they did in Heaven Thence take I Hope But 8. I fear too I Dread Temptation Thy Crosse was made of Adams Gal. 3. 13. Tree I fear because he fel Lord Deliver me I Dread Desertion Solomons Wisdome and Davids Grace I want Yet had I both should fall if thou forsake me Lord on the Crosse thy Mat. 26. 56. Disciples left thee let me never If Temptation carry me away look after me doe not leave me I Dread Apostacy O keep me from that Sinne from which even thy Bloud thy Crosse cannot or will not save me How should it when I re-build thy Crosse Heb. 10. 26 27. and trample thy Bloud I fear my self for all this As my Sinnes nail'd Thee to thy Crosse Corruption 1 Pet. 2. 24. rivets me in my Sinnes The Devill never wants a Hammer whilst Rom. 7. 27 God hath a World nor hath a Naile to seek whilst Man hath a Heart O Lord I have one and a Forge of Jer. 17. 9. wicked devices and lusts in it full of all damned cheats and deceits From a Tempest then of Temptation From the Gulf of spirituall Desertion From the Precipice of finall Apostacy by the Vertue of thy Crosse Deliver me And from my self above all and my Heart above all in my self Deliver me Good Lord I fear Precipice Gulfe Tempest but the Forge above all Without whose work and wiles the Devill doth in vain Tempt God will not desert me nor shall I desert God And Corruption and the Flesh that is there I behold with most horrour as the Anvile in the Forge Upon which the Devill and it Hammer fashion and beat out all their Works What will keep me from the Vertue of thy Crosse and my Blisse Lord Jesus That hath and ever let it have my fear 9. And how doth my Bloud boile in my Veines to see thy Crosse robb'd of its Vertue O Christ My Spirit is at once in Ird dolore impleor pro Christo meo c. Naz. Griefe and Rage for thee Jesus I am full of Indignation for the Affronts and Injuries done unto thee To see thy Bloud spilt or scorn'd To see thy Passion forgot or abused Thy love without Memory or Value Thy Paines without Relief or Remorse Who can who should endure O Christ to see thy Crosse made the Devils Standard Without the Church a Stumbling-block and Rock of Offence 1 Cor. 1. 23 within an Idol and Tree of Superstition To see thy Wounds shelters for Sinners turn'd Cities of Refuge for Sinnes Thy Merits their Sanctuaries Thy Bloud their Life Thy Self their Patron Thy Passion the Nurse of Presumption Thy Mercy the Milk of all Abomination Thy good Theif made the greatest Robber of Mankind and thy Pitty Principall to the Robbery And in the strength of these Villainconfidences and Blasphemous Inferences from thy Crosse who can consider without anger what is done in thy Kingdome What Reeds are made thy Scepters What Chaires thy Thrones What Tricks thy Orders What Rudenesse thy Service What Miscreants thy Worshippers What Confusion thy Religion What Wild-fire thy Zeale What Shames thy Glory What Ends thy Services What Lunacies thy Revelations What Prodigies thy Dictates What Larguage thy Word What Prayers thy Breath What Devilishnesse thy Spirit What stirres thy Motions All Wickednesse done in thy Name to thy Glory by thy Warrant and most under the Seal of thy Crosse By those who wear thy Livery pretend to thy Service and professe for thy Honour seeme to desire to know nothing but thee and see themselves Crucified as meer mortified Men who seek nothing less then themselves yet tear at once thy Lawes and Limbs pull downe both thy Cross and House and lay together thy Worship Bloud in the Dust O Jesus that didst whip the Buyers and Sellers out of thy Temple Where is thy Zeal for thy Church for thy self for thy Fathers sake That canst see and yet suffer these injuries to thy Honour and Bloud When Indignation kindles in thy poor Servants Soul at so great Indignities how is it that Wrath flames not out in thine How is it Even so it is be-because thou art Jesus lovest to Save Joh. 12. 47. 2 Pet. 3. 9. loath to Destroy Waitest our Repentance wavest thy Vengeance 10. I am Ravish'd with that good Spirit of thine O Christ Thou hadst it on the Cross and keep'st it on the Throne where it appears it doth ravish Luk. 23. 34. Joh. 19. 28. me In thy lips Prayest thou their Pardons that are shedding thy Blood Thirstest thou their Salvation that are Butchering thy Body In thy Armes stretcht out to embrace all on Earth and therefore strike not though in all the power of Heaven In thy Eyes As thou wast with one of my Mothers Cant. 4. 9. I am ravished with one of thine Thy fury frights me O Lord Thy favour is that One. The eye with which thou didst look at the poor Thief and give him both thy Pardon and Paradise Luke 23. 43. Joh. 19. 26. The Eye by which thou didst look at thy Dear Mother and amidst all thy Wounds chuse her a Gardian and have her in thy cares The Eye by which thou didst look at the dear Disciple Joh. 19. 27. and adopt him of thy Servant thy Mothers Sonne The Eye by which thou didst look at poor Sinners to be saved a Church to be Bought Eph. 5. 25. Joh. 12. 42. and World to be Ransomed But in thy Heart O! what an Apparition see I there Through the Bloody door of thy wounded Breast a House full of nothing but Goodness Patience Pitty Mercy O what a Perspective is there by the way of the Spear to the Joh. 19. 24. 1 John 5. 6. 8. Prospect of a poor Sinners sole Delight a Heart full of all Grace and Favour in the Breast of a Jesus a Saviours Heart From that Heart with that Eye O Christ behold the Afflicted Mother thy Church and thy dear Disciple Her Child Breath comfort to Her for whom thou gavest Bloud And to Him who is the Son of Her Comfort Make peace betwixt Mother and Children where there should be Love Let them live by one Spirit that are bought with one Bloud And no longer be one anothers Cross but beare one anothers Burdens Dart Lord from that Blessed eye of Pitty these favours on the face of that Bleeding Body And with thy Armes nailed once to a Cross now extended on a Throne embrace Her and uphold her in life Advance her Throne for whom thou didst endure thy Psal 8. 3. John 1. 3. Crosse O thou who didst with thy fingers work Heaven and Earth and Heb. 1. 2. upholdest all things by the Word of thy Power whom the World treads under foot take thou into thy Armes In thy blessed Armes O thou Omnipotent and All-mercifull Maker and Saviour of the Word In thy blessed
I doe is to no end without forme and voide if not with a Minde devoutly busied as a Body Well-devoted and all done in Remembrance of thee Naturally I may do something and see some Body but Sacramentally nothing if I discerne not Thine 7. Something then is to be done before I doe this I must get an Holy Appetite before I Eat and Drinke which is by Repentance And bring Mat. 5. 6. an Heavenly Mouth to the Meat which is my Faith And much is to Joh. 6. 35. be done after this I must Digest it so in Conscience as to get good Spirit by it and gaine such strength by the Digestion as to walke more ho●ly and grow Better for it Else what doe I but Deforme thy Body and Defile thy Bloud That must raise my Thoughts and Afflictions to the Memory This keepe them up As I must doe this in Remembrance of Thee I must do that in Remembrance of this and what is done not forget I have beene doing and put thee after out of my Remembrance Jesus Make me doe what I should Not neglect it lest I neglect at once my Saviour and Soule Not doe it as an Act of Complyance with Time or as a Due more to Custome then Conscience which is as ill Nor in a rude unhallowed unprepared irreverent bold Carriage and Confidence which is worse then a neglect Jesus Give me grace so to doe So to Remember Thee on thy Crosse that thou maiest not forget me in thy Kingdome So to Remember thee Luk. 23. 42. Luk. 22. 30. at thy Table that thou maiest Remember me on thy Throne Where Commemoration shall be turn'd into Vision Where I shall have not Sacramentall 1 Cor. 13. 12. but Beatificall Communion Where I shall not weare thy Ring but see thy Face Not Remember thee but Behold thee Not in Faith but cleare and full Fruition Even so be it O Lord Feede me to it in Faith and Love and Seale it to me in Spirit and Conscience Lord Thus have me and let me have Thee for ever in Remembrance Amen! Amen! Directions about the Holy Communion how to Prepare for it 1. Touching Prayers Preparatory to it ON Wednesday before Read the Penitentiall Service On Friday the Service on the Passion On Saturday the Service Preparatory to the Holy Communion On Sunday some of the Scripture Lessons with the Prayers proper for it and Meditation upon it 2. Touching Self examination necessary before we Communicate YOu must Examine your selfe 1. Cor. 11. 28. touching your Faith and Life 1. Your Faith is Right if you Believe concerning God and His Church according to the Rule of it Comprized summarily in the Apostles Creed Received by all Christians 2. Tim. 1. 13 2. Your Life is Right if it agree with the Rule of it The Law of God Comprehended in the Ten Commandements For finding of which 1. You are to Consider apart every Commandement and the Contents * Juxta ordinem Decalogi institutum Mcl. l. com de poenit v. Partic. apud ipsū Rom 7. 7. Psa 119. 15. Lam. 3. 40 of it what Duties it Requires What Sins it Forbids and then aske your Conscience how you have Discharged your selfe therein 2. Where you finde upon Just Enquirie that you have led your life according to Gods Law in Piety to God or Charity to Man Thank God for His Grace where you find that you have failed Ask God for His Pardon 3. And because none but Penitents can ask and have Gods Pardon and Contrition is the Root Confession the Branch and Amendment of Life the Fruit of Repentance look therefore carefully to all And first 1. Touching Contrition IT is the Bleeding of a Soul toucht Act. 2. 37. with Remorse for Sinne And if of the Bodies much more care must be had of the Soules Bloud That it Bleed 1. Wisely For doing ill not well 2 Cor. 7. 10 That were to let out good Bloud and keep in Ill. 2. Kindly Even for doing Ill as an Psal 51. 4. Ezek. 7. 16 Offence to God chiefly Not so much for the Dread of Damnation as the Displeasure of his Goodnesse 3. Rightly For the Sinne which hath done more Displeasure to God and is chiefe in me most That 's to strike the right Veine Psa 51. 14 4. Freely The Heart must bleed for all and that above all Water must 1 Cor. 15. 9 Psal 66. Mat. 26. 75. Luk. 7. 38. not be wrung out of the Eye like Fire out of a Flint but if nature stop not the Course flow as from a full Fountain Naturally and Plentifully out Yet 5. Temperately too Not bleeding Joel 2. 12 13. Jer. 18. 11 12. to the Death of Despaire but so as to keep in Heart a Life of hope for Mercy and Help The sorrow be-being to drowne Sinne and not the 2 Cor. 7. 5 Heart To that end God hath given the Soule as the Eyes for Sluces to Jer. 13. 17. let out the Waters of Griefe when they swell about the Heart and are ready to overwhelme it So a Floodgate in the Mouth to void them and prevent an Inundation Psal 39. 4. of Heavinesse And as Teares spend Grief by the Eye Confession puts it out at the Mouth Of which is the next Enquiry 2. Touching Confession GOd being the Majesty whom Sin Psa 51. 13. Isay 43. 25 Prov. 28. 13. 1 Joh. 1. 8. Lev. 5. 5. John 20. 23. 2 Cor. 20. Vice Dei qui thesaurum in ●s posuit hominum Luth. 1 Sam. 7. 6 offends of him Pardon is to be sought and Confession the way to find it without which we seeme either to need no Pardon or not to seek it And God being pleased two wayes to give Pardon Immediately by a Power Imperiall in and of Himselfe and Mediately by the Ministry of Man Delegated by him to Seal Pardons in his Name and the Soules Peace Hence Man also hath two wayes to make Confession or speake his Guilt to God One is to pour out the Soul into Gods Bosome by having an Immediate Recourse for mercy to God Himself The other is into Gods Ear Fiat pastori vel potius Deo Coram pastore Zanch. in 1 Joh. 1. Betaking our selves for Ghostly good and Comfort to some Man of God And as in some Cases there is great need ●o for sundry Causes there may be much profit of this 1. In a storme of Conscience it 's not Job 33. 23 24. 37 38. Isay 504. Jam. 5. 15 16. safe to be without a Spirituall Pilot lest for want of better Direction and helpe the Soule be Swallowed up in her owne Deeps or Sunke under some Gust of Temptation As God knowes many daily are * Damnaberis tacitus qni posses liberari confessus Aug. 2. Or If the Mind Fluctuate and cannot rest Satisfied in her Spirituall Estate it 's dangerous not to seeke a Guide of God to leade us out of those Ghostly straights
and Dangers Thou didst purchase thy selfe a Church at the price of thy Bloud O! Let no hand seize and Spoile so Deare a Purchase More particularly Hear my Prayers for these persecuted parts The Petition of a poore Child for a Deare Distressed Mother Many O Lord are the Enemies to destroy it and few friends to preserve it Strong are the Armes to pull it downe and weake the Hands to hold it up But O God! doe not thou desert it uphold it with thy Holy Arme Maintaine the Religion Established amongst us and thy Holy Truth and Worship in that Religion Maintaine a Clergie that may be able by Learning and Holy Life to Defend thy Truth and Worship and the Meanes that may continue such a Clergie Let not Errour and Heresie corrupt it Ignorance blind it Superstition infect it Profanesse overgrow it Schisme teare it Sacriledge devoure it Atheisme lay it waste Persecution make it desolate Lord make us as happy as we were and more thankfull and lesse sinfull that we may be so happy Let Errors vanish Sects cease Furie leave us and the Spirit of Truth and love againe possesse us Let Confusions end and all Irreverences in thy Service be banisht from us and Holy Order Decency appear again amongst us Let wars and Tumults and Civill broiles and bloudsheds depart and the voyce of joy and peace returne againe unto us Lord Let us have that Religion which may make us happy in Heaven and that peace which may give us Time and Leave to enjoy that Religion And let those that have the power restore and preserve that Religion and Peace And doe thou to that end mercifully maintaine their Power and Them O Thou by whom Kings raigne who hast promised to make them Nursing Fathers to thy Church grant us these blessings to the Glory of thy Name the Quiet of our lives and the Saving of our Soules Even for thy Deare Son our Saviours sake Amen! 7. Prayer for Mercy to the Nation O Lord we are a Nation not to be Loved ready to be Ruined And for our sins thou maist justly destroy us Prince and People But Spare us good Lord Spare us for thy mercy sake let the Blood of Jesus expiate our guilts and the Spirit of Jesus amend our Misdoings O Thou who wouldst not have one Sinner die Suffer not Millions of poor Souls and Lives to perish Be Reconciled to us in a Mediatours Bloud and be Reconciler of us in a blessed peace God of pitty and peace be at peace with us make it for us O Thou Holy One of God who camest into the World to take away the Sins of it and make peace for us Pitty a poore Church and Nation ready to perish Pity the Church that hath so long maintained thy Truth and worship in the Nation Pity Them who are ready to perish for seeking to maintaine thy Holy Truth and Worship in the Church And do thou from Heaven Preserve It and us and Them Thou that hast the power of Heaven and Earth in thy hand stirre up thy strength and come and save us And in this low condition doe not leave us but Deliver us for thy Mercies sake Amen After these Daily Prayers for Grace Peace Health Safety Friends If it be made a Fasting Day or of more Solemne Humiliation and seeking God then Say the Letany and Ten Commandements Read for an Epistle Joel 2. or Jona 3. Gospell Luke 13. or Mat. 24. After being at Church-Prayers if to be had forbear Dinner for that Day and in that time 1. Read some Scriptures which may put in minde of the Miseries of the Age. As Deut. 28. Jos 7. Iud. 20 or some of the Lessons not read or some Godly Bookes 2. Meditate and call to minde the most Memorable mercies of God to you in all your Life 1. In Deliverances from Dangers Sicknesse c. 2. In Blessings of Birth Marriage Condition c. as fits your particular state And lift up the heart to God for these in all humble Thankfullnesse 3. Call to minde the Greatest Sinnes of your life and for them as Pardon and your present wants and for them beg supplies After-noone After Psalms and Lessons 1. Private Prayers as Before 2. Publike if any be 3. A lesse Supper then Ordinary 4. Some Alms to the poore 5. At Bed-time Ordinary Prayers Close all with this Prayer THou that markest those who Ezek. 9. 4. mourne for the Abominations of the Time Take a Mercifull notice Good Lord of thy Servant who have desired this day to humble my Soule before Thee The Abominations of the Time are manie O Lord And the more for mine both of heart and life Lord Forgive all that mourne for offending thee And spare those that greive to see how thou art offended Thou that wouldest have saved Sodome if but Ten such had beene found in it save all such for thy Mercy sake Save a sinfull Nation for their sake Save us all for Jesus his sake For his Infinite Merits and thine Infinite Mercies Sake Amen! Amen! The Blessing BLessed are they that Mourne for Mat. 5. 4. they shall be Comforted The Blessing and Comfort of God be on me and all such sad and Sorrowfull Soules with me now and evermore Amen! Seven SOLILOQUIES SACRED Set to the Seven Dayes of the Week by so many secret Sermons and Calls to Conscience Inviting and Directing the Soul to Mind and Do what wil make Blessed Not to pretend but practise Piety and to be not seeme Religious The Materialls of the Soliloquies 1. The Nobility of Piety For Sunday 2. Domesticall Devotion For Munday 3. Church-Duty For Tuesday 4. Perpetuall Service For Wednesday 5. Remora's in Religion For Thursday 6. Helps to Heaven and Happinesse For Friday 7. Remedies of Humane frailty For Sarurday PSAL. 4. 4. Stand in awe and sinne not Commune with your own Heart and in your Chamber and be still The same altering their Number and Order may serve for two Weekes thus 1st Week 1. Church-Duty 1. part For Sunday 2. Domesticall Devotion For Munday 3. Perpetuall Service For Tuesday 4. Remora's Religion 1. p. For Wednesday 5. Remora's 2 d. part For Thursday 6. Helps to Heaven first division For Friday 7. Helps to Heaven 2d. div For Saturday 2d. Week 1. Church-Duty 2d part For Sunday 2. Helps to Heaven 3. div For Munday 3. Helps to Heaven 4. div For Tuesday 4. Remedies of Frailty first part For Wednesday 5. Remedies c. 2. part For Thursday 6. Remedies c. 3. part For Friday 7. Nobility of Piety For Saturday Animadversions touching the use of the Soliloquies SOliloquies are of Antient and Excellent Vse With them the Fathers fed their Soules high and ours at this Day fare much better for them They must be ill Writ and worse Read if we thrive not in Piety by such Holy Fare Devotion feeding more on one single Dish of those Wholesome Home-selfe-Conferences than at many Feasts and Gluts of sha●per and nicer Disputations and
feast Fiends That makes thee dread the sight of Death as Hell and the thoughts of it as Devils because there are Devils and Hell which thou deniest but dost dread none hath more horrour for them then thou who saiest thou hast no such Faith See more Soliloquie p. So end the Seven Services for the first Week Seven Services for the 2d. Week Sunday-Service Against neglect of Gods Service Morning Prayer Psal 5. 27. 42. Lesson Gen. 28. or Jor. 7. to ver 17. Mat. 11. Evening Prayer Psal 95. 122. Lesson Eccles 5. 1 Cor. 11. or Heb. 6. ¶ Collect or Prayer against Neglect of Gods Service O Lord Thou hast devoted a Time and Place to thy worship and holinesse becometh thy house for ever Make me ever carefull to pay thee then and there the dues and duties of Religion which I owe thee Solemnly waiting on thy Majestie amongst thy S●rvants in thy Court and Sanctuary L●t me be diligent in thy service and r●verend at it That as thy Saints and Angels in heaven incessantly serve thee I may with thy Saints on earth constantly worship thee till we all come together for ever to adore thee Even for his sake whose meat and drinke it was to serve thee Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Daily Prayers Remedies against Neglect of Gods Service 1. GOd wil find no time to save us if we find no day to serve him a Psal 2. 11 12. Act. 26. 20. 2. Have we six in a Week and shall not God have one day b Exod. 20. 9. 3. Publique worship is the Pillar of Religion and high service of Almighty God c Gen. 4. 26. 4. If every one take away his stone we shall pull down the Pillar to the ruine of Religion d Lam. 2. 5. In the Church we are before Gods face as well as Mans e Psal 95. 6. It is both a Scandall to man f 1 Cor. 11. 22. and Scorne to God g Eccles 5. 1 2. to be irreverent in the Church to dare and jeer God to his face 7. The truest Picture of the Saints with God in Heaven is a Congregation devout at Gods Worship on Earth h Apoc. 4. 10. 8. We cannot doe better then to goe to Heaven nor worse then to doe any thing ill or unseemly in it i Gen. 28. 17. 9. The Devils misbehaviour in Heaven cast him into Hell k Jud. v. 6. 10. He that laughs in the Church is tickled by the Devill * Risus in Ecclesia Diaboli opus est Monday-Service Against Procrastination Morning Prayer Psal 95. 7. Lesson Prov. 1. Mat. 25. to 14 or 24. to 36. or Act. 24 Evening Prayer Psal 4. 90. Lesson Eccles 8. Apoc. 21. ¶ Prayer against Procrastination LOrd keepe me from the delayes of holy and necessary duties Make me to consider how many art now perishing in Hell for neglecting the times of thy gracious visitations on earth That whilest the Spirit of grace and life blowes on me I may improve that breath to purchase my selfe an estate in the life of glory and immortalitie Even for his sake who lingred no time to shed his bloud to save me Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen! Remedies against Procrastination 1. IT is unworthy God He calls to day a Psal 95. 7. and you will come to morrow The Devill shall have the floure b Levit. 2. 1. of age and God the bran 2. It is unsafe for man The Adventure of an immortall soule upon two great uncertainties to come Having my breath c Prov. 25. 1. James 4. 13. and Gods Spirit d Joh. 3. 8. If either fail I am lost for ever And God knowes Innumerable soules are thus lost * Coesarius Inuumerabiles animoe si● periêre 3. It is unwise The house of my soule is set on fire e Isa 2. 18. with guilt to day and will quench it to morrow I fall into the puddle f 2 Pet. 2. 22. of sin this week and will rise the next 4. It is uncomfortable For the longer I keepe off from God 1. Gods acceptance is more doubtfull He is for first fruits g Levit. 2. 12. and firstlings 2. Mans performance is more difficult Because Satan hath the greater power over me h 2 Tim. 2. 26. and sinne in me i Prov. 5. 22. By the strength of Custome k Jer. 12. 23. which it is a miracle to conquer * S. Bern. 3. Repentance hath a greater taske more spots to wash l Isa 1. 16. knots to loose m 2 Pet. 2. 20. roots to digge n Jer. 4 5. foes to kill o 1 Pet. 2. 21. Sinne in time of a Child growes a Gyant for strength and Lust spawnes like a fi●h in number If it be now ten strong next yeare it will be an hundred and the next yeare a thousand c. 4. The best fruit of sinne is repentance p 2 Cor. 7. 8 9. the rest is shame q Rom. 6. 21 23. and death 5. It is unprofitable at best For the lesse seed the lesse harvest r 2 Cor. 9. 6. The lesse good ● the lesse glory s Rom. 2. 7. And the more Springs and opportunities I lose the more seed-times of good t Gal. 6. So I reap lesse comfort of what is past u Isa 38. 3. and reward to come x Luk. 19. 16. Tuesday-Service Against Presumption Morning Prayer Psal 7. 19. Lesson Deut. 29. or Levit. 26. Mat. 24. Evening Prayer Psalm 68. Lesson Eccles 8. 1 Thes 5. ¶ Collect or Prayer against Presumption KEepe me O Lord from carnall security If I fall into sin let me not lie in it out of a Presumption of thy mercy but do thou awake me to repentance and raise me in thy goodnesse And since repentance is not in my power make me fearfull to fall into sin in hopes of thy grace and mercy and more afraid to lie in it if I fall lest I sleep without feare till some Suddaine judgment awake me and present the horrour of eternall death before me From a lethargy in sin O thou Holy Physitian of soules preserve now and ever Deare Saviour I beseech thee Amen Daily Prayers Remedies against Presumption 1. IT is the Devils lullabie to sleepe out the time of Salvation as did the five foolish Virgins a Matth. 27. 7. 2. It is the Devils high way to desperation b Prov. 1. 28. 3. None but a poysonous spirit will suck the strength of sin out of the flower of mercy c Eccles 8. 11. Isa 10. 2. 4. It is to make quarrels amongst Gods Attributes in the confidence of mercy to put contempt on justice d Rom. 2. 4 5. It is to leave the soul at last without all hope of succour and sanctuary because guilt dares not fly to offended justice e Gen 3. 10. Apoc. 6. 16. and hath no refuge else but abused mercy f Rom. 2. 4.