purposes as thou shalt choose for me or imploy me in Releive me in all my sadnesses make my bed in my sicknesse give me patience in my sorrows confidence in thee and grace to call upon thee in all temptations O be thou my guide in all my actions my Protector in all dangers give me a healthful body and a clear understanding a sanctified and just a charitable and humble a religious and a contented spirit let not my life be miserable and wretched nor my name stained with sin and shame nor my condition lifted up to a tempting and dangerous fortune but let my condition be blessed my conversation usefull to my Neighbours and pleasing to thee that when my body shall lie down in its bed of darkness my soul may passe into the Regions of light and live with thee for ever through Jesus Christ. Amen VI. An act of intercession or prayer for others to be added to this or any other office as our devotion or duty or their needs shall determine us O GOD of infinite mercy who hast compassion on all men and relievest the necessities of all that call to thee for help hear the prayers of thy servant who is unworthy to ask any petition for himself yet in humility and duty is bound to pray for others For the Church O let thy mercy descend upon the whole Church preserve her in truth and peace in unity and safety in all stormes and against â—ll temptations and enemies that she offering to thy glory the never ceasing sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving may advance the honour of her Lord and be filled with his Spirit and partake of his glory Amen For the King In mercy remember the King preserve his person in health and honour his crown in wealth and dignity his kingdoms in peace and plenty and Churches under his protection in piety and knowledge and a strict and holy religion keep him perpetually in thy fear and favour and crown him with glory and immortality Amen For the Clergy Remember them that minister about holy things let them be clothed with righteousness and sing with joyfulness Amen For Wife or Husband Blesse thy servant my Wife or Husband with health of body and of spirit O let the hand of thy blessing be upon his or her head night and day and support him in all necessities strengthen him in all temptations comfort him in all his sorrows and let him be thy servant in all changes and make us both to dwell with thee for ever in thy favour in the light of thy countenance and in thy glories Amen For our Children Blesse my children with healthful bodies with good understandings with the graces and gifts of thy Spirit with sweet dispositions and holy habits and sanctifie them throughout in their bodies and souls and spirits and keep them unblameable to the comming of the â—ord Jesus Amen For Freinds and Benefactors Be pleased O Lord to remember my friends all that have prayed for me and all that have done me good here name such whom you would specially recommend Doe thou good to them and return all their kindness double into their own bosome rewarding them with blessings and sanctifying them with thy graces and bringing them to glory For our Family Let all my family and kindred my neighbours and acquaintance here name what other relation you please receive the benefit of my prayers and the blessings of God the comforts and supports of thy providence and the sanctification of thy spirit For all in misery Relieve and comfort all the persecuted and afflicted speak peace to troubled consciences strengthen the weak confirm the strong i◠〈◊〉 the ignorant deliver the oppressed 1. 〈◊〉 that spoileth him and relieve the needy that hath no helper and brings us all by the waters of comfort and in the waies of righteousness to the kingdom of rest and glory through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen To God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ To the eternal Son that was incarnate and born of a Virgin To the Spirit of the Father and the Son be all honour and glory worship and thanksgiving now and for ever Amen Another form of prayer for the Morning In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Our Father c. I MOst glorious and eternal God Father of mercy and God of all comfort I worship and adore thee with the lowest humility of my soul and body and give thee all thanks and praise for thy infinite and essential gâ—â—ries and perfections and for the continual demonstration of thy mercies upon me upon all mine and upon thy holy Catholick Church II. I Acknowledge dear God that I have deserved the greatest of thy wrath and indignation and that if thou hadst dealt with me according to my deserving I had now at this instant been desperately bewailing my miseries in the sorrows and horrors of a sad eternity But thy mercy triumphing over thy justice and my sins thou hast still continued to me life and time of repentance thou hast opened to me the gates of grace and mercy and perpetually callest upon me to enter in and to walk in the paths of a holy life that I might glorifie thee and be glorified of thee eternally III. BEhold O God for this thy great and unspeakable goodness for the preservation of me this night and for all other thy graces and blessings I offer up my soul and body all that I am and all that I have as a Sacrifice to thee and thy service humbly begging of thee to pardon all my sins to defend me from all evil to lead me into all good and let my portion be amongst thy redeemed ones in the gathering together of the Saints in the Kingdom of grace and glory IV. GUide me O Lord in all the changes and varities of the world that in all things that shall happen I may have an evenness 〈◊〉 â—â—anquility of spirit that my soule may be wholly resigned to thy Divinest will and pleasure never murmuring at thy gentle chastisements and fatherly correction never waxing proud and insolent though I feel a torrent of comforts and prosperous successes V. FIx my thoughts my hopes and my desires upon Heaven and heavenly things teach me to despise the world to repent me deeply for my sins give me holy purposes of amendment and ghostly strength and assistances to perform faithfully whatsoever I shall intend piously Enrich my understanding with an eternal treasure of Divine truths that I may know thy will and thou who workest in us to will and to doe of thy good pleasure teach me to obey all thy Commandments to believe all thy Revelations and make me partaker of all thy gracious promises VI. TEach me to watch over all my waies that I may never be surprised by sudden temtations or a careless spirit nor ever return to folly and vanity Set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keep the
door of my lips that I offend not in my tongue neither against piety nor charity Teach me to think of nothing but thee and what is in order to thy glory and service to speak nothing but thee and thy glories and to do nothing but what becomes thy servant whom thy infinite mercy by the graces of thy holy Spirit hath sealed up to the day of Redemption VII LEt all my passions and affections be so mortified and brought under the dominion of grace that I may never by deliberation and purpose nor yet by levity rashness or inconsideration offend thy Divine Majesty Make me such as thou wouldst have me to be strengthen my faith confirm my hope and giue me a daily encrease of charity that this day and ever I may serve thee according to all my opportunities and capacities growing from grace to grace till at last by thy mercies I shall receive the consummation and perfection of grace even the glories of thy Kingdom in the full fruition of the face and excellencies of God the Father the Son and the holy Ghost to whom be glory and praise honour and adoration given by all Angels and all Men and all creatures now and to all eternity Amen ¶ To this may be added the prayer of intercession for others whom we are bound to remember which is at the end of the foregoing Prayer or else you may take such special Prayers which follow at the end of the fourth Chapter for Parents for children c. After which conclude with this eâ—aculation Now and in all tribulation and anguish of spirit in all dangers of soul and body in prosperity and adversity in the hour of death and in the day of judgment holy and most blessed Saviour Jesus have mercy upon me save me and deliver me and all faithfull people Amen ¶ Between this and Noon usually are said the publick prayers appointe by â—uthority to which all the Clergie are obliged and other devout persons that have leisure to accompany them ¶ Afternoon or at any time of the day when a devout person retires into his closeâ— for private Prayer or spiritual exercises he may say the following devotions An exercise to be used at anytime of the day IN the name of the Father and of the Son c. Our Father c. The Hymn collected out of the Psalms recounting the excellencies and greatnesse of God O be joyful in God all ye lands sing praises unto the honour of his Name make his Name to be glorious * O come hither and behold the works of God how wonderful he is in his doings toward the children of men He ruleth with his power for ever He is the Father of the fatherlesse and defendeth the cause of the widow even God in his holy habitation He is the God that maketh men to be of one minde in a house and bringeth the prisoners out of captivity but letteth the runnagates continue in scarceness It is the Lord that commandeth the waters it is the glorious God that maketh the thunder * It is the Lord that ruleth the sea the voice of the Lord is mighty in operation the voice of the Lord is a glorious voice Let all the Earth fear the Lord stand in awe of him all ye that dwell in the world Thou shalt shâ—w us wonderfull things in thy righteousness O God of our salvation thou that art the hope of all the ends of the Earth and of them that remain in the broad Sea Glory be to the Father c. Or this O Lord thou art my God I will exalt thee I will praise thy Name for thou hast done wonderful things thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth Isa. 25.1 Thou in thy strength setst fast the Mountains and art girded about with power Thou stillest the raging of the Sea and the noise of his waves and the madness of his people They also that remain in the uttermost parts of the Earth shall be afraid at thy tokens thou that makest the out goings of the morning and evening to praise thee O Lord God of Hosts who is like unto thee thy truth most mighty Lord is on every side Among the gods there is none like unto thee O Lord there is none that can doe as thou dâ—est For thou art great and doest wondrous things thou art God alone God is very greatly to be feared in the councel of the Saints and to be had in reverence oâ— all them that are round about him Righteousness and equity is in the habitation of thy seat mercy and truth shall go before thy face Glory and worship are before him power and honour are in his Sanctuary Thou Lord art the thing that I long for thou art my hope even from my youth through thee have I been holden up ever since I was born thou art he that took me out of my mothers womb my praise shall be alwaies of thee Glory be to the Father c ¶ After this may be read some portion of holy Scripture out of the New Testament or out of the sapiential books of the Old viz Proverbs Ecclesiastes c. because these are of great use to piety and to civil conversation Vpon which when you have a while meditated humbly composing your self upon your knees say as followeth Eiaculations My help standeth in the name of the Lord who hath made Heaven and Earth Shew the light of thy countenance upon thy servant and I shall be safe Doe well O Lord to them that be true of heart and evermore mightily defend them Direct me in thy truth and teach me for thou art my Saviour and my great Master Keep me from sin and death eternal and from my enemies visible and invisible Give me grace to live a holy life and thy favour that I may die a godly and happy death Lord hear the prayer of thy servant and give me thy holy â—pirit The Prayer O Eternal God merciful and gratious vouchsafe thy favour and thy blessing to thy servant let the love of thy mercies and the dread and fear of thy Majesty make me careful and inquisitive to search thy will and diligent to perform it and to persevere in the practises of a holy life even till the last of my daies II. KEep me O Lord for I am thine by creation guide me for I am thine by purchase thou hast redeemed me by the blood of thy Son and love me with the love of a Father for I am thy child by adoption and grace let thy mercy pardon my sins thy providence secure me from the punishments and evils I have deserved and thy care watch over me that I may never any more offend thee make me in malice to be a childe but in understanding piety and the fear of God let me be a perfect man in Christ innocent and prudent readily furnished and instructed to every good work III. KEep me O Lord from the destroying Angel and from the wrath of God let thy anger never rise
of Christ whereof they are members and you in conjunction with Christ whom then you have received are more fit to pray for them in that advantage and in the celebration of that holy sacrifice which then is Sacramentally represented to GOD * Give thanks for the passion of our dearest Lord remember all its parts and all the instruments of your Redemption and beg of GOD that by a holy perseverance in well doing you 〈◊〉 from shadows passe on to substances from eating his body to seeing his face from the Typicall Sacramentall and Transient to the Reall and Eternall Supper of the Lambe 13. After the solemnity is done let Christ dwell in your hearts by faith and love and obedience and conformity to his life and death as you have taken CHRIST into you so put CHRIST on you and conform every faculty of your soul body to his holy image and perfection Remember that now Christ is all one with you and therefore when you are to do an action consider how Christ did or would do the like and do you imitate his example and transcribe his copy and understand all his commandments and choose all that he propounded and desire his promises fear his threatnings and marry his loves and hatreds and contract all friendships for then you do every day communicate especially when Christ thus dwels in you and you in Christ growing up towards a perfect man in Christ Jesus 14. Do not instantly upon your return from Church return also to the world and secular thoughts and imployments but let the remaining parts of that day be like a post-Communion or an after-office entertaining your blessed Lord with all the caresses and sweetness of love and colloquies and entercourses of duty and affection acquainting him with all your needs and revealing to him all your secrets and opening all your infirmities and as the affairs of your person or imployment call you off so retire again with often ejaculations and acts of entertainment to your beloved Guest The effects and benefits of worthy communicating When I said that the sacrifice of the cross which Christ offered for all the sins and all the needs of the world is represented to God by the minister in the Sacrament and offered up in prayer and Sacramental memory after the maner that Christ himself intercedes for us in Heaven so far as his glorious Priesthood is imitable by his Ministers on earth I must of necessity also mean that all the benefits of that sacrifice are then conveyed to all that communicate worthily But if we descend to particulars Then and there the Church is nourished in her faith strengthned in her hope enlarged in her bowels with an increasing charity there all the members of Christ are joyned with each other and all to Christ their head and we again renew the covenant with God in Jesus Christ and God seals his part and we promise for ours and Christ unites both and the holy Ghost signes both in the collation of those graces which we then pray for and exercise and receive all at once there our bodies are nourished with the signes and our souls with the mystery our bodies receive into them the seed of an immortall nature our souls are joyned with him who is the first fruits of the resurrection and never can dye and if we desire any thing else and need it here it is to be prayed for here to be hoped for here to be received Long life and health and recovery from sickness and competent support and maintenance and peace and deliverance from our enemies and content and patience and joy and sanctified riches or a cheerfull poverty liberty and whatsoever else is a blessing was purchased for us by Christ in his death and resurrection and in his intercession in Heaven and this Sacrament being that to our particulars which the great mysteries are in themselves and by designe to all the world if we receive worthily we shall receive any of those blessings according as God shall choose for us and he will not onely choose with more wisdom but also with more affection then we can for our selves After all this it is advised by the Guides of souls wise men and pious that all persons should commuÌ„icate very often even as often as they can without excuses or delayes Every thing that puts us from so holy an imployment when we are moved to it being either a sin or an imperfection an infirmity or indevotion and an unactiveness of Spirit All Christian people must come They indeed that are in the state of sin must not come so but yet they must come First they must quit their state of death and then partake of the bread of life They that are at enmity with their neighbours must come that is no excuse for their not coming onely they must not bring their enmity along with them but leave it and then come They that have variety of secular imployments must come only they must leave their secular thoughts and affections behind them L'Evesque de Geneve introd a la vie dâ—vote and then come and converse with God If any man be well grown in grace he must needs come because he is excellently disposed to so holy a feast but he that is but in the infancy of piety had need to come that so he may gâ—ow in grace The strong must come lest they become weak and the weak that they may become strong The sick must come to be cured the healthfull to be preserved They that have leisure must come because they have no excuse They that have no leisure must come â—ither that by so excellent religion they may sanctifie their business The penitent sinners must come that they may be justified and they that are justified that they may be justified still They that have fears and great reverence to these mysteries and think no preparation to be sufficient must receive that they may learn how to receive thee more worthily and they that have a less degree of reverence must come often to have it heightned that as those Creatures that live amongst the snowes of the Mountains turn white with their food and conversation with such perpetual whitenesses so our souls may be transformed into the similitude and union with Christ by our perpetual feeding on him and conversation not onely in his Courts but in his very heart and most secret affections and incomparable purities Prayers for all sorts of Men and all necessities relating to the severall parts of the vertue of Religion A Prayer for the Graces of Faith Hope Charity O Lord God of infinite mercy of infinite excellency who hast sent thy holy Son into the world to redeem us from an intolerable misery and to teach us a holy religion and to forgive us an infinite debt give me thy holy Spirit that my understanding and all my faculties may be so resigned to the discipline and doctrine of my Lord that I may be prepared
blessed be that loving kindness and pity by which thou didst neglect thy own sorrows and go to comfort the sadness of thy Disciples quickning their dulness incouraging their duty arming their weakness with excellent precepts against the day of triall Blessed be that humility and sorrow of thine who being Lord of the Angels yet wouldest need and receive comfort from thy servant the Angel who didst offer thy self to thy persecutors and madest them able to seise thee and didst receive the Traytors kiss and sufferedst a veil to be thrown over thy holy face that thy enemies might not presently be confounded by so bright a lustre and wouldest do a miracle to cure a wound of one of thy spitefull enemies and didst reprove a zealous servant in behalf of a malicious adversary and then didst go like a Lamb to the slaughter without noise or violence or resistance when thou couldest have commanded millions of Angels for thy guard and rescue Lord what is man c. Blessed be thy Name O holy Jesus and blessed be that holy sorrow thou didst suffer when thy Disciples fled and thou wert left alone in the hands of cruel men who like evening Wolves thirsted for a draught of thy best blood and thou wert led to the house of Annas and there asked insnaring questions and smitten on the face by him whose ear thou hadst but lately healed and from thence wert dragged to the house of Caiaphas and there all night didst endure spittings affronts scorn contumelies blows and intolerable insolencies and all this for man who was thy enemy and the cause of all thy sorrows Lord what is man c. Blessed be thy Name O holy Jesus and blessed be thy mercy who when thy servant Peter denied thee and forsooke thee forswore thee didst look back upon him and by that gracious and chiding look didst call him back to himself and thee who were accused before the High Priest and rail'd upon and examined to evill purposes and with designes of blood who wert declar'd guilty of death for speaking a most necessary and most profitable truth who wert sent to Pilate and found innocent and sent to Herod and still found innocent and wert arayed in white both to declare thy innocence and yet to deride thy person and wert sent back to Pilate and examined again and yet nothing but innocence found in thee and malice round about thee to devour thy life which yet thou wert more desirous to lay down for them then they were to take it from thee Lord what is man c. Blessed be thy Name O holy Jesus and blessed be that patience charity by which for our sakes thou wert content to be smitten with canes and have that holy face which Angels with joy and wonder do behold be spit upon and be despised when compared with Barabbas and scourg'd most rudely with unhallowed hands till the pavement was purpled with that holy blood and condemned to a sad and shamefull a publick and painfull death and arayed in Scarlet and crown'd with thorns and strip'd naked and then cloathed loaden with the crosse and tormented with a tablet stuck with nails at the fringes of thy garment and bound hard with cords and dragg'd most vilely and most piteously till the load was too great and did sink thy tender and virginal body to the earth and yet didst comfort the weeping women and didst more pity thy persecutors then thy self and wert grieved for the miseries of Jerusalem to come forty yeares after more then for thy present passion Lord what is man c. Blessed be thy Name O holy Jesus and blessed be that incomparable sweetness and holy sorrow which thou sufferedst when thy holy hands and feet were nailed upon the crosse and the crosse being set in a hollowness of the earth did in the fall rend the wounds wider and there naked bleeding sick and faint wounded and despised didst hang upon the weight of thy wounds three long hours praying for thy persecutors satisfying thy Fathers wrath reconciling the penitent thief providing for thy holy and afflicted mother tasting vineger and gall and when the fulness of thy suffering was accomplished didst give thy soul into the hands of God didst descend to the regions of longing souls who waited for the revelatiō of this thy day in their prisons of hope and then thy body was transfixed with a spear and issued forth two Sacraments Water and blood and thy body was compos'd to buriall and dwelt in darkness three dayes and three nights Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him and the Son of man that thou thus visitest him The Prayer THus O blessed Jesu thou didst finish thy holy passion with pain anguish so great that nothing could be greater then it except thy self and thy own infinite mercy and all this for man even for me then whom nothing could be more miserable thy self onely excepted who becamest so by undertaking our guilt and our punishment And now Lord who hast done so much for me be pleased onely to make it effectuall to me that it may not be useless and lost as to my particular lest I become etenally miserable ' and lost to all hopes and possibilities of comfort All this deserves more love then I have to give but Lord do thou turn me all into love and all my love into obedience and let my obedience be without interruption and then I hope thou wilt accept such a return as I can make make me to be something that thou delightest in and thou shalt have all that I am or have from thee even whatsoever thou makest fit for thy self Teach me to live wholly for my Saviour Jesus and to be ready to dye for Jesus and to be conformable to his life and sufferings and to be united to him by inseparable unions and to own no passions but what may be servants to Jesus and Disciples of his institution O sweetest Saviour clothe my soul with thy holy robe hide my sins in thy wounds and bury them in thy grave and let me rise in the life of grace and abide and grow in it till I arrive at the Kingdome of Glory Amen Our Father c. Ad. Sect. 7.8 10. A form of prayer or intercession for all estates of people in the Christian Church The parts of which may be added to any other formes and the whole office intirely as it lyes is proper to be said in our preparation to the holy Sacrament or on the day of celebration 1. For our selves O Thou gracious Father of mercy Father of our Lord Jesus Christ have mercy upon thy servants who bow our heads and our knees and our hearts to thee pardon and forgive us all our sins give us the grace of holy repentance and a strict obedience to thy holy word strengthen us in the inner man with the power of the holy Ghost for all the parts and duties of our calling and holy living preserve us for
of the family should fear the Father would give meat to the chickens and the servants his sheep and his dogs but give none to them He were a very ill Father that should doe so or he were a very foolish son that should think so of a good Father * But besides the reasonableness of this faith and this hope we have infinite experience of it How innocent how careless how secure is Infancy and yet how certainly provided for we have lived at Gods charges all the daies of our life and have as the Italian Proverb saies set down to meat at the sound of a bell and hitherto he hath not failed us we have no reason to suspect him for the future we doe not use to serve men so and lesse time of tryal creates great confidences in us towards them who for twenty years together never broke their word with us and God hath so ordered iâ— that a man shall have had the experience of many years provision before he shall understand how to doubt that he may be provided for an answer against the temptation shall come and the mercies felt in his childehood may make him fear lesse when he is a man * Adde to this that God hath given us his holy Spirit he hath promised Heaven to us he hath given us his Son and we are taught from Scripture to make this inference from hence How should not he with him give us all things else The Charge of many Children We have a title to be provided for as we are Gods creatures another title as we are his Children another because God hath promised and every of our children hath the same title and therefore it is a huge folly and infidelity to be troubled and full of care because we have many children Every childe we have to feed is a new revenue a new title to Gods care and providence so that many children are a great wealth and if it be said they are chargeable it is no more then all wealth and great revenues are For what difference is it Titius keeps ten ploughs Cornelia hath ten children He hath land enough to imploy and to feed all his hindes she blessings and promises and the provisions and the truth of God to maintain all her children His hindes and horses eat up all his corn and her children are sufficiently maintained with her little They bring in and eat up and she indeed eats up but they also bring in from the store-houses of heaven and the granaries of God and my children are not so much mine as they are Gods he feeds them in the womb by waies secret and insensible and would not work a perpetual miracle to bring them forth and then to starve them Violent necessities But some men are highly tempted and are brought to a straight that without a miracle they cannot be relieved what shall they doe It may be their pride or vanity hath brought the necessity upon them and it is not a need of Gods making and if it be not they must cure it themselves by lessening their desires and moderating their appetites and yet if it be innocent though unnecessary God does usually relieve such necessities and he does not only upon our prayers grant us more then he promised of temporall things but also he gives many times more then we ask This is no object for our faith but ground enough for a temporal and prudent hope and if we fail in the particular God will turn it to a bigger mercy if we submit to his dispensation and adore him in the denial But if it be a matter of necessity let not any man by way of impatience crie out that God will not work a miracle for God by miracle did give meat and drink to his people in the wilderness of which he had made no particular promise in any Covenant and if all natural means fail it is certain that God will rather work a miracle then break his word He can doe that He cannot doe this Only we must remember that our portion of temporal things is but food and ralment God hath not promised us coaches and horses rich houses and jewels Tyrian silks and Persian carpets neither hath he promised to minister to our needs in such circumstances as we shall appoint but such as himself shall choose God will enable either thee to pay thy debt if thou beggest it of him or else he will pay it for thee that is take thy desire as a discharge of thy duty and Pay it to thy Creditor in blessings or in some secret of his providence It may be he hath laid up in the corn that shall feed thee in the granary of thy Brother or will clothe thee with his wool he enabled Saint Peter to pay his Gabel by the ministery of a fish and Elias to be waited on by a crow who has both his minister and his steward for provisions and his Holy Son rode in triumph upon an asse that grazed in another mans postures And if God gives to him the dominion reserves the use to thee thou hast the better half of the two but the charitable man serves God and serves thy need and both joyn to provide for thee and God blesses both But if he takes away the flesh-pots from thee he can also alter the appetite and he hath given thee power and commandment to restrain it and if he lessens the revenue he will also shrink the necessity or if he gives but a very little he will make it go a great way or if he sends thee but course diet he will blesse it and make it healthful and can cure all the anguish of thy poverty by giving thee patience and the grace of contentedness For the grace of God secures you of provisions and yet the grace of God feeds and supports the spirit in the want of provisions and if a thin table be apt to enfeeble the spirits of one used to feed better yet the cheerfulness of a spirit that is blessed will make a thin table become a delicacy if the man was as well taught as he was fed and learned his duty when he received the blessing Poverty therefore is in some senses eligible and to be preferred before riches but in all senses it is very tolerable Death of Children or nearest Relatives and Friends There are some persons who have been noted for excellent in their lives and passions rarely innocent and yet hugely penitent for indiscretions and harmless infirmities such as was Paulina one of the ghostly children of S. Hierom and yet when any of her children died she was arrested with a sorrow so great as brought her to the margent of her grave And the more tender our spirts are made by Religion the more easie we are to let in grief if the cause be innocent and be but in any sense twisted with piety and due affections * To cure which we may consider that all the world must die and therefore to be
obliged person to whom it is more natural to love his friend and to doe good for good then to return evil for evil because a man may forgive an injury but he must never forget a good turn For every thing that is excellent and every thing that is profitable whatsoever is good in it self or good to me cannot but be beloved and what we love we naturally cherish and doe good to He therefore that reâ—uses to doe good to them whom he is bound to love or to love that which did him good is unnatural and monstrous in his affections and thinks all the world born to minister to him with a greediness worse then that of the sea which although it receives all rivers into it self yet it furnishes the clouds and springs with a returne of all thy need Our duty of benefactors is to esteem and love their persons to make them proportionable returns of service or duty or profit according as we can or as they need or as opportunity presents it self and according to the greatnesses of their kindnesses and to pray to God to make them recompense for all the good they have done to us which last office is also requisite to be done for our Creditors who in charity have releiv'd our wants Prayers to be said in relation to the several Obligations and Offices of Justice A Prayer for the Grace of Obedience to be said by all persons under Command O Eteâ—nal GOD Great Ruler of Men and Angels who hast constituted all things in a wonderful order making all the creatures subject to man and one man to another and all to thee the last link of this admirable chain being fastned to the foot of thy throne teach me to obey all those whom thou hast set over me reverencing their persons submitting indifferently to all their lawful commands cheerfully undergoing those burdens which the publick wisdome and necessity shall impose upon me at no hand murmuring against government lest the Spirit of pride and mutiny of murmur and disorder enter into me and consigne me to the portion of the disobedient and rebellious of the despisers of dominion and revilers of dignity Grant this O holy God for his sake who for his obedience to the Father hath obtained the glorification of eternall ages our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen Prayers for Kings and all Magistrates for our Parents spiritual and natural are in the following Letanies at the end of the fourth Chapter A prayer to be said by Subâ—ects when their Land is invaded and overran by barbarous or wicked people enemies of the Religion or the Government I. O Eternal God thou alone rulest in the Kingdoms of men thou 〈◊〉 the great God of battels and recompences and by thy glorious wisdom by thy Almighty power and by thy secret providence doest determine the events of warre and the issues of humane counsels and the returns of peace and victory now at last be pleased to let the light of thy countenance and the effects of a glorious mercy and a gracious pardon return to this Land Thou seest how great evils we suffer under the power and tyranny of warre and although we submit to and adore thy justice in our sufferings yet be pleased to pity our misery to hear our complaints to provide us of remedy against our present calamities let not the defendors of a righteous cause go away ashamed nor our counsels be for ever confounded nor our parties deâ—eated nor religion suppressed nor learning discountenanced and we be spoiled of all the exteriour ornaments instruments and advantages of piety which thou hast been pleased formerly to minister to our infirmities for the interests of learning and religion Amen II. WE confesse dear God that we have deserved to be totally extinct and separate from the Communion of Saints and the comforts of Religion to be made servants to ignorant unjust and inferiour persons or to suffer any other calamity which thou shalt allot us as the instrument of thy anger whom we have so often provoked to wrath and jealousie Lord we humbly lie down under the burden of thy rod begging of thee to remember our infirmities and no more to remember our sins to support us with thy staff to lift us up with thy hand to refresh us with thy gracious eye and if a sad cloud of temporal infelicities must still encircle us open unto us the window of Heaven that with an eye of faith and hope we may see beyond the cloud looking upon those mercies which in thy secret providence and admirable wisdom thou designest to all thy servants from such unlikely and sad beginnings Teach us diligently to doe all our duty and cheerfully to submit to all thy will and at last be gracious to thy people that call upon thee that put their trust in thee that have laid up all their hopes in the bosome of God that besides thee have no helper Amen III. PLace a Guard of Angels about the person of the KING and immure him with the defence of thy right hand that no unhallowed arm may doe violence to him Support him with aids from Heaven in all his battels trials and dangers that he may in every instant of his temptation become dearer to thee and doe then return to him with mercy and deliverance Give uâ—to him the hearts of all his people and put into his hand a prevailing rod of iron a scepter of power and a sword of justice and enable him to defend and comfort the Churches under his protection IV. BLesse all his Friends Relatives Confederates and Leiges direct their Counsels unite their hearts strengthen their hands blesse their actions Give unto them holiness of intention that they may with much candor and ingenuity pursue the cause of God and the King Sanctifie all the means and instruments of their purposes that they may not with cruelty injustice or oppression proceed towards the end of their just desires and doe thou crown all their endevours with a prosperous event that all may cooperate to and actuaâ—ly produce those great mercies which we beg of thee Honour and safety to our Soveraign defence of his just rights peace to his people establishment and promotion to religion advantages and encouragement to learning and holy living deliverance to all the oppressed comfort to all thy faithful people and from all these glory to thy holy Name Grant this O KING of Kings for his sake by whom thou hast consigned us to all thy mercies and promises and to whom thou hast given all power in Heaven and Earth our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen A Prayer to be said by Kings or Magistrates for themselves and their People O My God and King thou rulest in the Kingdoms of men by thee Kings reign and Princes decâ—ee justice thou hast appointed me under thy self * These words to be added by a Delegate or inferiour and under my Prince to govern this portion of thy Church according to the
loving kindness to my Patron to all my friends and Benefactors Reward them and make them plentiful recompense for all the good which from tâ—y merciful providence they have conveyed unto me Let the light of thy countenance shine upon them and let them never come into any affliction or sadness but such as may be an instrument of thy 〈◊〉 their eternal comfort Forgive them all 〈◊〉 sins let thy Divined Spirit preserve them from all deeds of Darkness Let thy ministring Angels guard their persons from the violence of â—hy spirits of Darkness And thou wâ—o knowest every degree of their necessity by thy infinite wisdom give supply to all tâ—eiâ— needs by â—he glorious mercy preserving 〈◊〉 persons sanctifying their hearts and leading them in the waies of righteousness by the waters of comfort to the land of etâ—râ—al â—eâ—t and glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen CHAP. IV. Of Christian Religion REligion â—n a large sense doth signifie the whole duty of Man comprehending in it Justice Charity and Sobriety because all these being commanded by God they become a part of that honour and worship which we are bound to pay to him And thus the word is used in S. James Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this Iam. 1.27 To visit the fatherlesse and Widows in their â—ffliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world But in a more restrained sense it is taken for that part of duty which particularly relates to God in our worshippings and adoration of him in confessing his excellencies loving his person admitting his goodness believing his Word and doing all that which may in a proper and direct manner doe him honour It contains the duties of the first Table only and so it is called Godliness Tit. 2.12 and is by S. Paul distinguished from Justice and Sobriety In this sense I am now to explicate the parts of it Of the internal actions of Religion Those I call the internal actions of Religion in which the soul only is imployed and ministers to God in the special actions of Faith Hope and Charity Faith believes the revâ—lations of God Hope expects his promises and Charity loves his excellencies and mercies Faith gives our understanding to God Hope gives up all the passions and affections to Heaven and heavenly things and Charity gives the will to the service of God Faith is opposed to infidelity Hope to Despair Charity to Enmity and Hostility and these three sanctifie the whole Man and make our duty to God and obedience to his Commandments to be chosen reasonable and delightful and therefore to be intire persevering and universal SECT IV. Of Faith The Acts and Offices of Faith are 1. TO believe every thing which God hath revealed to us Demus Deie aliquâ—d posse quod noâ— fateamuâ— investâ—gare noâ— possâ— S. Aug. l. 21. c 7. de Civitat and when once we are convinced that God hath spoken it to make no further enquiry but humbly to submit ever remembring that there are some things which ouâ— understanding cannot fathom nor search out their depth 2. To believe nothing concerning God but what is honourable and excellent as knowing that belief to be no honouring of God which entertains of him any dishonourable thoughts Faith is the parent of Charity and whatsoever Faith entertains must be apt to produce love to God but he that believes God to be cruel or unmerciful or a rejoicer in the unavoidable damnation of the greatest part of mankinde or that he speaks one thing and privately means another thinks evil thoughts concerning God and such as for which we should hate a man and therefore are great enemies of Faith being apt to destroy Charity Our Faith concerning God must be as himself hath revealed and described his own excellencies and in our discourses we must remove from him all imperfection and attribute to him all excellence 3. To give our selves wholly up to Christ in heart and desire to become Disciples of his doctrine with choice besides conviction being in the presence of God but as Ideots that is without any principles of our own to hinder the truth of God but sucking in greedily all that God hath taught us believing it infinitely and loving to believe it For this is an act of Love reflected upon Faith or an act of Faith leaning upon Love 4. To believe all Gods promises and that whatsoever is promised in Scripture shall on Gods part be as surely performed as if we had it in possession This act makes us to relie upon God with the same confidence as we did on our Parents when we were children when we made no doubt but whatsoever we needed we should have it if it were in their power 5. To believe also the conditions of the promise or that part of the revelation which concerns our duty Many are apt to believe the Article of remission of sins but they believe it without the condition of repentance of the fruits of holy life and that is to believe the Article otherwise then God intended it For the Covenant of the Gospel is the great object of Faith and that supposes our duty to answer his grace that God will be our God so long as we are his people The other is not Faith but Flattery 6. To professe publickly the doctrine of Jesus Christ openly owning whatsoever he hath revealed and commanded not being ashamed of the Word of God or of any practices enjoyned by it and this without complying with any mans interest not regarding favour nor being moved with good words not fearing disgrace or losse or inconvenience or death it self 7. To pray without doubting without weariness without faintness entertaining no jealousies or suspicions of God but being confident of Gods hearing us and of his returns to us whatsoever the manner or the instance be that if we doe our duty it will be gracious and merciful These acts of Faith are in several degrees in the servants of Jesus some have it but as a grain of mustard-seed some grow up to a plant some have the fulness of faith but the least faith that is must be a perswasion so strong as to make us undertake the doing of all that duty which Christ built upon the foundation of believing but we shall best discern the truth of our faith by these following signes S. Hierome reckons three Dâ—aâ—â— adver Lucif Signes of true Faith 1. An earnest and vehement prayer for it is impossible we should heartily believe the things of God and the glories of the Gospel and not most importunately desire them For every thing is desired according to our belief of its excellency and possibility 2. To doe nothing for vain-glory but wholly for the interests of religion and these Articles we believe valuing not at all the rumours of men but the praise of God to whom by faith we have given up all our intellectual faculties 3. To be content with God for our Judge for
upon God but five daies longer But deliverance stayed seven daies and yet came at last and take not every accident for an argument of despair but go on still in hoping and begin again to work if any ill accident have interrupted you Means of Hope and remedies against Despair The means to cuâ—e Despair and to continue or increase Hope are partly by consideration partly by exercise 1. Apply your minde to the cure of all the proper causes of Despair and they are weakness of Spirit or violence of passion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that greedily covets is impatient of delay and desperate in contrary accidents and he that is little of heart is also little of hope and apt to sorrow and suspicion 2. Despise the things of the World and be indifferent to all changes and events of providence and for the things of God the promises are certain to be performed in kinde and where there is lesse variety of chance there is lesse possibility of being (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homer mocked but he that creates to himself thousands of little hopes uncertain in the promise fallible in the event and depending upon ten thousand circumstances as are all his things of this World shall often fail in the expectations and be used to arguments of distrust in such hopes 3. So long as your hopes are regular and reasonable though in temporal affairs such as are deliverance from enemies escaping a storm or ship wrak recovery from a sickness ability to pay your debts c. remember that there are some things ordinary and some things extraordinary to prevent despaire In ordinary Remember that the very hoping in God is an endearment of him and a meaâ—s to obtain the blessing I will deliver him because he hath put his trust in me 2. There are in GOD all those glorious Attributes and excellencies which in the nature of things can possibly create or confirme Hope GOD is 1. Strong 2. Wise. 3. True 4. Loving There cannot be added another capacity to create a confidence for upon these premises we cannot fail of receiving what is fit for us 3. GOD hath obligâ—d himselfe by promise that wee shall have the good of every thing we desire or even lâ—sses and denials shall work for the good of them that fear God And if we will trust the truth of GOD for performance of the geneâ—al we may well trust his wisdome to choose for us the particular * But the extraordinaries of GOD are apt to supply the deâ—ect of all natural humane possibilities 1. GOD hath in many instances give extraordinary virtue to the active causes and instruments to a jaw-bone to kill a multitude to 300 Men to destroy a great Army to Jonathan and his Armour-bearer to rout a wâ—ole Garrison 2. He hath given excellent sufferance and vigorousness to the sufferers arming them with strange courage heroical fortitude invincible resolution and glorious patience and thus he laies no more upon us then we are able to bear for when he increases our sufferings he lessens them by increasing our patience 3. His providence is extraregular and produces strange things beyond common rules and he that lead Israel through a â—ea and made a Rock powre forth waters and the Heavens to give them bread and flesh and whole Armies to be destroyed with phantastick noiâ—â—s and the fortune of all France to â—e recovered and intirely revolved by the arms and conduct of a Girle against the â—orrent of the English fortune Châ—valâ—y can doe what â—e please and still retains the same affections to his people and the same providence over mankinde as ever and it is impossible for that Man to despair Heb. 2.18 who remembers that his Helper is Omnipotent and can doe what he please let us rest thâ—â—e a while he can if he please And â—e is infinitely loving willing enough and he is infinitely wise choosing better for us then we can doe for our selves This in all ages and chances hath supported the afflicted people of GOD and carried them on drie ground through the Red Sea GOD invites and cherishes the hopes of Men by all the variety of his providence 4. If your case be brought to the last extremity and that you are at the pits brink even the very Margent of the Grave yet then despair not at least put it off a little longer and remember that whatsoever final accident takes away all hope from you if you stay a little longer and in the mean while bear it sweetly it will also take away all despair too For when you enter into the regions of death you rest from all your labours and your fears 5. Let them who are tempted to despair of their salvation consider how much Christ suffered to redeem us from sin and its eternal punishment and he that considers this must needs believe that the desires which God had to save us were not lesse then infinite and therefore not easily to be satisfied without it 6. Let no man despaire of Gods mercies to forgive him unlesse he be sure that his sins are greater then Gods mercies If they be not we have much reason to hope that the stronger ingredient will prevail so long as we are in the time and state of repentance and within the possibilities and latitute of the Covenant and as long as any promise can but reflect upon him with an oblique beam of comfort Possibly the Man may eâ—re in his judgment of circumstances and therefore let him fear but because it is not certain he is mistaken let him not despair 7. Consider that God who knows all the events of Men and what their final condition shall be who shall be saved and who will perish yet he treateth them as his own calls them to be his own offers fair conditions as to his own gives them blessings arguments of mercy and instances of fear to call them off from death and to call them home to life and in all this shows no despaire of happiness to them and therefore much lesse should any Man despaire for himself since he never was able to read the Scroles of the eternal predestination 8. Remember that despair belongs only to passionate Fools or Villains such as were Achitophel and â—udas or else to Devils and damned persons and as the hope of salvation is a good disposition towards it so is despair a certain consignation to eternal ruine A Man may be damned for despairing to be saved Despair is the proper passion of damnation God hath placed truth and felicity in Heaven V. â—eaâ— Curiosity and repentance upon Faith but misery and despaire are the portions of Hell 9. Gather together into your spirit and its treasure-house the Memory not only all the promises of GOD but also the remembrances of experience and the former senses of the Divine favours that from thence you may argue from times past to the present and enlâ—â—gâ— to the 〈◊〉 and to greater blessings
For although the coâ—jâ—ctâ—â—â—â— and expectations of Hope are not like the conclusions of Faith yet they are a Helmet against the scorchings of Despair in temporal things and an anchor of the soul sure and stedfast against the fluctuations of the Spirit in matters of the soul. S. Bernard reckons divers principles of Hope by enumerating the instances of the Divine Mercy and we may by them reduce this rule to practise in the following manner 1. GOD hath preserved me from many sins his mercies are infinite I hope he will still preserve me from more and for ever * 2. I have sinned and GOD smote me not his mercies are still over the penitent I hope he will deliver me from all the evils I have deserved He hath forgiven me many sins of malice and therefore surely he will pity my infirmities * 3. God visited my heart and changed it he loves the work of his own hands and so my heart is now become I hope he will love this tâ—o * 4. When I repented he received me graciously and therefore I Hope if I doe my endevour he will totally forgive me * 5. He helped my slow and beginning endevours and therefore I hope he will lead me to perfection * 6. When he had given me something first then he gave me more I hope therefore he will keep me from falling and give me the grace of perseverance * 7. He hath chosen me to be a Disciple of Christs institution he hath elected me to his Kingdom of grace and therefore I hope also to the Kingdom of his glory * 8. He died for me when I was his enemy and therefore I hope he will save me when he hath reconciled me to him and is become my friend * 9. God hath given us his Son how should not he with him give us all things else All these S. Bernard reduces to these three Heads as the instruments of all our hopes 1. The charity of GOD adopting us 2. The truth of his promises 3. The power of his performance which if any truly weighs no infirmity or accident can breake his â—â—pes into undiscernible fragments but some good plâ—â—ks will remain after the greatest storm and shipwrack This was Saint Pauls instrument Experience begets hope and hope maketh not ashamed 10. Doe thou take care only of thy duty of the means and proper instruments of thy purpose and leave the end to GOD lay that up with him and he will take care of all that is intrusted to him and this being an act of confidence in God is also a means of security to thee 11. By special arts of spiritual prudence arguments secure the confident belief of the Resurrection and thou canst not but hope for every thing the which you may reasonably expect or lawfully desire upon the stock of the Divine mercies and promises 12. If â— despair seises you in a particular temporal instance let it not defile thy spirit with impute mixture or mingle in spiritual considerations but rather let it make thee fortifie thy soul in matters of Religion that by being thrown out of your Earthly dwelling and confidence you may retire into the strengths of grace and hope the more strongly in that by how much you are the more defeated in this that despair of a fortune or a success may become the necessity of all virtue SECT III. Of Charity or the love of God LOve is the greatest thing that God can give us for himself is love and it is the greatest thing we can give to God for it will also give our selves and carry with it all that is ours The Apostle calls it the band of perfection it is the Old and it is the New and it is the great Commandement and it is all the Commandements for it is the fulfilling of the Law It does the work of all other graces without any instrument but its own immediate virtue For is the love to sin makes a Man sin against all his own reason and all the discourses of wisdom and all the advices of his friends and without temptation and without opportunity so does the love of God it makes a man chaste without the laborious arts of fasting and exteriour disciplines temperate in the midst of feasts and is active enough to choose it without any intermedial appetites and reaches at Glory through the very heart of Grace without any other arms but those of Love It is a grace that loves God for himself and our Neighbours for God The consideration of Gods goodness and bounty the experience of those profitable and excellent emanations from him may be and most commonly are the first motive of our love but when we are once entred and have tasted the goodness of God we love the spring for its own excellency passing from passion to reason from thanking to adoring from sense to spirit from considering our selves to an union with God and this is the image and little representation of Heaven it is beatitude in picture or rather the infancy and beginnings of glory We need no incentives by way of special enumeration to move us to the love of God for we cannot love any thing for any reason reall or imaginary but that excellence is infinitely more eminent in God There can but two things create love Perfection and Usefulness to which answer on our part 1. admiration and 2. Desire and both these are centred in love For the entertainment of the first there is in God an infinite nature immensity or vastness without extension or limit Immutability Eternity Omnipotence Omniscience Holiness Dominion Providence Bounty Mercy Justice Perfection in himself and the end to which all things and all actions must be directed and will at last arrive The consideration of which may be heightned if we consider our distance from all these glories Our smallness and limited nature our nothing our inconstancy our age like a span our weakness and ignorance our poverty our inadvertency and inconsideration our disabilities and disaffections to doe good our harsh natures and unmerciful inclinations our universal iniquity and our necessities and dependencies not only on God originally and essentially but even our need of the meanest of Gods creatures and our being obnoxious to the weakest and the most contemptible But for the entertainment of the second we may consider that in him is a torrent of pleasure for the voluptuous he is the fountain of honour for the ambitious an inexhaustible treasure for the covetous our vices are in love with phantastick pleasures and images of perfection which are truly and really to be found no where but in God And therefore our virtues have such proper objects that it is but reasonable they should all turn into love for certain it is that this love will turn all into virtue S. Aug l. 2. Confes. â— 6 For in the scrutinies for righteousness and judgment when it is inquired whether such a person be a good man or no the meaning is not
our neighbours the poor members of Christ rejoice together with us 6. Whatsoever you are to do your self as necessarie you are to take care that others also who are under your charge do in their staâ—ion and manner Let your servants bee called to Church and all your familie that can be spared from necessarie and great houshold ministeries those that cannot let them go by turns and be supplied otherwise as well as they may and provide on these daies especially that they be instructed in the articles of faith and necessary parts of their dutie 7. Those who labour hard in the week must bee eased upon the Lord's day such ease beeing a great charity alms but at no hand must they be permitted to use any unlawful games any thing forbidden by the Laws any thing that is scandalous or any thing that is dangerous and apt to mingle sin with it no games prompting to wantonness to drunkenness to quarrelling to ridiculous and superstitious customs but let their refreshments bee innocent and charitable and of good report and not exclusive of the duties of Religion 8. Beyond these bounds because neither God nor man hath passed any obligation upon us wee must preserv our Christian libertie and not suffer our selvs to be intangled with a yoke of bondage for even a good action may become a â—â—are to us if we make it an occasion of scruple by a pretence of necessity binding loads upon the conscience not with the bands of God but of men and of fancy or of opinion or of tyranny Whatsoever is laid upon us by the hands of man must be acted and accounted of by the measures of a man but our best measure is this He keeps the Lords day best that keeps it with most religion and with most charitie 9. What the Church hath done in the article of the resurrection she hath in som measure done in the other articles of the Nativity of the Ascention and of the Descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost and so great blessings deserve an anniversary solemnity since he is a very unthankful person that does not often record them in the whole year and esteem them the ground of his hopes the object of his faith the comfort of his troubles and the great effluxes of the divine mercy greater then all the victories over our temporal enemies for which all glad persons usually give thanks And if with great reason the memory of the resurrection does return solemnly every week it is but reason the other should return once a year * To which I adde that the commemoration of the articles of our Creed in solemn daies and offices is a very excellent instrument to convey and imprint the sense and memory of it upon the spirits of the most ignorant person For as a picture may with more fancie convey a story to a man then a plain narrative either in word or writing so a real representment and an office of remembrance and a day to declare it is far more impressive then a picture or any other art of making and fixing imagery 10. The memories of the Saints are precious to God and therefore they ought also to be so to us and such persons who served God by holy living industrious preaching and religiouâ— dying ought to have their names preserved in honour and God be glorified in them and their holy doctrines and lives published and imitated and we by so doing give testimony to the article of the communion of Saints But in these cases as every Church is to be sparing in the number of daies so also should she be temperate in her injunctions not imposing them but upon voluntary and unbusied persons without snare or burden But the Holy day is best kept by giving God thanks for the excellent persons Apostles or Martyrs we then remember and by imitating their lives this all may do and they that can also keep the solemnity must doe that too when it is publikly enjoyned The mixt actions of Religion are 1. Prayer 2. Alms. 3. Repentance 4. Receiving the blessed Sacrament SECT VII Of Prayer THere is no greater argument in the world of our spiritual danger and unwillingness to religion then the backwardness which most men have alwaies and all men have sometimes to say their praiers so weary of their length so glad when they are done so wittie to â—xcuse and frustrate an opportunitie and yet all is nothing but a desiring of God to give us the greatest and the best things wee can need and which can make us happie it is a work so easie so honorable and to so great purpose that in all the instances of religion and providence except onely the incarnation of his Son God hath not given us a greater argument of his willingness to have us saved and of our unwillingness to accept it his goodness and our gracelesness his infinite condescention and our carelesness and follie then by rewarding so easie a duty with so great blessings Motives tâ— Praier I cannot say any thing beyond this very consideration and its appendages to invite Christian people to pray often But wee may consider That first it is a duty commanded by God his holie Son 2. It is an act of grace and highest honour that wee dust and ashes are admitted to speak to the Eternal God to run to him as to a Father to laie open our wants to complain of our burdens to explicate our scruples to beg remedie and ease support and counsel health and safety deliverance and salvation and 3. God hath invited us to it by many gracious promises of hearing us 4. Hee hath appointed his most glorious Son to bee the President of Praier and to make continual intercession for us to the throne of Grace 5. Hee hath appointed an Angel to present the Praiers of his servants and 6. Christ unites them to his own and sanctifies them and makes them effective and prevalent and 7. Hath put it into the hands of men to rescind or alter all the decrees of God which are of one kinde that is conditional and concerning our selvs and our final estate and many instances of our intermedial or temporal by the power of praiers 8. And the praiers of mâ—n have saved câ—ties and kingdoms from ruine praier hath raiseâ— dead men to life hath stopped the violence of fire shut the mouths of wilde beasts hath altered the course of nature caused rain in Egypt and drought in the sea it made the Sun to go from West to East and the Moon to stand still and rocks and mountains to walk it cures diseases without physick and makes physick to do the work of nature and nature to do the work of grace and grace to do the work of God and it does miracles of accident and event and yet praier that does all this is of it self nothing but an ascent of the minde to God a desiring things fit to bee desired and an expression of this desire to
that I also may dwell in the heart of my dearest Lord which was opened for me with a spear and love An act of contrition Lord thou shalt finde my heartfull of cares and worldly desires cheated with love of riches and neglect of holy things proud and unmortified false and crafty to deceive it self intricated and intāgled with difficult cases of conscience with knots which my own wildness and inconsideration and impatience have tied and shuffled together O my dearest Lord if thou canst behold such an impure seat behold the place to which thou art invited is full of passion and prejudice evill principles and evill habits peevish and disobedient lustfull and intemperate and full of sad remembrances that I have often provoked to jealousie and to anger thee my God my dearest Saviour him that dyed for me him that suffered torments for me that is infinitely good to me and infinitely good and perfect in himself This O dearest Saviour is a sad truth and I am heartily ashamed and truly sorrowfull for it and do deeply hate all my sins and am full of indignation against my self for so unworthy so careless so continued so great a folly and humbly beg of thee to increase my sorrow and my care and my hatred against sin and make my love to thee swell up to a great grace and then to glory and immensity An act of Faith This indeed is my condition But I know O blessed Jesus that thou didst take upon thee my nature that thou mightest suffer for my sins and thou didst suffer to deliver me from them and from thy Fathers wrath and I was delivered from this wrath that I might serve thee in holiness righteousness all my daies Lord I am sure thou didst the great work of Redemption for me and all mankinde as that I am alive This is my hope the strength of my spirit my joy and my confidence and do thou never let the spirit of unbelief enter into me and take me from this Rock Here I will dwell for I have a delight therein Here I will live and here I desire to die The Petition Therefore O blessed Jesu who art my Saviour and my God whose body is my food and thy righteousness is my robe thou art the Priest and the Sacrifice the Master of the feast and the feast it self the Physician of my soul the light of my eyes the purifier of my stains enter into my heart and cast out from thence all impurities all the remains of the Old man and grant I may partake of this holy Sacrament with much reverence and holy relish and great effect receiving hence the communication of thy holy body and blood for the establishment of an unreproveable faith of an unfained love for the fulness of wisdom for the healing my soul for the blessing and preservation of my body for the taking out the sting of temporall death and for the assurance of a holy resurrection for the ejection of all evill from within me and the fulfilling all thy righteous Commandements and to procure for me a mercy and a fair reception at the day of judgement through thy mercies O holy and ever blessed Saviour Jesus Amen Here also may be added the prayer after receiving the cup. * Ejaculations to be said before or at the receiving the holy Sacrament Like as the Hart desireth the water brooks so longeth my soul after thee O God My soul is a thirst for God yea even for the living God when shall I come before the presence of God O Lord my God great are thy wonderous works which thou hast done like as be also thy thoughts which are to us-ward and yet there is no man that ordereth them unto thee O send out thy light and thy truth that they may lead me and bring me unto thy holy hill and to thy dwelling And that I may go unto the Altar of God even unto the God of my joy and gladness and with my heart will I give thanks to thee O God my God I will wash my hands in innocency O Lord and so will I go to thine altar that I may shew the voice of thanks-giving and tell of all thy wonderous works Examine me O Lord and prove me try out my reins and my heart For thy loving kindness is now and ever before my eyes and I will walk in thy truth Thou shalt prepare a table before me against them that trouble me thou hast anointed my head with oil and my cup shall be full But thy loving loving kindness and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever This is the bread that cometh down from Heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him and hath eternall life abiding in him and I will raise him up at the last day Lord whether shall we go but to thee thou hast the words of eternall life If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink The bread which we break is it not the communication of the body of Christ and the cup which we drink is it not the communication of the blood of Christ What are those wounds in thy hands They are those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends Zech 13.6 Immediately before the receiving say Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof But do thou speak the word onely and thy servant shall be he led Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew thy praise O God make speed to save me O Lord make hast to help me Come Lord Jesus come quickly After receiving the consecrated and blessed bread say O tast and see how gracious the Lord is blessed is the man that trusteth in him * The beasts do lack and suffer hunger but they which seek the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good Lord what am I that my Saviour should become my food that the Son of God should be the meat of Worms of dust and ashes of a sinner of him that was his enemy But this thou hast done to me because thou art infinitely good wonderfully gracious and lovest to bless every one of us in turning us from the evill of our wayes Enter into me blessed Jesus let no root of bitterness spring up in my heart but be thou Lord of all my faculties O let me feed on thee by faith and grow up by the increase of God to a perfect man in Christ Jesus Amen Lord I believe help mine unbelief Glory be to God the Father Son c. After the receiving the cup of blessing It is finished Blessed be the mercies of God revealed to us in Jesus Christ. O blessed and eternall high Priest let the sacrifice of the Cross which thou didst once offer for the sins of the whole World and which thou doest now and always represent in