it that is whensoever thy obedience to any command of his shal lay thee open to those sufferings But in the mean time to resolve never again to make any league with his enemies to entertain or harbour any sin in thy brest But if there have any such hitherto remained with thee make this the season to kill and crucify it offer it up at this instant a sacrifice to him who was sacrificed for thee and particularly for that very end that he might redeem thee from all iniquity Therefore here make thy solemn resolutions to forsake every sin particularly those into which thou hast most frequently fallen And that thou mayest indeed perform those resolutions earnestly beg of this crucified Saviour that he will by the power of his death mortify and kill all thy corruptions 28. When thou art about to receive the consecrated bread and wine remember that God now offers to seal to thee that New Covenant made with mankinde in his Son For since he gives that his Son in the Sacrament he gives with him all the benefits of that Covenant to wit pardon of sins fanctifying grace and a title to an eternal inheritance And here be astonished at the infinite goodness of God who reaches out to thee so precious a treasure But then remember that this is all but on condition that thou perform thy part of the Covenant And therefore settle in thy Soul the most serious purpose of obedience and then with all possible devotion joyn with the Minister in that short but excellent prayer used at the instant of giving the Sacrament The body of our Lord c. 29. So soon as thou hast received â—ffer up thy devoutest praises for that great mercy together with thy most earnest prayers for such assistance of Gods Spirit as may enable thee to perform the vow thou hast now made Then remembring that Christ is a propitiatiâ—n not for our sins onely but also for the sins of the whole world let thy charity reach as far as his hath done and pray for all mankind that every one may receive the benefit of that sacrifice of his commend also to God the estate of the Church that particularly whereof thou art a member And forget not to pray for all to whom thou owest obedience both in Church and State and so go on to pray for such particular persons as either thy relations or their wants shall present to thee If there be any collection for the poor as there alwayes ought to be at this time give freely according to thy ability or if by the dâ—fault of others there be no such collection yet do thou privately design something towards the relief of thy poor brethren and be sure to give it the next fitting opportunity that offers it self All this thou must contrive to do in the time that others are receiving that so when the publick prayers after the administration begin thou mayst be ready to joyn in them which thou must likewise take care to do with all divotion thus much for thy behaviour at the time of receiving 30. Now followes the third and last thing That is what thou art to do after thy receiving That which is immediately to be done is as soon as thou art retir'd from the Congregation to offer up again to God thy Sacrifice of praise for all those precious mercies conveyed to thee in that holy Sacrament as also humbly to intreat the continued assistance of his grace to enable thee to make good all those purposes of obedience thou hast now made And in whatsoever thou knowest thy self most in danger either in respect of any former habit or natural inclination there especially desire and earnestly beg his aid 31. When thou hast done thus do not presently let thy self lose to thy worldly carâ—s and businesse But spend all that day either in mediâ—ating praying reading good conferences or the like so as may best keep up that holy flame that is enkindled in thy heart Afterwards when thy calling requires thee to fall to thy usual affaireâ— do it but yet still remember that thou hast a greater business then that upon thy hands that is the performing of all those promises thou so lately madest to God and therefore whatever thy outward imployments are let thy heart be set on that keep all the particulars of thy resolution in memory and whenever thou art tempted to any of thy old sins then consider this is the thing thou so solemnly vowedst against and withal remember what a horrible guilt it will be if thou shouldst now wilfully do any thing contrary to that vow Yea and what a horrible mischief also it will be to thy self For at thy receiving God and thou enteredst into Covenant into a league of friendship and kindness And as long as thou keepest in that friendship with God thou art false all the malice of men or divels can do thee no harm For as the Apostle saith Rom. 8. 31. If God be for us who can be against us But if thou breakest this league as thou certainly dost if thou yeild to any wilful sin then God and thou are enemies and if all the world then were for thee it could not avail thee 32. Nay thou wilt get an enemy within thine own bosome thy conscience accusing and upbraiding thee and when God and thine own conscience are thus against thee thou canst not but be extremely miserable even in this life besides that fearful expectation of wrath which awaites thee in the next Remember all this when thou art set upon by any temptation and then sure thou canst not but look upon that temptation as a cheat that coâ—es to rob thee of thy peace thy God thy very soul. And then surely it will appear as unfit to entertain it as thou wouldst think it to harbour one in thy house who thou knowest came to rob thee of what is dearest to thee 33. And let not any experience of Gods mercy in pardonning thee heretofore incourage thee again to provoke him for besides that it is thy highest degree of wickedness and unthankfulness to make that goodness of his which should lead thee to repentance an incouragement in thy sin besides this I say the oftner thou hast bin pardoned the less reason thou hast to expect it again because thy sin is so much the greater for having bin committed after so much mercy If a King have several times pardoned an offender yet if he still return to the commission of the same fault the King will at last be forced if he have any love to Justice to give him up to it Now so it is here God is as well just as merciful and his justice will at last surely and heavily avenge the abuse of his mercy and there cannot be a greater abuse of his mercy then to sin in hope of it so that it will prove a miserable deceiving of thy self then to presume upon it
till that be done 3. The second part of prayer is petition That is the begging of God whatsoever we want either for our Souls or bodies For our Souls we must first beg pardon of sins and that for the sake of Jesus Christ who shed his blood to obtain it Then we must also beg the grace and assistance of Gods Spirit to enable us to forsake our sins and to walk in obedience to him And herein it will be needful particularly to beg all the several vertues as faith love zeal purity repentance and the like but especially those which thou most wantest And therefore observe what thy wants are and if thou beest proud be most instant in praying for humility if lustful for chastity and so for all other graces according as thou findest thy needs And in all these things that concern thy Soul be very earnest and importunate take no denial from God nor give over though thou do not presently obtain what thou suest for But if thou hast never so long prayed for a grace and yet findest it not do not grow weary of praying but rather search what the cause may be which makes thy prayer so ineffectual see if thou do not thy self hinder them perhaps thou prayest to God to enable thee to conquer some sin and yet never goest about to fight against it never makest any resistance but yeâ—ldest to it as oft as it comes nay puttest thy self in its way in the road of all temptations If it be thus no wonder though thy prayers avail not for thou wilt not let them Therefore amend this and set to the doing of thy part sincerely and then thou needest not fear but God will do his 4. Secondly We are to petition also for our bodies That is we are to ask of God such necessaries of life as are needful to us while we live here But these onely in such a degree and measure as his wisdom sees best for us we must not presume to be our own câ—rvers and pray for all that wealth or greatness which our own vain hearts may perhaps desire but onely â—or such a condition in respect of outward things as he sees may most tend to those great ends of our living here the glorifying him and the saving of our own Souls 5. A third part of prayer is Deprecation that is when we pray to God to turn away some evil from us Now this evil may be either the evil of sin or the evil of punishment The evil of sin is that we are especially to pray against most earnestly begging of God that he will by the power of his grace preserve us from falling into sin And whatever sins they are to which thou knowest thy self most inclined there be particularly earnest with God to preserve thee from them This is to be done daily but then more especially when we are under any present temptation in danger of falling into any sin In which case we have reason to cry out as St. Peter did when he found himself sinking save Lord or I perish humbly beseeching him either to withdraw the temptation or strengthen us to withstand it neither of which we can do for our selves 6. Secondly We are likewise to pray against the evil of punishment but principally against spiritual punishments as the anger of God the withdrawing of his grace and eternal damnation Against these we can never pray with too much earnestness but we may also pray against temporal punishments that is any outward affliction but this with submission to Gods will according to the example of Christ Mat. 26. 39. Not as I will but as thou wilt 7. A fourth part of prayer is intercession that is praying for others This in general we are to do for all mankind as well strangers as acquaintance but more particularly those to whom we have any especial relation either publick as our Governours both in Church and State or private as Parents Husband Wife Children Friends c. We are also to pray for all that are in affliction and such particular persons as we discern especially to be so Yea we are to pray for those that have done injury those that despightfully use us and persecute us for it is expresly the command of Christ Mat. 5. 44. and that whereof he hath likewise given us the highest example in praying even for his very crucifiers Luc. 23. 34. Father forgive them For all these sorts of persons we are to pray and that for the very same good things we beg of God for our selves that God would give them in their several places and callings all spiritual and temporal blessings which he sees wanting to them and turn away from them all evil whether of sin or punishment 8. The fifth part of prayer is thanksgiving That is the praising and blessing God for all his mercies whether to our own persons and those that immediatly relate to us or to the Church and Nation whereof we are members or yet more general to all mankind And this for all his mercies both spiritual and temporal In the spiritual first for those wherein we are all in common concerned as the giving of his Son the sending of his Spirit and all those means he hath used to bring sinful men unto himself Then secondly for those mercies we have in our own particulars received such are the having been born within the pale of the Church and so brought up in Christian Religion by which we have been partakers of those precious advantages of the word and Sacraments and so have had without any care or pains of ours the means of eternal life put into our hands But besides these there is none of us but have received other spiritual means from God 9. As first Gods patience and long-suffering waiting for our repentance and not cutting us off in our sins Secondly his calls and invitations of us to that repentance not only outward in the ministry of the word but also inward by the motions of his Spirit But then if thou be one that hath by the help of Gods grace been wrought upon by these calls and brought from a prophane or worldly to a Christian course of life thou art surely in the highest degree tyed to magnifie and praise his goodness as having received from him the greatest of mercies 10. We are likewise to give thanks for temporal blessings whether such as concern the publick as the prosperity of the Church or Nation and all remarkable deliverances offered to either or else such as concern our particulars such are all the good things of this life which we enjoy as health friends food rayment and the like also for those minuitly preservations whereby we are by Gods gracious providence kept from danger and the especial deliverances which God hath given us in time of greatest perils It will be impossible to set down the several mercies which everyman receives from God because they
me and what ever good work thou hast wrought in me be pleased to accomplish and perform it until the day of Christ. Lord thou seest my weakness and thou knowest the number and strength of those temptations I have to struggle with O leave me not to my self but cover thou my head in the day of battel and in all spiritual combats make me more then conquerour through him that loved me O let no terrours or flatteries either of the world or my own flesh ever draw me from my obedience to thee but grant that I may continue stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord and by patient continuance in well-doing seek and at last obtain glory and honour and immortality and eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. A brief Paraphrase of the LORDS PRAYER To be used as a Prayer Our FATHER which art in Heaven O Lord who dwellest in the highest heavens thou art the Author of our being thou hast also begotten us again unto a lively hope and carryest towards us the tenderness and bowels of a most compassionate father O make us to render to thee the love and obedience of children and that we may resemble thee our father in heaven that place of true delight and purity give us a holy disdain of all the deceitful pleasures and foul pollutions of this world and so raise up our minds that we may alwayes have our conversation in heaven from whence we look for our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. 1. Hallowed be thy Name Strike such an awe into all our hearts that we may humbly reverence thee in thy Name which is great wonderful and holy and carry such a sacred respect to all things that relate to thee and thy worship as may express our reverence of thy great Majesty Let all the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee 2. Thy Kingdome Come Establish thy throne and rule for ever in our souls and by the power of thy grace subdue all those rebellious corruptions that exalt themselves against thee they are those enemies of thine which would not that thou shouldst reign over them O let them be brought forth and slain before thee and make us such faithful subjects of this thy Kingdome of Grace that we may be capable of thy kingdome of glory and then Lord Jesus come quickly 3. Thy Will be done in earth c. Enable us by thy grace cheerfully to suffer thy will in all thy inflictions and readily to perform it in all thy commands give us of that heavenly zeal to thy service wherewith the blessed Angels of thy presence are inspired that we may obey thee with the like fervor and alacrity and that following them in their obedience we may be joyned with them to sing eternal praises in thy Kingdome to God and to the Lamb for ever 4. Give us this day our daily bread Give us that continual supply of thy grace which may sustein and nourish our souls unto eternal life And be thou pleased also to provide for our bodies all those things which thou seest fit for their support through this our earthly pilgrimage and make us cheerfully to rest on thee for them first seeking thy Kingdome and the righteousness thereof and then not doubting but all these things shall be added unto us 5. Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them c. Heal our souls O Lord for we have sinned against thee let thy tender mercies abound towards us in the forgiveness of all our offences And grant O Lord that we may never forfeit this pardon of thine by denying ours to our brethren but give us those bowels of compassion to others which we stand in so much greater need of from thee that we may forgive as fully and finally upon Christs Command as we desire to be forgiven for his merits and intercession 6. Lead us not into Temptation but deliver c. O Lord we have no strength against those multitudes of temptations that daily assalt us onely our eyes are upon thee O be thou pleased either to restrain them or assist us and in thy faithfulness suffer us not to be tempted above that we are able but in all our temptations make us a way to escape that we be not overcome by them but may when thou shalt call us to it resist even unto blood striving against sin that being faithful unto death thou mayest give us the crown of life For thine is the Kingdome the Power c. Hear us and graciously answer our petitions for thou art the great King over all the earth whose Power is infinite and artable to do for us above all that we can ask or think and to whom belongeth the Glory of all that good thou workest in us or for us Therefore blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne to our God for ever and ever Amen PIOUS EJACULATIONS Taken out of the Book of PSALMS For PARDON of SIN HAve mercy on me O God after thy great goodness according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences Wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin Turn thy face from my sins and put out all my misdeeds My misdeeds prevail against me O be thou merciful unto my sins Enter not into judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified For thy names sake O Lord be merciful unto my sin for it is great Turn thee O Lord and deliver my soul O save me for thy mercies sake For GRACE TEach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee for thou art my God Teach me thy way O Lord and I will walk in thy truth O knit my heart to thee that I may fear thy name Make me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me O let my heart be found in thy statutes that I be not ashamed Incline my heart unto thy Testimonies and not to covetousnesse Turn away mine eyes least they behold vanity and quicken thou me in thy way I am a stranger upon earth O hide not thy Commandments from me Lord teach me to number my dayes that I may apply my heart unto Wisdome For the LIGHT of Gods COUNTENANCE LOrd why abhorrest thou my soul and hidest thy face from me O hide not thou thy face from me nor cast thy servant away in displeasure Thy loving kindnesse is better then life it self Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me Comfort the Soul of thy servant for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my Soul THANKSGIVING I Will alwayes give thanks unto the Lord his praise shall ever be in my mouth Thou art my God and I will thank thee thou art my God and I will praise thee I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live I will praise my God whilest I have my being Praised be God which hath not cast out my prayer nor turned his mercy from
confusion of face eternally But to thee O Lord God belongeth mercy and forgiveness though I have rebelled against thee O remember not my sins and offences but according to thy mercy think thou upon me O Lord for thy goodness Thou sentest thy Son to seek and to save that which was lost behold O Lord I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost O seek thy servant and bring me back to the Shepherd and Bishop of my Soul let thy Spirit work in me a hearty sense and detestation of all my abominations that true contrition of heart which thou hast promised not to despise And then be thou pleased to look on me to take away all iniquity and receive me graciously and for his sake who hath done nothing amiss be reconciled to me who have done nothing well wash away the guilt of my sins in his blood and subdue the power of them by his grace and grant O Lord that I may from this hour bid a final adieu to all ungodliness and worldly lusts that I may never once more cast a look toward Sodom or long after the flesh pots of Egypt but consecrate my self intirely to thee to serve thee in Righteousness and true Holiness reckoning my self to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord and blessed Saviour This PENITENTIAL PSALM May also fitly be used PSAL. 51. HAve mercy upon me O God after thy great goodness according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences Wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin For I knowledg my faults and my sin is ever before me Against thee onely have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou mightest be justisted in thy saying and clear when thou art judged Behold I was shapen in wickedness and in sin hath my mother conceived me But loe thou requirest truth in the inward parts and shalt make me to understand wisdom secretly Thou shalt purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean thou shalt wash me and I shall be whiter then snow Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice Turn thy face from my sins and put out all my misdeeds Make me a clean heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from me O give me the comfort of thy help again and stablish me with thy free Spirit Then shall I teach thy wayes unto the wicked and sinners shall be converted unto thee Deliver me from blood guiltiness O God thou that art the God of my health and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousness Thou shalt open my lips O Lord and my mouth shall shew thy praise For thou desirest no sacrifice else would I give it thee but thou delightest not in burnt-ofâ—ering The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit a broken and contrite heart O God shalt thou not despise O be favourable and gracious unto Sion build thou the walls of Ierusalem Then shalt thou be pleased with the Sacrifice of righteousness with the burnâ—-â—fferings and oblations then shall they offer young bullocks upon thine altar Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen PRAYERS BEFORE the receiving of the blessed SACRAMENT O Most merciful God who hast in thy great goodness prepared this spiritual feast for sick and famished Souls make my desires and gaspings after it answerable to my needs of it I have with the prodigal wasted that portion of grace thou bestowedst upon me and therefore do infinitely want a supply out of this treasury But O Lord how shall such a wretch as I dare to approach this holy table I am a dog how shall I presume to take the childrens bread or how shall this spiritual Manna this food of Angels be given to one who hath chosen to feed on husks with swine nay to one who hath already so often trampled these precious things under foot either carelesly neglecting or unworthily receiving these holy mysteries O Lord my horrible guiltiness makes me tremble to come and yet makes me not dare to keep away for where O Lord shall my polluted Soul be washed if not in this fountain which thou hast opened for sin and for uncleanness Hither therefore I come and thou hast promised that him that cometh to thee thou wilt in no wise cast out This is O Lord the blood of the New Testament grant me so to receive it that it may be to me for remission of sins And though I have so often and so wretchedly broken my part of that Covenant whereof this Sacrament is a seal yet be thou graciously pleased to make good thine to be merciful to my unrighteousness and to remember my sins and mine iniquities no more and not onely so but to put thy lawes into my heart and write them in my mind and by the power of thy grace dispose my soul to such a sincere and constant obedience that I may never again provoke thee Lord grant that in these holy mysteries I may not only commemorate but effectually receive my blessed Saviour and all the benefits of his passion And to that end give me such a preparation of soul as may qualify me for it give me a deep sense of my sins and unworthiness that being weary and heavy laden I may be capable of his refreshings and by being suppled in my own tears I may be the fitter to be washed in his blood raise up my dull and earthly mind from groveling here below and inspire it with a holy zeal that I may with spiritual affection approach this spiritual feast and let O Lord that infinite love of Christ in dying for so wretched a sinner inflame my frozen benummed soul and kindle in me that sacred fire of love to him and that so vehement that no waters may quench no floods drown it such as may burn up all my dross not leave one unmortified lust in my soul and such as may also extend it self to all whom thou hast given me command and example to love even enemies as well as friends Finally O Lord I beseech thee to cloth me in the wedding garment and make me though of my self a most unworthy yet by thy mercy an acceptable guest at this holy tabâ—e that I may not eat and drink my own condemnation but may have my pardon sealed my weaknesses repaired my corruptions subdued and my soul so inseparably united to thee that no temptations may ever be able to dissolve the union but that being begun here in grace it may be consummated in glory Grant this O Lord for thy dear Sons sake Jesus Christ. ANOTHER O BLESSED Jesus who once offeredst up thy self for me upon the Cross and now offerest thy self to me in the Sacrament let not I beseech thee my
of it this is another degree of the sin But thirdly a yet higher is when we do it against the resistances and checks of our own conscience when that at the time tells us this thing thou oughtest not to do Nay layes before us the danger as well as the sin of it yet in spight of these admonitions of conscience we go on and commit the sin this is a huge increase of it such as will raise the lest sin into a most high provocation For it is plain a sin thus committed must be a wilful one and then be the matter of it never so light it is most hainous in Gods eyes Nay this is a circumstance of such force that it may make an indifferent action that is in it self no sin become one For though my conscience should erre in telling me such a thing were unlawful yet so long as I were so perswaded it were sin for me to do that thing for in that case my will consents to the doing a thing which I believe to be displeasing to God God who judges us by our will not our understandings imputes it to me as a sin as well as if the thing were in it self unlawful therefore surely we may conclude that any thing which is in it self sinful is made much more so by being committed against the checks of conscience A fourth aggravation of a sin is when it hath bin often repeated for then there is not only the guilt of so many more Acts but every Act grows also so much worse and more inexcusable We alwayes judg thus in faults committed against our selves we can forgive a single injury more easily then the same when it hath bin repeated and the oftner it hath bin so repeated the more hainous we account it And so surely it is in faults against God also Fifthly the sins which have bin committed after vows and resolutions of amendment are yet more grievous for that contains also the breaking of those promises Somewhat of this there is in every wilful sin because every such is a breach of that vow we make at Baptisme But besides that we have since bound our selves by new vowes if at no other time yet surely at our coming to the Lords Supper that being as was formerly said purposely to repeat our vow of Baptisme And the more of these vowes we have made so much the greater is our guilt if we fall back to any sin we then renounced This is a thing very well worth weighing therefore examine thy self particularly at thy approach to the Sacrament concerning thy breaches of former vowes made at the holy Table And if upon any other occasion as sickness trouble of mind or the like thou hast at any time made any other call thy self to a strict account how thou hast performed them also and remember that every sin committed against such vowes is besides its own natural guilt a perjury likewise Sixthly a yet higher step is when a sin hath bin so often committed that we are come to a custome and habit of it and that is indeed a high degree 6. Yet even of habits some are worse then others as first if it be so confirmed that we are come to a hardness of heart have no sense at all of the sin or secondly if we go on in it against any extraordinary means used by God to reform us such as sickness or any other affliction which seemes to be sent on purpose for our reclaiming Or thirdly if all reproofs and exhortations either of Ministers or private friends work not on us but either make us angry at our reprovers or set us on defending the sin Or Lastly if this sinful habit be so strong in us as to give us a love to the sin not only in our selves but in others if as the Apostle saith Rom. 1. 31. We do not only do the things but take pleasure in them that do them and therefore intice and draw as manâ— as we can into the same sins with us Then it is risen to the highest step of wickedness and is to be look't on as the utmost dâ—gree both of sin and danger Thus you see how you are to examine your selves concerning your sins in each of which you are to consider how many of these heightning circumstances there have bin that so you may aright measure the hainousness of them 7. Now the end of this examination is to bring you to such a sight of your sins as may truly humble you make you sensible of your own danger that have provoked so great a Majesty who is able so sadly to revenge himself upon you And that will surely even to the most carnal heart appear a reasonable ground of sorrow But that is not all it must likewise bring you to a sense and abhorrence of your baseness and ingratitude that have thus offended so good and gracious a God that have made such unworthy and unkinde returnes to those tender and rich mercies of his And this consideration especially must melt your hearts into a deep sorrow and contrition the degree whereof must be in some measure answerable to the degree of your sins And the greater it is provided it be not such as shuts up the hope of Gods Mercy the more acceptable it is to God who hath promised not to despise a broken and contrite heart Psal. 51. 17. And the more likely it will be also to bring us to amendment For if we have once felt what the smart of a wounded Spirit is we shall have the lesse mind to venture upon sin again 8. For when we are tempted with any of the short pleasures of sin we may then out of our own experience set against them the sharp pains and terrors of an accusing conscience which will to any that hath felt them be able infinitely to outweigh them Endeavour therefore to bring your soul to this melting temper to this deep unfeigned sorrow and that not only for the danger you have brought upon your self for though that be a consideration that may and ought to work sadness in us yet where that alone is the motive of our sorrow it is not that sorrow which will avail us for pardon and the reason of it is clear for that sorrow proceeds only from the love of our selves we are sorry because we are like to smart But the sorrow of a true penitent must be enjoyned also with the love of God and that will make us grieve for having offended him though there were no punishment to fall upon our selves The way then to stir up this sorrow in us is first to stir up our love of God by repeating to our selves the many gracious Acts of his mercy towards us particularly that of his sparing us and not cutting us off in our sins Consider with thy self how many and how great provocations thou hast offered him perhaps in a continued course of many years wilful disobedience for which thou mightst with perfect
directs him to he must take care to do what wil bring him in commendations and so enslaves himself to every one that hath but a tongue to commend him Nay there is yet a further uneasiness in it and that is when such a man fails of his aime when he misses the praise and perhaps meets with the contrary reproach which is no mans lot more often then the vain glorious nothing making a man more despised then what disturbances and disquiets and even tortures of mind is he under A lively instance of this you have in Achitophel 2 Sam. 17. 23. who had so much of this upon Absoloms despising his counsel that he chose to rid himself of it by hanging himself And sure this painfulness that thus attends this sin is sufficient proof of the folly of it Yet this is not all it is yet further very hurtful For if this vain glory be concerning any good or Christian action it destroyes all the fruit of it he that prayes or gives almes to be seen of men Mat. 6. 2. must take that as his reward Verily I say unto you they have their reward they must expect none from God but the portion of those hypocrites that love the the praise of men more then the praise of God And this is a miserable folly to make such an exchange It is like the dog in the fable who seeing in the water the shadow of that meat he held in his mouth catcht at the shadow so let go meat Such dogs such unreasonable creatures are we when we thus let go the eternal rewards of Heaven to catch at a few good words of men And yet we do not onely loose those eternal joyes but procure to our selves the contrary eternal mercies which is sure the highest pitch of folly and madness But if the vain glory be not concerning any vertuous action but only some indifferent thing yet even there also it is very hurtful for vain glory is a sin that wheresoever it is placed endangers our eternal estate which is the greatest of all mischiefs And even for the present it is observable that of all other sins it stands the most in its own light hinders it self of that very thing it pursues For there are very few that thus hunt after praise but they are discerned to do so and that is sure to eclipse whatever praise worthy thing they do and brings scorn upon them in stead of reputation And then certainly we may justly condemn this sin of folly which is so ill a manager even of its own dedesigns 15. You have seen how wretched a thing this vain glory is in these several respects the serious consideration whereof may be one good means to subdue it to which it will be necessary to add first a great watchfulness over thy self Observe narrowly whether in any Christian duty thou at all considerest the praise of men or even in the most indifferent action look whether thou have not too eager a desire of it And if thou findest thy self inclined that way have a very strict eye upon it and where ever thou findest it stirring check and resist it suffer it not to be the end of thy actions But in all matters of Religion let the duty be thy motive In all indifferent things of common life let reason direct thee and though thou mayest so far consider in those things the opinion of men as to observe the rules of common decency yet never think any praise that come in to thee from any thing of that kind worth the contriving for Secondly Set up to thy self another aime viz that of pleasing God let that be thy inquiry when thou goest about any thing whether it be approved by him and then thou wilt not be at leisure to consider what praise it will bring thee from men And surely he that weighs of how much more moment it is to please God who is able eternally to reward us then men whose applause can never do us any good will surely think it reasonable to make the former his onely care Thirdly If at any time thou art praised do not be much overjoyed with it nor think a jot the better of thy self but if it be vertue thou art praised for remember it was God that wrought it in thee and give him the glory never thinking any part of it belongs to thee If it be some indifferent action then remember that it cannot deserve praise as having no goodness in it But if it be a bad one as amongst men such are sometimes likeliest to be commended then it ought to set thee a trembling in stead of rejoycing for then that woe of our Saviours belongs to thee Luk. 6 26. Wo unto you when men speak well of you for so did their Fathers to the false Prophets and there is not a greater sign of a hardned heart then when men can make their sins the matter of their glory In the last place let thy prayers assist in the fight with this corruption 16. A second vertue is meekness That is a calmness and quietness of spirit contrary to the rages and impatiences of anger This vertue may be exercised either in respect of God or our neighbour That towards God I have already spoken of under the head of humility and that towards our neighbour I shall hereafter All I have here to say of it is how it becomes a duty to our selves that it does in respect of the great advantage we reap by it which in meer kindness to our selves we are to look after And to prove that it brings us this great advantage I need say no more but that this meekness is that to which Christ hath pronounced a blessing Mat. 5. 5. Blessed are the meek and not onely in the next world but even in this too they shall inherit the earth Indeed none but thâ— meek person hath the true enjoyment of any thing in the world for the angry and impatient are like such people who we use to say cannot enjoy the greatest prosperities For let things be never so fair without they will raise storms within their own breasts And surely whoever â—ath either in himself or others observed the greatest uneasiness of this passion of anger cannot chuse but think meekness a a most pleasant thing 17. Besides it is also a most honourable thing for it is that whereby we resemble Christ learn of me saith he for I am meek and lowly in heart Mat. 11. 28. It is also that whereby we conquer our selves overcome our own unruly passions which of all victories is the greatest and most noble Lastly it is that which makes us behave our selves like men whereas anger gives us the fierceness and wildness of savage beasts And accordingly the one is by all esteemed and loved whereas the other is hated and abhorred every man shunning a man in rage as they would a furious beast 18. Farther yet meekness is the sobriety of the mind whereas
hands act so that in thought word and deed I continually transgress against thee Here mention the greatest of thy sins Nay O Lord I have despised that goodness of thine which should lead me to Repentance hardning my heart against all those means thou hast used for my amendment And now O Lord what can I expect from thee but judgment and fiery indignation that is indeed the due reward of my sins But O Lord there is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared O fit me for that mercy by giving me a deep and hearty Repentance and then according to thy goodness let thy anger and thy wrath be turned away from me look upon me in thy Son my blessed Saviour and for the merit of his sufferings pardon all my sins And Lord I beseech thee by the power of thy grace so to renew and purify my heart that I may become a new creature utterly forsaking every evil way and living in constant sincere universal obedience to thee all the rest of my dayes that behaving my self as a good and faithful servant I may by thy mercy at last be received into the joy of my Lord grant this for Jesus Christ his sake A PRAYER for GRACE O Most gracious God from whom every good and perfect gift cometh I wretched creature that am not able of my self so much as to think a good thought beseech thee to work in me both to will and to do according to thy good pleasure inlighten my mind that I may know thee and let me not be barren or unfruitful in that knowledg Lord work in my heart a true faith a purifying hope and an unfeigned love towards thee give me a full trust on thee zeal for thee reverence of all things that relate to thee make me fearful to offend thee thankful for thy mercies humble under thy corrections devout in thy service sorrowful for my sins and grant that in all things I may behave my self so as befits a creature to his Creator a servant to his Lord enable me likewise to perform that duty I owe to my self give me that meekness humility and contentedness whereby I may alwayes possess my soul in patience and thankfulness make me diligent in all my duties watchful against all temptations perfectly pure and temperate and so moderate in my most lawful in joyments that they never become a snare to me make me also O Lord to be so affected towards my neighbour that I never transgress that royall Law of thine of loving him as my self grant me exactly to perform all parts of justice yeâ—lding to all whatsoever by any kind of right becomes their due and give me such bowels of mercy compassion that I may never fail to do al acts of charity to all men whether friends or enemies according to thy command and example Finally I beseech thee O Lord to sanctifie me throughout that my whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory for ever Amen INTERCESSION O Blessed Lord whose mercy is over all thy works I beseech thee to have mercy upon all men and grant that the precious ransome which was paid by thy Son for all may be effectual to the saving of all Give thy inlightning grace to those that are in darkness and thy converting grace to those that are in sin look with thy tenderest compassions upon the Universal Church O be favourable and gracious unto Sion build thou the wals of Jerusalem unite all those that profess thy Name to thee by Purity and Holiness and to each other by Brotherly love Have mercy on this desolate Church and sinful Nation thou hast moved the Land and divided it heal the sores thereof for it shaketh make us so truly to repent of those sins which have provoked thy Judgments that thou also mayest turn and repent and leave a blessing behind thee Bless those whom thou hast appointed our Governours whether in Church or State so rule their hearts and strengthen their hands that they may neither want will nor power to punish wickedness and vice and to maintain Gods true Religion and Vertue Have pity O Lord on all that are in affliction Be a Father to the fatherless and plead the cause of the widow comfort the feeble minded support the weak heal the sick releeve the needy defend the oppressed and administer to every one according to their several necessities let thy blessings rest upon all that are near and dear to me and grant them whatsoever thou seest necessary either to their bodies or their Souls Here name thy neerest Relations Reward all those that have done me good and pardon all those that have done or wisht me evil and work in them and me all that good which may make us acceptable in thy sight through Jesus Christ. For PRESERVATION O Merciful God by whose bounty alone it is that I have this Day added to my life I beseech thee so to guide me in it by thy grace that I may do nothing which may dishonour thee or wound my own Soul but that I may diligently apply my self to do all such good works as thou hast prepared for me to walk in and Lord I beseech thee give thy Angels charge over me to keep me in all my wayes that no evil happen unto me nor any plague come nigh my dwelling but that I and mine may be safe under thy gracious protection through Jesus Christ. O Lord pardon the wandrings and coldness of these petitions and deal with me not according either to my prayers or deserts but according to my needs and thine own rich mercies in Jesus Christ in whose blessed Name and Words I conclude these my imperfect prayers saying Our Father c. DIRECTIONS for NIGHT. AT NIGHT when it drawes towards the time of rest bethink thy self how thou hast passed the day examine thine own heart what sin either of Thought Word or Deed thou hast committed what opportunity of doing good thou hast omitted and whatsoever thou findest to accuse thy self of confess humbly and penitently to God renew thy purposes and resolutions of amendment and beg his pardon in Christ and this not slightly and onely as of course but with all devout earnestness and heartiness as thou wouldst do if thou wert sure thy death were as neer approaching as thy sleep which for ought thou knowest may be so indeed and therefore thou shouldest no more venture to sleep unreconciled to God theâ— thou wouldest dare to die so In the next place consider what special and extraordinary mercies thou hast that day received as if thou hast had any great deliverance either in thy inward man from some dangerous temptations or in thy outward from any great and apparent danger and offer to God thy hearty and devout praise for the same Or if nothing extraordinary have so happened and thou hast been kept even from the approach
Neighbours wife Actually defiling her Spoiling the goods of others upon spight and malâ—ce Coveting to gain them to our selves Oppressing by violence and force or colour of Law Not paying what we borrow Not paying what we have voluntarily promised Keeping back the wages of the servant and hireling Unfaithfulness in trusts whether to the living or dead Using Arts of deceit in buying and selling Exacting upon the necessities of our Neighbours Blasting the credit of our Neighbour By False Witness By Railng By whispering Incouraging others in their slanders Being forward to beleeve ill reports of our Neighbour Causeless suspicions Rash judging of him Despising him for his infirmities Inviting others to do so by scoffing and deriding him Bearing any malice in the heart Secret wishing of death or any kind of hurt to our Neighbour Rejoicing when any evil befalls him Neglecting to make what satisfaction we can for any sort of injury done to our Neighbour Lying Churlish and proud behaviour to others Froward and peevish conversation Bitter and reproachful language Cursing Not paying the respect due to the qualities or gifts of others Proudly overlooking them Seeking to lessen others esteem of them Not imploying our abilities whether of mind or estate in administring to those whose wants require it Unthankfulness to our Benefactours Especially those that admonish us Not amending upon their reproof Being angry at them for it Not reverencing our Civil Parent the lawful Magistrate Judging and speaking evil of him Grudging his just tributes Sowing sedition among the people Refusing to obey his lawful commands Rising up against him or taking part with them that do Despising our Spiritual Fathers Not loving them for their works sake Not obeying those Commands of God they deliver to us Seeking to withold from them their just maintenance Forsaking our lawful Pastors to follow factious teachers Stubborn and irreverent behaviour to our natural Parents Despising and publishing their infirmities Not loving them nor endeavouring to bring them joy and comfort Contemning their counsels Murmuring at their Government Coveting their estates though by their death Not ministring to them in their wants of all sorts Neglecting to pray for Gods blessing on these several sorts of Parents Want of natural affection to children Mothers refusing to nurse them without a just impediment Not bringing them timely to Baptism Not early instructing them in the wayes of God Suffering them for want of timely correction to get customes of sin Setting them evil examples Discouraging them by harsh cruel usage Not providing for their subsistence according to our ability Consuming their portions in our own riot Reserving all till our death and letting them want in the mean time Not seeking to entail a blessing on them by our Christian lives Nor heartily praying for them Want of affection to our natural brethren Envyings heart-burnings towards them Not loving our spiritual brethren i. e. our fellow Christians Having no fellow-feeling of their sufferings Causelesly forsaking their commnnion in Holy Duties Not taking deeply to heart the desolations of the Church Marrying within the degrees forbidden Marrying for undue ends as covetousness lust c. Unkind froward and unquiet behaviour towards the husband or wife Unfaithfulness to the bed Not bearing with the infirmities of each other Not endeavouring to advance one anothers good spiritual or temporal The wife resisting the lawful command of her husband Her striving for rule and dominion over him Not praying for each other Unfaithfulness to a friend Betraying his secrets Denying him assistance in his needs Neglecting lovingly to admonish him Flattering him in his faults Forsaking his friendship upon flight or no cause Making leagues in sin in stead of vertuous friendships Servants disobeying the lawful commands of their Masters Purloining their goods Carelesly wasting them Murmuring at their rebukes Idleness Eye service Masters using servants tyrannically and cruelly Being too remiss and suffering them to neglect their duty Having no care of their Souls Not providing them means of instruction in Religion Not admonishing them when they commit sins Not allowing them time and opportunity for prayer and the worship of God Want of bowels and Charity to our Neighbours Not heartily desiring their good spiritual or temporal Not loving and forgiving enemies Taking actual revenges upon them Falsenâ—ss professing kindness and acting none Not labouring to do all good we can to the Soul of our Neighbour Not assisting him to our power in his bodily distresses Not defending his good name when we know or beleeve him slandered Denying him any neighbourly office to preserve or advance his estate Not defending him from oppression when we have power Not relieving him in his poverty Not giving liberally or cheerfully Not loving peace Going to Law upon slight occasions Bearing inward enmity to those we sue Not labouring to make peace among others The use of this Catalogue of sins is this Upon dayes of Humiliation especially before the Sacrament read them consideringly over and at every particular ask thine own heart Am I guilty of this And whatsoever by such examination thou findest thy self faulty in confess particularly and humbly to God with all the heightning circumstances which may any way increase their guilt and make serious resolutions against every such sin for the future After which thou mayest use this fâ—rm fâ—llâ—wing O LORD I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee for my iniquities are increased over my head and my trespass is growen up even unto Heaven I have wrought all these great provocations and that in the most provoking manner they have not been onely single but repeated acts of sin for O Lord of all this black Catalogue which I have now brought forth before thee how few are there which I have not often committed nay which are not become even habitual and customary to me And to this frequency I have added both a greediness and obstinacy in sinning turning into my course as the horse rusheth into the battel doing evil with both hands earnestly yea hating to be reformed and casting thy words behind me quenching thy Spirit within me which testified against me to turn me from my evil wayes and frustrating all those outward means whether of judgment or mercy which thou hast used to draw me to thy self Nay O Lord even my repentances may be numbred amongst my greatest sins they have sometimes been feigned and hypocritical alwayes so slight and ineffectual that they have brought forth no fruit in amendment of life but I have still returned with the dog to his vomit and the sow to the mire again and have added the breach of resolutions and vowes to all my former guilts Thus O Lord. I am become out of measure sinful and since I have thus chosen death I am most worthy to take part in it even in the second death the lake of fire and brimstone This this O Lord is in justice to be the portion of my cup to me belongs nothing but shame and
impenitence and unworthiness frustrate these so inestimable mercies to me but qualifie me by thy grace to receive the full benefit of them O Lord I have abundant need of thee but am so clog'd with guilt so holden with the cords of my sins that I am not able to move towards thee O lose me from this band wherewith Satan and my own lusts have bound me and draw me that I may run after thee Lord thou seest daily how eagerly I pursue the paths that lead to death but when thou invitest me to life and glory I turn my back and forsake my own mercy How often hath this feast been prepared and I have with frivilous excuses absented my self or if I have come it hath been rather to defie then to adore thee I have brought such troops of thy professed enemies unrepented sins along with me as if I â—ame not to commemorate but renew thy passion crucifying thee afresh and putting thee to open shame and now of what punishment shall I be thought worthy who have thus trampled under foot the Son of God and counted the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing yet O merciful Jesu this blood is my onely râ—â—â—ge O let this make my atonement or I perish eternally wherefore didst thou shed it but to save sinners neither can the merit of it be overwhelmed either by the greatness or number of sins I am a sinner a great one O let me find its saving efficacy Be merciful unto me O God be merciful to me for my soul trusteth in thee and in the clefts of thy wound shall be my refuge until thy fathers indignation be overpast O thou who hast as my high Priest sacrificed for me intercede for me also and plead thy meritorious sufferings on my behalfe and suffer not O my Redeemer the price of thy blood to be utterly lost And grant O Lord that as the sins I have to be forgiven are many so I may love much Lord thou seest what faint what cold affections I have towards thee O warm and enliven them and as in this Sacrament that transcendent love of thine in dying for me is shewed forth so I beseech thee let it convey such grace into me as may enable me to make some returns of love O let this divine fire descend from heaven into my soul and let my sins be the burnt offering for it to consume that there may not any corrupt affection any accursed thing be shelterd in my heart that I may never again defile that place which thou hast chosen for thy temple Thou dyedst O dear Jesu to redeem me from all iniquity O let me not again sell my self to work wickedness but grant that I may approach thee at this time with most sincere and fixed resolutions of an entire reformation and let me receive such grace and strength from thee as may enable me faithfully to perform them Lord there are many old habituated diseases my soul groanes under Her mention thy most prevailing corruptions And though I lye never so long at the pool of Bethesda come never so often to thy table yet unless thou be pleased to put forth thy healing vertue they will still remain uncured O thou blessed Physician of souls heal me and grant I may now so touch thee that every one of these loath some issues may immediately stanch that these sicknesses may not be unto death but unto the glory of thy mercy in pardoning to the glory of thy grace in purifying so polluted a wretch O Christ hear me and grant I may now approach thee with such humility and contrition love and devotion that thou maist vouchsafe to come unto me and abide with me communicating to me thy self and all the merits of thy passion And then O Lord let no accusations of Satan oâ— my own conscience amaze or distract me buâ— having peace with thee let me also have peace in my self that this wine may make glad this bread of life may strengthen my heart and enable me cheerfully to run the way of thy Commandments Grant this merciful Saviour I beseech thee for thine own bowels and compassions sake EjACULATIONS to be used at the LORDS TABLE LOrd I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men Here recollect some of thy greatest sins If thou Lord shouldst be extreme to mark what is done amiss O Lord who may abide it But with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous Redemption Behold O Lord thy beloved Son in whom thou art well pleased Hearken to the cry of his blood which speaketh better things then that of Abel By his Agony and bloody Sweat by his Cross and Passion good Lord deliver me O Lamb of God which takest away the sins of the world grant me thy Peace O Lamb of God which takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon me Immediately before Receiving THou hast said that he that eateth thy flesh and drinketh thy blood hath eternal life Behold the servant of the Lord be it unto me according to thy word At the Receiving of the Bread BY thy Crucified Body deliver me from this body of death At the Receiving of the Cup. O let this blood of thine purge my conscience from dead works to serve the living God Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean O touch me and say I will be thou clean After Receiving WHat shall I render unto the Lord for all the benefits he hath done unto me I will take the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing Therefore blessing honour glory and power be to him that sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever Amen I have sworn and am stedfastly purposed to keep thy righteous judgments O hold thou up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not A Thanksgiving after the Receiving of the Sacrament OThou Fountain of all goodness from whom every good and perfect gift cometh and to whom all honour and glory should be returned I desire with all the most fervent and inflamed affections of a grateful heart to blesse and praise thee for those inestimable mercies thou hast vouchsafed me Lord what is man that thou shouldst so regard him as to send thy beloved Son to suffer such bitter things for him But Lord what am I the worst of men that I should have any part in this atonement who have so oft despised him and his sufferings O the height and depth of this mercy of thine that art pleased to admit me to the renewing of that Covenant with thee which I have so often so perversly broken that I who am not worthy of that daily bread which sustains the body should be made partaker of this bread of life which nourishes the Soul and
to despise that by this I may be made capable of that atonement which thy dear Son hath by the more excellent oblation of himself made for all repenting sinners He is the propitiation for our sins he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was on him O heal me by his stripes and let the cry of his blood drown the clamour of my sins I am indeed a child of wrath but he is the Son of thy love for his sake spare me O Lord spare thy creature whom he hath redeemed with his most precious blood and be not angry with me for ever In his wounds O Lord I take Sanctuary O let not thy vengeance pursue me to this city of refuge my Soul hangeth upon him O let me not perish with a Jesus with a Saviour in my armes But by his Agony and bloody Sweat by his Cross and Passion by all that he did and suffered for sinners good Lord deliver me deliver me I beseech thee from the wages of my sins thy wrath and everlasting damnation in thâ—s time of my tribulation in the hour of death and in the day of Judgment Heaâ— me O Lord hear me and do not now repay my former neglects of thy calls by refusing to answer me in this time of my grâ—atest need Lord there is but a step between me and death O let not my sun go down upon thy wrath but seaâ— my pardon before I go hence and be no more seen Thy loving kindness is better then the life it self O let me have that in exchange and I shall most gladly lay down this mortal life Lord thou knowest all my desire and my groaning is not hid from thee Deal thou with me O Lord according to thy Name for sweet is thy mercy take away the sting of death the guilt of my sins and then though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil I will lay me down in peace and Lord when I awake up let me be satisfied with thy presence in thy glory Grant this merciful God for his sake who is both the Redeemer and Mediator of sinners even Jesus Christ. PSALMES PVT me not to rebuke O Lord in thiâ—â— anger neither chasten me in thy heavy displeasure There is no health in my flesh because of thy displeasure neither is there any rest in my bones by reason of my sins For my wickednesses are gone over my head and are a sore burden too heavy for me to bear My wounds stink and are corrupt through my foolishness Therefore is my spirit vexed within me and my heart within me is desolate My sins have taken such hold upon me that I am not able to look up yea they are more in number then the hairs of my head and my heart hath failed me But thou O Lord God art full of compassion and mercy long suffering plenteous in goodness and truth Turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me for I am desolate and in misery If thou Lord shouldst be extreme to mark what is done amiss O Lord who may abide it O remember not the sins and offences of my youth but according to thy mercy think thou upon me for thy goodness Look upon my adversity and misery and forgive me all my sin Hide not thy face from thy servant for I am in trouble O haste thee and hear me Out of the deep do I call unto thee Lord hear my voice Turn thee O Lord and deliver my Soul O save me for thy mercies sake O go not from me for trouble is hard at hand and there is none to help I stretch forth my hands unto thee my Soul gaspeth unto thee as a thirsty land Draw nigh unto my Soul and save it O deliver me because of my enemies For my Soul is full of trouble and my life draweth nigh unto hell Save me from the Lyons mouth hear me from among the horns of the Vnicorns O set me up upon the rock that is higher then I for thou art my hope and a strong Tower for me against the enemy Why art thou so heavy O my Soul and why art thou so disquieted within me Put thy trust in God for I will yet give him thanks for the help of his countenance The Lord shall make good his loving kindness towards me yea thy Mercy O Lord endureth for ever despise not then the work of of thine own hands O GOD thou art my God early will I seek thee My Soul thirsteth for thee my flesh also longeth after thee in a barren and dry land where no water is Like as the hart desireth the water brooks so longeth my Soul after thee O God My Soul is a thirst for God even for the living God when shall I come to appear before the presence of God How amiable are thy dwellings O Lord of Hosts My Soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the Courts of the Lord my flesh and my heart rejoice in the living God O that I had wings like a Dove for then would I flye away and be at rest O send out thy light and thy truth that they may lead me and bring me unto thy Holy Hill and to thy dwelling For one day in thy Courts is better then a thousand I had rather be a door keeper in the house of my God then to dwell in the tents of wickedness I should utterly have fainted but that I believed verily to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living Thou art my Helper and my Redeemer O Lord make no long tarrying EjACULATIONS O LORD of whom may I seek for succour but of thee who for my sins art justly displeased yet O Lord God most Holy O Lord most mighty O Holy and most Merciful Saviour deliver me not into the bitter pains of eternal death Thou knowest Lord the secrets of my heart shut not up thy merciful eyes to my prayer but hear me O Lord most Holy O God most Mighty O Holy and Merciful Saviour thou most worthy Judg eternal suffer me not at my last hour for any pains of death to fall from thee Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no worthy to be called thy child yet O Lord do not thou cast off the bowels and compassions of a Father but even as a Father pittieth his own children so bâ— thou merciful unto me Lord the prince of this world cometh Oâ— let â—im have nothing in me but as he accuseth do thou absolve he layes many and grievous things to my charge which he can too well prove I have nothing to say for my self do thou answer for me O Lord my God O Lord I am clothed with filthy garments and Satan stands at my right hand to resist me O be thou pleased to rebuke him and pluck me as a brand out of the fire cause mine iniquities to pass from me and cloth me with the righteousness
not from that conceit excuse your neglect of them I shall hasten to shew you the contrary by proceeding to the fourth motive of care 15. That fourth motive is the liklyhood that our care will not be in vain but that it wilâ— be a means to preserve the thing cared for where this is wanting it disheartens our care A Physician leaves his patient when he sees him past hope as knowing it is then in vain to give him any thing but on the contrary when he sees hopes of recovery he plies him with medicines Nâ—â— in this very respect we have a great deal of reason to take care of our souls for they are not so far gone but they may be recovered nay it is certain they will if we do our parts towards it 16. For though by that sin of Adam alâ— mankind were under the sentence of eternal condemnation yet it 〈◊〉 God so far to pity oâ—r misery as to give us his son and in him to make a new Covenant with us after we had broken the first 17. This SECOND COVENANT was made with Adam us in him presently after his fall is briefly contained in those words Gen. 3. 15. Where God declares that the SEED OF THE WOMAN SHALL BREAK THE SERPENTS HEAD and this was made up as the first was of some mercies to be afforded by God and some duties to be performed by us 18. God therein promises to send his only Son who is God equal with himself to earth to become man like unto us in all things sin only excepted and he to do for us these several things 19. First to make known to us the whole will of his Father in the performance whereof we shall be sure to be accepted and rewarded by him And this was one great part of his business which he performed in those many Sermons and precepts we find set down in the Gospel And herein he is our prophet it being the work of a prophet of old not only to foretel but to teach Our duty in this particular is to hearken diligently to him to be most ready and desirous to learn that will of God which he came from heaven to reveal to us This 2d thing he was to do for us was to satisfie God for our sins not only that one of Adam but all the sins of all mankind that truly repent and amend by this means to obtain for us forgiveness of sins the favour of God and so to redeem us from hell and eternal damnation which was the punishment due to our sin All this he did for us by his death he offered up himself a sacrifice for the sins of all those who heartily bewail and forsake them And in this he is our Priest it being the Priests office to offer sacrifice for the sins of the people Our duty in this particular is first truly and heartily to repent us of and forsake our sins without which they will never be forgiven us though Christ have died Secondly Stedfastly to believe that if we do that we shall have the benefits of that sacrifice of his all our sins how many and great soever shall be forgiven us and we saved from those eternal punishments which were due unto us for them Another part of the Priests office was blessing and praying for the people and this also Christ performs to us It was his especial commission from his Father to bless us as St. Peter tels us Acts 3. 26. God sent his Son Jesus to bless you and the following words shew wherein that blessing consists in turning away every one of you from his iniquity those means which he has used for the turning us from our sins are to be reckoned of all other the greatest blessings and for the other part shat of praying that he not only performed on earth but continues still to do it in Heaven He sits on the right hand of God and makes Request for us Rom. 8 34. Our duty herein is not to resist this unspeakable blessing of his but to be willing to be thus blest in the being turned from our sins and not to make void and fruitless all his prayers and intercessions for us which will never prevail for us whilst we continue in them 21. The third thing that Christ was to do for us was to enable us or give us strength to do what God requires of us This he doth first by taking off from the hardness of the Law given to Adam which was never to commit the least sin upon pain of damnation and requiring of us onely an honest and hearty endeavour to do what we are able and where we fail accepting of sincere repentance Secondly By sending his Holy Spirit into our hearts to govern and rule us to give us strength to overcome temptations to sin and to do all that he now under the Gospel requires of us And in this he is our King it being the office of a King to govern and rule to subdue enemies Our duty in this particular is to give up our selves obedient subjects of his to be governed and ruled by him to obey all his Lawes not to take part with any Rebel that is not to cherish any one sin But diligently to pray for his grace to enable us to subdue all and then carefully to make use of it to that purpose 22. Lastly He has purchased for all that faithfully obey him an eternal glorious inheritance the Kingdom of Heaven whether he is gone before to take possession for us Our duty herein is to be exceeding careful that we forfeit not our parts in it which we shall certainly do if we continue impenitent in any sin Secondly Not to fasten our affections on this world but to raise them up according to the precept of the Apostle Col. 2. 2. Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth continually longing to come to the possession of that blessed inheritance of ours in comparison whereof all things here below should seem vile and mean to us 23. This is the summe of that second Covenant we are now under wherein you see what Christ has done how he executes those three great offices of King Priest and Prophet as also what is required of us without our Faithful performance whereof all that he hath done shall never stand us in any stead For he will never be a Priest to save any who take him not as well for their Prophet to teach and their King to rule them nay if we neglect our part of this Covenant our condition will be yet worse then if it had never been made for we shall then be to answer not for the breach of Law onely as in the first but for the abuse of mercy which is of all sins the most provoking On the other side if 〈◊〉 faithfully perform it That is set our selves heartily to the obeying of every precept of Christ not going on wilfully in any one sin but
It is just matter of sadness to any Christian heart to see some in these dayes who profess much of Religion and yet live in such sins as a meer heathen would abhor men that pretending to higher degrees of light and holiness then their brethren do yet practice contrary to all Rules of common honesty and make it part of their Christan liberty so to do of whose seducement it concerns all that love their soules to beware and for that purpose let this be laid as a foundation That that Religion or opinion cannot be of God which allowes men in any wickedness 5. But though we must not put out this light which God hath thus put into our soules yet this is not the only way whereby God hath revealed his will and therefore we are not to rest here but proceed to the knowledg of those other things which God hath by other means revealed 6. The way for us to come to know them is by the Scriptures wherein are set down those several commands of God which he hath given to be the Rule of our duty 7. Of those some were given before Christ came into the world such are those precepts we find scattered throughout the Old Testament but especially contained in the Ten Commandments and that excellent book of Deuteronomy others were given by Christ who added much both to the Law implanted in us by Nature and that of the Old Testament and those you shall find in the New Testament â—n the several precepts given by him and his Apostles But especially in that divine Sermon â—n the Mount set down in the fifth sixth â—eventh Chapters of S. Matthews Gosâ—el 8. All these should be severally spoke to but because that would make the discourse very long and so less fit for the meaner sort of men for whose use alone it is intended I chuse to proceed in another manner By summing all these together and so as plainly as I can to lay down what is now the duty of every Châ—istan 9. This I find briefly contained in the words of the Apostle Tit. 2. 12. That we should live soberly righteously and Godly in this present world where the word soberly contains our duty to our selves righteously our duty to our neighbour and Godly our dâ—ty to God These therefore shall be the heads of my discourse our duty to God our selves and our neighbour I begin wâ—th that to God that being the best ground-work whereon to build bâ—th the other 10. There are many parts of our duty to God The two chief are these First to acknowledg him to be God Secondly to have no other under these are contained all those particulars which make up our whole duty to God which shall be shewed in their order 11. To aâ—knowledg him to be God is â—o believe him to be an infinite glorious Spirit that was from everlasting without beginning and shâ—ll be to everlasting without end That he is our Creator Redeemer Sanctifier Fatâ—er Son and Holy-Ghost one God blessed for eve That he is suject to no alterations but is unchangeable that he is no bodilâ— substance such as our eyes may behold but Spiritual and invisible whom no man hath seen nor can see as the Apostle tell us 1 Tim. 6. 16. That he is infinitely great and excellent beyond all that our wit or conceit can imagine that he hath received his being from none and gives being to all things 12. All this we are to believe of him in regard of his essence and being But besides this he is set forth to us in the Scripture by several excellencies as that he is of infinite goodness and Mercy Truth Iustice Wisdom Power All-sufficiency Majesty That he disposes and governs all things by his providence that he knows all things and is present in all places these are by Divines called the Attributes of God and all these we must undoubtingly acknowledg that is we must firmly believe all these Divine excellencies to be in God and that in the greatest degree and so that they can never cease to be in him he can never be other then infinitely Good Merciful True c. 13. But the acknowledging him for our God signifies yet more then this it means that we should perform to him all those several parts of duty which belong from a Creature to his God what those are I am now to tell you 14. The first is Faith or belief not only that forementioned of his essence and Attributes but of his word the believing most firmly that all that he saith is perfectly true This necessarily arises from that Attribute his truth it being natural for us to believe whatsoever is said by one of whose truth we are confident Now the holy Scriptures being the word of God we are therefore to concluâ—e that all that is contained in them is most true 15. The things contained in them are of these four sorts First affirmations such are all the stories of the Bible when it is said such and such things came so and so to pass Christ was born of a virgin was laid in a manger c. And such also are many points of Doctrine as that there are three Persons in the God-head that Christ is the Son of God and the like All things of this sort thus delivered in Scripture we are to believe most true And not only so but because they are all written for our instruction we are to coâ—sider them for that purpose that is by them to lay that foundation of Christian-knowledg on which we may build a Christian life 16 The Second sort of things contain'd in the Scripture are the Commands that is the several things enjoyned us by God to perform these we are to believe to come from him and to be most just and fit for him to Command But then this belief must bring forth obedience that what we believe thus fit to be done be indeed done by us otherwise our belief that they come from him serves but to make us more inexcusable 17. Thirdly the Scripture contains threatnings many texts there are which thâ—eaten to them that go on in their sins the wrath of God and under that are contain'd all the punishments and miseries of this life both spiritual and temporal and everlasting destruction in the life to come Now we are most stedfastly to believe that these are Gods threats and that they will certainly be performed to every impenitent sinner But then the use we are to make of this belief is to keep from those sins to which this destruction is threatned otherwise our belief adds to our guilt that will willfully go on in spight of those threatnings 18. Fourthly the Scripture contains Promises and those both to our bodies and our soules for our bodies there are many promises that God will provide for them what he sees necessary I will name only one Mat. 6. 33. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and
his righteousness and all these things that is all outward necessaries shall be added unto you But here t is to be observed that we must first seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness that is make it our first and greatest care to serve and obey him before this promise even of temporal good things belongs to us To the soul there are many and high promises as first that of present ease and refreshment which we find Mat. 11. 29. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me and ye shall find rest to your soules But here it is apparent that before this rest belongs to us we must have taken on us Christs yoke become his servants and disciples Finally there are promises to the soul even of all the benefits of Christ but yet those only to such as perform the condition required that is pardon of sins to those that repent of them increase of grace to those that diligently make use of what they have already and humbly pray for more and eternal salvation to those that continue to their lives end in hearty obedience to his Commands 19. This belief of the promises must therefore stir us up to perform the condition and till it do so we can in no reason expect any good by them and for us to look for the benefit of them on other termes is the same mad presumption that it would be in a Servant to challenge his Master to give him a reward for having done nothing of his work to which alone the reward was promised you can easily resolve what answer were to be given to such a servant and the same are we to expect from God in this case nay further it is sure God hath given these promises to no other end but to invite us to holiness of life yea he gave his Son in whom all his promiseâ— are as it were sum'd up for this end We usually look so much at Christs coming to satisfie for us that we forget this other part of his errand But there is nothing surer than that the main purpose of his coming into the world was to plant good life among men 20. This is so often repeated in Scripture that no man that considers and believes what he reads can doubt of it Christ himself tells us Mat 9. 13. He came to call sinners to repentance and S. Peter Acts. 3. 26. Tell us that God sent his Son Iesus to bless us in turning every one of us from his iniquities for it seems the â—â—rning us from our iniquities was the greatest special blessing which God intended us in Christ. 21. Nay we are taught by S. Paul that this was the end of his very death also Tit. 2. 14. Who gave himself for our sins that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works and again Gal. 1. 4. Who gave himself for us that he might deliver us from this present evil world that is from the sins and ill customes of the world Divers other texts there are to this purpose but these I suppose sufficient to assure any man of this one great truth that all that Christ hath done for us was directed to this end the bringing us to live Christianly or in the words of S. Paul to teach us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and Godly in this present world 22. Now we know Chrâ—st is the foundation of all the promises in him all the promises of God are yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1. 20. And therefore if God gave Christ to this end certainly the promises are to the same also And then how great an abuse of them is it to make them serve for purposes quite contrary to what they were intended viz. to the encouraging us in sins which they will certainly do if we perswade our selves they belong to us how wickedly soever we live The Apostle teaches us another use of them 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having therefore these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God When we do thus we may justly apply the promises to our selves and with comfort expect our parts in them But till then though these promises be of certain truth yet we can reap no benefit from them because we are not the persons to whom they are made that is we perform not the condition required to give us right to them 23. This is the Faith or belief required of us towards the things God hath revealed to us in the Scripture to wit such as may answer the end for which they were so revealed that is the bringing us to good lives the bare believing the truth of them without this is no more then the Divels do as S. James tells us Chap. 2. 19. Only they are not so unreasonable as some of us are for they will tremble as knowing well this Faith will never do them any good But many of us go on confidently and doubt not the sufficiency of our Faith though we have not the least fruit of obedience to approve it by let such hear S. James judgment in the point Chap. 2. 26. As the body without the spirit is dead so Faith if it have not works is dead also 24. A Second duty to God is Hope that is a comfortable expectation of these good things he hath promised But this I told you before of Faith must be such as agrees to the nature of the promises which being such as requires a condition on our part we can hope no further then we make that good or if we do we are so far from performing by it this duty of hope that we commit the great sin of presumption which is nothing else but hoping where God hath given us no ground to hope This every man doth that hopes for pardon of sins and eternal life without that repentance and obedience to which alone they are promised the true hope is that which purifies us S. John saith 1. Ep. 3 5. Every man that hath this hope purifieth himself even as he is pure that is it makes him leave his sins and earnestly endeavour to be holy as Christ is and that which doth not so how confident soever it be may well be concluded to be but that hope of the Hypocrite which Job assures us shall perish 25. But there is another way of transgressing this duty besides that of presuâ—pâ—â—â—â— and that is by Desperation by which 〈◊〉 not that which is ordinarily so calle◠〈◊〉 the despairing of mercy so long as 〈◊〉 in our sins for that is but just for 〈◊〉 But I mean such a desperation as makes us â—e over endeavour that is when a man that sees he is not at the present such a one as the promises belong to concludes he can never become such and therefore neglects all duty and goes on in his sins This is indeed the sinful desperation
be a great degree of evil 5. But secondly pride is not only very sinful but very dangerous and that first in respect of drawing us to our sins secondly of betraying us to punishments First pride draws us to other sins wherein it shews it self indeed to be the direct contrary to humility for as that is the root of all vertu so is this of all vice For he that is proud sets himself up as his own God and so can never submit himself to any other rules or Laws then what he makes to himself The ungodly sayes the Psalmist is so proud that he careth not for God Psal. 10. 4. Where you see it is his pride that makes him despise God And when a man is once come to that he is prepared for the commission of all sins I might instance in a multitude of particular sins that naturally flow from this of pride as first anger which the wise man sets as the effect of pride Pro. 21. 24. calling it proud wrath secondly strife and contention which he again notes to be the off-spring of pride Pro. 13. 10. Only by pride cometh contention And both these are indeed most nâ—tural effects of pride For he that thinks very highly of himself expects much submission and observance from others and therefore cannot but rage and quarrel whenever he thinks it not sufficiently payed It would be infinite to mention all the fruits of this bitter root I shall name but one more and that is that pride not only betrays us to many sins but also makes them incureable in us for it hinders the working of all remedies 6. Those remedies must either come from God or man if from God they must be either in the way of meekness and greatness or else of sharpness and punishment Now if God by his goodness essay to lead a proud man to repentance he quite mistakes Gods meaning and thinks all the mercies he receives are but the reward of his own desert and so long 't is sure he will never think he needs repentance But if on the other side Gods use him more sharply and lay afflictions and punishments upon him those in a proud heart work nothing but murmurings and hatings of God as if he did him injury in those punishments As for the remedies that can be used by man they again must be either by way of correcttion or exhortation correcttion from man will sure never work more on a proud heart then those from God for he that can think God unjust in them will much rather believe it of man And exhortations will do as little For let a proud man be admonished though never so mildly and lovingly he looks on it as a disgrace And therefore in stead of confessing or amending the fault he falls to reproaching his reprover as an over-busy or censorious person and for that greatest and most precious act of kindness looks on him as his enemy And now one that thus stubbornly resists all means of cure must be included in a most dangerous estate 7. But besides this danger of sin I told you there was another that of punishment and of this there will need little proof when it it considered that God is the proud mans profest enemy that he hates and resists him as appeared in the texts forecited And then there can be little doubt that he which hath so mighty an adversarie shall be sure to smart for it Yet besides this general ground of conclusion it may not be a miss to mention some of those tâ—xts which particularly threaten this sin as Pro. 16. 18. Pride goeth before destruction and an haughty spirit before a fall Again Pro. 16. 5. Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord though hand joyn in hand yet they shall not be unpunished The decree it seems is unalterable and whatever endeavours are used to preserve the proud man they are but vain for he shall not go unpunished And this is very remarkable in the story of Nebuchadnezar Dan. 4. Who though a King the greatest in the world yet for his pride was driven from among men to dwell and feed with beasts And it is most frequently seen that this sin meets with very extraordinary judgments even in this life But if it should not let not the proud man think that he hath escaped Gods vengeance for it is sure there will be a most sad reckoning in the next for if God spared not the Angels for this sin but cast them into hell let no man hope to speed better 8. In the third place I am to shew you the great folly of this sin and to do that it will be necessary to consider the several things whereof men use to be proud they are of three sorts either those which we call the goods of nature or the goods of fortune or the goods of grace 9. By the goods of nature I mean beauty strength wit and the like and the being proud of any of these is a huge folly For first we are very apt to mistake and think our selves hand some or witty when we are not and then there cannot be a more ridiculous folly then to be proud of what we have not and such every one esteems it in another man though he never supposes it his own case and so never discerns it in himself And therefore there is nothing more despiseable amongst all men then a proud fool yet no man that entertains high opinions of his own wit but is in danger to be thus deceived a mans own judgment of himself being of all others the least to be trusted But Secondly suppose we be not out in judging yet what is there in any of these natural endowments which is worth the being proud There being scarce any of them which some creature or other hath not in a greater degree then man How much does the whiteness of the Lilly and the redness of the Rose exceed the white and red of the fairest face what a multitude of creatures is there that farr surpass man in strength and sweetness And divers others there are which as far as concerns any useful end of theirs act much more wisely then most of us and are therefore oftentimes in Scripture proposed to us by way of Example It is therefore surely great unreasonableness for us to think highly of our selves for such things as are common to us with beasts and plants But thirdly if they were as excellent as we fancy them yet they are not at all durable they are impaired and lost by sundry means a phrensy will destroy the rarest wit a sickness decay the freshest beauty the greatest strength or however old age will be sure to do all And therefore to be proud of them is again a folly in this respect But lastly whatever they are we gave them not to our selves No man can think he did any thing towards the procuring his natural beauty or wit and so
wicked men the shame of the world be so terrible as the just reproof of thine own conscience at the present and that eternal confusion of face that shall befal all those that go on in this sin at the last day Weigh all these I say I need not say in the balance of the Sanctuary but even in the scales of common reason and sure thou wilt be forced to pronounce that the motives to temperance infinitely out-weigh those against it When thou hast thus advisedly judged then fix thy resolution accordingly and when ever any of these temptations come to stagger thee remember thou hast formerly weighed them knowest the just value of them and that they are a most unworthy price for those precious advantages thou must give in exchange for them And therefore hold fast thy resolution and with indignation reject all motions to the contrary 19. But be sure thou thus reject them at their very first tender and do not yield in the least degree For if once thou givest ground thou art lost the sin will by little and little pervail upon thee Thus we see many who have profest to be resolved upon great temperance yet for want of this care have adventured into the company of good fellowes when they have been there they have at the first been over intreated to take a cup after that another till at last they have taken their rounds as freely as any of them and in that floud of drink drowned all their sober resolutions Therefore whoever thou art that dost really desire to forsake the sin take care to avoid the occasions and beginnings of it To wâ—â—ch end it wâ—ll be good openly to declare and own thy purpose of sobriety that so thou mayest discourage men from assaulting thee But if either thou art ashamed to own it or seemest to be so they will quickly make use of that shame to bring thee to break it 20. If thou be thus wary to keep thee from the first beginnings thou art then sure never to be overtaken with this sin For it is like the keeping the out-works of a besieged City which so long as they are stoutly defended there is no danger but if they be either surprized or yielded the City cannot long hold out The advice therefore of the wise man is very agreeable to this matter Eccles. 19. 1. He that despiseth small things shall perish by little and little But because as the Psalmist saith Psa. 127. 1. Except the Lord keep the City the watch-man waketh but in vain therefore to this guard of thy self add thy most earnest prayers to God that he will also watch over thee and by the strength of his grace enable thee to resist all temptations to this sin 21. If thou do in the sincerity of thy hâ—art use these means there is no doubt but thou wilt be able to overcome this vice how long soever thou hast been accustomed to it therefore if thou do still remain under the power of it never excuse thy self by the impossibility of the task but rather accuse the falseness of thy own heart that hath still such a love to this sin that thou wilt not set roundly to the means of subduing it 22. Perhaps the great commonness of the sin and thy particular custome of it may have made it so much thy familiar thy bosome acquaintance that thou art loth to entertaâ—n hard thoughts of it very unwilling thou art to tâ—ink that it means thee any hurt and therefore art aâ—t to speak peace to thy self to hope that either this is no sin or at most but a frailty such as will not bar thee out of Heaven But deceive not thy self for thou mayest as well say there is no Heaven as that drunkenness shall not keep thee thence I am sure the same word of God which tels us there is such a place of happiness tels us also that drunkards are of the number of those that shall not inherit it 1 Cor. 6. 10. and again Gal. 5. 21. Drunkenness is reckoned among those works of the flesh which they that do shall not inherit the Kingdom of God And indeed had not these plain texts yet meer reason would tell us the same That is a place of infinite purity such that flesh and blood till it be refined and purified is not capable of as the Apostle tels us 1 Cor. 15. 53. and if as we are meer men we are too gross and impure for it we must sure be more so when we are changed our selves into swine the foulest of beasts we are then prepared for the devils to enter into as they did into the herd Mark 5. 13. and that not onely some one or two but a Legion a troop and multitude of them And of this we daily see examples for where this sin of drunkenness hath taken possession it usually comes as an harbinger to abundance of others each act of drunkenness prepares a man not onely for another of the same sin but of others lust and rage and all brutish appetites are then let loose and so a man brings himself under that curse which was the sadest David knew how to foretel to any Psa. 69. 28. The falling from one wickedness to another If all this be not enough to affright thee out of this drunken fit thou must still wallow in thy vomit continue in this sottish senseless condition till the flames of Hell rowse thee then thou wilt by sad experience find what now thou wilt not believe that the end of these things as the Apostle sayeth Rom. 6. 21. is Death God in his infinite mercy timely awake the hearts of all that are in this sin that by a timely forsaking it they may flye from that wrath to come I have now done with this second part of temperance concerning drinking PARTITION IX Temperance in SLEEP The rule of it c. Of RECREATION Of APPAREL § 1 THE third part of Temperance concerns sleep And temperance in that also must be measured by the end for which sleep was ordained by God which was onely the refreshing and supporting of our frail bodies which being of such a temper that continual labour and toil tires and wearies them out sleep comes as a Medicine to that weariness as a repairer of that decay that so we may be enabled to such labours as the duties of Religion or works of our calling require of us Sleep was intended to make us more profitable not more idle as we give rest to our beasts not that we are pleased with their doing nothing but that they may do us the better service 2. By this therefore you may judge what is temperate sleeping to wit that which tends to the refreshing and making us more lively and fit for action And to that end a moderate degree serves best It will be impossible to set down just how many hours is that moderate degree because as in eating so in sleep some constiâ—utions
among us there being nothing more common then to see men make large professions to those who as soon as their back are turned they either deride or mischief Fifthly it casts out all mercenariness and self-seeking 't is of so noble and generous a temper that it dispises all projectings for gain or advantage love seeketh not her own 1 Cor. 13. 5. And therefore that huckstering kind of love so much used in the world which places it self only there where it may fetch in benefit is very far from this charity Lastly It turns out of the heart all malice and desire of revenge which is so utterly contrary to it that it is impossible they should both dwell in the same brest 't is the property of love to bear all things 1 Cor. 13. 7. To endure the greatest injuries without thought of making any other return to them then prayers and blessings and therefore the malicious revengeful person is of all others the greatest stranger to this charity 'T is true if this vertue were to be exercised but towards some sort of persons it might consist with malice to others it being possible for a man that bitterly hates one to love another but we are to take notice that this charity must not be so confined but must extend and stretch it self to all men in the world particularly to enemies or else it is not that divine charity commended to us by Christ. The loving of friends and benefactors is so low a pitch that the very Publicans and sinners the worst of men were able to attain to it Mat. 5. 46 And therefore 't is not counted rewardable in a Disciple of Christ No he expects we should soar higher and therefore hath set us this more spiritual and excellent precept of loving of enemies Mat. 5. 44. I say unto you love your enemies bless them that curse you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you and whoever does not thus will never be owned by him for a disciple We are therefore to conclude that all which hath been said concerning this Charity of the affections must be understood to belong as well to our spitefullest enemy as our most obliging friend But because this is a duty to which the froward nature of man is apt to object much 't will not be amiss to insist a little on some considerations which may inforce it on us And first consider what hath been already toucht on that it is the Command of Christ both in the Text above mentioned and multitudes of others there being scarce any precept so often repeated in the New Testament as this of loving and forgiving of enemies Thus Eph. 4. 32. Be ye kind one to another tender hearted forgiving one another and again Col. 3. 13. Forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you so also do ye So also 1 Pet. 3. 9. Not rendring evil for evil nor railing for railing but contrariwise Blessing A whole volume of Texts might be brought to this purpose but these are certainly enough to convince any man that this is strictly required of us by Christ and indeed I think there are few that ever heard of the Gospel but know it is so The more prodigiously strange is it that men that call themselves Christians should give no degree of obedience to it nay not onely so but even publickly avow and profess the contrary as we daily see they do it being ordinary to have men resolve and declare that they will not forgive such or such a man and no consideration of Christs Command can at all move them from their purpose Certainly these men understand not what is meant by the very word Christian which signifies a Servant and Disciple of Christ and this Charity is the very badg of the one the lesson of the other and therefore 't is the greatest absurdity and contradiction to profess themselves Christians and yet at the same time to resist this so express Command of that Christ whom they own as their Master If I be a Master saith God where is my fear Mal. 1. 6. Obedience and reverence are so much the duties of Servants that no man is thought to look on him as a Master to whom he payes them not Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things that I say saith Christ Luk. 6. 46. The whole world is divided into two great Families Christs and Satans aâ—d the obedience each man payes signifies to which of these Masters he belongs if he obey Christ to Christ if Satan to Satan Now this sin of malice and revenge is so much the dictate of that wicked spirit that there is nothing can be a more direct obeying of him 't is the taking his livery on our backs the proclaiming whose servants we are What ridiculous impudence is it then for men that have thus entred themselves of Satans Family to pretend to be the Servants of Christ Let such know assuredly they shall not be owned by him but at the great day of accompt be turned over to their proper Master to receive their wages in fire and brimstone A second consideration is the example of God this is an argument Christ himself thought fit to use to impress this duty on us as you may see Luk 6. 35 36. where after having given the Command of Loving enemies he incourages to the practice of it by telling that it is that which will make us the Children of the Highest that is 't will give us a likeness and resemblance to him as children have to their Parents for he is kind to the unthankful and the evil And to the same purpose you may read Mat. 5. 45. He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust And sure this is a most forcible consideration to excite us to this duty God we know is the fountain of perfection and the being like to him is the summe of all we can wish for and though it was Lucifers fall his ambition to be like the most high yet had the likeness he affected been onely that of Holyness and Goodness he might still have been an Angel of light This desire of imitating our Heavenly Father is the especial mark of a child of his Now this kindness and goodness to enemies is most eminently remarkable in God and that not onely in respect of the temporal mercies which he indifferently bestowes on all his sun and rain on the unjust as in the Text forementioned but chiefly in his spiritual mercies We are all by our wicked works Col. 1. 21. Enemies to him and the mischief of that enmity would have fallen wholly upon our selves God had no motive besides that of his pity to us to wish a reconciliation yet so farr was he from returning our enmity when he might have revenged himself to our eternal ruine
intreaty no perswasion can prevail with them to make this so reasonable so necessary a change not but that they acknowledge it needful to be done but they are unwilling to do it yet they would enjoy all the pleasures of sin as long as they live and then they hope at their death or some little time before it to do all the business of their Souls But alas Heaven is too high to be thus jumped into the way to it is a long and leasurely ascent which requires time to walk The hazards of such deferring are more largely spoken of in the discourse of Repentance I shall not here repeat them but desire the Reader seriously to lay them to heart and then surely he will think it seasonable counsel that is given by the wise man Ecclus 5. 7. Make no tarrying to turn to the Lord and put not off from day to day PRIVATE DEVOTIONS For Several OCCASIONS London Printed for T. Garthwait at the little North Door of St. Pauls CHRISTIAN READER I Have for the help of thy devotions set down some FORMS of PRIVATE-PRAYER upon several occasions If it be thought an omission that there are none for Families I must answer for my self that it was not from any opinion that God is not as well to be worship'd in the Family as in the Closet but because the providence of God and the Church hath already furnish'd thee for that purpose infinitely beyond what my utmost care could do I mean the PUBLICK LITURGY or COMMON-PRAYER which for all publick addresses to God and such are family-Prayers are so excellent and useful that we may say of it as David did of Goliah's sword 1 Sam. 21. 9. There is none like it DIRECTIONS for the MORNING As soon as ever thou awakest in the morning lift up thy heart to God in this or the like short Prayer LORD As thou hast awaked my body from sleep so by thy grace awaken my soul from sin and make me so to walk before thee this day and all the rest of my life that when the last trumpet shall awake me out of my grave I may rise to the life immortal through Jesus Christ. WHEN thou hast thus begun suffer not without some urgent necessity any worldly thoughts to fill thy mind till thou have also payd thy more solemn devotions to Almighty God and therefore during the time thou art dressing thy self which should be no longer then common decency requires exercise thy mind in some spiritual thoughts As for example Consider to what temptations thy business or company that day are most like to lay thee open and arm thy self with resolutions against them or again consider what occasions of doing service to God or good to thy neighbour are that day most likely to present themselves and resolve to embrace them and also contrive hoâ— thou maist improve them to the uttermost But especially it will be fit for thee to examine whether there have any sin escaped thee since thy last nights examination If after these considerations any farther leisure remain thou maist profitably imploy it in meditating on the general resurrection whereof our rising from our beds is a representation and of that dreadful judgment which shall follow it and then think with thy self in what preparation thou art for it and resolve to husband carefully every minute of thy time towards the fitting thee for that great account As soon as thou art ready retire to some private place and there offer up to God thy Morning Sacrifice of Praise and Prayer PRAYERS for the MORNING At thy first kneeling down say O Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity three Persons and one God have mercy upon me a miserable sinner Lord I know not what to pray for as I ought O let thy spirit help my infirmities and enable me to offer up a spiritual sacrifice acceptable to thee by Jesus Christ. A THANKSGIVING O Gracious Lord whose mercies endure for ever I thy unworthy servant who have so deeply tasted of them desire to render thee the tribute of my humblest prayses for them In thee O Lord I live and move and have my being thou first madest me to be and then that I might not be miserable but happy thou sentest thy Son out of thy bosome to redeem me from the power of my sins by his grace and from the punishment of them by his blood and by both to bring me to his glory Thou hast by thy mercy caused me to be born within thy peculiar fold the Christian Church where I was early consecrated to thee in Baptism and have been partaker of all those spiritual helps which might aid me to perform that Vow I there made to thee and when by my own willfulnesse or negligence I have failed to do it yet thou in thy manifold mercies hast not forsaken me but hast graciously invited me to repentance afforded me all means both outward and inward for it and with much patience hast attended and not cut me off in the acts of those many damning sins I have committed as I have most justly deserved It is O Lord thy restraining grace alone by which I have been kept back from any the greatest sins and it is thy inciting and assisting grace alone by which I have been enabled to do any the least good therefore not unto me not unto me but unto thy name be the praises For these all other thy spiritual blessings my Soul doth magnify the Lord all that is within me praise his Holy Name I likewise praise thee for those many outward blessings I enjoy as Health Friends Food and Raiment the comforts as well as the necessaries of this life for those continual protections of thy hand by which I and mine are kept from dangers and those gracious deliverances thou hast often afforded out of such as have befallen me and for that mercy of thine whereby thou hast sweetned and alayed those troubles thou hast not seen fit wholy to remove For thy particular preservation of me this night and all other thy goodness towards me Lord grant that I may render thee not onely the fruit of my lips but the obedience of my life that so these blessings here may be an earnest of those richer blessings thou hast prepared for those that love thee and that for his sake whom thou hast made the Authour of eternal Salvation to all that obey him even Jesus Christ. A CONFESSION O Righteous Lord who hatest iniquity I thy sinful creature cast my self at thy feet acknowledging that I most justly deserve to be utterly abhorred and forsaken by thee for I have drunk iniquity like water gone on in a continued course of sin and rebellion against thee daily committing those things thou forbiddest and leaving undone those things thou commandest mine heart which should be an habitation for thy Spirit is become a cage of unclean birds of foul and disordered affections and out of this abundance of the heart my mouth speaketh my
of danger thou hast not the less but the greater cause to magnify God who hath by his protection so guarded thee that not so much as the fear of evil hatâ— assaulted thee And therefore omit not to pay him the tribute of humble thankfulness as well for his usual and daily preservations as his more extraordinary deliverances And above all endeavour still by the considerations of his mercies to have thy heart the more closely knit to him remembring that every favour received from him is a new engagement upon thee to love and obey him PRAYERS for NIGHT. O Holy blessed and glorious Trinity three persons and one God have mercy upon me a miserable sinner Lord I know not what to pray for as I ought O let thy Spirit help my infirmities and enable me to offer up a spiritual Sacrifice acceptable unto thee by Jesus Christ. A CONFESSION O MOST Holy Lord God who are of purer eyes then to behold iniquity now shall I abominable wretch dare to appear before thee who am nothing but pollution I am defiled in my very nature having a backwardness to all good and a readiness to all evil but I have defiled my self yet much worse by my own actual sins and wicked customes I have transgrest my duty to thee my neighbour and my self and that both in thought in word in deed by doing those things which thou hast expresly forbidden and by neglecting to do those things thou hast commanded me And this not onely through ignorance and frailty but knowingly and wilfully against the motions of thy Spirit and the checks of my own conscience to the contrary And to make all these out of measure sinful I have gone on in a daily course of repeating these provocations against thee notwithstanding all thy calls to and my own purposes and â—owes of amendmeut yea this very day I have not ceased to add new sins to all my former guilts Here name the Particulars And now O Lord what shall I say or how shall I open my mouth seeing I have done these things I know that the wages of these sins is death but O thou who willest not the death of a sinner have mercy upon me work in me I beseech thee a sincere contrition and a perfect hatred of my sins and let me not daily confess and yet as daily renew them but grant O Lord that from this instant I may give a bill of divorce to all my most beloved â—lusts and then be thou pleased to marry me to thy self in truth in righteousness and holiness And for all my past sins O Lord receive a reconciliation accept of that ransom thy blessed Son hath paid for me and for his sake whom thou hast set forth as a propitiation pardon all my offences and receive me to thy favour And when thou hast thus spoken peace to my soul Lord keep me that I turn not any more to folly but so establish me with thy grace that no temptation of the world the Divel or my own flesh may ever draw me to offend thee that being made free from sin and becoming a servant unto God I may have my fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord. A THANKSGIVING O Thou Father of mercies who art kind even to the unthankful I acknowledg my self to have abundantly experimented that gracious property of thine for notwithstanding my daily provocations against thee thou still heapest mercies and loving kindness upon me All my contempts and despisings of thy spiritual favours have not yet made thee withdraw them but in the riches of thy goodness and long-suffering thou still continuest to me the offers of grace and life in thy Son And all my abuses of thy temporal blessings thou hast not punished with an utter deprivation of them but art still pleased to afford me a liberal portion of them The sins of this day thou hast not repayed as justly thou might'st by sweeping me away with a swift destruction but hast spared and preserved me according to the greatness of thy mercy Here mention the particular mercies of that day What shall I render unto the Lord for all these benefits he hath done unto me Lord let this goodness of thine lead me to repentance and grant that I may not only offer thee thanks and praise but may also order my conversation aright that so I may at the last see the salvation of God through Jesus Christ. Here use the Prayer for Grace and that of Intercession appointed for the Morning For PRESERVATION O Blessed Lord the Keeper of Israel that neither slumbrest nor sleepest be pleased in thy mercy to watch over me this night keep me by thy grace from all works of darkness and defend me by thy power from all dangers grant me moderate and refreshing sleep such as may fit me for the duties of the day following And Lord make me ever mindful of that time when I shall lye down in the dust and because I know neither the day nor the hour of my Masters coming grant me grace that I may be always ready that I may never live in such a state as I shall fear to dye in but that whether I live I may live unto the Lord or whether I dye I may dye unto the Lord so that living and dying I may be thine through Jesus Christ. Vse the same concluding prayer as in the Morning As thou art putting off thy clothes thiâ—k with thy self that the time approaches that thou must put off thy body also and then thy soul must appear naked before Gods judgment feat and therefore thou hadst need be careful to make it so clean and pure by repentance and holiness that he who will not look on iniquity may graciously behold and accept it Let thy bed put thee in mind of thy grave and when thou lyest down say O Blessed Saviour who by thy precious death and burial didst take away the sting of death and power of the grave grant me the joyful fruits of that thy victory and be thou to me in life and death advantage I will lay me down in peace and take my rest for it is thou Lord only that makest me dwell in safety Into thy hands I commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed it O Lord thou God of truth IN the ANCIENT CHURCH there were besides morning and night Four other times every day which were called HOURS OF PRAYER and the zeal of thosâ— first Christians was such as made them constantly observed It would be thought too great a strictness now in this lukewarm age to enjâ—yn the like frequency yet I cannot but mention the example and say that for those who are not by very necessary business prevented it will be but reasonable to imitate it and make up in publick and private those FOUR TIMES of PRAYER besides the OFFICES already set down for MORNING and NIGHT and that none may be to seek how to exer I se their devotions at these
me Blessed be the Lord God even the God of Israel which onely doth wondrous things And blessed be the Name of his Majesty for ever and all the earth shall be filled with his Majesty Amen Amen For DELIVERANCE from TROUBLE BE merciful unto me O Lord be merciful unto me for my Soul trusteth in thee and under the shadow of thy wings shall be my refuge until these calamities be overpast Deliver me O Lord from mine enemies for I flye unto thee to hide me O keep my Soul and deliver me let me not be confounded for I have put my trust in thee Mine eyes are ever looking unto the Lord for he shall pluck my feet out of the net Turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me for I am desolate and in misery The sorrowes of my heart are enlarged O bring thou me out of my troubles For the CHURCH O Be favourable and gracious unto Sion build thou the walls of Jerusalem O God wherefore art thou absent from us so long Why is thy wrath so hot against the sheep of thy pasture O think upon thy Congregation whom thou hast purchased and Redeemed of old Look upon the Tribe of thine Inheritance and Mount Sion where thou hast dwelt It is time for thee Lord to lay to thy hand for they have destroyed thy Law Arise O God and maintain thine own cause Deliver Israel O God out of all his troubles Brief heads of SELF-EXAMINATION Especially before the SACRAMENT Collected out of the foregoing Treatise concerning the breaches of our DUTY To GOD. NOt believing there is a God Not believing his Word Not believing it Practically so as to live according to our belief Despairing of Gods mercy so as to neglect duty Presuming groundlesly on it whilest we go on in wilful sin Not loving God for his own excellencies Not loving him for his goodness to us Not labouring to please him Not desiring to draw neer to him in his Ordinances Not longing to enjoy him in Heaven Not fearing God so as to keep from offending him Fearing man above him by committing sin to shun some outward suffering Not trusting on God in dangers and distresses Using unlawful means to bring us out of them Not depending on God for supply of our wants Immoderate care for outward things Neglecting to labour and expecting God should support us in our idleness Not looking up to God for a blessing on our honest endeavours Not having a high esteem of God Not submitting obediently to act his will Not patiently suffering it but murmuring at his corrections Not amending by them Not being thankful to him Not acknowledging his wisdom in choosing for us but having eager and impatient desires of our own Not honouring God by a reverend usage of the things that relate to him Behaving our selvs irreverently in his House Robbing God by taking things that are consecrated to him Profaning Holy times the Lords Day and the Feasts and Fasts of the Church Neglecting to read the Holy Scriptures not marking when we do read Being careless to get knowledg of our duty Chusing rather to continue ignorant then put our selves to the pains or shame of learning Placing Religion in hearing of Sermons without practising them Breaking our vow made at Baptism By resorting to witches and conjurers i. e. to the Devil By loving the pomps and vanities of the world and following its sinful customes By fulfilling the lusts of the flesh Profaning the Lords Supper By coming to it ignorantly without examination contrition and purposes of new life By behaving our selves irreverently at it without devotion and spiritual affection By neglecting to keep the promises made at it Profaning Gods Name by blasphemous thoughts or discourse Giving others occasion to blaspheme him by our vile and wicked lives Taking unlawful oaths Perjury Swearing in ordinary communication Not worshipping God Omitting prayers publick or private and being glad of a pretence to do so Asking unlawful things or to unlawful ends Not purifying our hearts from sin before we pray Not praying with Faith and Humility Coldness and deadness in prayer Wandring thoughts in it Irreverent gestures of body in prayer Neglecting the duty of Repentance Not calling our selves to daily account for our sins Not assigning any set or solemn times for humiliation and confession or too seldom Not deeply considering our sins to beget contrition for them Not acting revenges on our selves by fasting and other acts of Mortification Outward Idolatry in worshipping of creatures Inward Idolatry in placing our love joy and other affections more on creatures then the Creator To our SELVES Being pufft up with high conceits of our selves In respect of natural parts as beauty wit c Of worldly riches and honours Of Grace Greedily seeking the praise of men Directing Christian Actions as prayer almes c. to that end Committing sins to avoid reproach from wicked men Disturbing our minds with anger and peevishness Not carefully examining what our estate towards God is Not trying our selves by the true rule i. e. our obedience to Gods Commands Not weighing the lawfulness of our actions before we venture on them Not examining our past actions to repent of the ill to give God the glory of the good Uncontentedness in our estates Greedy desires after honour and riches Seeking to gain them by sinful means Envying the condition of other men Being negligent in observing and resisting temptations Not improving Gods gifts outward or inward to his honour Abusing our natural parts as wit memory strength c. to sin Neglecting or resisting the motions of Gods Spirit Uncleanness adultery fornication unnatural lusts c. Uncleanness of the eye and hand Filthy and obscene talking Impure fancies and desires Heightning of lust by pampering the body Not labouring to subdue it by fasting or other severities Eating too much Making pleasure not health the enâ— of eating Being too curious or costly in meats Drunkenness Drinking more then is useful to our bodies though not to drunkenness Wasting the time or estate in good fellowship Abusing our strength of brain to the makeing others drunk Immoderate sleeping Idleness and negligence in our callings Using unlawful recreations Being too vehement upon lawful ones Spending too much time at them Being drawn by them to anger or covetousness Being proud of apparel Striving to go beyond our rank Bestowing too much time care or cost about it Abstaining from such excesses not out of conscience but covetousness Pinching our bodies to fill our purses To our NEIGHBOUR Being injurious to our Neighbour Delighting causlesly to grieve his mind Ensnaring his Soul in sin by command counsel enticement or example Affrighting him from Godliness by our scoffing at it Not seeking to bring those to Repentance whom we have led into sin Murder open or secret Drawing men to intemperance or other vices which may bring diseases or death Stirring men up to quarrelling and fighting Maiming or hurting the body of our Neighbour Fierceness and rage against him Coveting our
enable me I beseech thee willingly and cheerfully to embrace it thou seest O Lord I am fallen into dayes wherein he that departeth from evil maketh himself a Prey O make me so readily to expose all my outward concernments when my obedience to thee requireth it that what falls as a prey to men may by thee be accepted as a sacrifice to God Lord preserve me so by thy grace that I never suffer as an evil doer and then O Lord if it be my lot to suffer as a Christian let me not be ashamed but rejoyce that I am counted worthy to suffer for thy name O thou who for my sake enduredst the cross and despisedst the shame let the example of that love and patience prevail against all the tremblings of my corrupt heart that no terrors may ever be able to shake my constancy but that how long soever thou shalt permit the rod of the wicked to lye on my back I may never put my hand unto wickedness Lord thou knowest whereof I am made thou remembrest that I am but flesh and flesh O Lord shrinks at the approach of any thing grievous It is thy Spirit thy Spirit alone that can uphold me O stablish me with thy free Spirit that I be not weary faint in my mind And by how much the greater thou discernest my weakness so much the more do thou shew forth thy power in me and make me O Lord in all temptations stedfastly to look to thee the author and finisher of my faith that so I may run the race which is set before me and resist even unto blood striving against sin O dear Jesus hear me and though Satan desire to have me that he may winnow me as wheat yet do thou O blessed Mediator pray for me that my faith fail not but that though it be tryed with fire it may be found unto praise and glory and honour at thy appearing And O Lord I beseech thee grant that I may preserve not only constancy towards God but charity also towards men even those whom thou shalt permit to be the instruments of my sufferings Lord let me not fail to imitate that admirable meekness of thine in loving and praying for my greatest persecutors and do thou O Lord overcome all their evil with thy infinite goodness turn their hearts and draw them powerfully to thy self and at last receive both me and mine enemies into those mansions of peace and rest where thou reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost one God for ever A Prayer in time of Affliction O JUST and holy Lord who with rebukes doest chasten man for sin I desire unfeignedly to humble my self under thy mighty hand which now lyes heavy upon me I heartily acknowledg O Lord that all I do all I can suffer is but the due reward of my deeds and therefore in thy severest inflâ—ctions I must still say Righteous art thou O Lord and upright are thy judgments But O Lord I beseech thee in judgment remember mercy though my sins have enforced thee to strike yet consider my weakness and let not thy stripes be more heavy or more lasting then thou seest profitable for my soul correct me but with the Chastisement of a father not with the wounds of an enemy and though thou take not off thy rod yet take away thine anger Lord do not abhor my soul nor cast thy servant away in displeasure but pardon my sins I beseech thee and if yet in thy fatherly wisdome thou see fit to prolong thy corrections thy blessed will be done I cast my self O Lord at thy feet do with me what thou pleasest Trye me as silver is tryed so thou bring me out purified And Lord make even my flesh also to subscribe to this resignation that there may be nothing in me that may rebel against thy hand but that having perfectly supprest all repining thoughts I may cheerfully drink of this cup. And how little soever thou shalt please to make it Lord let it pâ—ove medicinal and cure all the diseases of my soul that it may bring forth in me the peaceable fruit of righteousness That so these light afflictions which are but for a moment may work for me a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory through Jesus Christ. A Thanksgiving for Deliverance O BLESSED Lord who art gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and repentest thee of the evil I thankfully acknowledg before thee that thou hast not dealt with me after my sins nor rewarded me according to my iniquities My rebellions O Lord deserved to be scourged with scorpions and thou hast corrected them only with a gentle and fatherly rod neither hast thou suffered me to lâ—e long under that but hast given me a timely and a gracious issue out of my late distress O Lord I will be glad and rejoyce in thy mercy for thou hast considered my trouble and hast known my soul in adversity Thou hast smitten and thou hast healed me O let these various methods of thine have their proper effects upon my soul That I who have felt the smart of thy chastisements may stand in awe and not sin and that I who have likewise felt the sweet refreshings of thy mercy may have my heart ravished with it and knit to thee in the firmest bands of love and that by both I may be preserved in a constant entire obedience to Thee all my dayes through Jesus Christ. Directions for the time of Sickness WHEN thou findest thy self visited with sickness thou art immediately to remember that it is God which with rebukes doth chasten man for sin And therefore let thy first care be to find out what it is that provokes him to smite thee and to that purpose examine thine own heart search diligently what guilts lie there confess them humbly and penitently to God and for the greater sâ—â—urity renew thy repentance for all the old sins of thy former life beg most earnestly and importunately his mercy and pâ—rdâ—n in Christ Iesus and put on sincere and zealous resolutions of forsaking every evil way for the rest of that time which God shall spare thee And that thy 〈◊〉 heart deceive thee not in this so weighty a business it will be wisdom to send for some godly Divine not onely to assist thee with his Prayers but with his counsel also And to that purpose open thy heart so freely to him that he may be able to judg whether thy repentance be such as may give thee confidence to appear before Gods dreadful Tribunal and that if it be not he may help thee what he can towards the making it sâ— And when thou hast thus provided for thy better part thy soul then consider thy body also and as the Wise man saith Eccl. 38. 12. Give pâ—aâ—e to the Physician for the Lord hath created him Vse such means as may be most likely to recover thy health but alwayes remember that the successe of them must come from
God and bewâ—â—â— of Asa's sin who sought to the Physicions and not to the Lord 2 Chr. 6. 12. Dispose also betimes of thy temporal affaires by making thy will and setting all things in such order as thou meanest finally to leave them in and defer it not till thy sickness grow more violent for then perhaps thou shalt not have such use of thy reason as may fiâ— thee for it or if thou have it will be thâ—n much more seasonable to imploy thy thoughts on higher things on the world thou art going to rather then that thou art about to leave we cannot carry the things of this world with us when we go hence and it is not fit we should carry the thoughts of them Therefore let those be early dispatched that they may not disturb thee â—t last A Prayer for a sick Person O MERCIFUL and Righteous Lord the God of health and of â—â—ckness of life and of death I most unfeignedly acknowledg that my great abuse of those many days of strength and wellfare which thou hast afforded me hath most justly deserved thy present visitation I desire O Lord humbly to accept of this punishment of mine iniquity and to bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him And O thou merciful Father who designest not the ruine but the amendment of those whom thou scourgest I beseech thee by thy grace so to sanctifie this correction of thine to me that this sickness of my body may be a means of health to my soul make me dâ—ligent to search my heart and do thou O Lord enable me to discover every accursed thing how closely soever concealed there that by the removal thereof I may make way for the removal of this punishment Heal my soul O Lord which hath sinned against thee and then if it be thy blessed will heal my body also restore the voice of joy and health unto my dwelling that I may live to praise thee and to bring forth fruits of repentance But if in thy wisdome thou hast otherwise disposed if thou have determined that this sickness shall be unto death I beseech thee to fit and prepare me for it give me that sincere and earnest repentance to which thou hast promised mercy and pardon weane my heart from the world and all its fading vanities and make me to gasp and pant after those more excellent and durable joyes which are at thy right hand for ever Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me and in all the pains of my body in all the agonies of my spirit let thy comforts refresh my soul and enable me patiently to waite till my change come And grant O Lord that when my earthly house of this Tabernacle is dissolved I may have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens And that for his sake who by his precious blood hath purchased it for me even Jesus Christ. A THANKSGIVING for RECOVERY O GRACIOUS Lord the God of the spirits of all flâ—sh in whose hand my time is I praise and magnifie thee that thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption and restored me to health again it is thou alone O Lord that hast preserved my life from destruction thou hast chastned and corrected me but thou hast not given me over unto death O let this life which thou hast thus graciously spared be wholy consecrated to thee Behold O Lord I am by thy mercy made wâ—ole O make me strictly careful to sin no more least a worse thing come unto me Lord let not this reprieve thou hast now given me make me secure as thinking that my Lord delayeth his coming but grant me I beseech thee to make a right use of this long suffering of thine and so to imploy every minute of that time thou shalt allow me that when thou shalt appear I may have confidence and not be ashamed before thee at thy coming Lord I have found by this approach towards death how dreadful a thing it is to be taken unprepared O let it be a perpetual admonition to me to watch for my Masters coming And when the pleasures of sin shal present themselvs to entice me O make me to remember how bitter they will be at the last O Lord hear me and as thou hast in much mercy afforded me time so grant me also grace to work out my own salvation to provide oyl in my lamp that when the Bridgroom cometh I may go in with him to the marriage Grant this I beseech thee for thy dear Sons sake A Prayer at the approach of death O ETERNAL and everliving God who first breathedst into man the breath of life and when thou takest away that breath he dyes and is turned again to his dust look with compassion on me thy poor creature who am now drawing neer the gates of death and which is infinitely more terrible the bar of judgment Lord my own heart condemns me and thou art infinitely greater then my heart and knowest all things The sins I know and remember fill me with horrour but there are also multitudes of others which I either observed not at the time or have since carelesly forgot which are all present to thee Thou settest my misdeeds before thee and my secret sins in the light of thy countenance and to what a mountainous heap must the minutely provocations of so many years arise How shall one so ungodly stand in thy Judgment or such a sinner in the Congregation of the Righteous And to add yet more to my terrour my very repentance I fear will not abide the tryal my frequent relapses heretofore have sufficiently witnessed the unsincerity of my past resolutions And then O Lord what can secure me that my present dislikes of my sins are not rather the effects of my amazing danger then of any reall change and O Lord I know thou art not moâ—ked nor wilt accept of any thing that is not perfectly sincere O Lord when I consider this fearfulness and trembling comes upon me and an horrible dread overwhelmeth me my flesh trembleth for fear of thee and my heart is wounded within me But O Lord one deep calleth upon another the depth of my misery upon the depth of thy mercy Lord save now or I perish eternally O thou who willest not that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance bring me I beseech thee though thus late to a sincere Repentance such as thou wilt accept who tryest the heart Create in me O God a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me Lord one day is with thee as a thousand years O let thy mighty Spirit work in me now in this my last day whatsoever thou seest wanting to fit me for thy mercy and acceptation Give me a perfect and entire hatred of my sins and enable me to present thee with that sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart which thou hast promised not
there had been none of us alive at this day to implore thy mercy But thou art a gracious God slow to anger and hast proceeded with us with much patience and long suffering thou hast sent thy judgments to awake us to repentance and hast also allowed us space for it But alas we have perverted this mercy of thine beyond all the former we return not to him that smiteth us neither do we seek the Lord we are slidden back by a perpetual backsliding no man repenteth him of his wickedness or saith what have I done 'T is true indeed we fear the rod we dread every suffering so that we are ready to buy it off with the foulest sin but we fear not him that hath appointed it but by a wretched obstinacy harden our necks against thee and refuse to return And now O God what balm is there in Gilead that can cure us who when thou wouldst heal us will not be healed we know thou hast pronounced that there is no peace to the wicked and how shall we then pray for peace that still retain our wickedness ' This this O Lord is our forest disease O give us medicines to heal this sickness heal our souls and then we know thou canst soon heâ—l our land Lord thou hast long spoken by thy word to our ears by thy judgments even to all our senses but unless thou speak by thy Spirit to our hearts all other cals will still be uneffectual O send out this voice and that a mighty voice such as may awake us out of this Lethargy thou that didst call Lazarus out of the grave O be pleased to call us who are dead yea putrified in trespasses and sins and make us to awake to righteousness And though O Lord our frequent resistances even of these inward calls have justly provoked thee to give us up to the lusts of our own heart yet O thou boundless ocean of mercy who art good not only beyond what we can deserve but what we can wish do not withdraw the influence of thy grace and take not thy holy Spirit from us Thou wert found of those that sought thee not O let that act of mercy be repeated to us who are so desperately yet so insensibly sick that we cannot so much as look after the Physician and by how much our case is the more dangerous so much the more soveraign remedies do thou apply Lord help us and consider not so much our unworthiness of thy aid as our irremediable ruine if we want it save Lord or we perish eternally To this end dispense to us in our temporal interest what thou seest may best secure our spiritual if a greater degree of outward misery will tend to the cureing our inward Lord spare not thy rod but strike yet more sharply Cast out this Devil though with never so much foaming and tearing But if thou seest that some return of mercy may be most likely to melt us O be pleased so far to condescend to our wretchedness as to afford us that and whether by thy sharper or thy gentler methods bring us home to thy self And then O Lord we know thy hand is not shortned that it cannot save when thou hast delivered us from our sins thou canst and wilt deliver us from our troubles O shew us thy mercy and grant us thy salvation that being redeemed both in our bodies and spirits we may glorifie thee in both in a cheerful obedience and praise the name of our God that hath dealt wonderfully with us through Jesus Christ our Lord. A Prayer for This Church O Thou great God of recompences who turnest a fruitful land into barrenness for the wickednesse of theâ— that dwel therein thou hast most justly executed that fatal sentence on this Church which having once been the perfection of beauty the joy of the whole earth is now become a scorn and derision to all that are round about her O Lord what could have been done to thy vineyard that thou 〈◊〉 not done in it and since it hath brought forth nothing but wild grapes it is perfectly just with thee to take away the hedg thereof and let it be eaten up But O Lord though our iniquities testifie against us yet do thou it for thy Names sake for our backslidings are many we have sinned against thee O the hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in time of trouble why shouldst thoâ— be as a stranger in the land as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to carry for a night Why shouldst thou be as a man astonied as a mighty man that cannot save Yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us and we are called by thy name leave us not deprive us of what outward enjoyments thou pleasest take from us the opporâ—unities of our Luxury and it may be a mercy but O take not from us the means of our reformation for that is the most direful expression of thy wrath And though we have hated the light because our deeds were evil yet O Lord do not by withdrawing it condemn â—s to walk on still in darkness but let it continue to shine till it have guided our feet into the way of peace O Lord arise stir up thy strength and come and help us and deliver not the soul of thy turtle dove this disconsolate Church unto the multitude of the enemy but help act O God and that right early But if O Lord our rebellions have so provoked thee that the Ark must wander in the wilderness til all this murmuring generation be consumed yet let not that perish with us but bring it at last into a Canaan and let our more innocent posterity see that which in thy just judgment thou denyest to us In the mean time let us not cease to bewail that desolation our sins have wrought to think upon the stones of Sion and pity to see her in the dust nor ever be ashamed or afraid to own her in her lowest and most persecuted condition but esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt and so approve our constancy to this our afflicted mother that her blessed Lord and head may own us with mercy when he shall come in the glory of thee his father with the holy Angels Grant this merciful Lord for the same Jesus Christ â—is sake A Prayer for the Peace of the Church LOrd Jesus Christ which of thine almightiness madest all creatures both visible and invisible which of thy godly wisdome governest and settest all things in most goodly order which of thine unspeakable goodness keepest defendest and furtherest all things which of thy deep mercy restorest the decayed renewest the fallen raisest the dead vouchsafe we pray thee at last to cast down thy countenance upon thy well-beloved Spouse the Church but let it be that amiable and merciful countenance wherewith thou pacifiest all things in heaven in earth and whatsoever is above heaven and under the earth vouchsafe to cast upon us those tender