wills for the Will of God their own Fancies for Divine Illumination the love of themselves for the Love of God and the revelations of flesh and bloud for the Dictates of God's holy Spirit The mind of man saith S. Gregory doth often bely it self and conceits both in a good work to love what truly it loves not and also in an evill work to hate what throughly it hates not nor can such secret collusions of the deceitfull heart of man be throughly sifted and found out until the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed in that great day of a generall examination and triall 1 Cor. 4.5 2. As the end of every Religious action is to be examined whereby the equity or iniquity sincerity or hypocrisy is discerned so the care and caution fervour and devotion of the heart in its performance is to be considered Jer. 48.10 for Cursed is he that doeth the work of the Lord negligently When the heathen Priests offered Sacrifices to their false gods in the midst of their idolatrous Ceremonies an Herald cried unto them Age quod agis Be intent upon what you are about And 't is surely unreasonable to imagine that the all-seeing spiritual God or the God of the spirits of all flesh should be pleased with any worship or act of Religion where the heart is not wholly intent thereupon and devoted thereunto 3. After any holy action performed in publick examine your own thoughts whether they reflect not upon your own dextrous wit wisedom elocution zeal or holiness for any of which you may expect to be praised and extolled by men And though your heart be so upright as not to seek and hunt after popular applause yet if you be affected and delighted with the praise of men 't is not without some tincture of vain-glory 4. Have you not been so secure and conceited of your Religious performances as to lay your self the more open to after-temptations For the more fervent and frequent you be in holy actions the more earnest and forcible will be your temptations And these also shall the more easily prevail against you the more secure you think your self of the Divine grace and favour upon such or such Religious Duties conscienciously performed CHAP. VI. The Examination of Repentance HAving by all these particulars examined your self to find out your sins it will be necessary to try your Repentance also that the great Antidote against the poison of sin be not defective nor counterfeit And the first particular herein to be examined is the duty of Examination it self 1. Psal 26.2 Have you daily considered your daily offences duly weighed them and emptied them out of your heart by a full and particular Confession of them in the presence of God 2. Have you so deeply considered your sins in the stain and danger thereof as to beget in your heart true compunction 2 Cor. 7.10 and that godly sorrow for sin which worketh repentance unto Salvation not to be repented of 3. Luk. 11.24 Joh. 5.14 2 Pet. 2.20 21 22. Hath not your Repentance been too often an hypocritical mocking of God by returning again to your sins repented breaking your promises of amendment in time of sickness danger and the like 4. Matt. 3.8 Hos 14.1 2. Dan. 4.27 Have you brought forth fruits meet for Repentance Such are 1. more frequent and hearty Devotions for your sins of ungodliness 2. Alms-givings for your sins of unrighteousness 3. Joel 2.12 Matt. 3.10 7.16 17. Fasting for your sins of Intemperance If the tree of Repentance bring not forth such fruits 't is neither lively nor likely to be accepted CHAP. VII Considerations with Directions in the Confession of Sin 1. HAving discovered the black stains and pollutions of Sin your Soul hath contracted in the strict Examination of your heart and life by the foregoing particulars with what other your own judgment and conscience may suggest unto you your next work must be to empty them all out of your Soul to cast them out with an abhorrence which is to be done by a particular and punctuall Confession of them all unto Almighty God in prayer Num. 5.6 7. Without such a sincere and through Confession of Sin Lev. 16.21 26.40 Prov. 28.13 1 Joh. 1.9 the Pardon thereof is not promised and therefore not likely to be obtained by a bare and naked Faith in Christ who very probably wil not pardon and forgive men their trespasses but upon his terms prescribed 2. 'T is not to be imagined that God therefore commands the Confession of Sins as if he were ignorant or unmindfull of any of our evill doings Psal 90.8 for he hath set even our most secret sins in the light of his countenance But hereby first in all humility we acknowledge our undeservings of the least of God's mercies which secondly Jos 7.19 Quando homo detegit Deus tegit cùm homo celat Deus nudat cùm homo agnoscit Deus ignoscit Aug. in Psal does magnify the glory of his grace and the greatness of his glory thirdly we discover our soars to our Physician and our wants of mercy to the Father of mercies our great needs of pardon to the fountain of goodness fourthly we declare our great obligations for pardon granted and mercy obtained fifthly our hearts are excited and our affections inflamed with the greater love of our dear Lord who died to merit so great a mercy sixthly the Confession of sin doth imprint in our hearts the deeper sense with an abhorrence of them and lastly being cordially done 't is an evident sign that we have abjur'd and forsaken them 3. But the outward confession of the mouth without the inward compunction of the heart is but the shell of Repentance without the kernell a carkass without a Soul to quicken it King David 1 King 15.5 Isal 6.6 for his onely Sin in the matter of Vriah every night washed his bed and in the day-time also he watered his couch with his tears Mary Magdalen also with her penitent tears washed the blessed feet of our Lord Luk. 7.38 and such must be a floud of tears and not a few drops onely S. Peter for one single sin Luk. 22.62 wept bitterly and 't is recorded of him that he never heard the cock crow through the course of his life but by a showr of tears he declared the sorrow of his heart for his offence And some of the Fathers have styled Repentance the Baptism of tears Clem. Alex apud Euseb as not to be exactly performed with dry eyes in an outward verbal Confession of Sin 'T is confessed that for sins of daily infirmity small peccadillo's and frequent failings through ignorance inadvertency the daily confession of sins saying devoutly as S. Augustine Forgive us our trespasses as we will be sufficient Quà m magnè deliquimus tam granditer defleamus Poenitentia crimine minor non sit Cypr. Serm. de Laps through
opprobrious language I have transgrest the precepts of thy Gospell injoyning me to feed the hungry clothe the naked visit the sick I have been unjust in detaining the Dues of thy Church and in the dispensation of Ecclesiasticall goods in the contracts of Usury bargaining and sale over-reaching lying withholding what has been more or less righteous and just I have not attended upon thy publick and solemn Worship upon Sundays and Holidays devoted thereunto I have not behaved my self upon such days soberly righteously and godly I have approached and come into thy House without that reverence and godly fear which becometh that Sacred place and there I have demeaned my self unseemly sitting standing leaning lolling and staring about when the respective parts of thy Sacred Service required more humble and devout gestures and behaviour I have entertained vain idle wandering thoughts and intermingled unprofitable wanton worldly talk in the time of thy solemn Worship I have unhallowed many holy things many holy actions by using the same as common and unclean and with unclean hands and an impure conscience I have not joyned with a right understanding and devotion in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs publick Praiers and other the sacred acts of Religious Worship too often speaking with my lips cursorily and customarily whilst my heart hath been roving by evill imaginations and false suspicions judging rashly of what is sacred and holy when transcending my shallow capacity I have sinned by perverse reasonings against the Truth because either above my understanding or not agreeable with my will by consenting and not reproving the sinfull by not instructing the ignorant not reducing the erroneous not admonishing not exhorting such as have gone astray to entertain more sound and sober counsells I have not reverenced my Superiours I have both defamed and disobeyed my Governours Ecclesiasticall and Civil neither have I repayed to my friends and benefactours such gratefull acknowledgments and due obsequiousness as becometh I have entertained in my heart many loose and unchast thoughts and filthy lusts and have looked upon the carnal copulation and intermixture of beasts with an unclean delectation of mind I have been guilty of much superfluous and opprobrious language of lying and slandering of falsehoods and flatteries of railing and reviling of scurrilous and vain jangling of profane and irreligious speaking and customary swearing of taking unlawfull oaths of much filthy communication and of all the evills of an untamed tongue the instrument of a corrupt heart I have even renounced the Covenant of my God by not renouncing the Devil and all his works I have too often yielded to his suggestions to disobey the will of God and to transgress his Commandments in the breach of my Duty both towards God and Man And thus I have sinned both in my thoughts and desires in my words and actions by seeing hearing tasting touching smelling even all my Senses have been as so many windows to let in Sin to my Soul and Death by Sin And not onely thus but in all kinds of Vice whereunto humane frailty is liable or in whatever any dissolute and debauched person doth or can offend have I offended the Great Lord of Heaven and earth And I acknowledge my self above all the men in the world to be the greatest of Sinners Have mercy upon me Almighty and most mercifull Father for thy Son my Lord Jesus Christ his sake pardon and deliver me from all mine offences confirm and strengthen me in all goodness and bring me to everlasting life through Jesus Christ Psalm 6. O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger Psal 32. Blessed is he whose unrighteousness is forgiven Psal 38. Put me not to rebuke O Lord Psal 51. Have mercy upon me O God Psal 102. Hear my praier O Lord and let my crying Psal 130. Out of the deeps have I called unto Psal 143. Hear my praier O Lord and consider Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name the world to come through Jesus Christ III. O mercifull Lord to whom chiefly it appertaineth to forgive sins and by whom alone the Souls of true Penitents are absolved from all their offences wash me O wash my unclean Soul in the fountain of thine inexhaustible mercy through faith in the bloud of my dear Redeemer Jesus Christ IV. Look down from Heaven O Lord with the eye of pity and compassion upon thy humble servant confessing his wickedness and being sorry for his sins imploring withall thy pardon and trusting alone in thy mercics through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ V. Be propitious O Lord we humbly beseech thee be propitious to the praiers and supplications of thy humble servants and grant that the remission of our sins being obtained we may evermore rejoyce in thy heavenly benediction through Jesus Christ CHAP. X. The Lord's Praier paraphrased Praefat. ad Orat. Domin ex Lit. Mozarab Ad te pervenire cupimus Domine per Christum qui apud te factus est Advocatus noster Orationem quam ipso Domino instruente didicimus ad te introire permittas proclamantes è terris PATER NOSTER QVIES IN COELIS OVR Father 1. The Preface as we have a Being with all things by Creation and Providence 2. as we are reasonable creatures with Men and Angels by Representation and Likeness 3. as we are Christians by Adoption and Grace Which art in Heaven by thy Majesty and great Glory in earth by thy Mercy and good Providence and in all things both in Heaven and earth by thy essential Presence Thou O Lord art more ready to hear then we are to pray and art wont to give more then we desire or deserve as being our Father and though daily provok'd by our sins yet still our Father and thou art able to doe exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think as being in Heaven And to Heaven vouchsafe to raise up our immortal Souls Let them not cleave to the dust of worldly vanities since we have a Father in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Petition 1 O that all the Nations whom thou hast made would come and worship thee and glorifie thy Name which is great wonderful and holy but more especially may thy ever-blessed Name be magnified by me and by all people who have thy Name call'd upon us in all our thoughts words and deeds manifesting that reverence and godly fear that divine love and filial obedience we owe unto thee Our Father which art in Heaven Thy Kingdom come Petit. 2 Maiest thou rule and reign in all the affections of our hearts and over all the actions of our lives swaying thy Sceptre of Righteousness by thy Holy Word and Spirit to the destruction of the Kingdom of Sin and Satan And may we all live in obedience of thy most holy Laws and continue such loyal and faithful subjects of thy Kingdom of Grace in this life that we may become Saints in thy Kingdome of Glory in the life to come Thy
merciful as he is merciful d 1 Pet. 1.15 16. Luke 6.36 For you hope in vain to see God in Heaven and enjoy him except you be God-like * Matt. 5.8 9. 3. Have you so hoped to enjoy the promises of God as to obey his precepts and be fruitful in all good works Hope in the Lord and be doing good f Psal 37.3 your hope is otherwise but a sinful presumption or the hope of the hypocrite that perisheth g Job 8.13 4. Hath not your hope in the mercies of God through the merits of Christ emboldned you to go on in any known sin unrepented of and banished grace out of thy heart IV. To fear God 1. Hath thy fear of God's Judgments equally balanced thy hope in his Mercies revering his justice and the direful threats and examples thereof in his Holy Word so as not to dare to sin against him Fear the Lord and depart from evil h Psal 4.5 Prov. 3.7 Phil 2.12 2. Have you not more feared to sin in the sight of men then in the presence of God more feared to displease man then to incur the displeasure of the Almighty more feared to lose thy credit amongst thy neighbours and companions then to hazard the loss of God's favour nor yet more feared the penalty of humane Laws then the threatnings of the Divine i Prov. 29.25 Isa 51.12 Luk. 12.4 5. 3. Hath thy Fear of God been rather filial viz. a fear to offend so gracious a Father then servile for fear of punishment But because we are commanded to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling k Phil. 2.12 examine whether the filial fear of God prevail in your heart and gather strength over the servile fear till at last it be quite cast out by perfect love l 1 Joh. 4.18 which is the next Duty in this Commandment injoyned V. To love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all c. This Divine Love includes all these graces Matt. 22.37 38 1 Cor. 13.1 2 c. and all the particulars of the duties we owe unto God And because every man pretends to love God how falsely and deceitfully soever he think or say it therefore this Divine affection is to be strictly examined by these following Rules And 1. as thy Hope so thy Love of God is not sincere except thou be in some good measure conformed to his nature pure as he is pure just good gracious as God is so Eph. 5.1 2. Be ye followers of God as dear children and walk in love 2. If the will of God be the rule of thy will and moderatour of all thy affections Ps 97.10 Matt. 5.44 Luk. 14.26 loving what he loves hating what he hates even to the love of thine enemies and hatred of thy friends if in competition with the love of God 3. If the chief end of all your actions be to please God 1 Thess 2.4 Matt. 18.8 Matt. 10.37 more then to please your self or to pleasure any person how great and high how near or dear soever 4. Ps 122.1 Isa 2.3 Ps 27.4 Ps 42.1 2. Ps 71.20 c. Matt. 5.16 1 Pet. 2.12 If it be the joy of your heart to come into the House of the Lord to converse with him in holy prayers publick and private to contemplate his perfections and felicities so as to be inflamed with longing desires and affectionate breathings after him to glorifie him both with heart and voice both with your lips and in your life 5. If you be quick ready active Joh. 14.15 regular and constant in your Obedience to all his Commandments 6. If you long to have a more full enjoyment of God in the world to come Ps 63.1 2. 2 Cor. 4.18 and 5.1 2 3. and do not rather prefer a troublesome temporary abode in this life before the pleasures of God's right hand in the other By these Rules you may examine your self whether you love God in deed and in truth and not in conceit and verbally onely VI. To call upon God and give him Thanks In the habitual practice of the former Graces of the Spirit consists the worship of God in Spirit Joh 4.23 24. and they are all put in practice chiefly by holy Prayers unto God and Praises of him which is therefore the principal part of God's outward worship And Psal 50.23 1. Here examine how frequently you have slighted and omitted to call upon God being hereunto obliged Ps 134 2â— Matt. 6.6 Ps 55.17 Eccl 11.6 both publickly in the congregation and privately in your closet morning and evening at least signified by the morning and evening sacrifice 2. How often hath any slight occasion and pretence made you neglect this indispensable duty of Prayer especially the publick prayers of the Church and have you not been secretly glad when any such occasion hath happened 3. Being come into the House of God have you not neglected to joyn in the prayers and service of God there celebrated and through ignorance and dulness or a sinful shame omitted to lift up your voice in the congregation Eph. 5.19 Ps 106.48 to praise the Lord in hymns and psalms and spiritual songs and audibly to say Amen to the prayers of the Church For 't is not the Minister's duty onely to pray and preach in the Church but in the Temple of the Lord doth every man speak of his honour Psal 29.9 4. Eccles. 5.2 Have you not been too rash with your mouth to utter any thing before God that is either unfit impertinent or unlawful to be asked but have first weighed all your words in the balance of the Sanctuary Hos 14.2 Matt. 6.9 and have framed all your prayers according to the pattern which our Lord hath given us both by his own prayer and the prayers of his Church 5. Have you prayed for others viz. all Superiours and relations of every 1 Tim. 2.1 kind and not onely for such as are your friends Matt. 5.44 but for your very enemies also 6. Have you first endeavoured to purifie your heart from all hypocrisie Jam. 4.8 and to cleanse your hands from all your actual sins by true repentance before you make your approaches to the most Holy God by prayer 7. Do you practise as you pray in the careful use of those means which God hath appointed James 1.6 7 8. to obtain your petitions 8. Do you daily praise God for his great glories in himself and give him thanks for his manifold graces Eph. 5.20 both general to all men special to his Church and people and particular to your self â—xpressed And do you shew forth the praises of God Matt. 5.16 not onely with your lips but in the good works of your life that others may be thereby excited to glorifie God also The Second Commandment Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image nor the likeness of any
every part and passage of Divine Service considering that this is the great End of your coming to Church and your business there is to serve the Lord with your Christian brethren in publick 1. Therefore when the Minister exhorts you out of the Word of God to confess and acknowledge your sins and wickedness harden not your heart but with all possible humility both of Body and Soul say after the Minister in the Confession of sin and to this and to every Praier or other act of Divine Worship where 't is prescribed neglect not to say Amen for that is as it were the seal to confirm to your Soul the Benefits thereof And the Hebrews have a saying that Whosoever says Amen with all his might opens the doors of Paradise 2. After the Confession when the Minister comes to the words of Absolution bow down your head and say softly in your heart Lord let this pardon pronounced by thy Minister fall upon my Soul and seal thereunto the forgiveness of all my sins 3. The Psalms and Hymns are to be answered verse for verse with the Minister that so all may joyn and bear a part in the Service of God for in his Temple doth every man speak of his honour v Psal 29.9 And 〈◊〉 although you cannot reade yet your heart may joyn with them that do reade and your mouth also may shew forth the praise of God by saying after every Psalm Glory be to the Father and to or else if it fall in course As it was in the beginning is now Adding always Amen to express how affectionately you desire the glory of God 4. Be not silent nor ashamed publickly and audibly to make confession of the holy Christian Faith when you are thereunto called by the Minister For this is a Duty you owe both to God and Man it is an act of God's Worship and a declaration that you hold the same Faith with all true Christians And therefore 't is required of you not onely with the heart to believe unto righteousness but that with the mouth also Confession be made unto salvation x Rom. 10.10 And when the Confession of Faith is publickly pronounced do not you sit or loll as if it concerned you not but stand up with the rest of the Congregation to signify and declare that you will stand to this Faith and earnestly contend for it as being the same which was once given to or by the Saints the holy Apostles 5. Be not so cold and careless in giving honour to God as not to bow at the name of Jesus for 't is a Duty positively commanded and universally practised by the Church and people of God in all Ages And therefore give no ear to those deceivable Criticisms corrupt Glosses and false Inferences which are too frequently but profanely urged to make void the commandment of God in the omission of this Religious practice If you hear any such allegations out of the Pulpit detest them the rather that any act of Religious worship should be spoken against in the place where whatever tends to the honour of God should be magnified and advanced 6. That you may not be tired with the length of the Divine Service consider 1. the great variety of its severall parts as consisting of Praiers and Praises Confessions Thanksgivings Invitations Lessons Admonitions all of which are with most admirable prudence and Religious wisedom so ordered and contrived to follow each other that so the ending of one and beginning of another may renew and re-enquicken your Devotion chearfully to joyn in all Remember 2. whose service it is you are a-doing and continue therein from the beginning to the end that you may reap the benefit of the whole Office both of the Absolution in the beginning and of the Blessing in the end and of the Amen's throughout CHAP. X. Meditations and Praiers at the Blessed Sacrament When you goe up to communicate COme unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will refresh you a Matt. 11.28 Thus calleth my Saviour upon Sinners whereunto my heart answereth I come Blessed Jesus in all humility and deeply sensible of my Sins I now come unto thee to be eased of the burthen of them and to be refreshed with the sense of thy Mercy and the truth of thy Salvation My heart hath talked of thee and of thy gracious command Seek ye my face Thy face Lord do I now seek O hide not thou thy face from me b Psal 27.8 9. under the clouds of my Sins neither let the thick clouds of my transgressions hinder the light of thy countenance from shining upon thy servant When you kneel down before the Altar Thou art worthy O Lord to receive blessing and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created c Rev. 4.11 Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisedom and strength and honour and glory and blessing d Rev. 5.12 Out of S. Chrysost Liturgy But I am unworthy his praise should come within my polluted lips and much more unworthy his precious Body and Bloud should be received into my Soul and unclean mouth But since he disdained not to be born in a Stable and to be laid in a Manger amongst Beasts * Luk. 2.7 since he vouchsafed to enter into the house of a Leper f Matt. 26.6 and of a Publican g Luk. 5.29 and to admit the kisses of an unclean Sinner such as I am washing his delicate Feet with her penitent Tears h Luk. 7.38 O vouchsafe most benign Jesus to receive me also reject me not though a Sinner yet thy Servant though unclean yet penitent and now humbling my self under thy most mighty hand That it may please thee to remit to release to pardon all my Sins whether of knowledge or ignorance whether by thought word or deed committed that with a pure and clean Soul I may receive thy most precious Body and Bloud Prayers out of several other Liturgies that the devout Reader may have the more choice and fix upon the use of such as he feels most enquickening his Devotion Out of S. James's Liturgy I. O Lord God the Bread of Heaven and Life of the World I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am not worthy to partake of thy most holy Mysteries yet vouchsafe mercifull Lord to make me worthy by thy grace that I may not receive thy Holy Body and Bloud to my condemnation but unto the remission of my Sins and everlasting life Amen II. I beseech thee O Lord Out of the R. B. that I may so worthily receive those sacred Mysteries of Salvation as to have Christ dwelling in my heart and that it may become the Temple of the Holy Ghost III. In the spirit of Humility and with a contrite heart receive me O Lord and may the Sacrifice which this day I offer up unto thee be
and throughly transacted except your Prayers be joyned with Fasting That great day of expiation commanded by God for the putting away of Sin was a Fasting-day and for this corporall mortification Lev. 16.29 30. Isa 58 3 5. Joel 2.12 Matt. 17.21 Luk. 2.37 as well as for the spiritual compunction 't was called a day wherein to afflict the Soul The many admonitions and examples of Fasting both in the Old and New Testament and its frequent conjunction with Praier may sufficiently convince us of the necessity of this Duty when we implore the pardon of our Sins as also of other acts of Mortification for the taming and subduing of the flesh 1 Cor. 9.27 Gal. 5.17 which hath so shamefully rebelled against the spirit as in the through Confession of Sins is acknowledged 13. That you may be both humbled for your Sins and yet not despair of mercy and forgiveness meditate upon the bitter Sorrows and Sufferings of our Blessed Redeemer Behold him with the eye of Faith and devout Meditation expanded on the Cross as on a Tormenting-rack see him naked and racked and wounded and bleeding for thy Sins no part of his Body untormented no power of his Soul unsacrific'd no drop of his Bloud unshed for thine offences His tender Skin and delicate Flesh was torn and rent and razed by cruell lashes with forked whips his Head crowned with thorns the curse of the earth his Sinews crackt his Veins burst his Joynts disparted and all his Bones started aside whilst in the midst of these torments he offered up his Soul a Sacrifice for thy Sins And 't is this precious Bloud thus shed and applied to thy heart if any thing will mollify its hardness and melt thee into tears of Compunction for thy Sins the cause of thy Saviour's Sufferings into tears of Compassion with thy Redeemer in his Passion for thee into tears of Devotion in the dedication of thy whole self unto the service of his Majesty who gave himself wholly to redeem and save thee And because Meditations upon this subject are of all others most effectuall to excite Compunction and Devotion in the heart and to obtain mercy I have therefore annexed some short Meditations on the severall Mysteries of our Redemption and our Saviour's Passion wherein every one may enlarge himself as his Devotion shall suggest 14. In the Confession of your Sins as in every of your set solemn constant Praiers unto God 't will be very imprudent and too presumptuous to trust to your own extempore expressions and boldly say onely what at present comes into your mind for this is to be as one of them that tempt the Lord. Ecclus. 18.23 Eccles. 5.1 2. And by such rash inconsiderate addresses you offer to the All-wise God the sacrifice of fools There 's no Malefactour that petitions his Judge for the pardon of his crime but will pen his Petition and study to doe it in such words as are pertinent and not superfluous that he offend not by any tedious prolix or unnecessary expressions And we cannot surely be less considerate and carefull when we petition the Great Judge of the world for the pardon of our Sins which would otherwise sink our Souls to eternall honour For the right performance therefore of a Duty of so high concernment Dan. 9.4 c. Hos 14.2 3. Baruc. 1.15 c. Luke 15.18 21. we have many Forms of Confession upon record in the Book of God and other books of practicall Devotion both ancient and modern But because such generalls reach not punctually to the particulars of Self-examination proposed I have hereunto added for the greater ease of the Reader a Form of Confession whereunto every man may adde or diminish as his Conscience tells him he is guilty or not guilty also as he finds himself more or less guilty remembring to enlarge upon every general head of Confession the enumeration of all such particular Sins as relate thereunto And because there be few devout orthodox good Christians but are affected with what is ancient and primitive more then with the modes of new and modern Devotion I have therefore added one Form of Confession out of the Bibliotheca Patrum for its antiquity and the generall extent thereof 15. After the Confession of your Sins the most effectuall Praiers you can use for the Pardon of them are next to the Lord's Praier the Penitentiall Psalmes the praying whereof with understanding and devotion is truly and indeed to pray by the Holy Spirit of God Eph. 5.18 19. for such are undeniably the dictates of God's Holy Spirit I have therefore added the said Psalms with the Lord's Praier paraphrased that in the devout use thereof you may pray by the Spirit 1 Cor. 14.15 and pray with understanding also CHAP. VIII A Form of Confession of Sin fitted to the Rules of Self-examination whereunto every one may adde or substract as he finds himself guilty or not guilty In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen BUT I am unworthy O Lord to take thy Holy Name in my mouth ashamed to lift up mine eyes to Heaven for I have sinned against Heaven and before thee in that I have daily broken my Vow and Promise made unto the God of Heaven Sins against the Baptismal Vow in general To renounce the Devil and all his works I am unworthy to be called thy Son having obeyed the suggestions and done the works of the Devil and I do therefore justly deserve as a child of the Devil to have my portion with him and his Angels for with those Apostate spirits I have not kept to my first estate of Regeneration in Baptism but have transgressed all the particulars of that Covenant which I made with my God therein God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have suffered my foolish heart to be deceived with the Pomps and Vanities of this transitory life The Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and have been more enamour'd with the empty gaudy flattering felicities of this present World then with those never-fading joys and unspeakable glories of the World to come God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner The Pride of life hath ensnared me more to affect the praise of men then the praise of God and the Lust of the eyes hath bewitched me to prefer the love and service of Mammon before the love and fear and service of my Maker God be mercifull to me a sinner I have more readily obeyed the sinful lusts of the flesh And all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh then the godly motions of the Spirit and carnal Concupiscence hath reigned in my heart and prevailed in the actions of my life against the dictates both of right Reason and holy Religion Have mercy upon me O God after thy great goodness and according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences through Jesus Christ Amen I have not been so careful as
service of thy great Name And though thus and more ways then thus in more respects then I can possibly conceive or remember I have profaned thy Holy Name yet is thy Name called upon me and I do daily call upon thy Name I do therefore humbly beg For thy Name 's sake O Lord be merciful unto my sin for it is great Many of those Days and hours Sins against the Fourth Commandment times and seasons dedicated to thy Divine Worship publick and private have I profan'd and unhallowed making no difference either by my words or works betwixt Daies separate to the sacred Service of God and such as are left in common for the service of our selves I have too often absented my self from thy solemn publick Worship without sufficient cause and have too carelesly irreverently and indevoutly demeaned my self therein I have mis-spent much of the time assigned for holy Exercises in following my own private business satisfying my sensful lusts pursuing the pleasures and interests of this present world spending upon such daies in luxury riot and excess what might better have been laid out in Alms and Charitable uses The whole course of my life which thou grantedst me to be spent in thy service here that I might advance my hopes of Heaven hereafter I have foolishly thrown away upon my lusts and vanities continually grieving thy good Spirit quenching those sacred flames he hath enkindled in my breast never ceasing from the works of sin but daily labouring to destroy my hopes to keep a perpetual Sabbath in Heaven O God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my eyes to Heaven for mine iniquities are increased over mine head and my trespass is gone up unto the Heavens Sins against the Second Table of the Law O Most just and dear God Sins against the Fifth Commandment I humbly confess my self not onely to have broken the bonds of that love fear and service I owe unto thee but I have also transgrest my duty in all my Relations unto others I have been disobedient to my Parents Against Parents stubborn and disrespective in my carriage towards them I have sometimes secretly despised them in my heart and openly reviled them I have slighted their admonitions thinking my self too good to own them too wise to obey their commands I have not to the best of my power comforted and relieved them in their wants and weaknesses sorrows and sicknesses and I have too often wished for their death that I might enjoy their estate and follow the sway of my own corrupt humour and inclinations God be merciful to me a sinner I have not been careful Against Children either my self to instruct my Children or to see they were by others instructed in the Principles of holy and true Religion I have been more careful for their temporal then spiritual estate for the health of their Bodies then for the Salvation of their Souls not wisely admonishing discreetly correcting and seasonably reproving them and by my good example teaching them the ways of Truth and Holiness God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner Against the King I have been too disobedient to my Prince too censorious and malapert in traducing his Person and Conversation his Government and the Governours under his Majesty I have murmured to pay him Toll and Tribute and refused to obey many of his Laws and lawful Commands I had too deep a hand in the Rebellion against the late King of blessed memory by my many personal sins provoking the wrath of God by entertaining false opinions by believing and spreading lies and infamous stories God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have not made conscience to obey the Laws and Orders of thy Church Against the Church whether universal or particular not acknowledging or not submitting to the authority of either and am justly to be therefore rankt amongst Publicans and Sinners My Ghostly Fathers and the Ministers thereof in the several Orders of Bishop Priest and Deacon I have disbelieved disrespected disobeyed despised them in their Persons in their Callings in their Admonitions for my Soul's health And I have also detained diminished defrauded and grudingly paid the Dues of the Church God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner Amongst the Ministers of the Gospel I have had respect of persons being better pleased with a stranger then with my own lawful Pastour better pleased with the Factious and Schismatical then with the Orthodox and Regular Clergy better pleased with Preachers that tickle the itching ear then with such as feed the Soul with sound and wholsom Doctrine I have hated him that reproveth in the gate I have hardened my heart and refused when admonished to return from the Errours of my ways God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner Towards all my Superiours I have been too haughty and disrespectful Against all men in their relations and conditions both in my carriage towards them and speeches of them I have not honoured the aged and admonished the younger and less experienc'd Towards all men my deportment has been too churlish and ungentle not so meek and lowly not so courteous and affable as becomes the spirit of a true Christian I have been proud and vain-glorious stubborn and disobedient slighting contemning deriding others giving rash judgment but have been impatient my self of scorn or of a just reproof not enduring to be slighted and yet extremely deserving it God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have not ordered aright the members of my Family or my Servant Sins of Masters of Fandlies or Servants been too remiss in my care for their instruction and for their daily attendance upon the publick Worship of God preferring their attendance upon me and their service in my worldly concerns before the great concernment and interest of their own Souls Salvation in the service of thy Sacred Majesty I have detained or curtail'd their wages murmuring to give them their due provoked their spirits exacted too hard duty from them and too superciliously lorded it over them God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have oftentimes disobeyed And of Servants and murmured to obey my Master's commands I have not been so lowly and submissive in my demeanour towards him so just and honest in the management of his affairs as becomes a good and faithful Servant Have mercy upon me O God after thy great goodness and according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences through Jesus Christ I have been hainously and frequently guilty of immoderate Anger Sins against the Sixth Commandment Immoderate Anger in the heart in word and deed been peevish and disquieted at trifles at slight miscarriages of others and inconsiderable accidents about me My Anger hath often swelled into wrath and fury broken out into bitter railing and cursing opprobrious speeches to such and such mindful of wrongs forgetful of benefits going to law with such and such
slaughter and as a lamb dumb before the shearers so opened he not his mouth 15. For in thee O Lord have I put my trust As knowing that vain is the help of man but thou O Lord art both able and willing to succour all such as unjustly suffer and depend upon thee for right thou shalt answer for me O Lord my God Hear my praiers and answer my desires plead my cause against mine adversaries and disappoint me not of my hope which hangeth upon thee the God of my Salvation 16. I have required requested of thee in my praiers that mine enemies should not triumph over me insult in my overthrow for when my foot slipt at my slips and failings either into sin or other danger they rejoyced greatly against me My falls which are grief to the godly were great cause of joy to my ghostly adversaries how much more greatly then would they rejoyce and triumph in my utter overthrow 17. And I truly am set in the plague being born to suffering because born in sin being prone to fall if not by thee supported and my heaviness is ever in my sight being conscious of my sins the cause of all my sorrows But that the plague thereof may be healed 18. I will confess my wickedness and this not onely outwardly with my lips but inwardly from my heart I will be sorry for my sins And great reason sure for they are the cause of all my sorrows and sufferings both in Soul and body 19. But mine enemies the Devil and his angels live and are mighty they are lively active strong and vigorous whilst I am weak and feeble and they that hate me without a cause are many in number they are multiplied and make head against me without cause given them by me And not onely they whom I have not wronged or provok'd but even 20. They that reward evil for good are against me And such undoubtedly who repay evil for good doe it by the instinct of Satan and out of mere hatred to goodness it self and therefore they hate me because I follow the thing that good is hating my person because of the integrity of my actions But 21. Forsake me not In time of temptation and trouble leave me not destitute of thy assistence O Lord my God in whom are all my hopes of salvation be not thou far from me by taking away thy grace from me But if in thy great wisedom it be withdrawn a little for my trial yet not too far nor too long but rather 22. Haste thee to help me against all the assaults of the Devil the World and the Flesh whom to vanquish and overcome is from thee and by thy assisting presence O Lord God of my salvation the authour the promiser the donour of eternal Salvation Let others trust in their riches power yet shall my Soul for ever trust in thee for saving happiness in whom and from whom alone is peace and joy and to whom be all glory Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning Psalm LI. Verse 1. HAve mercy upon me O God the Father of mercies after thy great goodness were not thy goodness infinitely great I could not hope for thy mercy and after the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences Mine offences are multitudinous and hainous and require a multitude of mercies to cover them 2. Wash me throughly who am throughout foul and polluted in all the parts and powers both of Soul and body from my wickedness 't is mine own indeed from mine own wicked will proceeding and cleanse me from my sin both from my wickedness against God and from my sin against man from my wickedness past and from sin to come that both the guilt of sin and my corrupt inclination thereunto may be cleansed 3. For I acknowledge my faults I desire neither to hide nor excuse them but with a penitent heart I own and confess them that thou mayest forget and forgive them and my sin is ever before me my conscience constantly accusing and condemning my great folly and ingratitude in sinning against thee And 't is 4. Against thee onely have I sinned who alone art both my Judge and the Witness of my sins Thou alone searchest the hearts and knowest the greatness and grievousness of my sins and thou alone hast supreme power both to punish and to pardon and done this evil in thy sight What I was ashamed to doe before men I have without either fear or shame done before thee to whose all-seeing eye nothing is hid Have mercy upon me O God 5. That thou maist be justified in thy saying be found just in all thy words and in this particularly Hos 13.9 Thou hast destroyed thy self O Israel but in me is thy help and clear when thou judgest free from the least injustice in pardoning the penitent and condemning the obstinate 6. Behold I was shapen in wickedness contracting together with my very being in nature original corruption from my parents loins and in sin hath my mother conceived me Hence my flesh becomes so frail and rebellious against the spirit 7. But lo thou requirest truth in the inward parts the internall purity of the heart and affections are thy delight and shalt make me to understand wisedom secretly By the secret influences of thy Holy Spirit make me to understand and practise that wisedom which is from above 8. Thou shalt purge me with hyssop My foul and corrupt Conscience hath need of a purge the ingredients whereof must be the bitter sorrows and sufferings of my dearest Saviour intermixt with the salt tears of bitter sorrow of Soul for my sins thou shalt wash me in the inexhaustible fountain of thy mercy through Faith in the bloud of Christ and I shall be whiter then snow through the spiritual candour of my justified Soul 9. Thou shalt make me hear or be inwardly sensible of joy and gladness in the remission of my sins and hopes of eternal happiness then the which no greater joy can touch the immortal Soul that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce in the light of thy countenance shining into my broken heart and there diffusing the glimmering rays of a blessed hope 10. Turn thy face away not from me through indignation but from my sins by the remission of them and put out all my misdeeds out of thy book of remembrance that they appear not in judgment against me to my condemnation at the last great Day 11. Make me a clean heart O God cleansed from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit and renew a right spirit rectified from all the crooked paths of vanity and iniquity raised up to heaven-wards and cleaving stedfastly to thee my God and let this be within me Purifie my will and affections whence all my extravagancies issued 12. Cast me not away from thy presence in whose presence is both the light and health of the Soul and though I am unworthy to appear in thy presence but deserve
accepted and please thee O Lord my God IV. Let not the Participation of thy Body Lord Jesus which I too much unworthy presume to receive be unto me for judgment but effectual through thy great mercy for the safeguard both of my Mind and Body and for the healing of my sin-sick Soul who livest and reignest with the Father Out of the Greek Ritual I. May what we now offer up unto thee O Lord be accepted for the mercy of the universal World for all them for whom Christ offered up himself a Sacrifice upon the Altar of the Cross for the glory of thy Name and for the coming of the Holy Ghost that he may please to visit and enlighten my heart Amen II. As the Offering of righteous Abel as the Sacrifice of Noah of Abraham of Isaac so let this our Sacrifice be acceptable unto thee O Lord and may the same be so worthily offered by us and mercifully received by thee as when 't was performed by thy holy Apostles Amen III. O God the King of all give me I beseech thee true Compunction the Redemption of my Sins and the Amendment of my life who am deeply immers'd in bodily Affections estranged from thee and without hopes but in thy great goodness and saving mercies Omnipotent Jesus Saviour and Redeemer Amen Out of the Mozarabick Liturgy I. May the Sacrifice we now offer up unto thy Divine Majesty be effectual for the Pardon of all our offences for the Establishment of the Holy Catholick and Apostolick Faith and for all who religiously profess the same through Jesus Christ II. Bearing in mind continually the Holy Catholick Church we pray that the Lord may be pleased to be propitious hereunto and by the increase of Faith Hope and Charity to enlarge its limits We likewise remember all them that are fallen all that be in captivity the infirm and sick the stranger the fatherless and widow that the Lord would in mercy look upon them restore redeem heal comfort and relieve them all through Jesus Christ III. O Holy Trinity the Store-house of blessings vouchsafe to bless confirm and strengthen us all here present before thee deliver us from the day of condemnation and let us not be confounded when we shall appear before thee and in the presence of thy holy Angels but make us joyfull in thy Resurrection Blessed Jesus Keep the Soul of thy Servant the King and let Grace and Peace Charity and Humility flourish in his days through Jesus Christ IV. Grant O Lord our God that we may receive the Body and Bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ to obtain the Remission of all our Sins and to be replenished with thy Holy Spirit who livest and reignest Father Son and Holy Ghost one God over all Blessed for ever Out of the Aethiopick Liturgy I. Holy Holy Holy thrice Blessed ineffable Lord grant me to receive the Blessed Body of my Redeemer not unto judgment but to all fruitfulness in Good works according unto thy will and that such fruits may remain to thy glory Quicken us in thee to doe thy will In faith we call thee Father and pray Thy Kingdom come Hallowed be thy Name in us and by us for thou art most powerfull praise-worthy and glorious To thee be glory for ever Amen II. O God the Governour of Souls the Guide of the holy and the Crown of the just open mine Eyes now to see thee mine Ears always to hear thee and mine Heart to receive thee O give me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me And after of thy great grace thou hast satiated my Soul with thy Blessed Body and Bloud give me to understand both thy Greatness and thy Goodness and grant that thy holy will may ever be done in my Soul for thine is the Kingdom O Lord. Glory and Blessing be to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost for ever Amen III. Grant me Blessed Lord Out of the English Lit. so to eat the Flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ and to drink his Bloud that my sinfull Body may be made clean by his most Holy Body and my Soul washed in his most precious Bloud that I may evermore dwell in him and he in me Amen which is the great benefit of the Communion of Saints After you have received the consecrated Bread The Bread which I have now taken is the Bread which came down from Heaven and giveth life unto the world Oh that I may now feel its efficacy enquickening and inflaming my Soul with the heavenly ardours of divine love having all my Affections set upon things above and not upon things below May this Bread be to my Soul the staff of strength whereby I may vanquish all the assaults of the Devil the World and the Flesh and continue my Lord 's faithfull Servant and Souldier to my life's end Amen After the Cup received O that this precious Bloud of my dear Redeemer may be now both the Purification and Nourishment of my Soul the seal of my Pardon and Peace with God and the pledge of mine Inheritance in Heaven After both Grant Holy Jesus that as I have now received in faith thy precious Body and Bloud veiled under the Species of Bread and Wine I may hereafter behold thy blessed Face reveiled in Heaven to eat and drink with thy holy Angels and Saints in their mansions of blisse where they are satisfied with the fulness of the most ravishing delights in the Beatificall vision of the thrice-blessed Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost of whom and through whom and in whom are all things and to whom be all glory for ever Amen Out of the Greek Ritual We give thee thanks good Lord the Benefactour of our Souls that thou hast this day made us worthy of thy celestial and immortall Mysteries Vouchsafe O Lord to confirm us in thy fear to preserve our life to secure our paths and to guide our feet in the way of peace Amen The Song of Simeon 1. Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy Word 2. For mine eyes have seen thy Salvation 3. Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people 4. To be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning Meditations whilst others are communicated The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God the Lord God of his fathers though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary i 2 Chron. 30.18 19. Blessed are they who dwell in the House of the Lord and are fed though it be but with the crums that fall from his Table The XXXIV Psalm is in the Apostolical Constitutions and in S. Chrysostom 's Liturgy appointed to be at this time devoutly praied Verse 1. I Will alway give thanks unto the Lord his praise shall ever be in my mouth 2. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord the
humble shall hear thereof and be glad 3. O praise the Lord with me and let us magnify his Name together 4. I sought the Lord and he heard me yea he delivered me out of all my fear 5. They had an eye unto him and were lightned and their faces were not ashamed 6. Lo the poor crieth and the Lord heareth him yea and saveth him out of all his troubles 7. The Angel of the Lord tarrieth round about them that fear him and delivereth them 8. O taste and see how gracious the Lord is blessed is the man that trusteth in him 9. O fear the Lord ye that be his Saints for they that fear him do lack nothing 10. The lions do lack and suffer hunger but they who seek the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good 11. Come ye children and hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12. What man is he that lusteth to live and would fain see good days 13. Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips that they speak no guile 14. Eschew evil and doe good seek peace and ensue it 15. The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears are open unto their praiers 16. The countenance of the Lord is against them that doe evil to root out the remembrance of them from off the earth 17. The righteous cry and the Lord heareth them and delivereth them out of all their troubles 18. The Lord is nigh unto all them that are of a contrite heart and will save such as be of an humble spirit 19. Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of all 20. He keepeth all his bones so that not one of them is broken 21. But misfortune shall slay the ungodly and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate 22. The Lord delivereth the souls of his servants and all they that put their trust in him shall not be destitute Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning The Prayer May the praise of the Lord be ever in my mouth and let us all magnify his Name together who do now tast and see how gracious the Lord is for he hath heard our praiers enlightned our minds delivered us from all our fears and from all those troubles whereunto our Sins had made us liable And oh that the sweet tast of our gracious Lord in this Blessed Sacrament of his Body and Bloud may have its proper influence upon all the Affections of our hearts and Actions of our lives that we may henceforth and for ever eschew evil and doe good being fruitfull in all the good works of Righteousness and true Holiness from whence ensue eternal Peace and Happiness through Jesus Christ I have sworn vowed in my Baptism and now again renewed the same Vow and am stedfastly purposed to keep thy righteous judgments k Psal 119.106 I am thine even now solemnly devoted thine stedfastly resolved thine O save me for I have sought thy Commandments l Vers 94. O hold thou up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not m Psal 17.5 O hold thou up my goings in thy paths that I may daily perform my vows n Psal 61.8 CHAP. XI Psalms of Praise and Thanksgiving after the Holy Communion The CIII Psalm Verse 1. PRaise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name 2. Praise the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits 3. Who forgiveth all thy sins and healeth all thy infirmities 4. Who saveth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and loving-kindness 5. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things making thee young and lusty as the eagle 6. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all them that are oppressed with wrong 7. He shewed his ways unto Moyses his works unto the children of Israel 8. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy long-suffering and of great goodness 9. He will not alway be chiding neither keepeth he his anger for ever 10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our wickedness 11. But look how high the heaven is in comparison of the earth so great is his mercy also towards them that fear him 12. Look how wide also the East is from the West so far hath he set our sins from us 13. Yea like as a father pitieth his own children even so is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him 14. For he knoweth whereof we are made he remembreth that we are but dust 15. The days of man are but as grass for he flourisheth as a flower of the field 16. For as soon as the wind goeth over it it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more 17. But the mercifull loving-kindness of the Lord endureth for ever and ever upon them that fear him and his righteousness upon childrens children 18. Even upon such as keep his covenant and think upon his commandments to doe them 19. The Lord hath prepared his seat in heaven and his Kingdom ruleth over all 20. O praise the Lord ye Angels of his ye that excell in strength ye that fulfill his commandment and hearken unto the voice of his words 21. O praise the Lord all ye his hosts ye servants of his that doe his pleasure 22. O praise the Lord all ye works of his in all places of his dominion Praise thou the Lord O my Soul Glory be to the Father c. I. 'T is not within the power of all the Faculties of my Soul worthily to praise the Lord for that he hath now satisfied my mouth with the good things of Heaven he hath forgiven me all my sins and healed the diseases of my Soul he hath renewed my strength as an Eagle to mount my Soul unto Heaven upon the sacred wings of holy Faith firm Hope fervent Charity and by the virtue of that celestiall Food I have now received II. How great is the goodness and how great is the mercy of the Lord who hath not dealt with me after my Sins nor rewarded me according to my wickedness But as a father pitieth his own children so mercifull is the Lord and hath compassion upon the work of his own hands and whom he hath framed after his own Image frail and sinfull though we be III. But since through the weakness and frailties of my mortal nature I cannot praise the Lord as becometh his eminent grace and greatness may my defects herein be supplied with the Hallelujahs of Angels and Archangels and all the company of Heaven And 't is the exultation and joy of my heart that these celestiall Spirits cease not day and night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God of hosts Heaven and Earth are full of thy Glory Glory be to God on high Amen Blessed be the Lord God even the God of Israel who onely doeth wondrous things And blessed be the name of his majesty for ever and all
Self-examination by the Decalogue or by the Third part of the Vow in Baptism To keep God's Holy Will and Commandments c. CHAP. V. The Examination of Religious actions CHAP. VI. The Examination of Repentance CHAP. VII Considerations with Directions in the Confession of Sin CHAP. VIII A Form of Confession of Sin fitted to the Rules of Self-examination whereunto every one may adde or substract as he finds himself guilty or not guilty CHAP. IX An ancient Form of Confession extant Biblioth Patrum CHAP. X. The Lord's Praier paraphrased CHAP. XI The Seven Penitential Psalms paraphrased CHAP. XII Meditations and Praiers to be partakers of the Merits of what our Blessed Redeemer hath done and suffered for us Pag. 195. l. 26. for Christ's number read this number p. 200. l. 27. for his read this THE PRACTICAL Christian PART I. CHAP. I. Of the great necessity of SELF-EXAMINATION 1. WHosoever believes as a Christian his Soul to be immortall being either entitled to everlasting Joy through Faith and Obedience to the Gospell of Christ or liable to eternall Woe through Disobedience and Misbelief a Joh. 5.28 29. must be very stupid and sottish if he do not frequently examine himself b Psal 4.4 2 Cor. 13.5 Gal. 6.4 whether he may reasonably conclude â—he is in the state of Grace and Salvation or of Sin and of Death the wages whereof c Rom. 6.23 2. That every man should know himself is such a fundamentall principle of true wisedom that wise men of old affirmed Nosce teipsum to be a command immediately derived to the sons of men by a voice from Hea ven as being absolutely necessary to the right guidance of all the actions of humane life upon earth 3. The reasonable Soul were it not debauched by the sensuall appetite and distracted by the hurry of exorbitant desires could not but often remember her self examine and call to mind the Authour and End of her Being the immortality and dignity of her nature what is her errand into this world and how she shall subsist in the world to come what is her chiefest Good and wherein her perfection and felicity consists which cannot be to eat and drink and sleep purchase lands build houses satisfy the lusts of the flesh swell with pride of life She would consider that she is stampt after the Image of God and her Happiness consists in the knowledge love and enjoyment of the Divine Majesty and in the imitation and representation according to her modell of the Perfections of the Godhead But alas vain man being in honour hath no understanding considers not the honour of his being after the Image of his Maker but receives his Divine immortall Soul in vain whilst he follows the sway of his sensuall irrationall appetite and is compared to the beasts that perish d Psal 49.12 4. And well it were for all such inconsiderate and imprudent persons if their Souls were as perishing and mortall as those which animate the beasts of the field But â—o their eternall sorrow 't is far otherwise for there is an account to be given by every man of his immortal Soul and of the Image of God stamped thereupon viz. how this blessed Image hath been either defaced or kept undefiled how it hath been obscured or how shined how deformed or how beautified through all the actions of each man's life For God will bring every work into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evill * Eccles. 12.14 Rom. 2.16 and 14.10 2 Cor. 5.10 5. Upon every man's Examination both in his particular and in the generall Judgment depends his everlasting well-being or undoing for ever each man's condition then shall be unchangeable whether it be of glory or misery They that have done good shall go into everlasting life and they that have done evill into everlasting fire f Matth. 25.46 6. Since this great Triall then shall be upon life and death eternall 't wil be wisely done to try beforehand Such is the advice of the wise Siracides Before judgment examine thy self and in the day of visitation thou shalt find mercy g Ecclus. 18.20 To examine accuse judge and condemn thy self in this life may through the merits of Christ acquit thee in the life to come So saith the Apostle If we would judge our selves we should not be judged h 1 Cor. 11.31 7. Now then sinfull man delay not to pass judgment upon thy self remember that the Great Judge himself hath said it I will reprove thee and set before thee the things that thou hast done i Psal 50.21 Be wise then and prevent this sad and dismall reproof by setting in order before thy self all the Sins of thy life And to this Triall of thy self these following particulars do necessarily concur 1. A Tribunall must be erected and this is not to be without thee but within thee even in thine own heart k 1 Joh. 3.20 21. 2. The Judge to sit upon this Seat of judicature must be thy Reason guided by the Law of the most High wherein beware of a misunderstanding and wresting of the letter of the Law to pass any unjust and partiall sentence upon thy self for that may undoe thee for ever l 2 Pet. 3.16 3. The Witnesses to be produc'd against thee are the Conscience bearing witness and the thoughts the mean while accusing or excusing one another and thus shall it be also in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Christ Jesus m Rom. 2.15 16. 4. The Executioners that stand ready to seize the Criminall are Fear and terrour and an horrible dread overwhelming the Soul n Phil. 2.12 Psal 55.5 These do ever attend 5. Self-condemnation which is an unfeigned and sad acknowledgment to have incurred the dismall Sentence of condemnation to death eternall To prevent which 6. Execution must be done and the bloud of the guilty Soul must be shed 'T is not to be believ'd or hoped that a black diseased Soul should recover its health and beauty after the Image of God except she bleed plentifully bleed in the tears of Compunction and godly sorrow bleed in the Confession of her Sins with an abhorrence of them for the filthiness guilt and danger contracted by them so as for the future to renounce and abjure them for ever 8. Thus to examine judge and condemn thy self is the same Christian duty which is called Repentance without the practice whereof our Lord positively affirms that we are all undone for ever saying Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish o Luk. 13.3 5. And he saith the same words again at the same time and in the same Text recorded 1. to enforce the great necessity of Repentance against all carnall careless self-conceited and seduced persons 2. to manifest his great goodness who would not have any to perish but that all should come to Repentance p 2 Pet. 3.9 9.
Sinners we are all less or more q Jam 3 2. but God in great mercy has ordained and commanded Repentance as the great antidote against the poison of Sin and preservative from death r Matth. 3 7 8. And that Repentance which is thus salutary consists of 2 generall parts 1. to confess with sorrow our sins past 2. for ever to abjure and forsake them And to such a true Penitent onely is mercy promised †Prov. 28.13 Joh. 8.11 1 Joh. 1.9 10. To both these generall heads of true Repentance a full knowlege and deep sense of all hainous sins even punctually and particularly is absolutely necessary For no man can confess his Sins who knows them not nor forsake them who is not feelingly sensible of the guilt and danger contracted by them t Psal 51.3 Isa 59.12 Self-examination is therefore commanded as a previous duty necessarily conducing to a true Conversion v Psal 4.4 Lam. 3.40 or which is the same to a true Repentance both in respect of all its integral parts and also of the fruits meet for Repentance which are no other but the Good works of a new Obedience x Col. 1.10 11. The just man falleth seven times y Prov. 24.16 and upon consideration of his seven times daily failings he hath seven times daily confessions z Psal 119.164 to the praise of God a â—es 7.19 with frequent laments in the night also b Psal 6.6 and 77.6 At least twice aday morning and evening he takes a view of his miscarriages the by-past day and night confessing and bewailing his frequent backslidings and in all holy humility imploring with tears of godly sorrow the pardon of his daily offences with firm resolution of more care and caution more zeal of innocence and purity both in heart and life for the time to come 12. 'T is a great imprudence even madness in the hearts of men to put off from day to day this Self-examination or reckoning with our selves Since 't is difficult to account strictly for the misdemeanours of one day how much more hard then to set straight and even the accounts of a long sinfull life whereas he who daily accounts with himself and his offended God for his daily transgressions shall have but one day's sins to account for upon his dying day c Luk. 12.42 43. 13. We reade of Moyses that his leprous hand was made whole and recovered its native whiteness by thrusting it into his bosome d Exod. 4.7 And thus is the Soul cleansed from the leprosy of Sin by thrusting the hand which is the instrument of action into the bosom of thine own Conscience to enter and strictly to search into the inner man to ransack all the corners of the deceitfull heart to examine what affections lurk there and what excursions they have thence made into any extravagant and sinfull actions that they may be thence ejected and abandoned This is the way both to keep the heart pure and the hands clean hence comes both the knowledge of thy self and the fear of God hence comes Sense of sin holy Compunction godly Sorrow Humiliation and true Repentance in all its branches and worthy fruits Hence the Soul becomes inflamed with the ardent heats of holy Devotion and fervent Prayers for pardon and peace mercy and grace Sanctification and Redemption Hence arise in the heart holy Resolves of new Obedience with holy breathings after God and his Salvation Therefore is this Duty of Self-examination called the Magazine or Store-house of all Christian Vertue 14. And because to receive worthily the Communion of the body and bloud of Christ is the chiefest of all Christian performances and requires the practice of all Christian Vertues therefore after an especial manner is Self-examination commanded as a necessary Preparative to that Sacramentall Feast which from the doctrine of S. Paul we are taught in the Principles of our Religion where in the last Question of the Catechism it is demanded What is required of them that come to the Lord's Supper and 't is answered To examine themselves whether they truly repent them of their former sins CHAP. II. The Rule of Self-examination by the Vow in Baptism 1. SInce Self-examination is a Duty of so great so high so generall concernment as hath appeared it will be necessary that it be sincerely and throughly performed not slightly partially and deceitfully not by any false rules and erring opinions but by such a Rule as will not deceive us when we shall come to our great Examination and Triall at the Last day 2. There be too many who do flatter and deceive themselves by a bare and naked Faith in Christ by virtue whereof they conceit themselves to be justified and of the number of God's elect and assured of Salvation But these are groundless presumptions except thy Faith do purify thy heart a Act. 15.9 from all inordinate affections and cleanse thy hands from all sinfull actions b 2 Cor. 7.1 Jam. 4.8 and be also fruitfull in all good works c Jam. 2.26 3. The Rule according to which we shall be tried when we shall all stand before the Judgment-seat of Christ is not that of Faith alone under that notion whereby 't is too frequently misunderstood but that of an universall Obedience to the Gospell of Christ d 2 Thess 1.8 whereof Christian Charity is the Compendium and completion * Matt. 25.35 36 c. 4. The summe of Evangelicall Obedience is exprest in that Vow which every true Christian hath made when he was baptized or Christened And by this as S. Gregory observes f Greg. Hom. 19. every man may try the truth of his Faith in Christ For as no man can be said to be faithfull who keeps not his promise so neither can any Christian be said to have any true Faith towards God if he performs not the promise he hath made unto him especially considering that hereupon righteousness and everlasting happiness doth depend For 5. This Baptismall Vow is the condition upon which we are admitted into the Covenant of Grace and made members of Christ children of God and heirs of the Kingdome of Heaven And therefore they who perform not this condition but slight neglect or negligently observe the same do uncovenant themselves and return again to their naturall state of Sin and Misery viz. become children of wrath enemies of God and heirs of eternall damnation g Heb. 10.23 26 27 28 29. 6. The holy Christian Religion we all profess is no other but God's Will and Testament wherein a goodly inheritance is promis'd and bequeath'd but not to be obtained as S. Augustine observes h Aug. Ser. de Tem. 167. except as in all other Testaments we observe the will of the Testatour nor is there any thing more clearly exprest in the revealed will of God then this That the benefits of the Covenant of Grace belong onely to them who keep the